Chapter 42: Master Zhang

Zora did not know what Vane, standing beside her, was thinking. In truth, the youth’s face remained calm, any subtle changes quickly hidden, leaving not a trace of emotion for others to detect.

One was heartless, the other intentional.

One was unaware and as still as an ancient well; the other was lost in his own thoughts, his mind wavering.

Zora was recalling the plot.

She wasn't particularly sensitive to storybooks, especially long ones; after a day or two, she would forget countless details, remembering only the general gist of major events. This was why she flipped through the corresponding plot points over and over. However, most of the content was about romantic entanglements, with very little useful information.

In the original story, Guan Qianyi was also killed by Lord Wanghua. Presumably, Lord Wanghua had struck out of anger seeing him grow close to his disciple, resulting in a single-hit kill. This time, he hadn't died completely and required her to deliver the finishing blow.

"Let's head back." Zora withdrew her gaze and turned toward a small path.

Seeing the hurried disciples of Drunken Man’s Bay and Zen Meditation Temple, Zora flipped through the original book once more.

Mhm, the original didn't mention many major events in the cultivation world, nor did it describe the Mirror Sea or the formation masters stationed there; it was entirely focused on the romance between the leads.

Then again, a single novel couldn't possibly mention every event across hundreds of years in the cultivation world; the world would likely fill in the gaps itself.

Zora thought for a moment and then dismissed it with indifference.

They needed to pack their things and take the bird-ship back... This itinerary was terminated when Zora accepted a new mission.

"In other words, you're not taking the bird-ship and are going on a mission instead?" Yiling Ke said in surprise.

Zora: "Mhm."

Yiling Ke turned to Vane: "And you? ...Oh, never mind, I don't even need to ask."

Vane merely smiled at this. With his status, he was naturally a follower. Generally, cultivators needed to do things every day to improve their cultivation, like going to specific secret realms to gather materials for forging artifacts. For Vane, however, these things were all pushed back, ranked behind Zora.

Zora didn't know much about mortal settlements. Her previous visits were for leisure, keeping her distance from the mortals. But this mission was proposed by a mortal who wanted to investigate whether there were monsters causing trouble in his manor.

He offered a vast amount of money.

Song Zhihuai offered no opinion, only giving them several protective talismans. Turi Qi seemed busy beyond belief, yet she still made time to see them off, cautioning: "Be extra careful; you must stay safe. Although there aren't many monsters, sometimes people are scarier than monsters and impossible to guard against. Junior Sister Zora, you have a simple mind, so you must be careful."

The simple-minded Zora nodded.

Seeing Turi Qi advising Zora, Song Zhihuai also felt moved and spoke to Vane: "Stay safe."

Vane smiled: "Thank you, Senior Brother Song."

Senior Brother Song was satisfied and gave a slight nod.

Vane packed their bags and left with Zora. Zora flew on her sword, so Vane naturally stepped on his spear—his feet didn't actually touch the surface; spiritual power separated the spear handle and the soles of his shoes, making it look as if he were treading on air.

Cultivators traveling without eating, drinking, or sleeping soon reached their destination. Huaichuan was situated among green mountains and clear waters, with the silhouettes of mountains on all sides. Clad in mist, it was hard to see clearly. The citizens of Huaichuan lived in peace; the population wasn't huge, but it wasn't small either.

There were no cultivation sects here. Entering Huaichuan required multiple inspections, but Zora and Vane landed directly on an empty patch of grass inside the city. Not far away was a bustling stone street.

A child in yellow stood under a tree, crying as he looked at a kite stuck in the branches. Seeing two immortals descend, he instantly forgot the kite he couldn't reach, staring at them with wide, dazed eyes.

Zora scanned the surroundings. The child was categorized as harmless scenery like trees, so she ignored him and said: "No danger, and no traces of monsters."

Vane didn't look at the dazed, tearful child either. He scanned the area and agreed: "Indeed."

