Making a Deal

However, upon hearing this, Lu Qingshan firmly shook his head. "That's impossible!"

"My Lu Clan's ancestors laid down a rule: no man of the Lu Clan may ever marry into another family."

How could he possibly marry into a family in Central Province? What would become of his Lineage?

Seeing how resolute Lu Qingshan was, Murong Yu could only sigh inwardly. Her sobs could often be heard at night.

Some time later, Murong Yu sought out Lu Qingshan again.

"Qingshan, I'm leaving."

Murong Yu's voice was thread-thin, and she kept her head lowered, as though she dared not look at Lu Qingshan.

When Lu Qingshan heard her, disbelief flickered in his eyes.

"Why?"

He could not believe that Murong Yu was actually going to leave him.

When Murong Yu did not answer, Lu Qingshan clenched his fists and said through gritted teeth, "Yes, my Lu Clan is only a small Lineage, a minor power. Here, you don't enjoy the good treatment you receive from your own Lineage, and you won't have any future to speak of."

"And I'm only the patriarch of a small Lineage. I can't give you happiness."

The enormous difference in their statuses had often left Lu Qingshan feeling inferior deep down, but he had always kept it hidden.

Now that Murong Yu was leaving, the inferiority he had buried in his heart erupted completely.

Hearing Lu Qingshan's words, Murong Yu abruptly raised her head. Her beautiful eyes were red and brimming with tears.

"Qingshan, is that really the kind of person you think I am?"

Lu Qingshan fell silent.

Murong Yu continued, "Search your heart and ask yourself: since I came to the Lu Clan, how much time have you spent with me?"

"Qingshan, do you really love me?"

"If you love me, why won't you spend time with me?"

"I..."

Lu Qingshan opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out.

Seeing this, Murong Yu stepped forward and embraced Lu Qingshan. "Qingshan," she said gently, "I'll ask you one last time. Come with me. As long as you leave with me, I'll take responsibility for your Lineage, and my Murong Clan will never interfere again."

Conflict showed on Lu Qingshan's face. After a long while, he shook his head once more.

Murong Yu's face turned pale, and her arms gradually loosened around him.

She let go of Lu Qingshan and left, disappointed.

Watching Murong Yu's departing figure, Lu Qingshan asked himself whether he really loved her.

Of course he did. But compared to Murong Yu, he loved his own Lineage more.

Forcing down the grief in his heart, Lu Qingshan resolutely threw himself back into the great task of reviving his Lineage, body and soul.

Now, time had flown by.

The two had met again, but everything had changed beyond recognition.

"Patriarch Lu, long time no see."

Murong Yu turned to Lu Qingshan and smiled faintly.

There seemed to be no emotion in her eyes.

Lu Qingshan's lips moved. After a moment of silence, he nodded. "Long time no see."

Beside them, Lu Guangyao looked surprised. "Patriarch, you two know each other?"

Lu Guangyao hurriedly turned to look at Murong Yu.

At a glance, he suddenly remembered.

Wasn't this the young woman Lu Qingshan had brought back to the Lu Clan after his travels all those years ago?

He remembered clearly that she had not been very talkative and had been somewhat aloof. She only smiled when she saw Lu Qingshan.

Her origins had been a mystery too. Lu Qingshan had never mentioned them, and neither had Murong Yu.

Later, she had left the Lu Clan, and no one knew when.

The Lu Clan had been in a difficult situation at the time, and no one in the clan had paid it any mind.

He had never expected her to be from the Murong Clan of Central Province.

The patriarch had never spoken of it over the years, but sure enough, he had never fully let her go in his heart.

Otherwise, why had the patriarch never married and had children all these years?

"Grand Elder, you may leave us for now. Miss Murong and I have something to discuss."

Lu Qingshan looked at Murong Yu, then spoke to Lu Guangyao beside him.

Hearing this, Lu Guangyao gave the two a meaningful look and said nothing more. Before leaving, he considerately closed the main gate.

In the courtyard.

Lu Qingshan took a deep breath and looked at Murong Yu again.

"Murong, I..."

Murong Yu said expressionlessly, "Patriarch Lu, what happened before is in the past."

"I've come this time as a representative of the Murong Clan. We wish to make a deal with your clan."

Seeing how every word Murong Yu spoke was filled with distance, Lu Qingshan smiled bitterly. He knew she had blamed him all these years.

He regretted it too. Whenever he thought of Murong Yu late at night, whenever he recalled her gentle smile, Lu Qingshan would toss and turn, unable to sleep.

But the difference in their statuses had left them both unable to decide their own fates.

"A deal?"

Lu Qingshan murmured the words.

Murong Yu nodded slightly. "I admit that my Murong Clan misjudged you back then. Even I, though I was with you day and night, failed to see that your Lu Clan had such a profound foundation and had been hiding its strength all along."

"I left you back then. Now you can slap me hard in the face."

Hearing those words, Lu Qingshan's expression grew even more melancholy.

If he had been his younger self from more than five hundred years ago, he might truly have pointed at Murong Yu and demanded to know whether she had ever regretted it.

Now, he was the patriarch of a superpower in Central Province, and his clan had the strongest alchemist on the Cangxuan Continent. With such a powerful backing, what kind of woman could Lu Qingshan not have?

As he was now, he had only to ask, and the Murong Clan would send Murong Yu straight to his bed for the sake of its interests.

That was the benefit of status.

Murong Yu was indeed outstanding, but before the Murong Clan's enormous interests, she too was someone who could be discarded at any time.

But was that really what Lu Qingshan wanted?

Lu Qingshan shook his head slightly. "Back then, I was the one who wronged you."

"Now, countless powers in Central Province want to work with my Lu Clan and establish ties with us, and there are superpowers among them as well."

"But my Lu Clan has put them all off for the time being."

"The Murong Clan sent you here because they want to use the relationship between us, I'm afraid."

Since Lu Qingshan had spoken so plainly, Murong Yu did not hide it. "Yes."

Lu Qingshan sighed. "As long as you want it, I'm willing to make a deal with your Murong Clan. Let it make up for what happened back then."

"Qingshan..."

Murong Yu's expression turned complicated.

At last, she gave Lu Qingshan a long look and said softly, "From now on, neither of us owes the other anything."

At that moment, both of them completely let go.

Outside the courtyard.

Grand Elder Lu Guangyao waited there, calm and composed.

The envoy who had accompanied Murong Yu from the Murong Clan looked somewhat worried.

Seeing this, Lu Guangyao chuckled. "There's no need to worry so much. I'd say this is eight or nine parts settled out of ten."

The envoy was somewhat surprised to hear that.

He had followed Murong Yu here, so he naturally knew she and Lu Qingshan had a history.

But he did not believe that the patriarch of the Lu Clan, a dignified superpower, would agree to something so important because of a personal relationship.

So, to tell the truth, he had not held out much hope.

Yet now, the Lu Clan's grand elder was telling him it was eight or nine parts settled out of ten.

Could there be some inside story I don't know about?

The Murong Clan envoy immediately edged closer to Lu Guangyao, his face full of curiosity, ready to dig for information.

"Elder Lu, might I ask what history your patriarch has with Miss Murong Yu?"

"Well now." Lu Guangyao chuckled and gave him a knowing look.

The Murong Clan envoy froze for a moment, then looked astonished.

He really had not known about that.

So that's how it is.

No wonder the Lineage had insisted on sending Miss Murong Yu by name, and no wonder she had refused at first.

He had never expected the two of them to really have a story.

In that case, perhaps Patriarch Lu really would let their past relationship bring about cooperation between the two clans.

And if things went a step further... that wasn't impossible either.