"Grown ups..."
Chen Qing returned to her room and hadn't even had a chance to doze off when there was a knock at the door. When she opened it, she saw Chen Ying pushing Wei Gongcheng in with her.
"Come in." Chen Qing sighed, not too upset about being interrupted from her sleep. After all, she was a programmer in her previous life, and it was common for her to work overtime for days without sleep.
"As per your request, we sent urgent messages to five prefectures: Nanming, Nanyang, Suyang, Yunchuan, and Tianmen, but as of this morning, there has been no response!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing quickly invited the two into the house, opened the map, and solemnly drew circles on it with meticulous brushstrokes.
"My lord..." Wei Gongcheng, seeing this, asked with great confusion, "Do you know what happened?"
Without looking up, Chen Qing continued drawing lines and asked, "Miss Chen, how did it go when I asked you to check the fog line at the beach this morning?"
"The area surrounding the port, stretching for hundreds of miles, is entirely shrouded in thick fog." Chen Ying quickly added, "My lord told me not to venture too far into the fog, so I only looked from a distance. It seems to completely cover all five waterways, and the fog is very high!"
"How tall?" Chen Qing asked, looking up.
"My skills are limited; I can only levitate using basic Windwalking Technique, reaching a maximum of fifteen zhang. I cannot cross that strange fog; I have never encountered such dense fog at sea."
"Miss Chen did not inherit any techniques?" Chen Qing, somewhat surprised.
"Does Your Excellency know the answer already?" Chen Ying's expression immediately turned somewhat unpleasant.
Seeing this, Wei Gongcheng quickly explained, "Miss Chen misunderstands. Lord Chen should be hiding in a family of sorcerers and is unaware of the mainstream circles today."
He then turned to Chen Qing and said, "Miss Chen is Mu Hongqing's direct disciple. Mu Hongqing is very capable, but his background is special. He does not have the foundation of a traditional sorcerer family. Because the spell he inherited is too dangerous, he is unwilling to let Miss Chen follow the same path, but it is also difficult to find a suitable spell for her."
Chen Qing was taken aback upon hearing this, but after a moment's thought, he understood the cause and effect.
Mu Hongqing was the illegitimate son of the Duke of Qin. His younger sister was abused to death by his mistress, and he betrayed his family. He was considered an unfilial son and was not accepted by the mainstream forces. Even in the sorcerer family, he was probably ostracized.
Chen Ying is exceptionally talented, but she also comes from humble beginnings and is a woman. Being valued by Mu Hongqing is both a good thing and a bad thing. As a woman, if she wants to get ahead, she needs an elder who dares to stand up for her and fight for resources. If someone like Mu Hongqing, who has no family connections, wholeheartedly helps Chen Ying, Chen Ying's initial resources will probably be better than those of many scions of powerful families.
However, things become difficult in the mid-to-late stages, because the most valuable resource of a sorcerer family is its diverse array of spells, which talented offspring can choose to find the ones that suit them. The best spells are controlled by the family, Chen Ying, having followed Mu Hongqing, is indeed facing difficulties in this regard.
"So that means..." Chen Qing looked at Chen Ying in astonishment. "You can advance to the Fourth Rank using only basic techniques?"
Chen Ying squinted at Chen Qing. This guy could tell at a glance that she was Fourth Rank sorcerer. She was indeed a sorcerer who kept her abilities hidden!
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, sir," Chen Ying said coldly.
Chen Qing stared at the other person for several breaths, and after considering the situation, she said, "Miss Chen, although you have become a disciple, you haven't joined the family yet, right?"
Chen Ying rolled her eyes, too lazy to even reply. With her talent, if she were willing to marry into any family, she would have already developed her own techniques.
The master had tried to find himself a good marriage, but none of the attempts had been successful.
Most sorcerer families couldn't provide the spells that satisfied their master. The two top families were considering a marriage alliance, but the two grown children complained about her long legs and demanded that she become their concubine. In a fit of anger, the master broke off relations with both families.
This has also resulted in me not having a suitable technique to inherit.
"Would the young lady be willing to marry into my Chen Household?"
"Cough cough..." Wei Gongcheng choked on his tea, feeling that this guy always did things so suddenly.
"You want me to be your concubine?" Chen Ying looked at Chen Qing coldly.
Chen Qing was taken aback...
Damn it... is that what I meant?
Entering the Chen Household would naturally make them blood relatives, and since the other party's surname is Chen, there's no need to change the surname.
How did you immediately interpret it that way?
Could it be that my habit of secretly glancing at her thighs has been discovered? No way, I'm quite discreet.
Before Chen Qing could explain, the other party sneered, "I wonder what kind of betrothal gifts you have to offer, sir?"
"Um... my salary is meager... but there are many properties available on South Street now, Miss Chen can choose any she like..."
Wait, that's not what I meant...
"My lord..." Wei Gongcheng said helplessly, "Sorcerer families use spells as betrothal gifts, and the land you mentioned is public property. It's not appropriate to use it as betrothal gifts, is it?"
"Using magical techniques as a bride price?" Chen Qing was taken aback. Have all families specializing in magical techniques become this pragmatic?
Wei Gongcheng nodded. "Marriages between families of sorcerers are always an exchange of magical arts. The groom's family gives a dowry of one magical art, and the Fang Family reciprocates with a dowry of another magical art."