They planned to check the perimeter of the manor belonging to the Master who posted the mission first, not in a hurry to enter and reveal their identities. As the two walked under the tree with the kite, neither had any intention of helping. The child's head followed them, turning from left to right.

The child stared blankly at their backs: "..."

"...?"

"MOM! MOM! There's a monster! There's an immortal...!" He didn't even want the kite anymore, running back while screaming.

Zora walked onto the street. There were many merchants, and the goods for sale were dazzling and countless. Some people looked at Zora in slight surprise. The girl's appearance was uniquely beautiful in a way they had never seen—the so-called almond eyes and rosy cheeks of youth. Her face, like a peach blossom, also carried a sense of pure curiosity, as if she were naive to the ways of the world.

"How does she dare walk out..."

"Does she not know Master Zhang's son is getting married today?"

A few people whispered, but they couldn't hide from a cultivator's ears.

Zora glanced at Vane. He understood and went to ask for directions. When Vane returned, he was about to speak when the loud sound of suona horns and firecrackers suddenly erupted in the distance.

Pedestrians immediately backed to both sides, afraid of offending someone they shouldn't. A wedding procession arrived with great fanfare, full of festive joy. Men in hats and sashes beat gongs and drums with all their might. The porters carrying the palanquin were shirtless, their skin dark and their strength immense, muscles bulging on their arms.

But the horse at the very front, which should have had the groom on it, was empty. Everyone seemed used to this and made way.

Zora asked: "What are they doing?"

She didn't understand the process of mortal marriage and unions.

"A wedding," Vane replied.

Zora knew the relationship of "husband and wife" existed, but her understanding was completely different from common knowledge. In her original world, people struggled on the edge of life and death; even the nobles in the audience died of poverty and starvation, let alone the combatants. Relationships regarding love in the Arena only consisted of sleeping together for a few nights if they took a liking to each other, and then parting.

Like her parents—though they had a child, they were not husband and wife, nor did they have intense emotions. Originally, they were just together to satisfy biological urges; the pregnancy was her mother's decision. Because at that time, a noble had a bout of "sanity" and compassionately said they would exempt parents of young children from exhibition matches.

At that time, everyone's thought was:

What are you pretending for, noble?

Of course, that noble eventually squandered his wealth and disappeared into bankruptcy. At that time, her parents agreed and gave birth to Zora. So, love and warmth simply didn't exist.

"What is getting married for?"

Vane looked at her upon hearing this. The girl stared at the palanquin with curiosity, her fair face looking like polished jade in the sunlight, enough to make one stop and stare.

Vane looked at the wedding procession and said flatly: "It's similar to the covenants of the cultivation world, but without the protection of the Heavenly Dao. It only has the protection of imperial law in the mortal realm and requires both parties to maintain and abide by it."

Zora thought about it: "So they have to stay together forever?"

"At least until the contract is void. However, they are likely very wary of replacing a primary wife."

Zora didn't quite understand and even frowned. "So troublesome. Hard to maintain."

The idea of maintaining interest and desire for the same person forever was far too absurd for someone from Zora’s original world. Many people met once, shared an intimacy once, and never saw each other again. No one cared; they just continued their desperate lives.

Vane agreed: "Indeed."

It was indeed difficult to use every possible means to keep the other person's love for oneself.

The angles of their thoughts were strangely opposite yet perfectly matched.

The bright red palanquin passed before them.

Zora stared at the back of the palanquin: "Can't they just spend one night and then separate? Without getting married."

Vane paused and said: "Presumably, they could."

Zora gave a flat "Oh." She only wanted to ask about the subtle differences between the two worlds out of curiosity; she had no thoughts regarding either method, because even a single night involved intimate contact with another person, which was actually very dangerous.

Unless the other person can set a covenant or make me feel safe,

Zora thought.

The two went to the perimeter of Master Zhang's manor first, which happened to be the destination of the wedding procession. They didn't seek out the mission poster immediately, instead looking for traces of monsters near the manor. There were some, but not many, appearing more like harmless ordinary animals on the verge of demonization.

