Chapter 34 When I Grow Up, Can I Marry You?

• "He's only at the First Stratum of True Spirit Realm, yet he killed four cultivators at the Sixth Stratum of True Spirit so easily!" Zhu Mingqiu sucked in a breath of cold air as he watched Tan Xuan neatly dispatch the attackers, inwardly astonished. This feeling was even stronger when he recalled how he, a peak Sixth Stratum True Spirit cultivator, had just been pushed to the brink by these same people. "Old Daoist thanks Daoist Brother Tan Xuan for your help!" Seeing Tan Xuan turn around, he flew to his side, cupped his hands in thanks, and warned, "Daoist Brother Tan Xuan, the Bu Family is an ancient clan in the Eastern Domain, unfathomably deep. Now that you've offended them, you must be more cautious in the future." At the end, Zhu Mingqiu's voice was filled with guilt. After all, this trouble was originally his, but now Tan Xuan had been drawn into the vortex. "This Zhu Mingqiu is a good man," Tan Xuan thought. He waved his hand indifferently and said, "It's nothing. In life, we live amidst the red dust of the three thousand worlds, constantly entangled in grudges and resentments. How can we avoid every troublesome matter? Since that's the case, why care too much?" Zhu Mingqiu was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter: "Unexpectedly, after living half my life, I'm still not as open-minded as Daoist Brother. I've learned something today." "Old Daoist feels an instant connection with you. Would Daoist Brother be interested in visiting my humble abode for a short stay?" Zhu Mingqiu invited sincerely. Tan Xuan pondered for a moment. Since he had no urgent matters to attend to, he might as well go. He immediately smiled and said, "Since Daoist Brother invites me so sincerely, I naturally can't refuse." "Please!" Zhu Mingqiu gestured with his right hand and took the lead in flying toward a desolate mountain forest. Tan Xuan leisurely followed. Zhu Mingqiu's cave wasn't far from Jujiao City, only a few hundred li away. After flying for about three quarters of an hour, they arrived at a beautiful valley with clear waters and lush mountains. The scenery of this valley, naturally, couldn't compare to the ethereal and majestic locations of overlord forces like the Luo Shui Sect, but it was quite elegant. The valley was planted with yellow flowers, and countless colorful butterflies danced among the flower sea. In this picturesque scene, there was a cute girl with two braids, holding a drowsy white rabbit and happily chasing the butterflies. Seeing this scene, Tan Xuan felt a moment of trance. "Old Daoist has cultivated for half a life and killed for half a life. I thought my heart was as hard as iron, but when I saw Little Ye about to be violated by a brute, I couldn't help but act. Even I can't explain the reason," Zhu Mingqiu said. "Only after bringing Little Ye back here did I feel it was all worth it. After half a life of cultivation, a heart as hard as iron, and half a life of loneliness, my heart was lost. But Little Ye's arrival brought me a warmth I've never felt before." Zhu Mingqiu looked at the little girl chasing butterflies, his face full of smiles, as if even the lines of vicissitudes on his face gradually faded. Tan Xuan could see he was truly happy, a happiness from the bottom of his heart. "Grandpa, you're back!" When the little girl saw Zhu Mingqiu, an innocent smile immediately bloomed on her young face, revealing two cute dimples. She bounced to Zhu Mingqiu's side with the rabbit in her arms and asked curiously, pointing at Tan Xuan, "Grandpa, who is this slovenly uncle?" Tan Xuan was instantly speechless. Over the years, he had honed himself in the deep mountains and forests and had no time to pay attention to his image. Thus, his dao robe was tattered, and his hair and beard were messy, fitting the image of "slovenly." Embarrassed by the little girl's words, he vibrated his body, causing water vapor to rise and ripples to cleanse his body. His hair smoothed out, and his beard fell off automatically. "Eh, it's a big brother!" The little girl saw Tan Xuan instantly become handsome, blinked her eyes, and whispered. "Little Ye, don't be rude. This Elder Tan saved your grandpa's life. You must remember this great kindness," Zhu Mingqiu rebuked awkwardly, though his tone held little anger. "Grandpa, were you in danger?" As soon as Zhu Mingqiu finished speaking, the little girl immediately became nervous, on the verge of tears. She stared at Zhu Mingqiu with big eyes, checking if he was injured. Warmed by her concern, Zhu Mingqiu said gently, "Little Ye, don't worry. Elder Tan saved me in time, so grandpa isn't hurt." The little girl let out a sigh of relief, turned to Tan Xuan, and said seriously, "Thank you, big brother, for saving my grandpa." Tan Xuan smiled, reached out, and touched the little girl's hair to indicate no thanks were needed. However, her next words made him stumble. "Big brother, when I grow up, can I marry you?" The little girl's face turned slightly red as she stared at Tan Xuan with a serious expression. Suddenly, Tan Xuan was at a loss for words, his face filled with embarrassment. "Hahaha!" Zhu Mingqiu burst into hearty laughter at Tan Xuan's awkwardness. Inside the bronze scroll, Feng Lingzi was rolling on the ground, laughing uncontrollably. "Hehe, Little Ye, go play by yourself first. Grandpa needs to discuss something with Elder Tan," Zhu Mingqiu said after laughing for a while, coming to Tan Xuan's rescue. The little girl pouted but still walked out with the rabbit. Soon, she was chasing butterflies again in the flower sea, her giggles rippling through the flowers. "Daoist Brother Tan Xuan, this is flower wine brewed by Old Daoist in my spare time. Please taste it and see how it tastes," Zhu Mingqiu led Tan Xuan to an elegant pavilion, took out a small bottle of wine, and poured a cup for him. The clear wine emitted a faint floral fragrance, refreshing Tan Xuan. He didn't stand on ceremony and directly picked up the cup to drink. The wine had a stronger floral scent when it entered his mouth, and a faint coolness spread in his mouth, extremely comfortable. "Good wine!" Tan Xuan said with relish. "I'm glad you like it, Daoist Brother. Old Daoist has no other hobbies but this. After cultivation, I feel uncomfortable if I don't have a cup," Zhu Mingqiu said with a smile. After drinking several cups in a row, Tan Xuan's face became serious as he said, "Although I killed the Bu Family's pursuers, I'm afraid the Bu Family won't let you go easily. How do you plan to deal with this, Daoist Brother?" Zhu Mingqiu's face froze, turning somewhat gloomy. He smiled bitterly and said, "I'm just a freelance cultivator. What can I do? However, I've decided to take Little Ye and leave here. The Xuanhuang Continent is vast, and Old Daoist has some cultivation. There must be a place for us." Tan Xuan pondered for a moment, looked at the little girl playing carefree in the flower sea, and then said solemnly to Zhu Mingqiu, "If you encounter troubles you can't solve, you can come find me at the Luo Shui Sect. This is my token!" As he spoke, he flipped his hand and took out a token engraved with the Nine Palaces Peak, with the ancient seal characters "Tan Xuan" also carved on it. This token wasn't for inner disciples but specially made by the Luo Shui Sect as a keepsake for its disciples, also intended for such situations. However, ordinary cultivators would usually give their tokens to their family members. Zhu Mingqiu didn't refuse. He knew his strength was limited, and even if he didn't need it, Little Ye might.