39: Marry him?

Candlelight flickered. Lu Yang sat cross-legged on the couch, holding the Young Blazing Sun Tiger Cub in his arms, which had just finished playing and was now rubbing its furry head against his palm.

The little fellow was full of energy. The aura of the nine nether earth core fire lotus from earlier in the day had made it exceptionally excited.

Had Liu Yan not fed it to satiety with a large amount of Spirit Stone and coaxed it to sleep, it would have almost crashed into the Pill Furnace.

"You little fellow, you are quite sensitive to fire-attribute spiritual objects."

Lu Yang chuckled, stroking the soft neck fur of the tiger cub, but his thoughts drifted back to the daytime.

Liu Yu said that the fire lotus came from the mine in the back mountain... To be able to nurture such a spirit plant, there must be a powerful Earth Vein Qi or Earth Fire source deep within the mine!

This Earth Vein Qi might be of great benefit to both him and this Young Blazing Sun Tiger Cub.

'Tomorrow, I must have Senior Sister Liu lead the way to explore the back mountain.'

Lu Yang calculated secretly.

"Knock, knock, knock."

The knocking interrupted his thoughts.

Lu Yang opened the door to find the Family's Second Uncle, Second Uncle, standing outside with an eager smile, followed by a graceful and delicate young woman.

"Apologies for disturbing Senior Lu late at night, I hope you can forgive us."

Second Uncle cupped his hands, his posture extremely humble. "To see the miraculous Alchemy techniques of Senior today, I am completely awestruck!

Senior not only helped our Family correct the Pill Formula but also cured Yaner's fire poison. This is a debt of gratitude for saving her life! This meager gift is a token of our thanks, I truly hope Senior will accept it."

As he spoke, he respectfully handed over a heavy Storage Pouch.

Lu Yang swept it with his Divine Sense and discovered it contained five thousand Spirit Stone.

It was surely intended to win him over.

"Second Uncle, you are too kind."

Lu Yang's expression remained indifferent as he accepted it calmly.

Free Spirit Stone, why not take them?

Seeing him accept it, the joy in Second Uncle's eyes deepened as he stepped aside to reveal the woman behind him:

"This is my daughter, Liu Mei. Since she was young, she has yearned for the Dao of Alchemy. Today, hearing of Senior's deeds, she admired you greatly and insisted that I bring her to pay her respects to Senior."

Liu Mei offered a graceful bow, her voice soft:

"This junior, Liu Mei, greets Senior Lu."

She was tall and slender with refined features, truly a rare beauty, but the spiritual energy fluctuations around her were weak, only at the fifth level of Qi Refining.

Second Uncle immediately interjected, his tone intentionally humble:

"Although my daughter is ordinary and her Aptitude is quite mediocre, with only fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation, she is gentle and sensible. If Senior does not mind, could she serve by your side, pouring tea and water, to express our gratitude?"

Although not explicitly stated, the three people present knew exactly what this meant.

Upon hearing this, Liu Mei lowered her head slightly, a blush spreading across her cheeks, but she did not voice any objection, clearly having been instructed by her father before coming.

Lu Yang frowned imperceptibly.

Liu Mei was indeed beautiful, but her fifth-level Qi Refining cultivation was of no help to his strength.

Besides, she also had a Fire Spirit Root.

If he were lecherous, Liu Yan's beauty surpassed Liu Mei's by a significant margin.

As for using her to improve his cultivation, she was clearly not as good as Liu Yan.

Moreover...

Lu Yang keenly sensed that a powerful Divine Sense belonging to Liu Yu, at the Peak Foundation Establishment, was vaguely shrouding this area, like invisible eyes staring from the shadows.

Accepting her niece as a concubine right under the nose of this future "mother-in-law"?

That was simply asking for trouble!

"Absolutely not!" Lu Yang shook his head decisively, his tone carrying an unquestionable detachment.

"Second Uncle, that is wrong!

Miss Liu Mei is the daughter of the Family, with a noble status; how can she lower herself to serve this old man?

This matter is absolutely impossible, do not mention it again."

