The Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference

Once Jiang Lingzhou entered the Tianmu Sect, his eyes never left Gu Yi.

His staring made Gu Yi increasingly uncomfortable, but Gu Yi had no way to leave first.

While Gu Yi was distracted, Jiang Lingzhou somehow sidled up beside him and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek.

Gu Yi and Xie Wenyun both froze.

Xie Wenyun's face turned livid. He stepped directly in front of Gu Yi, separating the two. "Junior Brother Jiang, what is the meaning of this?"

"Senior Sister Ye, don't worry. I've already decided to stop pursuing you."

Grinning cheekily, Jiang Lingzhou circled around to the other side. "From now on, I'll just think of you as a pretty older sister. You wouldn't get angry over a little brother kissing his older sister, would you?"

Gu Yi had already taken out a handkerchief and begun scrubbing his face the moment he was kissed.

Why did this man have absolutely no sense of boundaries?

"But even so, you can't treat Junior Sister Ye like this. Won't such frivolous behavior ruin his reputation?" Xie Wenyun said in an unfriendly tone.

Gu Yi shot Jiang Lingzhou a disgusted look. "Junior Brother Jiang, I was bitten by a dog when I was little."

Jiang Lingzhou paused at that. "What do you mean, Sister?"

Gu Yi lightly covered his eyes with one hand. "So seeing you frightens me a little. Please don't take offense."

"You..." Jiang Lingzhou caught on, and his face immediately darkened.

Xie Wenyun held a fist to his mouth, masking the smile he could barely suppress with a light cough.

Having said his piece, Gu Yi stepped into the hall.

Jiang Lingzhou sat down swaggeringly in a chair. Although Gu Yi had just mocked him a little,

he quickly readjusted his attitude. "My main purpose in coming here is to let you know that the Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference is almost upon us. My father was afraid your sect leader might have forgotten, so he specifically sent me to remind you."

At the words "Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference," a trace of awkwardness crossed Gu Yi's face.

"Thank you and Sect Leader Jiang for the reminder, Junior Brother Jiang."

After that polite remark, Xie Wenyun asked, "Why haven't we ever heard of this Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference before? Where are we supposed to attend it?"

Jiang Lingzhou stared unblinkingly at Gu Yi, looking utterly lovestruck. He hadn't heard a word.

Gu Yi coughed lightly. "Junior Brother Jiang, my senior brother asked you a question."

"Huh? What did you say?" Only then did Jiang Lingzhou come back to his senses. His face reddened. "Ask again. I didn't hear you clearly."

Xie Wenyun frowned. "We've never had this Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference before. We don't know why we're supposed to attend, or where we're supposed to go."

After hearing Xie Wenyun's words, Jiang Lingzhou proudly puffed out his chest, looking as though he knew all there was to know.

"Now, this is something you don't know, isn't it?"

He looked at the two of them mysteriously. "I heard from my father that Demon Venerable Gu Yi proposed this Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference when the Orthodox-Demonic Peace Agreement was reached. It'll be held at the Illusory Demon Sect, once every four years. Supposedly, it can promote friendly exchanges between the orthodox and demonic factions."

Gu Yi lowered his gaze to the tips of his shoes. There did seem to have been something like that four years ago.

He had bought that peace treaty from the system shop and hadn't read it closely when signing it. He had spent a year trapped inside the barrier, then three years in the Tianmu Sect.

He had completely forgotten. Wasn't it time now for the once-every-four-years Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference?

"So what exactly is this Friendship Gathering supposed to mean? What do we have to discuss with the Demonic Cult? We're already showing them some consideration by not going to war with them!"

Xie Wenyun suddenly slammed the table, bristling with indignation. "Besides, the Demon Venerable is already dead..."

Gu Yi: "..."

"Even if the Demon Venerable is dead, the agreement still stands. Neither side can break its promises..."

Jiang Lingzhou chuckled. "Besides, this Orthodox-Demonic Friendship Conference is clearly a matchmaking event. Those sects from the Demonic Cult will all attend. We orthodox cultivators can't let ourselves be outdone."

Gu Yi: "???"

A matchmaking event?

Was that what I'd meant back then?

Or was there something wrong with their comprehension?

Wasn't the point for them to gather every four years, build their relationships, and stop constantly thinking about breaking the agreement and fighting?

A Friendship Gathering completely revamped into a matchmaking mixer?

"Senior Sister Ye, although you're already engaged, your sect doesn't seem to have any presentable female disciples left. You have to attend this Friendship Gathering."

Gu Yi said, "Can I not go?"

"Of course not!" Jiang Lingzhou smiled brilliantly. This Friendship Gathering wasn't limited to marriages between the orthodox faction and the Demonic Cult.

Marriages within the orthodox faction or within the Demonic Cult were possible too.

His goal was simple. If he could win the beauty's hand at this Friendship Gathering, what would a marriage contract matter? Surely it couldn't carry more weight than this matchmaking event?

Besides, although Wen Daochen had produced a marriage contract, the fiancé had yet to appear. Jiang Lingzhou suspected that the contract might not be genuine. If he hadn't needed to save face, he would never have given up back then.

Gu Yi knew nothing of Jiang Lingzhou's thoughts. His face was a picture of misery.

Although Gu Yi didn't want to go, the sect leader didn't have a single disciple, and Wen Daochen only had the two of them.

He remembered that each sect had to send at least two disciples to this Friendship Gathering, and could send up to twenty.

The Tianmu Sect's only disciples of suitable age were him and Xie Wenyun.

In other words, he really did have no choice but to go.

But right now, he only wanted to be a slacker in this sect.

He had spent these three years doing so little, yet now Gu Yi felt as though a bullet he had fired years ago had struck him squarely between the brows years later.

He had created this Friendship Gathering himself, and now he had to bear the consequences himself.

"Junior Sister Ye, don't worry. Even if we attend, we just have to avoid standing out too much. Our Tianmu Sect isn't very powerful to begin with. If they want marriage alliances, they'll most likely choose disciples from those major sects."

Seeing Gu Yi's unhappy expression, Xie Wenyun knew he didn't want to take part in matchmaking, so he offered some comfort.

"Hey, hey, Senior Sister Ye, I think Senior Brother Xie makes a lot of sense this time. And you don't need to worry. I'll protect you and make sure those villains from the Demonic Cult don't marry you off!"

At some point, Jiang Lingzhou had sidled up to Gu Yi again. He winked at him, his lips slightly parted, one canine tooth looking particularly cute.

Not wanting to engage with him, Gu Yi turned his head away. "I won't trouble you to worry about me, Junior Brother Jiang. You're handsome, so you should worry about yourself instead. Some demoness from the Demonic Cult might take a fancy to you."

Xie Wenyun frowned at the man pressing close to Gu Yi. The more he looked, the more irritating he found him.

"Did I hear that right? Senior Sister Ye just called me handsome." Jiang Lingzhou shot up from his chair, cupping his face with a bashful expression. "You meant that, didn't you, Senior Sister Ye?"

Gu Yi's lips curved. In an instant, his somewhat cool face was like a gentle breeze brushing past.

Jiang Lingzhou was immediately entranced. Even Xie Wenyun, who was drinking tea nearby, nearly lost his grip on his cup.

"Of course I meant it. But I've always valued what's inside rather than appearances." Gu Yi's tone was gentle. "You should eat more rouge and face powder, Junior Brother Jiang. That way, you can improve your inner beauty a little."

The smile vanished from Jiang Lingzhou's face. "..."