Chapter 97: Promising Devotion

“Cultivators must court death. Defying impossible odds is the hallmark of all great masters of their destiny. The important thing, however, is to do it in moderation. No more than once a decade, if possible.

“Any more than that… Well, better pray for good luck.”

— Sage advice of an Immortal who tried (and failed) to court death in moderation

----------------------

“That is the last time I’m letting you out of my sight!”

“Be calm, Senior Brother. As you can see, I am healthy and hale, mental exhaustion notwithstanding.”

“You almost died! Fighting an Inner Province cultivator! A Young Master, no less!”

“The situation took an unexpected turn, yes. But you cannot deny my results…”

At Brother Dai’s irritated stare, Feng grinned tiredly and flexed his qi.

Tempering Realm, Sixth Step.

Yet another improvement upon his cultivation, and just after his recent ascension as well. Such a thing should not have been possible, but the rich organs of the Inner Province Young Master had truly been of superlative quality.

The punishing fight beforehand had likely also played a factor. Feng had taxed his spiritual systems far beyond safe thresholds. The influx of potent qi from the meat afterwards had sent a surge to his debilitated meridians and Dantian, repairing them to new heights.

“No amount of progress is worth you losing your life, no matter what our Imperial doctrine says,” Dai sighed with no small amount of stress as he pinched his eyes. “Have you no idea how close to death you were? Can you imagine the utter catastrophe that would have occurred if you died? How would Lianshi feel?”

Feng’s smug grin fell away, replaced by an expression of regret. “I know. Despite everything, I’m not an idiot, Brother Dai. By all accounts, that wasn’t a battle I should have won.”

It was only by the strangest of fortunes that Feng possessed a weapon capable of defeating such an overwhelmingly powerful opponent, doubly so that their underestimation of him allowed the Young Master to unleash the unique summon.

If the foreign cultivator had gone all out from the start, Feng would have been dead in seconds, even with Elder Jun and Sister Shao’s protection.

“It wasn’t entirely your fault,” Dai finally relented. “That foreign bastard… His name had not shown up on the guest list at all, nor was there any alert of an Inner Province cultivator arriving. I need to review our checkpoint security with Elder Cao. This kind of slip-up is unacceptable. It nearly got you killed!”

“Do not blame them too much. A cultivator of this calibre is beyond their ability to stop, whether he made it in through the front gate or by sneaking.”

The two of them were currently walking down a busy square in the monastery’s market, their usual Sect attire abandoned for nondescript robes that would not draw attention to their form. The place was absolutely buzzing with people. Merchants, entertainers, and food stalls beckoned to an endless tide of crowds.

Though a battle of epic proportions had just taken place not even two miles from there, the festivities went on with minimal disruption to mood or volume.

Or, at least, minimal negative disruption.

“I could scarcely believe my eyes! A battle between Nascent cultivators! The travel here was worth it simply for that!”

“A Young Master from the Inner Provinces! I never thought I would see one… Terrifying! Utterly terrifying! I’m glad he’s dead! Never again!”

“That giant woman wrecked the arena. Quite a few cultivators who stayed to watch the fight were wounded. I don’t think we are getting more matches for the rest of the wedding.”

“What even was the thing at the end there? That foreign cultivator unleashed something truly terrifying…”

“Forget about that foreign man or the arena! Did you see what the Young Master of the Beheaded Sect summoned?! What a beast! It was a creature of the Spirit Realm!”

“An impossible victory…”

“... Young Master Hei Feng defeated a scion of the Inner Province, what will happen…”

“Is he really only in the Tempering Realm?”

“Yet another hidden monster in the North…”

“No wonder Lady Lianshi sought to marry him!”

“... prodigies are fit for one another…”

“Memory Talisman for sale! Witness the greatest battle of our century! Young Master Feng’s victory! A duel between titans! A battle for his Fiancée’s honour!”

All around, rumours of the Young Master’s fights were already spreading. Some were of the previous battles, where Feng mutilated the spurned suitors of Lianshi or had fought honour duels to resolve disagreements and perceived insults. The memory talismans of those battles — recorded by prospective merchants and cultivators — were being sold for high prices, for the visual gore and martial displays found in them, if nothing else.

But all of that paled in comparison to the wildfire spreading from his final fight.

