84: Chapter 84: Marriage is Impossible

"Fellow clansmen, please disperse. I am a little tired."

Gu Jing did not like being stared at constantly.

"Yes!"

The clansmen respectfully cupped their fists, then dispersed one after another, beginning to clear the ruins of the destroyed pavilions.

"Brother!"

Gu Wenyan ran over and grabbed Gu Jing's arm, her pretty face full of admiration.

"Big brother~ you're so amazing!"

Feeling the surprising softness against his arm, Gu Jing's old face flushed slightly. The little girl from back then had grown into a young woman...

Damn!

Forgive me, forgive me, this is my own little sister!

"Ahem, a girl should be reserved! Reserved, you know?"

Dammit, I'm a red-blooded, pure young man. If she hugs me any longer, I might have a natural physiological reaction!

"Hee-hee~"

Gu Wenyan stuck out her little tongue and was about to pull Gu Jing toward Nalan Qianxue.

But at that moment, two figures with powerful auras suddenly descended upon the Gu Residence.

The members of the Gu Family present did not panic; people from the Nalan Family had arrived!

The newcomers were a beautiful middle-aged woman and a thin old man with white hair and a white beard.

The middle-aged woman was named Nangong Feixue, Nalan Qianxue's mother, with a cultivation level of Nascent Soul Early-Stage.

The thin old man was the Nalan Family Old Ancestor, Nalan Tian, with a cultivation level of Nascent Soul Middle Stage.

As Nascent Soul Cultivators, both were naturally aware of the series of events that had just occurred in the Gu Residence.

After observing Gu Jing deeply for a while, both let out long sighs, their faces filled with guilt.

"Qingfeng, is it convenient to talk? There are some misunderstandings we need to explain," Nalan Tian said apologetically, looking at Gu Qingfeng.

"Of course. Senior, please!" Gu Qingfeng made a gesture of invitation and led the way toward an intact pavilion not far to the left.

The four Gu Changqing brothers followed along.

Nalan Tian glanced at Gu Jing and Nalan Qianxue. "Jinger, Qianxue, you two come along as well."

The two nodded.

The group then followed Gu Qingfeng into the main hall of a pavilion.

Everyone took their seats one after another.

Nalan Tian scanned the members of the Gu Family, sighed, and spoke slowly:

"Qingfeng, and you Juniors of the Gu Family, regarding the fall of your Gu Family Old Ancestor, it was not a trap set by my Nalan Family.

Rather, not long after we set out yesterday, we were ambushed by three Nascent Soul experts from the Heavenly Sword Sect. Brother Gu was killed instantly by their combined strike; he didn't even have time to react!

I also struggled with all my might for two rounds until Feixue arrived with teleportation support. If not for Feixue's timely arrival, I would have fallen as well.

When the Heavenly Sword Sect saw that another Nascent Soul Cultivator from my Nalan Family had arrived, they didn't dare to fight to the death. Otherwise, once they lost their combat strength, they would be swallowed up by other forces.

So the Heavenly Sword Sect chose a ceasefire, but to continue expanding their influence, they demanded on the spot that Qianxue become Dao Companions with that Xiao Ming. That is how today's broken engagement came to be.

Feixue and I did not dare to refuse or interfere. The Heavenly Sword Sect's strength is simply too great; if we truly enraged them, my Nalan Family would have no power to resist.

Furthermore, Qianxue truly loves Jinger. At the time, she refused to break the engagement no matter what, but for the sake of the Family, she was eventually forced to compromise."

When he finished speaking, the room fell into silence.

After a long time—

The members of the Gu Family sighed.

Gu Qingfeng spoke up:

"Senior, we believe your words. After all, the Gu Family and Nalan Family have been close for so many years; we know each other's character very well. Since the matter is now clear, regarding the marriage between Jinger and Qianxue, let our two families pick a date."

Just as Nalan Tian was about to respond—

Gu Jing spoke first:

"Elders, I will not be getting married for the time being, so there is no need to discuss this further."

Is this a joke? If I'm going to marry, I'll definitely marry my Revered Master first. Revered Master must come first; Revered Master is the most important!

After all, if not for Revered Master, I wouldn't have the Triple-element Variant Spiritual Root, nor would I have my current terrifying ability to fight across levels.

And it was precisely because of Revered Master's care and protection that I can be as carefree and unrestrained as I am today.

So, the first marriage must be with Revered Master!

Hearing this, the entire room went silent!

Nalan Qianxue's delicate body trembled as she looked at Gu Jing with a complex expression. Did the little tag-along from back then really not want her anymore...

It made sense. He was so outstanding; in these three years at the immortal sect, he must have met even better women...

At this moment, all the elders were staring at Gu Jing.

Normally, they would have dismissed Gu Jing's words immediately.

But the current Gu Jing was already powerful enough that they had to look up to him. Even if Gu Jing was a Junior, the marriage of the strong was decided by the strong themselves.

Moreover, they could all imagine that with Gu Jing's strength, he was definitely a top-tier Prodigy even in the Spirit Sword Sect. Countless favored daughters of heaven likely harbored secret feelings for him, and he surely had someone he liked!

The elders looked at each other and sighed in unison.

Seeing that the elders were helpless, Nalan Qianxue's tense heart finally plummeted into the abyss. She felt as if all her strength had been drained in an instant. She staggered back a few steps weakly, turned around in extreme despondency, and ran out of the hall, disappearing from everyone's sight.

"Jinger, you were in love once, after all. Why don't you go see her and offer some comfort?" Gu Qingfeng said.

"That's right, big brother, go check on her. Sister Qianxue must be heartbroken right now. What if she does something foolish in her despair... only you can make her pull herself together now!"

Gu Wenyan also urged anxiously from the side.

Gu Jing sighed inwardly. They were childhood sweethearts, after all, with nearly twenty years of beautiful memories. Anyone would be hurt...

Fine, I'll go see her. In case she really can't take it...

"Elders, please continue your chat. I'll go give Qianxue some guidance."

With that, he walked out of the hall.

Nalan Qianxue was nowhere to be seen outside the pavilion.

His Divine Sense didn't pick up her trace either.

It seemed she had already left the Gu Residence.

"Where would she go?" Gu Jing mused.

Soon, a place came to mind from his memories.

It was a place where they often used to meet in secret.

He took to the air directly and flew toward the west.

A short while later, he flew over the peak of a mountain, above a dense peach forest.

At the end of the peach forest, by a cliff, a graceful figure in a light blue gauze dress sat inside a pavilion, gazing at the sea of clouds in sorrow.

Peach petals drifted down around her from time to time, accentuating the lonely atmosphere.

With a flash of lightning beneath his feet, Gu Jing's figure appeared directly beside the woman in the pavilion, and he sat down elegantly.

Nalan Qianxue, who had been silently weeping while staring at the distant clouds, was completely unaware that someone had sat down next to her.

"How about a drink?"

Gu Jing suddenly spoke, taking out a jar of Hundred Flower Spirit Wine from his Storage Pouch and placing it on the stone table.

Hearing the familiar voice by her ear, Nalan Qianxue's frail body trembled. She turned to look at Gu Jing beside her, her eyes turning even redder.

She glanced at the spirit wine on the table, and without a word, she tore off the seal, picked up the jar, and began to gulp it down.