Chapter 302

Feiyu Yan.

Zhang Xingyu sits quietly on the edge of the rock.

A mouthful of old liquor, a gaze at the clouds and sunset.

The sunset is infinitely beautiful, even though it is near dusk.

He does not know when he fell in love with these evening clouds dyed red by the setting sun.

Perhaps these clouds filling the sky are the mountain-and-sea oaths made by lovers, or perhaps these clouds are the sweet nothings whispered by lovers.

He raises his hand, but his hand suddenly feels light.

He does not know when the beautiful teacher has arrived at the edge of the rock.

She is wearing a pale red dress, like a red leaf that has just drifted down from a fire maple tree.

Even though her hair has been pinned up again, and even though her makeup has been reapplied, Zhang Xingyu still sees endless sorrow in her autumn-water-like eyes.

Huo Lingwu tilts her head back and drains a pot of old liquor.

She does not speak, just watches the clouds in the distance quietly.

"Beautiful teacher..." Zhang Xingyu begins to ask.

"Shh! Don't speak!"

Huo Lingwu waves her hand lightly to stop him.

The master and disciple sit there quietly.

Sitting and watching the setting sun go down, sitting and watching the clouds disperse.

Not until the moon fills the western tower and the night breeze blows gently does Huo Lingwu speak softly.

"Is there any more liquor? The strongest kind."

Zhang Xingyu nods and takes out a pot of 'Blood Burning' and hands it over.

Blood Burning is a type of mortal liquor; it has a high alcohol content, is incredibly spicy, and makes one's blood boil after drinking it.

Huo Lingwu raises her hand and gulps it all down.

The moonlight is like snow, reflecting off her fiery red cheeks.

"Is there more?" Huo Lingwu extends her hand.

Zhang Xingyu frowns: "Beautiful teacher, are you trying to drown your sorrows in alcohol?"

Huo Lingwu turns her head and exhales a breath of alcohol: "Drown sorrows in alcohol? I've never heard of it. If drinking could really drown sorrows, I would be willing to stay drunk forever."

"Drawing a sword to cut the water makes the water flow faster; raising a cup to drown sorrows makes the sorrows deeper. Beautiful teacher, what are you worried about? Why don't you tell your disciple, and I will help you find a way to solve it," Zhang Xingyu asks weakly.

"You? Help me solve it?" Huo Lingwu looks at Zhang Xingyu and suddenly laughs.

"Fine. My disciple can marry in my place, that works perfectly!"

"What! Marry!" Zhang Xingyu is stunned.

"That's right, marry. Do you know? Just yesterday, someone came to propose to your master, and the betrothal gift was a high-grade magical treasure."

"Ah! They are quite generous. However, my beautiful teacher is a once-in-ten-thousand-years cultivation genius; to think they could marry you with just one high-grade magical treasure is truly wishful thinking. I think it should be at least eight or ten high-grade magical treasures—no, at least ten spiritual treasures."

"Thump!"

"Ouch!"

Zhang Xingyu's forehead receives a light rap.

"You brat, do you think this is a business deal? Is your teacher only worth ten spiritual treasures?"

"You're still not satisfied with ten spiritual treasures? Beautiful teacher, you are too greedy. Back in my hometown, the highest bride price is only 888,000. If you meet a smart girl, she won't even ask for a bride price, and might even pay to be with you."

"Thump!"

"Ouch!"

Zhang Xingyu's forehead is rewarded with another rap by Huo Lingwu.

"You brat, do you think I am one of those materialistic women from your Nanzhan Buzhou? Besides, I don't want to get married."

"Don't want to get married? Beautiful teacher, is the person who proposed to you some old geezer?"

"Thump!"

"Ouch!"

Zhang Xingyu's forehead receives another rap.

"You brat, if you talk nonsense again, I will beat you."

Huo Lingwu raises her hand.

Zhang Xingyu quickly protects his head.

After a while, the expected storm does not arrive.

Zhang Xingyu looks up and finds Huo Lingwu staring blankly at the night sky.

