The Realities of the Human Heart

At this hour, the Fenglai Restaurant would usually have its doors thrown wide open. Today, however, there was no sign of it opening, for a truly formidable personage had arrived at the establishment.

Inside, Father Xiao and Mother Xiao sat on square stools, appearing somewhat constrained. To feel such unease within their own restaurant showed just how unsettled the couple truly was.

Opposite them sat a delicate-looking young girl. While her features could not be called stunning, she possessed a charm that grew on one the more she was observed. This was Xiao Ling'er, who had just entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, and was also Luo Mu's fiancée.

Beside Xiao Ling'er sat a young man in flowing white robes, wearing a smile. He appeared to be in his early twenties and was quite handsome. Though a faint smile never left his face, he exerted an immense, invisible pressure—the very feeling that Xiao Ling'er and her parents were experiencing at this moment.

The man in white was named Bai Lin, hailing from Jinxiu City. Jinxiu City was vast and rich in resources, incomparable to a small place like Dragon Gate Town. Yet, it shared one similarity: it also housed a cultivation academy, the Jinxiu Academy. However, this academy was far beyond the reach of anything a small town like Dragon Gate could offer.

Of course, no matter how grand the academy, it remained the property of the Wanfa Sect.

The academy's students were not only numerous but were genuine cultivators, scouted from various small towns. Xiao Ling'er was a prime example; the moment she stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm, someone had come knocking. It was precisely because of these academies that the Wanfa Sect could continuously inject fresh blood into its ranks, ensuring its enduring prosperity.

Bai Lin had come on this occasion under orders from the academy to escort the newly awakened Xiao Ling'er to Jinxiu Academy for further study.

As Bai Lin looked at Xiao Ling'er, his gaze flickered, as if he were deep in thought. He had maintained this silent, contemplative state ever since he checked her spiritual root attributes. As mortals, Father and Mother Xiao dared not ask what was wrong, fearing they had failed to host him properly and displeased this high-ranking immortal.

This left the couple feeling utterly at a loss.

To think this girl possesses a single water attribute! Truly, one finds what one seeks without even trying! Although Bai Lin wore a thoughtful expression, his heart surged with pleasant surprise upon discovering her attributes.

Like Xiao Ling'er, he possessed a single attribute, though his was wood while hers was water.

Gold, wood, water, fire, and earth were the five elements. Everyone was born with attributes; some possessed all five, but such people had cluttered constitutions, leading to slow cultivation progress. Others had four or three, which was somewhat better. A rare few possessed only two, and these individuals, once they entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, would see their cultivation speed increase significantly.

The rarest of all were those with a single attribute. If one in a thousand people could cultivate, perhaps only a handful among ten thousand cultivators would possess a single attribute.

While such people were incredibly rare, their cultivation speed was beyond compare; they were simply on a different level from those with mixed attributes.

Bai Lin was one of these rare single-attribute cultivators, but he had never expected that this girl, who had just entered the realm, would also possess one—and a water attribute at that.

Water nourishes wood. As a cultivator, Bai Lin understood this principle perfectly. If he could engage in dual cultivation with this girl, he could leverage her water-attribute body to propel his own strength forward by leaps and bounds.

In that very instant, Bai Lin began to harbor designs on the oblivious Xiao Ling'er. Despite this, he shook his head inwardly, sighing, Though her appearance is delicate, she is not the type I prefer. However, for the sake of my Great Path to Immortality, I must temporarily humble myself. It will not be too late to discard her once she has lost her value.

Having met for only a short while, Bai Lin had already secretly marked Xiao Ling'er as his own possession simply because her attributes were beneficial to him.

He did this solely to further his own path to immortality, with no shred of genuine affection involved.

"That is how things stand. Due to the urgency of time, I shall take the junior sister to Jinxiu City tomorrow to report to the academy. As for other details, I will introduce them to you one by one once we arrive," Bai Lin said, withdrawing his thoughts and addressing Xiao Ling'er.

From beginning to end, Bai Lin did not spare a glance for Father or Mother Xiao. In his eyes, they were mere mortals, not worth looking at.

"Ling'er will follow Senior Brother's arrangements in everything." The happiness had come too suddenly; even now, Xiao Ling'er had not emerged from the joy of entering the Foundation Establishment Realm. Seeing that this senior brother had traveled such a long way to find her, she had no other thoughts and simply nodded repeatedly.

Xiao Ling'er felt as if she were floating, barely hearing what the other party was saying, yet she kept nodding and saying "yes" over and over.

Although she had learned that Father Luo had died of poisoning, as his future daughter-in-law, she had felt only a brief moment of sorrow before it was washed away by the joy of her own breakthrough. After all, he was not her own father, and the grief did not run deep. With such a grand opportunity laid out before her, Xiao Ling'er had long since cast the matter of Father Luo's death to the back of her mind.

Fortunately, Father and Mother Xiao were still there. As the saying goes, the bystander sees more than the player. When Bai Lin mentioned taking Xiao Ling'er away tomorrow, Father Xiao's brow furrowed, as if he had thought of something distressing. The image of the late Father Luo instantly surfaced in his mind.

"Might I ask, Immortal, when will Ling'er be able to return after leaving tomorrow?" Father Xiao pondered for a moment before asking Bai Lin with extreme caution and reverence.

The other party was a cultivator, a being that mortals like them had to look up to. Father Xiao spoke with great care, terrified that any impropriety might anger him and bring disaster upon their heads. Even though his daughter was now a cultivator herself, he could not shake this ingrained habit.

Fortunately, because Bai Lin had designs on Xiao Ling'er, his attitude was not hostile; instead, he looked at Father Xiao with a smile. Under normal circumstances, Bai Lin would never have spared a glance for such mortals.

