Arranged Match

Shaohua Mountain. Qin Sang descended on a cloud before the mountain gate, only to discover that the grand mountain-protecting array had been partially activated. Several patrols of Shaohua Mountain disciples were keeping watch nearby. Among the prestigious sects of the Lesser Cold Domain, Shaohua Mountain lay closest to the Yuncang Great Marsh, making it the most exposed target. If upheaval broke out, Shaohua Mountain would inevitably bear the brunt of it. They could not afford to be anything less than vigilant. It was said that on the fringes of the Yuncang Great Marsh, major markets like Wenyue Cultivation Market had already shuttered, and the few that remained open were heavily guarded, subjecting anyone entering or leaving to rigorous scrutiny. The gravity of the situation was readily apparent. "Martial Uncle Qin, please enter!" Qin Sang took out his waist token. Once the patrolling disciples confirmed his identity, they saluted politely, neither fawning nor aloof, and let him into the mountain. Before flying inside, Qin Sang ascended to a high vantage point to look out into the distance. The Yuncang Great Marsh stretched boundless to the horizon, its waters shimmering with breathtaking beauty. Calm on the surface, it concealed surging undercurrents beneath—in an instant, it might well transform into a bloody killing ground that would swallow countless cultivators. Parting the mist, Qin Sang flew into the sect grounds, landed on Daomen Peak, and met Zhuang Yan. "Congratulations on your happy match, Senior Brother Zhuang! Please forgive your junior brother for being late with his congratulations!" Qin Sang cupped his hands with a genial smile. Having not seen each other for years, Zhuang Yan had already advanced to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. For his age, however, this cultivation speed was on the slower side. If Zhuang Yan could not break through the late-stage bottleneck soon enough, by the time he reached the threshold of the False Core stage, little of his lifespan would remain, leaving him scant time to prepare for Core Formation. That meant his hopes of reaching Core Formation in this life were slim. Martial Uncle Wen had now returned to his mortal hometown to live out his twilight years, and Zhuang Yan had succeeded him in presiding over Daomen Peak. Ten years ago, Zhuang Yan had taken a Dao companion in a senior martial sister from Shaohua Mountain named Xiao Qiuyue. When Qin Sang received the news back then, it was inconvenient for him to return to the sect, so he sent a pair of spirit swords as a wedding gift instead of attending the ceremony in person. Zhuang Yan pulled Qin Sang down to sit, sighing heavily. "Junior Brother Qin, after decades apart, you return only to tease your elder brother with such talk! Watch out, or I'll throw you right out the door!" Seeing Zhuang Yan act this way, Qin Sang sat across from him and asked in wonder, "What kind of talk is that, Senior Brother Zhuang? I came to offer my sincere congratulations. How does that count as teasing? Where is Senior Sister Xiao? I haven't met her yet. Did she like that pair of Matchmaking Swords?" "The spirit swords you gifted were of such fine quality—she naturally liked them." Zhuang Yan sighed softly. "Unfortunately, the two of us hardly deserve the words 'happy match.' We can scarcely accept it with a clear conscience." Seeing that Zhuang Yan's expression was entirely genuine, Qin Sang wiped the smile from his face and asked solemnly, "I heard Senior Sister Xiao is one of our sect's golden flowers, a prominent figure indeed. What could Senior Brother Zhuang possibly be dissatisfied with?" "Brother, have you ever lived in the mortal world?" Zhuang Yan wore a face of misery. "When mortal men and women wed, they undergo a custom known as an arranged match. By order of parents and matchmakers' words, two people who have never met are forced together. How much genuine affection could there possibly be between them? It is nothing more than scraping by together, enduring the days as best they can." Qin Sang thought wryly to himself: *Senior Brother, do you know how many people in a certain place longed for their parents' orders and a matchmaker's words, only to seek them in vain?* *One who is too young cannot appreciate the advantages of a blind match.