Young Master against Young Master. Inner Province versus Outer Province.

The entire street was abuzz with excitement and insane speculations about the climactic battle between Feng and Bihui. The initial hopeless exchange, the desperate intervention of Jun and Shao, the monstrous titans that appeared, and Feng’s execution of the pleading foreigner after his impossible victory.

It was easily the most exciting thing that had happened in years. Conflicts of such high stakes and power were exceedingly rare in the Outer Province, and the altercation in the arena was made all the more eventful given the number of spectators.

True, most of the mortal audience had wisely fled the scene during the initial exchange, but those who stayed had witnessed a clash that would likely see no equal within the next century.

There had also been a sizeable group of onlookers outside the open stadium, for the top of the two clashing elementals had been visible even with the sheer height of the arena’s walls.

What few memory talismans that were recorded in that battle were already sold for ludicrous prices. Those with first-hand accounts were being swamped with eager questions all around. The telling and re-telling of the events kept growing more ridiculous with each passing hour.

One thing was for certain, however. The ill rumours surrounding the marriage and Lianshi were all but annihilated

“I hope you didn’t come here just to stroke your own ego,” Dai grumbled as he followed behind Feng. They spoke close to each other, keeping their voices low and their hoods up. With how raucous the street was, it was nearly impossible for anyone to overhear their conversation. “Your head’s big enough as is.”

“It must have been that foreign cultivator’s brain I ate,” Feng mused. “All that extra arrogance and grey matter must have gone from my digestive system and straight to my frontal cortex.”

“You should be resting,” Dai argued. “The fight was merely a day ago. Your body and mind need sleep to wash away the stress. Cultivator or not, that battle you just went through was no mere play duel you can walk off.”

“I’m here to get supplies, that’s all.”

“If you need medicine, I have already had the Medical Pavilion deliver it to your estate!” Dai hissed. “Anything you need, the Sect is more than willing to provide! What could you possibly be hoping to find here?!”

“Come now, Senior. The markets now are bustling with merchants from all over the North. There are goods being sold here that we might never see again for decades,” Feng grinned. “Our Sect’s warehouses are extensive, but they hardly hold everything.”

“Then just tell me what you are looking for, and I’ll get it for you! There’s no need for you to walk around in your unstable state!”

“I don’t know yet.”

“You… what?”

“I don’t know what I’m looking for,” Feng admitted. “But I will when I — or rather, she— sees it. So that’s why I…”

The Young Master paused before grinning. “There.”

“What?” Dai turned to look at what Feng was pointing at. He frowned. “What do you need that for?”

“It’s…” Feng hesitated. “I’m going to talk to Lianshi tonight.”

“Okay… That’s good. About time, really.” Dai nodded, a little confused. “But I don’t see how buying that has anything to do with you talking with your wife-to-be.”

“It’s a start. The annoying voice in my head told me that if I wanted to make a proper apology, I should browse for and prepare a few things first. Make it properly romantic, according to her advice. If I tried to do it without her, I’d just mess it up.”

“... You really need a nap.”

Feng chuckled. He rubbed his eyes. “In a moment. C’mon, I think I still need more. Let’s walk around a bit, then I’ll get that rest you insist on.”

It was going to be a busy night. Feng wanted it to be perfect.

~~~

Lianshi did not come back that night. Or the night after.

Her continued absence from the Beheaded Phoenix monastery was unexpected, and it left Feng worried. Shao assured him the Young Miss was fine, however.

“Give her time,” the female disciple had said. “She’s sorting a few things out. I’m keeping track of her, so just keep cool, yeah?”

Shao did not elaborate, and Feng — despite his curiosity — was advised not to ask by his wraith, so he reluctantly let the matter lie.

“The wounds you left on her will require time. Have little fear: that handmaiden would have informed her of your recent remorse and near-fatal penitence. Your Carnivore will return to you soon, since your safety from other threats is ensured.”

He saw little of the female disciple after that. Feng worried about Shao’s spiritual state — even with the viands eaten from the foreign cultivator, her reserve had been heavily taxed from the fight — but Dai assured him she was fine.

“Shao’s tough. Besides, I made sure she was rested and stable before she left to find her mistress.”

Feng didn’t ask how Dai ensured Shao’s health, but given the Senior’s obvious fatigue the next day, he thought it polite not to ask.

Feng also made sure to visit Elder Jun to check on his health and give his thanks.

“I would kindly ask the Young Master to simply run next time we face such a foe,” the Elder had grunted. “Though I would doubly appreciate it if he does not get into such a frantic fight again at all. Preferably, for at least the next century.”

The next two days after the harrowing arena battle were a blur. Feng often rested, and when he was not, he found himself browsing the endless array of foreign wares and enjoying the festivities.

It had been difficult to do such a thing before, when the ill rumours of his marriage with Lianshi had plagued the lips of every soul in the streets. Stressed as he was, it would have been a miracle if Feng could have made it from one end of the mountain to the other without lashing out.

Now, however, the malicious slanders had all but faded. Talks of his bouts had replaced everything else, and with his brutal performance against the competitors, none dared to badmouth the Young Master or his wife-to-be any more.

It allowed him to enjoy the celebration hosted in honour of his wedding for once. Even with the hordes of opportunity seekers making a profit on the mountain, the joy and cheer exuberant by the mortals appeared… genuine.

His Heart could not help but grow light at the sight.

