Chapter 67: Learn from the Lesson

The eldest daughter stared blankly at her mother, as if asking whether her mother had misspoken.

"You didn't hear wrong—let him become a son-in-law, and marry you." Lady affirmed.

"Mother, what makes Zheng Fa so exceptional? Is it only because Sister Zhang praised his talent in talisman arts?" The eldest daughter's tone was full of confusion.

More than her mother's demand that she marry, she couldn't understand why Lady valued Zheng Fa so much.

Her son-in-law would be vastly different from the son-in-law of Zhao's illegitimate daughter.

She wasn't merely Zhao's legitimate daughter; more importantly, she was already an inner-disciple of Qingmu Sect, a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Lady sighed: "Too fast."

"Too fast?"

"The first time I heard Zheng Fa's name, he was still a farm boy with no father—I couldn't even remember who he was." Lady recalled.

"Then he became your brother's page; your brother treated him differently from others, so I thought I'd train him for your brother."

The eldest daughter listened carefully to her mother's memories; among all those she'd met since returning home, Zheng Fa was undoubtedly the most memorable.

"I had Xu the instructor teach him the Spirit Crane Body Technique, intending to wear him down—but he mastered it in a short time, and only then did I realize he had guidance from a Nascent Soul True Immortal."

"This…" The eldest daughter frowned: "He does have some luck."

Lady shook her head: "At the time, I thought no matter what that Nascent Soul True Immortal intended, he wouldn't truly value him—otherwise, why would he still remain as a lowly page in our Zhao household? With his talent, he could later become a useful ally to you and your brother."

"But now, he's been truly valued by Sister Zhang, who says his talisman talent isn't weaker than her own." Lady looked at her daughter: "Do you know how long it took him to go from a peasant to where he is now?"

"How long?"

"Less than four months. If fate truly exists, then he is it."

"… "

"I intended to cultivate him, but this man isn't obedient enough. I originally wanted to suppress him and make him serve our Zhao household… but you know Sister Zhang's talent in talisman arts—her evaluation of Zheng Fa made me realize his potential exceeds my expectations. This isn't something our Zhao household can control—we can only strive to win him over, and that benefits our Zhao household." Lady said to her daughter.

"Mother, isn't my brother close to him?"

Lady's face twisted with disdain: "That fool—if you marry him, I'll merely lose a daughter; if I rely on your brother, the entire Zhao household will be lost."

"… "

"No matter how close your brother is to him, it's nothing compared to marriage ties. Moreover, only by becoming a son-in-law can he truly be considered part of our Zhao household." Lady explained seriously.

"Then… why me?" The eldest daughter frowned: "His indenture still belongs to our Zhao household—he could become the son-in-law of any of your younger sisters. It would be a favor to him."

"You still don't understand what I meant by 'too fast.'" Lady sighed: "Right now, offering him marriage is still an act of grace; if I wait longer, it might become an insult. Moreover, I genuinely believe he's your perfect match—giving him to your younger sisters would be a waste. Besides, he sees this as a favor now—what about later?"

The eldest daughter said nothing, but her expression clearly showed reluctance.

"I'm not trying to manipulate you into using you as a tool to win him over. With the current decline in spiritual energy, although our Zhao household has always produced disciples of immortal sects, since the Laozu passed away, none have become accomplished. I can't offer you much help—you know how hard your life is in Qingmu Sect." Lady's eyes were full of her daughter: "You know your brother's nature—he'll go to the immortal sect and not help you at all; you'll have to care for him. Just thinking of the pressure you carry breaks my heart."

"Zheng Fa has extraordinary talent and mature character; he's merely low-born. Now, while he's still obscure, marrying you to him lets our Zhao household assist him in becoming a talisman master—he'll naturally feel grateful, and won't treat you poorly later. A rising genius talisman master can provide you with immense cultivation resources, sparing you from such hardship."

Lady spoke with earnest sincerity, but the eldest daughter remained silent.

