Pregnant with the Immortal Venerable's Child After Divorce - Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Do all sword cultivators have bad tempers? …

Giving flowers was a custom in Lingxi Town, similar to throwing fruit or melons, but here peach blossoms were used instead. It similarly expressed admiration.

Seeing the bright flowers in those people’s hands, both A’Fu and Kong Fu’s expressions immediately changed.

However, Kong Fu was slightly more composed, while A’Fu had already transformed into a cat, jumped into Yan Zhu’s arms, and hissed at those people with his ears flattened.

Seeing his disciple’s reaction, Yan Zhu couldn’t help but curve his eyes. He reached out and stroked his head, not taking the gift. Instead, he swept his hand, and all the peach blossoms, along with his sleeve, fell to the ground, leaving only bare branches.

It was like knocking all those sudden heartfelt feelings to the ground.

Qi Ranyin also chuckled on the side: “The flowers are willing, but the stream is indifferent~”

But those people didn’t seem to be discouraged by this. They even produced another bouquet of peach blossoms from somewhere and offered it, but this time to Qi Ranyin.

Qi Ranyin didn’t refuse. Instead, he reached out and accepted all the flowers, then waved his hand: “Disperse. We came together.”

His tone was not frivolous, even somewhat possessive, so everyone sensibly left. After all, not everyone who came here was looking for romance. Some sweethearts would go to the Matchmaker Temple to pray for a lifelong union, and it would be impolite to bother them.

After everyone left, Qi Ranyin pulled Yan Zhu along the street.

There were no residents in Lingxi Town, only shop after shop, with everything from clothing to food, housing, and transportation, as well as many specialty products that couldn’t be bought outside.

“These inns all have their own unique features. Pick one.” Qi Ranyin pointed to a few shops. “The environments are all good. Just treat it like opening a blind box. Stay for two days, and if you don’t like it, change.”

Yan Zhu’s gaze circled the shops he pointed to, finally settling on one of them.

Qianshuxue (Thousand Trees Snow).

Among the names like Queqiao Xian (Magpie Bridge Immortal), Taohua Yin (Peach Blossom Allure), and Die Lianhua (Butterfly Loves Flowers), this name seemed a bit out of place.

It was a pear tree in a city full of peach blossoms.

*The Peach Stream melancholy, one cannot cross, the crimson blossoms scatter and fall abundant. Hearing of the Thousand Trees Snow west of the city, how about taking you to get drunk?*①

It was like a unique invitation.

Yan Zhu pointed to the inn: “That one.”

Qi Ranyin was a little surprised, raising an eyebrow: “You actually chose that one?”

Yan Zhu was puzzled: “What’s wrong? Is this inn not good?”

“No,” Qi Ranyin said. “It just doesn’t seem like your style.”

Yan Zhu always liked colorful and flashy things, whether it was clothes or jewelry, furniture, or carriages.

But Wen Sucheng was an extremely understated person. He had a soft spot for white, whether it was clothes or furniture, constantly dressing himself up like a filial son mourning at a wake. When the house on Fenxue Peak was first built, it was made to look like a mourning hall. It was only later that Yan Zhu added many things to it.

He didn’t touch any of Wen Sucheng’s belongings, but simply kept adding things to the original decoration, like the countless lamps by their bath, clearly adorned with beautiful tassels, but the original lampshades were entirely colorless and patternless, looking a bit mismatched.

It was also like the relationship between the two of them.

“I like pear blossoms,” Yan Zhu said.

Qi Ranyin then recalled that his life-bound artifact was called Lihua (Pear Blossom).

Just as he was about to say so that’s it, he heard Yan Zhu continue: “It reminds me of Senior Brother’s sword.”

Wen Sucheng’s sword was as famous as he was, called Zuixiu (Drunken Sleeve).

The sword was completely snow-white, with extremely exquisite and complex patterns and hollowed-out luminous pearls. From afar, it was minimalist to the extreme, but up close, it was too flashy to be a sword he would use.

No one knew who forged the sword, or what materials were used, only that it was an extremely powerful immortal artifact.

Yan Zhu explained: “When he got that sword, Senior Brother asked me to name it, but I’m not good at naming things.”

