Chapter 82: The Fourth-Grade Life-Establishing Realm, the “Beginning of Cultivation”

“Counter-swallow Tianyouzi?”

Ning Xuan was stunned, “Mother, are you mistaken about something? I… I am Ning Xuan.”

However, Ruan Qingzhu did not reply further, her figure vanishing in an instant.

On the boat’s seat, the beautiful woman with the physique and face of a mature Lu Xuezhi appeared for a moment, then disappeared in a moment, as if she had never been there at all.

The bamboo boat drifted, swaying between the water and the sky.

Ning Xuan put away his stunned expression and returned to his original calm. He lay quietly for a while, then suddenly tried to connect with Flying Heavenly Man through the whisper chain.

Upon connecting, he found the whisper chain was broken.

He tried again to listen in on the Zixia Temple whisper chain.

But, that was also broken.

He was not discouraged and continued to try and contact Immortal Aunt Yaozhen.

To his surprise…

This time, there was a response.

Immortal Aunt Yaozhen’s sad voice came from his ear.

“General Ning, His Majesty and the temple both say that you and General Lu have been seriously injured and will soon return to Wangyue Prefecture to recuperate. They say your injuries are too severe, and you may not be able to come out and slay demons in the future.”

At this point, Immortal Aunt Yaozhen almost choked up. She sniffled and said, “His… His Majesty has also changed your and General Lu’s fiefdom back to a single prefecture. At the same time, he has revoked your status as a Divine General. He has also transferred me away, saying you need to recuperate in peace and no longer need a Heavenly Master partner.

You must take good care of yourself and get well soon. Alright, I won’t say more for now, I’m still assisting with the defense over here. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be crying and putting you in a bad mood. Get well soon.”

The whisper chain came to an abrupt end.

Ning Xuan got up, walked to the bow of the boat, sat down cross-legged, thought for a moment, and shouted to the sky, “Mother, my Ning family’s scholar is about to go to the imperial capital for the examination. Can he pass?”

There was no response.

Ning Xuan muttered in his heart again: *It seems my one thousand Dao merit points have also gone down the drain…*

After thinking, he decided to return to the prefecture to check the situation first.

—

Inside the General’s Mansion, Lu Xuezhi was throwing a tantrum like a lioness. Her scarlet cloak swayed with her anger, and her pair of star-like eyes stared coldly at a middle-aged Daoist nun opposite her. Her sandalwood mouth was slightly open as she said sternly, “What do you mean General Ning and I are seriously injured and have to return to Wangyue Prefecture to recover? Look at me, do I look seriously injured in any way?”

The middle-aged Daoist nun was naturally Chaoyinzi.

Chaoyinzi glanced at the shattered teacup on the floor; she even felt like laughing.

“The General is seriously injured.”

“I am not!”

“The General truly is.”

“I truly am not.”

“Zixia Temple and His Majesty are definitely right. Therefore, General Lu, you don’t need to argue with me. You and General Ning are indeed seriously injured and truly need to return to Wangyue Prefecture soon, and will have no chance at the position of Divine General from now on.”

Lu Xuezhi waved her hand, sweeping all the small trinkets on the coffee table to the floor with a clatter. Then she stood up and said coldly, “You will accompany me to slay a demon right now, and then tell the temple and His Majesty what I am really like.”

Chaoyinzi said, “Is General Lu doubting Zixia Temple and His Majesty?”

Lu Xuezhi said, “I wouldn’t dare! But this time, there is truly a misunderstanding.”

Chaoyinzi said, “I am here to deliver the decree. The formal imperial edict will be sent to Wangyue Prefecture later. The great seal on it, General Lu will know at a glance. In the future, I will no longer be able to cooperate with General Lu. Take care.”

After saying this, she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned her head slightly and saw Ning Xuan.

“General Ning, please persuade General Lu properly,” Chaoyinzi saluted.

