Betrothing My Daughter to You

Shen Jingchuan's heart stirred, and he pondered to himself.

His senior sister also possesses Five Spirit Roots. If he were to teach her the "Five Phases Spirit Guiding Instruction" and provide her with elixirs and Spirit Stones, her leveling up would be extremely fast, much faster than Meng Ke and Qinghe at home.

She's been stuck at the Qi Refining Third Layer for years; all she lacks is Higher Vehicle Cultivation Method and sufficient resources.

But this Cultivation Method was passed down by Xian'er, and it's incredibly powerful. It's one thing for my own wife, but it's probably inappropriate to pass it on to someone else.

He even kept quiet about the Cultivation Method from Huan'er, Xiao Mingshu's personal maid.

He suppressed the thought as soon as it popped into his head.

Passing on Cultivation Method is absolutely out of the question; giving some pills and Spirit Stones first won't cause any problems.

As he pondered this, Yan Shuyao noticed he remained silent, assuming he was putting her in a difficult position.

The light in her eyes dimmed, but instead she smiled and waved gently.

"Never mind, junior brother, it was I who was being presumptuous."

"I know that cultivation Cultivation Method and resources are not easily given to others."

"I heard not long ago that you were running around trying to earn a few Spirit Stones, and that your business isn't just yours alone; you have a lot on your shoulders."

"It was my sister who misspoke, don't take it to heart."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingchuan looked up and saw her understanding expression. Without saying anything more, he placed his hand on the table.

A small white jade bottle landed steadily on the table.

"Senior sister, these are ten High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills."

Yan Shuyao was taken aback. She reached out to touch it, but upon hearing the words "High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill," she withdrew her hand.

"Qi Gathering Pill? And a high-grade one at that?" Her voice tightened. "I'm currently at the Qi Refining Third Layer, so I should be taking a Qi Nourishing Pill..."

"You've been stuck at the third level for too long, and your foundation is already solid," Shen Jingchuan said calmly. "One Qi Gathering Pill is enough for you to break through the bottleneck and reach the Qi Refining Fourth Layer. Refine the rest slowly and steadily."

Before he finished speaking, he flipped his hand again, and a pile of lustrous Spirit Stones, numbering over a hundred, clattered onto the table.

Yan Shuyao's small mouth was slightly open, and her eyes were wide open.

Immediately afterwards, Shen Jingchuan took out an antique-looking Ring from his pocket and placed it next to the Spirit Stone.

"Senior sister probably doesn't have Storage Ring yet, right? Here, take this one."

He already had many Storage Rings, and after disposing of a large batch recently, he still had five of the largest ones left for backup. He casually took one out at the moment.

Yan Shuyao was completely stunned. She looked at the pills, the Spirit Stones, and the Ring, and remained speechless for a long time.

"Junior brother, this... this is too much!" She quickly waved her hands, "I'd be grateful for even one Qi Gathering Pill. I've barely even seen Low-Grade Qi Nourishing Pill, let alone High-Grade Qi Gathering Pill... and so many Spirit Stones, and Storage Rings..."

She looked up at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.

"How did you suddenly become so wealthy? Even selling those watches and makeup mirrors wouldn't have earned you this much!"

Shen Jingchuan didn't respond to that, but simply pushed the Ring towards her.

"Senior sister, please put it away first. It wouldn't look good if others saw it. I'll talk to you about it later."

Yan Shuyao was a smart woman, and seeing this, she didn't ask any more questions. She quickly picked up the Ring, but then seemed a little flustered.

"How... how do I use this?"

"Refine it with your Divine Sense, and once it recognizes its master, you can use it." Shen Jingchuan simply taught her the method.

Yan Shuyao followed her instructions and tried to refine it. She finished in a moment. With a thought, she put the Spirit Stones and medicine bottles on the table into her Ring.

The table was spotless, as if nothing had happened.

She breathed a sigh of relief and looked up at Shen Jingchuan, her eyes filled with gratitude and curiosity.

"Junior brother, can you tell your sister now? What exactly happened?"

