Chapter 304: The One She Married

What does that have to do with any individual?

Liu Xiaolou was puzzled: "Can the Altar Master not inform me?"

Altar Master Qingyue pursed her lips and smiled: "Very well. Xue Bu, this child, is twenty-eight this year and has practiced the Green Wood True Art for twelve years; she is currently at Qi Refinement Stage 10, and her starting three meridians are the Foot Yangming, Hand Shaoyang, and Hand Jueyin meridians. Sheng Han, this child, is twenty-five this year and has practiced the Wind and Rain Art for thirteen years; she is currently at Qi Refinement Stage 9, and her starting three meridians are the Foot Jueyin, Foot Shaoyang, and Hand Shaoyin meridians. Both children were raised by me since they were small and are the best among the next generation of disciples under my Qingyue Altar. There is no need to consider anyone else."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiaolou was greatly disappointed; the cultivation techniques the two practiced did not match his at all!

He hurriedly asked: "Is there anyone else?"

Altar Master Qingyue was stunned: "Does the fellow Daoist not like them? For what reason?"

Liu Xiaolou said: "I am ashamed, but the starting three meridians do not match mine in the slightest."

Altar Master Qingyue blinked, puzzled: "When choosing a partner, you look at the starting three meridians?"

Now it was Liu Xiaolou's turn to be puzzled: "Choosing a partner? Choosing what partner?"

Altar Master Qingyue's beautiful eyes lingered on Liu Xiaolou's face for a long time, gradually revealing a hint of coldness: "Is the fellow Daoist not here to propose marriage to my Qingyue Altar? Then you are here to make sport of our sect?"

Hearing the words "propose marriage," Liu Xiaolou was suddenly in a trance, as if he had inexplicably returned to ten years ago, when his young self had accidentally entered the marriage proposal trap of the Red Conch Villa.

Ten years later, was history to repeat itself?

Seeing him stunned and silent, Altar Master Qingyue was even more displeased, her face frosty: "Fellow Daoist Liu, if you don't make yourself clear today, I fear..."

Liu Xiaolou came back to his senses and smiled bitterly: "It is Liu's fault. Liu heard from a good friend that there was an opportunity at your noble sect, so I rushed over, not knowing it was this kind of opportunity. I am not making sport of your noble sect; I am but a loose cultivator, what virtue or ability do I have to dare make sport of your noble sect?"

Altar Master Qingyue glared at Liu Xiaolou and only after a long while said: "Han Jiuqian said you might come to propose marriage! He left just yesterday, and you arrived today!"

Liu Xiaolou rubbed his forehead: "Han Xiong truly misunderstood!"

Altar Master Qingyue's anger did not diminish, and she pressed: "What kind of opportunity are you seeking?"

Liu Xiaolou said: "I have a good friend whose sect inheritance is lacking; the Daoist techniques he inherited are missing some mental cultivation formulas. Thus, I was entrusted by him to seek an opportunity to see if your noble sect has a cultivation technique suitable for him. I am willing to pay a high price."

Altar Master Qingyue's face carried mockery: "This friend of yours, is it actually yourself?"

Liu Xiaolou laughed sheepishly, chuckling a few times.

Altar Master Qingyue pondered for a while and said: "That is also fine. Xue Bu and Sheng Han—you choose one of the two children, marry her, and from then on, we will be one family. You may study all the various cultivation techniques and true scriptures stored in my Qingyue Altar. Wouldn't that be the best of both worlds?"

Two female cultivators—no matter who it was, they were quite excellent. Liu Xiaolou was immediately tempted.

It was just that...

To be able to take someone away and also study cultivation techniques—is there such a good thing in the world? Thinking back to when he left the Su family, he couldn't even take away the slave girl Su Su. Why would the Qingyue Altar let him take away one of the most outstanding female disciples in the sect?

"If I could marry one, of course that would be good..." As he spoke, Liu Xiaolou looked at Altar Master Qingyue before him, muttering to himself: Actually, being able to marry you, this Altar Master, wouldn't be bad either. He continued aloud: "It's just that I don't know what the Altar Master needs me to do? Is there any way I can be of service?"

