Seeking a Husband

"If this were Yanzhou, I'd call over the brothers from the Vanguard Battalion and skewer these iron-clad bastards to death. Let's see them keep acting so arrogant then!"

Luo Shisanlang followed Chen Yuan into Demon-Sealing Valley, grumbling indignantly the entire way.

He had not actually gotten angry when Wei Guangming shouted that he would break every bone in his body.

But the other man's dismissive attitude toward the Day-Changing Alliance had enraged Luo Shisanlang.

He could insult him, but he could not look down on the Day-Changing Alliance.

"If we really deployed the Vanguard Battalion, that would be giving those Iron Garb Sect people far too much credit."

Chen Yuan shook his head with a smile. "Brother Luo, don't be angry. The Day-Changing Alliance has only just risen to prominence. Its name is naturally renowned in Yanzhou, but it is normal for outsiders not to know much about it."

Among the nineteen provinces under heaven, there truly were many martial artists who underestimated the Day-Changing Alliance.

The Great Xia Court actually placed great importance on Yanzhou, stationing heavily armed forces in every city.

It was unlike Youzhou, where the court's forces were little more than decorations.

Although the Day-Changing Alliance had now been driven back by the court, the fact that it could occupy half of Yanzhou and confront the court's armies proved that it was by no means a disorganized rabble.

Take the Vanguard Battalion that Luo Shisanlang came from. In every battle, its men charged fearlessly into the fray and took the lead in breaking enemy formations.

The Vanguard Battalion was an elite force on the same level as Great Xia's Edge-Breaking Army and Dragon-Soaring Guard, as well as the Keshig Guard of the Hachalin Khanate on the grasslands. They were undoubtedly the best of the best.

Hearing Chen Yuan praise the Day-Changing Alliance so highly, Luo Shisanlang immediately beamed.

Brother Chen was the best—bold and righteous, and even pleasant to listen to.

"Damn, there are quite a lot of people at this Demon-Sealing Conference. I'm afraid all the martial artists within several hundred li of the Youning border are here."

Luo Shisanlang's anger came quickly and faded just as quickly. He looked around in surprise.

Nearly a thousand martial artists had gathered in the manors of the Three Demon-Sealing Clans, with even the weakest at the Blood-Shifting Realm.

A single Blood-Shifting Realm martial artist was nothing remarkable, but a thousand gathered together were definitely not a weak force.

A teasing look appeared in Chen Yuan's eyes. "There were never this many people before. At most, there would be three or four hundred. This may be the final Demon-Sealing Conference, so naturally they have to make it grander."

"The final one? Doesn't it happen once every ten years?"

Luo Shisanlang looked puzzled. Just as he was about to ask more, he saw a gate within the estate open and sixteen martial artists emerge.

These sixteen people, together with the one who had inspected invitations outside Demon-Sealing Valley, were all the members of the Three Demon-Sealing Clans.

"Good lord, there are only seventeen of them in total, yet they're divided into three clans. When I was little, my whole family had more people than all three of their clans combined."

Luo Shisanlang could not help complaining.

His parents had thirteen children alone. Several of his eldest brothers had already married and had children when he was young, so his family truly had more members than the Three Demon-Sealing Clans.

"Sealing demonic creatures within Demon-Sealing Valley causes demonic qi to leak out, which affects the body and makes it difficult for them to bear children."

Chen Yuan explained, "However, bodies that have been steeped in that power for a long time also undergo changes and become more sensitive to the heaven and earth's vital energy.

"Look at the people of the Three Demon-Sealing Clans. The youngest is not even twenty, yet has already reached the Qi Forging Realm.

"The clan heads of the three clans are all only in their thirties, yet every one of them is a great expert of the sixth martial realm, the True Condensation Realm."

"That's true. Then Demon-Sealing Valley is practically a blessed land. But they can become clan heads in their thirties? Don't they have any elders in their clans?"