Shen Jingchuan looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and finally just shook his head.

"Senior sister, there are some things it's better if you don't know them."

"Just take it and use it, why bother asking so many questions?"

Yan Shuyao was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening.

Everyone has their own secrets, let alone those who cultivate immortality.

What kind of fortuitous opportunity the Shen Household was hiding, and where he got all these things, were not questions she should ask.

She quickly stood up, gave Shen Jingchuan a graceful curtsy, and her tone was full of sincere gratitude.

"It was my fault, Junior Brother. I truly don't know how to thank you for this kindness."

She gave a wry smile.

"I know, even if we sold the entire Yan Residence, we couldn't buy just one of your pills."

Seeing her at a loss for what to do, Shen Jingchuan waved his hand.

"Senior sister, if you still consider me your junior brother, then just keep the things safe and focus on your cultivation. Don't keep thanking me."

"Unless you don't consider me family at all. Tell me, what kind of older sister chases after her younger brother, thanking him all day long?"

Yan Shuyao was speechless at his question; she opened her mouth but couldn't find the words.

She knew that her relationship with him, which resembled that of siblings, was not based on blood ties, but besides saying "thank you," she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Seeing her embarrassed expression, Shen Jingchuan laughed instead.

"Okay, don't make things difficult for me. Just cook me a nice meal as a thank you gift, is that alright?"

Yan Shuyao nodded quickly, finally finding some peace of mind.

"Why not? Just because you've come all this way, I should treat you well. It has nothing to do with giving gifts. You wait here, I'll go arrange it right away--"

Before she could finish speaking, the curtain in the back room was lifted, and Yan Chongli walked out.

The old man changed into a clean long gown, his hair was neatly tied up, his face was radiant, and his steps were light and powerful, no longer showing the unsteady, aged manner he had before.

He walked into the hall, sat down in the main seat, looked at Shen Jingchuan, and first let out a long sigh of relief.

"Jingchuan, what am I supposed to say to you? This pill is just too miraculous. You've given me something so valuable, it's practically saving my life! This... there's no such logic in the world. It's always the master giving to the disciple, never the other way around with such a lavish gift."

Shen Jingchuan got up and poured him a cup of hot tea.

"Master, it is only right for your disciple to be filial to you. Your recovery is more important than anything else, so please don't mention thanks again."

Yan Chongli took the tea and was about to say something when Yan Shuyao moved two steps to the side, leaned forward, and spoke in a soft voice, sounding a little guilty.

"Father..." she said, her eyes lowered, "Just now, my junior brother... also gave me quite a few things."

"Ten High-Grade Qi Gathering Pills, and over a hundred Spirit Stones." She spoke slower and slower until she was almost inaudible, "Even Storage Ring... she gave me one too."

Yan Chongli stopped holding the teacup, suddenly looked up, and stared wide-eyed.

"What did you say? You accepted it?"

Yan Shuyao lowered her head and nodded gently.

"You child!" Yan Chongli slammed his teacup on the table, his tone harsh. "Your father just accepted such a huge favor, how dare you ask your junior brother for these things? What kind of rule is this in the Yan Household!"

Yan Shuyao hurriedly looked up, unsure how to explain, when Shen Jingchuan stepped forward and took over the conversation.

"Master, please don't blame Senior Sister." He said sincerely, "I forced it on her; it has nothing to do with her. She's been stuck at the Qi Refining Third Layer for a long time, and all she needs are pills and Spirit Stones to break through."

Yan Chongli was, after all, just a mortal and didn't understand the intricacies of cultivation. Hearing this, his brows remained furrowed.

"That's true... but this is far too precious." He shook his head repeatedly. "You've saved my life and helped Shuyao. I've been dismissed from my post and have nothing to show for it. How can I repay you? I'll feel terrible if I don't return the favor."

Just as Shen Jingchuan was about to offer some advice, Yan Chongli suddenly slammed his hand on the table, as if he had made up his mind.

How about this?

His gaze swept across the two faces, and his voice boomed.

"I'm betrothing this daughter to you."