This is not how immortals cultivate

Chapter 434 You Won't Be Invited to the Party
Seeing Xiang Yuan's fury, rage, and even his furious pose, Xiao Lingyue, puzzled, took the letter and began to read it.

She also felt a little wronged. Xiao He was Xiang Yuan's crony, and Xiao He betrayed his brother for personal gain. What did that have to do with her, Xiao Lingyue? Why was he being so mean to her?

The letter contained only one sentence, but it was the key point.

The Western Chu delegation successfully completed its mission, reaching a friendly agreement between the two countries. To solidify their unbreakable alliance, the two nations decided to arrange a marriage: Princess Wenying from Northern Qi and Xiang Yuan, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu.

Xiao Lingyue: "..."

It was a very simple sentence, but Xiao Lingyue couldn't understand it at all and read it over and over again.

Nearby, Xiang Yuan, posing as an outsider, snatched back Chan'er. The latter, in a daze, mistook him for Xiao Lingyue and struggled to return to her husband's arms.

Xiang Yuan slapped the weakling on the buttocks, which finally calmed it down.

"Madam, please speak! Why are you so silent?"

Xiang Yuan grumbled, "We agreed to split up, I'd go to Southern Jin, and your brother would go to Northern Qi. I've been on high alert all this way, and the beauties from Southern Jin have been raining down on me, but I've dodged them all. But your brother, on the other hand, stabbed me in the back and arranged a marriage for me when I wasn't looking!"

"Look what he's done!"

"Marriages between the two countries are always arranged by the royal families, and I've never heard of any family producing a prince. It must be your brother who can't stand to see you doing well and is bringing foreign enemies into your backyard to cause you trouble..."

"This marriage is related to the long-term cooperation between the two countries. Breaking the engagement is tantamount to breaching the contract, which would be a slap in the face to Northern Qi. At best, it would cause diplomatic disputes; at worst, it would lead to the deployment of troops on the border and plunge the people into misery. Since it has already been arranged, they will probably go all out."

Xiang Yuan spoke with conviction, recounting all the hardships and struggles he had endured. The more he spoke, the angrier he became, until finally, in a fit of rage…

Looking around, I saw that Chan'er was really pretty, so I gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

Xiao Lingyue was completely numb. Every word in the letter was like a knife to her heart. Although she was not weak, she was still a little confused at this moment. She never expected that Xiao He would introduce another marriage to Xiang Yuan.

The reason it is "again" is because in the common version circulating outside, Xiao He was the one who arranged the marriage between Xiao Lingyue and Xiang Yuan.

Xiao Lingyue herself knew that this matter had nothing to do with Xiao He. She got together with Xiang Yuan simply because Xiang Yuan was shameless and relentlessly pursued her, and she couldn't resist and gave in.

However, Xiao He played a significant role in connecting Chan'er and Xiang Yuan, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he facilitated their relationship.

Hearing Xiang Yuan's sarcastic remarks again, Xiao Lingyue felt annoyed. Another princess had appeared in the backyard, and the princess was not even angry yet. What was this prince pretending to be so indignant about?

I can tell you're clearly enjoying yourself!
Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the case. Xiang Yuan embraced Chan'er, unable to suppress the smile on his face.

"dare you laugh!"

"I thought of something happy..."

Xiang Yuan pressed down the corners of his mouth and said seriously, "What I'm smiling about isn't the marriage contract. Jiang Yingjun is just good at everything from music and chess to calligraphy and painting. She's pretty and smells nice. That's all. This marriage contract is dispensable to me, but it's different for you."

What does this have to do with me?
Xiao Lingyue's brows furrowed in displeasure; she wanted to hear how Xiang Yuan would twist the facts and turn the tables on her.

"The engagement was arranged by your elder brother Xiao He, and Chan'er knows about it..."

Xiang Yuan raised his hand and poked Chan'er's face. The latter looked drunk and dazed, her already alluring face now showing a touch of languid charm. She subconsciously rubbed against Xiang Yuan's hand, looking like she was ready to be taken.

