Chapter 04
Elder Liu stood beside Risless as the messenger came to tell her of her son getting married. It appeared he was going to marry Jade, a beautiful girl who had just come of age and the wedding would be in a few days. The report indicates that Dong Chen is finally interested in women and had reactions to the maids this morning.
Elder Liu had a relieved look on her face as she saw Risless remaining expressionless over it.
“You are not relieved by this, Sect Master?” Elder Liu asked softly.
Risless looked over the contents of the report and took a deep breath. A solemn sigh came out.
“I’m sad,” Risless said. “I’m sad my son is getting married and I can’t be there until after he consummates. If he had married earlier, I wouldn’t have the once a year restrictions to see him.”
“Your son is mortal,” Elder Liu said. “Don’t lose focus on what your position is. Your predecessors all had strong feelings for their sons as well, so this is natural and normal, but you’ll have to be willing to let him go one day as he attaches himself completely to the mortal realm.”
“I know,” Risless spoke softly. “I know. The fate I have is one where having a family is difficult. I cannot even show my face to others. I just always thought perhaps I could show my face to my son, my true face.
Elder Liu was pained at watching Risless, the girl she took charge of when it was discovered she had the Fate of Extreme Beauty. Tasked with raising her by the method given from the Sect, she had to instruct her in everything up to this point including the conception of her son to meet the strange requirements to cultivate her Fate.
“I know that my power and position gives me more than a mortal can ever have,” Risless said. “It’s just when I compare having everything to being able to see my child, I just want to be with my child.”
“That’s a normal thing,” Elder Liu comforted her. “A parent’s love is normal. Only those twisted would love themselves more than their own children.”
Risless looked out into the night sky, thinking about what her son Dong Chen was doing. Finally, he would get married after years of holding out. The curse of cultivating the Fate of Extreme Beauty might in fact be lifted, and he won’t have to suffer even if he could only live the life of a mortal.
—-
I spent a few days loafing around making the cute maids do whatever I wanted because I loved being called Young Master. It was fun, but I eventually got bored and wanted to look around town. There were female guards from the sect who were always around, even when I couldn’t see them.
My father, Dong Che said as soon as I was born there would always be female cultivators around the mansion. They kept me safe as my mother. I could tell he wanted my mother’s presence around, but he was now an older looking man. He was never married to her and he could get married but chose not too.
In a way, Dong Che was pitiful.
Still, he took care of me and all my whims. He never treated me badly and protected me even when I was an idiot, according to all the memories I had.
I walked into his office.
“Dad, I’m going to go out,” I tell him. “I want to take a look around town. Maybe buy a few things.”
“Oh, son! That’s great. You should go out and have fun. Call your friends and spend some time. You are getting married soon and after that I’ll teach you a bit about running the business. There is always time, son.”
He was beaming with pride. I wasn’t sure exactly why he was so happy about me getting married. There seemed to be something strange about it, but none of it mattered. I had decided not to worry about anything since I came here. Dong Chen had a blessed life.
“Thanks dad!” I said.
I left with a group of guards, cultivators from the Blossoming Flowers Sect. I’m not even sure why my mother had me, to be honest. It’s just it seems there is a great importance of me if the Sect would use all these resources on a mortal.
Regardless of how many kept guard on me though, none of them ever spoke to me since birth.
—-
Jade was sitting in her room as the notification for the marriage came. She was flustered that Dong Chen didn’t cancel the marriage. Before he had cancelled all the other engagements without finding one excuse or another. Jade didn’t want to marry him.
Her porcelain face and white skin along with her pink lips made her look like a beautiful doll that almost any man would want to hold and never let go of. Wearing her long robes and floral patterned dress, it could be said marrying her would cost a fortune in dowry.
The maids were nearby, helping her with her hair as she thought about Dong Chen. She hadn’t spoken with him since the engagement and now she wanted to ask him why he’s continuing the marriage. Again, she didn’t want to marry him.
“Get me dressed and call the guards.” Jade ordered those around her. “I heard Dong Chen is out on the town right now, I will go see him and ask him why he suddenly decided to go through with this engagement.”
Jade had her clothing straightened out as she walked out of the residence with the guards beside her. In the town she spotted Dong Chen walking along the stores, looking around with eyes of wonderment at almost everything he saw. It was a much different look than the one he had, which was devoid of life the day she met him.
“Why is his face like that?” Jade asked her maid.
“Rumors say he had a change and is now interested in women again,” the maid answered. “Thus he wanted to go through with the engagement.”
“I don’t want to marry him!” Jade was livid. “Why did he have to suddenly become interested in women now? I wanted to marry Shi Kun, not him. Father promised me he would let me accept his marriage invitation after Dong Chen turned me down. Dong Chen was supposed to turn me down! He was supposed to find some reason not to be with me like he did all the others and we would keep the dowry from the engagement.”
They had charged Dong Che with a dowry that was unseemly. Much more than anything that had been given before and she had thought she would fleece a rich son and then getting to marry the man she wanted. There was a joke over the last few years that it would be easy money simply to have their daughter engaged to Dong Chen.
“I’m going to approach him, everyone be silent as I talk to him,” Jade said. “I need to understand what’s happening.”
Jade walked over to Dong Chen, a slightly shorter man who though slightly handsome in his own right was far too feminine looking for her. He hardly had any muscles and no part of him showed the masculine warrior type she would normally be attracted too.
Dong Chen was sitting there enjoying his meal, smiling happily while his maids stood in attendance and wiped his mouth for him. The sight angered her.
Since when did he become such a playboy?
I can’t stand this!
Jade changed her body posture and became graceful. One would never know her turbulent and angry thoughts with the smile she put on as she walked towards the table. Dong Chen looked up noticing her and smiled. This was after all his fiance he was excited about.
“Jade! You’re here?” Dong Chen called out. “I’m happy to see you! I’m happy we’re going to get married soon. I promise I’ll be a good husband and make you happy!”
You’ll make me happy if you actually disappear. I only want your money, nothing else! The dowry helped my father get out of debt, but it doesn’t mean I should be with you!
“Dong Chen, are you sure you want to go through with the marriage, do I not disappoint you in any way?”
Dong Chen looked at her, a bit surprised. “No, not at all. You’re the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. I would be a fool to look away from you. I would never cancel an engagement with you. I cancelled all my previous engagements hoping you’d come of age sooner since you were always the one I wanted to be with.”
Jade blushed a bit, but then grew angry.
You fool! If I had known you had eyes for me, I would never have agreed. There must be a way for me to be with Shi Kun instead.
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