Fang Mansion
The trees had grown luxuriantly, and the fences were covered with vines. Pei Zi Yun returned.
Within the room, the young man had an anxious look on his face as he paced back and forth. However, his body was not very well, so he had to rest after walking for a while, and he would occasionally pant.
Hearing the door open, the young man walked up and asked anxiously, "Master Top Scorer, how did it go?"
When Pei Zi Yun heard this, he waved his hands and said, "You're a scholar, and need to be calm and collected. Your body is weak, and can't handle all this. Sit down and we'll talk."
Hearing Pei Zi Yun's comforting words, the young man sat down. His face was unnaturally red as he closed the fan in his hands.
"It's done. The conditions are simple. There's only one. The second son must bear the surname Du, and carry on the Du family's bloodline." Pei Zi Yun looked at the situation and didn't bother to keep him in suspense.
When the young man heard this, he stood up and opened his mouth wide. "You know?"
"The son of the previous dynasty's Grand Preceptor, I know that. But have you ever considered that although the Du family was killed by your father, they were still plagued by sins and misfortunes? If you were to marry her, I'm afraid you would lose more than half of your fortune. Furthermore, you would have to consider the opinions of your subordinates as well." Pei Zi Yun looked at the youth's flushed face as he spoke.
When the young man heard this, he took a few steps back and forth. Suddenly, he raised his head and sighed. He opened his folding fan and saw the words written on it, "Suddenly looking back, that person is in the dim light of the lantern."
The youth's face turned from red to white. Seeing that there was no one around, he said in a low and hurried voice, "Hey, don't think that just because I'm the son of King Wei, I have a lot of choices."
"When the guards were defeated, someone risked his life to protect me and helped me escape."
"But things have changed. That was then, and this is now. We fled in a panic. Although we brought gold and silver with us, it was not as much as we imagined. My family bought two thousand mu of land in Wei Village. However, in order to not attract attention, we divided it equally among the families. I only have two hundred mu of land under my name."
At this point, the young man sighed. "Others think that I'm still a child and don't remember things. Don't look at how respectful they are now. I can see it in my eyes. Now, their attitude is not even one-tenth of what it was when I moved here at the age of ten!"
"That's human nature. Since the Fang Clan can't extend any favors to them, it's already very good that they've managed to maintain their status to this extent." An indescribable melancholy smile appeared on the young man's face. "Besides, it's hard for them to revere my body."
"In order to become a Young Master, I have worked very hard, but this is all I can do. You haven't experienced it. You didn't see the changes in their eyes — doubt, disappointment, coldness."
"Besides, things are getting more and more peaceful now, so I don't think too much about it. I just want to continue the bloodline of the Fang family. When I suddenly look back, that person is in a place where the lights are waning. I want to forget these two sentences, but I'm not willing to."
"Can't I be willful for once and live for myself?"
"If you love someone, why should they separate just because of a feud? If she doesn't love me, then so be it. But I know that she loves me. Everyone in the village thinks that she's unlucky. She was betrothed to three different men by her father, and all of them died suddenly. Her father would rather see her grow old alone than marry me. "
The young man gritted his teeth before sighing and laughing bitterly, "If I had a second son, I would agree. But now, it's hard for me to even have one. Master Top Scorer, you said that I'm exhausted. All I want now is to spend the rest of my life with her and accompany her."
"I don't wish for anything else."
Pei Zi Yun looked at the young man and realized that he was indeed an infatuated man. He pondered for sometime before saying, "When I was examining your body just now, I had an idea. Don't despair, there might be a way out."
"Really?" The young man stood up, his eyes gleamed as he held onto Pei Zi Yun's hands, "Please save me, master Top Scorer."
"I don't know much about medicine, but I do know Dao Arts. Your condition seems to be caused by Dao Arts, and has taken away your life." Pei Zi Yun said as he looked at the young man, "I'll use Dao Arts to examine you. Perhaps I can find out more."
"Master Top Scorer, feel free to examine me." The young man gritted his teeth as he spoke.
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head as he placed a hand on his wrist. He then activated his Dao Arts and immersed his consciousness into his Yin Master. He then used his Dao energy to permeate his body.
This body had long since dried up. Under the control of his Yin Master, Pei Zi Yun channeled his Dao energy into his body until it reached his heart. There, he saw a talisman.
This talisman contained a strange energy as it was imprinted on his heart. Every time his heart beat, a trace of vitality would seep out from his body.
When Pei Zi Yun gently touched the talisman, the talisman seemed to be stimulated, as more vitality began to seep out from it.
Pei Zi Yun retracted his Dao energy and opened his eyes to look at the young man. The young man had a complicated expression on his face, but he was surprised, "Master Top Scorer, I felt a numbness in my heart. It was as if the energy that I had lost for a long time had returned."
Pei Zi Yun sighed, "You're not sick. You've been harmed by someone."
As soon as Pei Zi Yun finished speaking, the joyful young man's face turned pale. He then raised his head and looked at Pei Zi Yun, "Who harmed me?"
Pei Zi Yun shook his head, "I don't know. This is the first time I've seen such a technique. There's no record of it in the ancient records of Daoist sects."
Not only was there no record of it in the ancient records of Daoist sects, this was the first time he had seen such a technique in his two lives.
"Even master Top Scorer doesn't know?" The young man gritted his teeth as he realized that the words he heard while he was unconscious might have been true.
"What's the meaning of stealing my bones?" The young man wanted to get to the bottom of it.