"I know he's still a page now, and marrying him might seem like a slight to you—but you must look ahead. You've written in your letters that in today's Baixian Alliance, talent matters more than status."

After a long silence, the eldest daughter whispered: "Mother, I know you're planning for me, but though I can't match Sister Yixin's devotion to the Dao, I have no thoughts of romance."

Seeing her so resolute, Lady could only shake her head.

The eldest daughter thought for a moment and said: "If you truly value him so much and fear it's too late, why not propose his entry as son-in-law soon, and betroth him to a suitable younger sister?"

Lady sighed helplessly: "That's all we can do—just hope you don't regret it."

…

Sister Zhang flipped through a bound set of practice problems, her face lit with a satisfied smile.

Zheng Fa, looking listless, stared at the booklet, recalling the past few days of endless memorization and recitation—his heart stirred with a pang of bitterness.

Sister Zhang glanced at him, sensing his mood, and waved her hand, producing the immortal-grade token and placing it before Zheng Fa.

Zheng Fa took the token; its warm, smooth jade texture revived his spirit.

His fingers involuntarily tightened.

"This is the immortal-grade token of Jiushan Sect. After passing the Immortal-Grade Assembly, you'll qualify to join Jiushan Sect."

Sister Zhang watched his expression without surprise and continued: "There's one thing I must warn you."

"What?"

"From the moment you take this token, stop hiding."

Zheng Fa looked at Sister Zhang.

"In today's Baixian Alliance, every resource must be fought for." Sister Zhang's gaze was full of warning: "Caution is right, but in the Baixian Alliance, you must display your talent and ability."

"Thank you for the True Immortal's guidance." Zheng Fa couldn't help asking curiously: "Sister Zhang, you often mention the Baixian Alliance—what's the relationship between Jiushan Sect and the Baixian Alliance?"

Sister Zhang paused, then asked an unrelated question: "Do you know how many times the spiritual energy has declined in the Xuanwei Realm?"

"How many times?"

Zheng Fa was stunned.

One such decline was enough to doom all these cultivators.

How many times?

"Records mention at least five, each separated by tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years." Sister Zhang held up one hand: "What happened in the first three is lost to history—I don't know."

"But I've read records of the last two. The second-to-last spiritual decline saw a powerful demonic sect believe the world's lifeforms consumed too much spiritual energy—they unleashed endless slaughter, and immortal sects turned on each other. In the end, barely one in ten thousand lifeforms survived in the entire Xuanwei Realm."

Zheng Fa's face paled; the aftermath of the spiritual decline was far more terrifying than he'd imagined.

"The last time, a peerless genius resolved to forge a new path for the Xuanwei Realm. He razed mountains and shattered temples, gathering nearly all the cultivation techniques in the realm, pushing his own cultivation to an unprecedented True Immortal realm, aiming to split heaven and earth, shattering the constraints of this world."

"Did he succeed?"

"He failed."

Zheng Fa sighed: "Though he failed, he had great audacity."

"He also had a terrible temper. Before attempting to split heaven and earth, he had already destroyed over ninety percent of the sects in the entire Xuanwei Realm."

「……」

That sounds kind of tragic too.

「Therefore, the Baixian Alliance's philosophy is that immortal sects must unite, reduce conflict, and find a new path to combat the decline of spiritual energy. 」

Zheng Fa could not help but admire: 「It seems they've learned from history. 」

This atmosphere feels far more peaceful than the previous two spiritual energy declines — perfect for his survival!

Zhang Shijie said coolly: 「I don't know about them, but we learned from it. 」

「We? 」

「The Baixian Alliance is a coalition of medium and small sects. During the second-to-last spiritual energy decline, we were the cultivators who got killed. During the last one, we were the sects whose legacies and resources were seized. 」

「……」

「You ask me about the origins of the Baixian Alliance? Four words — band together for warmth. 」

Zheng Fa held the immortal-grade token and suddenly felt it was cold to the touch, like his own heart.