Three days later, Xu Fugui's residence was festooned with lanterns and streamers, brimming with a joyous air.
Lin Changheng circulated his Qi Concealing Skill, which he had cultivated to the Skilled Realm, to hide his Middle Stage Cultivation. He arrived on time, presenting two Genuine Wood Element Pills as a gift. They were worth at least four Spirit Stones, making them quite valuable.
"Brother Lin, please, come in!"
Xu Fugui was beaming as he hurriedly welcomed Lin Changheng in, personally escorting him to a table. Only after pouring him a cup of wine did he turn back to greet the other guests.
Soon, a few familiar Immortal Seedlings came over and sat at his table.
They started chatting familiarly.
At Fugui's last gathering to celebrate the birth of his son, the other Immortal Seedlings had been somewhat reserved. Lin Changheng's status was different now, so they no longer dared to be as casual with him as they once were.
Lin Changheng couldn't help but sigh to himself.
But after they each had their share of Spirit Wine and a few rounds of toasts, the ice was broken.
Things went back to how they used to be.
Lin Changheng was naturally happy to see this. 'I might be destined for a long, lonely life of cultivation, but at least that time isn't now.'
'After all, the saying that a person is the sum of all their social relations still holds true during the Qi Cultivation Stage.'
While waiting for the banquet to start, they talked about many things.
Lin Changheng also learned a piece of news: among those who died in the swamp last time was a cultivator at the Third Layer of Qi Cultivation, one of the Immortal Seedlings who had originally come to the Xu Family with them.
Speaking of this, the faces of the other Immortal Seedlings grew somber.
Lin Changheng sighed deeply, not knowing what to say. The news only strengthened his resolve to stick to his core principle of steady development.
He knew of that Immortal Seedling. Though he had married into the family, he never had children. Instead, he cultivated desperately, only to be conscripted to the battlefield and lose his life.
"Maybe I'll have to go to the reclamation battlefield soon, too."
One of the Immortal Seedlings, a man named Bai Fengxian, downed a cup of wine and spoke sullenly.
"Didn't you have two sons? Why would you still have to go?" another asked in surprise.
"Unfortunately, neither of them has a Spirit Root. As soon as the front line is in dire straits, I'll have to go. A pity my damn junk won't cooperate and produce an heir with a Spirit Root!"
Bai Fengxian downed another cup of wine and explained further, his tone full of self-loathing.
Lin Changheng didn't know what to say. 'Everything has its risks, just as I thought. I suppose the next ones to be conscripted will be the Immortal Seedlings who *do* have heirs with Spirit Roots.'
'As a Pill Master, I should be the last of the Immortal Seedlings to be sent into battle. If it really comes to that, I can always consider fleeing.'
'If they're sending Pill Masters to the front lines, the Xu Family must be on the verge of collapse. Why would I stick around for that?'
A silence fell over the table. They looked at each other, saying nothing more, and simply raised their cups to drink together.
Before long, the bustling hall suddenly fell silent.
Lin Changheng looked up to see Xu Fugui accompanying a group of people inside. The man in the lead was none other than the Xu Family Patriarch, Xu Xuhe. Beside him was a young woman in a pale purple dress, so dazzlingly beautiful it was clear she was the family's Eldest Miss, Xu Hanji.
Xu Xuhe walked to the center of the main hall, offered a few words of congratulations, and after a round of applause and cheers, he and his entourage gracefully departed.
However, the perceptive people present all understood that the brief appearance by the Patriarch and the Eldest Miss was meant to send a message.
...
The wedding banquet was halfway through.
Xu Fugui was flushed with drink. His waistline had begun to widen, and he was beaming with pride as he greeted his guests.
At his side was a demure-looking Female Cultivator in her early twenties, dressed in bright red wedding robes.
Compared to the dark-skinned Xu Fugui, they gave off the impression of an old husband with a young wife.
In the Cultivation Realm, there was no custom forbidding women from showing their faces in public, so she toasted the guests alongside him.