Among families outside, even small ones, clan heads were generally middle-aged people in their forties or fifties. Who became a clan head in their thirties?

"There are benefits and drawbacks. Being steeped in that power for too long also causes one's flesh, blood, and qi to decline more quickly. Members of the Three Demon-Sealing Clans generally find it difficult to live past fifty, so throughout the years, the clan heads of these three clans have always been young people around thirty."

Luo Shisanlang hurriedly shook his head. "Forget it. I'd rather not have those benefits. This place isn't some blessed land—it's downright sinister."

As the people below discussed among themselves, a light cough suddenly sounded.

Though the sound was soft, it seemed to ring beside everyone's ears, instantly suppressing all noise throughout Demon-Sealing Valley.

A handsome man of thirty-two or thirty-three, dressed in a green robe, stepped forward and cupped his hands toward the crowd below.

"The ten-year term has arrived. I thank all fellow martial artists for returning to Demon-Sealing Valley to attend the Demon-Sealing Conference and lend your strength in sealing the demonic creatures.

"Our three families' ancestors have guarded this place for a thousand years. Whenever demonic qi erupts and Corpse Monsters run rampant, our clansmen must fight with their lives on the line.

"Only after all of you fellow martial artists began helping us did the casualties among the Three Demon-Sealing Clans begin to decrease.

"I, Xie Tianyun, represent the Three Demon-Sealing Clans in thanking all fellow martial artists!"

"Clan Head Xie is too polite. If not for the ancestors of the three clans suppressing the demonic creatures, who knows how many calamities would have befallen the Youning borderlands?"

"The Three Demon-Sealing Clans use their bodies to suppress demons and protect the peace of this region. We should be the ones thanking you."

The many martial artists present hurriedly returned the gesture.

Although the many martial artists had come to the Demon-Sealing Conference for various benefits, many of them genuinely admired the Three Demon-Sealing Clans from the bottom of their hearts.

They were trapped in Demon-Sealing Valley for life and could never leave. Their clans had dwindled, and though they possessed exceptional talent, they could scarcely live beyond fifty.

The martial artists present asked themselves honestly: if they were in that position, most of them would not be willing.

At that moment, Zhao Xuanxin, another clan head of the Three Demon-Sealing Clans, stepped forward. He was somewhat older than Xie Tianyun, with a short goatee and a square, refined face.

"Everyone, Brother Xie and I were already clan heads ten years ago, so you all know us.

"However, the Bai Family's clan head unfortunately passed away several years ago. The one now in charge of the Bai Family is Miss Bai Xuewei."

A woman in her thirties wearing a long white dress stepped forward. She gave the crowd a slight bow, her voice soft and alluring. "Bai Xuewei greets all fellow martial artists."

The new Bai Family clan head was gorgeous yet elegant. She was tall, with a slender and supple waist, while the places that ought to be full were exceptionally full—a classic case of lush fruit on delicate branches.

Most importantly, she possessed an air of mature beauty mixed with a trace of delicate vulnerability. She was practically born with the aura of a young widow.

If Chen Yuan had to describe her, she was like Luo Bing after her husband's death, or Huang Rong after having a child.

Many martial artists below stared at Bai Xuewei so intensely that they nearly drooled. Their response was much louder than it had been for Xie Tianyun and Zhao Xuanxin.

Zhao Xuanxin coughed and said, "Everyone, this Demon-Sealing Conference is somewhat special. Besides asking you to help kill Corpse Monsters and suppress demonic qi, there is another matter we need to discuss.

"Because the Three Demon-Sealing Clans have guarded Demon-Sealing Valley for generations, our population has never been prosperous. You all know this.

"Especially the Bai Family. By Sister Bai's generation, she is the only one left. The Bai Family has no successor.

"Yet for certain special reasons, the Three Demon-Sealing Clans cannot intermarry. Thus, the Bai Family can only seek a solution from outside.

"During this Demon-Sealing Conference, whichever fellow martial artist kills the most Corpse Monsters may marry Sister Bai.

