Chapter 101: You’re Getting Off Cheap

Tai Lingxuan stood frozen in place for a long, long time.

She carefully pondered every word Chen Yuyang had said.

He had done it on purpose—deliberately standing out, deliberately drawing attention.

If she were to push him away now, it would truly be putting the cart before the horse…

“But even so, as your master, I still feel—”

“Enough.”

Chen Yuyang raised his voice, cutting Tai Lingxuan off, and then repeated firmly: “Master, there’s no need to say any more.I am not leaving.”

Tai Lingxuan lowered her gaze, yet she still couldn’t help asking: “Why? You know very well that we can’t help you. On the contrary, we’ll only become a burden…”

Chen Yuyang stepped forward and grabbed Tai Lingxuan’s hand.

“Master, don’t belittle yourself. I’ve never once thought of you as a burden.”

“Besides, if not for you, how could I be who I am today?”

Tai Lingxuan fell silent for a long while.

She looked at the young man before her, felt the firmness coming from his fingertips, and sensed the reluctance hidden within his words.

She understood.

“Very well. Since this is your choice, my disciple.”

Taking a deep breath, Tai Lingxuan lifted her head, her divine sense spreading outward.

After scanning the surroundings, she rose into the air with Chen Yuyang, facing the gathered crowd.

In an instant, all eyes focused on the calm, composed young man standing behind her.

“May I ask why you all have sought me out?”

Tai Lingxuan cupped her hands toward the crowd, neither humble nor overbearing.

“Sect Master Tai!”

Seeing the others still observing, Yan Dangmo immediately stepped forward.

“You have raised an excellent disciple.”

“My Yan family wishes to form an alliance through marriage with your Hehuan Sect. As long as this disciple of yours is willing to marry into the Yan family, the Hehuan Sect will be under our protection for generations, and will receive abundant cultivation resources every year.”

Yan Dangmo laid out his terms directly.

As soon as he spoke, not only the onlookers, but even those who had come specifically for Chen Yuyang sucked in a sharp breath.

The Yan family was truly sparing no expense.

They didn’t require Chen Yuyang to leave the Hehuan Sect.

Instead, they would protect it and distribute resources annually.

They were even offering their granddaughter in marriage—albeit with Chen Yuyang marrying into the family.

Even so, these terms were already generous enough to make many others back off.

Yan Dangmo had thought it through clearly: once Chen Yuyang married Yan Luo, giving benefits to him or to her made no difference.

There was no harm in being generous.

Seeing this, Zhu Tian clenched his teeth and spoke up as well: “As long as you are willing to acknowledge me as your master, I will teach you everything I know. I am the only ninth-rank alchemist in the Northern Region. At that time, the entire Alchemy Sect’s resources will be at your disposal.”

“Within a hundred years, if you can advance to a high-grade alchemist, the position of Alchemy Sect Master will be yours!”

Zhu Tian’s words left everyone stunned.

This was offering the entire Alchemy Sect as a condition!

But Zhu Tian had his own reasoning.

If this young man truly had the ability to reach the upper ranks within a century, then even without his words, no one else would be able to compete with him for the sect leadership.

With these terms on the table, the others found themselves momentarily speechless.

Compared to the Yan family and the Alchemy Sect, what they could offer simply wasn’t on the same level.

Facing those burning gazes, Chen Yuyang admitted that this outcome had exceeded his expectations.

At the very least, he hadn’t expected them to offer such extravagant terms to recruit him.

Originally, he had only intended to cause a bit of a stir—enough to shock everyone.

Stepping forward, Chen Yuyang cupped his hands.

“Thank you, seniors, for your kindness. This junior is truly flattered.”

“However, my cultivation is still shallow, and I fear I cannot live up to your expectations. I also have a carefree nature and am accustomed to life in the Hehuan Sect. I am unwilling to leave. I hope you seniors will forgive me.”

Yan Dangmo’s expression grew solemn.

He raised his voice and turned to Tai Lingxuan.

“Sect Master Tai, this matter is of great importance—surely it cannot be treated lightly. As Yuyang’s mentor, you should be able to persuade him.”

Zhu Tian also spoke, his tone far more forceful.

“Brother Yan is right. Chen, this young friend’s talent in alchemy is a once-in-a-thousand-years rarity. If it is buried like this, it will be a tremendous loss to the entire Northern Region’s alchemy world. I hope Sect Master Tai will consider the greater good and persuade him.”

Feeling the weight of those gazes, Tai Lingxuan took a deep breath.

Her eyes calmly swept across the crowd as she spoke slowly.

Her voice was cool, yet carried unquestionable authority.

“I understand your intentions.”

“However, Yuyang is already an adult and can make his own decisions. The Hehuan Sect is fully aware of his talent and takes great pride in it. But we will never force our disciples to do anything against their will. Seniors, please forgive us.”