Ning Xuan smiled, “I was just looking for the Heavenly Master everywhere. Last time, on how to fish on Pearl Lake, the Heavenly Master taught me a lot. I was just about to ask for more guidance.”

Chaoyinzi also smiled.

Lu Xuezhi looked at the two of them like this and became even angrier.

There were only three people in the room, why was she the only one unhappy?

Chaoyinzi said, “There will be plenty of time in the future.”

Ning Xuan asked curiously, “Not today?”

Chaoyinzi looked at him strangely and said, “You don’t know anything either?”

Ning Xuan savored the words and instantly understood. Chaoyinzi… was just a little messenger.

Why should a little one make things difficult for another little one?

He saluted, no longer pestering her, and instead offered a blessing, “If not today, then so be it. May the Heavenly Master have a bright future.”

Chaoyinzi smiled faintly and replied, “The same to you, General.”

With that, a golden light surged, and Chaoyinzi disappeared from the spot.

“I’m so angry!!”

Lu Xuezhi’s gaze fixed on the large teapot on the other coffee table.

Ning Xuan took the large teapot, poured her a cup of water, and asked, “Well, how about I accompany you to storm the imperial capital, grab the old emperor, and ask him exactly why he issued this edict?”

Lu Xuezhi snorted angrily.

Ning Xuan very skillfully threw out the light barrier bell, isolating them from sight and sound.

Lu Xuezhi said, “What’s there to say? It must be the good work of that group of demonic Daoists from Zixia Temple!”

The two’s actions and words were seamlessly connected.

Almost as soon as Ning Xuan threw out the light barrier bell, Lu Xuezhi opened her mouth the next instant.

Ning Xuan also poured himself a cup of tea and said, “Then, how about we storm Zixia Temple together, drag out that group of demonic Daoists, and ask them why they dare to manipulate imperial power? We’ll punish them for their crimes and restore justice to the world! Then we’ll kill all the demons in this world and sever the connection to the incense fire world. How about it?”

Lu Xuezhi let out a delicate huff and said petulantly, “I’m not talking to you anymore!”

Ning Xuan raised his teacup, took a gentle sip, and said, “This tea is not bad. The people in the mansion put a lot of thought into preparing it. Have a taste.”

At first, Lu Xuezhi didn’t look at him, but when Ning Xuan was on his second cup of tea, she leaned over again, her eyes bright as she asked, “Maybe if we add Mother, and Teacher Lan Yu, it might really be possible?”

Ning Xuan almost spat out the mouthful of tea he had just drunk.

He pretended to be in deep thought, then nodded ponderously, “That makes sense.”

Lu Xuezhi crossed her arms, leaned back, and asked, “Really?”

Ning Xuan said, “Really.”

Lu Xuezhi said, “Then…”

Ning Xuan said, “Then you go find our mother first.”

Lu Xuezhi was dumbfounded. Ruan Qingzhu was a dragon whose head was seen but not its tail; in all these years, she had only seen her once in the desert before.

Moreover, she had a faint feeling that Ruan Qingzhu would not agree with her plan.

She felt a little deflated and asked, “Then husband, what do you think we should do? I’ll listen to you.”

A sharp glint flashed in Ning Xuan’s eyes as he said, “A gentleman conceals his weapons and waits for the right time to act. He hides his light and bides his time, preserving his useful self, waiting for an opportunity to serve His Majesty, rather than senselessly perishing in this current unclear situation.”

Lu Xuezhi greatly admired the sharp glint in her husband’s eyes. It made her feel that her husband had always been a brave, resourceful, and loyal general. After all, when her husband received His Majesty’s blood edict, he had cried so sorrowfully and even uttered a passionate speech: “As a subject, when the ruler worries, the subject toils; when the ruler is shamed, the subject dies. Even if we subjects were to have our livers and brains dashed out, how could we allow demonic Daoists to humiliate our ruler to this extent!”

Compared to her husband, her strategy was just a little bit lacking.

