Chapter 171: The Nature of Men (Second Update)

This statement carried an overwhelming amount of information! It struck Yan Shu with such astonishment that she was left dumbfounded! She looked over at Yuwen Che, her eyes filled with shock and gossipy curiosity. Judging purely by the literal meaning of the words, was it really what she thought it was?! Truth be told, had she known it would come to this, she wouldn't have gone along with their words out of trust, even if they were on the same side! Not to mention Yan Shu, even Xiao Jihan revealed a trace of surprise. Yuwen Che's face darkened instantly, and he said coldly, "Junior Sister, watch your tongue!" Shan Zhiqing blinked, and tears immediately welled up and spilled down her face. She spoke in a choked voice, "Did I say something wrong, Senior Brother? I..." "Qing'er!" Shan Changfeng interrupted her in a stern voice, his square face full of disapproval. "Those who practice immortality have long since cast off worldly conventions. There are plenty of cultivators who share a dual cultivation bond without being formal dao companions, let alone in the Hehuan Sect. Since your Eldest Senior Brother has already found the one he loves and wishes to make her his dao companion, there is no need to bring up the past." Hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Shan Zhiqing's eyes, but she quickly concealed it. Her large, tear-filled eyes were brimming with pain. "But... I am not that kind of person, I..." Shan Changfeng closed his eyes with a look of pain and interrupted her coldly, "Say no more!" Yuwen Che's refined and handsome face darkened as he stared coldly at Shan Zhiqing. "Junior Sister, you had better make things clear! What do you mean by saying you gave everything to me?! I..." "Enough!" Shan Changfeng shouted, cutting Yuwen Che off harshly. Giving no one a chance to speak again, he directly made his decision. "Let the past be buried! Since you are going to get married, we should discuss the date. Has Peak Master Yan discussed with Sect Master Wen where you and Che will live after becoming dao companions?" Yan Shu looked at Shan Zhiqing, then at Yuwen Che, her head buzzing with confusion. "Umm... I might have picked a bad time to visit today. I'll take my leave first." With that, she hurriedly stood up, cupped her fists in a salute, and practically fled toward the outer hall. Xiao Jihan shot Yuwen Che a cold glance and followed closely behind. Yuwen Che looked between Shan Changfeng and Shan Zhiqing, then suddenly let out a cold laugh and said to Shan Zhiqing, "Junior Sister, you still need evidence for your words. Trying to ruin my reputation with ambiguous hints simply won't do!" With that, he cast a cold glare at her and strode away. The main hall instantly fell silent. Shan Zhiqing wiped away her tears, looked at Shan Changfeng, and asked, "Father, why did you speak like that just now?" Shan Changfeng let out a cold snort. "From the moment you started saying you gave him everything, wasn't that your intention all along? Father was merely helping you." Shan Zhiqing pressed her lips together and remained silent. Shan Changfeng looked at her and sighed. "Things have reached this point, and there is no other way. As long as you hold your ground and refuse to back down, Father has his own ways of forcing him to submit." "But you must be prepared. Yan Shu's reputation precedes her, and now that the news of her being able to purify spiritual roots and receiving the protection of the Heavenly Dao has spread, the Yuwen clan will not abandon her for you. Therefore, even with Father's help, the best we can achieve is for you to follow the precedent of Ehuang and Nuying, marrying Yuwen Che alongside Yan Shu." Shan Zhiqing bit her lip. "Your daughter is not afraid of that. What my daughter fears is... Eldest Senior Brother will resent me for this. Even... even if he grants me official status, he will never live peacefully with me." "There is no need to worry about that." Shan Changfeng seemed full of certainty. "It is normal to suffer some grievances at first. Over time, Father believes that with your methods, you will naturally find a way to make him truly your dao companion. For now, we must secure your status first and make him acknowledge this matter." Hearing this, Shan Zhiqing hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. After walking swiftly out of the main hall, Yan Shu drew a deep breath. Oh my god, that was so awkward! Although she wasn't actually going to become Yuwen Che's dao companion, the whole scenario still felt like something straight out of an old-school romance novel. Yuwen Che was the unrestrained, rebellious male lead, she was the true love who reformed him upon meeting him, and Shan Zhiqing was the second female lead who had always yearned for the male lead, shared intimacy with him, and was miserably abandoned. Whenever she read such old-school romance stories, Yan Shu would cringe so hard her toes curled. Now experiencing it firsthand, she felt goosebumps break out all over her body. The thirty-six stratagems dictate that running away is the best option. No matter what Yuwen Che and Xiao Jihan were plotting, if they wanted her cooperation, they needed to sort out this mess first! She was just a simple girl who only read pure novels where both body and mind were devoted to one person, alright? Yan Shu turned her gaze to Xiao Jihan, who had followed her out, and sent him a voice transmission: "I know what you're suspecting, but I really can't handle such a complicated scene. You should discuss it with Yuwen Che, and once he sorts out all that messy business, we can come back." Hearing this, Xiao Jihan looked at her. "You don't trust him?" Yan Shu tilted her head and thought about it seriously. "This has nothing to do with trust, does it? I don't know much about his situation. Even though, from my perspective, he shouldn't look twice at someone like Shan Zhiqing, men are such creatures that it's hard to say!" Especially under the influence of illusions or drugs, anything could happen. Even if it wasn't voluntary, a fact was still a fact. Men as creatures... Those six short words made Xiao Jihan detect a hint of distrust and disdain toward men in certain matters. He frowned and asked, "What if it were me today? Would you believe in my innocence?" To be honest, as long as it was a man, she didn't really trust any of them! Combining her two lives, she had never had a relationship with any man that involved wholehearted trust and complete surrender. She didn't know if, when genuinely trusting a man, one would still maintain that trust in the face of such a situation, but for now, she would definitely have doubts. However, the person in front of her was no ordinary man; he was the pure and desireless—oh no, the pure and passionless—male lead of the Wufang Dao! Therefore, she nodded with absolute certainty. "I trust you. After all, you cultivate the ruthless dao." "The ruthless dao?" Xiao Jihan furrowed his brows instantly, and just as he was about to speak, Yuwen Che caught up with them. Upon seeing the two of them, he hurriedly said, "Things are not as you think. This is not the place to talk; follow me first." Yan Shu looked at his handsome face and hesitated slightly. "How about we stay in Zhongzhou City instead, and we can come back once you've settled everything?" Hearing this, Yuwen Che's eyes were filled with hurt. "You don't trust me?" Unable to bear that look in his eyes, Yan Shu quickly nodded. "I trust you! I trust you, but right now it's just way too awkward. I think I'd better..." "Since you trust me, stay," Yuwen Che looked at her and said. "This matter does not concern me alone; it concerns not only you, but the entire Yuwen clan." Seeing him speak with such gravity, Yan Shu temporarily put aside her awkwardness and nodded. "Fine, I'll listen to you." Relieved, Yuwen Che smiled at her and said, "Come, I'll take you to settle in, and then we can talk in detail." Yan Shu followed Yuwen Che forward. Xiao Jihan lagged half a step behind, looking at her back, while her words—"You cultivate the ruthless dao"—still echoed in his mind. So, she actually thought he cultivated the ruthless dao? And even with that belief, she had still unhesitatingly given everything for him? A wave of softness washed over Xiao Jihan's heart, and the phoenix-like eyes looking at Yan Shu grew even more tender. He thought to himself that it was time to express his feelings to her, lest she continue to place herself in such a humble position. Part two of two chapters today, more to come!