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have named his artifact Lihua. When he named it, he happened to see snow everywhere, falling like pear blossoms in spring. But when he rushed over, he only saw Wen Sucheng standing under a newly sprouted tree, holding the yet-to-be-named sword.

So he decided at that time: “My gourd will be called Lihua from now on.”

Wen Sucheng heard his words and nodded slightly. He then walked toward him, presenting the snow-white sword in front of him, saying: “Its name.”

He spoke very little, sometimes even a little inexplicably, but Yan Zhu could understand.

Wen Sucheng wanted him to name the sword.

He thought Lihua also suited the sword, but that was already his artifact, so he shook his head and said, “It’s your sword.”

Wen Sucheng then said nothing more, only staring at the sword for a long time. So long that Yan Zhu thought he was in meditation, he finally said: “Zuixiu.”

*The pink is light and the fragrance is pure, standing alone; it does not allow the peach and plum to steal its youth. Often thinking of the clear road in Nanzheng, the drunken sleeve meets the wind, a single snowy branch.*②

It was a pair with Lihua.

This was the first time Qi Ranyin had heard of this, and he was a little surprised: “So that’s what it means. Did you know that many people guessed the name was given by the artifact master, as it really doesn’t fit the Immortal Venerable’s style?”

Yan Zhu looked at him: “What style do you think he is?”

This question stumped Qi Ranyin.

Although he had a good relationship with Yan Zhu, he didn’t interact much with Wen Sucheng. When they occasionally met on Fenxue Peak, Wen Sucheng would only nod to him. So his impression of Wen Sucheng came from rumors and Yan Zhu’s evaluation of him.

Powerful, indifferent, taciturn, and… boring.

What kind of name would such a person give his sword?

Qi Ranyin thought for a moment and said: “Nameless?”

He laughed at his own words after saying it.

Yan Zhu also laughed: “That is indeed his style.” As he spoke, he pulled Qi Ranyin and headed to Qianshuxue.

The interior decoration of the shop was similar to what he expected. White sheer fabrics were hung everywhere, and even the wood was painted white, as if it had snowed inside the room.

Yan Zhu requested four top rooms, but A’Fu refused, insisting on three, and said: “I’ll just sleep on the floor!”

Yan Zhu naturally couldn’t let him do that, but A’Fu transformed into his original form and stood on the counter, blocking his hand that was about to pay, showing an attitude that he wouldn’t budge unless Yan Zhu relented.

Fortunately, the boss reacted quickly and said that the inn also had beds for demons to sleep on and would add one to the room later. Only then did the two compromise.

When Yan Zhu followed the attendant to the room, he was silenced by the sight before him.

The outside was clearly all white, so why did the guest room suddenly turn red?

It was red, but not entirely red. It was split half-and-half in red and white. One side was still ethereally white, while the other side was festive and joyous, like a bridal chamber. It looked strange no matter how you looked at it.

He looked at the attendant: “What is this?”

The attendant immediately explained eagerly that most of the guests who came here were lovers. Although they chose to stay because of the unique features of their inn, they still needed a little romantic atmosphere. Although white was nice, it was too pure and lacked desire, so the boss came up with this design.

Yan Zhu felt a rush of suffocation.

He said: “It looks like a battle between a funeral and a wedding.”

The attendant probably wasn’t hearing this complaint for the first time. He just smiled and said, “Wouldn’t that be a rare experience?”

Yan Zhu said no more.

He definitely wouldn’t have stayed in such a bizarrely designed place if he hadn’t come here.

Yan Zhu immediately carried A’Fu inside and ordered a table full of dishes.

The food and drinks at this hotel were good. While eating, Yan Zhu discussed where to go for fun with the others.

Qi Ranyin thought for a moment and chuckled: “How about playing on the lake? The pleasure boats always have some way to pass the time. There will be a lantern festival in the evening, but the most worthwhile place to go should still be the Matchmaker Temple.”

Yan Zhu didn’t even think: “I’ll listen to you.”

So, after the meal, the group headed toward the lake.

The lake wasn’t far, but as soon as they left the inn, Yan Zhu was drawn into the flashy shops at the entrance, plunging into a shopping spree, buying from one store after another. So the originally short journey was infinitely extended, and it was an hour later when they reached the destination.

