Chapter 1679: Escaping Marriage
Chapter 1679: Chapter 1679: Escaping Marriage
"Dad, it’s not his fault, please let him go." At that moment, the ground suddenly trembled, and a gentle voice sounded from behind.
"Yuyu, why are you here?" Hei Tuzi looked behind Han Yan, asking with full affection.
Han Yan instinctively turned around and shivered unconsciously.
Blood-related, definitely blood-related! Seeing Yuyu for the first time, Han Yan was sure of this.
Then she saw a woman even bigger and burlier than Hei Tuzi, with darker skin, striding forward with great determination. Every step she took made the ground tremble.
"Han Yan, do you believe me now?" Looking at this woman, Ling Baobao asked with a sudden sense of desolation.
Han Yan nodded, indeed, she now completely believed Ling Baobao’s words; his taste surely wasn’t that extreme.
"Dad, it’s not his fault, I did it willingly." Yuyu looked at Ling Baobao, her eyes full of affection, speaking also with overwhelming shyness.
Han Yan shivered slightly, dropping goosebumps all over the place.
Han Yan suddenly thought that perhaps Ling Baobao’s eagerness to escape wasn’t just because of the unpredictability of the so-called Priest Divine Technique, but also to avoid marriage. Because even if he became a priest at Feng City Temple, he couldn’t escape the fate of marrying, better to flee earlier than later.
"Ling Baobao, now you have two choices: either represent our Mu Family Village to go to Tianfeng City Feng City Temple for the priest examination, or marry Xiao Yu right away. Also, pay back all the money we’ve spent on you this year." Hei Tuzi was lazy to say more, directly setting the conditions.
"You might as well kill me." Seeing his prospective fiancée, Ling Baobao was finally in complete despair.
"Alright, alright, do you think I dare not kill you?" Hei Tuzi was so angry he was shaking, throwing away the rake in his hand, pulling out a butcher knife with a hideous expression.
Han Yan had a slight headache; these villagers were all physically strong, although without much cultivation, but judging by Hei Tuzi’s earlier strength, he could rival a Second and Third Rank cultivator swordsman. Others surely wouldn’t be weaker. Meanwhile, her own power was suppressed to Fifth Rank Sword Master, and injured as she was, if they all pounced, she could hardly protect Ling Baobao, let alone herself.
"Stop!" At this moment, a calm voice sounded, and an elderly person slowly approached.
This elder wore burlap clothes, aged and decrepit, with hair as white as snow and a face full of wrinkles. With Han Yan’s eye power, she couldn’t discern his exact age, only thought he must be at least three hundred years old if not five hundred.
"Old Master, why have you come?" Hei Tuzi quickly put away the butcher knife and, along with several villagers, went forward to support the elder.
"With such strong wind, you shouldn’t come out; if anything happens to you, what shall we do?" The others were also trembling with fear, being exceedingly careful while supporting the elder.
Having an elder is like having a treasure; evidently, this elder was a treasure of the Mu Family Village.
"You made such a commotion, the Old Tributor asked me to come and see." The elder spoke lightly.
"What, the Old Tributor knows? We’ve disturbed the Old Tributor’s secluded cultivation, truly deserving death." Hearing the elder’s words, the crowd around showed horror, their faces full of guilt.
Listening to their words, Han Yan felt somewhat amazed. Clearly, the Old Tributor they mentioned is significantly more esteemed than the elder before her, and the elder seemed to be hundreds of years old; how old could this Old Tributor be? Do the people of the Divine Continent live to such ages?
The elder said no more, directly parting the crowd and coming to Han Yan.
"I am Mu Chenglin, the former Clan Leader of the Mu Family Village. May I ask how to address this lady?" The elder politely cupped his hands to Han Yan.
"I am Han Yan, greetings to you." Han Yan replied with a bow.
After hearing so much, Han Yan found that the language and vocabulary of the Divine Continent and the Holy Court Continent didn’t differ much, only in tone. So she gradually relaxed, without being as cautious as at the beginning.
"No need for extra courtesy, Lady Mu, our Old Tributor wishes to see you." Mu Chenglin respectfully returned the gesture.
"What, the Old Tributor wants to see her!" On hearing this, someone exclaimed in surprise.
"The Old Tributor hasn’t seen any guests in almost ten years, even when that fraud Ling Baobao came last, he only sent a message through the Old Master." Someone else said with envy, as though meeting the Old Tributor was a great honor.
"Remember, she is also a Priest, and only she is qualified to meet the Old Tributor." Another chimed in as if it was obvious.
Hearing this, Han Yan remembered she hadn’t figured out how she’d inadvertently become a Priest. But it’s not the time to speak up; if they knew she wasn’t a Priest, a rain of hoes and rakes would soon fly at their heads.
"The Old Tributor said that Lady Han Yan is a descendant of an old friend of his, do not offend her. Moreover, since Ling Baobao is her friend, don’t trouble him, just treat him well." Mu Chenglin continued speaking to the crowd.
"I see, please forgive the earlier offenses, Priest!" Upon hearing this, the crowd’s gaze towards Han Yan changed again, even Hei Tuzi quickly knelt to apologize.
This showed how greatly respected the Old Tributor’s position was in the eyes of the crowd.
"Priest Mu, please." Mu Chenglin gestured for the way, his eyes showing some envy.
Old friend’s descendant? Han Yan glanced at Mu Chenglin with confusion. Calculating the time, she had been in the Divine Continent for just over an hour, practically blindfolded, how could she have any elder old friends?
Han Yan became curious about this Old Tributor.
"Thank you, elder." Having nowhere to go even if she could escape, Han Yan simply followed behind Mu Chenglin.
Ling Baobao, too, followed surrounded by the crowd. The Old Tributor only said not to trouble him, not to let him go.
They didn’t walk far before arriving at Mu Family Village.
A village of hundreds surely couldn’t be bustling, but neither was it at all impoverished. Rows of houses stood sturdy and tidy, granaries tall and majestic, and in the village center a huge platform, somewhat similar to a Martial Arts Arena, likely used for competitions and practicing or honoring the ancestral spirits. These villagers obviously lived more prosperously than many rural folks on the Holy Court Continent.