48: Chapter 48 Everyone's a Villain

[The next day, Chu Sheng was practicing his swordplay in the courtyard when the Great Steward paid a hurried visit.]

[Chu Sheng sheathed his sword.]

["Steward Lin, you mentioned last time that your back was bothering you. This is a Dragon-Tiger Vigor Pill I recently refined."]

[The Great Steward's eyes lit up, and his aged face flushed. "Attendant Chu, you are too kind, too kind!"]

[He tucked the porcelain bottle into his robes. "Attendant Chu, I have some leads regarding Attendant Han's matter."]

[Chu Sheng raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"]

[The Great Steward looked around cautiously before pulling Chu Sheng into the house.]

["Han Li is the nephew of the Second Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall from the Qinglan Sect."]

[Chu Sheng's lip twitched. "The Qinglan Sect again?"]

[The Great Steward sighed. "Years ago, Han Li secretly practiced evil arts within the Qinglan Sect. To protect his nephew, the Second Elder staged a decapitation using a scapegoat and then secretly sent him to Qingshi Town."]

["This isn't exactly a secret in town; it's just that no one dares to speak of it openly."]

Watching this unfold, Chu Sheng couldn't help but complain.

The Qinglan Sect again?

You show up in every single simulation.

Elder Zhou of Danxia Peak raised a great demon to eat people, some Elder Liu caused the death of his own grandson, and now the nephew of the Second Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall is here acting as an undercover agent?

Is the Qinglan Sect just a den of villains?

Demon-rearing, murder, and cover-ups—it's a full-service operation.

So, I'm just destined to be at odds with this trash sect, huh?

[The Great Steward sighed again. "It's best not to provoke Han Li if you can avoid it. If he's truly backed into a corner, there will be no end of trouble."]

[Chu Sheng nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Steward Lin. I know what to do."]

The nephew of the Second Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall?

Fine, I'll keep this debt in mind for now.

When I eventually storm the Qinglan Sect, I'll settle this account with interest.

[The next day, Li Zhiyi arrived.]

[She was wearing a ruqun today, with silk flowers pinned in her hair.]

["Attendant Chu," she said, standing at the courtyard gate, "my father sent me to invite you for dinner."]

[Chu Sheng chuckled. "Miss Li, you're being too polite, coming all this way yourself."]

[Li Zhiyi blinked. "I'm not being polite. I just wanted to see more of you."]

Chu Sheng almost choked on his own spit as he watched the simulation screen.

This girl... her ability to be direct is getting stronger and stronger.

If I'd had that kind of courage back then, I wouldn't have been single for over twenty years.

[The two went to the Li residence, where Li Qingshan had personally cooked a table full of fine dishes.]

[During the meal, Li Qingshan drank merrily and chatted incessantly with Chu Sheng, nearly suggesting they become sworn brothers.]

[Chu Sheng felt a bit embarrassed by the praise and could only keep his head down and drink.]

[After dinner, Li Zhiyi walked him out.]

[They walked side by side in silence.]

[When they reached the main gate of the Li residence, Li Zhiyi suddenly stopped.]

["Big Brother Chu," she asked softly, "do you like me?"]

[Chu Sheng was taken aback.]

[He looked at Li Zhiyi's expectant face.]

[Ever since their first meeting... this girl's feelings had been written all over her face.]

[He took a deep breath.]

["I do."]

[Li Zhiyi's eyes instantly lit up.]

[Then she stood on her tiptoes and pecked him on the cheek.]

[Chu Sheng froze.]

[Li Zhiyi was also stunned. Her face immediately flushed bright red as if it were on fire, and she turned to run.]

[Chu Sheng grabbed her arm.]

["Why are you running?" He laughed. "You've already kissed me, and now you want to run?"]

[Li Zhiyi was pulled back, keeping her head down, not daring to look at him.]

[Chu Sheng suddenly spoke, "Zhiyi, wait for me for two days."]

[Li Zhiyi looked up at him blankly.]

["In two days, I will come to propose marriage."]

[Li Zhiyi's eyes widened, and then tears began to flow.]

[They were tears of joy.]

[She nodded vigorously, unable to speak.]

[Chu Sheng reached out to wipe the tears from her face. "Go back inside. Don't let your father worry."]

[Li Zhiyi nodded and walked away, looking back at him every few steps.]

Chu Sheng clicked his tongue while watching this scene.

