Chapter 161: Return to Kunshan (Part Two)
Just as Qiao Wan was sadly biting into her pancake, she suddenly got slapped on the back of her head.
"What are you doing?" her companion urged. "Hurry up and let's go, go, go!"
This Liu Xu Desert is not as easy to cross as they thought. If she were to turn back now, she would be all alone without any water or food. Not to mention the dangerous sand worms and other creatures in the desert. Even for a cultivator, it wouldn't be easy to survive and make it out on their own.
For the sake of her own safety, Qiao Wan silently put the half-eaten pancake back into her storage bag, adjusted her hat, and caught up with the rest of the group.
On the way to Shuofeng Town where the Song family is located, there was a commotion in the carriage, causing everyone to pause and regroup. After that, they no longer made any stops along the way.
The group of cultivators immediately expressed their gratitude and found a shady spot to sit down, starting to imagine what they would do once they reached Shuofeng Town.
"What about Young Master Song?" someone in the group asked with a smile. "What is Young Master Song traveling all this way for?"
"Me?" came a gentle and clear voice from inside the carriage, covered in a beautiful cloud of five colors. "I am going back home to get married."
Sitting inside the carriage, the young man felt a bit nervous and mumbled to himself, "I have already hunted down a Sandworm Heart, but I wonder if Miss Mu... wants to marry me or not."
Every town or ethnic group living on the border usually has some peculiar customs.
For example, the customs in Shuofeng Town require a man to cross the Liu Xu Desert before getting married. He must kill a sandworm, extract its heart, and bring it back to show that he is ready to start a family and build a career.
After instructing the people at the Song family to keep Mu Xiaoxiao, Song Qiyuan left the Song residence alone. He crossed the Liu Xu Desert with the intention of bringing back the heart of a sandworm and immediately reuniting with Mu Xiaoxiao.
Just the thought of the girl's dimples when she smiled made Song Qiyuan's face blush a little.
Miss Xiaoxiao.
Just uttering her name brought a faint smile to his face.
Surely, she was still waiting for him at the residence...
Needless to say, at this moment, Song Qiyuan was definitely caught in the sweet and painful dilemma of love inside the carriage.
How infuriating.
Qiao Wan took a bite of the remaining half of the pancake with a Q-shaped mouth.
Next, the convoy regrouped and set off again, finally arriving at Shuofeng Town where the Song residence was located before sunset.
The people from the Song family had received the news and were already waiting at the entrance with lanterns. As soon as they heard any noise, they greeted him with smiles on their faces.
"He's back! Young Master Song is back!"
Qiao Wan hid in the shadow of the carriage, trying to minimize her presence.
This Song Qiyuan is the only child of the Song family. This time, he went out to hunt sand bugs, and everyone in the family was a bit worried. After all, the young master is not very capable, and they were afraid that he might get into trouble outside. Fortunately, the hired cultivator played a role.
At the front gate stood Mr. Song, Mrs. Song, the servants, and there was also a graceful figure - Mu Xiaoxiao .
This is exactly as described in the story "Immortal Ascending Road".
In the dim light, you could see a forced smile on the girl's face, and a hint of sadness in her expression.
Song Qiyuan ... brought back the sand bug's heart.
The wind and sand near the desert never stopped, and at night, the cold wind blew sand and gravel, feeling like a knife cutting the face.
The beloved woman, whom he had been thinking about day and night, was close by. Song Qiyuan immediately lifted the curtain of the carriage and got out, looking excited.
"Xiaoxiao - Miss!"
The girl wore a thin white dress, and the wind gently swayed her flowing hair. She managed to force a smile.
Soft like a confused rabbit, Song Qiyuan anxiously said, "Taoist friend... Xiaoxiao."
Xiaoxiao replied, "Yes, it's me." Song Qiyuan nervously continued, "I... I brought back the heart of the sandworm."
As they say, when one gets a wife, they forget their mother. Song Qiyuan couldn't take his eyes off the graceful figure of Xiaoxiao, completely ignoring his own parents. He couldn't wait to express his overwhelming love.
"Would you... would you be willing to marry me and become my wife?" he asked eagerly.
It was quite inappropriate to say such a thing right after returning.
Even Mr. and Mrs. Song couldn't bear to watch their son's lack of manners.
Mrs. Song expressed her dissatisfaction, saying, "It's windy outside. Why are you standing here foolishly? Come inside and talk."
"Yes, yes," the steward quickly responded, "Mrs. Song is right. Let's go inside first."
At that moment, everyone noticed the convoy in the darkness of the night.
The caretaker turned around and shouted, "Dear taoist friends, you've worked hard. After we lead this mystical creature into the animal room, come inside and have a cup of hot tea to warm yourselves. The madam has prepared a feast to welcome and refresh you."
A man next to Qiao Wan let out a sigh of relief, "Finally, we've arrived. I feel like I've worked myself to death."
"What are you standing there for? Let's go, Qiao Wan."
Yes, her current identity is called "Qiao Wan," and it's a name that leaves her speechless.
Thinking carefully according to the original plot, Qiao Wan wondered if the supporting character, also named "Qiao Wan," should have already been dealt with by Pei Chunzheng. This part of the story doesn't involve her. She just needs to play the role of "Qiao Wan," responsible for appearing when Zhou Yan arrives and taking Mu Xiaoxiao away. She will act amazed as part of the crowd, adding to the joyful atmosphere. Basically, nothing major should go wrong.