Night soon fell. Zora followed a suspicious trail and leaped into the manor, eventually arriving at a room hung with red lanterns and red talismans. The groom was still drinking in the courtyard outside; he seemed more interested in drinking and playing than the wedding, and his rowdy friends were the same, not taking the bride seriously.

Faint crying came from inside the room. The guarding maids fainted on the spot before they could even see her; Zora walked straight into the room.

—She had no idea this was the bridal chamber, entering as casually as a villain.

A woman wearing a red veil sat on the edge of the bed, her shoulders shaking as if she were crying in sorrow. Zora was startled—startled by the red veil.

The woman originally thought it was the groom entering and trembled in fear. But as Vane also entered the room, she realized it wasn't him, but two strangers.

—Where were the maids? The guards?

She didn't dare speak, unsure of their intent and afraid of being silenced if she spoke out of turn. She pretended to be unaware, sitting still, though her fingers unconsciously twisted her red wedding clothes, revealing her panic.

The woman even stifled her crying, incredibly tense.

"What is that?"

The woman heard a girl's voice, clear and pleasant, though the tone was flat and devoid of much emotion.

"A red veil," a clear youth's voice answered. He paused, then explained, "That is the bride."

"How dangerous. If one can't see, isn't it easy to be ambushed in the palanquin?"

"Indeed. The groom, being on a horse, has a better chance of escape."

...

What are they talking about?

The woman was confused. The voices of the youths, which held no malice, relaxed her slightly, but she didn't understand the meaning behind their fluid conversation.

They were still chatting. The girl seemed to have sat down, while the other youth was investigating the room.

The girl asked again: "Where is the groom?"

The youth replied: "Drinking outside. According to custom, he will return later to spend the wedding night."

"Oh." The girl was quiet for a few heartbeats, then suddenly remembered the etiquette her Master had reminded her of many times and asked in confusion: "Should we have come in?"

Woman: "..."

The youth said calmly: "I imagine they would rather postpone the wedding night than be harmed by a monster. This is an emergency; no need to care."

The girl gave an "mhm."

The bride's mind was a mess. She had been forcibly taken; Master Zhang's son had used her younger sister as leverage to force her to marry him. Her crying was useless; she had put on the wedding clothes and sat in the palanquin to hell. That son of the Master was known for torturing and humiliating concubines; corpses of women tortured to death were often carried out from the manor's back gate.

Now, things seemed to have taken a turn. The woman bit her lip and was thinking of a way when she heard the youth say: "Nothing unusual."

"Mhm. Then, person under the red veil, have you seen anything unusual?"

The woman didn't realize for a moment that they were speaking to her. Seeing no answer, Zora stood up and walked over to her, reaching out to lift the red veil.

A hand suddenly pressed down on her wrist. Zora looked up; Vane was standing beside her, locking eyes with her. Being quite close, the girl's honey-like eyes were melted in the warm light. He only held the gaze for a few heartbeats before his dark eyes moved slightly. He lowered his lashes and looked at the ground: "The veil should be lifted by the groom; that is also the custom."

Zora frowned. "So troublesome."

The woman understood a bit; they seemed to be here to exorcise monsters.

...But didn't those cultivators usually go through the front gate, meet the master of the house, act with extreme politeness, and respect mortal etiquette? What was the origin of these two? If they weren't from a proper sect... they were also dangerous figures.

At the sound of the girl heading for the door, the woman was startled and realized something. She threw all caution to the wind and shouted: "Please don't find him—!"

Her hand, reaching to lift the veil herself, was suddenly blocked by a long spear handle, stopping her and preventing her from rising. She couldn't lift it at all.

"Apologies, Miss," Vane retracted his gaze from the door Zora had walked through and turned to look down at the panicked bride, smiling. "She moves too fast. It's best to follow her lead."

...

What did that mean?

The woman was stunned. Moreover, the youth's strength was too great; he didn't touch her, yet merely using the spear handle made her unable to move her arm.

