As a dignified max-level Celestial Master, who am I supposed to explain this to?

Chapter 19 This girl is not to be trifled with! You're telling me she's my future wife?

In the city, at the Xia family's residence.

Han Xuan stood in front of the Xia family's gate, looked up at the gilded plaque above the door, and took a deep breath.

The gate of the Xia family's house is very grand.

Two vermilion gates stand guard by two stone lions. The plaque above the gate bears the two large characters "Xia Mansion" in vigorous calligraphy, said to have been written by a famous calligrapher.

The steps in front of the door were spotless, without even a fallen leaf.

Han Xuan straightened his Taoist robe, making sure he looked presentable enough, and then stepped forward to knock on the door.

The door opened quickly.

The door was opened by an old man who looked like a butler. He had gray hair, was dressed smartly, and looked like a veteran who had worked for the Xia family for many years.

"May I ask who you are...?"

"Han Xuan from the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain has come to pay a visit to Elder Xia."

The butler's eyes lit up instantly.

"Han Xuan? You must be Young Master Han Xuan?"

His voice rose an octave, "Please come in, please come in! The old man has been waiting for you for a long time!"

Han Xuan felt uncomfortable being addressed as "Young Master," but he didn't correct him and followed the steward into the Xia residence.

The Xia family mansion is very large, with three courtyards, gardens, rockeries, pavilions, and towers, all exuding the heritage of an old-fashioned family.

Han Xuan followed the steward through the front yard and the middle yard, finally arriving at a small courtyard in the back yard.

This courtyard is different from other places; it lacks elaborate decorations and instead appears exceptionally simple.

Several green bamboos were planted in the courtyard, and a rattan chair was placed in the corner, with an old man sitting in it.

The old man looked to be in his seventies or eighties, with a full head of white hair and wrinkles on his face that looked like they had been carved by a knife.

He was wearing a gray cotton robe, with a thin blanket over his knees, and was sunbathing with his eyes closed.

His complexion was terrible, a sallow yellow, and his lips were completely bloodless. His breathing was shallow, and his chest barely rose and fell.

But his hands.

Those withered, bony hands were tightly gripping a string of Buddhist prayer beads, their knuckles white.

Han Xuan's heart skipped a beat when he saw the old man for the first time.

This old man is nearing the end.

It's not an illness, it's a recurrence of an old injury.

His meridians were broken in several places, his vital energy was scattered and could not be gathered, and his internal organs were damaged to varying degrees.

Such an injury would have killed an ordinary person long ago; he has managed to hold on until now entirely thanks to his willpower.

"Master," the butler said softly, "Young Master Han Xuan has arrived."

Xia Yuanshan opened his eyes.

Those were cloudy, bloodshot eyes, but when his gaze fell on Han Xuan, a glimmer of light suddenly appeared in them.

"Han Xuan?"

His voice was hoarse and weak, but carried an undeniable authority: "You are Zhang Qingyuan's disciple?"

"Yes."

Han Xuan stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Han Xuan, disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain, greets Elder Xia."

Xia Yuanshan looked him up and down, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his cloudy eyes.

"Not bad. He's handsome and full of energy. That old fellow Zhang Qingyuan certainly knows how to pick a disciple."

He pointed to the stool next to the rattan chair.

"sit."

Han Xuan sat down, facing Xia Yuanshan.

The old man stared at him for a long time, his gaze like a ruler, measuring his depth.

I've heard about what happened to you.

Xia Yuanshan finally spoke, "Sixth level of the Golden Light Mantra, mastery of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, and also the Thunder Emperor Body."

"That old fellow Zhang Qingyuan couldn't possibly have taught such a genius disciple. Did you figure it out on your own?"

Han Xuan was slightly taken aback, not expecting Xia Yuanshan to have such a sharp eye.

"Yes." He did not deny it.

Xia Yuanshan nodded, a smile appearing on his lips.

"Good. Very good. My granddaughter, Xia Yuanshan's granddaughter, should marry someone like this."

Han Xuan's lips twitched.

