47: Chapter 47 I Want Them All
[Three families taking an interest in one person at the same time—this was a first in Qingshi Town.]
[The Lin family went without saying; Chu Sheng was already an attendant of the Lin family, and Great Steward had already made his stance clear.]
["Anyone who wants to touch Brother Chu is an enemy of my Lin family."]
[Over at the Li family, Li Qingshan stroked his beard, grinning from ear to ear as he watched his daughter run to Listening to Bamboo Pavilion every day.]
[Not only did he not stop her, but he even took the initiative to buy her new clothes.]
["Dad, do you think I look good in this?" Li Zhiyi asked, holding a dress up against herself.]
[Li Qingshan nodded with a smile. "Beautiful, beautiful. Go on then, don't keep Attendant Chu waiting."]
[Li Zhiyi's face flushed red, and she ran off clutching the dress.]
[Li Qingshan watched his daughter's retreating figure and sighed with relief.]
["This girl, though she's hopeless when it comes to alchemy, she's certainly figured things out in this regard."]
[Only the Wang family was stomping their feet in frustration.]
[The head of the Wang family, Wang Yuanba, paced back and forth in his study.]
["On what grounds? Why do the Lin and Li families get all the good things?"]
[His eldest son, Wang Chengzhi, said cautiously, "Father, how about... we also send some gifts?"]
["Send gifts? What kind of gifts?"]
[Wang Yuanba glared. "The man is an alchemy genius. What could we possibly send that would move him?"]
[The second son, Wang Chengye, weakly raised his hand. "Father, how about we marry my sister to him?"]
["Your sister is already married!"]
["Then what about your niece..."]
["Your niece is only eight years old!"]
[Wang Chengye shut his mouth.]
[Wang Yuanba sat down dejectedly, but then his eyes suddenly lit up.]
["That's it! Don't we still have a little granddaughter? She just turned six this year. We can arrange a childhood betrothal first!"]
[The eldest son, Wang Chengzhi's mouth twitched. "Father, are you serious?"]
[Wang Yuanba slammed the table. "Of course I'm serious! This is called a long-term investment! Secure the status first. In ten or eight years, could Chu Sheng possibly refuse?"]
[Wang Chengzhi: "..."]
[Father, this move of yours is way too outrageous.]
[The next day, while Chu Sheng was practicing swordplay in the courtyard, Great Steward brought the Wang family's eldest son, Wang Chengzhi, to visit.]
[Wang Chengzhi was all smiles, carrying heavy gift boxes in his hands.]
["Attendant Chu, a small gift, please accept it as a token of my respect."]
[Chu Sheng was stunned. "Brother Wang, this is..."]
[Wang Chengzhi coughed dryly and rubbed his hands together. "Attendant Chu, to be honest, my father... wants to arrange a marriage alliance with you."]
[Chu Sheng almost spat out his tea.]
["A marriage alliance?"]
["Yes, yes."]
[Wang Chengzhi hurriedly said, "My father has a little granddaughter who just turned six this year. She's very pretty and is learning everything—zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting. In ten or eight years..."]
[Chu Sheng's mouth twitched, and he quickly interrupted him. "Brother Wang, stop, stop right there."]
[He took a deep breath and looked at Wang Chengzhi sincerely.]
["There's no need, really, there's no need for that."]
[Wang Chengzhi wanted to say more, but Chu Sheng sent him off with a few words.]
[After seeing Wang Chengzhi off, Chu Sheng sat in the courtyard, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.]
["Six years old? How did they even think of that?"]
["I, Chu Sheng, am not a real beast."]
[Chu Sheng shook his head. "Are they treating me as a long-term investment target?"]
[Xiao Huan covered her mouth and giggled. "Big Brother Chu, you're a real hot commodity now."]
[Chu Sheng flicked her forehead. "Don't talk nonsense, kid."]
[Xiao Huan stuck out her tongue and went back to drying the medicinal herbs.]
[Chu Sheng leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the sky.]
[The Lin family, the Li family, the Wang family... all three families wanted him.]
[To be precise, they all wanted his value.]
[His status as an alchemist and his potential as a sword dao genius—either one was enough for a major family to go all out to recruit him.]
[Let alone both combined.]
["This is troublesome," he muttered. "Choosing any of them isn't ideal, but not choosing is even more troublesome."]
[Just then, the simulator popped up with options.]