Ning Xuan smiled, “Alright, let’s go back to Wangyue Prefecture and take a look. My mother has been nagging about wanting to see you. It’s a perfect opportunity.”

Lu Xuezhi was still a bit unwilling, but thinking of her man’s performance in the great desert, she reluctantly nodded, “Alright.”

—

That night.

After their daily cultivation…

Ning Xuan held Lu Xuezhi in his arms, lying in the bedding.

It was very warm.

Before long, he felt that Lu Xuezhi had fallen fast asleep. The dual cultivation method and the consumption of qi and blood were quite exhausting.

In the past, he would also have been exhausted, but now he was a dual third-grade.

After a day of observation, he was basically certain that what Ruan Qingzhu had said before leaving was all true.

He had truly… been removed from all the trouble.

He had jumped out of a vortex of surging undercurrents.

This made the image of that beautiful woman and the words she said before leaving inevitably appear in his mind.

If at the beginning, he felt there was a seventy percent chance that Ruan Qingzhu was a terrifying Taiyin Ghost and a thirty percent chance she was a Heavenly Master with a complex background, now he was completely unsure.

There was a huge contradiction in Ruan Qingzhu.

Since she could so easily and in such a short time sever all his connections in Zixia Temple, she was, in all likelihood, a high-level member of the Zixia Sacred Sect, because only internal adjustments could be so swift and easy.

And a place like the Zixia Sacred Sect, gathered by Taiyin Ghosts, would likely not tolerate outsiders. Even a Heavenly Master with a complex background could not possibly mix in with these Taiyin Ghosts with infinite lifespans.

Therefore, Ruan Qingzhu should just be a piece of clothing. Thinking about it, it made sense. The first Heavenly Master’s power, plus the subsequent dedicated nurturing, was enough to make Ruan Qingzhu a dazzling piece of clothing. Such clothing would definitely be watched by the high-levels of the Zixia Sacred Sect; it wouldn’t be strange for it to be worn.

But since Ruan Qingzhu was a Taiyin Ghost, she had no reason to be so good to Lu Xuezhi. For the daughter of a piece of clothing, just putting on an act would suffice. But looking at Lu Xuezhi’s trajectory, and then looking at his mother-in-law’s appearance just now, no matter how he tried to find fault, he couldn’t find any. It was too doting. Protecting her all the way was one thing, but she also wanted her to be happy.

Another possibility was that Ruan Qingzhu herself had turned into a ghost, but the timing didn’t add up. Because that Grand Commandant had only risen to power about twenty years ago, and after he rose to power, he passed his Heavenly Master power to Ruan Qingzhu.

Even if Ruan Qingzhu had, by some coincidence upon coincidence, turned into a Taiyin Ghost the day after becoming a Heavenly Master, she would only have had twenty years to grow.

She wasn’t even a person from the previous era.

Taiyin Ghosts have infinite lifespans and are indestructible as long as their life-bound baleful treasure is not destroyed, but their weakness is that their growth is not that fast.

Twenty years was not enough time for Ruan Qingzhu to grow into a high-level member of the Zixia Sacred Sect. At most, she would be something like Tianyouzi’s prodigy senior sister.

It was baffling…

That woman with a similar silhouette to his own wife was shrouded in a fog in his mind.

Why did Ruan Qingzhu do this?

Did she really just want him to protect Lu Xuezhi and bring her happiness?

Ning Xuan temporarily put aside his thoughts.

Winter had passed.

He was seventeen.

At this time last year, he was still thinking about whether Chenxiang Pavilion had any new, pure courtesans, thinking about seizing the time to play a bit more. Once his father arranged a marriage for him, he would be controlled by someone, and after having children for the Ning family, he would have to act like a proper Master Ning.

Perhaps, that was the life he wanted.

—

A few days later…

The carriage rolled over the already damp frozen earth of late winter.

Driving the carriage was Ning Xuan.

