Li Shimin's Excitement, Nezha Breaks Free!

Chen Fan thought it over. There didn't seem to be anything important going on here.

So he headed straight home. Wei Zheng had already left.

Until the matter in Zhao Family Village had been officially brought before the court, Chen Fan wasn't planning to make any more moves.

Lost in thought, Chen Fan eventually made it back to his front door.

Then he stared at the tall red-brick walls and the gray-tiled roofs rising above them, and fell silent.

Was this what they meant by "just making a few simple expansions"?

Chen Fan rubbed his eyes and looked around. No mistake—this was his house.

Then he cautiously poked his head inside.

His home was bustling with people, who were coming and going in the many brick houses.

The place, which had originally consisted of just two rooms in the middle, had been transformed beyond recognition.

The central building had been converted into three main rooms, with three side rooms built on each side.

A kitchen had also been built between the main house and the side rooms on the right.

Ten blue-brick, tile-roofed houses in all. Even the wealthiest landowner in Qingshi Town couldn't do much better than this!

"Wait, why is everything decked out in red?"

Chen Fan looked around at all the red decorations, his confusion growing.

Dazhuang came over carrying a stool and spotted Chen Fan peeking in.

"Ah Fan, what are you doing here? You can't come back today.

Tomorrow, after Lady Zhang moves out for the time being, you can come back!"

Dazhuang set the stool aside, grabbed Chen Fan by the arm, and tried to lead him away.

Inside the house, only Zhang Tianyu and Zhang Tianqing had managed to get away from the crowd. They were accompanying Zhang Tianshou.

Though Chen Fan and Zhao Dazhuang were making little noise, the three of them could still hear them.

A teasing look appeared on Zhang Tianyu's face. She put an arm around Zhang Tianshou's neck and said,

"Eldest Sister, your husband really can't wait, can he?"

Zhang Tianshou playfully smacked Zhang Tianyu on the head and shot back,

"What about you? That Dong Yong seems pretty interested in you!"

Zhang Tianyu rolled her eyes and shook her head repeatedly.

"That little scholar is no fun at all. He's always going on about this and that. It's boring.

I think Brother-in-law is right. Reading is a way to understand reason, not an end in itself.

Reading just for the sake of reading means all you get is dead knowledge!"

"You know, I don't think you agree with Brother-in-law so much as you just don't want to study!"

Zhang Tianqing saw right through her younger sister's little scheme and called her out.

Zhang Tianyu naturally refused to accept that, and the two sisters started playfully bickering.

Zhang Tianshou watched her two younger sisters with amusement, but kept an ear turned toward the doorway.

"Getting married? Who's getting married? And why is it happening at my house?"

Chen Fan nearly jumped out of his skin. He was completely dumbfounded.

Dazhuang was even more bewildered. He looked at Chen Fan in confusion and replied,

"It's at your house, so of course you're the one getting married!"

"How did I not know about this? Who decided it? Was it that old geezer, the village chief?

Why does that old geezer make all these crazy decisions? No, take all this stuff down!"

Chen Fan rejected the idea without a moment's thought.

Ever since he arrived in Zhao Family Village, the village chief had been trying to tie him down there—ever since last year.

And now he'd gone and done something first and asked questions later. The nerve!

"No, I'm going to settle things with that old geezer of a village chief. What a rotten thing to do!"

"Stop. What did you just say?"

Zhang Tianshou's cool voice rang out behind Chen Fan, icy cold.

Chen Fan shivered involuntarily and turned around.

Zhang Tianshou was dressed in red, but the frost on her face outshone it.

Her fingers were white around the hilt of the long sword, and the pattern on its scabbard had dug into her flesh.

"Tianshou, you're just in time. That old geezer of a village chief is up to something.

I bet he saw that Wei Zheng was going to report my contribution and decided to tie me to Zhao Family Village for good."

"That's not what I asked. Tell me—do you want to marry me?"

Zhang Tianshou gripped the sword hilt with her right hand. The crimson blade slowly slid from its sheath.

As the Eldest Princess of the Heavenly Court, she would never stand for such humiliation.

He was the one who'd asked for her hand, and now he was turning around and denying it. Was he making a fool of her?

"Of course I don't—wait, marry you?"

Chen Fan couldn't quite keep up. Was this how quickly people in Great Tang made things official?

Was it really that fast?

Forget all that etiquette—couldn't someone at least have told him first?

Clang!

The sword rang as Chen Fan lunged forward and seized Zhang Tianshou by the wrist.

"I do! I want to marry you. It's just... this wouldn't be fair to you.

I can fend for myself, but I can't drag you down with me.

If we pledge ourselves to each other in private, it'll damage your reputation. How will you face your friends and family afterward?"

At Chen Fan's confession, Zhang Tianshou's frozen eyes trembled, and tears instantly spilled down her cheeks.

With a wave of her hand, she flung the sword away, then reached up with both arms and wrapped them around Chen Fan's neck.

"That's enough. It's more than enough. I don't need anything else!"

Behind the two of them, Zhang Tianyu pouted and muttered under her breath,

"If my father finds out, there won't be any wedding at all!"

"That's enough, stop talking. Hurry and help me take First Madam inside.

The bride and groom aren't allowed to see each other before the wedding!"

Madam Zhou hurried over to interrupt them and led the reluctant Zhang Tianshou away.

Chen Fan watched Zhang Tianshou's retreating figure, feeling as if he were in a dream.

Suddenly, a sinister voice dragged him back to reality.

"You little brat. So I'm an old geezer, am I?"

"No, Village Chief, I didn't mean—hey, hey, don't hit me..."

A streak of spiritual light descended from the sky, revealing Nezha.

Bai Qianli's eyes flashed. With a flick of his finger, Great Dao Runes rose into the air.

"Wretched demon, how dare you block my way!"

Nezha's eyes flashed. His Jade Clarity Dharma Eye opened, and he immediately sensed something was wrong.

Bai Qianli lowered his eyelids, leaving only a narrow slit.

"Little one, it's not time for you to show yourself yet!"

Chapter 37: Li Shimin's Excitement, Nezha Breaks Free!

"Who dares to stand in my way? Are you looking to die?"

Nezha's little face was taut, his eyes full of anxiety.

The South Heaven Gate's teleportation formation could not possibly have made a mistake. This place had to be near Zhao Family Village.

Yet someone had trapped him without his even noticing. It was simply inconceivable.

Although Nezha could only retain the cultivation of a peak Golden Immortal, that didn't mean he was weak.

With the spiritual treasures in his hands and his Three Heads Eight Arms Great Divine Ability, which he had cultivated to an extremely high level, he was...