For the next three days, Elder Jiang did not come.
Jiang Yun and Ye Fan had begun their initial cultivation and kept practicing.
Nine bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid were still far too few for Ye Fan. His Sea of Bitterness was as hard as Divine Iron; nine bottles of Hundred-Grass Liquid could not possibly shake it.
Jiang Yun stopped worrying about him and still had him use the Bodhi Seed to thoroughly comprehend the Dao Scripture first. It would be of greater help to his future cultivation.
He believed Ye Fan would build up strength before making a stunning breakthrough.
After days of bitter cultivation, Jiang Yun's life essence above the Sea of Bitterness had given birth to two Divine Patterns.
The Divine Patterns resembled chains of Divine Iron, dancing through the air above his Sea of Bitterness. Once released outside his body, they could easily pierce through trees.
The wonders of cultivation had begun to reveal themselves.
That morning, Little Dingdang came to deliver food again. These days, she always finished eating before bringing their food containers over.
Now that Ye Fan had Elder Jiang's help, he no longer needed to ask Little Dingdang for guidance. Still, both of them enjoyed chatting with her and taking the chance to learn about cultivation.
Elder Jiang did not discuss such matters with them either. Little Dingdang had grown up in Jade Cauldron Paradise, so she served as one of their channels for learning about the outside world.
After chatting for a while, Jiang Yun noticed that Little Dingdang kept seeming distracted, as though something was weighing on her mind.
"Little Dingdang, what's wrong? What troubles could someone so young possibly have?" Jiang Yun asked curiously.
Little Dingdang raised her head and looked at Jiang Yun in confusion. "Do people have to find a Dao companion once they grow up?"
The question gave Jiang Yun a fright. Could his request for Elder Jiang to find him a Dao companion have somehow reached Little Dingdang?
Had Jade Cauldron Paradise turned into a matchmaking ground? If that were the case, Jiang Yun would truly have become famous throughout Jade Cauldron Paradise.
Only after asking more carefully did he learn that no absurd matchmaking incident had taken place.
It was Senior Sister Shuanglan, who had always taken good care of Little Dingdang, who was being urged to marry.
Senior Sister Shuanglan had told Little Dingdang:
"Soon, I may become Dao companions with someone else. Once I have a Dao companion, I might not be able to see Little Dingdang very often."
Whenever Jiang Yun chatted with Little Dingdang before, she often talked about Senior Sister Shuanglan.
Little Dingdang would often blurt out things like:
"Senior Sister Shuanglan said I can't do that," "Senior Sister Shuanglan said this and that," or "Senior Sister Shuanglan gave me tasty food again."
The image Jiang Yun had formed of Senior Sister Shuanglan was something like Little Dingdang's mother—a kindhearted middle-aged woman.
Jiang Yun did not think things could be such a coincidence. He had just asked Elder Jiang to introduce him to a Dao companion, and Senior Sister Shuanglan was immediately being urged to marry?
Perhaps Elder Jiang was the one introducing her.
Jiang Yun hurriedly asked Little Dingdang about Senior Sister Shuanglan.
Elder Jiang would not be thinking of finding him someone so much older and delaying his cultivation, would she?
"Senior Sister Shuanglan is a very nice person. She often gives Dingdang tasty food and fun things."
In her innocent voice, Little Dingdang shared her opinion of Senior Sister Shuanglan.
"Then can Little Dingdang tell me how old Senior Sister Shuanglan is?" Jiang Yun pressed.
"Senior Sister Shuanglan seems to be twenty. Dingdang remembers that Senior Sister Shuanglan had her coming-of-age ceremony just two years ago."
Little Dingdang rubbed her little head, thought for a moment, then answered.
Jiang Yun let out a long breath. Twenty was good—only two years older than his current self, and nearly ten years younger than his former self.
Good men all liked twenty-year-old girls, and Jiang Yun was no exception.
A woman's early twenties were the finest years of her life.
He had heard Little Dingdang mention Senior Sister Shuanglan many times these past days, so she already felt somewhat familiar to him. She was a kind person.
After chatting with Little Dingdang about Senior Sister Shuanglan for a while longer, Jiang Yun liked her even more.
Senior Sister Shuanglan's full name was Jiang Shuanglan. Little Dingdang said that Jiang Shuanglan was very familiar with Elder Jiang, so Jiang Yun guessed that Jiang Shuanglan was likely a descendant of the Jiang Family.
More importantly, she had many admirers, so her figure and appearance certainly could not be bad.