Zhang Xingyu pats his chest, looking like someone who has survived a disaster.

"Good thing I protected my face in time, so my handsome appearance was preserved."

"Pfft!"

Huo Lingwu is finally amused by him.

As she laughs, crystalline tears stream from the corners of her eyes.

Zhang Xingyu takes out a pot of old liquor and hands it to Huo Lingwu: "Tell me! Beautiful teacher! What is going on exactly?"

Huo Lingwu takes the liquor pot and takes a small sip: "What do you mean what is going on. It's just that I don't want to marry. I grew up on this Tianshu Peak since I was small. This is my home; I don't want to marry, and I don't want to leave."

"Oh! Is that all? If you don't want to marry, then don't. What is there to be sad about?" Zhang Xingyu snatches the liquor pot from Huo Lingwu's hand.

"This little bit of trouble isn't worth drowning your sorrows in alcohol."

"Thump!"

His head receives another rap.

"Master, stop hitting me. If you hit me until I'm stupid, you'll be the one in trouble!" Zhang Xingyu cries out, holding his head.

"Hmph! That's for you brat being disrespectful." After lecturing him, Huo Lingwu continues to explain.

"This time, the one who came to propose is True Monarch Qingxuan, the Peak Master of Tianquan Peak. If I don't agree, I fear I will offend him."

"Damn. So it's True Monarch Qingxuan, the Peak Master of Tianquan Peak. That old thing, failing to act his age, wanting to eat tender grass."

"Thump!"

Zhang Xingyu's head receives another rap.

"You brat, if you dare to talk nonsense again, I will beat you into a pig's head."

"I won't. I won't. Beautiful master, please continue."

Huo Lingwu takes a sip of liquor and continues.

"Although Master is the Sect Leader True Monarch, he actually has many worries. Our Tianshu lineage is the weakest among the seven. When Master handles sect affairs, he often receives opposition. If I offend True Monarch Qingxuan because of my own affairs, I fear Master's life in the sect will become even more difficult."

"So, for the sake of Grandmaster's Sect Leader throne, you are going to sacrifice your own happiness to marry an old geezer? Beautiful teacher, you truly possess the fearless spirit of the Buddha sacrificing his flesh to feed the eagle. My admiration for you is like the surging river, endless and continuous, and like the Yellow River overflowing, impossible to stop."

"Zhang Xingyu!" Huo Lingwu's eyes spit fire.

"I already told you, it's not an old geezer. True Monarch Qingxuan is proposing for his disciple."

"Oh, that sounds a bit better. By the way, beautiful teacher, is True Monarch Qingxuan's disciple handsome?"

"Go to hell!" Huo Lingwu slaps him.

Zhang Xingyu dodges to the side.

"Ouch, beautiful teacher, your disciple is concerned about your future happiness, and you don't even appreciate it."

Seeing that Huo Lingwu is about to erupt like a volcano, Zhang Xingyu quickly puts away his playful smile.

His expression turns serious, and he says solemnly: "However, beautiful teacher, I do not agree with your approach at all. We cultivators, don't we cultivate to be free and unfettered? Don't we cultivate to not go against our own hearts? If you don't want to marry, then firmly refuse. If you want to stay on this Tianshu Mountain, then just stay here. If anyone dares to force you, if anyone wants you to go against your own will, your disciple will be the first to refuse. At worst, I'll fight them with blades."

"You..." Huo Lingwu looks at this disciple beside her in surprise.

At this moment, Zhang Xingyu's image in her eyes expands infinitely.

This disciple of mine is also an extraordinary fellow.

Huo Lingwu thinks to herself.

Just then, a cheer comes from behind her.

"Well said! We cultivators cultivate to be free and unfettered, and we cultivate to not go against our own hearts."

Huo Lingwu turns around.

Under the moonlight, True Monarch Qingfeng is looking at her with a face full of kindness.

"Lingwu, if you don't want to marry, then don't. I, Qingfeng, have not yet fallen so low as to use my own disciple to trade for the position of Sect Leader."