7: Chapter 7 I, a dignified immortal master, am doing you a favor by marrying your daughter-in-law.

Over the next three months, Xiao Ye lived a life like a god.

Cultivating by day and experiencing the Profound Truth of foot massage in Liu Qianqian's bedroom by night, he felt like he was flying high—that taste was something he wouldn't trade even for a throne.

However—

Happy days always come to an end.

Liu Qianqian was pregnant.

Xiao Ye lost his source of happiness once again.

He sat in his study, sighing and lamenting for a long while, wave after wave. Finally, he couldn't help himself and called Li Fu over again.

"Old Li," Xiao Ye leaned back in his chair and rubbed his fingers, "This... the Master has been a bit lonely lately. You... well, go find another one for me."

Li Fu's eyelids twitched as if pricked by a needle.

"We're just one short of collecting all three great beauties," Xiao Ye counted on his fingers, bending them one by one. "Wan'er, Qianqian, only the last one is left. Once I collect all three, I can summon the Divine Dragon."

Li Fu's inner thoughts: I [censored] your [censored].

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible: "Master, there's no money left. Even if they agree, you can't afford the price."

Xiao Ye waved his hand with a "you don't understand" look:

"Just bring the person. Maybe when they see me—"

He stood up, straightened his robes, puffed out his chest, and struck what he thought was a suave pose, his chin lifted higher than the heavens.

"Full of vigor, with the air of an Immortal—perhaps they'll be so happy they'll even pay to marry me?"

Li Fu: "...?"

He looked at the sixty-something-year-old man in front of him, with his gray hair and slightly hunched back, and remained silent for three seconds—seconds that felt as long as three centuries.

Master, do you have some misunderstanding of the phrase "air of an Immortal"?

At most, you're "hale and hearty"—no, "refusing to die despite being old."

But Xiao Ye clearly didn't think so. After more than half a year of cultivation, his confidence had inflated to an unprecedented height.

I am an Immortal about to break through the Qi Refinement Stage!

A mere mortal woman—even if she wanted to throw herself at me, I'd have to agree first!

That's right, he already felt it—the opportunity for a Breakthrough was right before his eyes. He would enter seclusion tomorrow, swallow the Qi Gathering Pill he was rewarded with earlier, and break through to the Qi Refining Realm in one go.

By then, his Lifespan would exceed a hundred, his body would be in top shape, and he wouldn't have to worry about people not wanting to marry him.

Li Fu opened his mouth, but swallowed the words he was about to say, as if he had swallowed a fly.

He found that since the Master started taking concubines again, his whole personality had changed.

The old Master, who was cautious, submissive, and polite to everyone, was gone, as if replaced by someone else. In his place was an exceptionally narcissistic, particularly flamboyant old man who felt like he carried the wind when he walked.

He didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

But none of that was important right now—what mattered was that there was no money.

But Li Fu still nodded.

What else could he do? The Master gave an order, so he had to carry it out.

What if?

What if someone really was blind and didn't want a betrothal gift?

In this world, there were all kinds of women.

Li Fu turned and walked out, his steps heavy, as if he were carrying two hundred pounds of rice.

—

For the next half month, Xiao Ye didn't leave his room.

He locked himself in a quiet room, officially entering seclusion to push for the Qi Refining Realm.

Success or failure depended on this one move.

He popped the Qi Gathering Pill into his mouth. As the pill entered his stomach, a warm current instantly dispersed, traveling through his Meridians and throughout his body, like drinking two pounds of strong liquor—burning from his throat all the way to the soles of his feet.

Xiao Ye held his breath and focused, following the method of the Basic Qi Guidance Technique to guide the current through his body.

One cycle, two cycles, three cycles...

He didn't dare to relax even slightly.

If he succeeded, he would bid farewell to the mundane world and step onto the Immortal path he had dreamed of.

If he failed, he would be injured at best, and at worst, his Foundation would be damaged, ending his Immortal fate.

And at his age, he'd probably just kick the bucket—no need to buy a coffin, he already had one ready.

Time passed bit by bit.

On the first day, there was no movement.

On the fifth day, still no movement.

On the tenth day, Xiao Ye's forehead was sweating, and his heart began to drum—a loud, thumping beat.

On the thirteenth day, he felt like a balloon, blown up to the point of bursting, just one breath away from poking through that thin layer—he was so anxious he wanted to curse.

On the fifteenth day—

"Pop."

Like something being pricked, the sound was as soft as a bubble bursting.

A trace of Spiritual Qi, so faint it was almost imperceptible, slowly rose from the depths of his Dantian, like the first tender sprout of spring, tremblingly peeking out.

