Chen Yuexi's dismissive attitude stoked a hot fury in Zhao Cheng. He was the eldest son of the Zhao family, and while they were far inferior to the Chen clan, who was Chen Yuexi to act so high and mighty now? Her arrogance sent a dark flush across Zhao Cheng's face, twisting his features into an ugly mask. "Hmph." "Damn woman. Just wait until I'm tired of playing with you..." Zhao Cheng gritted his teeth, hatred lacing his voice. At that moment, an old figure descended into the hall. The old man wore a white robe, his hair and beard a matching silver. He had the air of an immortal, but a sinister light glinted in his eyes. He frowned at the sight of Zhao Cheng's twisted scowl. "Why the long face at a time like this?" he asked, his voice a low rumble. "Grandpa..." Seeing his grandfather, the Zhao family ancestor, Zhao Cheng’s expression instantly shifted to a fawning smile. He was about to slander Chen Yuexi, saying, "It's all that ungrateful Chen Yuexi, who doesn't know her place—" "Shut up!" The Zhao family ancestor’s rebuke was sharp as a blade. "Even if Chen Yuexi is a cripple now, you will treat her with respect until the marriage is complete!" he snapped, his gaze piercing. "The Chen family elders will be here soon. If they see you behaving like this, they will think my Zhao family's descendants are immature and worthless. A marriage alliance will be useless if they hold us in contempt!" The words were so harsh that the blood drained from Zhao Cheng's face. He knew he wasn't the ancestor's favorite; otherwise, the task of marrying a useless girl would not have fallen to him. But Chen Yuexi was undeniably beautiful. If he angered the ancestor now, he could lose everything. Realizing this, Zhao Cheng bowed low. "Grandson knows his fault. Please, Grandfather, punish me!" "Hmph. See that you remember it. Now go. Do not bring shame upon the Zhao family at the wedding tonight!" The Zhao family ancestor waved his sleeve, dismissing his useless great-grandson. He sat alone in the hall, his expression grim. It wasn't the marriage that soured his mood. It was the fact that the "treasure" he had thought was within his grasp was gone, just like that. Just moments ago, he had sensed the aura of a gravely injured demon just outside Blackwater City. When he rushed over, he found it: a nine-life demon cat, its cultivation at the legendary Crossing Tribulation Period! The Zhao family ancestor felt his destiny shifting. No matter how grievously wounded she was, her demon pill was all he needed. With it, he could shatter the bottleneck that had stalled his cultivation for a century, ascend past the Distraction Stage, and enter the Body Integration Stage! Once he reached the Body Integration Stage, his lifespan would extend by another thousand years. Under his leadership, the Zhao family would surely return to its former glory. The temptation was irresistible. Like all cultivators, the Zhao family ancestor yearned for two things: greater power and a longer life. Of course, a nine-life demon cat of such high cultivation would hold a significant status within her clan. To act rashly invited future retaliation from the demon race. But even with that risk, he had to have her demon pill. The ancestor had been calculating his every move, but... He never dreamed that the cat, dying and utterly depleted, would manage to escape using some kind of magic treasure. He hadn't managed to claim so much as a single silver hair. The Zhao family ancestor had scoured thousands of miles of dense forest, but found no trace of her. The failure left him seething. But she was gone. The demon cat wouldn't be foolish enough to return to Blackwater City. The ancestor had no choice but to push his frustration aside and vent his temper on his useless great-grandson. Now, there were more important matters to attend to. Tonight, the Mo and Chen families would be joined by marriage. If he handled this well, the Zhao family's name would once again ring with prestige throughout the Riyan Dynasty. ... At nightfall, Li Fan sat by the door of his clinic, sipping from a bowl of sweet herbal soup. It hadn't been an overly busy day. After he'd found the little wildcat, the heavy rains had finally stopped, and more patients had trickled in—mostly common folk who'd had minor accidents in the deluge. Li Fan had been occupied until now, leaving him no time to cook a proper meal. Instead, he’d brewed a simple soup for himself