It was said that experts in the Tribulation Transcendence Stage possessed a lifespan of 3,000 to 5,000 years.
If that were truly the case, she was indeed in the prime of her life.
This was great—so great that it did not feel like a good thing at all.
“Senior, may I ask why Sect Master Ji has taken an interest in my son?”
Ding Wen asked with a cupped-hand salute.
“I do not know. I only know that Sect Master Ji is particularly invested in this marriage. She told me that on this trip, I must ensure Young Master Ding agrees to the proposal and prepares the betrothal gifts.”
After saying that, Li Qihua pulled out a red, gold-trimmed envelope and continued, “This is Sect Master Ji’s Birth Date Document.”
Both Ding Nan and Ding Wen were extremely hesitant.
“If I were to refuse, what would happen?”
Ding Nan asked tentatively.
Upon hearing this, Li Qihua was slightly taken aback.
She looked at Ding Nan with surprise.
“Young Master Ding, I have heard the rumors about you. You truly are an extraordinary young man, far from an ordinary person.”
Li Qihua had never considered that Ding Nan would actually suggest a refusal.
Ji Lanruo, who had reached the Tribulation Transcendence Stage at only 400 years old, possessed beauty, wealth, and status that were all top-tier in Zhongzhou.
For years, countless geniuses had visited her, hoping to win her heart.
Yet, despite her brilliance, she had never shown any interest in those Zhongzhou geniuses.
Li Qihua had acted as a matchmaker for many people.
In her experience, given Ji Lanruo’s conditions, very few men would ever refuse.
A hot-blooded young lad in a remote area with mediocre prospects should have been even more eager to agree.
Furthermore, she did not actually know what Ji Lanruo was thinking.
She also wanted to ask why the Sect Master had chosen Ding Nan.
Out of all the talents in Zhongzhou, why did she choose this country boy?
Recalling the scene of Ji Lanruo blushing like a lovestruck girl as she handed over her Birth Date Document, Li Qihua had felt that the sun might actually rise from the west.
During her journey from Zhongzhou to the Western Barrens, she had racked her brain for a reason.
The only possibility she could think of was Ding Nan’s face.
His face was indeed quite handsome.
It was neither feminine, nor masculine, nor neutral. In other words, it was a bit feminine, a bit masculine, and a bit neutral; it was quite difficult to describe.
Ding Nan’s facial features were the type that many girls liked.
Aside from his face, there might be other reasons, but Li Qihua did not dare to look into them further.
She walked up to Ding Nan and Ding Wen and whispered, “There is no need for you two to be so suspicious. Do you know what Sect Master Ji’s plans are if you do not agree to the marriage?”
Li Qihua watched as the expressions of the two men changed slightly.
She smiled and said, “I am nothing more than a minor figure in Zhongzhou, holding a small position in a low-tier sect. However, I believe I still have the ability to invite Young Master Ding to the Xishan Sect for a visit.”
Ding Nan’s gaze shifted.
Li Qihua’s voice was not loud, carrying only far enough for the elders in the Council Hall to hear.
Outside the door, the younger generation of the Ding Clan lowered their heads, while the members of the Shangguan Family had already slipped away.
“Nan, how did you gain Sect Master Ji’s favor?”
Ding Wen could not help but ask.
“I want to know that, too,” Ding Nan replied with a wry smile.
Li Qihua’s words were very clear.
Ji Lanruo was determined to have him and possessed the means to get her way.
She was currently showing them respect because she wanted to, but she could easily take it away.
A Nascent Soul clan like the Ding Clan could not possibly stop her, let alone a Tribulation Transcendence expert.
“Young Master Ding, Patriarch Ding, what do you think?”
Li Qihua inquired.
Ding Wen looked at Ding Nan, who nodded.
“We agree. Let us exchange the Birth Date Documents and draft the wedding post,” Ding Wen said.
“That is for the best.”
