The Hehuan Sect cultivates alchemy; my senior sister helps me refine alchemy throughout the world.

Shen Yifei almost jumped up from his chair after hearing Xie Liaochen's words.

"She...she's marrying me?"

"Yes, I'll marry you." Xie Liaochen picked up his teacup and took a sip. "She said that after cultivating with you, her Ice Heart Technique broke through the eighth level and entered the ninth level. For three hundred years, no one in the Qingyun Sect has been able to cultivate the Ice Heart Technique to the ninth level. You are the first person to help her break through."

Shen Yifei swallowed hard. He really didn't know about this. Every time Luo Qinghe came for dual cultivation, she would leave as soon as she was done, never saying a word to him. He thought she was just using him as a tool, but he never expected that she had developed feelings for him.

"Sect Master, about my relationship with Saintess Luo..."

"Let me finish," Xie Liaochen interrupted him. "I don't object to Luo Qinghe marrying you. But you have to agree to three conditions."

"What are the conditions?"

"First, marry into the Qingyun Sect."

Shen Yifei's heart sank. Marry into the family? This meant he would have to leave the Hehuan Sect and become a member of the Qingyun Sect. Elder Gu had shown him great kindness; if he left like this, his conscience wouldn't allow it.

"Secondly, from today onwards, you are no longer allowed to engage in dual cultivation with any female cultivators, including Luo Qinghe."

Shen Yifei was taken aback: "Can't I cultivate with Saintess Luo? Then why would she marry me?"

"A nominal couple," Xie Liaochen said. "She needs your help to stabilize her ninth level of the Ice Heart Technique, but she cannot indulge in matters of love. Otherwise, the Ice Heart Technique will backfire, causing her cultivation to regress at best, and at worst, she will suffer a qi deviation."

Shen Yifei understood. Luo Qinghe wanted to marry him not for dual cultivation, but to stabilize her mind. The medicinal fragrance on him could help her break through and also help her stabilize her state. However, dual cultivation would disrupt the operation of the Ice Heart Technique, so they could only be husband and wife in name only.

"Third, all the pills you have refined will belong to the sect from today onwards."

Shen Yifei cursed inwardly. All of them to the sect? What would he do then?

"Sect Master, I can agree to the first two conditions, but not the third. Alchemy is my livelihood; it all belongs to the sect. How will I eat?"

Xie Liaochen stared at him for a couple of seconds, then suddenly smiled.

"Alright, let's change the third condition. The sect will take 80% of the pills you refine, and you'll keep 20%. That's the bottom line; it can't be any less."

Shen Yifei gritted his teeth: "Okay, 80% chance. But I have one more request."

"explain."

"During my six months at the Qingyun Sect, I must not lose contact with the Hehuan Sect. Elder Gu has been kind to me, and I cannot forget his kindness."

Xie Liaochen thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay. If you want to leave in six months, I won't stop you. But what about Luo Qinghe?"

Shen Yifei was stunned for a moment. Luo Qinghe was going to marry him; what would happen to her if he left?

"This... I need to discuss it with Saintess Luo."

"You should discuss it with her," Xie Liaochen said, standing up. "My conditions are out there; go back and think them over carefully. Let me know when you've made up your mind."

Shen Yifei left Qingyun Palace and walked back, his mind a complete mess.

Luo Qinghe's decision to marry him was too sudden. Although he had cultivated with Luo Qinghe several times, it was always a matter of mutual benefit, and he had never thought of marrying her.

"Little guy, you're getting married soon," Liu Mengli said with a smile from inside the cauldron.

"You're still laughing at me at a time like this?"

"What are you planning to do?"

"have no idea."

"Will you marry me or not?"

"Marry me my ass." Shen Yifei quickened his pace. "I've only known her for a month, slept with her a few times, and she wants to marry me? What kind of logic is that?"

"If you don't marry him, do you think Xie Chen will let you off the hook?"

Shen Yifei fell silent.

Back in the courtyard, he closed the door, plopped down on the bed, and stared blankly at the roof beams.

Liu Mengli emerged from the cauldron and sat down beside him, her green eyes fixed on him.

"Little one, I think you should marry him."

Why?

"Luo Qinghe is a saintess. Marry her, and you'll be the prince consort of the Qingyun Sect, and no one will dare to touch you. She's beautiful, and she's comfortable to sleep with. You won't lose out. If you don't marry her, Xie Liaochen won't let you off the hook. You slept with his daughter; the fact that he hasn't turned against you today is already a huge favor!"

"That means I've essentially sold myself to the Qingyun Sect!"

"You feel wronged even after selling yourself to the Qingyun Sect? You married Luo Qinghe, but the Qingyun Sect's pill business is still yours, and you'll still earn spirit stones. Although you can't touch female cultivators anymore, you only need Luo Qinghe. She's prettier than all those female cultivators. What more could you want?"

Shen Yifei thought about it and felt that what she said made some sense, but he still felt that something was not right.

