The Long Journey to Immortality

Kong Qiaosheng took out the jewelry he had specially prepared from the storage bag and arranged them one by one on the table.

Kong Qiaosheng was certain that even female cultivators who had reached the Golden Core stage could not resist the allure of jewelry made of gold and silver.

With a series of combined moves, Lü Zhi had already gone through the "routines" corresponding to the seven or eight possible answers that Han Lu and the other two might give during yesterday's rehearsal. He was just waiting for Han Lu and the other two to answer, so he would respond accordingly and push the matter in the direction they hoped for.

To everyone's surprise, Han Lu was no ordinary person, and her response was something no ordinary person could have imagined.

"Gentlemen, we counted the spirit stones yesterday and there was no problem with the number."

"You deliberately found a reason to come looking for my two sisters. Fellow Daoist Lü, you'd better explain why you've come here."

Han Lu was too lazy to play games with Lü Zhi and directly stated her position, showing none of the "elegant demeanor" that a cultivator from the Central Plains should have.

"Ah..." Being directly rejected was a great surprise to Lü Zhi and Kong Qiaosheng.

Of the eight possible scenarios they envisioned, none involved such a drastic, table-flipping development from the outset.

“Uh…” Lu Zhi stammered, then, quick-witted, said, “No way, could it be that the manager in charge of counting the spirit stones made a mistake? That would be adding insult to injury.”

“Hehe, hehe, that’s right,” Kong Qiaosheng chimed in. “But in any case, please accept these apologies from the three fairies.”

Wen Erya and Yi Qiyan wanted to speak to ease the atmosphere and resolve the awkwardness between them, but Han Lu spoke first again.

Pressing her advantage, Han Lu said, "Sorry, we don't accept rewards without merit. It's not in the habit of my three sisters to receive spirit stones for something that doesn't exist, even if it's just a mere hundred spirit stones."

"Furthermore, I urge you both to stop beating around the bush, to speak frankly and openly, to be more direct and honest."

"If you continue to be vague and do not tell the truth, then please forgive my rudeness, but I ask you both to leave this place."

Don't waste time.

Knowing what the other party was probably planning, Han Lu was naturally not worried that such a lack of respect would cause any negative chain reaction.

Sure enough, Lü Zhi became anxious upon hearing Han Lu's words.

Ignoring his friend's subtle hints, he looked at Yi Qiyan and said, "Fellow Daoist Yi, I fell in love with you at first sight yesterday. I couldn't eat or drink, so I came up with this naughty idea to come and meet you."

Undeterred, Lü Zhi continued, "Fellow Daoist Yi, I like you. Could you give me a chance to pursue you?"

These abrupt words, so unlike those spoken by a cultivator, set the stage for a grand love story.

Chapter 833 Unexpected Development

Kong Qiaosheng also looked surprised.

First, I was surprised by how straightforward Han Lu's statement was.

He was even more surprised that Lü Zhi hadn't noticed his hints and had impulsively spoken his mind.

"This..." He was thinking of helping his friend smooth things over, but when he noticed the expressions of Han Lu and the other two, he realized that these three female cultivators from the Central Plains had probably guessed their purpose the moment they entered.

Kong Qiaosheng thought to himself, "Then I might as well just go wherever the road takes me. After all, love is all about mutual consent. Being straightforward might just be a good path."

Having abandoned any thought of providing assistance, Kong Qiaosheng remained inactive, choosing to observe the situation quietly.

Speaking such bluntly was a result of Lü Zhi's impulsive act.

In fact, he regretted saying those words as soon as they came out.

"It's over, it's over," Lü Zhi lamented inwardly, his head hanging low. "It's all over. It seems I'll probably have to spend the rest of my life with those ordinary women."

Upon hearing Lü Zhi's blunt words, Han Lu and the other two reacted in different ways.

Han Lu breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that her friend's joke hadn't come true. At the same time, with a look of morbid curiosity, she turned her gaze to Yi Qiyan, wanting to see how her friend, who had been "in love" since she was seven or eight, would deal with this matter.

Wen Erya's thoughts were similar to Han Lu's, but because she was a princess of the Southern Dynasty and had been involved in many so-called political marriages, she particularly admired "free love" among cultivators.

Naturally, Wen Erya was more positive about Lü Zhi's straightforward and bold declaration of love, and her impression of this male cultivator, whom she had only met twice, was much better than that of Han Lu.

The protagonist of the story, Yi Qiyan, is caught in an inner struggle.

It must be said that although she is friends with Han Lu and Wen Erya, she is from southern Xinjiang, but they are quite different in personality.

While Lü Zhi's directness wasn't exactly to her liking, she certainly didn't find it offensive.

In fact, this impulsive act even caught her eye and aroused her curiosity.

Yi Qiyan is not opposed to having a romance in the East China Sea; in fact, she is somewhat looking forward to it.

If Lü Zhizhen had become familiar with Yi Qiyan and gained her favor before saying this, she would most likely have agreed immediately.

But now that Han Lu has stirred things up, Yi Qiyan feels she should be a little more reserved in front of her friends and "strangers".

Let's remain silent for a while.

After much deliberation, Yi Qiyan also chose to wait and see.

Let's see what Lü Zhi says next and hear what her friends and sisters have to say.

As a result, the reception room fell into a temporary silence.

Lu Zhiben was prepared to hear Han Lu's sharp tongue and have this scheming stranger kicked out.