Quickly getting into character, Qiao Wan went forward to lead the mystical creature, saying earnestly, "Here it is, here it is!"
The spiritual beast was raised by himself and he didn't trust others to handle it, so the servants of the Song family could only do some rough work like unloading cargo.
After leading the spiritual beast into the animal room, they left a beast cultivator to take care of it.
The housekeeper of the Song family led a group of cultivators and walked towards the inner courtyard, introducing with a smile as they walked.
"Hey, who is that girl standing at the door, big brother?" the group of men rubbed their hands and asked eagerly.
It took more than ten days to cross the Liu Xu Desert. They not only had to deal with ugly and cute monsters like sand worms, but also take care of the precious young master, Song Qiyuan. Along the way, besides Qiao Wan, they hadn't seen a single woman. When they saw Mu Xiaoxiao, this traveling team was shamelessly tempted.
Cultivators who work independently are different from disciples of reputable sects. Most independent cultivators do not cultivate to become immortals, but mainly because having cultivation makes things easier, brings in money quickly, and earns respect from others.
For jobs like this, escorting once can earn a lot of spirit stones, and you can also be known as an "immortal" in the eyes of mortals.
These independent cultivators are the most spirited in their words and actions. Unlike other sect disciples who need to cultivate their hearts, these people have hot and impulsive temperaments. They often openly engage in activities such as killing and seizing treasures.
When they saw Mu Xiaoxiao standing at the door, this group of independent cultivators felt a strong attraction.
"This girl is really beautiful."
"She must be from a powerful sect. Only a powerful sect can cultivate such elegance."
"Oh, this is Miss Mu," the steward happily carried a lantern and said, "She is the future daughter-in-law of our Song residence."
Everyone in the Song residence likes this Miss Mu. She is beautiful and has a good temperament. Not just the young master, even he likes her.
"For tonight's banquet, all the taoist friends must come. The master and madam plan to introduce Miss Mu to others during the banquet."
The leader immediately smiled and said, "Sure, sure."
As the night grew darker, the evening banquet began and the whole Song family became busy, with lights being lit up along the hallway.
This time, they invited not only their own convoy, but also many friends and relatives from the Song family. As the steward had said, this banquet was held to introduce Mu Xiaoxiao to the entire Shuofeng Town and announce to Shuofeng Town that the Song family has a new bride!
However, they did not ask for Mu Xiaoxiao's opinion about any of this.
Shuofeng Town was originally a small town near the Liu Xu Desert, where there were no tigers in the mountains and the monkeys were the rulers. As the only Golden Core in Shuofeng Town, Master Song was seen as a powerful figure who could control the wind and rain. As for Song Qiyuan, although he had a slightly milder personality than his father, he had been spoiled since childhood and didn't think there was anything wrong with forcefully marrying Mu Xiaoxiao.
As long as Mu Xiaoxiao agreed, it didn't matter how she agreed.
At that time, the entire Song residence had no idea they would soon become pawns under Zhou Yan's sword. Everyone was smiling and bustling about, especially Song Qiyuan, who seemed foolishly happy.
Mr. Song sat proudly in his seat, his face beaming as he greeted the guests.
Qiao Wan was seated on the right side, enjoying her drink along with the others.
Initially, Qiao Wan was a bit worried about not wearing the straw hat while drinking, thinking it might be too bold. But when she looked around, she saw others who were even more daring in their attire, and she felt relieved.
After three cups, the main character of this evening's banquet, Miss Mu Xiaoxiao, was still nowhere to be seen.
"Has Miss Mu arrived?" Mrs. Song turned to ask her maid.
The maid looked hesitant and said, "Miss Mu said she's not feeling well."
Mrs. Song couldn't hide her concern on her face.
If you ask around in Shuofeng Town, there isn't a single person who doesn't know the Song family. To marry into the Song family is like a blessing from a past life. There's nothing she wouldn't be happy about.
"Go," said Lady Song, "invite Miss Mu to come out and tell her that I invited her."
In no time at all, they saw a young girl being led by a maid, walking into the evening banquet and taking a seat.
Tonight, Mu Xiaoxiao looked noticeably groomed. She was already beautiful, but now she was even more radiant in a red dress.
The girl bit her lip, clearly unsure of how to react to the situation before her.
Song Qiyuan also changed into a clean new outfit. As he looked at Mu Xiaoxiao, his heart started racing and he unconsciously clenched his fist. "Xiaoxiao...," he whispered.
Qiao Wan didn't touch the wine in front of her.
Qiao Wan remembered that it was at this moment that Zhou Yan disguised himself as an ordinary-looking man, entered the Song residence, and revealed his true identity as Kunshan's Yuqing Spiritual Master. He took Mu Xiaoxiao away.
Glancing at the table in front of her, Qiao Wan made up her mind. She decided that she would join the crowd and exclaim in shock, "What?! This is actually Yuqing Spiritual Master!"
"How could this be?!"
"That Kunshan swordsman, Yuqing Spiritual Master?!"
It will definitely be fine!
Just at that moment, Qiao Wan keenly sensed that the atmosphere around her suddenly changed.
A gust of wind blew, and at the door, there stood a plain-looking man in white clothes, with a cold expression and a chilly gaze. He looked somewhat tired as he furrowed his brows slightly and glanced at Mu Xiaoxiao and Song Qiyuan in front of him.
This was... Zhou Yan .
Noticing Qiao Wan's gaze, Zhou Yan's eyes fell on the scattered cultivator in a hat in front of him, and then lightly shifted away.