After Little Dingdang left, Elder Jiang came over around three or four in the afternoon.
Once Jiang Yun led her into the room, he hurriedly brewed her a pot of tea, acting exceptionally attentive.
Seeing Jiang Yun like this, Elder Jiang found it rather amusing. He was far more eager than when they had first met.
She slowly took a sip of tea before speaking.
"As for your Dao companion, I looked within Jade Cauldron Paradise. There are quite a few female disciples of suitable age, and they all think highly of an Immortal Seedling like you. If you are willing, I can arrange for you to meet some of them."
"This disciple will follow Elder Jiang's arrangements in all things."
Jiang Yun stood respectfully to one side as he replied.
"You and I share the surname Jiang, so I wish to give you an additional opportunity. I have a younger brother, and his granddaughter is named Jiang Shuanglan. She is around your age and cultivates within the Heavenly Cave as well. Though her talent cannot compare to Immortal Seedlings like you, it is not poor either. If you and my granddaughter become Dao companions, then when you enter the Ancestral Vein in the future, even without Jiang Family blood, you will still be considered a trusted member of the Jiang Family."
The moment Jiang Yun heard Elder Jiang's words, he understood.
For those introduced earlier, Elder Jiang had merely called them female disciples of suitable age and had not mentioned any names.
But when it came to Jiang Shuanglan, she said so much more and even laid out the future benefits.
Jiang Yun immediately understood whom Elder Jiang wanted him to choose. It just so happened that he felt the same way.
"Thank you for Elder Jiang's arrangements. I need not consider anyone else. If Senior Sister Shuanglan has no objections to me, then I have no objections either. I have long heard Senior Sister Shuanglan's name."
"How do you know Shuanglan?" Elder Jiang asked in surprise.
"It is quite a coincidence."
Jiang Yun then told Elder Jiang what he had learned from Little Dingdang.
"That truly is quite fated. How about this? Tomorrow at noon, I'll bring Shuanglan here and arrange for you two to meet. Make your preparations."
After saying that, Elder Jiang also left Jiang Yun a set of splendid robes before departing.
At that moment, Jiang Yun felt both excitement and a measure of nervousness.
Elder Jiang's attitude made it clear that this matter was basically certain to succeed.
Jiang Shuanglan probably had no objections either. Otherwise, Elder Jiang would not have specifically emphasized Jiang Shuanglan.
After living two lives, he was about to go on his first blind date tomorrow.
In the blink of an eye, the next day arrived. Jiang Yun ended his cultivation early and changed into the luxurious robes Elder Jiang had prepared.
After looking into the mirror several more times and carefully adjusting his posture, he sat down beside the stone table and chairs beneath the peach tree in the courtyard to wait.
Near noon, Jiang Shuanglan followed Elder Jiang to a small valley. She understood what they had come for, and a faint nervousness rose within her.
As she held her breath, she could vaguely hear her heart thudding. She had already prepared herself for becoming Dao companions with Jiang Yun.
She was a member of the Jiang Family, but she did not even count as part of a branch family. There were simply too many Jiang Family members. How could they all be cared for? No matter how great the family estate was, it could not support the cultivation of hundreds of millions.
The greater the family, the more concentrated its resources became. Ordinary people could at most become wealthy men in the mortal world.
Her father had tried cultivating in his youth, but after wasting some resources, he was ultimately abandoned and could only manage some mortal businesses.
Although her aptitude was not particularly outstanding, she had stepped through the gates of cultivation and become an ordinary disciple in Jade Cauldron Paradise.
Because she was a member of the Jiang Family, the treatment she received was actually much better than that of ordinary disciples.
The family patriarch was willing to nurture her partly because she was devoted to cultivation and had a negligible chance of succeeding, but mainly for the sake of a marriage alliance.
She had secretly asked others to investigate Jiang Yun's character. Though the information was limited, the impression was fairly good, and she did not dislike him.
When Jiang Shuanglan entered the small courtyard, she saw a man sitting beneath a blooming peach tree, seemingly lost in thought. The man before her was incomparably handsome, his sharply defined face exceptionally striking, while his appearance seemed somewhat uninhibited.
Beneath a pair of sword-like brows were long, narrow peach-blossom eyes filled with affection, enough to make one fall into them by accident. He had a high nose and lips of just the right fullness, now curved in a dazzling smile.
Only his short hair looked somewhat strange.
Though Jiang Shuanglan was absorbed in cultivation and not particularly picky about Dao companions, if it was the man before her, she had to admit that she was quite satisfied.
Before you continue