At that moment, Lou Shaohui who had just finished seeing Madam He off, unexpectedly turned back.
His eyes lingered on Lou Xingyao for a long time, strange and unreadable, before finally letting out a remark that carried an unfathomable weight.
“You really are fortunate.”
Lou Xingyao blinked. Fortune? Him?
This sounded like one of those sentences that, the more you thought about it, the more wrong it felt. Seeing his uncle’s face as though there was still more to say, he quickly raised his head.
“Uncle, what do you mean by that?”
Lou Shaohui didn’t hide it. “Tomorrow, Madam He will take you with her back to Canglan City.”
“…What?”
Lou Xingyao’s confusion deepened.
The Tianming Continent was vast beyond compare. A single Pingyang County here was equivalent to an entire province in the China of his past life and Canglan City? Tens of thousands of miles away!
Even Madam He herself, despite being the Lou family’s aunt, could only occasionally visit her maiden home because of the exhausting journey.
And now this uncle of his was saying Madam He had come all the way to Pingyang just to drag him back to Canglan City?
Why? Because he had dual spiritual roots?
Don’t make him laugh. For a family like the Hes, one of the top names in Canglan City with even a Golden Core ancestor holding up the sky, dual spiritual roots weren’t rare enough to be worth such trouble.
Not to mention, he was a cripple! A good-for-nothing who couldn’t cultivate even if he wanted to!
Seeing Lou Xingyao’s stupefied expression, Lou Shaohui seemed to be in an unusually generous mood perhaps thanks to the fat profit Xingyao had just handed him. He even bothered to explain:
“Madam He has found you an excellent marriage match.”
“…An excellent marriage match?” Lou Xingyao repeated, dumbfounded.
For once, his uncle actually spoke in detail though it was mostly the steward doing the explaining. Perhaps they feared that if Lou Xingyao remained ignorant, he might cause trouble in Canglan City and drag the Lou family down with him.
And so, the truth was laid bare..
Madam He had a single daughter, named He Wanqing.
Like most noble daughters, He Wanqing’s marriage had been arranged long ago. She had been engaged to the eldest young master of the Zhou family in Canglan City, Zhou Hanshan.
That Zhou Hanshan, back in the day, had been the perfect catch: handsome, refined, and most importantly, a once-in-a-millennium genius with a single spiritual root. He had been hailed as the “Pride of Heaven,” the “Number One Genius of the Continent.”
Back then, countless noble girls had cried themselves to sleep in envy, cursing through gritted teeth, “Why her, of all people?”
Some even sneered, saying the only reason He Wanqing managed to secure him was because the He family had shamelessly cashed in an old debt and forced the marriage through.
But regardless of how bitter they were, everyone had to admit, He Wanqing was blessed.
…Or so it seemed.
Five years ago, Zhou Hanshan left for a training expedition. No one knew what he encountered out there, but when he returned, he was gravely injured.
At first, no one thought much of it. For cultivators, injuries were as normal as eating or drinking. Heal up, take some medicine, and you’d be back on your feet.
But as time went on, whispers began to spread through Canglan City.
Since that injury, Zhou Hanshan had fallen strangely silent. His cultivation, instead of advancing further, actually began to regress.
No secret could stay hidden in a city as crowded and sharp-eyed as Canglan. The Zhou family tried their best to cover it up, but two years ago, the truth exploded like thunder.
Zhou Hanshan’s injuries had struck at his very foundation. His meridians were shattered. His spiritual root was damaged. His path of cultivation was ruined beyond salvation.
The continent’s number one genius had fallen. From a phoenix soaring the heavens to a cripple crawling in the dust.
The city lamented. The world sighed. And countless people pitied poor He Wanqing.
Her brilliant fiance had turned into a half-dead cripple. Could anything be more tragic?
But what the outside world felt was one thing. When Madam He herself confirmed that Zhou Hanshan’s condition was hopeless, she was absolutely unwilling to let her precious daughter marry such a man.
Unfortunately, there was one problem.
The marriage agreement.
When Zhou Hanshan’s talent had first been revealed, the He family had been the ones to shamelessly push for the engagement, even leveraging ancestral debts to force the Zhou family’s hand.
