Chapter 496: First Night’s Shyness
Chapter 496: First Night’s Shyness
Jiang Chen subconsciously analyzed the situation. “You are quite a suitable candidate. Both parents deceased, solitary, and entirely without attachments.”
Ruo Qunshuang’s eyes instantly glazed over. “Ah?”
Only then did Jiang Chen realize he had spoken his thoughts aloud, hastily shifting the topic. “Didn’t you say before that you sought vengeance?”
Ruo Qunshuang frowned, her expression turning exceedingly bitter. “After returning this time, I have thought the matter through entirely. I am afraid I will never achieve vengeance in this lifetime.”
Jiang Chen was puzzled. “Why is that?”
Ruo Qunshuang shook her head. “First, to this day, I have yet to uncover the origin of the Polluted Spirit Water.
Second, after so many years of arduous cultivation, I have only advanced a single minor realm. It proves my talent, aptitude, and comprehension are painfully mediocre.”
Simply put, the recent expedition had dealt a severe blow to her confidence.
The unyielding breath she had held onto for so long had completely dissipated.After much deliberation, she decided that rather than clinging to unrealistic fantasies, it would be far better to live a stable life, serving a husband and raising children. Perhaps she could even nurture a genius.
And her reason for choosing the man before her was simple: they had cooperated for years. While they didn’t know every single one of each other’s secrets, there was a profound familiarity.
His character, morals, and principles were flawless.
To this day, his reputation remained untarnished; acquaintances and strangers alike offered nothing but praise.
Listening to her words, Jiang Chen fell into deep thought.
In the beginning, just after becoming a full disciple, lacking a spatial realm meant he exercised extreme restraint regarding Dao companions, even feeling a distinct aversion to the idea.
Most of the time, he settled for visiting the Fragrance Pavilion in the loose cultivator market.
With the acquisition of his spatial realm, all his deepest secrets were securely hidden. Thus, his aversion faded; he merely wished to find a suitable match.
Wang Bing-missed opportunities were left in the past.
Tie Xin-treated strictly as a brother-in-arms.
Senior Sister Yu-her ambitions lay elsewhere entirely.
Lin Yu-after years of separation, no lingering sentiments remained.
The Ruo Qunshuang standing before him was approaching thirty, yet her features remained as fresh and elegant as a newly bloomed lotus.
Her figure was slender, her skin a lustrous jade-white.
Years of enduring life’s brutal beatings had stripped away her fragility, yet she remained profoundly moving to look upon.
The crucial point was that both were orphans, entirely devoid of external blood relations to complicate matters.
If they formed a union, the usual worldly conflicts would be drastically minimized.
Of course, at this current stage, it was merely an attempt at courtship. Whether they truly bonded would depend on their compatibility in the days to come.
Ultimately, distance breeds beauty.
When that distance became negative, a myriad of hidden flaws would inevitably surface.
Seeing the other party lost in silence, Ruo Qunshuang couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, why aren’t you speaking?”
Jiang Chen snapped back to reality, his voice solemn. “Pursuing this is fine, but there is one matter I must make absolutely clear to your face.”
Ruo Qunshuang felt a surge of pleasant surprise and hastily pressed, “What is it?”
Jiang Chen offered an awkward smile. “I have a daughter.”
Hearing this, Ruo Qunshuang’s eyes widened in sheer disbelief. “A daughter?”
He had practically rooted himself in the Spirit Farm, rarely ever stepping outside its borders.
How could a daughter suddenly materialize out of thin air? It was entirely inconceivable.
Jiang Chen originally intended to confess there was no blood relation, but factoring in Xiao Linglong’s future, logic dictated he weave a fabrication. “Previously, when I traveled to the Canglan Sea, a moment of curiosity led to a physical entanglement with a certain mermaid princess. This resulted in her conceiving a girl.”
Think you can snatch the Water Spirit Fruit and run?
Not a chance in hell.
Ruo Qunshuang stood stunned, her thoughts swirling in absolute chaos. “Is that so?”
Observing her reaction, Jiang Chen spoke with a hint of resignation. “If this bothers you, we should remain as friends.”
Ruo Qunshuang’s gaze turned exceptionally complex. “It’s not that I mind. It is just.. I never imagined Senior Brother’s firstborn would not be human!”
Jiang Chen’s stoic face flushed a dull red. “This.. that.. ahem..”
Ruo Qunshuang suddenly broke into a bright smile. “Alright, alright. Never mind the cultivation world, even in the mortal realm, men take three wives and four concubines, to say nothing of having a few heirs.
