In the dream realm.
"Senior brother, was the food I made yesterday to your liking?" After Green Ant Layman finished his lecture, Junior Sister Tai Qin caught up with Fang Yuan ahead of her, asking hesitantly.
Fang Yuan smiled. "It was really delicious. I didn't expect you to be so skillful with your hands — you'll surely make a wonderful wife someday. I wonder who'll be lucky enough to marry you."
"Senior brother, you're teasing me again." Two red clouds immediately bloomed on Tai Qin's cheeks. Then, in a soft voice, she added, "If Senior brother likes it, I can make more for you."
"Sure, then I'll be in for a treat." Fang Yuan laughed heartily.
At that moment, a dragon person Gu Immortal approached from the opposite direction. "My son."
"Father, what are you doing here?" Fang Yuan was somewhat surprised.
"Oh, greetings, Uncle Wu." Tai Qin hastily bowed.
The dragon person Gu Immortal nodded to the young girl and smiled. "So you must be Tai Qin. My son mentions you often in his letters. Here is a small meeting gift from this uncle — please accept it."
"Oh, I couldn't possibly..." Tai Qin tried to refuse, but Fang Yuan took it on her behalf and pressed it into her hands.
"Go on and accept it. My father must have come about something important, so I'm afraid we won't be able to spar after class today." Fang Yuan apologized.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, no trouble at all." Tai Qin hastily waved her hands, thanked him, and took her leave politely.
"She's a pure-hearted girl. Has my son's heart been moved?" Watching Tai Qin's figure disappear around the corner, the dragon person Gu Immortal teased.
Fang Yuan smiled, thinking to himself: the dream realm has indeed changed again. Cautiously, he said, "How could Father not know your own son?"
"Ha ha ha." The dragon person Gu Immortal laughed, patting Fang Yuan's shoulder. "I've come to find you because there is indeed an important matter. The daughter of the Calligraphy Pavilion Master, Shu Jiuling, has just turned sixteen and is publicly holding a marriage selection. Any outstanding young man may participate. I want you to go."
"Oh?" Fang Yuan was slightly surprised.
He actually did know about Shu Jiuling.
In the previous dream sequence, Tai Qin had mentioned this matter during casual conversation.
Shu Jiuling herself was in love with the Gu Immortal Fan Ji and had become pregnant with his child. But Fan Ji refused to marry her, making excuse after excuse.
When Shu Jiuling saw Fan Ji's true nature, she was devastated with grief. In the end, she was placed under house arrest by her mother, the Calligraphy Pavilion Master.
The Calligraphy Pavilion Master's cultivation had reached the Eighth Transformation, and she possessed the Immortal Gu House known as the Calligraphy Pavilion. She was the foremost among the rogue cultivators of the Central Continent. As a mother seeing her daughter treated so miserably, she was naturally furious and wanted to settle the score with that heartless man Fan Ji.
But Fan Ji happened to be the final closed-door disciple of Kong Yihen, the Supreme Grand Elder of Black Sky Temple. Kong Yihen was also an Eighth Transformation Gu Immortal with no children of his own. He had many disciples, but the one he doted on most was his youngest closed-door disciple Fan Ji, whom he cherished as his own son.
The Calligraphy Pavilion Master couldn't act rashly, so she sought out Kong Yihen and demanded an explanation.
Kong Yihen then brought his beloved disciple Fan Ji to the Calligraphy Pavilion for negotiations.
No one knew what was said, but not only did the two sides fail to reach an agreement — they even came to blows. Kong Yihen and the Calligraphy Pavilion Master exchanged a few probing moves before both withdrew. Fan Ji and Shu Jiuling, however, broke off completely. In a fit of rage, Shu Jiuling threatened Fan Ji: "Don't regret this. If you don't want me, there are others in this world who will."
Fan Ji merely sneered: "I came today to negotiate properly with you, yet you're pushing your luck. I'd like to see who has the guts to wade into these muddy waters. And I'd like to see who has the magnanimity to not even care about the child in your belly."
Shu Jiuling collapsed from rage on the spot.
As her mother, the Calligraphy Pavilion Master naturally had to stand behind her daughter Shu Jiuling.
After Shu Jiuling regained consciousness, she insisted on holding a public marriage selection. The Calligraphy Pavilion Master couldn't talk her daughter out of it and felt that perhaps a different man could bring her daughter happiness. Even if her daughter didn't take a liking to anyone, the marriage selection would at least divert her attention, keeping her from dwelling in melancholy and constantly thinking of ending her life.
When Tai Qin talked about it, she wore the look of someone enjoying the spectacle, eyes bright with excitement, treating it as a juicy piece of gossip.
Fang Yuan had laughed at the time, but now he couldn't bring himself to smile.
He thought: "The dragon person race is bent on independence and rising to power — their ambitions are vast. This is truly a golden opportunity. First, the Calligraphy Pavilion Master is an Eighth Transformation rogue immortal, and she is currently opposed to Black Sky Temple. If I can become the Calligraphy Pavilion Master's son-in-law, I can use that connection to bring her aboard the dragon person race's war chariot."
As for what Shu Jiuling looked like, what her character was, or the child in her womb — none of that mattered.
Fang Yuan couldn't care less.
Compared to the grand ambition in his heart, what was this small sacrifice?
Only by enduring what others cannot can one achieve what others could never dream of!
"As for Junior Sister Tai Qin, her feelings for me are growing ever deeper. If I do this, it would be somewhat unfair to her. The little girl would surely be heartbroken." A flicker of guilt surfaced in Fang Yuan's heart.
But in the very next instant, a jolt of horror ran through him, and he came to his senses: "Something's wrong — what's happening to me? This is clearly a dream realm. I am Fang Yuan, not Wu Shuai. Why would I feel guilt?"
"What a formidable dream realm — it actually stirred up emotions within me!"
"The past several dream sequences seemed like smooth transitions, but they were actually working on me subconsciously. I was manipulated into feeling emotions without even realizing it."
"That was close!"
If there had been cold sweat, Fang Yuan's forehead would have been drenched in it.
Unfortunately, this was a dream realm.
Under normal circumstances, when Fang Yuan explored dream realms, his physical body remained in the outside world while only his soul ventured deep within. He frequently emerged, so the distinction between reality and the dream was always crystal clear.
But now, both the body and soul of this dragon person avatar had been cast into the dream realm, and he had been exploring it day and night, losing himself in it. Though Fang Yuan could still distinguish between dream and reality at present, his emotions had been stirred up without his noticing.
This was a very dangerous sign.
When exploring dream realms, the greatest fear was becoming trapped within, unable to extricate oneself. Emotions were the best catalyst. Once entangled in feelings and mired in various sentiments, Fang Yuan would sink into quicksand, pulled deeper and deeper, until the dream devoured him entirely.
The dragon person Gu Immortal studied Fang Yuan's expression carefully. After a moment, he nodded with satisfaction. "My son truly has not been ensnared by romantic entanglements. I shall now go meet with Green Ant Layman, explain the matter, and request an extended leave of absence on your behalf."
"I will follow Father's arrangements in all things," Fang Yuan said promptly.
The River of Time.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!