Oaths of Eternal Love, Tears Turned to Smiles

"Sister Yanran."

The moment Xiao Cang entered, he saw Nalan Yanran curled up against the bedframe, looking pitiful with reddened eyes.

His heart immediately clenched.

The moment Nalan Yanran saw Xiao Cang enter, she curled up even tighter and buried her wan little face.

Xiao Cang took a bowl of porridge from the Female Disciples who had followed him in. "You may leave first."

He carried the porridge to the bedside, his face filled with heartache.

"Sister Yanran, have some porridge. How can you go without eating?"

Nalan Yanran remained silent in stubborn resentment.

Seeing this, Xiao Cang deliberately put on a stern face. "If Sister Yanran refuses to drink, then when you starve yourself thin and stop being pretty, I won't play with you anymore."

At once, Nalan Yanran gave a start and abruptly raised her head.

Her tear-dried eyes welled up again.

"Brother Xiao Cang, you broke your word. You forgot everything... everything you promised me... sob..."

The more Nalan Yanran spoke, the sadder she became. By the end, she was crying again.

Xiao Cang's heart ached terribly at the sight of her.

Having spent several years together day and night, there were feelings between them.

"Sister Yanran, when have I ever broken my word?" Xiao Cang set down the bowl and sat by the bed, gently stroking Nalan Yanran's silky hair as he spoke softly.

"You said you would marry me someday, but you married... married..."

Nalan Yanran choked on her sobs, her delicate body trembling. She simply could not bring herself to say the word "Teacher."

Witnessing the man she loved marry the teacher she revered had struck her harder than the sky falling.

Xiao Cang looked earnestly into her tear-reddened eyes and said gently, "But that doesn't affect the promise I made."

Nalan Yanran froze. Even her sobs paused, and a few traces of hope appeared in her despairing eyes. "You... you mean... you'll still marry me someday?"

"Of course, unless you don't want to marry me."

Xiao Cang lightly scraped the tip of her pert nose with his finger, his face full of indulgence.

"No, I do! I want to marry you, I do!"

Nalan Yanran immediately panicked at his words and hurriedly replied.

But as soon as she finished speaking, her gaze dimmed again.

"But... but... will Teacher agree?"

Nalan Yanran was no longer the little girl who understood nothing. She knew that after Xiao Cang married Teacher Yun Yun, he could still marry again, and she did not mind becoming a concubine in the slightest.

But the question was, would Teacher Yun Yun agree?

Teacher Yun Yun was so proud, and she was also the highly revered Sect Master of the Misty Cloud Sect.

If she shared one husband with another woman, what would the sect's disciples think? What would the people of the Jia Ma Empire think?

"Don't worry. I'll persuade her," Xiao Cang promised.

"Really?"

"Of course it's true."

"You're not allowed to lie to me."

"Silly girl, when have I ever lied to you?"

"Then... pinky swear."

"Alright, alright. Pinky swear, pinky swear."

Xiao Cang indulgently held out his right pinky and hooked it with Nalan Yanran's, their thumbs pressing together. "Pinky swear, hang ourselves—no changing for a hundred years."

With Xiao Cang's promise and the affection he showed her, Nalan Yanran finally smiled through her tears, her mood brightening.

Then she suddenly remembered that she had cried for four days and gone hungry for four days. She must look utterly haggard and ugly now.

"Ah!!!"

"Brother Xiao Cang, don't look at me."

She immediately covered her face and lowered her head, too afraid to look at Xiao Cang.

But Xiao Cang smiled warmly and cupped Nalan Yanran's pretty face, wiping away her tear stains. Looking into her bright, watery eyes, he said, "Silly girl, in Brother Xiao Cang's eyes, you're the most beautiful."

Hearing Xiao Cang's sweet words, Nalan Yanran's heart became as sweet as honey. She said softly, "Brother Xiao Cang is so good to me."

"From now on, you're not allowed to sulk by hurting yourself like this again, or I'll spank you."

Xiao Cang put on a fierce expression and raised his hand as if to smack Nalan Yanran's backside.

"Ah! Brother Xiao Cang, don't hit me anymore. If you keep hitting me, you'll flatten it."