As long as.. as long as you treat me well from now on, I will raise that child as if she were my very own flesh and blood.”
Now it was Jiang Chen’s turn to regard her in a completely new light, an unexpected warmth coloring his voice. “Sister Shuang!”
The two simply gazed at one another.
As the silence stretched, an undeniable heat began to flood their eyes.
Their breathing grew perceptibly heavier.
Their pulses hammered like war drums.
Slowly, Jiang Chen extended his right hand, gently wrapping his fingers around her delicate palm. “The hour grows late. Shall we..?”
Ruo Qunshuang glanced at the glaring afternoon sun outside, shyly pulling her hand back a fraction. “But what about the Rain Pavilion?”
Possessing a Water Spirit Root, she absolutely needed to cultivate within the Rain Pavilion.
After all, the Water Spirit Qi density there was tremendously thick.
If she chose to stay with Jiang Chen, it would be tantamount to forsaking her own advancement.
While her realm would naturally progress over time, the speed would be agonizingly slow.
Attempting to condense a Golden Core under those conditions would likely take until she was forty or fifty years of age.
Jiang Chen gave a slight nod. “That is indeed a complication. How about I escort you back to the Rain Pavilion first?”
Ruo Qunshuang nodded softly. “Alright.”
Without delay, the two joined hands and made their way toward the exit.
Yet, the moment they reached the threshold, a pristine white flower drifted toward them from the horizon.
No, to be precise, a figure was gracefully standing atop that white blossom.
A stunningly beautiful woman, at that.
Jiang Chen looked mildly surprised. “Why have you come?”
Su Tiantian cast a brief, assessing glance at Ruo Qunshuang before replying smoothly. “Mother instructed me to deliver this month’s caretaking fee in advance, and to familiarize myself with the way while I was at it.”
Jiang Chen nodded in sudden understanding. “I see.”
With a flick of her wrist, Su Tiantian produced one hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones. “Take them.”
Jiang Chen didn’t exhibit a shred of polite refusal, gladly sweeping the stones into his storage. “Convey my gratitude to Elder Su.”
True, his current monthly revenue easily exceeded ten thousand Mid-grade Spirit Stones.
But even a mosquito’s leg is meat.
One hundred Mid-grade Spirit Stones possessed significant purchasing power.
Over in the loose cultivator markets, it was enough wealth to single-handedly fund the rise of a small mortal family.
After all, the standard currency in those dregs of the cultivation world remained the Low-grade Spirit Stone.
Su Tiantian shifted her gaze back to Ruo Qunshuang. This time, she scanned the other woman from the ground up, her eyes lingering pointedly on certain pronounced curves before she finally spoke. “It appears my arrival was rather ill-timed?”
Jiang Chen chuckled evenly. “It is no matter. I will escort her back first; please wait inside.”
Ruo Qunshuang suddenly interjected. “I am not going back.”
Jiang Chen turned his head to look at her. “Why?”
Ruo Qunshuang shot a sidelong glance at Su Tiantian. “At least, not today.”
However, Su Tiantian harbored absolutely zero romantic interest in Jiang Chen. Her presence here was purely a chore dictated by her mother, so she stated without a trace of emotion, “Rest assured, I will not monopolize his time. I will leave the moment I inspect the seeds.”
Seeing the situation defuse itself, Jiang Chen held his tongue and proceeded to guide the guest through Red Leaf Valley, specifically heading to examine the status of the Living Body Grass Seeds.
As they were seeds of an incredibly rare spirit plant, not a single sprout had broken the soil yet.
The primary reason was that Jiang Chen had categorically refused to utilize the Four Seasons Scripture on them, treating them as nothing more than ordinary flora during the planting process.
As to whether they actually survived, he could not care less; he was perfectly content to just muddle his way through the days.
Yet, unexpectedly, while Su Tiantian remained profoundly indifferent to Jiang Chen himself, Red Leaf Valley captivated her. Her beautiful eyes darted endlessly, taking in every detail of the estate.
She had clearly just promised a swift departure, but now her feet were firmly planted.
“Is that the Ancient Red Maple Tree?”
“Correct.”
“May I approach it?”
“As you wish.”
“By the way, do you reside here entirely alone?”
“For the present moment, yes.”
“I understand. The estate lacks a mistress, then.”
Since the esteemed guest refused to leave, protocol demanded that Jiang Chen, as the host, accompany her.
