novelraw Chapter 23 – Song Fan's fiancée
Chapter 23 – Song Fan's fiancée
After sending Li Pao away, Chen Shi thought for a moment and decided not to change out of his luxurious clothes. If he dressed too shabbily, he might not even be able to enter the gates of Virtue Abode. Moreover, he had no intention of going to the Martial Practice Field's Elementary Class now. There was no need to hide his identity. Killing Elder Wang wouldn't sever the hidden forces' connections within the Divine General's Manor. Instead, it was better to remain still and let the opponent continue lurking. When the opportunity arose, he could capture them and perform a Soul Search.
By now, it was already the hour of Si, roughly equivalent to 11 a.m. in his previous life. Next to the Martial Practice Field was a vast area of lush purple bamboo forest, covering hundreds of acres, with thousands of pavilions and towers within. Its scale was comparable to more than half of the Forbidden City in his previous life. This was Virtue Abode, a serene environment designated for the "external ministers" of the Divine General's Manor. It housed many relatives of the Divine Might Army officers. The purpose was twofold: to win hearts and inspire officers to fight bravely, and to serve as hostages. In times of peace, the families naturally enjoyed prosperity. During wartime, if an officer was cowardly and surrendered to demons, they had to consider the lives of their entire family.
"Young Master Chen, this is the place," a maidservant guided Chen Shi along a path through the forest to a residence. At this moment, in front of the Yun Residence, stood dozens of servants carrying many large and small boxes. Seeing these boxes, he asked, "Is there a distinguished guest at the Yun Residence today?"
The maidservant tiptoed to take a look and smiled, "If this old woman isn't mistaken, those should be servants from the Nangong family. The head of the Nangong family was once an officer in the Divine Might Army and was a sworn brother to Yun Niang's husband. However, he later retired from the army due to injuries, while Yun Niang's husband wasn't so fortunate and died at the border over a decade ago, leaving behind Yun Niang and her poor orphaned child."
The maidservant paused, her expression somewhat emotional, "After Yun Niang returned to Virtue Abode with her child, it happened to coincide with the birth of the Nangong family's Miss. In memory of their past friendship, the two families immediately arranged a childhood engagement. Over the years, the Young Master and Miss of both families have grown up. The Nangong family bringing so many gifts this time should be to finalize the marriage agreement."
Hearing this, Chen Shi was taken aback. In previous simulations, was there any mention of Song Fan having a fiancée? Could it be that the simulator omitted it? Chen Shi pondered for a moment, took out a handful of copper coins, and handed them to the maidservant, "Thank you for your hard work."
The maidservant happily accepted, "Thank you, Young Master Chen. May the Bodhisattva bless you with longevity and great wealth."
Chen Shi nodded and smiled slightly, turning to walk towards the Yun Residence. After taking a few steps, he faintly heard a mutter behind him, "I talked so much, and he just gave me ten copper coins. What a miser, no wonder he always has that poor look on his face... Hmph! A useless pretty boy!"
Chen Shi: "......"
In the Yun Residence's living room, a middle-aged man with a heroic appearance held a blue-and-white porcelain teacup, lightly tapping the lid against the rim, his expression hesitant. He seemed to have something difficult to say, and each time he was about to speak, he would swallow his words with a hint of helplessness. At these moments, the Delicate Girl beside him couldn't help but cast a resentful glance at him.
"Ahem." The head of the Nangong family lightly cleared his throat, put down the teacup, and looked at the mother and son sitting opposite, smiling, "Sister-in-law, how is Song Fan's health recovering?"
The two he referred to were a silent young boy in black attire, whose delicate face appeared slightly pale. His dark eyes were pure and bright, full of spirit. Despite his sickly appearance, he exuded a determined aura. The other was an Oval-Faced Beauty in a white, elegant long dress, her features as picturesque as a painting, her skin like creamy jade, with a hint of pink, seemingly able to squeeze out water. Her tender red lips were alluring, sparking endless imagination.
"Sigh..." The Oval-Faced Beauty sighed softly, "To be honest, brother, it's still the same. Despite consuming many precious herbs, Fan'er still cannot sense his Vital Qi and Blood."
Nangong Xuan nodded, comforting, "Song Fan has been exceptionally talented since childhood. As long as a renowned doctor is found to cure this strange illness, it's not too late to practice martial arts. Speaking of renowned doctors, a Divine Doctor Zhou recently arrived at Virtue Abode. I heard he was once an apprentice under an alchemist of the Spirit Sword Sect, with exceptional medical skills. I can introduce you to him, and perhaps he can solve Song Fan's problem..."
"Father! You've had five cups of tea already. If you can't bring yourself to say it, let me do it!" The Delicate Girl couldn't sit still any longer. She stood up from her chair, looked at the Oval-Faced Beauty, and said clearly, "Aunt Yun, we've come to break off the engagement."
As soon as these words were spoken, the three fell silent. The air suddenly became still. The Oval-Faced Beauty's beautiful eyebrows furrowed, Song Fan's hand under the table clenched into a fist, while Nangong Xuan sighed deeply, a barely noticeable smile flashing in his eyes. He had delayed this long to let his daughter propose the breakup herself. This way, he could largely distance himself from the situation, avoiding Yun Niang's resentment. In fact, his daughter's decision to break off the engagement was partly instigated by him.
The main reason was that Song Fan couldn't cultivate. The union of a cultivator and a mortal was destined for unhappiness. A Spirit River Stage cultivator had a lifespan of 150 years, while a mortal would be lucky to live to seventy or eighty. Additionally, Yun Niang was simply too alluring. In terms of beauty, she far surpassed any woman he had ever seen. If his daughter married Song Fan, what reason would he have to bring this beautiful woman into his home?
To be honest, when his good brother first died, he was genuinely heartbroken. Even though he coveted Yun Niang's beauty, he couldn't bring himself to act on it due to their brotherly bond. But now, after so many years, even the deepest bonds had faded with time, and so had that moral restraint. Instead, the suppressed feelings for Yun Niang surged back with even greater intensity.