"As for when she will return, that is hard to say. It could be a year, three years, or perhaps ten. It entirely depends on Junior Sister Ling'er's cultivation progress." Though reluctant, Bai Lin suppressed his impatience to explain.

"I see!" Father Xiao's expression became uneasy, and a look of embarrassment crossed his face.

"What is it? Is there a problem?" Bai Lin asked with a smile.

After exchanging a glance with Mother Xiao and seeing her nod, he deliberated briefly. Feeling there was nothing improper, he spoke slowly to Bai Lin.

"A son should marry when he comes of age, and a daughter should wed when she is grown. Ling'er will turn eighteen in a few months, the age for marriage. We have already arranged her betrothal long ago. If Ling'er leaves and cannot return for a long time, how are we to answer to the other family?"

At the mention of this, Father Xiao thought of the recently deceased Father Luo, and deep sorrow filled his eyes. Upon hearing this, Xiao Ling'er finally snapped back to reality, falling into a contemplative silence, lost in thought.

"Marriage?" Bai Lin was inwardly shocked. He had just formed designs on Xiao Ling'er, only to find she was already spoken for. This left him feeling highly displeased. "Is the other party also a cultivator?"

"No, he is just an ordinary man, the beloved son of a close friend of mine," Father Xiao replied honestly, without concealment.

As long as he isn't a cultivator, it is fine. Bai Lin felt relieved. In his view, Xiao Ling'er's wood-attribute constitution was already within his grasp.

"Junior Sister Ling'er is now a proper cultivator of high standing. How could a mere mortal be worthy of her? I hope you will think twice, Uncle, lest you ruin the junior sister's future!" Bai Lin said with a stern, solemn face, though his serious tone carried a hint of displeasure.

Father Xiao ran a restaurant; he had seen all kinds of people. The moment Bai Lin spoke, he sensed the underlying irritation.

"This..." For a moment, Father Xiao was speechless. The pressure exerted by the other party's status as a cultivator was simply too great. Bai Lin's words clearly indicated his disapproval of Xiao Ling'er's marriage. While this was a family matter that was none of Bai Lin's business, Father Xiao had to show enough respect given the man's status. Moreover, as Bai Lin had said, he had to consider his daughter's future—after all, Xiao Ling'er was his only flesh and blood.

Father and Mother Xiao were caught in a dilemma, while Xiao Ling'er frowned, remaining silent and lost in her own thoughts.

Seeing the two elders' expressions, Bai Lin smiled inwardly. He knew Father Xiao was not a stubborn man, and there was still room to maneuver regarding Xiao Ling'er's marriage.

"Junior Sister Ling'er has now entered the Foundation Establishment Realm and can live to be at least one hundred and fifty years old. I see that she has excellent aptitude; once she returns to the academy with me and cultivates diligently, she might even reach the Foundation Establishment stage. At that point, her lifespan will multiply! Even if she fails to reach that stage, with her aptitude, she will eventually be accepted into the Wanfa Sect and become a disciple. What a grand opportunity that is! And your Xiao family will rise to glory—with a cultivator backing you, who would dare to bully you?"

"The saying that a daughter must marry is only for you ordinary mortals. But do not forget, from the moment Junior Sister Ling'er entered the Foundation Establishment Realm, she ceased to be an ordinary mortal. So, do not try to constrain her with the rules of mortals."

The more Bai Lin spoke, the more enthusiastic and invested he became, feeding the couple sweet talk. The two elders flushed, their hearts pounding as they envisioned the Xiao family flourishing and expanding under their own hands!

Xiao Ling'er, the central figure, remained silent, her expression shifting constantly as if something prevented her from making a firm decision.

Under Bai Lin's relentless "persuasion," reality triumphed over past sentiment. Father and Mother Xiao were truly swayed by his words. The struggle vanished from Xiao Ling'er's face, replaced by a longing and yearning for the future—a clear sign that she, too, had yielded.

Human hearts are just like that; in the face of reality, emotions appear so fragile, shattering at the slightest touch!

"Then what should we do? If we take Ling'er away without giving them an explanation, it certainly won't sit right, and our Xiao Family will surely be spurned by all the residents of Dragon Gate Town! Besides, we don't even know if Luo Mu will agree. If he refuses..." Father Xiao said, still looking worried.

To call it worry was perhaps less accurate than saying his conscience was troubled. Father Xiao and Father Luo had been close friends, and this engagement had been set by the two of them back then; furthermore, Luo Mu and Xiao Ling'er were truly in love. Now that his daughter had stepped onto the path of immortality and Father Luo had quietly passed away, leaving only a lonely, helpless Luo Mu behind, no one would agree to such a broken engagement.

"Rest assured, with me here, I believe he will agree," Bai Lin said, his smile returning to the corners of his mouth as he assumed an air of absolute confidence.

"I only hope the Immortal Master will not harm Luo Mu. After all, his father has just passed away, and for us to break the engagement at such a time... this... this is truly a bit... sigh!" Unable to quiet his conscience, Father Xiao let out a deep sigh after stating his final bottom line.

"Yes, Senior, Ling'er has already decided to go with you, but I also hope Senior will not harm Brother Luo Mu. Although Ling'er's path is different from his now, we were once deeply in love, after all." Xiao Ling'er spoke up at this moment as well. Feeling a sense of guilt toward Luo Mu, she pleaded for him too, hoping that at least this would make her conscience feel a little better.

"Heh... rest assured. As a dignified cultivator, how could I casually strike out at a mortal?" Bai Lin laughed with an air of breezy indifference.

As Bai Lin's smile fell upon Father Xiao, the expression on his face relaxed and the stone hanging in his heart dropped. Bai Lin's smile gave him such an incredibly sincere feeling that he couldn't help but believe the words he had spoken.