Bu Tingyue, who was just about to make a snarky comment, couldn't hold back anymore and stared wide-eyed, looking incredulously at Yu Yao's current state.

Has she gone mad?

"Even if it's Yuchi, as long as there is love, then there shouldn't be a problem, right?" Yu Yao repeated again, looking pitiful yet full of affection.

As Yuchi sank into deep despair, she quickly said, "There's a martial arts competition not far from here. To express my sincerity, Yuchi, let's fight on the stage. I'm challenging you, and if you win, I'll give you gold and silver. But if you lose, then you'll have to marry... well, you'll have to become my most respected ideal husband, okay?"

Yuchi: "…"

This girl is quite ruthless, appearing obedient on the surface, but she actually has lured me right to her home. Once I enter her family, who knows how they'll treat me? If word gets out that the young master of Celestial Craft Workshop got married into their Yu Family, Celestial Craft Workshop would surely lose face. Meanwhile, she could easily regain face in front of Bu Tingyue.

As for the so-called respected ideal husband, how could that be possible? In such a woman's eyes, there really are no men. If she didn't have such high standards, there isn't a single man in all of Cuncha City who could catch her eye. Her pickiness is frightening.

So there's no way one would choose to get involved with such a person. This is truly for the sake of my own safety, not to mention I'm not someone who covets money. Thus, I righteously said, "This isn't about money; it's mainly because there's no emotional foundation between us. We've just met, and even if you want some sort of romance, it's too fast."

"One hundred thousand." Yu Yao said.

"…"

Yuchi's brow twitched, and he thought, Sis, who do you think you're looking down on? You think you can sell my soul for a hundred thousand silver? Impossible! A hundred thousand silver doesn't even cover my one-month fee at Ascension Gate. He sighed and waved his hand: "I'm sorry, I really don't have such an idea now."

"One million."

Yu Yao extended her hand, "If you win the match, you'll immediately receive a million, and I'll give myself to you as well. I'd even be willing to be your servant."

Yuchi: "Deal."

Bu Tingyue: "…"

Oh wow, Yuchi, just earlier you were mumbling about righteousness and morality, and how gold and silver couldn't corrupt your soul. Are you really saying that after receiving a million silver, you'd just set everything aside? If your parents knew about this, they'd be absolutely disappointed.

Ha? If this gets known by my parents, and they find out I turned down a million silver, they'd definitely slap me silly!

The truth is plain: for a single coin, Yuchi would scoff; for a hundred coins, he'd frown and ask who you think you're belittling. For a mere piece of silver, he'd laugh and claim it wouldn't change his life. But as the silver mounts to a ten, a hundred, a thousand pieces, he'd start pondering. By ten thousand, even a million, he'd suspect it to be a trap. As for dignity...

When dignity can be directly traded for silver, especially amounts reaching hundreds, even millions, of silver, it's bound to cause an intense competition.

"Is this real?" Yuchi asked calmly, with a look of deep suspicion and curiosity in his eyes.

What does a million silver mean? It's enough to sustain me at Ascension Gate for over a year, with savings left. Besides, I came to Cuncha City to earn money.

"It's true. This million is my dowry given by my parents a long time ago, meant to be given to the right person when I meet them."

After saying that, Yu Yao switched to a teasing tone, "But Yuchi, there's something I should tell you in advance."

"You're not from Cuncha City, so you might not be aware of our customs. First, competing in martial arts for marriage is a great honor, representing the ability to conquer your partner with your own strength. Secondly, martial arts competitions for marriage have official support, and the government will even issue official documents to confirm the relationship between the two."

"So under these circumstances, anyone with ambition would start practicing martial arts from a young age. Although martial arts competitions for marriage are limited to the public and can't include cultivators, there's a world of difference between practicing martial arts and not practicing. And Yuchi, you don't seem to be a Martial Artist."

"So you might not be able to beat me. If you lose to me, from a moral and legal standpoint, you'd be my man. Moreover, I'd have immense control over you, even to the point of locking you away without consequence."