"The me in the simulation is quite smooth."

"But that 'wait for me for two days' line... why does it sound so familiar?"

[Two days later, Chu Sheng arrived with betrothal gifts to propose marriage.]

[The gifts weren't overly extravagant, but they were full of sincerity—ten top-grade pills he had personally refined, plus a set of the Blazing Fire Sword Technique he had created.]

[Li Qingshan's eyes bulged when he saw the sword manual.]

["This... you created this yourself?"]

[Chu Sheng nodded. "It's for Zhiyi to use for self-defense."]

[Li Qingshan took a deep breath and agreed to the marriage without another word.]

Chu Sheng stroked his chin. "Settling the father-in-law with just one sword manual—my simulation clone really knows how to save money. Then again, the title of 'self-created sword technique' is indeed quite impressive."

[The wedding went smoothly. Although the Li family was weak, they were still a family of some standing in Qingshi Town.]

[On the eve of the wedding.]

[Li Zhiyi sat on the edge of the bed in her phoenix coronet and embroidered robes.]

[Chu Sheng lifted her veil and smiled.]

["Don't be nervous," he said softly.]

[Li Zhiyi looked up at him. "I... I'm just happy."]

[After a long silence, Li Zhiyi suddenly whispered, "Big Brother Chu, should we..."]

[Chu Sheng shook his head.]

["According to the mortal laws of the Tianfeng Kingdom, losing one's virginity before marriage results in being drowned in a pig cage."]

[Chu Sheng looked at her earnestly. "While those rules are for mortals and don't apply to cultivators, I still want to give you the respect you deserve."]

[He paused.]

["Once we have bowed to Heaven and Earth and entered the bridal chamber, then we shall..."]

[She nodded vigorously and hugged Chu Sheng tightly.]

Watching this, Chu Sheng was moved but didn't forget to complain.

Drowned in a pig cage?

There is indeed such a law; it might have mattered back when he was a servant.

As expected of me, a true gentleman. Five stars.

[The next day, after bowing to Heaven and Earth, they officially became husband and wife.]

[The wedding night was, naturally, a night of romance.]

[On the third day after the wedding, Li Qingshan came to the Listening to Bamboo Pavilion to visit his daughter.]

[He stepped into the courtyard and froze.]

[The courtyard was piled high with items.]

[Pills, medicinal herbs, cultivation manuals, crafting materials... everything was from the Li family's private collection.]

[Li Zhiyi was taking inventory. Seeing her father, she waved happily. "Dad! Look, I brought everything over!"]

[Li Qingshan: "...Brought everything over?"]

["Yeah!"]

[Li Zhiyi said righteously, "I belong to Big Brother Chu now, so of course I have to bring the family's things here!"]

[Li Qingshan's lip twitched.]

["You..."]

[He took a deep breath. "Why don't you just include your father as part of the dowry too!"]

[Li Zhiyi's eyes lit up. "Can I?"]

[Li Qingshan almost spat out a mouthful of blood.]

["Father-in-law, please calm down," Chu Sheng quickly stepped in to smooth things over. "Zhiyi is just joking with you."]

[Li Zhiyi pouted. "I'm not joking..."]

[In the end, he sighed. "Treat her well. This girl has always been a bit slow-witted, but she has a good heart."]

[Chu Sheng nodded solemnly.]

[After seeing Li Qingshan off.]

["You really..." He shook his head. "You've really given your father a hard time."]

[Li Zhiyi blinked. "Anyway, he only has one daughter. It'll all be mine sooner or later, so what's the difference if I take it now or later?"]

[Chu Sheng: "..."]

[That logic was actually impossible to refute.]

[The demon refining pot was still emitting steam on the stove.]

Chu Sheng murmured while looking at the simulation screen.

"Alright, this simulation is off to a good start. I've got a wife, formed an alliance by marriage, and even 'recycled' the dowry. Next, it's time to deal with that great demon."

He stroked his chin, a question suddenly occurring to him. "If I use the demon refining pot to boil water... will it cook the demon beast inside?"

After a moment's thought, he reassured himself, "Probably not. It's an Earth-rank Dharma treasure, after all; it shouldn't be that fragile."

"But then again..."

He glanced at the steam rising from the pot.

"If it really does get cooked, would that count as demon beast soup? If it's a female demon, would drinking it be nourishing?"

He shuddered and quickly shook the ridiculous thought out of his head.