"The Bai Family has accumulated many Corpse Monster spirit pills over the years, and the Bai Family's cultivation arts may also serve as her dowry."

"Is the Bai Family recruiting a husband into the family? Would he have to live in Demon-Sealing Valley afterward?"

Someone below asked.

Becoming a live-in husband was not a big deal, but if he had to live in Demon-Sealing Valley, would he not also be easily tainted by demonic qi and fail to live past fifty?

Zhao Xuanxin shook his head. "This is not recruiting a husband into the family, but a normal marriage. Once Sister Bai has a child, you may leave Demon-Sealing Valley whenever you wish, and you may enter whenever you wish as well. The Three Demon-Sealing Clans will not force you to stay."

The entire crowd immediately erupted upon hearing that.

Those Corpse Monster spirit pills could be considered naturally formed medicinal pills. While they certainly could not compare to proper pills painstakingly refined by alchemists, if there were enough of them, their effects would still be astonishing.

Then there were the Bai Family's cultivation arts. They had been left behind by the Three Absolutes Venerable. Though only one-third remained, they were at least earth-grade cultivation arts.

Most importantly, they could marry a peerless beauty like Bai Xuewei. Even if staying in Demon-Sealing Valley for a single day shortened their lifespan somewhat, it would still be worth it.

"Brother Luo, are you interested in this?"

Chen Yuan saw Luo Shisanlang beside him staring unblinkingly at Bai Xuewei.

Luo Lie shook his head. "My foster father said that when choosing a wife, you need someone virtuous and sensible. This woman doesn't look like someone easy to deal with."

"Oh? How could you tell?"

Chen Yuan was slightly surprised. Luo Shisanlang looked simple-minded, yet he was quite accurate in judging people.

"What marriage? Isn't she just looking for a healthy man to give her a child? She can say something like that in broad daylight without blushing. How could she possibly be easy to deal with?"

Chen Yuan said, "Your words may be crude, but they make sense. Still, that was a little too crude."

Though the core of what he said did not seem wrong, almost no martial artist could refuse spirit pills, a beauty, and cultivation arts all at once.

Zhao Xuanxin then said solemnly, "Enough. The demonic qi eruption began several days ago. Please enter Demon-Sealing Valley and kill as many Corpse Monsters as possible.

"The old rules remain. The passageways into the depths of Demon-Sealing Valley are divided into three routes according to the number of Corpse Monsters. Blood-Shifting Realm martial artists enter through the leftmost route, Qi Forging Realm martial artists take the middle route, and those above the Qi Forging Realm take the right route."

The Three Demon-Sealing Clans had divided Demon-Sealing Valley into three regions of differing difficulty. Martial artists of different strengths were responsible for clearing areas suited to their levels, and only those who reached the deepest point could gather together.

This arrangement was quite reasonable. Otherwise, given the character of these martial artists, Sea Wheel Realm and Qi Forging Realm martial artists might well snatch spirit pills from Blood-Shifting Realm martial artists.

The martial artists obediently split into three groups and entered Demon-Sealing Valley.

Of course, there had been people who tried to cheat over the years, but all had been detected by the Three Demon-Sealing Clans' formations and thrown out.

Not only would they fail to obtain spirit pills, but they would also lose all face. Over time, no one dared do such things anymore.

At that moment, Chen Yuan and Luo Lie suddenly sensed something. The two turned their heads and looked east at the same time.

Wei Guangming, the Iron Garb Sect's sect master, was speaking with an old Daoist in a tattered robe and a goatee. The old Daoist's gaze toward them carried a trace of killing intent.

"Brother Chen, I think that old bastard has some ill intentions. He's probably planning to scheme against us after we enter Demon-Sealing Valley." Luo Lie said angrily.

Chen Yuan glanced at him and said, "Soldiers will come, and generals will stop them; water will come, and earth will block it. Once we enter Demon-Sealing Valley, it remains to be seen who kills whom."