Chapter 208: Chapter 196: I Am His Betrothed Wife

To the north of Qingfeng City, there lies a mountainous area, and after two days and nights of travel into the mountains, there is a place called Chen Family Gully, seated within a valley, where all villagers bear the surname Chen, hence the name.

Lately, Chen Family Gully has been particularly lively.

Old Chen Ninth, who has three mulberry trees planted at his doorstep, has a brother who made it big, opening a pharmacy in Qingfeng City, buying houses, purchasing land, and, twenty years ago, became the wealthiest family in the village.

Now, Old Chen Ninth’s nephew has returned with dozens of carts of goods, flaunting such wealth, that it was beyond belief, leaving the villagers in awe.

It’s said that someone remarkable has emerged from the Chen Family, making it onto the Cyan Cloud Ranking, something truly extraordinary. This well-dressed young Mr. Chen said that this time he returned to renovate the ancestral tomb.

He even attracted the attention of the respectable figures from the town, all vying to meet this young Mr. Chen.

This young Mr. Chen was lavish to say the least, hosting three days of feasting upon his return, with ample rice and meat to eat freely.

The villagers had never seen such an event, all saying that Old Chen Ninth’s ancestral tomb must have been blessed, as if it was emitting smoke.

Indeed, a descendent became successful.

Before renovating the ancestral tomb, young Mr. Chen first refurbished the ancestral hall, making it larger and grander than the Li Family’s ancestral hall in the town.

The day the ancestral hall was completed, the entire village attended.

For everyone in Chen Family Gully, this was a grand occasion.

On such a grand day, suddenly, a group of outsiders arrived, all on horseback. Then, a woman rushed into the ancestral hall.

According to custom, women aren’t allowed in the ancestral hall. But strangely, no one stopped her, everyone just stood there, dumbfounded, watching her walk in, as if they were frozen.

"Mother, look, a fairy."

Until a child shouted, breaking the silence.

Indeed, the woman looked like a celestial fairy; these mountain folks had never seen such a person. Each of them felt ashamed, not daring to speak, fearing they would offend this fairy.

It was this city-bred young Mr. Chen who had the courage to step forward and ask, "I wonder why the young lady has come here?"

The woman, like a fairy, courteously replied, "My surname is Yu, and I am the betrothed of Chen Ming. Greetings, elder brother."

Chen Rui stared at this woman, claiming to be his brother’s fiancée, a woman of extraordinary beauty, dumbfounded, not knowing how to react.

...

This event, which should have been recorded in the family annals, ended hastily. Everyone talked about that fairy-like woman.

In the Chen Family, Chen Rui’s wife, Madam Wei, was stunned upon meeting her brother-in-law’s promised wife, feeling a bit self-conscious.

Even the four maids standing behind her were more beautiful than herself.

Chen Lide tried hard to appear composed, but his eyes couldn’t help but glance at this "little aunt."

Chen Lirong hid behind her brother, sneakily peeking at the "little aunt," staring unblinkingly.

Chen Rui asked, "Where is Erlang? Why didn’t he come back with you?"

The one who claimed to be Chen Ming’s fiancée, was indeed Yu Haitang, who had returned from that "cave dwelling." She softly replied, "He is in seclusion, unable to leave, so he asked me to come."

"I see." Chen Rui took a tactical sip of tea, complaining, "Erlang is truly something, having promised himself to a young lady yet not telling me a word."

He and Madam Wei had no doubts about her words.

With such a stunning appearance, her interest in Erlang was like a family blessing. A young woman’s virtue is immensely important; why would she deceive them about such a matter?

The Chen Family is not any high-status clan. If she says so, it must be true.

Moreover, they naturally believed that if Erlang were to marry, it should indeed be such an unparalleled woman.

Yu Haitang said, "I apologize for my boldness. I heard there are many women interested in him, so I came to declare my identity, to keep those women from pestering him."

Chen Rui hurried to say, "The young lady overthinks, Erlang is always decent and upright, never giving attention to any other woman."

He said this a bit sheepishly.

As far as he knew, there was someone from the Xiaoshui Sect, the Lord Admiral’s daughter, and another woman of ambiguous relationship, surnamed Zhong, kept at home.

But in front of Yu Haitang, he had to speak well of his brother.

Just then, the hall door opened.

Chen Rui was about to complain, looking up, he was stunned.

A young woman, dressed in white, was like pure snow, exceptionally beautiful, possessing an ethereal beauty, as if she came from the celestial palace.

It was as if seeing a ghost, seeing two otherworldly beautiful women in one day.

Madam Wei was also stunned.

Chen Lide looked at this one and then that one, his mouth slightly open, thoroughly surprised.

Chen Lirong covered her mouth, feeling as though her eyes couldn’t take it all in.

The woman in white entered the room and asked, "Where is he?"

By her demeanor, it was clear she knew Yu Haitang.

