Chapter 1: Descending the Mountain

"My disciple, your master is heading back to the Upper Realm to find your master's wife. Go down the mountain and make your own way in the world."

Qin Guan had just finished moving an entire mountain when he returned to his quarters and found the letter his master had left for him.

"That Old Man is never up to any good!"

After reading the first line, Qin Guan immediately had a bad feeling.

"Twelve years ago, your master was momentarily careless and accidentally killed the Nan Family Patriarch of Qingzhou. As compensation, just before he died, I privately sold you to their Nan Family and signed a marriage contract with him. So go present yourself as their son-in-law…"

Reading this, Qin Guan's mouth twitched uncontrollably. Twelve years ago, he had been only four years old when his master sold him off. To think he had trusted that Old Man so completely — what a shameless old thief…

Marrying into a woman's family — never in his life had he imagined he would become a live-in son-in-law. In his eyes, it was a man's disgrace. A man should stand tall and proud; how could he stoop to living off someone else like a gigolo?

Thinking about it, Qin Guan felt helpless. It was his master who had pulled him out of a pile of corpses, raised him, and passed on a full set of skills. In his heart, he had long since regarded his master as a father.

A father's debts are a son's to repay — that was simply the way of things.

Whether he liked it or not, he had no choice but to be that gigolo…

"Sigh!"

Qin Guan let out a long breath and continued reading.

"You scoundrel, were you just cursing your master?"

Reading that line, Qin Guan was utterly speechless. The man had lived so long he'd lost count of the years, yet he still acted like a child. When would he ever grow up?

"Keep that pagoda safe. It is very important to you. Whatever you do, don't lose it — if you do, I guarantee I will beat you to death!"

"Also, if you ever get yourself into serious trouble that you can't handle, open that Red Brocade Sachet. It may be of help."

"Finally, don't complain about your master selling you off. I am sending you to enjoy life. Qingzhou is full of beautiful women, and with your current strength, you can do as you please there."

Qin Guan: "……"

After finishing his master's letter, Qin Guan picked up a Storage Pouch from the table and opened it.

Inside were a Red Brocade Sachet, a Marriage Contract, and a small black pagoda.

The moment he saw the Little Black Pagoda, Qin Guan's eyes lit up. Now that was a fine treasure!

Whoosh!

The instant Qin Guan picked up the Little Black Pagoda, it suddenly transformed into a streak of mysterious light and shot into the space between his brows.

Qin Guan tried to communicate with it, but the black pagoda completely ignored him.

"Quite the personality. I like it."

Qin Guan smirked and stopped bothering with the Little Black Pagoda. He knew that artifacts of this caliber all had their own will — a bond had to be nurtured slowly over time.

* * *

Half a month later, within the borders of Qingzhou.

On the broad surface of a river, a ferry was drifting slowly along.

Standing on the deck was a graceful and beautiful young woman. She wore white robes, her face as flawless as fine jade, and around her slender waist was a golden phoenix sash of yellow brocade that accentuated her elegant figure most enchantingly.

"Young Miss, stand back!"

At that moment, a blue-robed elder suddenly appeared in front of the woman, shielding her behind him.

"What is it, Elder Xu?" the woman asked, somewhat surprised.

The Blue-robed Elder's gaze swept toward the distance, his expression grave. "Someone extraordinary is coming!"

Hearing this, the woman was astonished. She had never seen Elder Xu look so tense before.

Just then, the calm surface of the river suddenly rippled with dense waves. In the next instant, the river erupted into chaos — countless fish, seemingly startled, leaped out of the water and fled in a panic.

Splash! Splash!

The river, which had merely been rippling moments ago, began to heave violently, crashing fiercely against the banks.

"E-earthquake! Earthquake!"

The ferryman cried out in terror, clutching the mast with both hands for dear life.

The Blue-robed Elder pressed his palm gently downward, and the rocking, lurching ferry instantly steadied.

At that moment, the sky suddenly darkened.

"A-a flying mountain!"

The ferryman stared up at the sky in horror. A small mountain was hurtling through the air directly above the ferry.

Whoosh!

