As Madam Xu watched the youth's figure slowly disappear from the side reception hall, a layer of frost seemed to form over her face. She wanted to raise the teacup and take a sip of tea to moisten her somewhat parched throat, but she found that the tea in the cup had gone cold. She wanted to throw the teacup against the floor to vent her emotions—naturally not caring for how expensive Ruyao porcelain was—but she didn't want anyone else to hear the sound and know the current state of her emotions.
Her mood at the moment was extraordinarily unpleasant. She was able to understand the meaning the youth wanted to pass on to her—'My deepest apologies, this might make Madam displeased, but at least it will make me happy.' Or perhaps it was because she had said similar words to him previously: 'You want to use my Divine General's Estate to change your life? My deepest apologies, although it might make you very happy, it will make me very displeased.'
In truth, from beginning to end, the youth had acted very courteously. He had only needed to say two sentences with completely different meanings and then turn around to succeed in communicating his meaning. Perhaps this could also be considered a sort of talent.
The nanny's face was also extremely gloomy. Walking over to the Madam's side, she whispered, "Are we just letting him leave like this?
"I originally thought that he was only a proud youth, but now I know that he's actually a treacherous and crafty villain. If he really came to my Divine General's estate to seek some sort of benefit and was so cautious that he didn't even drink a mouthful of tea, how could he possibly have dared to bring the marriage contract into the estate? As a matter of fact, from beginning to end, did anyone actually see the marriage contract?"
Madam Xu understood the nanny's meaning. Her complexion a little gloomy, she said, "But since he's a smart person, he should understand very clearly that if he wanted even more benefits, he should not have taken everything to such extremes at the beginning."
...
...
Chen Changsheng was very confused by what had happened today. He had clearly come to end the engagement, so how did it end up this way? He was even more confused because even though the Divine General's estate certainly had many methods of disposing of this engagement, why had the seemingly shrewd Madam Xu chosen the stupidest method?
There were many things that he could not understand, so he no longer thought about them. It was just that when he thought about those overbearing words Madam Xu had said to him in the reception, he couldn't but be very curious about the young lady of the Xu Estate. Just what did she look like? Was she beautiful? Of course, if she grew up in such an estate, her temperament would presumably not be too gentle and kind…
The Divine General's estate was massive, even larger than the entirety of Xining Village. As there was no servant to guide the way, he very naturally got lost. When he realized this fact, he was outside a quiet and beautiful forest. When he thought about those stories recorded in the books that described how some destitute son-in-law was murdered in the dark by his shameless father-in-law, he became somewhat uneasy, and yet it was because of thoughts like these that he found it rather dull.
Just then, he sensed a gaze resting upon his body. He turned his head and saw that at the head of the stone steps by the trees, standing under a stone arch, was a girl. He realized that he had not gotten lost, but had been deliberately guided here by someone else.
That girl looked thirteen or fourteen years old. Her clothes were gorgeous, and any random set of jewelry on her body would be worth more than everything he owned. She had a beautiful appearance, and if she were to grow just a little bit older, she would definitely become a lovely beauty. As her black eyes spun around, she seemed very cute. It was just that this gaze was exceptionally brazen, scorching harsh as it sized him up from head to toe.
Chen Changsheng was a little stunned. He thought to himself, could this be the young lady of the Xu Estate?
He had spent his childhood incessantly studying scriptures and so possessed a superb patience. He allowed her to continue sizing him up, not asking any questions.
Finally, that girl said her first sentence.
"Can even Daoist priests get married?"
Chen Changsheng noticed that her gaze was on his Daoist topknot, so he explained, "I'm not a Daoist priest. Even though I'm wearing a Daoist robe and have my hair tied up in a Daoist topknot, that's all just my everyday habit. It doesn't represent that I'm actually a Daoist priest."
The girl walked up to him and asked him with a stern expression, "Are you a normal person?"
Chen Changsheng stared blankly at her, then realized what she meant by 'normal person'. He responded, "Yes, I haven't cultivated yet."
The girl took no notice of the fact that he had said he hadn't cultivated yet, and not that he did not know how to cultivate. She stared into his eyes and very seriously asked, "Are you and the young lady really engaged?"
After hearing these words, Chen Changsheng realized that this girl was not the young lady of the Xu Estate like he had imagined. He slightly relaxed, but for some reason, he was actually a tiny bit disappointed.
"My lady is?"
"I am called Shuang'er, and I am the young lady's personal maid."
Chen Changsheng could never have imagined that there existed a maid that could wear such magnificent clothes. Coupled with the fact that there was absolutely no one else around, he finally had a clearer understanding of the status this maid and her young lady had in the Divine General's estate.
"I really am engaged to the young lady of your family."
That maid called Shuang'er sincerely said to him, "In the future, do not say these words again."
"Why?" Chen Changsheng sincerely asked back.
Shuang'er looked at his appearance and felt annoyed for some reason. "You are only a normal person, so how could you possibly be together with my family's young lady? Quickly turn the marriage contract into something good, or else it will do you no good later on."
Chen Changsheng looked back at her and sincerely asked, "Why?"
It was still this one word.
Shuang'er looked at this youth's upright appearance and suddenly began to somewhat empathize with him. "If you want to live, you should never mention this engagement to anyone, or else no one will be able to safeguard your life."
