Chapter 3: Cutting Ties Because I Don’t Want To Die!
Planet Eve contained eight continents, and the Moon Flower Continent could be considered one of the strongest. On this continent, the Immortal Sage Sect reigned supreme with a hundred eight Nascent Soul elders, thirty-six Spiritual Lamp grand elders, and the great Ascendant sect leader. Below them were the many disciples of lesser cultivation stages categorized as chore disciples, outer court disciples, inner court disciples, and core disciples.
Yang Xiaolong was a Foundation Establishment cultivator, making him an inner court disciple. He was also under twenty years old, a considerably high cultivation base for someone at his age.
On the way to Ice Jade Peak from Iron Sword Peak, Yan Xiaolong and his servant, Zhong Yun, were riding on a flying carriage. Flames ejected from the backside of the carriage to propel it forward.
“Young Master, do you want more books to read?” Zhong Yun brought out some more book from an interspatial ring on his left hand.
Yan Xiaolong nodded his head while keeping his eyes on the book he was currently reading. As Zhong Yun placed the books down, he said, “Young Master, why are you reading books now?”
“No particular reason. I just felt like reading.” Yan Xiaolong said.
“But Young Master, you never read.” Suddenly, Zhong Yun slapped his own thigh. “Aha! You must be trying to read so you can enter the state of a scholar. By infusing your aura with the aura of knowledge from these books, you can look more impressive to Young Lady Han. Brilliant, Young Master!”
Zhong Yun flicked his interspatial ring and stacks of books appeared in the flying carriage. He took in a deep breath and let out a mighty exhale. “Ah! The smell of books is so nice. I have all kinds of books here for you, Young Master. Good thing I keep my own library in my interspatial ring. I was waiting for the day you finally pick up a book and now that you did, I can’t be any happier, Young Master.”
Tears welled up in Zhong Yun’s eyes and he dried it off with the sleeves of his robe.
“Holy crap. How illiterate was I to make someone cry tears of joy from picking up a few books?” Yan Xiaolong kept a composed face as he stared at the books. “Good thing that guidebook has an translator in it. Or else, I would be a fool as well.”
The truth of the matter was that Yan Xiaolong could not read the books, but the guidebook inside his sea of consciousness would absorb the information and translate it for him so he could process it. That was one feature of the guidebook, and another would be remembering whatever content he read.
Of course, that was only remembering the content; comprehending the content was an entirely different topic.
Eventually, the carriage arrived at a palace on Ice Jade Peak. It belonged to Han Xiaolong, an outer court disciple, but because she had connection to the master of Ice Jade Peak, she was gifted this palace. Other outer court disciples would have to live in the dormitories below the mountain.
The sounds of bells and joyful laughter echoed out as dozens of servants stepped forward. “Greetings, Young Master Yan Xiaolong! We of the Han Clan are honored by your arrival!”
A red carpet rolled out and the servants stood to the side of the carpet with their backs bended at an angle to show their respect. Yan Xiaolong walked on the red carpet while Zhong Yun followed him, walking exactly three paces after his young master.
Deep inside the palace was an indoor garden where a circular stone table was placed in the center of it. There were exactly four bamboo chairs and two of them were occupied by two young women. One of them was slightly older-looking than the other and exuded a natural charm. Her smile was like the calmest and warmest of breezes during summertime.
The other young woman was beautiful as well, but her aura was cold and her eyes were icy blue. She seemed to be the personification of winter, a young fairy that was both wicked and righteous.
When the two young women saw the young men approaching them, they stood up and greeted them.
“Han Feng’er greets Young Master Yan Xiaolong and Sir Zhong Yun.” The gentle young woman had a soothing voice.
“Han Xiaoling greets Young Master Yan Xiaolong and Sir Zhong Yun.” The cold young woman had a hoarse voice. On her side, the gentle young woman gave her a frustrated pinch on the thigh, something that did not escape the young men’s eyes.
Yan Xialong and Zhong Yun gave their greetings and they both sat down on the other chairs. Under the warm sun while drinking some aromatic tea, the group began discussing the marriage of Yan Xiaolong and Han Xiaoling. Well, only Han Feng’er and Zhong Yun were talking.
Han Xiaoling was looking at the flowers in the distance with a grumpy expression on her face. Yan Xiaolong was also looking into the distance, but with a blank expression on his face. However, in his head, he was thinking over this marriage meeting while using the guidebook.
“Oi, guidebook, what’s with this scenario, huh? I thought engagement or marriage meetings were between the main hero and another chick. Why the hell is this happening to me?”
[Arranged marriages are quite common in this world. As a member of a great clan, it is only natural that you are paired up with someone who is from a great clan as well.]
“Hold on, I thought situations like this is for someone from a family fallen from grace? My clans are still here and so is my powerful uncle so how does this make sense?”
[You may have a tragic past, but in no way has your status or your family’s status fallen from grace. If anything, the presence of your talented uncle had brought greater glory to your family on the Tie Clan side. You, a young master, is engaged to a young lady. Your fate is sealed along with this marriage.]
“Sealed? Wait, what? What do you mean sealed?”
[Well because you are a ‘young master,’ being engaged to a ‘young miss’ means that you’ll...]
Reading the words in the guidebook, Yan Xiaolong’s face ashened.
“Young Master Yan Xiaolong!” Suddenly, Han Feng’er brought him into the conversation. He looked at her with shocked eyes.
“Yes,” He said. “My apologies, did you say something?”
An awkward smile flashed on Han Feng’er’s face. “Well, Young Master, what do you think about the marriage being three months from now?”
On the side, Zhong Yun was looking at him expectedly while Han Feng’er was eyeing him intensely. Han Xiaoling kept an indifferent expression, but under the table, her feet were moving around. She would flash her eyes at Yan Xiaolong, anticipating his answer. A nuance of hope could be seen in her eyes.
“Marriage?” Yan Xiaolong shivered. If what the guidebook stated was correct, then there was really only one way for him to handle this situation. In the coolest of voices, he said, “Not happening.”
Looking gobsmacked, Han Feng’er asked, “Not three months from now? How about six months from now?”
“No way.”
“Then, a year from now?”
“Nope.”
“How about-”
“I should clarify. What I mean... is that this marriage will not happen!”
Gasp!
The other three people around the table all simultaneously gasped. Everyone looked at him with wide eyes and loose jaws. Breaking the long silence that followed the gasps, Han Feng’er said, “But why?”
Yan Xiaolong flicked his sleeve and put his hand behind his back. He stood tall and straight like a spear and protruded his jaw to look as proud as possible. “I have no need for marriage or women in my heart, that’s why. In my heart, there is only the Dao. My Dao is my everything, the very reason why I am here. How can I have someone enter my life and replace the Dao inside me!?”
Although he appeared very noble and arrogant, the remaining words inside the guidebook had simply scared him to playing a charade.
[Well because you are a ‘young master,’ being engaged to a ‘young miss’ means that you’ll... encounter a main character-type person who will fall in love with your fiancee. Eventually, those two will hook up or elope and your clans would hunt them down. Then, that person will come back for revenge and kill you and your clan!]
Inside his heart, a slight trace of guilt surfaced, but it could topple over his fear. “Don’t blame me, little heroine. You’re cute and all, but I need to cut my ties with you because I don’t want to die yet!”