A thousand enlightenments in one night, starting from being a menial apprentice.

Duan Rong left Lü Zhongtang's place, feeling somewhat resentful. However, he knew that as long as he didn't want to divorce Xiao Yu, no one else could influence his decision. Therefore, after walking a short distance, he put the matter out of his mind.

Just then, a rather ancient-looking stone pavilion came into view not far away.

He walked over slowly and sat down cross-legged on the stone pavilion.

Although the Lü family mansion was heavily guarded, the guards mostly hid in the shadows. They knew Duan Rong's identity, so none of them would use their divine sense to scan Duan Rong.

Even so, Duan Rong could still sense a pair of eyes looking at him from the top of the wall. This was a keen sense of a cultivator's six senses. With a thought, he scanned that spot with his divine sense.

Sure enough, a person was hidden in the recess of the bracket set; he was clearly one of the secret guards of the Lü family mansion.

The man noticed Duan Rong's divine sense sweeping over him and immediately changed his hiding place, avoiding Duan Rong's presence.

Duan Rong sat in the stone pavilion, a slight smile playing on his lips, and muttered to himself, "First level of the Qi Cyclone Realm. Not bad."

He had expected that the guards at the Lü family mansion would be strong, but to encounter a guard at the Qi Cyclone Realm in this remote place was even more powerful than he had anticipated.

Duan Rong sat cross-legged in the stone pavilion and began to contemplate and refine the divine and demonic mark.

Besides wanting to finish refining it as soon as possible so that he could fully understand the power of the Bloodlight Divine Shadow Escape technique, there was also the strange red light swirling around the five-colored Ruyi Bead between the eyebrows of the clear, glassy body.

Duan Rong had always wanted to investigate the five-colored Ruyi Pearl, which was formed from the original cloud of artistic conception, to see what its mysteries were. However, the strange red light wrapped around its surface caused some kind of interference, and Duan Rong, through telepathy, could not find anything unusual.

Therefore, he planned to refine the strange red light as soon as possible and then carefully examine the five-colored Ruyi Bead that was coiled between his eyebrows. For some reason, he had a feeling that the five-colored Ruyi Bead was not simple.

Duan Rong focused his mind on refining the essence and entered a state of selflessness.

I sat there for three whole days.

At this moment, his shoulders and hair were covered with fallen leaves, and green stubble was sprouting on his lips.

That morning, Duan Rong remained calm and composed, as if in a state of flow, immersed in the refining of that strange red light. Just then, a soft voice rang out in the stone pavilion.

“My husband, you have been sitting here for three days now.”

Upon hearing this, Duan Rong composed himself, slowly opened his eyes, and saw Lü Qingzhu standing in the stone pavilion.

Lu Qingzhu's expression was calm. She had found Duan Rong sitting cross-legged in the stone pavilion that evening. She could tell that Duan Rong was in a state of complete absorption, so she instructed the guards of the mansion to keep a close watch on him, and then she went to busy herself with tidying up the house.

Renovating an abandoned courtyard and making it comfortable for the whole family to live in is no small undertaking.

Three days later, the courtyard was almost tidied up when Lü Qingzhu came over and woke Duan Rong.

Duan Rong looked at Lü Qingzhu in front of him, smiled slightly, and said, "Is that so? Have I been sitting here for three days already?"

Lu Qingzhu walked over, gently plucked the fallen leaves from his hair, then took his hand and placed it on his lips, laughing, "Feel it yourself, you've grown stubble."

Duan Rong touched his face and realized that a layer of stubble had already sprouted there. He smiled apologetically and said, "I was refining something and forgot about the time."

He said this, but his mind was racing. In his past cultivation, he seemed to have never entered such a deep state of flow, almost forgetting about time, and the efficiency of refining had indeed increased considerably.

This might be related to the nourishment he received from the whispers of gods and demons at the central altar in the ruins of gods and demons...

Lu Qingzhu smiled gently and said softly, "My husband is able to concentrate on his cultivation so much, which is a rare state of mind for a cultivator. However, the courtyard we are going to move into has already been prepared, and I cannot disturb my husband any longer."

"Oh, so fast? You're already all packed?!" Duan Rong said with a smile.

He also realized that he had gone a bit too far in being a hands-off manager.

Lü Qingzhu said, "Qingzhu wants her husband to go and take a look. If there's anything else that needs to be added, or any decorations that are not suitable, you can bring them up so that Qingzhu can replace them."

Duan Rong walked over, squeezed Lü Qingzhu's hand, his eyes full of tenderness, and said softly, "Thank you for your hard work."

Lu Qingzhu blushed slightly and said, "This is all what Qingzhu is willing to do. Husband, let's go."

"Yes, let's go. Let's see the courtyard that my Qingzhu has decorated," Duan Rong said with a smile. He was indeed looking forward to it.

The two quickly arrived at the entrance of the courtyard. The two stone lions at the entrance had been cleaned and were still a little wet.