"Bones refer to a cultivator's intelligence and potential. It's the essence of a cultivator's life." Pei Zi Yun spoke before he stopped, as the suspicion in his heart grew stronger.
"Haha, all these years of suffering, I've been harmed by someone. I'm filled with hatred. If there's a chance in the future, I will kill this person." The young man had always been warm and gentle. At this point, his expression was contorted.
It was just that he had been stimulated earlier, and his body was feeling slightly better. Now that he was agitated, he started coughing. The young man was on high alert, and kept his emotions in check.
Pei Zi Yun looked at him and thought, 'As long as I set up a spell, and use my Dao energy to stimulate the talisman, I might be able to have sex with him. However, if I do that, my lifespan will be shortened.'
"Ai!" Thinking up to this point, Pei Zi Yun sighed and put on a serious expression, "Young master Fang, I'm not lying. Your body's life force has been drained, but there's another source of life force keeping you alive."
"If you continue like this, and don't get angry, you might be able to live for another ten or even twenty years."
"I have a Dao Art that can increase your life force, and allow you to have children. However, you only have five to seven years left to live. You have to make your own decision!"
The young man thought for some time before biting his lips. He had made a decision, "Everyone has to die. There are three ways to be unfilial. The worst is to not have children. I am a member of the Fang family, and have my obligations to the Fang family. I beg master Top Scorer to help me in exchange for a child."
"Young master Fang is indeed a hero!" Pei Zi Yun sighed. From all aspects, this young man had the potential to be a hero. It's a pity that the right time, right place, and right people didn't give him a chance.
"You don't have much life force left, and can only be activated at a critical moment."
"Go ahead and get married. I will set up an array in your room. In the future, if you wish to have sex, you can enter this room. But remember, every time you activate it, your lifespan will be shortened."
"Hence, you have to control yourself. Do not enter this room on normal days."
"Oh yes, we have to send some silver, rations, and cloth over."
"I understand, please help me master Top Scorer!" The young man spoke with determination. He then smiled and paced around the room before saying, "I shall get people to prepare for the wedding. I would like master Top Scorer to rest in the village for the next two days, and help me with my Dao arts."
Pei Zi Yun nodded his head, "Alright, young master Fang, please make the arrangements."
The young man hesitated no longer as he shouted, "Granny Li!"
When Granny Li entered the room, she heard his instructions. His body was weak and frail, and yet everything was carried out smoothly. Granny Li revealed a look of joy.
The Young Chieftain's body was weak, and for him to be able to carry on to the next generation, she was extremely loyal to him. She then revealed a look of joy and replied, "Leave it to me."
The next day, Granny Li asked a matchmaker to arrange for an exchange of 'Eight Characters' and 'Eight Characters'. The Eight Characters man said that there was nothing between them, and the Du family did not object.
On the third day, the Fang family sent people to carry the gifts to the Du household. There were four bolts of silk, two gold rings, a pair of gold earrings, and eighty taels of silver. Of course, the most important thing was the 'Marriage Certificate'. The Du family returned the gifts and sent a 'Eight Characters' letter of approval. This signified that the marriage was official, and not a concubine.
After waiting for a day, the wedding was to be held on the fifth day. Although it seemed rushed, every step of the ceremony was carried out. The villagers were well aware of this, and the explanation given by the outsiders was very simple.
Everyone knew that Elementary Scholar Fang's body was weak, and thus accepted this reason. Nobody suspected anything.
That day, the sky had not yet brightened. Pei Zi Yun slowly came out of meditation, and felt refreshed. He then laughed bitterly, "The cultivation of the human body is just barely passable."
He stood up and saw everyone bustling about. The wedding hall had already been set up, and there were many sheds set up. The kitchen chefs were already slaughtering fish, chickens, cooking meat, and frying meatballs. The sheds were filled with a white mist, and the fragrance of meat permeated the air. As for sending out invitations, inviting the troupe, and arranging the banquet, they were all busy. The whole village was bustling with activity, and red 'Eight Characters' could be seen everywhere.
Pei Zi Yun did not disturb them, and walked along the corridor towards one of the rooms. Indeed, it was a bridal room, and there were two lanterns lit. He calmed himself down and felt the light coming from the lanterns. He thought to himself, "The array has been set up, all that's left is to enter the bridal room."
Pei Zi Yun did not enter, and turned towards the ancestral hall at the back.
The ancestral hall was not dark, and as soon as Pei Zi Yun entered, he felt the difference between the inside and the outside. It was early summer outside, and the inside was dark and cold. He had experienced this feeling before in his own ancestral hall, but this time, it was even more obvious.
The most important thing was that he felt a resistance, like water. Pei Zi Yun did not think much of it, and looked at the spirit tablet. As he walked in, he noticed that the spirit tablet was vibrating slightly.
Seeing that the tablet was vibrating, Pei Zi Yun knew that it was the ancestor of the Fang family, or rather, King Wei who was enraged. He then said, "King Wei, you rose to power because of the Imperial Qi, and became a feudal lord. You even killed the Grand Preceptor. But times have changed, and the world of the living and the netherworld are worlds apart."
"The Fang family has been defeated, and the Wei Country no longer exists. Your son does not have an official position, nor does he own ten thousand mu of land. His body is golden, and one look is enough to tell that he is extraordinary. If the Daoists from the Dao Records Department were to see him, he would be in big trouble. Do you still remember the Grand Preceptor's killing of the Dragon Veins? Who knows if the Xu Dynasty is doing the same? "
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