The Zhou family had grudgingly agreed only because He Wanqing herself was also decently talented, with her water-wood dual roots, and because the He family had resources to offer.
Because of that, the Zhou family had made the marriage contract particularly harsh.
It not only specified that the He family had to provide a dual-root genius, but also stated that if the marriage were ever broken, the betrothal gifts had to be returned tenfold.
And this wasn’t just empty talk. On the Tianming Continent, vows, even spoken ones were bound by the laws of heaven. Breaking them could invite heavenly tribulation. With a written contract? Heaven would personally oversee its enforcement.
So now, the He family had only two choices:
Either return the betrothal gifts tenfold.
Or go through with the marriage.
The problem? The betrothal gifts from the Zhou family were astronomical. Returning them tenfold would bleed the He clan dry.
And since He Wanqing wasn’t the only daughter in the family, the clan elders unanimously decided: not worth it.
Which meant only one thing, He Wanqing had to fulfill the marriage contract.
But Madam He, who had doted on her daughter since birth, would never let that happen. So she racked her brain for a solution.
And miraculously, she found one.
The Zhou family had indeed written “dual-root genius” into the contract. But nowhere did it say that this person had to be He Wanqing herself.
This loophole was like a heaven-sent lifeline. As long as the He family could produce another dual-root cultivator to take her place, the contract would be fulfilled.
And who was the lucky scapegoat?
Lou Xingyao didn’t even need the steward to finish spelling it out. The moment the words left his lips, Xingyao already knew that he was the one Madam He had chosen to replace He Wanqing.
At this point, Lou Shaohui, sitting nearby, finally let out a sigh that sounded almost sympathetic.
“To be able to marry into the Zhou family’s young master… that is a blessing for you.”
A blessing?
Lou Xingyao almost spat out the meme that had once gone viral across China: “Do you want this blessing?”
Unfortunately, he restrained himself. Survival instincts won out, and he swallowed the words down.
Blessing, my ass.
Whether Lou Shaohui himself would want this so-called “blessing,” Lou Xingyao didn’t know.
What he did know was that his uncle clearly didn’t care about his opinion. This decision had been made long before anyone even bothered to summon him.
If not for Madam He insisting on seeing him in person to confirm, Lou Shaohui wouldn’t have wasted time fetching him at all.
Now that Madam He was gone, his uncle lost even the pretense of “family affection.” A few dismissive words saying it was late and Xingyao should prepare to leave early tomorrow with Madam He, served as his farewell.
And just like that, Xingyao was escorted back.
No! worse off than before. At least when he came, the steward had arranged for a maid to guide him. Now? He was left to wander back alone.
Thankfully, he had always possessed a sharp memory, and with Lou Xiaowu’s original memories in his head, he managed to retrace his steps to the small wooden hut without getting lost.
“Phew…”
Closing the door behind him, Xingyao let out a long sigh.
Who would have thought that in just half a day, this shabby little hut would start to feel like home? Stepping back inside filled him with a rare sense of safety.
Then again, today’s half-day ordeal had been more dramatic than all thirty-something years of his past life combined. No wonder he was exhausted body and soul.
As for this farcical marriage, he was absolutely unwilling.
Not because he looked down on Zhou Hanshan for being crippled. In that regard, the two of them were practically brothers-in-arms, half a catty, half a jin.
No, what really made him bristle was his principle: love and marriage should be built on genuine affection.
Otherwise, why else would he have stayed a bachelor all the way to his untimely death in his last life?
And this Zhou Hanshan? A complete stranger! He hadn’t even met the man. How could there be any affection?
But unwilling or not, the reality was merciless. Unless he had the power to escape, he could only follow the arrangement.
Escape? Hah. What a joke.
Lou Shaohui’s greedy smile today said it all. The “bride price” Madam He had handed over was already jingling happily in his uncle’s pockets.
Lou Xingyao was no longer a nephew, but a cash cow, his money tree. Did Shaohui look like the type to let a money tree run away?
Tonight, the “tightest guard in the history of shabby huts” was probably stationed outside his door.
Even if taking ten thousand steps back, he miraculously escaped Pingyang County, Madam He would never let him go.