Sitting in the carriage was Lu Xuezhi.

Without responsibility, without being busy, time slowed down.

The sunrises and sunsets that could be seen while running, watching them while driving the carriage, was not bad either.

However, the direction the two were heading was not the southern Wangyue Prefecture, but the eastern Suizhou Dao Grand Commandant’s Mansion.

The more Lu Xuezhi thought about taking a step back, the angrier she got. She was still unwilling. She, the dignified legendary general, the dignified daughter of the Grand Commandant’s family, why should she walk the path arranged by others? She was going to find her father.

Just then, the road in front of the carriage suddenly began to arch and move like an earth dragon turning over. The road became a painting, grabbed by a giant’s hand and shaken up and down…

The painting not only had a road, but also mountains and water.

The mountains, water, and the road all began to shake, rising and falling.

For a time, the earth’s crust buckled and broke, the roots of the mountains shattered, the sound was like a sea of thunder, and dust rolled up to the sky, like a world-destroying apocalypse.

When Ning Xuan stopped the carriage, he did not dodge, because all the destruction happened to stop right where he had stopped, not an inch more, not an inch less.

Even half a step forward was a ruin where all things were annihilated, yet the place where the carriage stopped was perfectly intact, completely unharmed.

The two different worlds on either side formed a scene that shook the mind.

Ning Xuan looked at this power.

This precise control did not seem like the power of a martial artist, nor the power of an evil ghost. It was more like something a powerful Heavenly Master could achieve after breaking through a certain shackle.

Lu Xuezhi lifted the window curtain and glanced out. She was not scared, but angry, “Are they not letting us go back?!”

Ning Xuan said, “Yes.”

Lu Xuezhi said, “But what if I just want to go back?”

Ning Xuan said, “After this mountain, the city is just ahead. There are many people.”

He knew without even thinking that there were probably many problems on the Suizhou Dao Grand Commandant’s side right now. If Lu Xuezhi went, she would be drawn into the vortex whether she wanted to or not. This went against the original intention of that mysterious mother-in-law, so… someone was blocking the road, and also warning them to go to the place they should go, to the corner city that was not the center of the vortex—Wangyue Prefecture.

Lu Xuezhi’s face flushed with anger.

“Do they dare to destroy a city?”

Ning Xuan said, “They dare.”

Lu Xuezhi said, “I don’t believe it, I insist on going home! There must be a conspiracy in this! I… I…”

She huffed a few times and said, “Forget it, let’s go home, back to the home in Wangyue Prefecture!”

Ning Xuan started to laugh.

Stupid wife, just being stubborn.

He whipped the reins and turned back.

Jumping out of this vortex of undercurrents was a good thing. He also happened to need time to consolidate his gains and strive to break through to dual fourth-grade.

Even if that mysterious mother-in-law had other plans, those plans were, in all likelihood, not for him, but for Lu Xuezhi. For him, on the contrary, everything had suddenly become stable.

His mood was a bit complicated.

Because Miss Lu was completely the type of stupid girl who was completely in the dark, with overly slow reactions.

What did she know about scheming?

Perhaps, by cooperating with that mother-in-law this time to help her complete her plan, he could truly have a great backer. But this plan was centered on Lu Xuezhi.

Perhaps it was good, perhaps it was bad. Perhaps it was true mother-daughter affection, perhaps it was…

Who knew?

But speaking of which, Miss Lu had really brought him many benefits, many opportunities. It was a gain.

—

Ning Xuan had never traveled such a smooth road.

In this land rampant with demons and full of treacherous waves, he had traveled such a long way, yet it was a smooth journey all the way. It wasn’t until he reached the border of Wangyue Prefecture that he heard a familiar voice in the whisper chain.

“Ning Xuan, I have something to do and need to leave for five years. During these five years, you take good care of Xuezhi and make her happy.

After Xuezhi was born, I was often not at home, and Grand Commandant Lu was also busy, often not seen. She was all alone in that big house.