Lu Yang's attitude was firm. No matter how silver-tongued Second Uncle was or what other benefits he promised, he was rejected one by one.

Having hit a wall and not daring to offend Lu Yang, Second Uncle had no choice but to leave with his daughter, looking dejected.

On the other side, in Liu Yan's boudoir.

Liu Yu sat upright in her chair, slowly opening her slightly closed eyes.

Having just "witnessed" everything that happened in the guest room with her Divine Sense, a rare look of approval appeared on her cold, elegant face.

'This Lu Yang, although he looks old, is still a man of integrity and knows his boundaries.' She thought to herself.

Being able to hold his bottom line in the face of beauty and refuse Second Uncle's solicitation, this Heart-Nature raised her evaluation of Lu Yang even further.

'As long as he can achieve a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment before his Lifespan is exhausted, and extend his life...

Perhaps, Yaner's destination might not necessarily exclude this person?'

Thinking of this, Liu Yu looked at her daughter, Liu Yan, who was sitting cross-legged, regulating her breath and consolidating her Qi Refining Great Perfection Realm, and said:

"Yaner, there is something I would like to discuss with you."

Liu Yan opened her eyes, her clear eyes filled with inquiry: "Please speak, Mother."

"You and Lu Yang, do not return to the Hehuan Sect."

Liu Yu's tone was calm but carried an unquestionable weight. "Stay in our Family instead, how about that?"

"Stay in the Family?" A trace of surprise flashed in Liu Yan's beautiful eyes.

"Exactly." Liu Yu's gaze was profound. "The Alchemy talent this child displayed today is shocking!

In time, he will surely become a Grandmaster of Alchemy!

If our Family can bind ourselves tightly to him and gain his assistance, our prosperity is assured!

And the best way to bind him is... to become in-laws."

She watched her daughter's cheeks flush instantly and continued:

"While he has not yet shone in the Hehuan Sect and no one knows his true value, we must seize the opportunity!

You already have... affection for him; why not marry him and keep him in the Family permanently."

"Marry... marry him? You want me to marry Junior Brother Lu?" Liu Yan's heartbeat accelerated suddenly, her voice trembling slightly.

Liu Yu nodded, analyzing the pros and cons for Liu Yan:

"Although our Family cannot compare to the deep heritage of the Hehuan Sect, as long as he stays, the Family will exhaust all resources to find Spirit Pill, Heaven And Earth Treasure, and help him achieve a Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment, extending his life!

This is our sincerity.

And the condition is that he must remain in the Family and refine the fire origin pill for our clan."

She paused, her tone deepening:

"Furthermore, that ancient pill recipe, the 'fire origin pill', is already in his hands.

This is the foundation of our Family's existence.

Even if his character is trustworthy, human hearts are unpredictable, and there is ultimately a risk of leakage.

Only by becoming our Family's son-in-law, with Bloodlines connected, can this secret be truly kept, and all problems will be solved."

Liu Yan listened, her heart in chaos. She unconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes, her pretty face blushing like a sunset, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum:

"This... would this be too... too forced for Junior Brother Lu?

He... he may not be willing..."

Liu Yu knew her daughter too well. Seeing her demeanor, how could she not understand?

She steadied her heart and stood up, saying:

"This matter concerns your lifelong happiness and the future of the Family; how can you hesitate?

Since you are not entirely unwilling, I will go and explain it to Lu Yang now.

Whether it succeeds or not, we must try."

Upon hearing this, Liu Yan's heart pounded violently. She instinctively wanted to stop her, but the words "Mother, wait" were stuck in her throat and ultimately remained unsaid.

She watched her mother's departing back, her heart like a deep pool into which a giant rock had been thrown, rippling with waves, both shy and carrying a secret expectation she had not even realized herself.

Liu Yu's plan was very clear: to use the Family's full support for a Foundation Establishment Breakthrough as bait, and Liu Yan as a link, to bind Lu Yang, a genius of Alchemy with infinite potential, firmly to the Family's ship.

The Family's resources combined with Lu Yang's flawless quality fire origin pill would be enough to give Liu Yan a limitless future.

And keeping Lu Yang was an inevitable choice for maximizing the Family's interests.