Chapter 15

Quickly take out your heart...

Is that what she understood? Gan Tian hesitated a bit, looking at the undisguised malice in grandma's eyes; she knew it was exactly what she understood—from the start, the other party had never intended for the bride to survive the 'Difficult Bride' trial.

Gan Tian sighed, slipping her hand into her collar. This action was surprising—taking out one's heart, who could possibly do it themselves? Even if forced, one should first grab a knife; how could you take out a heart with just your hands... and it's really too proactive—really not going to struggle a bit more?

She felt around, and with a slight tug, she pulled off a necklace. Extending her hand and gently releasing it, the pendant dangled down—a chicken-heart-shaped, bright red bloodstone, its red color full and lustrous.

"Here you go, your 'heart' is right here!" Gan Tian 'pa-da' placed this 'heart' on a nearby tray prepared to hold the 'heart'.

"Nonsense! How is this a 'heart'? How can this count?" Grandma could no longer bear it, seeming ready to strike Gan Tian.

"Grandfather' stopped her: "Grandma, why bother arguing with a young girl... Besides, even if it's a trick, it does have some merit."

Grandma's hand was held down, and for a moment she couldn't break free.

"You..." Realizing the other's attitude was serious, grandma, though angry, gave a cold snort, but relaxed her hand, appearing not to strike anymore.

Seeing that, grandfather also let go.

"Forget it, having grandfather speak for you is enough." Gan Tian had just relaxed when she heard the other raise her voice: "Just... since you gave grandfather a heart, don't you have one for me? As a smart person, don't you know you must be loyal to the mistress?"

Just producing that pendant was already quick thinking; now she wants a second 'heart'... Clearly she doesn't intend to let Gan Tian go as she said. In fact, her hostility has never changed from start to finish; no matter what happens in between, she will only let today's 'bride' die at the wedding scene.

Gan Tian sighed, essentially saying 'there's really nothing I can do about you,' helplessly: "Grandma, your demand is too much to ask."

"What, you can't do it?" Probably because this was Gan Tian's first time yielding since she appeared, the other looked quite satisfied.

Gan Tian shook her head: "How can you do the impossible? People only have one heart; I've already taken it out—where would a second heart come from?"

"Oh? Only one heart, no second?" Like grabbing a mouse's tail, grandma calmed down, her eyes glittering as she looked at Gan Tian: "I don't believe that—tell me, what's inside your chest? Isn't a heart there?"

"None!" Gan Tian declared firmly, not at all like she was lying with her eyes open.

This instead made grandma laugh angrily, and her maid stepped forward opportunely: "Bold! You're deceiving grandfather and grandma! How can someone live without a heart?"

Since you know a person can't live without a heart, why ask them to produce a 'heart'? Isn't that just telling them to die!

Gan Tian actually wanted to reply that way.

But she knew saying that would be pointless, as the other wouldn't listen to reason. So she merely feigned incomprehension: "How can a person not live without a heart? Hollow-stemmed vegetables can live, hollow trees can live... a person without a heart can naturally live too! Aren't I standing here just fine?"

The maid was about to say more, but grandma raised a hand to stop her: "That's actually an interesting comment—I never knew a person could live without a heart. Now that you say this, I don't believe it; seeing is believing, I'll cut you open to take a look!"

This is a real... major crisis!

Gan Tian bit her tongue tip, one hand clenching secretly—she wore a ring on her finger, with the face of the ring turned toward her palm.

This was her final 'trump card'; the ring's face material was special, capable of nurturing a 'mother-child gu'. Pressing harder would kill the 'child gu' inside, causing the 'mother gu' at the other end to sense it. As for whether the father bearing the mother gu could descend from the heavens in an instant...

She would never doubt it!

This is also why she seems overly 'big-hearted' in any situation... she's certainly not a foolish big sister; she's clearly always been 'at ease'.

"Young master!"

Just as Gan Tian was about to pinch the 'child gu' to death, something happened behind her that interrupted everything.

Suddenly a troop burst in, the leader in vigorous attire, followed by many others. One stepped forward, face stern: "Where is the River God of the Washing Silk River?"

Grandfather furrowed his brow and rose: "That's me. I don't know where you honorable guests come from; if you're not in a hurry, please have a cup of wedding wine first..."

"No need." The stern-faced youth remained aloof: "I am a minor official under the Purple Micro Star Lord, ordered to seek the third son of the Yangzhou Governor's family. Now that I've found him, I've also discovered something extremely interesting—you lot are so bold and reckless; do you know how many celestial rules you've violated?"

The vigorous-attired man had by now stood beside Wang Sanlang; Gan Tian looked at him, but she wasn't as surprised as the others.

Being the son of a governor's household, this is certainly a notable status.