The He family wouldn’t spend tenfold the gifts, but they also wouldn’t throw away their substitution plan. If he fled, he’d be making enemies with an entire clan.
And behind that clan stood a Golden Core cultivator.
Forget Golden Core! For someone like him, even his uncle at Foundation Establishment was already enough to crush him like an ant.
“…Looks like I can only accept my fate.”
Xingyao slumped on the bed with a sigh.
The same contract, He Wanqing had a mother willing to move heaven and earth for her. He had no one. Different lives, different fates.
So this was what they meant by “A child with a mother is a treasure.”
Still, on the bright side, the He family needed him alive until the wedding. At least that meant they’d guarantee his safety for now…
But just as his thoughts drifted, something struck him. His eyes flew wide open, and he shot up from the bed.
“Tianming Continent… Canglan City… He Wanqing…”
These names… weren’t they straight out of that cultivation webnovel he had read back in his youth?
Path Equal to Heaven!
✦ ✧ ✦
[Translator]
☕ A LITTLE SOMETHING FOR THE TRANSLATOR
The translator promises nothing except gratitude and possibly more chapters.
☕ BUY THEM A COFFEE →
✧ (づ｡•ㅅ•｡)づ ☕ ✧
✦ thank you for reading ✦
← PreviousNext →
ChaptersChapter 1 · Crossing OverChapter 2 · Lu XioaWuChapter 3 · UncleChapter 4 · Substitute MarriageChapter 5 · Travelling Through BookChapter 6 · SpaceChapter 7 · InheritanceChapter 8 · ExplanationChapter 9 · He familyChapter 10 · CompensateChapter 11 · WeddingChapter 12 · LeavingChapter 13 · SuspicionChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 14 · Change SurnameChapter 15 · SummaryChapter 16 · Family BusinessChapter 17 · ResettlementChapter 18 · DeterminationChapter 19 · TreatChapter 20 · Enter the TaoChapter 21 · Private TrainingChapter 22 · BreakthroughChapter 23 · ExperienceChapter 24 Part 1 · Questions and AnswersChapter 24 Part 2 · Questions and answersChapter 25 · GiftChapter 25 Part 1 · GiftChapter 26 Part 1 · Sword IntentChapter 26 Part 2 · Sword IntentChapter 27 Part 1 · SelectChapter 27 Part 2 · SelectChapter 28 Part 1 · PastChapter 28 Part 2 · PastChapter 29 Part 1 · ConfessionChapter 29 Part 2 · ConfessionChapter 30 Part 1 · TradeChapter 30 Part 2 · TradeChapter 31 Part 1 · Male LeadChapter 31 Part 2 · Male LeadChapter 32 Part 1 · LuckChapter 32 Part 2 · LuckChapter 33 Part 1 · GuessingChapter 33 Part 2 · GuessingChapter 34 Part 1 · SystemChapter 34 Part 2 · SystemChapter 35 · OpportunityChapter 36 Part 1 · LingquanChapter 36 Part 2 · LingquanChapter 37 Part 1 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 37 Part 2 · Hundred Flowers PartChapter 38 · Worth itChapter 39 · SaintessChapter 40 · ExperimentChapter 41 · Vampire SystemChapter 42 · NotesChapter 43 · WarningChapter 44 · PlanChapter 45 · Fellow VillagersChapter 46 · AssimilationChapter 47 · IlliterateChapter 48 · Pak WahChapter 49 · Sudden EnlightenmentChapter 50 · Wen ZhiChapter 51 · CarrierChapter 52 · LeavingChapter 53 · Follow UpChapter 54 · OutrageousChapter 55 · OnceChapter 56 · TeasingChapter 57 · Playing aroundChapter 58 · Beast fireChapter 59 · Watching a PlayChapter 60 · Extermination of the entire clanChapter 61 · ChoiceChapter 62 · PossessionChapter 63 · CalculationChapter 64 · GuaranteedChapter 65 · Grand OpeningChapter 66 · Grand OpeningChapter 67 · Protecting one’s