Before anyone could recover their wits, a column of red water suddenly shot up from the riverbed dozens of meters away from the ferry.

In the next instant, a young man burst out of the water. He was enveloped in a faint red radiance, moving at incredible speed — like a cannonball fired from the depths of the river — shooting straight toward the descending mountain.

"My apologies!"

High in the air, Qin Guan, who was holding the small mountain aloft, gave a bow toward the ferry, then plunged back into the riverbed.

On the river's surface, the small mountain moved at tremendous speed and vanished from everyone's sight in a short while.

"I've long heard that immortals walk this world, and today this old ferryman has had the fortune to witness an immortal moving house — truly a blessing of three lifetimes, with smoke rising from my ancestors' graves!"

After Qin Guan left, the ferryman kept kowtowing in the direction he had gone.

"That young man was no ordinary person!" the Blue-robed Elder said, his expression solemn.

Hearing this, the white-robed young woman smiled and asked, "How does he compare to you?"

The Blue-robed Elder gave a wry smile. "I'm not confident I could win. If I were, I wouldn't have let him off so easily after he disturbed the Young Miss."

"Hehe!"

The woman covered her mouth and laughed softly. "This is the first time I've ever seen Elder Xu be so candid."

"With that surging, vigorous Gang Qi — against a Martial Artist of that caliber, you need the resolve to die if you want to provoke him." The Blue-robed Elder's expression turned serious as he added:

"From what I know, none of the great clans and families of Qingzhou have produced a figure like this. To achieve such mastery at such a young age is truly rare. Could it be that he is also heading to that place?"

The white-robed young woman's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "Look into this person."

As her words fell, a man concealed in the shadows silently slipped away.

* * *

Three days later, in Luyun City of the Longyun Empire in Qingzhou, Qin Guan finally arrived at the Nan Family estate.

Nan Yunqi, the head of the Nan Family, stared at the Marriage Contract on the table with an expression of disbelief.

"Can this Marriage Contract actually be real?" said Yang Hongmei, his wife, standing to one side, her face darkening.

"It is the Patriarch's own handwriting." Nan Yunqi nodded, then looked toward Qin Guan standing before him.

Qin Guan had dark, sun-bronzed skin and sharp, chiseled features that gave him a handsome and spirited look. However, his coarse linen clothes and shoes riddled with holes made him look particularly shabby.

Shabby was one thing, but more critically, there was not a single trace of Spiritual Energy fluctuation on Qin Guan — he was clearly an ordinary mortal with no Cultivation whatsoever.

"Father, if you make me marry a good-for-nothing like this, I would rather cripple my own Cultivation and die!"

At that moment, a young woman could no longer hold herself back and stood up. She was strikingly beautiful with a cold, alluring appearance and a figure that stirred an instinctive desire to conquer in any man who laid eyes on her.

This young woman was Nan Qiao, the one bound to Qin Guan by the Marriage Contract. Looking at Qin Guan's sloppy appearance, her eyes were filled with undisguised contempt.

She had just awakened the Yin Spirit Physique, and her future prospects were limitless. How could she possibly look twice at this ordinary mortal? If she married him, she would be shackled for life, and her brilliant future would be ruined.

"Qiao'er, don't be rash!"

Hearing Nan Qiao threaten to cripple her own Cultivation, Nan Yunqi leaped to his feet in fright.

Ever since the Nan Family Patriarch had fallen, the Nan Family's strength had plummeted, and they had since sunk to the level of a third-rate family.

The Nan Family's entire hope now rested on Nan Qiao's rise!

Nan Yunqi looked at Qin Guan with a troubled expression:

"Young hero, to be honest, we were unaware of the Marriage Contract our Patriarch signed back then. This has all come as quite a shock. Qiao'er naturally needs some time to accept it.

"I think it would be best to set this matter aside for now. Why not let the two of you spend some time getting to know each other before we discuss the wedding? What do you say?"

This was something not even he, as her father, could accept — let alone Nan Qiao.

If Qin Guan were a normal young man, that would be one thing. But the fact that he had absolutely no Cultivation made him entirely unworthy of his exceptional daughter.