Upon hearing what Xiang Yuan said, Xiao Lingyue was shocked. Yes, if Chan'er knew, the Tyrant's Mansion, which had finally been quiet for a few days, would be in chaos again.

Unable to defeat her on her own, she sought help from her master to fight alongside her. Still no match, she then enlisted the help of her half-sister to compete. Still no match, so she had her brother use the pretext of an alliance between the two countries to summon a princess from Northern Qi.

However, this fits Chan'er's stereotype of Xiao Lingyue.

Xiao Lingyue could imagine how foul Chan'er's curses would be.

She was truly wronged. Bai Wuyan, Xiao Lingyan, and even this inexplicable Jiang Yingjun—they had absolutely nothing to do with her from beginning to end…

Okay, Bai Wuyan is the master, and Xiao Lingyan is the former sister, so they are related for now.

Jiang Yingjun truly didn't know; she had never even seen this lowly servant. Xiao He had acted out of a moment of madness; what did it have to do with her?
What, brother?

She, Xiao Lingyue, doesn't have a brother like that!

Xiao Lingyue was extremely frustrated. Seeing Xiang Yuan babbling on and on, acting innocent after getting the benefit, and making sarcastic remarks all the time, she stopped putting on airs as the eldest wife and resorted to her mother's shameless methods.

"I've told you so many times to stay away from Xiao He and his cronies, but you wouldn't listen. It's all your fault."

"I'm going to kill him!"

"Go back quickly."

"..."

Forget it, even if you beat someone half to death, you wouldn't be happy, let alone actually killing them!

Xiang Yuan rolled his eyes and insisted that Xiao Lingyue's brother, Xiao He, was responsible for the incident, and that Xiao Lingyue must take responsibility. He said he would not pursue the matter himself for the sake of his wife, but if the others in the backyard questioned him, Xiao Lingyue would give them an explanation.

For example, Zen'er.

The cooldown is about to end, and I can use skills again soon.

Xiao Lingyue knew that Xiang Yuan was framing her, but because she couldn't seize the moral high ground and dared not face Chan'er's angry eyes, she hurriedly stepped forward to fix the mortise and tenon structure and added a sleep-inducing effect to the weakling.

For a moment, chaos erupted and laughter filled the air.

……

The next morning.

The backyard of the Overlord's Mansion was quiet and peaceful.

At least that's the surface.

Within the spatial restriction, the enraged Chan'er unleashed the Ancient Mirror of Reincarnation, leading Jinse's six incarnations in a siege, clamoring to capture Xiao Lingyue alive and have Jinse's six incarnations severely humiliate her husband in front of her.

On the other side, Xiang Yuan watched the show while personally instructing Xiao Lingyan on her swordsmanship, occasionally peeking out to chime in, indicating that her husband was on Chan'er's side.

The Xiao siblings really went too far!

"Lingyan, concentrate and don't get distracted by the play."

Xiang Yuan stood behind Xiao Lingyan, one arm around her waist and the other holding her soft hand. Seeing how intimate their actions were, and that Chan'er hadn't even shown any jealousy towards Xiao Lingyue, he sighed that the Xiao siblings had really gone too far this time, making Chan'er furious.

That's good, that way he can keep suffering in silence.

Xiao Lingyan was distracted not because of watching the play, but because she got too close to Xiang Yuan. The masculine energy made her a little tipsy. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been so stiff and had several moves deformed during a normal warm-up sword technique.

Furthermore, Xiao Lingyan knew that Xiang Yuan favored her two older sisters more than her, but since she had moved into the Overlord's Mansion, she didn't intend to hide anything. There were some things that Xiang Yuan could easily discuss with her at night.

Xiao Lingyan was a man of few words and was one of the few honest people in the backyard. She could not bring herself to say such embarrassing things. She took a deep breath, cleared her mind, and focused on receiving Xiang Yuan's guidance on swordsmanship.

The inheritance of the Xiao family of Shendu is the "Heavenly Dragon Control Technique". When the Qi reaches the ninth level, it can sweep away thousands of troops. It is the Heavenly Killing Intent among Heaven, Earth and Man. It has a close relationship with the Heavenly Sect's inheritance. According to this inheritance, the magic weapon that Xiao Lingyan condensed in the Nascent Soul stage must be the Heavenly Armor, which can be regarded as a protective armor.