For some reason, Chen Rui had a gut feeling that the "he" in her words referred to his brother, Erlang.

Yu Haitang said calmly, "What does it have to do with you?"

The white-clad woman’s long sleeves slightly fluttered, and she asked once more, "Where is he?"

Yu Haitang quietly said, "All present are family to Ming Lang, do you plan to take action?"

The white-clad woman glanced at Chen Rui and the others, then vanished as if into thin air.

Such a feat left the Chen family shocked and uncertain, believing it to be the work of immortals.

Yu Haitang said, "Don’t worry, she is just another one of those girls clinging to Ming Lang. She is here for me, she won’t harm you."

Huh?

Chen Rui was relieved to hear this, then felt awkward.

At this moment, Yu Haitang said, "I am tired."

"Chunxiang, Xiaxiang, take Miss Yu to rest."

After she left, Chen Rui and his wife exchanged glances.

"How did Erlang meet this Miss Yu? And that lady just now..."

"I am wondering the same."

Chen Rui was very curious about what Erlang had experienced in Jiangzhou City, to attract two women of such exceptional beauty?

Only when Erlang returned could they get answers.

...

The old Chen Family house had been expanded several times, and its scale was already quite large.

Chen Rui arranged for Yu Haitang to stay in the courtyard where Chen Ming had stayed, even though he had never lived here before.

A couple of years earlier, Chen Rui had asked his eldest uncle, Chen Lao Jiu, who stayed at the old residence, to rebuild this courtyard. It was spacious, and many things were new.

After Yu Haitang entered the courtyard, she dismissed the maids.

A while later, Su Zhining appeared, with the same question, "Where is he?"

Yu Haitang murmured softly, "He is dead."

Su Zhining’s sword on her back trembled slightly, and her clear, deep eyes became cold, "How did he die?"

"He saved me—"

Yu Haitang recalled that day.

In the depths of the earth, before Chen Ming was engulfed by lava, he sent forth a palm strike. It was that strike that saved her life, pushing her back to the shore.

"I should have gone with him... He wanted me to live well..."

"I still have unfinished tasks..."

Her voice grew weaker, tears falling one by one, oblivious to the fact that Su Zhining was already gone.

...

...

Su Zhining didn’t know how she left Chen Family Gully, walking from day to night.

Without realizing it, she returned to Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion.

At this time, Prince Zhenhai’s Mansion only had Shang Jianfei left, like an old farmer, tending to the flowers and plants in the garden.

She stood in the garden, looked up at the bright moon in the sky, the sword on her back seemed affected by her emotions, emitting a slight hum.

After a long time, she gently asked, "Did he really die in there?"

She wasn’t asking Shang Jianfei.

Behind her, at some point, another person appeared, wearing a white robe; it was her master, Yuan Zhixing.

Yuan Zhixing looked at his disciple’s sad expression, sighing inwardly, this disciple still couldn’t overcome the hurdle of emotions.

"Yes, it’s true."

"Why?"

"It’s complicated—"

"Why?"

Yuan Zhixing quietly explained, "This starts over a hundred years ago. A hundred years back, an accident allowed the Immortal Demon Venerable, originally suppressed at Celestial Extreme Peak, to escape. Elders of our sect chased it all the way to Qingfeng City, where they vanished.

"Afterwards, our sect sent people multiple times to search, but couldn’t find any trace of the Undying Demon Soul. Now it seems, the Undying Demon Soul avoided pursuit by hiding in that cave mansion, also exterminating the family guarding that place.

"Yet, it underestimated the Emperor of Eternal Life; entering that cave is easy, but leaving is difficult, thus trapped for a hundred years. It had no choice but to possess that Fire Flood Dragon.

"Over the century, the puppet of the Undying Demon Soul finally found a chance, spreading the word, bringing a group of people into the cave searching for the key. Wanting the Demon Soul to possess one of them, then kill everyone else, escape unnoticed from the cave...

"This time, not only did Chen Ming die, but also seven First Grade and several Second Grade cultivators. Ultimately, the Demon Soul possessed Chen Ming, with his fierce nature, refusing to become a puppet, decisively jumped into the Fire Vein. His bones likely did not remain."

After listening, Su Zhining didn’t speak for a long time, her gaze lost in the sight of the moon overhead.

After a while, she asked, "Is the Demon Soul dead?"

Yuan Zhixing shook his head, "It’s difficult. Back then, even with several Celestial Person realm experts, they couldn’t kill it, only suppress it, slowly wear down its undying traits. It’s been nearly a thousand years, still not worn. Mere lava, likely cannot destroy it."

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"I want revenge for him."

Yuan Zhixing suddenly asked, "If, by chance, he isn’t dead, but possessed by the Undying Demon Soul, what would you do?"

"..."

After a while, Su Zhining turned around, her expression stern, looking at her master, "I would kill it!"

PS: Asking for monthly votes.