Signing and sealing

"Your primal Yang has already leaked away. Junior Brother, do you think you can still break through to Transforming Jin? If so, how long will it take?"

Zhang Lingfeng asked.

"Well... I have supreme-grade bone aptitude. If I study diligently and train hard, perhaps... I don't know anymore."

The traces of confidence in Ye Fan's eyes gradually vanished under Zhang Lingfeng's gaze.

"Master has high hopes for you. With what few Qi and Blood Pills he has, he certainly won't leave you out. But if you take them and your cultivation makes no progress, what will Master think?

"As far as I know, Master has already cut back on your Qi and blood supplements."

Zhang Lingfeng spoke calmly.

"Ever since you broke through to Dark Force, Senior Brother, Master has seemed like a different person."

Ye Fan spoke quietly.

"Then do you still want to disappoint Master, again and again?"

"No. Senior Brother, just tell me what I should do!"

Ye Fan was at his wits' end. He only hoped Zhang Lingfeng could free him from this predicament as soon as possible.

"As for you and Sister Hong, Wei He and Sister Hong might not agree to settle things with a marriage contract alone.

"How about this? Give Wei He the Qi and Blood Pills Master provides you over the next six months. First, they'll serve as a token of your love.

"Second, they'll lessen your sins and show Sister Hong that you truly want to marry her.

"Third, with your primal Yang lost, if you take Qi and Blood Pills but fail to retain their Qi and blood power, Master won't have a chance to notice anything amiss."

Zhang Lingfeng spoke slowly.

Ye Fan initially frowned at his words, but as he listened, he gradually felt they made some sense.

"Once this blows over and you've replenished your primal Yang, you can take the Qi and Blood Pills Master gives you afterward yourself.

"With your aptitude, earning good results in the martial examination will be as easy as turning your hand. This will give you, Sister Hong, and even Master a satisfactory resolution, and I won't have to keep worrying about you two as your intermediary."

Zhang Lingfeng struck while the iron was hot and added.

"You're right, Senior Brother. Let's do as you say."

Ye Fan thought it over carefully. It was only a few Qi and Blood Pills, after all. As long as Guo Wei didn't discover that he had lost his primal Yang, he would still have a chance to rise.

Once he placed high on the first-tier list next year, wouldn't getting Qi and Blood Pills be easy?

"You're young and hot-blooded, Junior Brother. Restrain yourself from now on. Luckily, I was here today. If you'd violated someone else's daughter, I couldn't have helped you."

Zhang Lingfeng stood and pulled Ye Fan to his feet.

"Senior Brother, you've given me a new lease on life. I'll remember your kindness until my dying day."

Ye Fan spoke earnestly.

"We're fellow disciples. Saying such things only puts distance between us."

Zhang Lingfeng patted Ye Fan's shoulder.

"Go call Sister Hong and Wei He in, and prepare a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone."

Zhang Lingfeng addressed Chen Sanshi.

"Yes!"

Chen Sanshi went out to call Wei He and the others in. When he returned a little later, he was carrying a brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.

Acting as witness, Zhang Lingfeng drew up a marriage contract for Ye Fan and Wei Hong. Both signed and affixed their marks, and a written pledge naming Qi and Blood Pills as the betrothal gift was also drawn up.

Every formality intended to keep Ye Fan in check was handled thoroughly.

"If not for Master Zhang today, this wouldn't have been settled so easily. I'm entrusting my sister to you from now on. Don't you dare bully him, or else... hmph!"

Only after seeing the marriage contract and other documents was Wei He satisfied.

"Once I place high in next year's martial examination, I'll bring an eight-bearer bridal sedan to marry your sister in a proper ceremony. I'll do right by her and never let her down."

Ye Fan thumped his chest as he spoke.

"Sister Hong, Junior Brother Ye stands head and shoulders above the rest. He's sure to place high next year. Now that the marriage contract is settled, you must keep your lips sealed. Don't ruin his future or the good life ahead of you both."