With his head down, he waited for a moment, but did not hear Han Lu's voice again. Only then did Lü Zhi cautiously raise his head.

His gaze was fixed on the empty space, but his peripheral vision lingered on Yi Qiyan's face.

Based on his experience of being pursued by female cultivators from the East Sea, Lü Zhi's intuition told him, "There might be a chance."

Han Lu remained silent, and Yi Qiyan didn't object. Lü Zhi, disregarding everything, continued boldly, "Fairy Yi, I'm not joking. I genuinely think you're very beautiful, a very kind person, and from a similar background to mine. If we were to become Daoist partners, I think..."

"I would be very happy."

Struggling with choosing his words, and lacking any real technique in his boxing, Lü Zhi himself was somewhat confused during the fight, and his speech sounded a bit like "rambling nonsense."

Hearing these somewhat incoherent words, Yi Qiyan couldn't help but chuckle.

The laughter sounded like celestial music to Lü Zhi's ears, and he finally dared to boldly turn his gaze to Yi Qiyan's face.

At that moment, their eyes met.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and Lü Zhi found Yi Qiyan's already outstanding face even more appealing to him.

And those eyes are the perfect finishing touch, complementing the other features perfectly.

Stared at with such a slightly infatuated gaze, it was now Yi Qiyan's turn to flinch, having not been in a relationship for nearly eighty years.

The three people standing nearby also observed the superficial interaction between the two.

Whether it was Han Lu and Wen Erya from Yi Qiyan's side, or Kong Qiaosheng, Lü Zhi's friend who was traveling with him, they all came to the same conclusion.

This marriage has a story to tell.

Han Lu didn't know why the situation had developed in this way, what Yi Qiyan was thinking, or what exactly Yi Qiyan saw in Lü Zhi, this reckless "fool."

But she has complete respect for her friend's personal opinion.

It was her words that led the matter through so many twists and turns to this point, so naturally she felt it was necessary to offer a few more words of guidance to ensure a satisfactory conclusion.

The so-called perfect ending naturally refers to the ending that Yi Qiyan chose.

Han Lu coughed lightly, snapping Lü Zhi out of his "dazed" state.

"Fellow Daoist Lü, you have great courage," Han Lu said, offering a variety of compliments.

Lü Zhi seized the opportunity, saying, "Thank you for the compliment, Fairy Zhenfeng."

"I was just saying what was on my mind."

These are my heartfelt words.

Having gone through the previous trials and now understanding Yi Qiyan's general feelings, Lü Zhi, who felt he was about to find spring, was feeling great.

Han Lu nodded slightly, "Whether this matter is feasible or not is not up to me to decide."

"Yi Qiyan, what do you think?"

Although her body language had already revealed Yi Qiyan's inner thoughts, these things still needed to be said aloud to be considered valid.

Wen Erya didn't speak, but she encouraged him with her eyes.

With both of her friends holding this attitude, Yi Qiyan naturally stopped worrying and boldly followed her heart's impulse to give an answer.

"You're quite an interesting person, but that's all. You can be my friend, but to think you can become my Daoist partner is a long way off."

Upon hearing this, Lü Zhi and Kong Qiaosheng were overjoyed.

This sounds like a "good guy" card being issued, but in reality it means that Lü Zhi passed the first test in such an unusual way.

Seizing the opportunity, Lü Zhi extended an invitation, "I wonder if Fairy Yi has any free time and would be so kind as to accompany me on a tour of the Dragon Head Islands?"

Yi Qiyan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay."

Without a word, the two of them left without even saying goodbye or acknowledging the presence of their friends.

Even Han Lu was stunned by the scene.

She couldn't understand the logic behind how their relationship had changed and developed at such a rapid pace.

The three of them naturally had no intention of chasing after him or becoming third wheels.

Kong Qiaosheng, shameless and trembling, helped his friend by sitting down and chatting with Han Lu and Wen Erya.

It must be said that Kong Qiaosheng is indeed quite knowledgeable; even in casual conversation, he can always quickly find interesting topics to keep the atmosphere from becoming dull.

Wen Erya, in particular, had a pleasant chat with Kong Qiaosheng.

If Kong Qiaosheng hadn't solemnly declared at the very beginning of their conversation that he already had a Daoist partner and was about to have a child, Han Lu would have suspected that Wen Erya might also be "captured" by this East Sea cultivator.

Chapter 834 Love Topics

After Lü Zhi and Yi Qiyan left together and began their first "date," Kong Qiaosheng chatted with Han Lu and Wen Erya for nearly half an hour before leaving.

This is both Han Lu and Wen Erya using Kong Qiaosheng to deepen their understanding of Lü Zhi and to show concern for their friend's marriage prospects.

It was also through Kong Qiaosheng's own means that he influenced Han Lu and Wen Erya, helped his friend, and created a better image for Lü Zhi.

Each got what they wanted, and since Lü Zhi was indeed a good conversationalist, the two chatted quite pleasantly.

That night, Yi Qiyan did not return to the three of them's residence on Dragon Head Islands.

If it weren't for the fact that Lü Zhi's arrival was aboveboard, and that the Dragon Head Islands were the most central and relatively safest area in the East China Sea, Han Lu and Wen Erya would probably have been anxious and wondered if Yi Qiyan had encountered some kind of safety problem.

The next day at noon, Yi Qiyan finally returned to her two friends' side.