197 Decision 3 (1/2)

Yingying had learnt to be good. Quickly, she produced a charcoal pen and a piece of paper which had been on her and begin scribbling a line.

”The Hundred Lineages comprise the destroyed Noble Families or Noblemen of declining and disappearing bloodlines. There're even demons and ghosts among them. Discontent with the fading of their bloodlines, they built an organization resembling a mortal sect.

They've got their own rules of inheritance. In order to face the massive power of the Nine Great Families of the Central Plains, they formed the Hundred Lineages Alliance.”

After Lu Sheng had finished reading, she put the paper down, erased the writing on it using some unknown method, then began scribbling again.

”The average Noble Family creates its own mantra that targets its own Divine Weapon or Devil Blade bloodline. Even if outsiders were to learn them, these mantras would cause only harm.

The Hundred Lineages, on the other hand, are a different story. They've got their own system that's supposedly able to impart mantras that're practicable by most Nobleman lineages. But naturally they're much weaker.”

”Oh, I see... isn't that basically a sect with extraordinary powers?” Realization dawned on Lu Sheng.

Yingying quickly scribbled again.

”They're not a sect. They're more relaxed than that. I've been there myself. The atmosphere there's more like a sort of exchange.”

”Since you've been there too, why didn't you and Hongfang Bai join one of the Hundred Lineages? Weren't you in need of mantras?” Lu Sheng was puzzled.

”Sis once killed an Elder in the Hundred Lineages and robbed him of his mantra...” Yingying's voice trailed off.

Lu Sheng immediately understood what had happened. Little wonder... perhaps Hongfang Bai had obtained that small mantra booklet by killing someone too.

'The question now is whether or not I should accept Shangyang Jiuli's recommendation to head to the Central Plains and join the Hundred Lineages. Logically speaking, entering this Hundred Lineages and acquiring their mantras should be the dream of many ordinary men…' Lu Sheng hesitated inwardly.

”Is Sect Master hesitating because of Chen Yunxi?” Yingying quickly scribbled another line.

”Yeah... we're engaged. And now it's time to marry her.” Lu Sheng nodded.

”Then do it. But given your status and identity, the role of your primary wife might be too large for her,” Yingying wrote.

”You know about this?” Lu Sheng said curiously.

”It's in my memory,” Yingying wrote earnestly. It seemed like she, too, had a complicated past before she became an Anomaly.

...Which made sense. Anomalies were known to be the elites and kings of ghosts. Even the average ghost required extremely strong bitterness and feud to form into being. Anomalies required even tougher conditions.

”I'm planning to take Yunxi with me. As for whether to take her as my primary wife or secondary wife...” Lu Sheng paused. ”Yunxi treats me with full sincerity. I ought to make her my primary wife.”

He did not need any political marriages anyway.

Yingying did not reply, having gone back to pressing clothes. This was Lu Sheng's decision; she had no reason to interfere with it.

Lu Sheng gave it some more thought.

Rapidly, he penned a reply, inserted it into the copper tube and fastened it on the snake-headed crow's leg. After feeding it some water, he tossed it into the air lightly.

The crow immediately shot into the skies and disappeared into the snow in matter of seconds.

Lu Sheng stared in the direction in which the strange bird departed.

”Such a good opportunity... how can I let it slip? Central Plains... it's about time to go take a look. The Nine Great Families of the Central Plains and the Hundred Lineages...” This was a godsend opportunity for him to fully understand the Noble Families and their bloodlines. If his cover was to be blown in the future, it'd be hard to find a chance like this.

”Since I've got to go anyway, I might as well take Yunxi along with me to the Central Plains. On top of that, the Lu Family of the Northern Lands need to be settled. Martial League's mess needs to be cleaned up as well. And there're those precious herbs on that map... and Three Sacred Gates...” A whole host of issues remained to be resolved.

Lu Sheng intended to find out the date and time of the Hundred Lineages Symposium so that he could settle his affairs in the Northern Lands well.

Very soon, on the fifth day after Shangyang Jiuli's first letter, her second letter arrived.

When he got the letter, Lu Sheng was in the study of the Crimson Whale, inspecting the figures reported about the snow disaster.

This time, Shangyang Jiuli's reply indicated that the Hundred Lineages Symposium was to be held in three months. Time was still plenty. This time, Lu Sheng did not hesitate. He replied immediately with his agreement to participate.

After released the strange bird, he began assigning his men with duties to prepare for his wedding.

***

Mountain-Edge City, Chen Family.

Chen Yunxi was holding on to the letter she had just received. On it was a series of arrangements concerning Chen Family's Chen Yunxi's wedding with Lu Family's Lu Sheng.

This was what her father, who had just returned home, had passed to her at the first possible instant while instructing her to take note of the time frame lest she be caught in a rush.

What surprised Chen Yunxi thoroughly was that Lu Sheng, with his present status, would still be willing to take her as his primary wife.

”Little Yu, go get Daddy here.” Faced with such an arrangement, Chen Yunxi was unusually calm. Although she was overjoyed, she understood that the role of the primary wife also meant huge complications and trouble.

Her handmaiden Little Yu quickly left, and came back into the courtyard with Chen Daozao shortly.

”Daddy.” Chen Yunxi curtsied. ”About the arrangement for me to be the primary wife, I object.”

Chen Daozao had initially put on a tender, fatherly manner, having assumed that his daughter had been perplexed by some question which needed his answer.

But the first words that came out of Chen Yunxi's mouth had alarmed him.

”What...? What did you say?!?” Chen Daozao's face fell, his lips tight. All traces of his smile earlier had vanished without a trace.