“Senior, please hand the document to me. My calligraphy is considered quite good in the Ding Clan,” Ding Nan’s thin Second Uncle offered.
Li Qihua smiled and handed the red document to him.
A short while later, looking at the elegant yet strong handwriting, Li Qihua nodded in satisfaction, closed the wedding post, and tucked it into her pocket.
“Now I can return to report my success,” Li Qihua said, her face glowing.
“But before I leave, I would like Patriarch Ding to provide me with a quiet place. I wish to have a proper talk with Miss Luo Yao.”
The matchmaker’s gaze landed on Luo Yao, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal with an uncertain expression.
Ding Nan looked at Luo Yao, his face full of concern.
However, considering Ji Lanruo, he could not easily speak up for her.
“Father, Uncles, I shall take my leave,” Ding Nan said with a salute.
“Very well,” Ding Wen replied.
Luo Yao watched Ding Nan’s departing back.
Remembering his concerned expression and the way he had hesitated to speak to her, her heart warmed.
Li Qihua watched this and sighed inwardly.
‘I have to break up another pair of lovebirds.’
Shortly after, Ding Wen led Li Qihua and Luo Yao to a quiet courtyard.
Li Qihua sat at the round table in the yard, her face stern as she looked at Luo Yao.
Ding Wen stood off to the side.
“Miss Luo Yao, I have heard of you. Your reputation has spread throughout the nearby cities,” Li Qihua began slowly.
“You received help from Young Master Ding when you were a child, and even after he lost his cultivation, you remained by his side.”
Luo Yao clenched her small fists and lowered her head, hiding her expression.
“I am not sure if it is loyalty or love, but regardless of which it is, you should not be by his side anymore.”
As she spoke, Li Qihua pulled a ring from her pocket and threw it.
The dark brown ring flew out rapidly and stopped right in front of Luo Yao’s chest.
“There are 1,000,000 Spirit Stones inside,” Li Qihua said, her face cold as ice.
“Leave him.”
Luo Yao looked up, her eyes fierce and rimmed with red as she glared at Li Qihua.
Li Qihua remained unmoved.
“Do you know why the Shangguan Family came to break the engagement?”
Li Qihua looked down at Luo Yao with contempt, her tone indifferent.
“Even a family like theirs was powerless to change Sect Master Ji’s will, let alone a mere maid like you.”
“I swore to serve him for the rest of my life!”
“He no longer needs your service. You are not worthy of him.”
Luo Yao lowered her head once more.
After her entire body trembled for several minutes, Luo Yao reached out and took the ring floating in midair.
“A wise person submits to the circumstances. Very well.”
Li Qihua stood up, her body slowly floating into the air. She spoke again, “You had better not think about stealing what isn’t yours. Remember your place. Otherwise, you will not even have to wait for Sect Master Ji to visit; the wrath of a Tribulation Transcendence expert is not something you can endure.”
Leaving behind those final words, Li Qihua flew into the sky.
Following a sharp whistling sound, her figure vanished.
Luo Yao’s fist, which held the ring, was trembling.
In an instant, the ring was crushed into dust, and a faint, multicolored Spiritual Qi leaked out.
Ding Wen watched in horror.
She had actually crushed a Storage Ring that contained Space Power, and she had even crushed all the Spirit Stones within it into a single sphere.
Luo Yao refined the escaping Spiritual Qi in an instant.
“Endure, Luo Yao, endure. I’ve already fooled her. I can’t kill her now or I’ll alert them,” Luo Yao muttered through gritted teeth.
After about 10 breaths, Luo Yao looked up and took a deep breath, her face returning to its calm and beautiful state.
“Miss Luo, just how strong is this Sect Master Ji?”
“Patriarch Ding, why would you ask such a question?”
She raised her hand, resting four fingers against her chest.
She turned her head, her lips curling into a crescent smile, her eyes dark and bottomless like an abyss.
“I am the only one who can serve the Young Master!”