Red Leaf Valley was by no means small, boasting a multitude of distinct ecological zones.
Thus, meandering back and forth, the sun dipped toward the horizon, and evening fell.
Watching this farce play out, Ruo Qunshuang finally lost her patience and delivered a pointed reminder. “The hour has grown quite late!”
Yet, Su Tiantian acted utterly deaf to the remark, continuing her self-indulgent stroll through the gardens.
Only after thoroughly inspecting every last corner of Red Leaf Valley did she finally turn and depart, a satisfied look gracing her features.
Jiang Chen personally escorted her to the perimeter. Upon his return, he found Ruo Qunshuang slumped in a chair, her head bowed in a distinctly melancholic posture. “What is troubling you?”
Ruo Qunshuang lifted her gaze and demanded, “Who exactly is she?”
It was only then Jiang Chen realized his oversight in introductions. “Her name is Su Tiantian. She is the daughter of Elder Su from Green Wood Peak.”
Ruo Qunshuang pressed the attack. “And what is her relationship with you?”
Jiang Chen finally deduced the root of her sour mood. A wicked grin tugged at the corners of his lips. “There is no real relationship. Elder Su merely wishes for me to marry into her family.
So, from a certain technical standpoint, she could be considered my fiancée.”
The moment the words left his mouth, Ruo Qunshuang shot to her feet, her voice trembling with disbelief. “Marry into her family?
Fiancée?”
One could hardly blame her explosive reaction.
They had only just agreed to explore a courtship, and almost instantly, she was hit with the revelation of a secret daughter and an impending arranged marriage.
Any rational person would find this maddening; the fact she hadn’t stormed out the door was a miracle in itself.
Jiang Chen hurriedly stepped forward to defuse the volatile situation. “However, I rejected the offer.”
Ruo Qunshuang’s lips quivered slightly, a damp sheen gathering in her eyes. “What exactly is going on?”
Jiang Chen provided a concise summary of the political maneuvering involved. “The situation is like this..”
This incident could be framed as a simple domestic matter or a complex web of sect politics.
On the surface, it was merely Elder Su taking an appreciation to a promising junior, seeking to forge tighter bonds between factions.
But the true depth of her machinations was something only the Elder herself knew for certain.
As for Su Tiantian, Jiang Chen harbored precisely zero interest, actively preferring to keep a respectful, calculated distance from the girl.
Having heard the full explanation, Ruo Qunshuang’s internal insecurities violently flared up. “Senior Brother is so exceptionally outstanding. I am truly unworthy of you, aren’t I?”
Prior to this, she had possessed no inkling that Jiang Chen had already been elevated to the rank of a Core Disciple.
She had operated under the assumption that he was merely a full disciple acting as a Spirit Farm Cultivation Envoy.
She had never expected him to have so flawlessly concealed his true status.
With this revelation, the chasm in status and authority between them had suddenly widened into a vast canyon.
Jiang Chen cared little for such superficial metrics; his singular priority was securing a compatible Dao companion. He immediately seized both of her trembling hands. “Do not harbor such thoughts. No matter what titles they pin on me, I am fundamentally still a spirit farmer.”
Ruo Qunshuang parted her lips, a thousand unspoken words trapped in her throat. “But.. but..”
Jiang Chen’s eyes gleamed with sudden, calculated cunning. “If you refuse to give us a chance, then I suppose I will truly have to go marry into her family.
Are you truly willing to watch me survive under someone else’s roof, stripped of all my dignity as a man?”
Just as calculated, this emotional leverage struck true.
Ruo Qunshuang recoiled in alarm, shaking her head with frantic urgency. “No, I am not willing. Of course, I am not.”
Capitalizing on her vulnerability, Jiang Chen smoothly pulled her into his embrace, softening his voice to a gentle murmur. “Then that settles the matter.”
All necessary words had been spoken; neither felt the need to shatter the lingering silence.
Ruo Qunshuang turned her face, pressing her cheek flush against his chest. Listening to the steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat, a profound tranquility washed over her, gently lulling her into a state of quiet intoxication.
Following an unspoken rhythm, the two figures moved in a slow, half-hesitant tangle of limbs toward the bedchambers on the second floor.
The trivial affairs of the vast, uncaring world outside had abruptly ceased to hold any relevance.
The heavy, stabilized nanmu wood bed began to emit a rhythmic creak.
Soft, breathless murmurs slowly intertwined with the quiet of the room.
“Huh?”
“There is blood on the sheets?”
“This is your first time!”