As they stepped into the courtyard, they saw that the once abandoned courtyard had been completely transformed and renovated.

Duan Rong's eyes lit up. Although the house was old, it had a kind of ancient and melancholic feel, and since it had been cleaned up, it had a sense of renewed grandeur.

Compared to that, the courtyard he built on Shangxiangyu Mountain seemed rather meager.

This was actually Duan Rong's intuitive feeling, and his feeling was not without reason. This Lü family mansion was originally built for the bloodline of the ancestor.

Moreover, at that time, the Lü family was still quite prosperous, and the construction of this place was supported by the Lü family members themselves, so they naturally invested a lot of money. These timbers may not look impressive, but they are actually all high-quality large timbers. After years of aging, they have become even more valuable.

"This east wing is for Sister Xiao Yu. Qingzhu will live in the west wing. Husband, you have your own bedroom, which is behind the main hall."

Lü Qingzhu began to introduce Duan Rong.

“In that case, my husband, you can rest and practice your skills by yourself, or you can stay with Sister Xiao Yu or Qingzhu.”

Duan Rong playfully hooked Lü Qingzhu's nose with his hand and laughed, "Qingzhu, you've really thought of everything."

As he spoke, he suddenly put his arm around Lü Qingzhu's shoulder and said, "In that case, not only can I rest alone over there, but I can also summon the two of you to serve me in bed... Tsk tsk tsk... Really... I feel like this kind of life is going to shorten my lifespan..."

Lü Qingzhu broke free from Duan Rong's arm and said reproachfully, "You want to summon the two of us to serve you in bed?! My husband, you're dreaming!?"

Duan Rong suppressed his wild thoughts, deliberately put on a stern face, and said, "Just kidding."

Lu Qingzhu asked, "Husband, have you looked around? Is there anything you need to buy?"

Duan Rong smiled and said, "I see that everything is quite complete. Everything is very good."

Lü Qingzhu said, "Then let's go and pick up Sister Xiao Yu. From now on, our whole family will live in this courtyard, and we'll be all together."

Duan Rong smiled and said, "Yes, a complete reunion. Come on, let's go pick up Xiao Yu. She was still worried about your safety a few days ago."

Lü Qingzhu said, "I've also been thinking about Sister Xiao."

"Then what are we waiting for?! Let's go!"

As Duan Rong spoke, he activated his mind, and the Three Flowers Gathering at the Top of His Head instantly took shape. He rode the wind and rose into the air, smiling as he looked at Lü Qingzhu in the courtyard.

Lü Qingzhu looked up and smiled, like a spring breeze and blooming flowers. Then she rode the wind and flew to Duan Rong's side.

Their robes fluttered as they flew toward the mountain where Shang Xiangyu was.

They flew through the misty valley towards a lush mountain peak, landing at a conspicuous courtyard nestled in the dense forest. The two landed hand in hand. Shen Mizhi, who was practicing martial arts in the courtyard, glanced at them and clasped her hands in greeting, saying, "Mizhi greets you, sir!"

Duan Rong's eyes flickered slightly. This Shen Mizhi seemed a bit strange; why did she only bow to him and not to Lü Qingzhu?

But at this moment, Shen Mizhi had a stern face, so it was impossible to tell what was going on.

Duan Rong then asked, "Where is Xiao Yu?"

Shen Mizhi coldly replied, "They're in the hall."

Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu went up to the hall together. As soon as they entered, Duan Rong saw Xiao Yu sitting at the tea table, wiping away tears.

Upon seeing them enter, Xiao Yu was clearly flustered and hurriedly stood up to greet them.

Xiao Yu not only bowed to Duan Rong, but also to Lü Qingzhu, who hurriedly returned the bow.

Duan Rong frowned again. Not only was Shen Mizhi acting strangely outside, but Xiao Yu's behavior was also somewhat odd.

It was only right that she bowed to herself.

But she is the older sister. After she bows to herself, she should pause and let Lü Qingzhu bow to her. That would be the proper etiquette.

But after she finished bowing to herself, she didn't even pause before bowing to Lü Qingzhu. No wonder Lü Qingzhu was so flustered that she immediately returned the bow.

After Xiao Yu finished bowing, she raised her head and saw that her eyes were swollen from crying, and her eyes were full of sorrow.

Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu immediately realized that Xiao Yu was clearly in trouble.

Duan Rong immediately asked, "Xiao Yu, what happened?"

Xiao Yu pursed her lips tightly and remained silent, but several large tears rolled down her cheeks.

At this moment, Zhu Xiaoqi lifted the curtain and came out from the inner room. Judging from Zhu Xiaoqi's appearance, she also seemed to have been crying.

As soon as Zhu Xiaoqi came out, she said, "Young Master..."

As soon as Xiao Yu saw Zhu Xiaoqi speak, she immediately turned her head and glared at her, saying sternly, "Xiaoqi, shut up."

“Miss…” Zhu Xiaoqi looked at Xiao Yu with a wronged expression.

