A matchmaking meeting with the second young lady

Green Bamboo Valley.

Inside an exquisite little building, quaint and elegantly furnished.

"Father, you actually want me to marry that Lu Changsheng!"

"You know perfectly well how lecherous Lu Changsheng is. Not only did he marry nine women from our Lu Lineage, he even brought women back from outside."

"I heard he brought back another two little vixens after a trip not long ago. And you want me to marry someone like that?"

A cool, strikingly beautiful young woman of eighteen or nineteen, dressed in a long black gauze gown, stared indignantly at the head of the Lu Lineage before her.

"Huan'er, Lu Changsheng may be a little too amorous, but he is quite decent in every other respect. He is an honest, unassuming man, and he treats his wives and concubines very well, with great care and consideration."

"Besides, just yesterday, Lu Changsheng advanced to become a first-rank middle-grade talisman master!"

"He has only been with our Lu Lineage for a little over four years, and he has only practiced talisman making for three and a half."

"In those three and a half years, our Lu Lineage never devoted any particular resources to nurturing or teaching him."

"For him to become a first-rank middle-grade talisman master so quickly under those circumstances shows that his talent for talisman making is extraordinary, far surpassing your sister's!"

"Unless something unexpected happens, he will most likely become a second-rank talisman master in the future. If you marry him, I can rest easy about your future."

Lu Yuanding was earnestly trying to persuade his daughter.

After the idea of marrying his daughter Lu Miaohuan to Lu Changsheng had occurred to him during the earlier meeting, the more he considered it, the more feasible it seemed.

Once the meeting ended, he had come to his daughter's residence and raised the matter.

He hoped to persuade her to marry Lu Changsheng.

"A first-rank middle-grade talisman master?"

Surprise flickered in Lu Miaohuan's beautiful eyes at those words.

As a young lady of the Lu Lineage whose elder sister was a talisman master, she naturally knew how remarkable it was for Lu Changsheng to become a first-rank middle-grade talisman master under such circumstances.

Calling him a genius at talisman making would be no exaggeration.

No wonder her father wanted her to marry Lu Changsheng.

If Lu Changsheng truly became a second-rank talisman master someday, that status would make him an honored guest wherever he went.

Even if he could not become a second-rank talisman master, becoming a first-rank top-grade talisman master would still be exceptional.

She knew that the Fourth Elder, who taught her sister about talismans, was a first-rank top-grade talisman master.

The Fourth Elder generated substantial, steady income for the Lu Lineage every year and held a very high position.

Yet when she thought of all Lu Changsheng's exploits, and recalled the way he had stared at her when she and her sister first met him, the impression he had left made her uncomfortable all over. She was unwilling.

Seeing his daughter's reluctance, Lu Yuanding sighed and continued trying to persuade her.

"Huan'er, your mother passed away early. I have rarely interfered with you or scolded you, but this time, I truly have your best interests at heart. I hope you will listen to me."

"Now that Lu Changsheng has become a first-rank middle-grade talisman master, and given his good conduct over the years, our Lu Lineage has discussed the matter and decided to marry a woman with a spiritual root to him. This will also truly bring him into our fold."

"Quite a few elders and senior clansmen want to marry their daughters or granddaughters to Lu Changsheng. I had to fight for you to have this first opportunity."

"You are not so young anymore. It is time you gave this some thought."

At that moment, Lu Yuanding spoke not as the head of the Lu Lineage, but as a father, with a faint sigh.

If Lu Miaohuan had shown promise like Lu Miaoge, he naturally would not have worried about her marriage.

After all, it was fairly normal and common for immortal cultivators not to marry.

"But Lu Changsheng only has a ninth-grade spiritual root, and he already has so many wives and concubines..."

Hearing her father's words and seeing his demeanor, Lu Miaohuan pressed her lips together before speaking.

She had never imagined that her father had actually fought to secure this chance for her to marry Lu Changsheng.

On second thought, however, she could understand the reasoning.

There were over a hundred Lu Lineage Disciples on Green Bamboo Mountain.

Although these members possessed spiritual roots, most had limited prospects and little hope of reaching foundation establishment.

Once they came of age, many would have marriages arranged by the lineage, forming marriage alliances with neighboring cultivation lineages.

This was also how these cultivation lineages developed and maintained a steady influx of fresh blood.