He had succeeded.

First level of Qi Refining, which is the Early Stage of Qi Refining.

(Each Realm has ten levels: levels one to three are the Early Stage, four to six are the Middle Stage, seven to nine are the Late Stage, and level ten is Perfection or Peak.)

Xiao Ye opened his eyes and stared blankly at his hands.

Under his withered skin, something seemed to be flowing, as if a small stream were hidden beneath.

It was an indescribable feeling—he could seemingly feel the scent in the wind, hear the sound of ants crawling in the courtyard, see the fine dust floating in the air, and even see the spider webs in the cracks of the wall clearly.

The Qi Refining Realm.

Even if it was just the first level, it was still the Qi Refining Realm!

From now on, he was an Immortal Master.

And the Xiao Family was no longer an ordinary mundane Family—it could be called the Xiao Immortal Clan.

Xiao Ye stood up; his legs were a bit numb and his back a bit sore, but he felt as if he had shed a set of shackles he had carried for sixty years, feeling light enough to float.

He pushed open the door of the quiet room, and the sunlight made him squint.

The old locust tree in the courtyard had sprouted new buds, green and vibrant, as if it had been painted with a fresh layer of green.

Standing at the door, Xiao Ye suddenly smiled.

As he smiled, his eyes grew a bit moist.

In the first half of his life, he had suffered much and found no path to immortality.

As his twilight years approached, he thought his life would end like this, with half his coffin already prepared, just waiting to lie inside.

Who would have thought—

A sixty-year-old set of old bones could actually step onto the path of immortality.

It truly lived up to the saying—

Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank; do not mock the poverty of the old.

Just then, Butler Li happened to walk in.

The moment he saw Xiao Ye, he was stunned, frozen in place.

Having not seen him for only half a month, how had the Master become younger?

At this moment, Xiao Ye stood at the door, full of energy, with white hair but a youthful face.

His old face, which used to be full of wrinkles, had become smooth and flat, as if ironed out.

His hunched back had straightened, and standing there, he even had a bit of an imposing air, as if he were a different person.

"M-Master..." Li Fu stammered, his eyes wide like copper bells, nearly popping out. "What is this?"

He was making wild guesses in his mind—had the Master secretly eaten some great tonic? Tianshan Snow Lotus? Ten-thousand-year-old Ginseng? Otherwise, how could he have rejuvenated? This effect was more powerful than a facelift!

"It's nothing, just a Breakthrough," Xiao Ye waved his hand nonchalantly.

"Breakthrough?" Li Fu was stunned, then a flash of inspiration hit his brain like a bolt of lightning, his eyes widening even further. "Could it be... that Breakthrough?"

"Enough," Xiao Ye didn't answer directly, his expression clearly saying "keep it down," "tell me, what are you here for?"

"Ah! Oh!" Li Fu snapped back to his senses as if someone had slapped the back of his head and quickly got to the point. "Master, the last of the three great beauties, the top one—Bai Susu, has agreed. But her Family doesn't."

"Her Family? Who?"

"Her father-in-law, Cao Deshuang."

Xiao Ye was full of question marks, his expression as if he were listening to a book from heaven. "...What on earth?"

After an explanation from Li Fu, Xiao Ye finally understood.

It turned out that the last of the three great beauties in Qingshan Town was named Bai Susu, and she was the daughter-in-law of Cao Deshuang from the Cao Family.

Three years ago, right after she married into the Family, she had jinxed Cao Deshuang's son to death—on the wedding night, the groom didn't make it.

Logically, after such a husband-jinxing woman, the husband's Family would surely drive her out.

Unexpectedly, Cao Deshuang not only didn't drive her out but also showed her warmth and care every single day.

Anyone with clear eyes knew what Cao Deshuang wanted to do.

This was even more of a beast than the Prime Minister!

Even lusting after his own daughter-in-law!

But looking at the current situation, Cao Deshuang probably hadn't gotten his way—otherwise, Bai Susu wouldn't have agreed to marry Xiao Ye.

The problem now was—he had to get Cao Deshuang to agree to let her go.

In the past, Xiao Ye really would have had no way. The Cao Family was one of the Four Great Families, with considerable influence. How could he, an old man with one foot in the grave, compete with them? With a cane?

But now—

Hmph.

I, a Grand Immortal Master, marrying your daughter-in-law is giving you face!

Xiao Ye waved his hand, his Aura like a general inspecting his troops:

"Let's go."

Li Fu was stunned: "Where to?"

"The Cao Family."