Where in the world is there a free elixir? Liu Xiaolou certainly understood this principle.

Altar Master Qingyue's expression immediately warmed, and her smile bloomed again: "Having a high-level Foundation Establishment cultivator like you join the altar is the greatest service. Where would there be any need to do anything else?"

"Join the altar?" Liu Xiaolou felt a sense of foreboding. It wouldn't be marrying into the family again, would it?

Altar Master Qingyue hurriedly explained: "Of course not marrying into the family. It is not like what the fellow Daoist experienced back then at the Divine Mist Villa..."

Seeing Liu Xiaolou's expression stiffen and become very unnatural, she hurriedly added: "Fellow Daoist Liu, your past misfortunes were all told to us by Fellow Daoist Han yesterday. Rest assured, it is definitely not marrying into the family! It seems the fellow Daoist does not know the rules of my Qingyue Altar very thoroughly..."

Liu Xiaolou certainly did not know, so Altar Master Qingyue told him on the spot.

The ancestral rule of the Qingyue Altar is that women lead the altar. This rule actually follows the rules of the Hengshan Sect during its peak period. The Hengshan Sect was a sect of female cultivators, and the three altars within the sect—not just the Qingyue Altar, but also the Guangtian Altar and the Dongling Altar—were all led by female cultivators.

But these three altars, for various reasons, gradually drifted apart in their methods of inheritance.

The Guangtian Altar strictly guards the inheritance of female cultivators; there is not even a single man in the altar.

The Dongling Altar has taken the path where it does not matter whether one is a male or female cultivator; the altar treats male and female disciples equally. Whoever has the ability takes the position. The current Altar Master is actually a male cultivator.

As for the Qingyue Altar, while guarding the inheritance of female cultivators, it accepts male cultivators to a certain degree. The sect altar only recruits female disciples, and the Altar Master is still held by the most outstanding among the female disciples. However, in order to strengthen the sect's influence, it also chooses partners for the female disciples, absorbing male cultivators with excellent cultivation from outside the sect.

That is to say, the Qingyue Altar holds a marriage proposal meeting every seven years. Anyone interested can go up to Zhurong Peak. As long as they are favored by a female disciple of the altar, they can join the Qingyue Altar and become a member.

But no matter how excellent the person who joins is, the Qingyue Altar is always a sect led by female cultivators. Therefore, usually, there are very few cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage who go up the mountain to propose marriage, because even if it is not marrying into the family, it is only slightly better than marrying into the family.

This is the reason why the three altars parted ways back then: those with different Daos cannot work together!

Han Jiuqian almost became the husband of the Qingyue Altar Master back then, but unfortunately, during the final selection, he did not compete against the two Elders of Merit and Law and was tragically eliminated. Although eliminated, he still maintained a bond of friendship with the Qingyue Altar Master and gradually became a good friend.

This winter, it happened to be the time for the Qingyue Altar's marriage proposal, so Han Jiuqian thought of Liu Xiaolou and recommended him.

Hearing that such a Foundation Establishment cultivator might come up the mountain to propose, even if he was a loose cultivator, the Qingyue Altar felt extremely fortunate. Thus, two candidates preparing to be the next Altar Master came out to test him. Actually, it was just going through the motions; the altar had even tacitly agreed that whoever Liu Xiaolou chose would be the future successor to the Altar Master.

Altar Master Qingyue once again increased the stakes of the temptation: "You only need to join the altar. Not only will you have the cultivation techniques stored in the Qingyue Altar, but I will also ask for you to read the cultivation techniques stored in the Guangtian Altar and the Dongling Altar. In total, there should be no less than thirty types. You will surely find a cultivation technique suitable for you."

Looking at the Altar Master's beautiful eyes that seemed about to drip water, Liu Xiaolou asked a question: "The Altar Master just said that when Han Xiong proposed marriage back then, he lost to the two Elders of Merit and Law? I wonder who the Altar Master eventually married? Or perhaps, you haven't married yet?"

Altar Master Qingyue pursed her lips and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Liu, are my two disciples truly not more beautiful than me? Hmm... as for the one I married... the Elders of Merit and Law together..." ===== CHAPTER 305 =====