To Rong Nianxin’s utter astonishment, just moments ago, she had Fu Yuge completely under her control, had Fu Yuming and Gu Yu emotionally entangled and infatuated with her, and had Tang Qi gradually suppressed under her influence. She truly believed she was the darling of the world, the protagonist of fate, blessed with mysterious and unparalleled cultivation techniques.
Everything had been progressing exactly as she envisioned, hadn’t it? So why had things suddenly taken such a drastic turn? What on earth had happened?
Her cultivation, meridians, and dantian—all were destroyed, reducing her to a cripple. Locked deep in a dungeon, not a single soul came to see her. The disheveled and bewildered Rong Nianxin was utterly perplexed.
Outside, Tang Qi handed a cup of tea to Gu Wei, who was stretching lazily without a care for appearances, and asked with concern, “So, is everything settled?”
Gu Wei took a sip of tea, wrapped an arm around Tang Qi, and planted a kiss on her cheek. “Of course. Jin Yu and Yan Ruizhe gave the Heavenly Demons a thorough beating and forced them back. Ying Qiyun and Yin Jiu discovered and destroyed the cliff and the altar. Gu Yu extracted and completely eradicated whatever was inside Rong Nianxin. The emperor has stabilized the situation in the Xuantian Continent. So…”
He kissed Tang Qi’s cheek again. “Qiqi, when are we going to meet the parents?”
Tang Qi, not as shameless as Gu Wei, blushed slightly, her neck turning red as well, her gaze drifting away. “Once… everything is settled, we’ll go meet them.”
Hearing her answer, Gu Wei’s eyes instantly lit up.
“By the way,” Gu Wei suddenly remembered something. “Qiqi, don’t you want to ask Rong Nianxin why she targeted you?”
Tang Qi shrugged. “Whatever her reasons, her hostility toward me was real. So, what’s the point of asking? Besides, how would I know if she’d even tell the truth?”
Gu Wei thought that made sense. Since Rong Nianxin was no longer a threat, why bother tormenting themselves over it? So, he put the matter out of his mind.
Now, the most important thing was preparing to meet the parents and propose! Gu Wei thought to himself. As for who would marry whom, he didn’t care. He’d never been one to fuss over formalities—evident from how he’d abandoned his position as the master of the Divine Physician Valley to become a carefree, rough-around-the-edges wanderer.
Besides, titles were just superficial. When it came down to the real “battle of the fairies,” who took the lead would be obvious.
Still, since they were meeting the parents, Gu Wei, who wasn’t lacking in emotional intelligence, knew he had to clean up his appearance. First, the thick beard had to go. Though he was reluctant, his beloved Qiqi was far more important.
Once shaved and dressed in sleek, handsome attire, Gu Wei transformed from a scruffy wanderer into a dashing, ruggedly handsome man. Tang Qi’s heart raced uncontrollably at the sight.
She’d always loved Gu Wei’s rough charm—his cleanliness, the faint herbal scent mixed with intoxicating liquor. But this new look had its own irresistible appeal, leaving her utterly smitten.
Pleased to have enchanted his beloved, Gu Wei felt triumphant. No matter his appearance, he could always captivate her. Next came gifts and preparations—meeting the parents was serious business.
Once everything was ready, the two left the imperial city with mixed emotions, heading home to meet the parents. As for why they were in such a state… that story involved Fu Yuming and Fu Yuanjing.
As the third young master of the Liuyun Merchant Guild, Fu Yuming, along with the second young master Fu Yuge, was naturally the center of attention at social events. Many sought to climb the social ladder by attaching themselves to them.
At one such gathering, Fu Yuanjing, distracted by social obligations, was inadvertently separated from Fu Yuming by the crowd. Fu Yuge had already immersed himself in the sea of admirers, leaving Fu Yuming, who was ill-equipped to handle such situations, stranded and unnoticed.
It was then that a scheming woman drugged Fu Yuming.
Just as she was about to whisk him away to a prepared room, Fu Yuanjing arrived, foiling her plans.
Though separated by the crowd, Fu Yuanjing’s gaze never strayed far from Fu Yuming. Realizing they’d been parted, he excused himself and went searching, only to find Fu Yuming dazed and clinging to a stranger.
Fu Yuanjing saw red.
After chasing the woman away, he took Fu Yuming back to his room. Fueled by jealousy, alcohol, and the heat of the moment, the two men—both harboring secret feelings for each other—ended up entangled in a haze of passion.
The next morning, Fu Yuanjing woke first, staring at the disheveled Fu Yuming beneath him. He was overjoyed yet terrified, plagued by insecurities.
For years, Fu Yuanjing had secretly adored Fu Yuming but never dared confess, believing himself unworthy as a mere servant to the noble young master. Yet, seeing Fu Yuming close to others always filled him with jealousy.
Now, his first instinct was to flee and beg forgiveness.
But Fu Yuming, no longer tormented by unrequited love, knew exactly what had happened. Certain their feelings were mutual, he refused to let Fu Yuanjing escape.
Fu Yuming: *Hmph, now that you’re mine, you think you can run? Dream on!* [Tsundere face]
By the time Gu Wei and Tang Qi left the city, Fu Yuming and Fu Yuanjing were officially together and preparing to come clean to their families.
Gu Wei and Tang Qi doubted they’d face much opposition. The Fu family, sharp-eyed merchants all, had long noticed the chemistry between the two and were simply waiting for them to make it official.
What surprised everyone, however, was the news that spread across the Xuantian Continent during Gu Wei and Tang Qi’s journey: the romance between Yan Ruizhe, leader of the righteous path, and Jin Yu, leader of the demonic path.
To the shock of the entire cultivation world, these sworn enemies—who couldn’t meet without clashing—were now a couple!
Eyewitnesses reported seeing Jin Yu passionately kiss the slightly shorter Yan Ruizhe after their joint victory against the Heavenly Demons. Even more astonishing, the usually aloof and reserved Yan Ruizhe not only allowed it but embraced Jin Yu and deepened the kiss.
With countless witnesses from all factions present, the news spread like wildfire, reaching even Gu Wei and Tang Qi on their way to the Cloud Sky Fortress.
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