Now that Nan Qiao had awakened the Yin Spirit Physique, given time, countless great powers would be competing to take her in. Her future was radiant — if she was to marry, it had to be a peerless genius.

"Why waste words on him? He is simply not worthy of our Qiao'er!"

Just then, Yang Hongmei suddenly spoke up. She looked at Qin Guan with undisguised disdain:

"Don't take offense at my bluntness, but look at yourself — you reek of poverty from head to toe. No family background, no strength. What do you have to offer my daughter?

"Our Nan Family is a great and prosperous house, as you should well know. You and Qiao'er are from two completely different worlds. You're nothing but a toad lusting after a swan!"

In her heart, she was cursing the Nan Family Patriarch — had he lost his mind back then, or had a door slammed on his head? How could he have found such a worthless fiancé for his own granddaughter?

Absolutely outrageous!

Yang Hongmei's words were harsh, but they were the truth. That Qin Guan was unworthy of Nan Qiao was an undeniable fact.

At this moment, several of the Nan Family's core members in the hall quietly nodded, feeling that Yang Hongmei was right.

Qin Guan felt both irritated and amused. Truthfully, having a Marriage Contract suddenly thrust upon them out of nowhere would be hard for anyone to accept — but even so, was there any need to belittle and humiliate him like this?

"So what you're saying is that the Nan Family intends to break the contract?" Qin Guan glanced at Yang Hongmei, then let his gaze settle on Nan Yunqi.

Nan Yunqi's expression became uncomfortable. Everyone in Luyun City knew him as a man of his word, and the Nan Family had always maintained a fine reputation there. Breaking the contract would be very damaging to the Nan Family's standing.

"Sigh! How about this!"

Yang Hongmei, who had been so contemptuous a moment ago, suddenly had her eyes light up. She turned to Nan Yunqi and said, "Isn't Rou'er still unmarried? Why not have her substitute for Qiao'er as the bride?"

Hearing his wife's suggestion, Nan Yunqi's brow furrowed. Nan Rou was his eldest daughter, who had been afflicted with a strange illness since childhood and had little time left. How could she be used as a substitute bride?

But before Nan Yunqi could make up his mind, Yang Hongmei had already sent someone to fetch Nan Rou.

Qin Guan looked at Nan Rou. She was slender and delicate, her skin as white as snow — like a flower trembling gently in the breeze, gentle and beautiful. Yet her complexion was like the first snow of winter: pure, but tinged with a sickly pallor.

After taking her in, Qin Guan's brow furrowed slightly. He thought to himself: "Her vital blood is depleted, and Cold Poison has seeped into her bones. If left untreated, she will not survive five more days."

"Rou'er, come here quickly!"

Upon seeing Nan Rou, Yang Hongmei rushed forward with a warm smile — a complete reversal of her usual attitude toward her.

Nan Rou approached Yang Hongmei, who pointed at Qin Guan and said with a smile:

"Rou'er, your father and I have found you a wonderful husband. Come take a look!"

Hearing Yang Hongmei's words, Nan Rou glanced at Qin Guan with a puzzled look, but quickly averted her gaze.

At this moment, Nan Yunqi's brow suddenly relaxed. Nan Rou did not have long to live. If she could substitute for Nan Qiao as the bride, it would not only resolve this difficult situation but also give her a proper family — a complete life.

With that thought, Nan Yunqi brought the Marriage Contract before Nan Rou and said softly:

"Rou'er, this young man was originally bound to your younger sister by this Marriage Contract. But Qiao'er refuses no matter what."

Nan Yunqi sighed softly and continued with a trace of guilt:

"Your mother passed away when you were young, and your father has been busy with family affairs all these years, with little time to spend with you. If you marry this young man, at least you will have someone to look after you. Do you understand your father's intentions?"

Nan Rou gripped the hem of her clothes with both hands, head bowed in silence, lost in her own thoughts.

Seeing that Nan Rou said nothing, Yang Hongmei grew impatient:

"Oh, what is there to hesitate about? Just look at this young Master Qin — strong and healthy, handsome and upright. Anyone can tell he's the caring, attentive type. Your sister is being so generous as to let you have such a fine husband. You should be grateful!"