Xiao Lingyue's glittering golden Wuwang Treasure Robe was based on this, and some of the Great Sun Inheritance of the Wushuang Palace was added to it. The two were combined and forged together.

Apart from that, the other inheritances of the Xiao family seemed unremarkable to Xiang Yuan, with nothing particularly special about them. To prevent Xiao Lingyan from going astray, he carefully instilled these principles into a useless sword based on the inherited laws of heaven and earth.

Because Xiao Lingyan lacked sufficient foundation and had never eaten good food before, her basic skills were not up to par, so daily knife skills instruction was essential.

Whenever Xiang Yuan had free time, she would practice, and Xiao Lingyue was never stingy, providing her younger sister with fixed time for cultivation every day.

Because he is honest and doesn't talk much, and his clarity is obvious at a glance, in the past two days, Chan'er has also sent out a Jinse Sixth Incarnation to train Xiao Lingyan.

The demoness's methods were far less gentle than Xiang Yuan and Xiao Lingyue's. She had been hunted down by Jinse since childhood and firmly believed that a great teacher produces great students and that gentleness could not lead to great things. When she was training Xiao Lingyan, she never held back and beat her up for two consecutive days.

Let's just say we've raised Zen'er's favorability.

Otherwise, given the demoness's personality, even if she doesn't call for a fight, she'll treat him like air, and he can forget about being her sparring partner.

They had clearly worked out well and everything was moving in a positive direction. The backyard of the Overlord's Mansion would not follow in the footsteps of the Prince Zhao's Mansion. However, because Xiao He sold his brother for personal gain, the turmoil has returned, and they are about to start tearing the roof off the house again.

Xiang Yuan was quite impressed with Jiang Yingjun, mainly for three reasons: she was an artistic young woman, very fragrant, and had a tea-like aura.

The label of "artsy young woman" isn't so bad, but her allure and tea-like demeanor easily attract unwanted attention in the backyard of the Prince's mansion. Xiao Lingyue treats Yan Mei well, but that doesn't necessarily mean she'll treat Jiang Yingjun well, and needless to say, Chan'er will definitely be looking in the mirror whenever they meet. ε=(ο｀*)))
Why am I feeling a little excited for no reason? Am I really that optimistic?
After instructing him on swordsmanship, Xiang Yuan saw that Xiao Lingyan was calm and composed, with not a drop of sweat on her temples. He thought to himself that she was destined to be single forever, and then wiped the non-existent sweat from his forehead: "You've been practicing swordsmanship for so long, and now I'm covered in sweat. Have someone prepare something; I want to take a bath."

Xiao Lingyan didn't think much of it and turned to give instructions to someone.

Xiang Yuan looked at her with a black line on his face, thinking she was an outsider. He would call her a slacker in the Zhaowang Mansion. In this situation and with this dialogue, Xiao Lingyue would give her a warning look, and Chan'er would take the initiative to be affectionate. The following plot would follow naturally.

Xiao Lingyan, on the other hand, didn't even have a single line or any expression.

No wonder even Chan'er likes you; you pose no threat whatsoever.

"Come on, come into the house with me."

……

In the quiet room, Xiang Yuan erected a spatial restriction, glanced at Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er who were still interacting next door, sighed that his wife had worked hard to take the blame, and complained that his wife had also worked hard to be unforgiving once she gained power.

I had absolutely no intention of mediating the fight.

You can't try to persuade him, because if you do, he'll seem like he got the benefit but is still acting innocent, and then it'll be hard for him to feel wronged later.

Anyway, it was Xiao He who caused the trouble, so Xiao Lingyue bears joint responsibility, and it has nothing to do with him or someone else.

"Speaking of which, Liu Che was clearly warned by Chan'er, yet he still dares to lust after me. Isn't he afraid..."

"Oh, it seems Xiao He is one of our own."

As expected of the Daoist School of Destroying People Without Fatigue, even Liu Che, a mere disciple, mastered the essence of the school in a short period of time.