"Hanling, these are all friends I've had for many years. And this is the Brother Lin I was just telling you about!"
Xu Fugui came to the Immortal Seedlings' table and began making introductions boisterously, putting special emphasis on Lin Changheng.
"Greetings, everyone. Greetings, Brother Lin."
Xu Hanling was quite obedient and did as he said.
The other Immortal Seedlings showed no surprise at Xu Fugui singling out Lin Changheng. Instead, they all smiled in agreement and raised their cups in return.
Lin Changheng nodded with a smile and wished them, "A long and blissful union."
He watched the newlyweds move on to the next table to offer toasts.
...
After all the other guests had departed, the small group of Immortal Seedlings still lingered, having been asked by Xu Fugui to stay behind.
They began another round of boisterous feasting and drinking.
Seeing how late it was, Lin Changheng urged him to hurry to the bridal chamber. Only then did Xu Fugui reluctantly wrap things up and head toward the rear courtyard.
The courtyard he had now was even larger and more spacious than those of the other Immortal Seedlings, including Lin Changheng.
Moreover, it wasn't located within the Tingchao Dojo where the other Immortal Seedlings were gathered.
Such treatment clearly showed he was now considered one of the Xu Family.
Lin Changheng and the others left together. As they approached the Tingchao Dojo, they saw a tall Female Cultivator with a noble air standing quietly in the moonlight.
Tantai Feiyue.
Whether it was because of the late hour or some other reason, Tantai Feiyue was not surrounded by her usual large crowd of admirers.
"Mr. Lin, could I have a word with you?"
Her voice was elegant and clear, melodious yet full of a noble air.
The other Immortal Seedlings immediately started winking and nudging Lin Changheng. A late-night invitation from a beauty—it was hard not to let one's imagination run wild. Especially since they were drunk, their minds raced, naturally conjuring up all sorts of passionate scenarios.
They then tactfully hurried into the Dao Field, leaving the two of them alone.
Lin Changheng let out a helpless laugh at his friends' antics before turning to Tantai Feiyue and saying with a faint smile,
"Fairy Tantai, were you waiting here specifically for me? Is there something important?"
Lin Changheng didn't move, but Tantai Feiyue had already taken a few graceful steps closer, bringing with her a feminine fragrance. It was neither orchid nor musk, but it was captivating.
"Brother Lin, I don't believe I've ever offended you, have I? Why do you keep me at arm's length? We are both Bing Gui Immortal Seedlings; we should share a certain bond…"
Lin Changheng had considered many reasons why she might be seeking him out, but he never expected her to open with such a reproachful-sounding question.
It caught him completely off guard.
"Fairy Tantai, you've misunderstood."
After a moment of thought, a faint smile touched Lin Changheng's lips. "I simply… have a natural aversion to trouble."
She let out a soft laugh.
Tantai Feiyue suddenly flicked her wide sleeves and spun gracefully before Lin Changheng. Her skirt billowed in the moonlight, making her look like a celestial fairy about to take flight.
"Brother Lin, look at me. Do you see any trouble around me now?"
"What do you mean?"
"Those Xu Family disciples from before… they spent all day chasing after a pretty face, neglecting their duties. They went too far, and the Patriarch ordered them to be reprimanded. He commanded their parents to discipline them strictly and ensure they focus on their cultivation and work. Otherwise, they'll all be sent to the front lines for the reclamation effort…"
She suddenly stopped, tilting her face—a face that could put frost and snow to shame—up toward Lin Changheng.
"Since that's the case, we Immortal Seedlings can interact more freely now."
Lin Changheng felt a flicker in his heart. He gave the female cultivator a long look and smiled.
"Indeed."
Tantai Feiyue's bright eyes sparkled. Having gotten the answer she wanted, she bid him farewell and departed.
Only Lin Changheng remained, his tall, slender figure casting a lonely silhouette in the moonlight.
'As long as it doesn't involve any brainless trouble, what's the harm in associating with her a little, even if she is a schemer?'
'Besides, she's also an Entry Tier Talisman Master. She could be helpful to me.'