"What? Another breakthrough? Do you take for a fool!" Shen Youling's face darkened. She was genuinely displeased. If you want to do that sort of thing, just say it. Why bother lying and making up excuses?
In fact, Lin Tang had indeed successfully broken through Golden Core Peak, which was why he had rushed back to Jiangbei so frantically. He wasn't lying.
Seeing Shen Youling's skepticism, he imdiately made a gesture as if swearing an oath. "I'm really not fooling you. If you don't believe , you'll see soon enough."
Shen Youling was silent.
Could it be true? Is cultivation as simple for him as eating and drinking? Wait a minute! He couldn't possibly be practicing one of those worthless Cultivation Techniques with excessively detailed stages, could he? The kind where, for example, there are thirty-six minor levels between the Innate and Master realms, instead of the usual early, middle, and late stages.
"Lin Tang, I've never asked before, but what exactly is your current martial arts level?" Shen Youling suddenly asked.
Huh? She never used to care about this stuff. Why is she asking today? Has she started cultivating and gotten interested in these things? Since she's hiding her own cultivation from , I certainly won't correct her misunderstanding that I'm practicing martial arts.
"It's nothing special, I'm rely at the Martial Saint realm," Lin Tang said, waving his hand in a self-deprecating manner.
He wasn't lying about this. He truly was a bona fide Martial Saint.
"Pfft—"
Shen Youling burst out laughing, though he couldn't tell if it was from anger or amusent.
"What's so funny?" Lin Tang asked, surprised.
Shen Youling tapped him with a slender finger. "You really can't kick your habit of telling tall tales. Martial Saint? What does that even an? Everyone saw you barely manage to defeat Yan Renjie, who was at the peak of the Innate realm, and only with the help of an incredibly sharp sword. How much ti has even passed since then…"
I rember Wei Shanhe saying Lin Tang was at the early Innate stage, and reaching that at his age was already remarkable. So now… At best, he's in the late Innate stage? Or maybe, at the absolute most, the early Master realm? Yes, that must be it.
"No, that's ancient history! I'm really not lying, you have to believe !"
"Alright, alright, we'll say you're a Martial Saint. I'm too tired to argue. I'm going to bed."
"Hey, what about the Dual Cultivation we agreed on?"
"So other day."
"Huh?!"
Seeing that Shen Youling adamantly refused to believe him and even rejected Dual Cultivation, Lin Tang was at a loss for words.
So people's prejudice against is like a mountain… Forget it. Believe it or not! If you don't want to engage in Dual Cultivation, that's your choice. It's not like I can't find soone else! Hmph!
He didn't insist, instead going to the adjacent room. Just a mont ago, he had felt guilty about deciding to marry Jiang Mulu, feeling he had wronged Shen Youling. But now, thinking of her prejudice against him, that guilt shafully diminished.
「The next day.」
Shen Youling went to work as usual, while Lin Tang accompanied Shen Qiushi to the park for a stroll, taking the opportunity to help the old man refine his Health Care Boxing.
In the vast park square, the groups of elderly n and won practicing Tai Chi and Tai Chi Sword were now surrounded by quite a few curious young people peering over their shoulders. It was clear that after watching Jiang Mulu's video, a wave of enthusiasm for martial arts had swept over them. They were hoping to find so reclusive master wandering the mortal world. Perhaps such an expert would discover that one of them was a one-in-a-million prodigy and eagerly take them on as a disciple to pass on their skills.
Additionally, so previously struggling martial arts schools seized the opportunity, sending people out early in the morning to hand out recruitnt flyers everywhere. They hoped to capitalize on the trend and make a quick buck off the newcors.
Lin Tang found these antics quite amusing but paid them no mind. When soone handing out flyers saw him and Shen Qiushi practicing the slow-moving Health Care Boxing, they shot them a deliberately disdainful look. He couldn't be bothered to argue, let alone punch a tree or a wall just to prove a point.
"Lin Tang, it's not that Grandpa is being nosy, but there are a few things I really want to talk to you about. Don't find annoying, alright?"
"Of course not, Grandpa. Please, say whatever is on your mind."