She tried so hard to perform just to gain recognition. She is very lonely in her heart and also longs for a family. Give her a child. No one knows a daughter better than her mother. She will be happy.

As for your one thousand Dao merit points, a familiar person will come to you later. He will give you the procurement list.

Tell him what you want to buy. For a total of one thousand Dao merit points, he will buy it and give it to you.”

Ning Xuan squinted as he listened to the words coming from the whisper chain…

It was both not surprising and very surprising.

But the identity was confirmed.

Anyone who could use the whisper chain was a Taiyin Ghost.

He followed up with a question, “Why do you care so much about the daughter of a piece of clothing?”

The answer came from the other side.

“Who says you can’t have a daughter after putting on clothes? Who I am, what does that have to do with my clothes?”

This answer made even Ning Xuan stunned for a moment. Immediately, he asked tentatively again, “Then… then are you trying to develop a family?”

“No, because I love her.”

A voice, gentle to an abnormal extreme, came unhesitatingly from the whisper chain.

In the next instant, all movement disappeared.

Ruan Qingzhu was gone.

Ning Xuan had gotten an answer, but at the same time, he had gotten more questions.

He couldn’t find new answers for the time being.

—

The carriage entered Wangyue Prefecture. The streets were quite lively. When passing by Chenxiang Pavilion, Lu Xuezhi lifted the carriage window, glanced at the courtesans filling the floors with their chirping and swaying, and said, “Young Master Ning, shall we go in and have some fun together?”

Ning Xuan waved his hand, “Thank you, I don’t know how.”

Lu Xuezhi asked, “Then what do you know how to do?”

Ning Xuan said, “I know how to dote on my wife.”

Lu Xuezhi bit her lip, resting her chin on her hand, “Husband, the more I think about it, the angrier I get… the more I think, the angrier I get, really, the more I think, the angrier I get…”

Ning Xuan quickly interrupted her spellcasting, “We’re already at Wangyue Prefecture. Let’s go home first and let mother see you.”

Lu Xuezhi’s heart beat a little faster for some unknown reason. She suddenly said nervously, “If we go home empty-handed, will it be bad? Will your mother not like me?”

Ning Xuan said, “She will definitely like you.”

His father’s few letters from home had long shown his attitude towards this daughter-in-law.

Lu Xuezhi looked at her scarlet cloak again. This combat attire filled her with a fiery might. She immediately complained, “Ning Xuan, it’s all your fault. You should have reminded me to change into a girl’s dress.”

Ning Xuan said, “There are clothing shops, embroidery shops, and dyeing shops in Wangyue Prefecture. They all sell clothes. I’ll take you for a stroll.”

He slightly pulled the reins, about to turn to the other side.

Lu Xuezhi’s voice came from the carriage again.

“Forget it, let’s not go. We’ll go straight home. If I change into a girl’s dress, it will be weird and not good.”

Ning Xuan turned the horse’s head straight again and left Wangyue Prefecture for Xinghe County.

—

The carriage reached the official road.

He looked into the distance.

The journey was almost over. On this road, from time to in, flashes of laughter and past shadows would appear.

The absurd figures of him and his past group of dissolute friends having fun.

This road was a common path for horse riding.

In the third month of spring, inviting a dozen or so dancing girls and songstresses to travel the mountains and rivers together, to watch horse races together, in fine clothes on spirited horses, full of vigor, with minds full of “Come on, let’s be merry, anyway, there’s plenty of time.”

Of course, this could not be without Xiao Jie.

Coy, gentle, two-faced, full of tea-like airs, and also multi-talented, able to sing and dance, play chess, paint, and play the pipa, she added a bit more beauty to the bright spring.

Who wouldn’t want to live such a life?

But now?

He still didn’t know how his family was, and what the future of the Ning family would be.