For this reason, it is difficult for women to rise in the families of sorcerers, because the mainstream sorcery of the family is generally not developed for girls, unless the woman has extraordinary talent. However, in such cases, the woman does not marry out of the family; at most, she will take a son-in-law to live with her and live in a separate household.
Chen Ying listened coldly to Wei Gongcheng's explanation, her gaze towards Chen Qing filled with doubt. Marriages between sorcerers had been the norm for millennia; even the most secretive sorcerer families couldn't possibly be unaware of this?
"I see..." Chen Qing stroked his chin, then looked at Chen Ying: " With Lord Mu not here, can you make your own decisions, young lady?"
"Yes!" Chen Ying said coldly, "As long as you can come up with a dowry that appeals to me, but let me make it clear beforehand that there will be no dowry for a concubine!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing remained silent for a few moments, not in a hurry to explain, but instead took out a jade talisman from his sleeve.
The jade talisman was exquisitely crafted. Wei Gongcheng found it beautiful, but Chen Ying saw a beam of blue light shooting straight into the sky!
" Heavenly Dipper Spells!!"
Chen Ying couldn't sit still any longer and stood up abruptly, staring intently at the jade talisman!
" The Heavenly Dipper Spells?" Wei Gongcheng was also shocked upon hearing this and turned to look at Chen Qing.
Although he came from a family of military generals, he was aware of the reputation of the Heavenly Dipper Spells. The Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits Evening Elephant Gang were a lineage that only top-tier families could master. As far as he knew, there were only four such families in the capital: Mind Monkey of the Duke of Song lineage, Xin Yuan of the Nangong Family, Giant Spirit of the Li Family, and Vermilion Bird of the Fei Family!
Of these four families, apart from the unknown lineage of Liu Yu, the Duke of Song is unknown, aren't the other three all long-established clans with a history spanning thousands of years?
Chen Qing is actually from a family of Heavenly Dipper Spells?
Thinking of mystical beings like door gods and Mountain God, Wei Gongcheng wasn't so opposed to Chen Qing possessing the Heavenly Dipper Spells, but using it as a betrothal gift was going too far!
Is taking a concubine really that extravagant these days?
"Are you serious, sir?" Chen Ying asked, staring intently at the jade talisman.
"Of course..." Chen Qing nodded.
The situation was tense, and the more capable people he had under his command, the better. He wanted to keep the Shen Family, who were in a competitive relationship with him, in Liuzhou, let alone someone as useful as himself.
Chen Ying, who could reach the Fourth Rank with just basic techniques, is definitely a perfect user of the Four Spirits Spells. If she doesn't use them now, when will she?
"Fine!" Chen Ying nodded without hesitation, looking at the other party with a cold smile, "May the heavens bear witness, with this ceremony, I enter the Chen Household, for life. If you do not abandon me, I will never betray you. This is a blood oath!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the energy in the surrounding space trembled, clearly indicating that a very powerful binding force was forming. Chen Qing frowned and looked around, and roughly knew in his heart that this should be a spell oath.
Indeed, according to the traditions of warlocks, who would dare to engage in a transaction of this magnitude without a pledge of oath?
Once a vow is made, unless one can defy the greatest spirit of heaven and earth, one will surely suffer a backlash!
Chen Qing stared at the straightforward girl, somewhat stunned.
"What?" Chen Ying sneered, "If you're going to make such a joke, you'd better think carefully about the consequences!"
She didn't expect him to actually use this to marry her, but since he had played her for this, he had to pay a price.
The teacher has been planning for this for many years, but has not yet found a good technique. He is also getting old and can no longer afford to delay. Now, the teacher has fallen out with most of the sorcerer families in the capital, so it will be difficult to make any progress. Since Chen Qing is from a family of Heavenly Dipper Spells, he must have other good stuff. If we force him to take one out, and then the teacher exchanges it with his own technique, it might work.
The teacher's technique is extremely dangerous. Although powerful, the risk of inheriting it is too great, so it doesn't fetch a high price in the sorcerer market. But now that this Chen is in the wrong, we can take this opportunity to put pressure on him!
Just then, the other person took the jade talisman and walked directly in front of him. As if sensing something, the jade talisman transformed into a jade ring.
"My lord... you..."
Chen Ying couldn't help but want to take a step back, but under the blood oath, she couldn't back down even if she wanted to. The other party directly took her right hand and put the jade ring on her finger!
"The blood oath is sworn!" Chen Qing looked earnestly at her. "From this day forward, you are a member of the Chen Household. As you said, with this gift, I betroth you to me. If I do not abandon you, you will be devoted to the Chen Household for life!"
The next instant, a beam of azure light shot into the sky, and a dragon's roar resounded throughout the heavens and earth!
In an instant, not only Chen Ying was shocked, but countless families of sorcerers throughout Jiangnan looked up at the sky above Liuzhou in astonishment!
The foremost of the Four Spirits: Azure Dragon Spell!!
Many people have been asking about the group number. Well, since the administrators of the previous book club have mostly stopped using the platform, Mofang 'm thinking of creating a new group. It will be created after the Three Rivers a popular online literature platform) is launched. At that time, all readers are welcome to join and discuss the plot, hehe.
As for whether I'll create a group if I don't participate in the Three Rivers? Hmm, how could I possibly create a group if I didn't participate in the Three Rivers forum? Hahaha.
Please continue reading, everyone!!