"Well, you and Youling have been married for so ti now, and it makes very happy to see your relationship growing deeper. But as a husband, you sotis need to be mindful of your distance from other girls. Also, try not to stay out all night so often, it's not a good look…"
Shen Qiushi patted Lin Tang's shoulder, clearly pleased with his receptive attitude. "Besides," he said, "this old man has nothing to do all day. I'm just idle. Why don't you two start trying for a baby soon? I can help you take care of the child!"
"Ah, about that—" Lin Tang faltered.
Have a baby? He had never even considered it. All he wanted was to cultivate quickly, to beco as strong as possible so he could take his revenge and survive the great calamity of the invasion from the Underworld. Beyond that lood the return of the gods and the retaliation of those he had made enemies with… Dangers and challenges were piled one on top of another. Wouldn't having a child be creating an obvious weakness for himself?
"Ahem. Well, Grandpa, it's not that I don't want to, but as you know, most of the ti, Youling won't let touch her!" Lin Tang shalessly shifted the bla to Shen Youling.
"Hey, you're the man, you have to be more proactive, be a little more thick-skinned…" Shen Qiushi's voice dropped, the conversation feeling increasingly awkward. As the grandfather of the bride, giving his grandson-in-law tips on how to woo his own granddaughter felt rather inappropriate.
Helpless, he finally slapped his chest with resolve. "My dear grandson-in-law, don't you worry! I'll give Youling a good talking-to later and tell her she's not allowed to refuse you. What kind of married couple sleeps in separate rooms? It's simply preposterous!"
"Then thank you very much, Grandpa!" Lin Tang said with a smirk.
When Shen Youling returned ho from work, just as expected, Shen Qiushi lost his temper with her. No matter what kind of Cultivator she was, when facing her grandfather, she could only grit her teeth and bear it.
"In short, I'm giving you two months to get pregnant! If your belly shows no signs of life by then, I—I'll run away from ho!" Shen Qiushi declared, banging the table and glaring with a bristling beard.
Shen Youling's face was a mask of utter embarrassnt. Seeing Lin Tang suppressing a laugh only made her angrier.
That bastard! Just because I refused Dual Cultivation, he sicced Grandpa on . How despicable!
Shen Youling seethed internally. Lin Tang, do you think you've won? I'm going to lock horns with you over this and pointedly refuse Dual Cultivation! Outwardly, however, she ekly agreed and promised to try her best.
Once Shen Qiushi had gone to bed, she suddenly lunged for Lin Tang's ear, intending to teach him a lesson.
Tch, just a weak little Qi Refinent Realm rookie…
With a casual tap to her wrist, Lin Tang sent a numbing sensation through her entire arm. The next instant, he pulled her into his embrace, where she struggled in vain.
"My dear wife, are you flirting with your husband?"
Hmph, the tables will turn eventually. Once my cultivation is stronger, we'll see how I get back at you! she thought, while saying with dripping sarcasm, "What are you doing? Are you going to be abusive? Or are you planning to force yourself on ?"
Lin Tang was getting annoyed. "And what if I was? You could scream for help and have Grandpa co rescue you. Let's see who he sides with, you or ! I just don't get it. We're a married couple, so why can't I?"
"If you're not happy, we can get a divorce anyti! My position has always been the sa. I'm willing to let you be with soone else," Shen Youling retorted heatedly.
"Hey, don't you know the biggest taboo in a marriage is constantly bringing up divorce? When will you finally be willing to truly let into your heart?"
"We aren't a normal couple… Lin Tang, search your heart and ask yourself, have you ever truly let into yours? Did you think I didn't know you were two-timing ?"
Lin Tang was stunned. He subconsciously let her go.
She's right. I'm a womanizing cad. I'm about to marry Jiang Mulu. What right do I have to demand that Shen Youling fall in love with ?
"You can leave," Shen Youling said coldly, her arms crossed.
"Where to?" Lin Tang asked instinctively.
"I don't mind if you have a child with another woman," she said. "You can go have one right now."
"Hmph! Fine, I'll go!" Lin Tang snapped, turning and storming out in a fit of anger and sha.
He left Shen Youling standing there alone, silent for a long, long ti.
"I'm a Cultivator," she whispered to herself. "It was never going to last between us anyway. Why get so upset?"
Yet, she clutched her chest.
"I thought I had already co to terms with it… so why does it still hurt?"
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