Seeing Xiao Yu's expression and the fact that she wouldn't let Zhu Xiaoqi speak, Duan Rong had already guessed seven or eight parts of the truth. He suddenly turned around and looked outside the hall, where he saw Shen Mizhi standing not far away.

Duan Rong said in a deep voice, "Shen Mizhi, you speak!"

Xiao Yu glanced at Shen Mizhi. She could yell at Zhu Xiaoqi, but she couldn't yell at Shen Mizhi. In fact, she wanted Duan Rong to know.

Shen Mizhi said, "Elder Lü Zhongtang came by an hour ago. After he left, Xiao Yu has been crying in front of the tea table ever since."

After Shen Mizhi finished speaking, she gave Lü Qingzhu a meaningful look.

Lu Qingzhu was greatly puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Has Father been here?"

Her eyes flickered as she looked at Xiao Yu, whose face was filled with sorrow, and asked, "Sister Xiao, what did Father do to you?"

Xiao Yu simply wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, her eyes stubbornly fixed on the ground as she remained silent.

At this moment, Zhu Xiaoqi finally couldn't hold back any longer. She stared at Lü Qingzhu with hostility and said, "That man said he wants the young master to divorce the young lady. He also said that having you as a concubine would be bad for the reputation of the Lü family. If my young lady doesn't agree to this, he'll ask the patriarch to intervene. He even said that if the patriarch intervenes, the young master won't dare to go against his wishes..."

Lu Qingzhu was shocked. She knew nothing about this matter and was completely stunned when she heard it.

Duan Rong had already guessed some of what was going on, but his face was still grim as he stood there. He hadn't expected Lü Zhongtang to actually bring up the ancestor to intimidate Xiao Yu.

When he discussed this matter with himself, he naturally dared not bring up the ancestor, because he knew very well that the ancestor would not get involved in this matter.

"Father, what happened to him...!?" Lu Qingzhu's face turned pale, and a sense of urgency filled her heart.

Duan Rong said, "Your father and I discussed this matter once, and I clearly refused him. But I didn't expect him to come to Xiao Yu to talk about it."

At this moment, Xiao Yu suddenly squatted down and said, "Husband, Xiao Yu is willing to be a concubine."

Duan Rong glanced at Xiao Yu and his eyes flickered. No wonder she had taken the initiative to bow to Lü Qingzhu earlier; the key was here.

"Sister, you mustn't!" Lü Qingzhu's face had turned deathly pale.

Duan Rong helped Xiao Yu up, looked at her intently, and said, "Xiao Yu, don't worry. If I don't touch you, no one else can. You are my lawfully wedded wife, and that will never change!"

Xiao Yu stared blankly at Duan Rong, her heart completely melting.

Lü Qingzhu immediately bowed and said respectfully, "Sister Xiao, you should enter first, and I will enter later. Etiquette must not be neglected!"

Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu's attitude clearly calmed Xiao Yu's previously turbulent emotions. Her voice was a little hoarse as she said, "What about the Ancestor..."

Duan Rong said, "Don't worry, the Ancestor won't get involved in this matter. I've been cultivating by his side for so long, I know his temperament very well."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's expression noticeably improved.

Lü Qingzhu said, "Besides, this is our family matter. Sister, you don't need to worry too much. I will talk to Father. Please forgive my father; he was just worried and played the zither haphazardly!"

Upon hearing Lü Qingzhu speak like this, Zhu Xiaoqi and Shen Mizhi's gazes towards her changed somewhat. The previous coldness faded, and they became much more approachable.

Xiao Yu wiped away her tears, then suddenly looked at Zhu Xiaoqi and said, "Xiaoqi, what are you still standing there for? Your husband and Qingzhu are back, why don't you hurry up and serve tea?"

Zhu Xiaoqi smiled absentmindedly and said, "I'll go right away. Young master and Miss Qingzhu, please have a seat."

Zhu Xiaoqi quickly removed the leftover tea from the tea table and went to the kitchen to brew fresh tea.

Duan Rong, Xiao Yu, and Lü Qingzhu each took their seats in the hall.

At this point, Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu told Xiao Yu about moving to the Lü family mansion.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yu's face clearly showed worry. After all, Lü Zhongtang's words were still ringing in her ears, and although Duan Rong and Lü Qingzhu's comforting words had calmed her down somewhat, her heart remained at ease.

But after all this, she still feels somewhat resistant to moving into the Lü family mansion.

Lu Qingzhu had already noticed Xiao Yu's hesitation, so she said, "Husband, why don't we stay in this mountain house for a while? We can talk about moving into the Lu family mansion later. Anyway, it's all packed and we can move there anytime."

Xiao Yu felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and looked at Lü Qingzhu with gratitude in her eyes.

Duan Rong, however, said, "I think we should move there as soon as possible. As for this setback, as long as we are of one mind, it's just a minor commotion. There's no need for it to change our plans." (End of Chapter)