"What about the Hehuan Sect?"

"Speak clearly to Elder Gu about the Hehuan Sect. He's not your father; he can't stop you from getting married, can he?"

Shen Yifei felt a little more at ease after hearing what she said.

But he still felt something was off. Was Luo Qinghe going to marry him just to appease Bingxin Jue, or did she genuinely have feelings for him? He couldn't figure it out.

However, there's one thing: Xie Liaochen definitely had ulterior motives! He wanted to stay in the Qingyun Sect forever!

Once Shen Yifei understood this, he felt more at ease.

Having selfish motives makes things easier; what's worrisome is having no selfish motives at all.

Xie Liaochen wanted to marry his daughter to him, not because he was a son-in-law, but because of his alchemy skills and his strange medicinal fragrance.

Luo Qinghe had been stuck at the peak of the Golden Core stage for two years, just one step away from the Nascent Soul stage. His arrival helped her break through to the ninth level of the Ice Heart Technique. How could Xie Lechen not be envious?

Marrying Luo Qinghe? Fine, he'd agree. But marrying into the family? Forget about it.

The next morning, Shen Yifei went to find Xie Liaochen.

Xie Liaochen was practicing Tai Chi in the small garden behind Qingyun Palace. He was wearing a gray Taoist robe and looked like an ordinary old man, not at all like the leader of a sect.

"Sect Master, I've made up my mind."

Xie Liaochen lowered his fist, wiped his sweat with a towel, and said, "Speak."

"I agree to the first two conditions. As for the third, the sect will take 80% of the pills, and I will keep 20%. But I cannot marry into the family. I am a member of the Hehuan Sect, and Elder Gu has been kind to me. I cannot forget my roots. If you insist on making me marry into the family, then this marriage is off. You can kill me and make soup, but I still cannot marry into this family."

Xie Liaochen stared at him for several moments, then suddenly smiled.

"You've got some backbone, kid." He draped the towel over the railing. "Fine, I won't marry into your family. But there's one condition: after you marry Qinghe, you have to live at the Qingyun Sect. You have to live there for at least half the year, and for the other half you can go back to the Huan Sect. I don't care."

"Okay, we'll do it your way!"

Xie Liaochen nodded, took out a jade pendant from his pocket and tossed it to him: "This is Qinghe's contact jade talisman. You can discuss the marriage with her yourself. I'm not involved anymore."

Shen Yifei took the jade pendant and thought to himself, "This father is really carefree; he doesn't even care about his daughter's marriage."

After leaving the Qingyun Palace, Shen Yifei took out a jade token and channeled spiritual energy into it. The token glowed, and Luo Qinghe's voice came from within: "What is it?"

"Saintess Luo, your father asked me to discuss your marriage with you."

There was a three-second silence on the other end: "I'll come see you tonight."

Luo Qinghe arrived on time that evening.

She changed into a light purple dress and applied a touch of makeup, making her look much softer than usual.

"What did my father say to you?" She sat down at the table.

"Tell me you want to marry me."

"Um."

"You also said you wanted to be my husband in name only, and that we couldn't cultivate together?"

"Hmm. My Ice Heart Technique has just broken through to the ninth level, and my realm is unstable. Dual cultivation will disrupt the flow of spiritual energy, which may lead to a decline in cultivation or even demonic possession."

Shen Yifei sat down opposite her: "Then what do you want from marrying me? Just because my scent can help you stabilize your cultivation level?"

Luo Qinghe looked up at him and said, "The medicinal scent on you helps my cultivation. As long as you're by my side, even without dual cultivation, just smelling that scent makes my spiritual energy circulate 20% faster than usual."

Shen Yifei chuckled: "So I'm also a fragrance?"

Luo Qinghe's lips curled up slightly: "If that's how you want to understand it, then so be it."

"What's in it for me?"

"No one dares to touch you in the Qingyun Sect. The sect takes 80% of the pills you refine; that's the bottom line, and I can't change it. But I can help you get more work and earn more spirit stones. I won't interfere with your lovers in the Hehuan Sect. But in the Qingyun Sect, you can't touch any other female cultivators."

Shen Yifei thought about it and concluded that this was a good deal. He'd gained a holy maiden as a wife for free. Although he couldn't touch her, the title alone was enough to intimidate him. From now on, he could walk around the Qingyun Sect with impunity; who would dare to cause him trouble?

"I've been at the Qingyun Sect for half a year, are you expecting me to spend those six months here in arduous cultivation?"

Luo Qinghe smiled slightly, "I'll arrange for someone to come and keep you company regularly! I guarantee you'll be satisfied!"

Shen Yifei was delighted to hear this; what a great opportunity! He readily agreed!

Luo Qinghe stood up: "Then I'll go prepare for the wedding. The eighth day of next month is an auspicious day."

She walked to the door, then suddenly turned back: "Shen Yifei, remember this: I married you for cultivation, not for you as a person. Don't overthink it."