Nalan Yanran hurriedly dodged, her movements so practiced that it was heartbreaking. It was obvious Xiao Cang had spanked her plenty of times.

How could it get flattened?

It would definitely only get perkier with more spanking.

Xiao Cang glanced at Nalan Yanran's figure, which was beginning to take shape, and curled his lips as he thought to himself.

"Gurgle~~"

Suddenly, Nalan Yanran's stomach issued a protest.

Her face instantly flushed red.

In Xiao Cang's eyes, the early morning sunlight fell over her youthful, exquisite face, painting her pitifully lovely features with a rosy glow. She was stunning.

"Brother Xiao Cang, I'm hungry..."

Nalan Yanran lightly bit her thin lip and said shyly.

"Silly girl, I'll feed you some porridge."

As he spoke, Xiao Cang picked up the bowl beside him and fed Nalan Yanran spoonful by spoonful.

Nalan Yanran obediently knelt beside Xiao Cang, gazing at him with love-filled eyes as she opened her little mouth to accept his feeding.

At that moment, her heart was sweeter than ever.

All her earlier sorrow had already been cast beyond the clouds.

After finishing the porridge, Nalan Yanran suddenly remembered something. She hurriedly took a red, heart-shaped Demonic Core bracelet from the sash around her waist.

"Brother Xiao Cang, this is the coming-of-age gift Yanran prepared for you. I'm sorry I couldn't give it to you on the day of your coming-of-age ceremony."

Nalan Yanran placed the Demonic Core bracelet in her palm and held it out before Xiao Cang.

When Xiao Cang saw the bracelet, he could sense a faint fluctuation of Dou Qi within the Demonic Core.

For him now, the Demonic Core of a first-tier magical beast was utterly useless. Not only could it no longer assist his cultivation, but even its color and ornamental value were far inferior to third- and fourth-tier Demonic Cores.

But seeing the expectation in Nalan Yanran's eyes, he still put on a delighted expression.

"What a beautiful bracelet. Sister Yanran truly has good taste."

"As long as Brother Xiao Cang likes it. I'll put it on for you."

Seeing that Xiao Cang liked it, Nalan Yanran was immediately overjoyed and hurriedly put it around his wrist herself.

As she put the bracelet on Xiao Cang, her body leaned slightly forward. From that angle, Xiao Cang could not help but catch a glimpse of the breathtaking sight of Nalan Yanran's figure, which was beginning to take shape.

Hiss!

This Yanran girl...

She really had some damn potential!

After Nalan Yanran put on the bracelet for him, Xiao Cang took her out for a stroll.

The two were still as they had been before: Xiao Cang walked ahead, while Nalan Yanran clung to his back like a little tail.

But during their stroll that day, every disciple and deacon they encountered would flatter Xiao Cang with a remark:

"Congratulations to Martial Uncle Xiao Cang and the Sect Master on your joyous union."

"Martial Uncle Xiao Cang looks absolutely radiant after getting married. Congratulations, congratulations."

"..."

Hearing those words made Nalan Yanran very unhappy.

But whenever she thought of Xiao Cang's promise that day, her smile returned.

To her, it did not matter whether she was the principal wife or a concubine.

As long as she could cling to Xiao Cang's side for the rest of her life and accompany him, that was enough.

Night fell.

Xiao Cang had originally planned to send Nalan Yanran back early and return to spend a passionate night with Yun Yun.

But this girl was far too clingy and insisted on making him watch the stars and moon with her.

Thinking of the grievances Nalan Yanran had suffered these past few days, Xiao Cang could not bear to refuse. So he accompanied her in watching the stars and moon while talking of poetry, songs, and the philosophies of life.

Nalan Yanran nestled against Xiao Cang's shoulder, tracing circles over his broad shoulder with her finger as she savored this moment alone with him.

Only when the night was deep and all was quiet did Xiao Cang send the reluctant Nalan Yanran back. Then he spread his wings and eagerly returned to the Wedding Chamber.

Yun Yun had already been waiting for a long time inside the Wedding Chamber.

When she saw Xiao Cang return, her face blossomed with joy. "Husband, you're finally back."

As she spoke, she stepped forward, linked her arm through Xiao Cang's, and led him toward the bed.