Chapter 27: What Are You Talking About?…… Part 1

On the night of the farewell banquet, most immortals drank themselves merry.

But some were different, like Bitao Fairy.

After taking only a few sips, she quietly pulled Chu Immortal Lord and several fellow cultivators from Liao Yuan Court along, wandering off under the soft, flowing moonlight.

After all, immortal wine and nectar were commonplace, but the Unstained Immortal Realm wasn’t somewhere you could visit every day.

Who knew when the next official visit would be? Fine wine could be had anytime, but she couldn’t miss the splendor of this immortal paradise.

She was determined to etch every carved beam and painted rafter, jade-paved corridor, glazed tile, and winding lotus bridge of the number one immortal sect into her eyes on this final night—then pen a flawless travelogue back home. Only then would the trip be worth it!

The group was in high spirits and wandered until the third quarter of the ugly hour without realizing.

Sometimes they watched the floating-cup wine stream from the water pavilion; other times, they leaned on vermilion railings to toss feed and play with the brocade carp.

Midway, a sudden downpour hit—bean-sized raindrops drumming on the green jade eaves, trapping them in the Rain-Listening Pavilion. Fortunately, the clouds soon parted and the rain stopped; residual droplets from the eaves gleamed like pearls under the moonlight, adding poetic charm to their night stroll.

As it turned out, staying up half the night was the right call!

What did they see?

At the Tiger hour’s beginning, with morning dew not yet evaporated, the corridor’s palace lanterns cast halos of warm light in the rain-dampened air.

In that hazy glow, they spotted Immortal Lord Li Xuan striding hurriedly through the Nine-Winding Corridor—cradling Immortal Lord Jiang horizontally in his arms as the latter coughed up blood nonstop.

Immortal Lord Jiang’s white inner robes were soaked through with blood, yet he still struggled weakly, his voice a silken thread.

Immortal Lord Zhao Lixuan: “Enough, stop moving! Why are you still pushing yourself in this state?”

Cough… Let go. My affairs… don’t need your meddling.

“No meddling? Believe me, I’ll toss you into the pond to feed the fish right now. It’s not the time for tantrums—getting you treated is priority! God knows how drunk Rumu is right now. Sigh, hope he didn’t overdo it!”

“I said… no need… for you… Cough, cough cough…”

Bitao Fairy, Chu Fusheng, and the others: “????”

…

Fortunately, Yu Rumu hadn’t drunk much the night before.

But after taking Jiang Chen’s pulse for a long while, his brows furrowed tighter and tighter. “Immortal Lord Jiang has deeply entrenched chill qi in his body. His meridians show a strange withering exhaustion, as if his core has been damaged… mixed with an indescribable chaotic aura.”

Such complex symptoms were tricky even for a divine healer like him. After a long pause without a clear diagnosis, he could only feed Jiang Chen a Ten Thousand Spirits Pill for now to stabilize the injuries.

While the diagnosis continued over there, Bitao Fairy’s gaze suddenly fell on Zhao Lixuan’s wrist over here. Her eyes widened in shock.

“Ah, what’s that? A Mar—Marriage Contract?”

Before Zhao Lixuan could react, she grabbed his wrist, her fingertip lightly brushing the flowing golden pattern. “It is a Marriage Contract! Immortal Lord Lixuan, you—you—you’re actually married? How have we never heard about it!”

Zhao Lixuan: “…”

Wait, hold on. Wasn’t this thing supposed to stay hidden unless activated?

Hadn’t it never lit up in twenty years, so much so that he’d forgotten all about it over time?

Yet right now, the golden pattern on his wrist glowed steadily—and worse, no matter how he circulated his immortal power, he couldn’t make it fade!!!

Zhao Lixuan: “…”

Whose Marriage Contract stayed lit like this? He tried a few more times, but it wouldn’t dim.

“Immortal Lord Lixuan, this is a Marriage Contract, right?” Bitao Fairy pressed.

“…”

“…”

Bitao Fairy: “Aaaahhh, you really are married! Tell me, tell me—which immortal lady? Someone from Fu Xi Palace? Have we met her? What do you like about her? How did you get together?”

The immortal lords behind her weren’t as blunt, but they all perked up their ears, eyes burning with curiosity—who wouldn’t love gossip about the aloof immortal lord blooming in love?

Zhao Lixuan: “…How the hell am I supposed to explain this!!!”

Even more outrageous: On the sickbed, Jiang Chen’s long hair spilled like spilled ink. Though his face was pale as paper, he stared at Zhao Lixuan from the shadows of the flickering candlelight with a sinister chill in his eyes, his voice hoarse:

“Immortal Lord, why the hesitation? Could it be… that person is plain as dirt, talentless and unworthy… too ashamed to show?”

Zhao Lixuan: “?????”

No.

Hype from the others was one thing—but why were you stirring trouble too?

Zhao Lixuan was genuinely dumbfounded. Weren’t those people in the room right now your Liao Yuan Court colleagues? If he spilled the truth, even as the victim, would your face look any better?