Now, the most refined region of the Divine Land of East Victory is the so-called 'Nine Provinces'; outside the Nine Provinces lie the 'foreign barbarians' attached (at least superficially) to the Nine Provinces. The Nine Provinces have no imperial dynasty, but each province has a 'governor', and the governorship is hereditary.

From a certain perspective, the governor is essentially a 'state lord'.

Such an identity, when spoken of, is quite intimidating; for the common folk of Cocoon Town, this is someone they would never see in their lifetime—a 'noble person'.

But for Gan Tian, she had long sensed that her travel companion's identity was not ordinary, so she felt relatively at ease now—as for the other's status being too high... she didn't feel that way. Mainly, she does not live in the secular world in this world; secular status may not affect her none at all, but its influence is indeed limited.

Gan Tian knows the 'Purple Micro Star Lord'; this 'heavenly immortal' specifically handles liaison between the Nine Provinces' governors and foreign monarchs. If secular dignitaries need heavenly assistance, or if immortals act improperly in the secular world, they can inform the Purple Micro Star Lord, who then reports to the immortals for handling.

Gan Tian secretly loosened her gripped hand, and her heart also relaxed—finally she wouldn't have to—

"Miss." The voice was deep and very familiar.

Gan Tian's heart, which she had just let down, went 'geleng' and rose again!

At some point, a person stood beside her, dressed in dark clothing, wearing a bamboo hat on his head and carrying a horizontal blade on his back. The blade was wrapped in hemp cloth, yet the faint blade aura that could cut skin could not be shaken off.

"Uncle Wenxin... how do you know I'm here?" Gan Tian smiled a bit forcedly.

"I've always known."

"So you also sneaked out?" Gan Tian showed an 'I see' expression.

"Not so..." Wang Sanlang wanted to correct that: "I never intended to leave home; I just had never seen the Welcoming Gods procession and wanted to take a look. Being kidnapped by those people and taken from Jinling was unexpected!",

"But coming to Cocoon Town with you was your own initiative." A deadly blow.

Wang Sanlang pursed his lips, unable to say anything.

The son of the Yangzhou Governor having gone missing makes it normal for the Purple Micro Star Lord's subordinates to act. They likely distrust the government's efficiency, wanting to use immortal means—this is why they could find this place so quickly and accurately.

In the process of searching for Wang Sanlang, they also discovered the local river god's 'heinous deeds'.

Indeed, Gan Tian's one sentence hit the mark... the river god's marriage was entirely for money.

Could it be that 'money can make ghosts push millstones'?

Cultivation requires 'wealth, partner, method, and place', with wealth coming first. Thus cultivation is both ethereal practice and reliance on resources. With money comes 'cash power'; with cash power... you're a paying player. Paying players aren't necessarily the strongest, but they're always strong.

The Washing Silk River is very important to Cocoon Town... the townspeople all make their living from silkworms, and the river's water is special—only here can a special mulberry tree be cultivated. Silkworms eating its leaves can spit out an exceptionally fine silk, which is also the foundation of the town's exceptional wealth.

The river god uses this as leverage, occasionally ordering Cocoon Town to send over a 'bride'.

Where there is a bride, there must be dowry and gift money... in the secular world, many officials extract wealth this way.

Under the sun, there is nothing new.

"Is that someone from your family?" Wang Sanlang looked at the distant figure in dark robes: "Come to pick you up?"

Gan Tian kicked the stone at her feet, gave an 'en': "I only now realize... Uncle Wenxin has been following me from the start; my parents have always worried I'd be in danger, I even thought I truly left home alone..."

"Really childish..." Wang Sanlang couldn't help but say.

"What childishness! You say I'm as old as you, you're about my age!" Gan Tian couldn't help but laugh, and after laughing she felt a bit reluctant. Although they had known each other only a short time, they were indeed already friends—their adventures, hers, were obviously over.

"But... we will definitely meet again." Gan Tian muttered to herself, then asked: "Will you go to Clear Void Heaven?"

Wang Sanlang nodded with a smile, and they parted ways there.

"It seems Sanlang has made an extraordinary friend." Watching the girl and the black-robed man leave, the young man who looked very much like Wang Sanlang patted his shoulder.

"Elder brother?" Wang Sanlang looked up at him; his elder brother had also come to find him, only he was half a day behind the vanguard, so he arrived a bit late, missing the scene of the river god's wedding.

"Indeed extraordinary... that person's sword is not simple; it's practically cultivation that has turned demonic—such a person is actually just a lackey, what do you think that person must be?"

※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※

Thanks to the little angels who voted for me as overlord or poured nutrient solution during the period from 2020-04-19 09:00:06 to 2020-04-20 07:56:00~

Thanks to the little angels who poured nutrient solution: I just wanted to change my name, 10 bottles; the phoenix flower bloomed again, 2 bottles;

Thank you very much for everyone's support; I will continue to work hard!