Chapter 66: Midnight Strolls
"So, how did you and Song Song meet?" Cao Wu asked awkwardly, clearly attempting to divert her father's attention from any potential drastic actions. "She isn't exactly the friendliest person."
"Heh, if that isn't an understatement, I don't know what is," the drunken elder snorted. "I remember when you were younger, she dragged one of the Sect Leader's concubines by their hair and drowned her to death."
There was a story there, but many details were missing. If I asked, it might have conveyed the wrong message. Instead, I shrugged and let them assume whatever they wanted.
The concubine might have said the wrong thing. Song Song wasn't usually the kind of person who killed someone without reason. But at the same time, she was not someone who needed much incentive to murder someone. Even one mocking comment would have been enough.
After some small talk, Cao Wu stood up and said, "I need to go to the toilet."
As she left, an uncomfortable silence settled between us. The elder and I locked eyes without saying anything. Calling the silence awkward would be an understatement, and the man still wore that fake smile he had when his daughter was around.
The waiter arrived with our food, three plates, each with just three pieces of meat resembling steak. They looked delicious but dry.
"Here, hope you enjoy," said the waiter before quickly leaving.
I took the knife and what looked like a long needle, and I stabbed the needle into the steak. It went through quite easily, but I could have sworn there was a strange feeling emanating from the needle just before it pierced the meat. I shrugged and continued with the knife. This time, I sensed the Qi gathering around the knife and artificially reinforcing it as I ran it along the meat's surface. I had to strain my hand a bit to push through.
I used the needle to pick up a small piece of the meat I had cut off and put it in my mouth, beginning to chew. It felt like chewing leather or perhaps a part of a rubber tire. Yes, this was the flesh of a creature that could likely endure significant punishment, so my teeth were not enough to shred it easily.
At least the taste was acceptable.
As if energized by my struggle to eat the meat, the inner elder's facial smile twisted into a nasty grin. Veins popped all around his face, making him resemble some kind of vengeful demon.
Before he could take any drastic action, I swallowed and said, "By the way, just to be clear here. I already have someone whom I'm going to marry, and I have no plans to break any arranged marriages."
The man's face returned to normal afterward, wearing only a frown as he pointed at me like I was some thug and declared, "If you ever even think of making my daughter your concubine, I will come and kill you myself."
"I'm not interested in things like concubines," I stated matter-of-factly.
I wasn't even lying this time; in my experience, a healthy relationship required exclusivity between two people. Having concubines seemed like a surefire way to invite trouble, likely leading to poisonings due to jealousy.
Cao Ruogang looked thoughtful for a moment before snapping his fingers, prompting a waiter to quickly rush over. The inner elder sighed and said, "Bring me a bottle of wine."
The waiter promptly brought one, and after a swift motion from Cao Ruogang, the bottle was opened. A stray thought crossed my mind: Was wine a common beverage in this world, or did its presence indicate the influence of someone from elsewhere? The bottle of wine seemed out of place among everything else, which was Chinese-themed.
Casting cautious glances around, Cao Ruogang gulped down the wine in one swig and then snapped again, summoning the waiter to take the bottle away. "Quickly, take this away!" he commanded.
The waiter complied without question, heeding the words of the inner elder. Then, the elder gazed at the table absentmindedly, sighing and rubbing his forehead.
"Foundation Establishment Cultivators live for 150 years," he said suddenly, breaking the silence.
I nodded, already aware of this fact. There were also certain Foundation Establishment Cultivators who could extend their lives to two hundred years using specific wood element techniques.
But I wasn't here to debate technicalities with a drunk man.
"I had my daughter when I was twenty-eight, with one of my numerous lovers at the time," he continued, looking out the window at the view of the inner sect. However, such prospects seemed to hold no excitement for the inebriated man. "My many lovers... women I never even bothered remembering the names of. They were mortals who had caught my fancy and were there to serve me in any way I wanted."
That perspective seemed quite detached for someone who already had a daughter. Usually, having a daughter changed how men looked at women in general, and it was likely the same for women once they had a son.
"All women used to be like that in my eyes," he added. "I never even saw my daughter until I reached Foundation Establishment in my early thirties."
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I nodded at his words and continued cutting the meat of the monstrous beast into smaller pieces.
There wasn't much to be said in a conversation like this; no matter what I said, he would misinterpret it. So I decided to simply enjoy my meal and get it over with. However, as I had expected, I didn't feel any strange sensations of Qi or anything like it.
"When I laid eyes on my daughter for the first time, she was three years old. I never saw her first steps, nor did I hear her first words, nor was I there when she was born," he said, his voice growing colder and his gaze less focused. "For the first time in my life, I felt regret that I had cultivated so hard. Now, I am chained to a fate where I will see my child die. Cao Wu lacks the raw talent needed to reach Foundation Establishment."
That was indeed a sorrowful fate for a parent to be bound to. Yet, it made sense that some individuals would eventually find themselves in such situations. It may be more common than many powerful cultivators let on.