The road is difficult, and the Ning family’s scholar is also in difficulty. Did he enter the imperial capital? Did he make it to the spring examination? If he couldn’t make it, couldn’t pass, who would inherit his father’s business?

With such heavy thoughts, the carriage entered Xinghe County.

The county was bustling.

Extremely bustling.

Ning Xuan stopped the carriage in front of the Ning Mansion. As soon as he lifted the curtain, the pot exploded.

Some shouted excitedly, “Great General Ning is back!” Some old servants in the mansion who had watched him grow up couldn’t change their habit and shouted, “Young Master Ning is back!” Everywhere was boiling, people running around to spread the news, making the already lively Ning Mansion and Xinghe County even more lively.

Ning Xuan got out of the carriage, glanced at the Ning Mansion. The mansion was decorated with lanterns and colored streamers, paper-cut window decorations, and large red “囍” (double happiness) characters were pasted everywhere. The patterns on the rows of red lanterns were all different, and there were even festive lanterns two to three zhang high placed under the eaves.

“Get out.”

Ning Xuan shouted to the back.

Lu Xuezhi came out.

She stepped out with her long legs elegantly.

Scarlet cloak, white shoes, neat bangs level with her eyebrows, a high collar embracing her snow-white neck, holding her chin, extremely graceful. Paired with that cold gaze, she had an extremely strong aura, cold and noble. Ordinary people wouldn’t even dare to look at her.

“Nervous?” Ning Xuan asked.

Lu Xuezhi’s face was indifferent, but she replied faintly, “Mmm.”

Ning Xuan whispered, “Your getup is really deceptive. I was deceived by you when I first saw you, otherwise there wouldn’t have been that scene at the desert oasis.”

Lu Xuezhi glared at him disdainfully, didn’t reply, and instead asked, “Is this for us?”

Ning Xuan said, “Time was tight, I didn’t have time to tell them the news of our return.”

Lu Xuezhi said, “That’s strange…”

Ning Xuan was also very strange.

And just then, from inside the Ning Mansion, a white-haired old man, supported by a thin man, walked out hurriedly.

The thin man had an elegant posture, but his face was disfigured. He was wearing a groom’s red robe and came hurriedly from outside.

The groom’s gaze met Ning Xuan’s at once.

“Sec… Second Brother!?”

The groom shouted.

After shouting these two words, his Adam’s apple rolled, his eyes instantly turned red, and then he started to laugh, tears also falling, streaking across his tattered, flesh-torn cheeks.

Ning Xuan quickly stepped forward and gave the groom a bear hug.

“Big Brother!”

“Second Brother!”

“Big Brother!”

“Hahaha!!”

The two’s forms of address no longer needed to be hidden. They shouted them out openly, for everyone to hear and know.

Ning Xuan, who was he?

Just from this scene, with a single glance, he had already roughly guessed the answer in his heart, guessed why his big brother would take off his mask and hold a wedding.

Because of him.

Everyone knew that the imperial capital was difficult to travel to now. If they wanted to arrange for a scholar to enter the imperial capital as before, the responsibility of escorting would inevitably fall on him, Ning Xuan. Who made him the pillar of the family now?

At that time, he would need to plunge into the surging undercurrents of the imperial capital, roll around in that meat-grinder-like vortex a few times, and go through a few hardships before he could bring out a Ning family scholar with no backing.

So, the family discussed it and decided not to go.

Then, Ugly Slave took off his mask, took off his Heavenly Master robe, dispersed his power, and came to inherit his father’s business.

This kind of thing wouldn’t have been possible in the past, but under the current circumstances, it must have been approved.

Ugly Slave got married and had children. As for Ning Xuan, the family did not pressure him. They neither gave him the risk of going to the imperial capital, nor the pressure of having children, allowing him to have his own choices, so that he would not be dragged down by the family.

For him, this family was willing to change anything, to give anything.

Ning Xuan’s eyes also turned red.

He looked at the old man beside him.

The elegant Mr. Taiyi in his memory had become an old man.