"Grandpa Xia, regarding this marriage..."

"What? You don't want to?"

Xia Yuanshan's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a blade drawn from its sheath.

"It's not that I'm unwilling."

Han Xuan carefully considered his words, "However... Miss Zhiwei and I have never met, and it would be unfair to her to hastily arrange a marriage."

Xia Yuanshan stared at him for three seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"fair?"

His laughter was hoarse and bitter. "Kid, what's fair in this world?"

"If Zhang Qingyuan hadn't saved my life back then, I would have died in that mass grave long ago. I owe him a debt I can never repay. Marrying my granddaughter to his apprentice is to repay his kindness, and also..."

He paused, then lowered his voice.

"I'm also worried."

He looked at Han Xuan, the sharpness in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by a deep weariness and tenderness.

"Zhiwei lost her parents when she was little, and I raised her single-handedly. If I leave, she will have no relatives left in this world."

His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible.

"Zhang Qingyuan is the only person I trust. I also trust his apprentices."

Han Xuan fell silent.

Looking at the dying old man before him, at the weariness and reluctance in his eyes, a complex emotion welled up within him.

He had never experienced anything like this in his previous life.

He didn't have a fiancée, and he didn't have that feeling of being entrusted with someone's life.

He was just an ordinary Taoist priest who lived for over fifty years, coming into this world alone and leaving it alone.

but now……

"Grandpa Xia."

Han Xuan's voice was soft but firm: "Whether the marriage goes through or not, Miss Zhiwei's affairs are my affairs."

Xia Yuanshan paused for a moment, then smiled.

This time, his smile held no bitterness, only relief.

"well."

He said "good" twice, his voice a little stronger than before, "I'm relieved to hear you say that."

He turned to the butler and said, "Go and call Zhiwei here."

The butler responded and quickly left.

Han Xuan sat on the stool and suddenly felt a little nervous.

He wasn't nervous when he fought the Zombie King, but now he was actually a little nervous.

This feeling was strange, reminding him of the scene ten years ago when an eight-year-old girl chased him all over the mountain.

Footsteps approached.

The light, rhythmic footsteps sounded like someone walking on the bluestone slabs in high heels.

Han Xuan raised his head.

Then he froze.

A girl walked out from behind the moon gate.

She was about eighteen or nineteen years old, tall and slender, wearing a light blue dress, with long hair draped over her shoulders, and skin so fair it was almost translucent.

Her features were so exquisite that she looked like a figure from a traditional Chinese painting.

Willow-leaf eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, a straight nose, and thin lips.

But what's most striking is her temperament.

It wasn't the delicate, pampered air of a rich young lady, but rather a cold, aloof, and unapproachable demeanor.

She stood there, like a lotus flower blooming atop a snow-capped mountain—beautiful, but untouchable.

Her eyes were dark brown, like a bottomless pool of water, calm and without a ripple.

Her gaze toward Han Xuan was neither warm nor cold, neither too close nor too distant, as if she were looking at a stranger.

A stranger to whom she was engaged.

"grandfather."

Her voice was clear and cold like a spring, crisp but lacking warmth, "You called me."

Xia Yuanshan pointed at Han Xuan:

"Zhiwei, this is Han Xuan. He's the senior disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain. Yours..."

He hesitated for a moment and did not say the words "fiancé".

"Your old friend."

Xia Zhiwei's gaze lingered on Han Xuan for a second.

Only one second.

Then she nodded slightly, her tone polite but distant: "Master Han, hello."

Han Xuan stood up and returned the greeting: "Miss Xia, hello."

The two people stood facing each other, no more than three steps apart, but the distance between them felt like a vast chasm.

Xia Yuanshan watched this scene, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he just sighed.

"Zhiwei, take Han Xuan to the garden to sit for a while. I'm tired and want to rest for a bit."

Xia Zhiwei nodded and turned to walk towards the garden.

She didn't wait for Han Xuan, nor did she turn around; she just kept walking on her own.

I don't care whether anyone is following me or not.