[Key Decision Point: Choice of Dao Companion.]
[1. Lin Wanqing, the Lin family's Lin Wanqing, gentle and dignified. Choosing her will completely bind you to the Lin family, providing a stable backer, but you will also be embroiled in the Lin family's internal struggles.]
[2. Li Zhiyi, the Li family's Second Miss, lively and cute, harbors feelings of admiration for you, backed by Li Qingshan. Choosing her will grant you the Li family's full support, but the Li family is weak and has poor risk resistance.]
[3. Women will only slow down the speed at which I draw my sword. Focus on increasing your strength and consider this only when you stand higher.]
[4. Only children make choices; adults want them all. However, the risk is extremely high and may trigger conflicts among the three families, or even turn them into enemies.]
Chu Sheng looked at these four options and fell into deep thought.
"Choose Lin Wanqing? Getting past Second Madam won't be easy, and that Lin Hao of hers is also a ticking time bomb."
"Choose Li Zhiyi? This girl is indeed cute, but the Li family is too weak; they can't withstand the storms at the level of the Qinglan Sect."
"Not choosing for now? Theoretically the safest, but what if they are snatched away by someone else?"
He looked at the fourth option.
I want them all.
"Doesn't the 'Many Children, Many Blessings' trait encourage me to have more children?"
He stroked his chin. "Wanting them all theoretically yields the greatest benefit. But it's also the riskiest. If things go south..."
He weighed his options for a long time.
"Choose 4."
He finally made a decision. "But I must be strategic; I can't force it. I'll stall for now, slowly cultivate feelings, and then take them all at once when the time is right."
"But before that, I have to deal with that viper, Han Li."
[In the afternoon, Chu Sheng was in the Alchemy Room studying pill formulas.]
[His brow furrowed as he quietly released his divine sense.]
[Outside Listening to Bamboo Pavilion, a sneaky figure was hiding in a corner, clutching a transmission talisman in his hand.]
[Han Li.]
[Chu Sheng's gaze turned cold.]
[He noiselessly crept to the wall, holding his breath and focusing.]
["...Yes, that Chu Sheng is indeed a bit strange. His alchemy skills are progressing at lightning speed, and he has recently shown astonishing talent in the sword dao. This subordinate suspects he may be hiding a secret..."]
[Han Li's voice was very low, but it could not escape Chu Sheng's ears.]
["...Yes, this subordinate will continue to keep watch. If there's anything unusual, I will report to the sect immediately."]
[The transmission talisman turned into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon.]
[Chu Sheng's pupils constricted.]
[Sect?]
[Qinglan Sect!]
[It really was him!]
He recalled the experience of the third simulation.
Just as he had exposed his talent as a Rank 2 Alchemist, the Qinglan Sect sent someone to recruit him.
At the time, he thought it was just a coincidence.
Now it seemed that Han Li was clearly the one sending the tip!
"Good, very good."
Chu Sheng's gaze grew colder. "So you've been in contact with the Qinglan Sect for a long time."
He retreated back to the Alchemy Room.
But his mind was already calculating.
This lead on Han Li had to be thoroughly investigated.
He also had to prepare for the Qinglan Sect in advance.
"In the third simulation, I was targeted because of my alchemy talent."
He muttered, "This time I didn't reveal my Rank 2 level, I only showed my sword dao..."
He suddenly paused.
"What Han Li just said was about my alchemy progress and sword dao talent."
"Does that mean he even reported my sword practice?"
Chu Sheng's brow furrowed tightly.
The Qinglan Sect is just a third-rate sect. It's understandable if they want an alchemist, but what do they want with a sword cultivator?
Unless...
He thought of that Condensing True Great Demon.
"Could it be that the Qinglan Sect doesn't just want alchemists, but sword cultivators as well?"
His eyes flickered. "Or rather, what they want are people with special talents—as long as they're geniuses?"
A chill ran down his spine.
If that was really the case, then his situation was far more dangerous than he had imagined.
"I need to speed up the progress."
He took a deep breath. "The demon refining pot has been refined, and my sword techniques have achieved some success. It's time to go and probe the truth about that great demon."
[That sneaky figure had already disappeared.]
[Chu Sheng sat in the courtyard, looking at the kettle.]
["Old friend, we might be about to do something big," he muttered.]
[The body of the kettle vibrated slightly, as if in response to him.]