Three days of feasting continued without a break.
After leaving the inner palace of the Lu Shi Pavilion, Xu Xing circulated his Magic Power to expel the lingering effects of the wine from his body.
His wide sleeves billowed instantly, rustling loudly.
His slightly flushed face immediately returned to normal, and a sharp glint flickered in his eyes but was quickly concealed as they returned to their usual state.
It’s time to meet Yu Xue.
Xu Xing remembered the second Sound Transmission Talisman.
With a flash of Escaping Light, he immediately rushed to the Yuehai Pavilion Bing 23 Private Room.
The Yuehai Pavilion was a restaurant under the control of the Wanggui Mountain Hai Family, one of the Nine Mountain Great Halls.
The outer hall was used for Spiritual Feasts, while the inner hall was divided into numerous private rooms for lodging or hosting guests. Among these private rooms, those labeled ’A’ possessed Spiritual Energy comparable to a Jade Palace beneath a Blessed Land. Rooms labeled ’B’ had Spiritual Energy similar to Xuanjing Abodes. The ’C’ rooms, however, were no different from the ordinary Dan Lu inhabited by disciples.
Both Jade Palace and Xuanjing Abodes were extremely valuable and difficult for ordinary disciples to obtain.
As a result, the demand for the ’A’ and ’B’ private rooms in the Yuehai Pavilion far exceeded supply, and they were always overcrowded. After all, for a Cultivator attempting a breakthrough, an environment brimming with Spiritual Energy often increased the probability of success.
Squeezing into the bustling outer hall and stating his purpose to the manager, an Outer Sect Disciple dressed as a menial worker led Xu Xing to the private room that Yu Xue had already reserved.
Xu Xing had been meditating in the Cultivation Room inside the private room for about half an hour when Yu Xue hurriedly arrived. Upon meeting, Yu Xue wasted no time on pleasantries and went straight to the point:
"This is a bottle of Wangxi Pill..."
"It can be used by cultivators at the Immortal Foundation Early Stage and Immortal Foundation Middle Stage."
"True Lord Song heard that Senior Brother Xu intends to take a descendant of the Song Family as a concubine and is delighted. However, Song Miyao’s talent is too low... she is not worthy of Senior Brother Xu..."
"True Monarch’s intention is to select a few Immortal Maidens from the Cave Mansion and give them to Senior Brother Xu. I wonder what Senior Brother Xu thinks of this?"
Song Miyao... Immortal Maidens...
As her words faded, Xu Xing felt the Wangxi Pill in his hand grow somewhat hot.
It was different from his time in the Mortal World.
Then, he had held the initiative, while Song Knife had been more passive. As a result, Song Knife had suffered several losses and been fleeced by him a few times. Like one forced to swallow bitterness, Song Knife’s grievances had remained unspoken.
But once he entered the Sect, the situation reversed.
In terms of strategy, Song Knife, the Grand Ancestor of Fengxi Country, was second to none. Without the Sect Rule stipulating non-interference between immortals and mortals, Song Knife could act without his previous reservations.
Even if he wouldn’t personally stoop to bullying the weak, thereby damaging his reputation within the Sect. Still, if Xu Xing were to refuse Yu Xue’s proposal this time, this bottle of Wangxi Pill would be Song Knife’s final gesture of goodwill. Even if they hadn’t completely fallen out, the underlying dangers were now unpredictable.
With one loss comes one gain.
When a Commoner marries a woman from an Aristocratic Family, he is also constrained at every turn. While it wouldn’t go as far as enslavement or servitude, taking a Blood Oath to pledge loyalty to the family and not violate its interests was nonetheless indispensable.
Song Knife offered me Immortal Maidens as concubines... It could be true, or it could be false... The Immortal Maidens are merely a tool, a means for Song Knife to force my hand! Once I refuse... I’m afraid it would compel Song Knife to abandon any conciliatory approach and instead take decisive, harsh action to eliminate me as a threat.
All kinds of thoughts flashed through Xu Xing’s mind.
Considering Song Knife’s status and his own, Song Knife couldn’t force him to take a Blood Oath and pledge eternal loyalty to the Song Family, unlike how an Aristocratic Family line might. Therefore, the degree of this stance... He had to manage it carefully! It had to satisfy Song Knife yet not compromise his own future prospects.
"Junior Sister Yu..."
"I appreciate True Lord Song’s kindness."
After thinking it through, Xu Xing handed the Wangxi Pill he had just received back to Yu Xue. "True Lord Song’s intention, I fear, isn’t truly a marriage alliance, but rather an attempt to control me through this opportunity, correct?"
"Merely with a bottle of Wangxi Pill..."
"And a few concubines..."
He spoke, his expression turning cold. "If Xu Xing truly wanted to form a marriage alliance with another family, why wouldn’t I have participated in the Palace Choosing a Son-in-law when I joined the Sect? With my aptitude, marrying into one of the Thirty-six Prominent Clans or Nine Mountain Great Halls wouldn’t be difficult. The terms offered by the Aristocratic Family lines to someone like me? Far more than just this!"
Now that things had reached this point, he couldn’t outright refuse the marriage alliance.
However, using the matter of the marriage alliance to make a tactical retreat in order to advance later was feasible.
Song Knife wanted to feign a ’marriage alliance’ to force his hand. But Song Knife hadn’t set the terms for this ’stance.’ In that case, Xu Xing wouldn’t be so easily managed. If Song Knife wanted a ’marriage alliance,’ he’d have to pay the proper price!
Once this pretense of a marriage alliance was stripped away, it was time to talk benefits.
Yu Xue was also taken aback by Xu Xing’s sudden coldness.
However, having accompanied Song Knife for a long time and weathered many storms, she recovered after only a moment’s pause.
"Senior Brother Xu, please don’t be angry."
Yu Xue stuffed the Wangxi Pill back into Xu Xing’s arms. "True Lord Song truly meant well; it seems I, your Junior Sister, caused a misunderstanding. That was my mistake. Senior Brother Xu, you know that someone of True Lord Song’s stature is far above us, and his casual instructions can often be brief. Perhaps I conveyed his message incorrectly..."
A bottle of Wangxi Pill, though precious, wasn’t something her Patriarch would be overly stingy about.
Xu Xing’s words now made it clear that, no matter what, she had to placate him further.
If she took back the Wangxi Pill, it would only make Song Knife appear petty and cause him to lose face. Losing the deal itself was a small matter, but if Song Knife lost face in the process, that would be disastrous.
Besides, there was indeed some truth to Xu Xing’s words.
During the Palace Choosing a Son-in-law, even if Commoner Disciples married into Aristocratic Family lines, the families generally wouldn’t push things to an extreme, lest future relations become difficult. Therefore, these families would only marry out their daughters and not force Commoner Disciples into marrying into their household as a live-in son-in-law.