Xiang Yuan shook his head repeatedly. Xiao He had suffered repeated setbacks in his trip to Northern Qi. He hoped that Xiao He would learn from his mistakes, see the true nature of the Daoist sect, and stay away from Xun Yu in the future.

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Xiang Yuan sat cross-legged in mid-air, projecting his inner world. The five elements evolved, yin and yang intertwined, and the laws of heaven and earth evolved on their own, constantly innovating and colliding to create the laws of heaven and earth that were temporarily missing in the Qianyuan Realm.

Thanks to Sword Master Su Ran, although she's shameless and a riddle-maker, far less straightforward than a wealthy woman, she's still quite efficient at getting things done for money. This small world cultivation method has been very rewarding for Xiang Yuan. Without Bai Wuyan's cultivation level, he can now interpret the laws of heaven and earth, breaking free from the constraints of the Qianyuan Realm.

The benefits of continuous blood and marrow cleansing were fully demonstrated at this moment. With his strong comprehension, Xiang Yuan innovated and created new things. The laws of heaven and earth intertwined and collided, evolving and absorbing on their own. As his own cultivation improved, his small world was also perfected, producing more laws of heaven and earth.

The Heavenly Emperor's legacy is too powerful!

Xiang Yuan thought of the Heavenly Emperor of the Celestial Realm, who was in charge of bestowing titles upon the gods. Different divine positions corresponded to different laws of heaven and earth, and these laws of heaven and earth were only for use by immortals and gods, could not be learned, and belonged only to the Heavenly Emperor.

I didn't quite understand it before, but now I mostly understand it.

Five days later, Xiang Yuan left the pass.

He wanted to continue repairing it, but news came from the capital that Princess Wenying of Northern Qi's entourage had reached the border between the two countries and asked him if he wanted to intervene.

Liu Che acted swiftly. After discussing the marriage alliance with his clan and Xiao He, he relayed the matter to Empress Jiang Wang while cursing and swearing that a marriage alliance was a disgrace.

Jiang Wang then informed the Jiang family of Bozhou about this matter, and Jiang Yingjun set off overnight to prepare a dowry for herself.

Go to Western Chu quickly, lest they change their minds.

Liu Che thought so too. While cursing and swearing, he added a dowry and sent Jiang Yingjun to the border in a grand and elaborate ceremony.

Xiang Yuan was reluctant to go in person, but if he didn't go, Jiang Yingjun would come knocking on his door, which would be a huge loss of face for the Northern Qi.

If I go, the backyard will be in chaos again.

After sorting it out, he realized that Xiao He had to take the blame, and he would only feel at ease if Xiao He took the blame.

Because it was Xiao He, Chan'er would make sarcastic remarks to Xiao Lingyue, who would then complain to his brother. Then, he could distance himself from the situation and claim to be the one who had been wronged.

"Politics truly is a matter of personal choice; even a powerful figure like Xiang Yu, the Hegemon-King of Western Chu, had to bow his head..."

Xiang Yuan sighed and greeted Xiao Lingyue and Chan'er. Seeing that the two were arguing again, he nodded and left.

As long as you don't tear down the house, you can tear it down as much as you want!

Xiang Yuan immediately teleported to the capital and searched around, but couldn't find Xiao He. He then went to Tianzong Dacheng Mountain, but still couldn't find Xiao He. He cursed inwardly that the bastard ran away really fast.

There was something that Xiang Yuan couldn't figure out even after thinking about it for five days and five nights: what had gotten into Xiao He that he arranged for him to marry a literary young woman?

Judging others by one's own standards, we're all brothers. If it were Xiang Yuan, he would have taken the good deal himself. He wouldn't let his own brother benefit from it.

So, what was Xiao He really thinking?

Or perhaps, without realizing it, one is tricked by the Path of the Heart, and by the time they come to their senses, it's too late?
Without seeing Xiao He, the question was destined to remain unanswered. Xiang Yuan stopped thinking about it. He could hide for a while, but not forever. Xiao He would fall into his hands sooner or later. When that happened, he would beat him up first and then get to the bottom of things.

