94: Chapter 94 The Dust Settles

Inside the Purple Bamboo Peak main hall, sandalwood incense curled upward in delicate threads, drifting between the carved beams and painted rafters with a faint spiritual glow.

High above, auspicious cloud patterns loomed on the vaulted ceiling, appearing and disappearing as if shrouded in immortal mist.

Outside the hall, several thousand-year-old purple bamboos swayed gently in the breeze, their leaves rustling against one another, adding a touch of elegance to the solemn atmosphere.

Ji Fuyao sat regally on the high platform, her phoenix eyes slightly lowered, her slender, jade-like fingers rhythmically tapping the red sandalwood armrest.

She pondered for a moment, then parted her red lips, her voice cold and clear like jade striking stone:

“Since you insist on this, then I shall grant your wish. However...”

She paused, her gaze shooting like lightning toward Ye Xishui, who was kneeling in the hall. “From this day forward, you are no longer the primary wife, but merely Zilong's concubine.”

“I will personally select a primary wife for him who is worthy of his status.”

Hearing this, Ye Xishui did not show the slightest hint of displeasure; instead, she revealed a smile of relief.

She bowed gracefully, tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, yet she smiled like a white lotus blooming after rain—pure and beautiful, yet tinged with a certain tragic grace.

“Thank you, Mother, for your fulfillment.”

Her slender fingers gently brushed the embroidery on her sleeves, her fingertips trembling slightly as a wave of bittersweet relief washed over her heart.

Indeed, she truly was not worthy of being Zilong's primary wife.

The ambiguous past she shared with Ye Wushuang was like a thorn buried deep in her heart.

To be able to stay by Zilong's side, even as a humble concubine, was already a great blessing to her.

At that moment, Tu Shan Xiaoxiao, who had been standing quietly to the side, suddenly stepped forward.

Today, she wore a crimson gown embroidered with exquisite nine-tailed fox patterns, which enhanced her enchanting and vibrant beauty.

She bowed gracefully, her eyes shimmering with a natural, captivating charm.

“Martial Aunt, since you are to select a new primary wife for Senior Brother Chen, Xiaoxiao would like to volunteer herself.”

“Xiaoxiao has cultivated alongside Senior Brother since childhood and knows his preferences better than anyone.”

Ji Fuyao didn't even lift an eyelid, merely saying coldly:

“I have my own plans regarding this matter.”

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao's smile froze on her face.

A flash of resentment crossed her soul-stirring fox eyes, but she didn't dare say more, retreating sullenly to the side, her red lips pursed and her jade-like hands clenching unconsciously within her sleeves.

The next morning, the rising sun draped a thin golden veil over Purple Bamboo Peak.

The morning dew had not yet dried, sparkling with crystalline luster on the purple bamboo leaves.

Ji Fuyao packed her belongings, preparing to return to her main family to personally scout for a suitable primary wife candidate for her son.

“Junior Sister, wait.”

Liu Mei stepped forward with graceful strides. Today, she wore a simple white robe, with only a plain jade hairpin in her hair.

Yet this only enhanced her ethereal aura, making her look like a celestial being who did not consume the food of mortals.

“Zilong is no longer young; why not let him find someone he likes himself?”

Ji Fuyao's brows furrowed, and she was about to retort when a thought struck her. She turned to the silent Chen Zilong:

“Zilong, tell Mother, do you have a woman in your heart whom you favor?”

Chen Zilong's figure stiffened slightly, and his gaze involuntarily flickered toward Liu Mei.

Although he quickly withdrew his gaze, this subtle movement was keenly captured by Ji Fuyao.

Ji Fuyao's heart jolted as an incredible thought surfaced in her mind.

Suppressing the turbulent waves in her heart, she asked with feigned calm:

“Could it be... Liu Mei?”

A trace of embarrassment appeared on Chen Zilong's handsome face, and the tips of his ears turned slightly red.

He hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded gently:

“Yes.”

“What?!” Ji Fuyao stood up abruptly, her sleeve knocking over the teacup beside her. The crisp sound of shattering porcelain echoed through the hall.

She looked at Liu Mei in disbelief, her voice trembling. “You two... when did this begin?”

Liu Mei lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a shadow beneath them.

She said softly, “It has been several years.”

Ji Fuyao felt the world spinning, only managing to steady herself by leaning against the back of her chair.

She pointed at Liu Mei, her fingertips shaking slightly:

“I treated you as my best friend, yet you... you dared to seduce my son!”

Liu Mei looked up, her eyes filled with guilt yet still firm:

“I... Long'er and I share a mutual affection.”

“Mutual affection?” Ji Fuyao sneered, fury igniting in her phoenix eyes. “Are you not aware of how much older you are than him? You are his Master!”

“Age has never been an issue,” Liu Mei responded calmly, her voice like a spring striking stone. “In the cultivation world, Dao companions with an age gap of hundreds of years are everywhere. As for the status of Master...”

She shook her head gently, a blush appearing on her face. “I have long ceased to be his Master.”

Chen Zilong stepped forward, shielding Liu Mei behind him:

“Mother, all of this is my fault. Please do not blame Liu Mei.”

Seeing her son's protective stance over Liu Mei, Ji Fuyao felt a stabbing pain in her heart.

The son she had painstakingly raised was actually involved in a secret affair with the Senior Sister she trusted most!

“You...” Ji Fuyao laughed out of sheer anger. “Do you have any idea how much criticism this will draw in the cultivation world?”

“We do not care,” Chen Zilong and Liu Mei said in unison.