“But if anyone—or any force—attempts to coerce my disciple into a choice he does not wish to make…”

“My Hehuan Sect may be small, but we have the courage to fight to the death.”

“And though I, Tai Lingxuan, may be weak, I am capable of dragging a few people down with me before I die.”

As she spoke calmly, an invisible pressure spread outward.

The expressions of the crowd subtly changed.

Perhaps because the Hehuan Sect was small and weak, they often overlooked one fact—Tai Lingxuan herself had already reached the ninth level of the Integration Realm.

While that wasn’t the very pinnacle of combat power, it was still a strength not to be underestimated.

Offending an Integration-realm ninth-level expert with the potential to reach the Mahayana Realm before a hundred years had passed…

And an alchemist with heaven-defying talent, likely to reach the upper ranks within a century..

No matter how one thought about it, it simply wasn’t worth it.

Even if they couldn’t recruit him, not offending him was clearly the best choice.

With this realization, Zhu Tian felt some displeasure in his heart, but could only accept the situation.

Yan Dangmo, however, remained calm.

Seeing everyone else rejected actually made him less anxious.

As long as Chen Yuyang hadn’t joined another sect, his granddaughter would always have a chance.

After all, he never intended to make Chen Yuyang leave the Hehuan Sect—only to marry into the Yan family.

Refusing now didn’t mean refusing forever.

Yan Luo wasn’t bad-looking—just a bit hot-tempered.

If he could find a way to bring them together, once young people were mutually willing, there would be no need for him to say anything more.

Perhaps, in time, the boy would be begging to join the Yan family.

With positions made clear, the crowd gradually dispersed.

However, among the onlooking cultivators, discussion erupted.

“My heavens! I feel awful just watching this. That kid—what has he done to deserve this?”

“Fifteen years old, refining pills without a furnace, seventeen top-grade Qi-Gathering Pills in three hours. If you could do that, you’d get this treatment too!”

“Tsk, truly enviable talent!”

“To reach this level, talent alone probably isn’t enough.”

“But isn’t the craziest part that he rejected everything?”

“Yeah! If it were me, I’d have agreed immediately. Join any one of those forces and you’d have everything you wanted!”

“You don’t understand—that’s pride!”

“The Hehuan Sect is about to rise.”

A mix of shock, admiration, envy, and jealousy intertwined in their chatter.

The name Hehuan Sect—and Chen Yuyang—spread throughout Spirit Medicine City.

Back at the inn, Chen Yuyang cupped his hands toward Tai Lingxuan, then went to the adjacent room where Lingxi was staying.

Tai Lingxuan stood in place, watching his retreating figure with a complicated expression.

Even now, she still felt it was a pity.

But…

With a soft sigh, she shook her head helplessly.

Why force it?

Meanwhile, Lingxi was inside her room.

She had been holding her breath, listening to the commotion outside.

When she heard Chen Yuyang refuse, her heart jumped into her throat.

Only after hearing Master Tai Lingxuan state that she respected Chen Yuyang’s choice and would not force him did Lingxi finally let out a long breath, collapsing into her chair and breathing heavily.

Thank goodness…

Thank goodness Master hadn’t forced Senior Brother away…

She had been so afraid—afraid that Master would disregard his wishes and intervene forcefully.

If that had happened…

Lingxi didn’t dare think further.

But now… now it was fine.

Senior Brother had made his choice, and Master respected it.

Lingxi raised a hand and patted her rapidly pounding chest, a faint smile returning to her face.

This was good.

She didn’t need to think about so much anymore.

Creak…

The door opened.

Lingxi jumped in fright and turned to see the young man enter, wearing his usual gentle smile.

“Senior Brother!”

The girl sprang up, gazing at him eagerly.

“All right, all right, don’t be so—”

Before he could finish, the girl rushed forward and hugged him tightly.

Speechless, Chen Yuyang felt her embrace—she wasn’t much shorter than him—and felt her heart pounding violently.

She parted her lips, yet said nothing, simply holding him, simply looking at him, simply feeling his presence.

After a long while…

Just as Chen Yuyang thought it was about time to separate…

Soft lips moved closer.

Lingxi, at lightning speed, planted a kiss on his lips.

Then she pushed him away, retreated as if electrocuted, and turned her back to him.

“Hmph! You big pervert!”

“I’m letting you off cheap!”

Chen Yuyang stood there blankly, feeling the lingering softness on his lips, staring at the girl who had hurried to the window and was pretending to admire the scenery.

This…

What was that supposed to mean?

And… “letting me off cheap”?

What exactly did she let him off cheap for?

Chen Yuyang didn’t understand. He truly didn’t.

He stared at her back in a daze, only to see her secretly glance over—just in time to meet his eyes.

Immediately, Lingxi looked away again, her flushed cheeks turning aside.

Chen Yuyang touched his lips.

After a long while, he shook his head lightly and decided not to think too much about it.