Chapter 239 Popping the Question
The construction of the Barren Mountain Courtyard was Ling Li’s first measure when he became the Hierarch. After ten years passed, the Barren Mountain Courtyard was enlarged by several times. Lots of mountains were linked with ingenious mechanisms and used to be the source of transporting talents for the Yinmo Cult.
After another turning, there was the entrance of the Barren Mountain Courtyard. Ling Li wore his jade-bone mask.
That was because his real identity was known by a few seniors in the Yinmo Cult.
“Hierarch!”
“Hierarch!”
As soon as they arrived in the gate, two men in black appeared and knelt down immediately. Su Li followed Ling Li and knew that the two men were elite killers of the Shalou Cult.
Ling Li led Su Li to view various ways of cultivating talents in the Yinmo Cult. With Ling Li’s guidance, nobody dared to stop Su Li.
The test for talents was based on either their endowments or willpower with loyalty as the premise. It was the same as that of the secluded site in the Linli Building. After all, the Yinmo Cult had a long history and lots of means. So, she learnt many tricks. She was going to copy some when she went back to the Linli Building.
The Barren Mountain Courtyard had never allowed strangers to come. According to Su Li’s outfit, she obviously didn’t belong to their cult, but men of the cult saw their Hierarch treating her with flattery. They looked at her in a strange way. Even some with high cultivation transmitted the sound in silence to each other and gossiped.
“Maybe she will become the wife of our Hierarch.”
“What about the Holy Girl?”
“Excuse me… I heard that if one’s cultivation is peerless enough, he can hear the sound transmitted in silence.”
“Hush… We’d better not gossip about our Hierarch’s private affairs.”
Then nobody dared to transmit the sound in silence.
In fact, Ling Li’s cultivation hadn’t reached the longevity realm. So, he was unable to stop others from transmitting the sound in silence. At this moment, he led Su Li into a delicate stone room in the deep place of the Barren Mountain Courtyard. As the Hierarch, Ling Li got his own residence in every strongpoint.
They sat down, and Ling Li made a cup of tea for Su Li. In the previous life or this life, he enjoyed wine, tea and food.
The scent of tea wafted through the room. Su Li noticed his natural and smooth movements quietly. He liked the tea ceremony as much as he did in the previous life. There was one difference. He used wild tea-leaves that he picked on the mountains in previous life, but in this life, he used the best green tea cultivated by peasants.
“Don’t you have any question?”
Ling Li calmed himself for a while and said. Although he was trying to calm down, Su Li still felt that he was a little bit strange.
Indeed, Ling Li was different today. He was too enthusiastic. The secluded site of each cult was more confidential than the headquarters, but he actually let her come without saying anything. What was his purpose?
Did he want me to join the Yinmo Cult, or…
Su Li frowned and said, “Let me guess. Did you lose the Full Moon and Heart Strings?”
“Cough…”
Ling Li’s eyes were suddenly wide open, and the tea water in his mouth almost sprayed out. He managed to hold it but couldn’t stop coughing. His courage lasted for a few seconds and disappeared because of Su Li’s question.
Seeing his reaction, Su Li was surprised. She said, “I spoke without thinking. And did you really lose it?”
“I spoke without thinking.”
Ling Li felt he was going to spit out blood. Without saying anything, he took a glass bottle out of his sleeve and put it on the table. He had always carried the Full Moon and Heart Strings because it was important and it was what Su Li needed.
“Take it, and I don’t owe you anything for your help for Ling Qinglan!”
Su Li took the glass bottle with the body temperature. She was excited, but she restrained herself soon. She put it away and said, “I appreciated your help last time in Lord Rui’s Mansion, and in that case, you still owe me one request. Then we’ll be even.”
Hearing such cold words of a deal, Ling Li looked down and said with mixed feelings, “Why do you have to put us in this way?”
“What does the Hierarch Ling want then?”
Su Li looked down. She looked calm, but in fact, she was nervous. There were strange feelings inside.
“I…”
Ling Li’s words were like being stuck at the throat by a rock.
“Just say it!”
“What am I waiting for?”
“No, I can’t!”
“What am I going to do if she refuses me?”
He seemed to have two kinds of consciousness tangling in his head. Ling Li bit his lips, and his hands hidden under the table were slowly squeezing his knees very hard. He said nothing.
A sense of obscure self-mockery occurred in Su Li’s face.
“What am I expecting in this life?”
“Hierarch Ling, I’ve got what I want and will just leave so as not to affect your practice.” Su Li’s voice was flat. She put down the tea cup and was ready to leave without hesitation.
At the moment, Ling Li lifted his head up, and a strong firm voice echoed in the room.
“Su Li, will you marry me?”