They glanced at each other, their eyes filled with determination.

The atmosphere in the hall froze like ice for a moment, and even the rustling of the bamboo leaves outside seemed to stop.

Ye Xishui knelt quietly to the side, watching this sudden turn of events with mixed emotions.

She saw the deep affection in Chen Zilong's eyes when he looked at Liu Mei—a gaze she had never received.

A pang of pain surged in her heart, but she quickly suppressed the bitterness.

To be able to stay by Zilong's side, she was already satisfied.

She had actually noticed the ambiguity between her Master Liu Mei and Chen Zilong long ago, but she had never thought much of it.

Seeing this result today, though surprising, seemed to be within the realm of reason.

Perhaps, if she hadn't forced herself to become Chen Zilong's Dao companion, he and Master Liu Mei would have naturally come together anyway.

Perhaps she was the interloper after all.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao had an expression as if watching a play, her red lips curving slightly, her eyes flashing with schadenfreude.

However, she was still quite shocked to learn that Master Liu Mei and Senior Brother had been together for so long.

She and the Eldest Senior Sister were fighting over him, yet Master had already claimed him!

Ji Fuyao took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She sat back in her seat, her gaze scanning between Chen Zilong and Liu Mei before finally letting out a long sigh:

“Have you two... committed any transgressive acts?”

Chen Zilong and Liu Mei looked at each other, falling into a period of silence.

This silence was undoubtedly the best answer.

Ji Fuyao closed her eyes, feeling the world spin once more.

The thing she feared most had happened after all.

“How many times?”

She asked this question almost through gritted teeth.

Liu Mei's cheeks flushed as she whispered, “Many times, I don't remember.”

“You don't remember?!”

Ji Fuyao snapped her eyes open, her voice suddenly rising. “I treated you like my own sister, yet behind my back, the number of times you were intimate with my son is so high you can't even remember?!”

She stood up and waved her sleeve.

A violent wind instantly erupted in the hall, blowing the purple bamboos outside until they leaned precariously, their leaves fluttering like rain.

“Junior Sister, don't be like this.”

Liu Mei said hurriedly, “Zilong and I truly love each other.”

“Truly love each other?”

Ji Fuyao sneered. “Do you know that he is to inherit the Chen family business in the future and needs a primary wife who can assist him? With your free-spirited nature, how can you shoulder such a heavy responsibility?”

“I can learn.”

Liu Mei said firmly, her eyes shining with persistence. “For Long'er, I am willing to change.”

Chen Zilong also knelt down:

“Mother, Zilong will marry no one but Liu Mei in this life.”

Looking at her son kneeling before her and her Senior Sister standing beside him with a determined face, Ji Fuyao suddenly felt a sense of helplessness.

Everything she had carefully planned had turned to bubbles in this moment.

The candlelight in the hall flickered, reflecting everyone's complex expressions.

Ye Xishui still knelt quietly, like a lifeless jade carving, with only the occasional falling tear proving her existence.

Tu Shan Xiaoxiao was the same, her enchanting face showing no emotion.

Liu Mei and Chen Zilong stood side by side, their fingers interlaced, giving each other strength.

Liu Mei's dignified posture held firmness, and her beautiful eyes were filled with tenderness.

After a long time, Ji Fuyao finally let out a long sigh, her voice carrying deep exhaustion:

“Forget it, forget it... Since your minds are made up, what can I do?”

She looked at Liu Mei with a complex gaze:

“From this day forward, you are a daughter-in-law of my Chen family. I hope you do not disappoint me.”

A light of pleasant surprise flashed in Liu Mei's eyes, and she quickly performed a salute:

“Thank you, Junior Sister, for your fulfillment.”

“However,” Ji Fuyao's tone shifted, her gaze sharp, “since you are to be a daughter-in-law of my Chen family, you must follow the Chen family's rules.”

“Tomorrow, follow me home to learn how to manage the family business.”

Liu Mei agreed without hesitation:

“Yes.”

The storm temporarily subsided.

The purple bamboos outside gradually stopped swaying, and sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, scattering dappled shadows on the ground.

But everyone knew in their hearts that this was only the beginning.

The road ahead was still very, very long...

...

...

...

[Dear readers, this novel is likely coming to an end.]

[With the sudden removal of the book on the 8th and a family member falling ill, I didn't update that day.]

[Even though I submitted it for review that night and it was relisted around 3 AM the next morning,]

[this whole ordeal caused my traffic to be cut in half.]

[On the 7th, I had 12,000 readers, but by the 9th, it dropped to only 7,000.]

[As of today, my readership is less than 3,000.]

[I expect to just barely get the full attendance bonus this month.]

[It's not that I don't want to keep updating; it's just really hard to explain.]

[Of course, I will try my best to update until the end of the month.]

[I will start a new book, still about a master-disciple romance.]

[I originally planned for the Fate Usurpation arc to meet everyone.]

[I was very confident in the upcoming Fate Usurpation plot.]

[I added elements of mystery-solving and horror.]

[But these will likely have to wait for the new book to meet you all.]

[I still prefer writing stories about master-disciple romance.]

[After all, in real life, I married my high school homeroom teacher.]

[I also have a story about a mortal's cultivation journey titled "Cultivation: I Agreed to Separate, but the Dao Companion Regretted and Cried."]

[Those who like mortal cultivation stories can go check it out.]

[I plan to write that book for a long time.]

[Regardless of whether the results are good or not, I intend to keep updating it long-term.]

[The new book is expected to officially launch at the beginning of next month; please look forward to it.]