The old man was also looking at him excitedly, then pointed behind him and said, “Your big brother, Ning Gang, the ‘Gang’ from ‘Tiangang’! Today is his wedding banquet. In the future, he will also become the new prefect! You, you don’t have to worry about it, hahaha!”

He grabbed Ning Xuan’s hand tightly and said, “Dual second-grade, right?”

He had received the news that his son’s general information had changed, but he still couldn’t believe it, because “dual second-grade” was truly incredible.

Ning Xuan nodded.

The old man laughed heartily, unable to close his mouth.

Ning Xuan beckoned behind him. Lu Xuezhi walked to his side, looked at the old man, and called out, “Father.”

Then she looked at Ugly Slave beside him and called out, “Big Brother.”

The old man stared at her, extremely excited, “Gen… General Lu? I… on my way here, all I heard were your legendary deeds. Even the storytellers in the teahouses have started telling your stories.”

The more he looked, the more satisfied he was, the happier he was. He grabbed Ning Xuan tightly and said, “I’ve been calculating. General Lu is two years older than you. Look at her bearing. You have to listen to her. Don’t make decisions on your own.”

Ning Xuan’s expression was complicated. He nodded heavily, then said, “Xuezhi is very capable. This trip to the great desert oasis really opened my eyes.”

Lu Xuezhi’s beautiful eyes widened.

The old man, however, did not know the “little secret” between the two. Instead, he looked at Ning Xuan and said seriously, “It’s good that you know. When you were still indulging in debauchery, General Lu was already a legendary figure famous in Suizhou Dao. Learn from her.”

After speaking, he raised his hands to the sky and said joyfully, “Heaven has not been unkind to me, not unkind at all. This is the ancestral graves emitting green smoke, for my Ning family to be able to marry such an outstanding girl like General Lu.”

Ning Xuan didn’t say much more.

As long as his father was happy.

“Father, today is Big Brother’s wedding. Let’s go inside,” Ning Xuan suggested.

Ning Taiyi nodded.

The bride was the eldest daughter of a music shop owner, with the surname Yun and the given name Yi.

A music shop sold musical instruments.

Because Chenxiang Pavilion’s explosive popularity required new musical instruments, they had ordered many instruments from this music shop. Yun Yi had invited a few people to deliver the goods together, but they happened to encounter a demon on the way.

And as fate would have it, “Ugly Slave,” that is, Ning Gang, happened to be there to eliminate this demon, and thus saved Yun Yi.

Later, when Ning Gang was passing through a bustling market, he happened to pass by the music shop and was called out by Yun Yi. After some back and forth, the girl fell deeply in love, but Ning Gang, because he bore the mission of a Heavenly Master, was unwilling to start a family.

For this reason, he took off his mask and revealed his ugly face, but the girl was not scared away.

Ning Gang could only stop seeing her.

But in late winter, things took a turn. The Ning family discussed it and decided to let Ning Gang inherit the family business to avoid bringing trouble and pressure to Ning Xuan.

And so, the two of them got together logically.

—

At this time, the wedding was lively.

But with Lu Xuezhi’s arrival, the protagonist seemed to have become her.

Because she was too conspicuous, her aura too great, her status too high.

Ning Xuan’s mother was also overjoyed to see such a daughter-in-law.

Yun Yi knew her identity and was both in awe and afraid.

A legendary general, the daughter of a Grand Commandant—no matter which title was brought out, it was something in the clouds that people had to look up to.

Ning Xuan was helpless. He directly took Lu Xuezhi to the back hall to change her clothes, and then came out again to eat at the banquet.

The night gradually grew late.

The guests gradually dispersed.

Ning Gang went to his bridal chamber. Ning Xuan, on the other hand, took Lu Xuezhi to talk and chat with Master Ning and the First Madam, explaining why they had returned this time.

Master Ning was stunned, “You were seriously injured?”