She felt that she was sincerely thinking the best for this poor youth from the countryside—although the young lady could not possibly marry him, there had once been an engagement between the two of them. The young lady also knew of this person's preconditions, and so it was only right that he be allowed to live—it had never even occurred to her that when these words fell into his ear, they would seem just like a shameless threat.
Chen Changsheng silently thought, would the Divine General's estate really dispatch an assassin against me? The books and dramas he had read all had similar stories, but now that the Divine Empress sat on the throne, who would dare do this sort of thing in the capital?
He replied, "If the Divine General's estate wanted me dead, then the Madam would not simply have let me go. If I did not see wrongly, that old nanny is likely a very formidable figure. Anyway, it's not like many people saw me. If they just killed me and buried me under the flowers to serve as fertilizer, who would know? Since I'm still alive, it's only right to think that there should be no problems."
Shuang'er grimly laughed, "Countless pairs of eyes are fixated on the Divine General's estate, so within the estate, you're actually rather safe. But if you were to leave the estate and continue to speak such drivel, just how long do you think you will be able to live?"
Chen Changsheng pondered this, then said, "I don't understand."
Shuang'er explained, "If you were to let people know that you and the young lady were engaged, what would the Longevity Sect think? And what about the Qiushan clan? Even if this were the capital of the gods, if those people wanted to kill you, no one would be able to stop them."
Chen Changsheng asked, "The Longevity Sect and Qiushan clan? What are these places?"
Shuang'er looked at him like he was an idiot. "You know absolutely nothing?"
Chen Changsheng was puzzled and inquired, "What should I know?"
...
...
There were some matters that this young Daoist boy from Xining Village did not know but which the entire world knew. For instance, that the Great Zhou Dynasty was currently in the Zhengtong era, or that the Divine General of the East Xu Shiji was deeply trusted by the Divine Empress, that his father had been the previous dynasty's Grand Minister, and that his current status came mostly from his daughter.
Xu Shiji only had one daughter, Xu Yourong, and she was the reincarnation of the Heavenly Phoenix. She possessed an unimaginable latent talent and at a tender age succeeded at Purification. When she was twelve, she traveled south to Holy Maiden Peak to study the Heavenly Tome Monoliths. It was rumored that she had already broken into the upper level of Meditation. Her reputation had spread throughout the world, and she received the adoration and respect of all. She was reckoned to be the sole candidate for the next Holy Maiden of the Divine Faith of Light.
Whether it was in experience, bloodline, teachers, or background, she was in every aspect a nigh perfect young girl. Her admirers were naturally countless, and it was even rumored that the legendary bloodthirsty young demon prince was one of her most zealous worshippers. Yet whenever the topic of discussion turned to where Xu Yourong's blossoms might eventually fall, the people would often suggest only one name. It was a similarly dazzling and brilliant name.
Qiushan Jun.
The Qiushan clan was the greatest clan of the south. This generation of the Qiushan clan had produced a young child with shocking talent and absolute brilliance. He was called Qiushan Jun and it was said that he was the reincarnation of the Divine Dragon. He was the eldest disciple of the Longevity Sect and the head of the Divine Kingdom's Seven Laws. He cultivated under the guidance of the sect elders of the south. This year, he was eighteen years old and was already acknowledged as the person on the Eastern Continent most likely to be the greatest expert in the coming centuries.
The Divine Dragon and the Heavenly Phoenix, Qiushan Jun and Xu Yourong, were brother and sister, sharing the same sects and teachers. They were truly this generation of youth's most dazzling object. It was simply impossible to find a third youth that was equal to them.
The entire world knew that Qiushan Jun had always loved Xu Yourong and had always been waiting for her to grow older. The seniors and disciples of the Longevity Sect, the Great Zhou Dynasty, and the people of the Qiushan clan all felt that this was a match made in heaven. Mo Yu of the Great Zhou Imperial Palace had even once said that even the Divine Empress thought highly of this famous story.
And yet, there suddenly appeared a young Daoist boy with a marriage contract who had come to the general's estate.
He said that he was Xu Yourong's fiancé.
If this matter were to get out…
Perhaps the entire continent would be stupefied.
...
...
The flower garden was quiet. Some bamboo leaves were blown by the wind past the stone arch.
"Now you know." Shuang'er looked at Chen Changsheng and said, "You are just a normal person, cut off from the young lady's world by a vast river of stars. You will never be able to cross it. For your own good, it's best that you completely forget about the matter."
Chen Changsheng had truly not imagined that the girl he was engaged to was actually such an extraordinary figure. He thought about this and then asked, "Why did the Madam not tell me this?"
Shuang'er answered, "Because the Madam was afraid that after you learned of it, you would come up with more requests."
He lifted his head and asked, "Why did you tell me this?"
Shuang'er replied, "Because the young lady sent me a letter mentioning you. The young lady is a kind-hearted person. Although she won't marry you, she also isn't willing to let you die without knowing what's going on. In addition…I feel that you should be a smart person. After learning these things, you should know yourself well enough to make the only right decision."
Chen Changsheng replied, "I understand."
With these words, he began to walk over to the other side of the stone arch, treading upon the bamboo leaves and making them rustle.
Shuang'er was at a loss. She thought to herself, just what is he doing?
Chen Changsheng suddenly stopped and turned back.
Shuang'er exhaled and her petite hand gently rested against her chest, waiting for his decision.
Chen Changsheng looked at her and asked, "I want to leave—which way should I go?"