"This woman's skin is unbelievably thick…"

Hearing Yang Hongmei's words, Qin Guan's mouth twitched involuntarily. Just moments ago, this woman had been looking down on him in every possible way, and now in the blink of an eye she was singing his praises to the heavens. The sheer brazenness of it left Qin Guan genuinely speechless.

"Exactly right — Sister and this... this young master are truly a perfect match!" Nan Qiao quickly chimed in from the side, nodding along.

"Stop, all of you. I agree." Nan Rou suddenly said in a quiet voice.

Seeing Nan Rou agree, Nan Yunqi broke into a hearty laugh. "Ha ha! Worthy of being my daughter — sensible and obedient!"

Then he turned to Qin Guan: "What say you, young hero?"

"Fine by me." Qin Guan said with a calm smile.

His master had sent him to the Nan Family to be a live-in son-in-law, which was nothing more than a way to compensate the Nan Family and help them grow stronger. It made no difference who he married. Besides, this Nan Rou was far more agreeable to look at than that Nan Qiao.

As for her Cold Poison — curing it was no great difficulty for him.

"Oh, wonderful!"

Seeing Qin Guan agree so readily, Yang Hongmei clapped her hands together, her eyes curving into happy crescents.

She hadn't expected Qin Guan to be so agreeable. After all, compared to her own daughter, this sickly Nan Rou was far inferior in every way.

Poor people really do have shallow eyes — the saying was absolutely true. He'd probably be just as happy marrying a maidservant.

Nan Qiao also breathed a sigh of relief. Out of nowhere, a good-for-nothing had appeared claiming to have a Marriage Contract with her — it had given her quite a fright. Thankfully, that half-dead invalid had gotten her out of the bind.

"Excellent! I'll arrange a grand ceremony for the two of you in three days!" With the problem resolved, Nan Yunqi was overjoyed and made the decision on the spot.

Yang Hongmei's expression shifted. She raised a silk handkerchief to her nose and looked at Qin Guan with a hint of disdain:

"Rou'er, what are you standing there for? Take your beloved husband and go get cleaned up. He's starting to smell!"

"Follow me."

Nan Rou quickly led Qin Guan away.

Before long, Nan Rou brought Qin Guan to a small courtyard.

The courtyard was tucked away in a secluded corner, overgrown with weeds, its bricks and stones worn and crumbling — it looked like a long-abandoned place.

"You live here?" Qin Guan asked, somewhat puzzled.

"Yes." Nan Rou nodded. She glanced around and lowered her voice: "Master Qin, while no one is watching, you should leave quickly."

"What, you don't think much of me either?" Qin Guan raised an eyebrow.

Nan Rou let out a bitter smile. "It's not that I don't think much of you, Master Qin. It's that I am not worthy of you."

Qin Guan waved his hand with a smile. "What's all this talk of worthy or unworthy? The fact that we've met means we share a bond."

Nan Rou shook her head, her expression growing dim. "Master Qin, to be honest, I don't have much time left. I don't want to drag you down by making you marry someone who is about to die."

Hearing Nan Rou's words, Qin Guan was momentarily taken aback. This girl had a kind heart — even on the verge of death, she was thinking of others.

With that thought, Qin Guan reached out and took hold of Nan Rou's wrist. Nan Rou was startled and instinctively tried to pull away.

"Don't be afraid. I only want to take your pulse."

As he said this, Qin Guan placed his fingers on Nan Rou's pulse point.

Cold Poison had seeped into her bones and was beginning to devour her internal organs. Using Gang Qi to shield her heart meridian, then employing Ice Silver Flower to fight poison with poison — that would cure her.

"Your Cold Poison can be treated."

After only a brief moment, Qin Guan had already formulated a solution in his mind.

Hearing this, Nan Rou smiled bitterly. "Master Qin, please don't joke with me. This illness of mine simply cannot be…"

Before Nan Rou could finish speaking, she suddenly began to tremble violently. Her cheeks, already as pale as paper, became visibly coated with a layer of frost at a speed visible to the naked eye, and her limbs rapidly stiffened — a terrifying sight to behold!