Look what you've done!

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

At the border between the two countries, Xiang Yuan saw a familiar luxury convoy, which brought back memories of the time half a year ago when he was Jiang Yingjun's bodyguard at her concert.

The carriage was very spacious. Xiang Yuan found the familiar soft couch and sat down. He saw Jiang Yingjun dressed in her finest attire, sitting beside him with a smile. She subtly waved her hand, chasing away a group of troublesome maids from the carriage.

Her bright yellow long dress cascaded down like a waterfall, her wide sleeves flowing like clouds, making her figure appear even more slender and graceful. Her waist, cinched below a jade belt, was so small it could be encircled with one hand, like a willow branch in spring, a natural and elegant beauty.

Her lips were naturally red, her skin naturally white, her eyebrows delicate and her eyes sparkling, her fragrance penetrating to the bone, her elegance subtle and without coquetry.

She was extremely dignified, and captivating.

Please stop smelling it, it smells too good!
Because of her change in status, Jiang Yingjun took it all for granted. She used to envy Xiao Lingyan and Xiang Yuan for having a marriage contract and didn't know how to cherish it. Now that she was the one with a marriage contract, she didn't hold back at all. She looked at Xiang Yuan with her beautiful eyes and smiled sweetly with a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth.

Xiang Yuan rarely wins in the staring contest, and this time was no exception. Smelling the increasingly rich fragrance and seeing Jiang Yingjun's murderous gaze, he quickly became unable to resist.

The pretty boy blushed.

Seeing this, Jiang Yingjun became even bolder and went straight for the point: "Sir, it has been five months and fifteen days since we parted. I have missed you day and night and have become thinner."

Have it?

Xiang Yuan blinked, and it seemed to be true; her waist was even thinner than last time.

And, they've really calculated the dates perfectly.

Xiang Yuan was suddenly a little touched. Seeing Jiang Yingjun staring at him intently, he thought that it had been almost half a year since they last met, so he decided to reward her.

"I stand leaning against the high tower, the wind is gentle, I gaze into the distance and spring sorrow rises darkly on the horizon. In the fading light of the setting sun, the grass is green and the smoke is light, who can understand my silent thoughts as I lean on the railing?"

"I intend to indulge in unrestrained revelry and get drunk, singing and drinking, but forced joy is tasteless. I will not regret growing thinner and thinner for her sake."

Mr. Liu truly deserves his reputation as a top courtesan throughout history. After reciting the poem "Butterfly Loves Flowers," the artistic young woman felt a strong sense of immersion. Recalling the pain of half a year of longing, her eyes welled up with tears, and she felt as if her bones had been removed, leaning limply against Xiang Yuan's shoulder.

The aroma is excessively strong.

Wake up! Don't be confused. Even Chan'er isn't as weak as you.

Xiang Yuan gently shook Jiang Yingjun's shoulders, noticing her rosy cheeks, sleepy eyes, and absent-mindedness. He thought to himself, "This is outrageous."

"Well, words like 'political marriage,' 'no feelings,' and 'helplessness' are too hurtful, so I won't go into them. Let me tell you about the Overlord's Mansion. The older sisters there aren't easy to get along with..."

Xiang Yuan shook Jiang Yingjun's shoulder, regardless of whether she could hear him or not, and told her that the future was bleak and she should be prepared to lose her little pearl.

In the Tyrant's Mansion, being eloquent is useless, and it's best not to utter those sour words. It's full of fierce women with extremely strong fighting skills, and even he, the Tyrant, would have to bow his head and submit in their presence.

Blah blah blah, waibi waibi.

Upon hearing that there were two Grandmasters in the backyard of the Overlord's Mansion, Jiang Yingjun, who had only reached the Nascent Soul stage by relying on resources, panicked a little. She only cared about her teacher; would she be beaten?

"Don't overthink it, it definitely will!"

Xiang Yuan patted Jiang Yingjun on the shoulder in affirmation, and seeing her flustered expression, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

When serving tea, remember to be sweet-talking, otherwise you might get bullied and won't be invited to parties.

(End of this chapter)