I Don't Want to Get Married Just Yet (Please Recommend and Bookmark)

Outside the courtyard gate, Lu Chuan heard Jiang Ziya's words and froze for a moment. Then he finally understood: the man had already noticed him.

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and took a few deep breaths. Lu Chuan tried to calm his unsettled heart.

"Phew!"

After letting out a long breath, Lu Chuan finally entered the courtyard.

As soon as he stepped inside, he saw someone sitting by the stone table in the courtyard, watching him.

When he saw who it was, Jiang Ziya smiled. "So it's you, Lu... Xiao Chuan. How was it? Could you hear clearly while crouched by the wall?"

Lu Chuan hurriedly saluted and apologized. "Please hear me out, sir. I wasn't deliberately eavesdropping. I came to see you after dinner about something, but I didn't expect the old master to still be here..."

At that moment, he felt as though he were going to a job interview. Making a good first impression was very important.

If he made a bad first impression, forget about getting Jiang Ziya to teach him. The man probably wouldn't show him a friendly face ever again.

Jiang Ziya gave him a half-smile. "So you waited outside the gate the whole time, until you nearly fell asleep?"

"Please judge me fairly, sir!" Lu Chuan said.

Looking at the boy before him, Jiang Ziya smiled. "Then what brings you to see me so late at night?"

He had studied the Dao on Kunlun. Though he had yet to attain the Immortal Path, his hearing and eyesight were still far better than those of ordinary people.

So, when Lu Chuan first arrived at the gate, Jiang Ziya had already heard his footsteps. He simply hadn't known who it was, so he hadn't called him out.

He had wanted to see what the person outside would do.

Lu Chuan looked up at Jiang Ziya, then suddenly dropped to his knees before him.

"Oh!"

Even Jiang Ziya was startled by the sudden kneel. He hurriedly said, "Why are you kneeling before me? Get up..."

"Esteemed sir, I know you're an extraordinary man from Kunlun, possessed of great abilities, far beyond an ordinary person."

Lu Chuan remained kneeling, his voice earnest. "I, Lu Chuan, sincerely wish to take you as my master. First, I want to learn some skills. Second, I hope to repay you for opening my spiritual aperture by tending to your daily needs. Please grant my wish."

Having said that, he kowtowed and stayed prostrate.

"You... I see."

Jiang Ziya understood after hearing him. He looked at the boy lying prostrate before him, but said nothing for a long while, only continuing to make calculations with his fingers.

"Get up."

After a moment, Jiang Ziya sighed. Lu Chuan lifted his head with delight, only to see Jiang Ziya shaking his head.

Lu Chuan's smile slowly froze on his face. In an instant, he felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his whole body and heart turning cold.

Jiang Ziya shook his head and said, "You... should seek out another master."

"Why?"

Lu Chuan grew anxious. "Sir, do you blame me for accidentally overhearing your conversation? I'm willing to kowtow and apologize until you've forgiven me."

Jiang Ziya shook his head. "That's not the reason."

Lu Chuan tried again. "Then... do you think I'm not sincere enough in wanting to become your disciple?"

Jiang Ziya shook his head again. "That's not the reason either."

"Then why?"

Lu Chuan asked, unwilling to give up. "If you don't blame me for accidentally overhearing, and you don't think I'm insincere, then why won't you take me as your disciple and let me fulfill my wish to learn skills and repay you?"

Jiang Ziya slowly replied, "There are two reasons."

"Please tell me plainly, sir."

"Lu Chuan, you have the makings of a cultivator, but my own learning is shallow, and I can't teach you. That's the first reason."

Jiang Ziya continued, "Also, though you and I share a little fate, it's far too thin.

"I calculated that I would have two disciples, but both are elsewhere. Neither is you. That's the second reason. So I truly can't take you as my disciple."

"Is that all?"

Lu Chuan murmured. It was still a heavy blow.

It was just like the saying: the higher the hope, the greater the disappointment.

Before coming here, he had placed great hopes in Jiang Ziya. And the first person he'd met upon waking had been Jiang Ziya, who had even opened his spiritual aperture for him. How deep a bond did that seem?

But now Jiang Ziya said their fate was too thin. This was...

So ironic.