It appeared that his perspective on women had shifted as well. He no longer seemed like the type of man who would allow anyone to treat his daughter as he had treated those mortal womenmerely as objects of pleasure.
That might explain why he was so insistent on guarding against anyone deceiving his daughter and why he assumed the worst about me.
"It would have been nice if I had been just another mortal, with a farm in the middle of nowhere, one wife by my side, and my little girl running freely in a field of wheat," he said, smiling with a nostalgic glint in his eyes.
He looked haunted, and it was no wonder he drank so heavily.
He seemed about to say more, but the approaching footsteps interrupted him. His demeanor instantly shifted back to a jovial facade.
The remainder of the meal was a somber affair, made more challenging by the toughness of the monstrous beast's meat. My jaw ached by the time the meal was finished.
By now, a slight sensation of Qi was circulating within my stomach. It was subtle, but this could be what normal nine-star Body Tempering disciples would need to sense Qi.
Cao Wu glanced around at her father and narrowed her eyes before turning to me and saying, "You've never been in the inner sect, have you? I'll help escort you to the gates."
Her father showed no outward reaction, but undoubtedly, he was seething inside. It would be wise to avoid encountering him for at least a month, if not longer.
As we stood up, Cao Wu hurried alongside me as we descended the stairs and prepared to leave the tower. Then she turned to her father, who had been following us one step behind, and told him, "You can return to your duties, father. I will escort Liu Feng to the gates."
I couldn't help but feel sorry for the guy; he looked like a kicked puppy, a look that an outer elder should never show. Perhaps the drinking was taking its toll.
He glanced at me, then quickly averted his gaze and nodded before disappearing.
"I wanted to talk with you privately," she said as we stepped outside of the pavilion, the sun beginning to set.
The inner sect resembled the outer sect, which made sense since they were both on the same mountain. However, if one could sense Qi, the inner sect felt markedly different from its outer counterpart. Due to the abundance of Qi, the barrier separating the two places must have served various functions. If I were to create a barrier or array here, its effects would be significantly enhanced compared to anywhere else.
Furthermore, the paths we traversed were better constructed with smooth, marble-like rocks, and the air felt heavier, fresher, and cooler. Yet, I couldn't fully appreciate it as I was 99.9% certain that her father was still following us despite sensing nobody around us.
We walked in silence for a couple of minutes as she gazed into the distance, her eyes distant. Finally, she said, "Thank you for saving me."
She had already expressed her gratitude numerous times, so I simply nodded. Before I could respond, she continued, "This incident made me realize that I am not cut out to be a cultivator... not at all. That's why I returned to the inner sect, under my father's watchful eye."
She offered a bitter smile and said, "I came to the outer sect to prove I was a cultivator and only ended up returning as a coward."
"No, you weren't proving anything by joining the outer sect," I interjected, unwilling to entertain her self-deprecating remarks. "Feeling undeserving doesn't negate your status as a cultivator. A true cultivator would seize the opportunities presented to them and not dwell on trivial matters."
"Heh, so either way, I'm a crappy cultivator," she chuckled.
"Yeah, absolutely dreadful," I agreed with a smile. "You need to at least declare your intent to massacre the families of anyone who dares to obstruct you at least once a week."
Though she didn't seem to grasp the xianxia clich I was referring to, she still chuckled. It was a common enough experience in this world. Or perhaps she was just a high school-aged girl who laughed at any joke her crush made. Either way, she needed to divert her mind from such frivolous concerns.
My biggest worry when I was her age was not having a girlfriend, despite never talking to women or asking anyone out. She should be fretting over trivial matters, not contemplating whether dedicating her whole life to cultivation was a mistake.
As we approached the small walls in the distance, Cao Wu kept sending glances my way, clearly gearing up for a conversation. It was apparent what she was about to broach. This was merely a high school crush, nothing more. My circumstances were somewhat extreme. Still, in high school, girls could develop feelings simply because they saw someone being assertive or giving off a bad-boy vibe. Just as guys might be attracted to the cheerleader type, only to realize later that appearances aren't everything.
I was flattered, but she wasn't my type... unless I was misinterpreting the situation entirely, and this was just a young girl being awkward around her savior. Which was also plausible. Regardless, I wasn't going to assume or say anything.
"So... Do you have a fiance?" she asked suddenly.
Yeah, there was about a 90% chance she had a crush on me. Liu Feng's good looks were likely playing a part in this. He had a face that blended seamlessly into a crowd yet was undeniably attractive.
"Yes, she's from one of the Liu Clan's most prominent allies," I replied before she could potentially corner me by making a bold move like confessing her feelings.
She nodded and did not seem to take it too badly as she led me to the gate, and the inner disciples who stood guard glanced at her and just nodded without saying anything.
"Don't forget, call me if you need help," she said as I walked out of the gates.
I nodded and walked away with a friendly smile. Overall, the day turned out quite well.
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