Zhang Lingfeng reminded her.

"Thank you for upholding justice for this servant, Master Zhang. I know what to do."

Wei Hong linked her arm through Ye Fan's as she spoke.

At the thought that her husband would one day be a martial licentiate, or even a martial provincial graduate, Wei Hong was thoroughly satisfied. She had not the slightest complaint about Zhang Lingfeng's arrangements.

"Junior Brother Ye, Master is still waiting for you to return. Don't delay any longer."

Zhang Lingfeng reminded him again.

"All right. I'll go back and get ready."

Ye Fan nodded.

"Go check outside. Don't let anyone see that Junior Brother Ye spent last night at Sister Hong's home."

Zhang Lingfeng instructed Chen Sanshi.

"Yes!"

Chen Sanshi took Hei Hu and Sun Yan outside to provide cover. Only after making sure no one was around did he signal Ye Fan to leave. Not daring to linger another moment, Ye Fan quickly ran out of sight.

After he left.

Zhang Pingping came in with Wei He's other sister, Wei Ying.

"Thank you, Master Zhang, for bringing about this marriage between Ye Fan and me."

Wei Hong knelt as she spoke.

Ye Fan was a dragon and phoenix among men. Wei Hong had liked him from the moment she first saw him.

"From now on, you're my elder sister. If Ye Fan ever dares to bully you, tell Wei He and me at once. We'll uphold justice for you."

Zhang Lingfeng instructed her.

"Mm."

Wei Hong nodded.

"Now that my sister has found a good match, this servant would also like to ask Master Zhang and Sister Pingping to help find one for me."

Wei Ying said.

The sister and brother smiled and nodded.

Knowing that Zhang Lingfeng and the others had important matters to discuss, Wei Hong and Wei Ying did not stay long.

"Can this document alone really make Ye Fan hand over his Qi and Blood Pills? What if he realizes something is wrong?"

Wei He was somewhat wary of Ye Fan.

That fellow was highly valued by Guo Wei and possessed supreme-grade bone aptitude. Now that he had become his brother-in-law, Wei He worried that he would ride roughshod over him.

"Unless he isn't afraid of Master Guo learning that he's lost his primal Yang, or of having his reputation ruined and losing his chance to earn scholarly honors."

Zhang Pingping spoke with complete confidence.

To keep Ye Fan under their thumb, they had specifically drawn up another written statement. If Ye Fan failed to marry Wei Hong after placing high in the examination, they would report to the authorities that he had defiled her.

It bore Ye Fan's signature and mark, along with his repentance, his desire for redemption, and his promise to marry Wei Hong.

"I doubt he has the guts."

Wei He said with a smile.

"What's more troublesome now is that Ye Fan has supreme-grade bone aptitude. Even without Qi and Blood Pills, his cultivation will progress far faster than anyone else's. If he breaks through to Transforming Jin early..."

Zhang Pingping had been worrying about this all along.

"As long as the Qi and Blood Pills stay in my hands for these six months, Ye Fan cannot possibly break through to Transforming Jin before me."

Zhang Lingfeng was brimming with confidence.

He could use Qi and Blood Pills to shorten the time needed, overtaking Ye Fan while Ye Fan wasn't taking any. As long as he became stronger than Ye Fan, Guo Wei would focus all his attention on him from then on.

So, six months from now.

It wouldn't be a question of whether Ye Fan could take Qi and Blood Pills, but whether Guo Wei would still be willing to give him any.

Just imagine: you were clearly given more resources than others, yet you grew more slowly. Why would your master keep wasting resources on you?

He would certainly direct those resources toward the more outstanding disciple.

Ye Fan possessed supreme-grade bone aptitude.

If Zhang Lingfeng could surpass Ye Fan in the future, then in Guo Wei's eyes, he would possess potential and aptitude even greater than supreme-grade bone aptitude.

Whether his bone structure had closed or not would be tossed to the back of his mind.

When that time came, the thirteenth hand could only belong to Zhang Lingfeng.

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