Lu Xuezhi wanted to explain.

Ning Xuan nodded and added, “Internal injuries, but it’s nothing.”

The things he was involved in now were too deep. He couldn’t tell his parents much, because once he started, he couldn’t stop. All the strange and treacherous things inside would be revealed. This would only bring worry to the old couple, making them unable to sleep or eat well, and serve no other purpose.

Master Ning murmured, “Still nothing? It must be something, it must be very serious. Otherwise, His Majesty was clearly supposed to be very optimistic about you, but now he lets you return to your hometown and revokes your status as a Divine General?”

The First Madam beside him smiled, “Isn’t that just right? Xuan’er is back, and he brought back such a good wife. Old man, what more do you want?!”

Master Ning nodded, “That’s right, that’s right… it’s good to be back, good to be back.”

—

That night.

In the courtyard where he had stayed for sixteen years, Ning Xuan held his fair-skinned wife and slept a peaceful sleep.

He had never been so at peace.

The next morning, the two of them got up as usual to practice martial arts.

And in the distance, a fragrant mist drifted over. It was the smell of incense.

Ning Xuan frowned instinctively and hurriedly followed the incense. He actually came to a Buddhist hall. The courtyard was paved with stones, and on both sides, banners fluttered, with some text embroidered on them.

He glanced at it; it was Buddhist scriptures.

And in the Buddhist hall, his own mother and his newly-wed sister-in-law were actually worshiping Buddha, chanting as they worshiped. The two of them were praying for him, hoping that his and Lu Xuezhi’s injuries would heal soon.

“Mother.”

“Sister-in-law.”

Ning Xuan saluted.

The daily life of the family made him feel at ease.

But the incense made him worry.

Yun Yi lowered her head, looked at the tips of her feet, and shyly whispered, “Uncle.”

The First Madam chided, “Xuan’er, why did you leave Xuezhi alone? She is the daughter of a Grand Commandant’s family and a legendary general. You must not neglect her!”

Ning Xuan was speechless.

Ever since he brought Lu Xuezhi home.

When his parents spoke to him, two out of three sentences would mention Lu Xuezhi.

The First Madam urged, “You go find her quickly. What if you don’t treat her well and she runs away?”

“Alright, alright, I’ll go right away,” Ning Xuan said perfunctorily, then said, “I remember the family didn’t have this Buddhist hall before.”

The First Madam smiled, “Little Yun also believes in Buddha. It just so happens that your mother also has a companion, so we built a Buddhist hall at home to pray day and night. Don’t worry, your big brother has checked. The Buddha statues here are all fine.”

As they were speaking, Ugly Slave walked over from not far away.

When Ugly Slave saw Ning Xuan, his first sentence was, “Hey, Second Brother, why aren’t you accompanying General Lu?”

Ning Xuan said helplessly, “I’m going, I’m going right away.”

Originally, he had wanted to discuss the matter of the Taiyin Ghosts with his big brother, but the words reached his lips, and he dismissed the idea.

The things he was involved in had far exceeded what the Ning family could bear. Even his big brother, who had become the prefect, was better off knowing less.

The karma was too heavy. To know… was to be prone to death.

Ning Xuan left.

He returned to his own courtyard.

Lu Xuezhi patted her chest and said, “I just went for a walk, and as a result, every single person in your family looked like they were about to kneel down when they saw me. And some of the elders, when they saw me, all asked me why you weren’t with me, and then they were all very angry.”

Ning Xuan couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

His heart also relaxed with the laughter.

He was finally back.

This was a normal life.

And now, he was going to start trying to break through to the fourth grade of martial arts.

A Sui’s cultivation insights, the spider inheritance of the Five Poisons Sect, plus the dual cultivation method of the Hehuan Sect, were enough for him to slowly improve, and then through cultivation, break through the fourth grade, to reach that fourth-grade Life-Establishing Realm that the ancient sects called the “beginning of cultivation.”