…
At the Affiliated School of the National Academy, Wu Bin stood beside the gate and watched in the direction of Su Li’s departure this morning. He was so worried because it had been so long since the Miss left. Even a formal banquet would have been prepared!
The Third Childe of the Ling Family was an asshole, but he didn’t dare to do something evil because Madam Qiu was at home. So, what was the reason?
The school hadn’t been over yet, so there were only two or three pedestrians on the way in front of the Affiliated School of the National Academy. Suddenly Wu Bin saw a man in a bamboo hat walking to the school.
“Stop! It’s the Affiliated School of the National Academy. Off limits to all unauthorized personnel!”
A guard immediately scolded the man. The man lifted his head a little, and his face was revealed. Wu Bin saw his face and became nervous. He told the guard to leave and welcomed the man in the bamboo hat to the school.
After they entered the front hall, the man took off his bamboo hat, and a young face appeared. It turned out to be the Fourth Prince of Tianji Country, Tantai Yu.
“All forces have left Yunjing City after the Auction Fair. I didn’t expect that Prince Tantai is still here.”
Wu Bin said politely but didn’t relax his vigilance. The Prince of the Tianji Country was distinguished enough to be treated carefully. But why did he come here? How was Miss related to the Tianji Country’s prince?
Seeing Wu Bin’s defensive expression, Tantai Yu smiled and said, “Butler Wu, there’s no need for you to be nervous. I come to say goodbye to Su Li today.”
Wu Bin hesitated for a moment and said, “May I ask about your relationship with Miss…”
Tantai Yu shook his head and said, “Since she didn’t tell you, I will respect her. If you want to know, just ask her personally.”
Then he sighed and laughed at himself by saying, “I guess that she doesn’t want to see me. Well, just give her this sword, please.
Tantai Yu reached out his hand, and then the sword astonished Wu Bin very much. It was the Hanfeng Sword that was worth tens of millions from the Auction Fair.
“This…”
Wu Bin hesitated again. He would make a huge mistake for taking something that Miss didn’t want.
Tantai Yu laughed and said, “Relax. It’s just a gift for our first meeting.”
He explained with a smile. Then he put the sword on the table gently and turned back to leave. Looking at him, Wu Bin felt that he was lonely.
Wu Bin couldn’t help saying, “Wait! Miss wasn’t reluctant to see you. Early this morning, she went to the Ling Mansion to make desserts with Madam Ling. If you really want to meet Miss, just wait here.”
Tantai Yu stopped walking. He turned around and said gratefully, “Thank you so much. Otherwise I will regret for the rest of my life.”
“This is my duty, Your Majesty.”
Wu Bin asked a servant to make tea. The mildness and modesty of Tantai Yu made Wu Bin think of other things.
Tantai Yu was good-looking, polite and graceful, and his cultivation was over the inborn third hurdle at least. His performance was excellent on that day in the imperial court. Such a person might be the future empire of Tianji Country.
Master didn’t want Miss to get married, but she was seventeen and would have to marry a decent man.
Good and bad people mixed up in Yunjing City. Only General Ling Ping of the Ling Family was a match for Miss. But it seemed that he didn’t want to have a wife, and he was a bit older. However, Tantai Yu was only nineteen, two years older than Miss. He was so appropriate!
“Miss may not say yes now, but I have to keep an eye on for her.”
…
In the Barren Mountain Courtyard, Su Li stopped by the door. Her back was facing Ling Li, and her body was too rigid to move.
What did… he just say?
Crack!
Ling Li moved fast around the table, and the tea cup was accidentally touched and broken into pieces on the floor. But he didn’t care. He walked towards Su Li’s back. He looked so serious and said with a low voice,
“Su Li, my family members are all loyal and honest, but most of them died tragically. There must be villains behind. I swore that I would never be in a relationship until I revenge for their death. But you make me break my vow.”
“I thought about it before. I would confess my feelings to you once I succeeded in seeking revenge. But I was afraid that you would marry another man. Thinking of it, I was tortured! So, let me be selfish for one time. I tell you in advance. Are you willing to… wait for me? After my revenge, I will marry you, my only love.”
“In Dasu Town, you didn’t give me an opportunity to explain. Now please listen to me. I was born with my memory of the previous life. I came from a place called the earth, and I was the King of Killers! Ling Xue… was my biological little sister in the previous life. But she killed me personally, and I didn’t know the reason. And this became my obsessiveness.”
“You know how to cook the food on the earth and how to make the wine on the earth. So, there was some misunderstanding. I didn’t mean to piss you off!”
“My mother said if I want to win your heart, I should be totally honest with you. Now you know my background and secrets. If you want to know more, I will not keep anything. Now, will you be my future wife?”
Ling Li finally had a trembling voice. He stared at Su Li. When she turned around slowly and showed a cold face, all his courage and excitement had gone.
“No.”