ownChapter 68 · Secret RealmChapter 69 · BetrayalChapter 70 · DetailsChapter 71 · FramedChapter 72 · MeetingChapter 73 · KillChapter 74 · MapChapter 75 · FoundationChapter 76 · Strange Phenomenon!Chapter 77 · ExchangeChapter 78 · LetterChapter 79 · ShortcutChapter 80 · God of Slaughter!Chapter 81 · Poison PillChapter 82 · Lou ShuChapter 83 · ProgressChapter 84 · An attemptChapter 85 · Movement and StillnessChapter 86 · Good intentionsChapter 87 · ChangeChapter 88 · Childhood friendChapter 89 · ThoughtsChapter 90 · Old storiesChapter 91 · HeritageChapter 92 · TestChapter 93 · LoverChapter 94 · Heartfelt wishesChapter 95 · MasterChapter 96 · TeachingChapter 97 · IllusionChapter 98 · Mutual RestraintChapter 99 · ObstructionChapter 100 · PalaceChapter 101 · Core TechniqueChapter 102 · OathChapter 103 · Dual cultivationChapter 104 · AccessChapter 105 · VulnerabilityChapter 106 · DensityChapter 107 · WantedChapter 108 · EntrustChapter 109 · RevisitChapter 110 · MonitoringChapter 111 · Secret RealmChapter 112 · NourishChapter 113 · InventoryChapter 114 · Get Rich QuicklyChapter 115 · ElderChapter 116 · Grand FormationChapter 117 · Heaven’s WillChapter 118 · BountyChapter 119 · GainChapter 120 · BlameChapter 121 · ChattingChapter 122 · GuessChapter 123 · Zheng TianChapter 124 · SparringChapter 125 · Sword intentChapter 126 · KenshinChapter 127 · Auditing a classChapter 128 · CoincidenceChapter 129 · ContradictionChapter 130 · RouteChapter 131 · CostChapter 132 · ConfiscatedChapter 133 · Holding a grudgeChapter 134 · SupportChapter 135 · DeteriorationChapter 136 · Unable toChapter 137 · PriceChapter 138 · VariantChapter 139 · Start AnewChapter 140 · ShamelessChapter 141 · Black PotChapter 142 · Benefiting fromChapter 143 · PieChapter 144 · DifferencesChapter 145 · DetoxificationChapter 146 · Current situationChapter 147 · TeasingChapter 148 · IntelligenceChapter 149 · Returned GiftChapter 150 · Old debtChapter 151 · FleshChapter 152 · OpeningChapter 153 · GrudgesChapter 154 · RegretChapter 155 · Gang fightChapter 156 · GentleChapter 157 · ComplaintChapter 158 · ScreamsChapter 159 · GeniusChapter 160 · ConcernChapter 161 · Hidden StoryChapter 162 · StingyChapter 163 · Guilty conscienceChapter 164 Part 1 · StruggleChapter 164 Part 2 · StruggleChapter 165 · Win or LoseChapter 166 · TasteChapter 167 · Shifting The BlameChapter 168 · MoonlightChapter 169 · Past EventChapter 170 · RegretChapter 171 · RetributionChapter 172 · Cause and EffectChapter 173 · BackgroundChapter 174 · FlatteryChapter 175 · HonestChapter 176 · BookkeepingChapter 177 · FarewellChapter 178 · GuidelineChapter 179 · BottleneckChapter 180 · HabitChapter 181 · Casual ChatChapter 182 · Flowing WaterChapter 183 · RumoursChapter 184 · Seeking AdviceChapter 185 · PityChapter 186 · FormationChapter 187 · BasicChapter 188 · Fake TombChapter 189 · BewareChapter 190 · TraceChapter 191 · DiscussChapter 192 · Ancestral preceptsChapter 193 · Loose CultivatorChapter 194 · AllocationChapter 195 · Thank you for your kindnessChapter 196 · ExplanationChapter 197 · ErrorChapter 198 · Culinary skillsChapter 199 · Starry SeaChapter 200 · ComparisonChapter 201 · FrustratedChapter 202 · Don’t watchChapter 203 · LonelinessChapter 204 · NoChapter 205 · Exposing ShortcutsChapter 206 · CraftsmanshipChapter 207 · Bottom LineChapter 208 · StrikeChapter 209 · Ten GoldChapter 210 · Pretentious