Lu Changsheng had entered the Lu Lineage as a live-in son-in-law, had lived there ever since, and had conducted himself well. He could already be considered halfway one of their own.

Now that he had demonstrated such talent for talisman making, the elders and senior clansmen were naturally more than willing to marry a woman with a spiritual root to Lu Changsheng, binding him firmly to the Lu Lineage.

"A ninth-grade spiritual root does not matter. With Lu Changsheng's talent for talisman making, as long as our Lu Lineage is willing to nurture him, he still has a chance of reaching late-stage chain qi, even if foundation establishment is beyond his reach."

"Even a great foundation establishment cultivator would show some respect to a second-rank talisman master at late-stage chain qi."

"As for his wives and concubines, you need not worry. Lu Changsheng's current wives and concubines are all mortal women."

"If you marry him, you will naturally be his principal wife. Besides, with me here, how could I let you suffer?"

Seeing that his daughter was no longer so adamantly opposed, Lu Yuanding struck while the iron was hot.

After hearing her father out, Lu Miaohuan pressed her lips together and said nothing.

As she recalled Lu Changsheng, whom she had met once before, he no longer seemed quite so detestable.

After all, with her charms, anyone who saw her would be unable to resist taking a few extra looks, let alone a lecher like Lu Changsheng.

Seeing his daughter's reaction, Lu Yuanding smiled, knowing that she had more or less tacitly agreed.

He immediately said gently, "How about this, Miaohuan? I will invite Lu Changsheng to Bamboo Heart Lodge tomorrow, and you can meet him?"

"Mm."

Lu Miaohuan gave an almost inaudible reply.

Lu Changsheng was playing with his children in the backyard.

Since he already had so many children, he had built quite a few toys in the courtyard.

There were swings, slides, seesaws, trampolines, rocking horses, toy carts... and more.

At the moment, however, a group of little ones were lining up to play at flying with him.

He cast the Floating Technique, sending the little ones soaring back and forth through the air.

Or he had them sit on rocking horses and toy carts, then used the Object-Control Technique to carry them through the air. The little ones were having the time of their lives, squealing at the tops of their lungs.

Just then, Lu Changsheng heard one of his wives and concubines say that Uncle Lu had arrived.

He immediately knew there was a response regarding his becoming a first-rank middle-grade talisman master.

Leaving his wives and concubines to watch the children, he hurried to the reception room.

"Uncle Lu."

Lu Changsheng cupped his hands slightly in greeting.

"Very good, very good."

Looking at Lu Changsheng before him, Uncle Lu suddenly nodded in approval.

He had never paid much attention before, but upon taking a closer look now, he found that Lu Changsheng was indeed a fine-looking young man.

Uncle Lu's expression and manner left Lu Changsheng rather puzzled.

"Lu Changsheng, the lineage head wants you to prepare properly and go to Bamboo Heart Lodge tomorrow for a matchmaking meeting."

Uncle Lu spoke with a smile.

"What?"

"The lineage head wants me to prepare properly and go to Bamboo Heart Lodge tomorrow for a matchmaking meeting?"

Lu Changsheng's expression turned decidedly odd at those words.

He had been wondering what improvements in his treatment within the Lu Lineage might follow his revealing that he was a first-rank middle-grade talisman master.

He had never expected the head of the Lu Lineage to send him to a matchmaking meeting instead.

But Lu Changsheng immediately realized that this matchmaking meeting was probably no ordinary affair.

Seeing Lu Changsheng's reaction, Uncle Lu chuckled and explained, "That is right. Now that you have become a first-rank middle-grade talisman master, and considering your conduct over the years, the lineage head intends to give you his daughter's hand in marriage."

Hearing Uncle Lu's words, Lu Changsheng was startled, then delighted.

The image of the eldest young lady, Lu Miaoge, immediately surfaced in his mind, her bearing transcendent and her quiet grace like that of an immortal.

But Uncle Lu's next words shattered his fantasy.

"Go meet her tomorrow and make a good impression. Once this is settled, we will truly be one family."

"Have you not been hoping to have a few children with spiritual roots? Second Miss has a sixth-grade spiritual root. If you marry her, the children you have in the future will most likely possess spiritual roots as well."

Uncle Lu spoke with a smile.

He had always had a good impression of Lu Changsheng.

Now that the Lu Lineage intended to bring Lu Changsheng fully into their fold, he naturally felt closer to him and regarded him as one of their own.