Han Xuan glanced at Xia Yuanshan.

The old man gave him a wink, the meaning of which was quite clear.

Go ahead and try to get along well with them.

Han Xuan followed.

In the garden, Xia Zhiwei sat at a stone table, holding a cup of tea in her hand, her gaze fixed on the artificial hill in the distance, lost in thought.

Han Xuan sat down opposite her and picked up a cup of tea.

silence.

A long silence.

In the end, Han Xuan spoke first.

"Miss Xia, about the engagement..."

"I know."

Xia Zhiwei interrupted him, her voice still cold, "Grandpa told you, this is his intention."

"You...don't want to?"

Xia Zhiwei did not answer immediately.

She put down her teacup, raised her head, and looked Han Xuan in the eye for the first time.

In those deep brown eyes, there was no disgust, no resistance, only a calm, almost cold rationality.

"Master Han."

She said, "I don't understand you, and you don't understand me."

"It was common in ancient times for two strangers to come together because of a marriage contract, but now it's a new era."

She paused, but her tone remained calm.

"I don't object to this marriage. My grandfather's health isn't good, and he wants to see me settled down, which I understand. But..."

Her gaze sharpened.

"I need time. I need to understand what kind of person you are."

Han Xuan paused for a moment, then smiled.

"Okay." He nodded. "How long will it take you?"

Xia Zhiwei was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting him to be so decisive.

"I have no idea."

"Then let's take it slow." Han Xuan picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "I'm not in a hurry anyway."

Xia Zhiwei looked at him, her eyes now filled with scrutiny.

"Master Han, may I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead and ask."

"Who exactly are you?"

The question was so direct that it made Han Xuan pause slightly.

"The eldest disciple of the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain."

That's not what I was asking.

Xia Zhiwei interrupted him, "What I'm asking about is your demeanor. You don't seem like an eighteen-year-old."

Han Xuan remained silent for a moment.

The girl's intuition was very sharp. Much sharper than he had expected.

"Miss Xia."

He put down his teacup, looked into Xia Zhiwei's eyes, and said, "Have you ever met someone who looks young, but whose eyes hold a lot of things?"

Xia Zhiwei did not answer, but just looked at him quietly.

"Obviously, I am that kind of person."

Han Xuan said, "I've been through some things that have made me more mature than my peers. But I can't tell you the specifics right now."

He paused, then added.

"It's not because I don't trust you, but because... you might not believe these things if I told you."

Xia Zhiwei remained silent for a long time.

Then she did something that surprised Han Xuan.

She smiled.

It wasn't the polite but distant smile from before, but a genuine, heartfelt smile.

The smile was faint, like the first crack on the ice in early spring, cold yet with a hint of warmth.

"Master Han."

She said, "You're more interesting than I thought."

Han Xuan blinked: "I thought you would think I'm unreliable."

Xia Zhiwei picked up her teacup and took a small sip.

"It's really not very reliable."

Han Xuan: "..."

He looked at the aloof and cold girl opposite him.

Suddenly, he realized that the marriage wasn't as bad as he had imagined.

Of course, this feeling only lasted for three seconds.

Because the next second, Xia Zhiwei put down her teacup.

He looked him up and down with the scrutinizing eye one would use to examine a product.

Then he said something that made Han Xuan feel terrible.

"Six levels of the Golden Light Mantra, mastery of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, Thunder Emperor Body. His cultivation is indeed impressive. But..."

She tilted her head, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Can you cook?"

Han Xuan was stunned.

"Cook?"

"Yes. My grandfather said that you should marry someone who can cook. A man who can't cook is unreliable."

Han Xuan opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't refute it.

He lived to be over fifty in his previous life and indeed couldn't cook.

"I...can learn."

Xia Zhiwei nodded, her expression as serious as if she were conducting an academic evaluation.

"Alright. We'll talk about the engagement after you've learned it."

She stood up, picked up her teacup, and walked away without looking back.

Han Xuan was left alone in the garden, the autumn wind blowing and the bamboo leaves rustling.