But before she could think it through, Vane continued: "I know you have your grievances; better to confront him face-to-face. We are from the December Sect."

At these words, she immediately threw the strange words from before to the back of her mind. She stopped trying to lift the veil and cried out joyfully: "...Are you the immortals from the December Sect? Please, help me!"

"Naturally," he replied very smoothly.

...

"Young Master Zhang, I heard your father invited immortals? He also reminded you to show restraint lately, so why the wedding again?"

In the courtyard, a man was slightly drunk and asked.

The wealthy man in the center laughed loudly: "No matter, no matter! When the immortals come, they will definitely visit my father first. I'll just hide the woman then. Those immortals won't step into a woman's courtyard anyway."

Cultivators from proper sects valued etiquette. When accepting a mission from a mortal, they would naturally visit the poster first, go through the front gate, wait for someone to announce them properly, and then be respectfully invited in. They wouldn't use their divine sense to investigate randomly, nor would they use their keen senses to listen in, to avoid hearing private matters. To exorcise monsters and investigate the manor, they would also notify the Master first.

In short, it was similar to the mortal way; they restrained their behavior and wouldn't ignore mortal wishes.

Zhang Jin, Master Zhang's son, gulped down some fine wine. Just as he was about to shout to his rowdy friends, he suddenly noticed the surroundings were silent. The group had collapsed to the ground.

"!" He was startled into half-sobriety, then heard a voice from behind.

"You are the groom?"

...

Vane had already retracted his long spear.

The woman waited tensely. She had received the immortal's promise and was vowing to tell them everything about her and her sister's plight. ...Maybe, maybe the immortals had a way to cure her sister's illness?

Suddenly, the girl entered the room. However, she was dragging someone along—she pulled in the terrified, weak-kneed groom by his back collar. Zora wasn't particularly tall, so the limp groom, who couldn't stand straight, was practically being dragged with his legs trailing on the ground.

"Help... guards... guards!" Zhang Jin's voice was already raspy.

Zora said unhappily: "He just tried to hit me with a wine bottle."

She had only intended to call him into the room to lift the veil, but the man had suddenly gone into a drunken rage, which was incredibly annoying.

Zora dragged the man to the bedside. Remembering Zhou Shijin's words to follow mortal etiquette, she said: "Lift the veil."

Zhang Jin trembled: "..."

He found the youth beside him was looking at him as if he were a dead man, his eyes full of deathly stillness. He was so scared he went silent and didn't dare call for help, hurriedly and obediently lifting the veil.

The custom should be complete.

Zora tossed Zhang Jin to the side and looked at the tearful woman, about to question her. To her surprise, the woman suddenly lunged forward, kneeling on the ground as if trying to hug Zora, crying miserably.

"Immortal—! Please save me! I was abducted! My sister is still on the verge of death, immortal! Please help me, I am willing to do anything—"

If the woman had come to kill her, Zora would have responded calmly. But this was a confusing action she had never seen before. Zora was startled, her eyes widening slightly for a moment as she suddenly stepped back a few paces.

The woman missed her mark and slumped in place, but she wasn't affected and continued wailing her grievances.

"..."

Zora looked at the woman in confusion, then at Vane.

Vane had been watching Zora’s reaction of being startled and slightly widening her almond eyes. Surprisingly, she was startled, but thinking about it, that was her style—she had been startled before by Yiling Ke’s loud shout when she came to help.

After Zora looked over, he snapped back to his senses and said to the woman: "We have a mission to do. If you can cooperate with us, we will naturally help you as a reward. No need for thanks."

Prioritizing the mission while appearing empathetic by framing the help as a reward for cooperation made the other person feel at ease; his handling of the situation was perfect.

Ying Xue nodded through her tears and gratefully agreed. Zhang Jin remained slumped on the floor, silent. Vane walked over and took a look.

Zora: "Is he dead?"

Ying Xue showed a joyful expression.

Vane: "No, he fell asleep from the alcohol."

Or he had fainted from fright.