NOVPUBShao Yangzi stroked his beard, chuckling:
"That will do… Hall Master Fei, you will preside over the wedding ceremony later."
From a short distance away, Fei Hua coolly stood up and responded with a smile:
"As it should be."
"I’ll instruct my people to prepare right away, Yuzhong…"
From the crowd, Vice Hall Master Luo Yuzhong of Rende Hall quickly stood up to leave.
Shao Yangzi turned towards Qin Dengyuan to say:
"Ha ha, Brother Deng must stay for a while; I have important matters to discuss with you…"
Seeing that a cultivator who has achieved spiritual transformation preside over the wedding, Qin Dengyuan also felt valued. The smile on his face widened, and he nodded, saying:
"It’s just a coincidence, I also have something to discuss with you…"
As their gazes met and they both chuckled, their minds seemed to openly understand the subject of each other’s desired consultation.
As the two highest-ranking men in the hall laughed and chatted...
The elders who had achieved spiritual transformation also nodded slightly in approval.
Meanwhile, the crowd below cheered up as well.
Amidst this bustle…
Wang Ba stood quietly, feeling strangely forgotten, even though he was one of the main characters in this soon-to-be ceremony.
His gaze smoothly moved over Shao Yangzi and towards Qin Dengyuan, who seemed to be discussing delightful matters, laughing uncontrollably and looking as formidable as a giant. It then shifted to Qin Lingxiao, who was by his side looking curvaceous, smiling radiantly with an uncommon hint of shyness as she looked towards him with careful eyes.
At this moment, the figures of Bu Chan and Liu Jin surged in his mind.
He took a deep breath.
He had tried his best to preserve the faces of others, wanting to handle the matter quietly to avoid acrimony.
He had also backed away repeatedly.
But for some things, he was unwilling to compromise.
And there was no room for negotiation.
Next, his modest voice resounded slowly in the lively hall:
"Master, I already have a family. I dare not delay Brother Qin, there may be some misunderstanding."
"Huh?"
The hall instantly fell silent.
The Nascent Soul cultivators who were engrossed in conversation suddenly looked at Wang Ba in surprise.
Shao Yangzi and Qin Dengyuan both turned their heads in astonishment.
Qin Lingxiao, who was next to him, suddenly lifted her head. Her face immediately turned pale as she looked at Wang Ba, revealing a hint of nervousness in her eyes.
Qin Dengyuan narrowed his eyes, staring at Wang Ba, and said in a deep voice:
"What’s this about? Even mere mortals can have multiple wives and concubines, let alone us cultivators. There’s no question of delays."
"As for Lingxiao, she will not be so unreasonable as to ask you to divorce and remarry. But since Lingxiao is my direct descendant, she should naturally be the main wife."
"What do you think?"
Upon hearing this, the faces of some female cultivators in the crowd changed slightly.
In the mortal world, because of the natural difference in physical strength between men and women, the status of men is higher than that of women.
But in cultivation, the difference between men and women is negligible.
Therefore, even in big sects, although some people have such thoughts, hardly anyone dares to blatantly express them in public.
If it were not for the words spoken by Qin Dengyuan, a cultivator who has achieved spiritual transformation, it’s likely that the female cultivators in the hall would have jumped out in protest.
Still, among the elders who had achieved spiritual transformation, Lv Zhuangmei, the Palace Master of Tianyuan Hall, gave him a glance. She also knew the importance of the issue and didn’t say much. Instead, she decided not to look any further and simply closed her eyes.
Shao Yangzi, on the other hand, took a look at Wang Ba and was suddenly taken aback.
There wasn’t much emotion on Wang Ba’s face - it was as calm as a deep pool.
But in Wang Ba, he seemed to see a familiar shadow.
A sudden chill came over him!
He subtly realized that he may have been misled in the past.
Looking at Wang Ba’s calm face, Qin Lingxiao seemed to realize something too. Her face grew paler as she looked at Wang Ba. She discreetly shook her head, and there was a hint of pleading in her eyes.
Wang Ba noticed it and felt a little sympathy for her.
But now, with the wedding almost settled, any further hesitation would be a betrayal to Bu Chan, who had supported him all these painstaking years. How could he face the hardship endured by both of them in support of each other over the years?
In life, there are no great things except death.
But in other words, having already gone through life and death, what was there to fear now?
Under the increasingly icy gaze of Qin Dengyuan.
Wang Ba stood tall and straight as a pine tree.
His expression was composed and serene. Raising his hand to salute, he then said in a self-addressed manner:
"Replying to Elder Qin."
"My Dao consort is named Bu Chan we met in dubious circumstances, and counting from then, it’s been fifty years..."
Qin Dengyuan’s brows slowly wrinkled.
Other cultivators in the surroundings looked at Wang Ba with cold or puzzled eyes, unsure what he wanted to say.
However, Qin Lingxiao couldn’t help but clench her jade fingers.
But Wang Ba’s voice continued to echo in the hall:
"...In the past, I could barely survive in a sect of demon cultivators by raising spirit chickens. It was during that period that I came to know my Dao consort."
"From then on, we became mutually dependent."
"While I traveled and hustled, my Dao consort worked the spirit fields. We supported each other. When there was surplus spirit chicken, I would sell them to support both of us. When there was a glut on the market, my Dao consort relied on those few acres of spirit fields to sustain us…"
In the hall, the expressions of some cultivators changed slightly.
Qin Dengyuan’s face grew stern, his thoughts unknown.
Qin Lingxiao, however, couldn’t help but stand stunned, gazing at Wang Ba who was standing alone in the middle of the crowd.
This was the first time she had heard of Wang Ba’s past.
Even though she knew what would happen next, she couldn’t help but prick up her ears, eager to hear more and to understand more about the man before her.
Wang Ba’s face remained expressionless, only peacefully narrating:
"...Later, I was lucky enough to escape to Yan State, just as we were encountering internal strife and political turmoil that kept us on our toes."