using a few sweet herbs from his medicine cabinet. He drank his soup and gazed west, where the Zhao family mansion glowed with festive lanterns. Cultivators streaked across the night sky, guests who had received invitations and traveled from afar to witness the wedding. The city was truly alive. "Alas..." Li Fan sighed, placing his bowl on the stone table beside him. Without the path of cultivation, life was undeniably dull. Though Li Fan had long ago accepted his fate, the Celestial Domain was still a world where strength was revered above all else. His Myriad Treasures Tome hadn't made him a powerful cultivator, but it had at least given him a way to make a living. He was just an ordinary man, destined to tend to his small corner of the world for the rest of his days. "..." Lost in thought, Li Fan didn't notice the little silver-furred cat leap silently onto the stone table beside him. She peered into the bowl, then tentatively licked the remaining soup. Seeing that the wildcat had decided to stay, Li Fan had taken her in. He had no one for company, and with a cat around, he'd have someone to talk to when his mood soured. "Xiao Xi, is the soup good?" Li Fan watched her, and when she seemed to nod, an unconscious smile touched his lips. The cat was remarkably intelligent; Li Fan had discovered she could understand human speech. When he'd first brought her in, he'd tried to name her "Xiao Yin," but she'd thrashed her tail and shaken her head in clear refusal. After several attempts with a brush and paper, she had finally accepted the name "Xiao Xi." "If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay with me. I promise I'll take good care of you." Li Fan stroked her fur. It was soft and felt wonderfully comfortable beneath his fingers. Su Jinxi lapped at the sweet liquid, feeling the pure, immense medicinal power flowing into her body. What shocked her was that this "senior master" had taken petals of the Jiyuan Snow Lotus and the Red Gold Demon Flower—two legendary, conflicting treasures—and simply tossed them into a common iron pot to brew! If any other alchemist had attempted to refine those two volatile treasures together, the resulting explosion would have incinerated everything for thousands of miles. But his skill left Su Jinxi speechless. He had done it without an alchemist's cauldron, without a trace of true qi. With nothing more than a mortal's iron pot and firewood, he had fused the two medicines and added sugar to make a simple soup. Earlier, she had jumped onto his medicine cabinet and rummaged through the contents. The dozens of herbs she recognized were all treasures that would cause bloodshed in the outside world, yet here they were, just sitting on a shelf. His methods were unique. The medicinal power within these herbs was potent enough to be a deadly Hex to mortals, but he controlled it perfectly, allowing much of the energy to dissipate until only enough remained to cure their simple ailments. It was an appalling waste of heavenly resources... but what could Su Jinxi say? To hide in this tiny market, using priceless herbs to treat mortals... this master clearly had his own inscrutable ways. Perhaps this was what it meant to be a master "playing in the mortal world." In any case, the situation was a massive boon for her. If she could continue to consume these herbs, she could slowly refine their power and, one day, evolve her demon body once more. Since this hermit master was offering to take care of her, Su Jinxi saw no reason to resist. The opportunities she could gain by his side were things the King of Ten Thousand Demons himself might not bestow, even for her greatest service to the demon race. She had no intention of ever leaving. "Well... the Zhao family wedding is supposed to be quite the affair. And I do have an invitation. Free food is free food..." Li Fan pulled the wedding invitation from his robes and glanced toward the Zhao family mansion, considering it. But before he could decide, Xiao Xi leaped into his lap. She reached out a paw and tapped the large "Zhao" character on the invitation, wagging her tail. He understood immediately. "Alright, alright, I get it. You're hungry too," he chuckled. "Come on, let's go get some real food." Li Fan scooped up Xiao Xi and began walking slowly in the direction of the Zhao family mansion. Nestled in his arms, Su Jinxi’s eyes glittered with a cold, sharp light.

Chapter 4: A Marriage of Contempt