Jiang Ziya sighed and tried to comfort him. "You needn't lose heart. The world is vast, and there are plenty of extraordinary people and strange talents.

"Though you and I aren't fated to be master and disciple, if you're sincere and resolute, you'll surely meet a worthy teacher someday."

Lu Chuan looked up and smiled, though his smile was bitter and forced.

Of the great sects flourishing in the world today, aside from the Exposition Sect and the Jie Sect of the Daoist tradition, only the Western Sect remained.

The Western Sect...

Perhaps because of things he'd read online in his previous life, he didn't have much goodwill toward the Western Sect. It was still called the Western Sect now, but after the Investiture of the Gods, it would become the flourishing Buddhist faith.

Still, if he truly had nowhere else to turn, then for the sake of immortality, it wouldn't be a bad last resort.

Then there were the Exposition and Jie Sects.

Of the two Daoist traditions, the best choice was undoubtedly the Exposition Sect of Primordial Heavenly Lord. After all, though they had suffered a thousand losses to inflict eight hundred on their enemy in the final outcome of the Investiture of the Gods, they had still won.

But who would've thought...

Lu Chuan steadied himself and asked quietly, "Old Mr. Jiang, is there really no chance for me at all?"

Jiang Ziya's eyes held a trace of regret, but he shook his head firmly.

"Chuan'er, Chuan'er..."

Just then, Lu Liang's voice came from outside. He had spotted Lu Chuan in the courtyard as he passed by, and hurried in. "What are you doing here?"

As he spoke, he quickly helped the dazed Lu Chuan to his feet, then smiled apologetically at Jiang Ziya. "Old Mr. Jiang, I'm terribly sorry. The boy's come to trouble you again."

"No trouble, no trouble."

Jiang Ziya waved his hand with a smile. "I rather like Lu Chuan. It's just a pity..."

He stopped there and sighed.

"Yes, yes."

Lu Liang nodded quickly and said respectfully, "It's getting late, sir. In that case, the boy and I won't disturb your rest."

Jiang Ziya smiled and nodded.

Lu Liang helped the somewhat dejected Lu Chuan by the arm and turned to leave, the familiar smile still hanging on his face.

Jiang Ziya watched them go, then raised his head and looked up at the star-filled night sky, sighing wistfully.

"You brat, what's wrong with you? You were fine at dinner. Why are you moping around like a frost-bitten eggplant now?"

As soon as they were outside, Lu Liang's smile vanished. He glanced at Lu Chuan, then looked back toward the courtyard behind them. "By the way, what did you go to see Mr. Jiang for?"

"To ask him to take me as his disciple!"

Lu Liang gave him a sidelong glance. "From the look of you, I take it he didn't?"

Lu Chuan reluctantly murmured, "Mm."

"That's a good thing."

Lu Liang suddenly laughed, sounding rather gleeful.

"Huh?"

Lu Chuan glanced at Lu Liang. Was this really his own father?

Lu Liang laughed. "Now that you're better, I've been thinking about arranging a marriage for you these past couple of days. If you became a monk, what would happen to the Lu family's ancestral line?"

"Ah?"

Lu Chuan's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, 'ah'? You're not that young anymore. It's time you got married. The Third Young Master, who's your age, is already married, isn't he?"

Lu Liang rolled his eyes at his foolish son. "Your father may not have much ability, but I've saved up some money over the years. It's enough to get you a wife and buy you a house..."

Only then did Lu Chuan remember that people in ancient times married very young, often in their teens.

But...

He didn't want to get married yet.

First, because of his previous life, he wasn't used to the idea of marrying so young.

Second, the world was about to descend into chaos. Without the skills to make a living and protect himself, his own life would be hanging by a thread. Why was he thinking about taking a wife?

He had thought that even if Jiang Ziya wouldn't take him as a disciple, the least he could do was teach him some skills. But after hitting a wall today, he realized he'd been dreaming.

"Dad, I'm still young. I don't want to get married just yet."

"Young, my foot! I told you, the Third Young Master, who's your age, is already married. Anyway, don't worry about it. Leave everything to your father. I'll arrange it for you."

"..."

Lu Chuan glanced back at Jiang Ziya's courtyard. The cold wind rustled around him. Why did he suddenly feel they were in the same boat?