Cough… Everyone, you didn’t see her at the Moon Hunt because…

He held back, carefully choosing his words. “My dao companion isn’t from the immortal sects, and… their identity is special. They prefer to keep a low profile, so it was never announced. Please forgive the secrecy.”

Yes, yes—that sounds perfectly reasonable.

Thank goodness he kept his cool and came up with this flawless excuse on the spot. It saved face for both sides and shut down the prying.

Sure enough, the other immortal lords looked a bit unsatisfied but couldn’t press further after that.

Only Immortal Lord Jiang let out a cold laugh and struck again: “Living apart… for years… and you call that… dao companions?”

“…………”

That was it—he’d endure no more. See if he didn’t spill everything if pushed!

Let everyone know we’d hooked up back then, I forced you, you hid me away like a secret lover. Who’s got the brighter face then?

Zhao Lixuan took a deep breath, suppressing the malice rising to the fore. “…We see each other rarely, but as you all know, my Zhao Clan Merchant Guild spans the Three Realms. Many of its operations rely entirely on their tireless management day and night.”

“And though they travel constantly, they never forget me on the road—always sending back rare treasures.”

At this, Jiang Chen finally shut up, his expression growing uglier.

But Zhao Lixuan grew smoother: “Come to think of it, Immortal Lord Jiang, you’ve visited Pear Flower Water Pavilion a few times—you must’ve seen those gifts.”

“Like the pair of Moonlight Glazed Treasure Cages from Many Treasures Pavilion, the Merman Pearl Flowing Cloud Sleeve Ornaments, the Warm Jade Nine-Turns Universe Pot, and the Jade Pixiu Paperweight—they scoured the world for me.”

“Plus, they love tomb-raiding for treasures and collecting ancient relics—my collection hall’s Turtle Shell Jade Slips, Bronze Ancient Mirror, stacks of ancient texts, and that unique copy of the Taixu Sword Art… all from them…”

“…”

Unique sword manual.

Jiang Chen laughed in fury, erupting into another fit of heart-wrenching coughs.

So that’s why you’re compensating me with a unique sword manual… using their love token to me?

Your spouse sure has the demeanor of a proper consort—quite generous!

His vision blackened. He endured briefly. Until Rumu Immortal Lord fed him some spirit medicine. As the dizziness eased, whispers rustled in his ears.

Bitao Fairy seemed to ask after his injuries with concern, then lowered her voice to hound Zhao Lixuan further.

So noisy.

Jiang Chen closed his eyes, looking utterly listless, too lazy to listen.

“Mm, we met seven years ago—our bond is deep. They were being chased by enemies then; I happened to pass by and saved them. Things progressed from there…”

Seven years—not short at all.

“They’re younger, a human immortal of mixed mortal blood—second child in the family, with an elder sister above and young sibling below.”

Hah. Young, and a happy family!

“From a great clan, but plagued by many enemies. Though they crave freedom and unbound living from youth, they’re often dragged down by family ties… helpless. That situation tugs at the heart sometimes.”

—A young master with fine clothes, good food, and a home to return to, heart-tugging just because of strict family rules?

“But their personality is free-spirited, loves fun and laughter, rarely shows worry.” As Zhao Lixuan spoke, his voice unconsciously softened. “That’s what makes them so likable.”

Yeah, free-spirited, fun-loving, laughter bright—utterly likable. Nothing like my own dour, boring self.

So that’s his type now!

…

Chu Fusheng was there the whole time.

Though usually lively, he wasn’t great at staying up late, so with bleary eyes, he stayed unusually quiet.

Quiet didn’t mean oblivious, though—he knew more than anyone about the tangled history between Jiang and Zhao. Unlike Bitao, who gushed yesterday about how “Jiang and Zhao are a match made in heaven,” he wasn’t sparkling-eyed today upon hearing Immortal Lord Lixuan had someone else.

He’d seen with his own eyes the sea of honeysuckle Jiang Chen planted in the Mortal Realm.

Honeysuckle in the Mortal Realm was also called enduring winter vine.

But what Jiang Chen planted was different—flowers brilliant as true gold, stamens flowing like silver. True to its name, blooming boldly, arrogantly unrestrained.

Such flashy colors were often decried by literati as vulgarly gaudy. Back then, a certain playboy had always huffed righteously:

“A flower so vividly radiant, and those so-called literati dare say it lacks refinement? They’re the tasteless ones!”

Once, Liao Yuan Court was the world’s image of solemn elegance in secluded cultivation.

But a dozen years ago, several main peaks suddenly bloomed gold. The misty, immortal peaks gained a domineering flair, more like some landlord’s vacation estate.

Besides planting flowers, Jiang Chen had done many unseen things…

Every year, beyond slaying demons and guarding the dao, he’d plunge alone into perilous Mortal Realm secret realms, returning covered in wounds. Once, when Chu Fusheng asked him over drinks: “Immortal Lord risking life like this—are you hunting some divine artifact, supreme technique?”