* "Did Martial Uncle Wen force you into agreeing?" Zhuang Yan let out a hum faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Not... entirely..." Qin Sang gave a soft chuckle. He could tell at once there was more to the story. Becoming Dao companions in the cultivation world was nothing like marriage between mortal men and women; there was no pressure from secular rites or propriety, and its purpose was not to produce heirs. If Zhuang Yan had truly refused, Martial Uncle Wen could not have forced him. "Senior Brother, you're already a hundred years old. Don't tell me you haven't seen through matters between men and women? Could you really still be hoping for true love to fall upon you? Have you forgotten what Martial Uncle Mawu said when he tried to persuade me while looking for a dual cultivation partner? Can it be that just because you're the one in the middle of it all, you've lost your perspective and can't think straight?" "Even without genuine affection, we still shouldn't... we shouldn't..." Zhuang Yan scratched the back of his head, stammering without producing a clear point. In the end, he glanced left and right, leaned in close to Qin Sang, and whispered with careful resentment, "Junior Brother, do you know why she took me as a Dao companion? It was because my constitution is the best fit to aid her in cultivating the *Yin-Yang Cantong Qi*!" Qin Sang had heard of the *Yin-Yang Cantong Qi* before. It was one of the finest dual cultivation arts in Shaohua Mountain's collection. Unlike the *Mysterious Female Jade Cauldron Sutra*, it was an orthodox Daoist art that allowed a man and a woman to comprehend the Grand Dao of Yin and Yang together, bringing no harm to either party. It was said to require specific constitutions from its practitioners, but once successfully cultivated, the mutual dual cultivation of yin and yang brought substantial benefits. Senior Sister Qingting and Senior Brother Jiang practiced the *Yin-Yang Cantong Qi*. Qin Sang was hardly surprised by what Zhuang Yan revealed. He countered, "Senior Brother Zhuang, wasn't that your aim as well when you agreed to dual cultivate?" "Yes! Indeed!" Zhuang Yan did not deny it. "But there is something you don't know, Junior Brother Qin. When cultivating the *Yin-Yang Cantong Qi*, the effects are only optimal if both partners' cultivation levels remain roughly equal. "If one of us breaks through to the late Foundation Establishment stage ahead of the other, the other person can still enjoy the art's advancement, but for the one who broke through, the art becomes practically useless—unless they wait for the other to break through the bottleneck as well. "A while ago, she had a long, serious talk with me. "She said that if I manage to break through to the late Foundation Establishment stage before her, she will withdraw of her own accord and find someone else, never dragging me down. But if she breaks through first, she hopes I will do the same... "What... what kind of talk is that!" Looking at Zhuang Yan holding his head in his hands, speaking in a muffled tone, Qin Sang gently shook his head. In his heart, he agreed with Senior Sister Xiao's words, but seeing Zhuang Yan's state, certain truths were difficult to voice. "Familiarity breeds affection. Senior Brother Zhuang, have you fallen in love with Senior Sister Xiao?" Qin Sang's words were startling. Zhuang Yan froze entirely, remaining utterly still. Now having an answer in his heart, Qin Sang said softly, "Senior Brother Zhuang, we cultivators seek the Dao and pursue immortality. Isn't that all for the sake of following our hearts? Why not ask your own heart what it is you truly want? If it is longevity, you must know what to sacrifice and what to keep—why torment yourself? If it is Senior Sister Xiao... surely you wouldn't dare not say a single word to her?" Just then, a voice transmission talisman suddenly flew into the hall. Zhuang Yan caught the talisman, looked up at the hour, and scrambled to his feet in a flurry. "It's time to practice again! Junior Brother Qin, you've just returned to the sect, so you must have plenty to attend to. Tomorrow, your senior brother will treat you to wine." "Please, Senior Brother Zhuang, attend to your matters." Qin Sang saw Zhuang Yan off. To his surprise, Zhuang Yan had only flown a short distance on his light before rushing back and tossing Qin Sang a token. "Junior Brother Qin, external cave dwellings aren't safe, and you don't have a place to stay in the sect. I have no use for this cave dwelling for now—take it and use it first." Catching the token, Qin Sang watched Zhuang Yan's streak of light vanish into the depths of the mountain gate, his head lowered as thoughts drifted through his mind. After a long while, he let out a self-deprecating chuckle, summoned his Nether Silk Cloud, and flew toward Sect Master Peak.