~~~

“You look a lot better now.”

Feng deflected a kick, turning it aside before thrusting forth a fist. His opponent swiftly danced away, but even had it landed, it would not have hurt her. He made sure his punches were light.

There was no need to exert himself in a friendly spar, especially with one against his future sister-in-law.

“I have eaten and slept extensively for the past two days,” Feng answered Lingyu as he countered her strike with a light tap to her side. “It would be stranger still if I did not recover from my fight yet.”

Neither were using Divine Arts nor even qi techniques. Feng was helping Lingyu practice her martial dexterity, silently correcting her blind spots and mistakes with painless taps.

“I don’t mean about your fight with the foreigner,” Lingyu replied as she adjusted her stance accordingly. “I’m talking about how terrible you looked before that incident.”

“Ah. That.” Feng blocked a series of high kicks — the attacks light as feather brushes against his newly reforged body — as he carefully considered his words. “I had… an epiphany lately.”

“And it only took a near-death experience. You should have more of those… Care to share?” Lingyu huffed as she backed away, shaking her leg with a grimace. “Gods, it’s like I’m trying to kick solid steel with my feet… You have grown ridiculously tough in a stupidly short time, Brother-in-law.”

In the months since their last fight, Lingyu had risen another Step. It was good progress, even considering her status as Heiress.

However, Feng had risen by four Steps in that same time — an absurd level of progression, brought about by a combination of exploiting his position as Young Master and through sheer ill fortune placing him in the most deadly of fights.

The spiritual gulf between him and Lingyu was already wide to begin with in their first exchange months ago, but now it was completely beyond her ability to overcome.

“The wedding had weighed on my mind a great deal. I was… hesitant. Childishly so,” Feng admitted.

The Young Master took a breath. When he sighed, it was with great relief.

“I have decided to change my approach. No longer will I run away or conduct myself with such disgrace and disrespect,” he declared. “With this marriage, I will devote myself to Lianshi, wholeheartedly.”

“And you are only deciding that now?” Lingyu asked with wary amusement. “You realise your marriage to my sister is in less than two weeks, right? I worry that such a basic understanding of courtship only shines on you now.”

“I mean that I will do so regardless of my feelings for her, love or otherwise,” he added quietly. Lingyu stepped back in shock. “No matter what I feel for her or anyone else, I will marry her and only her. I shall never seek the warmth of any other but her. Even if someone else manages to claim my heart in the future, Lianshi will hold my sole devotion.”

No matter who comes after… or whoever had come before.

The wraith to the corner of his eye said nothing.

“To do anything less would be to spit on everything she has given up for me,” Feng continued, each word spoken with conviction. “Worthless fool I may be, but I will no longer repay her sacrifice with callousness.”

A better life. A better husband. Lianshi had given up all of that for him. Even now, he still did not know what she saw in him, but the fight in the arena had revealed the face of what she had suffered and was willing to suffer for his sake.

How could he do anything less for her? Feng wanted her to be happy. He thought she could be happier without him dragging her down.

But, if after everything else, despite every other sensible alternative and rationale… If she still chose to bless him with her affections…

Then Feng would give her everything he had, even if it might never amount to a tenth of that affection’s worth.

His wife deserved nothing less.