"No!" Ao's face was grim as he flatly rejected the idea. "Anything else is up for discussion, but I won't agree to this!"
Xueyue's expression dimmed.
"Husband, you should also think about Xueyue. Her standards are so high — how many people in this world could ever catch her eye? Are you really willing to watch her spend the rest of her life all alone?" Gu Bihu spoke in soft, gentle tones, trying to persuade him.
"The heart of a martial artist belongs to the Martial Dao above all else. Once one has achieved great completion in the Dao, there will be plenty of time for romance!" Ao remained grim-faced, not yielding an inch.
Gu Bihu suddenly broke into a faint, lovely smile and said cheerfully, "It seems... this wife's attempt to speak nicely with you isn't going to work."
Hearing this, Ao's expression changed. He cried out in alarm, "Hey — w-wife, what are you thinking?!"
"Oh, nothing at all." Gu Bihu let out a soft, cold laugh. "Guild Master Ao is a great hero of his generation, holding the reins of the guild's power, with the Martial Dao as his highest aspiration — I'm afraid there's no place for this little woman in your heart. You're still quite far from great completion in the Dao, and since you say there's no rush for romance until then, I suppose I'll simply leave you be, so as not to hinder your great Martial Dao ambitions."
As she spoke, tears welled in Gu Bihu's eyes, her expression one of complete despair as if she were about to depart for good. Combined with her sickly pale beauty, she truly looked heartbreakingly pitiful.
Ao panicked just as expected. He rushed forward, shoving Yang Kai and Xueyue aside, and seized both of Gu Bihu's hands. "Wife, that's not what I meant at all! I was only lecturing Xueyue — I never said..."
"I understand your meaning perfectly." Gu Bihu reached up and wiped the glistening tears from the corners of her eyes. "Rest easy, Guild Master. This little woman will recover here for a few days, and once she can get out of bed, she'll leave. I absolutely won't hinder your great Martial Dao ambitions. And when you one day stand at the very peak of the Martial Dao, I'll return to your side — never to leave you."
She bit her thin lip lightly, tilting her head to one side, looking utterly heartbroken, tears streaming down her face as she spoke.
"Wife..." Ao was completely stunned, having no idea what to say. His heart itched with desperation — he wanted nothing more than to drop to his knees and beg Gu Bihu's forgiveness, but with Yang Kai and Xueyue standing right there watching the show, how could he possibly swallow his pride?
He spun around and glared furiously at Yang Kai and Xueyue.
"Um. Father, your daughter will take her leave." Xueyue caught on immediately, knowing the scene about to unfold was not fit for younger eyes. She tugged Yang Kai and made a hasty retreat.
Yang Kai hurriedly cupped his fists in a bow and followed closely behind Xueyue.
Before leaving, Yang Kai noticed Gu Bihu flash him a wink, her expression clearly saying, "With me here, don't worry."
Yang Kai grinned, knowing that despite Ao's rough and imposing exterior, he must be someone who deeply valued loyalty and affection — otherwise, he couldn't possibly care so much about Gu Bihu.
But then again, if one day Su Yan or Xia Ningshang or even Shan Qingluo were to pull this same trick on him, he probably wouldn't be able to withstand it either.
The land of tenderness is the grave of heroes — an eternal truth that never changes.
When they reached the outside of the bamboo house, Shentu had vanished without a trace. The house's protective ward activated in an instant, cutting off all sound from within. Yang Kai even quietly extended his divine sense to try to peer inside, but could not penetrate it at all.
He could only give up.
"Mrs. Gu..." Yang Kai paused, thinking about what kind of description would be appropriate. After all, Gu Bihu was essentially his elder now, and any characterization felt unsuitable. He settled on, "She seems to care about you a lot."
"Mm. Little Mother is very good to all of us, and she's warm and approachable, so we all respect her very much." Xueyue smiled coyly. "She's the only one who can keep Father in check. Don't be fooled by how submissive he acts around Little Mother — in front of anyone else, he's a completely different person."
"I can imagine." Yang Kai nodded. After all, a guild master couldn't very well lack dignity and presence, could he?
Xueyue suddenly poked Yang Kai discreetly and asked bluntly, "When are you going to marry me?"
"Hm?" Yang Kai stared at Xueyue in surprise, then said with a half-smile, "You're that certain Guild Master Ao will agree?"
"Little Mother has personally stepped in — how could Father possibly refuse to compromise? Besides, even without Little Mother, with your status and cultivation, Father would have given it serious consideration. So there's no other possible outcome."
"So you're really that eager to marry yourself off?" Yang Kai pressed his gaze into Xueyue's beautiful eyes.
Xueyue's cheeks flushed slightly. She stamped her foot and said, "What if I am? With someone as outstanding as you, if I don't take the initiative, how will there ever be a place for me in your heart?"
Yang Kai was taken aback, momentarily at a loss for words.
Xueyue let out a cold snort, stepped forward, and jabbed her finger into Yang Kai's chest. Through gritted teeth she demanded, "Tell me — aside from that temptress Shan Qingluo I saw in the Emperor's Garden before, how many other women do you have? What are their names?"
With every few words she spoke, she poked Yang Kai, her slender finger concealing bursts of Sacred Yuan behind each prod.
After more than a dozen pokes, Yang Kai couldn't help but cough a few times. He said somewhat guiltily, "There really aren't that many."
"'Not that many' means how many?" Xueyue asked askance.
Yang Kai held up two fingers.
"And who are they? Are they worthy of you?"
"My two senior sisters." Yang Kai let out a dry laugh.
"Childhood sweethearts, no less." Xueyue's eyes widened in surprise, then she added with some vexation, "So I can't hope to be the first wife, and the second and third spots are taken too — does that mean I can only settle for being the fourth?"
She immediately looked somewhat unhappy and said through clenched teeth, "How many more do you plan to find in the future?"