The pleasure boat Qi Ranyin mentioned was indeed very large, but it didn’t dock. To get on, they either had to fly over themselves or take a small boat.

Yan Zhu, with the thought of since we’re already here, took a small boat with them. The boatman was a warm-hearted older brother. While rowing, he introduced them to the history of Lingxi Town and some recent gossip.

He said that a pair of master and disciple fell in love, and their taboo relationship aroused public outrage. The sect wanted to expel them. They fled all the way to a floating island. One of them was exhausted and close to death. The other could not abandon his lover and chose to stay and share life and death with him. Their true love moved the Matchmaker God, who descended to bless them and drove away their pursuers. Grateful for the Matchmaker God’s kindness, the two built a Matchmaker Temple on the island. Some people heard about this and came here to pray for a good match. They found it very effective, so the story spread far and wide, eventually gaining fame, which led to the present Lingxi Town.

Yan Zhu listened to this seemingly touching legend and commented: “It sounds like a gimmick for merchants to make money.”

The boatman chuckled a few times and said that the story had been passed down for hundreds of years. Whether it was true or false, it was just for entertainment. He then told them about other things.

For example, a pair of young lovers came to play but were told that they were not true matches. The two didn’t believe it and even smashed the fortune teller’s stall. However, a few days later, the man met his true match. It was love at first sight, and they promised their lives to each other on their second meeting. The two quickly got together as if thunder had struck fire. The woman was furious when she found out and beat the two of them. The situation turned from a three-person farce into a four-person one, and they still occasionally fought on the street.

Another example was a person who came to the town four hundred years ago and went to the Matchmaker Temple to pray for a good match. The Matchmaker God told him that his match was right in front of his eyes. So he waited in the town every day. Whenever someone new arrived, he would ask them. He had been asking for four hundred years and still hadn’t found his match. He had become a famous sight at the town entrance.

Yan Zhu listened with relish: “Why didn’t we run into him when we came?”

“How could a gentleman with a companion like you ask?” The boatman explained with a chuckle. “He used to not care about these things and was often beaten into a pig’s head. Later, he asked the wrong person and angered a sword cultivator with a bad temper, who chased and tried to kill him for several years before he behaved himself.”

Yan Zhu: “…”

Mentioning a sword cultivator, he had a feeling it was eight out of ten from the Mingxin Sect.

He turned to Qi Ranyin: “Do all sword cultivators have bad tempers?”

Qi Ranyin smiled upon hearing this: “You’re from the Mingxin Sect. Shouldn’t I be asking you?”

So Yan Zhu glanced at the cat staring at the water beside him and said: “A’Fu has a very good temper, and Senior Brother also has a very good temper.”

Qi Ranyin: ?

This was the first time he had heard that Wen Sucheng had a good temper.

But thinking about it, since it was Yan Zhu who said it, it made sense again.

The group slowly drifted toward the pleasure boat in the small boat. Someone saw them and immediately came up to greet them. As soon as they boarded, they heard the sound of applause coming from inside.

Yan Zhu was immediately curious and followed them in, finding that a play woven with illusionary magic was being performed. Seeing the dreamlike and illusory scenes, it seemed to be a grand play.

“It looks like it just started,” Yan Zhu said. He pulled Qi Ranyin and ran to the front. Qi Ranyin shouted for him to slow down while asking the eager attendant following them what the play was about.

But the attendant didn’t say, only excitedly stating that it was a new play that had just debuted in the last couple of days, only available here, and was very popular. He said that Yan Zhu would definitely like it.

This made Yan Zhu even more curious. He chose a seat near the front, ordered some fruits and snacks, and watched the performance on the stage with great interest.

Two men stood together amidst the scattered flowers, wearing blue and white robes. One of them had a white sword hanging from his waist.

It looked a little familiar.

Yan Zhu suspected he was overthinking things and was about to turn and ask Qi Ranyin when he heard an actor slowly walk out and call out “Immortal Venerable Jiangxue” to the man in a soft, pampered voice.

Yan Zhu’s expression immediately froze on his face.

He looked at the other person and saw that he indeed had a gourd pendant hanging from his waist.

After all that, the protagonist is actually me?