Marrying Wives and Attaining Immortality in a Chaotic World

Chapter 260: Xu Lian at Eighteen

Time flies, and years pass like a shuttle.

In the blink of an eye, twelve years had passed, and Xu Lian was now eighteen.

The Marquis and Marquise of Yong’an were no longer young, they had reached middle age and had gray streaks in their hair.

Humans are not grass or trees, how could they be without emotions? Although Xu Lian knew that the people and things here were derived from the rules of the broken world, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sentimental. These parents had treated him so well, how could he not feel any affection for them?

He knew that under such a terrifying flow of time, it wouldn’t be long before his parents passed away.

Over the past two years, the Marquis and Marquise of Yong’an had been deeply troubled by their eldest son’s marriage.

Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter had excellent cultivation talents and had gone to the holy land to cultivate. It was said that she had already become a true disciple. The Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an knew that their eldest son was no longer a suitable match for her, so they wanted to annul the engagement. Duke Wu Ling’s family felt the same way. Logically, since both sides agreed, it should have been a happy resolution. However, for some reason, Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter seemed to have taken the wrong medicine-she simply refused to call off the engagement.

Duke Wu Ling’s family had no choice but to drag out the engagement.

Seeing that their eldest son was already eighteen, the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an grew increasingly anxious, to the point where it became a source of constant worry.

“Young master, it’s time for dinner. The master and mistress are calling you back to eat.”

Shuang’er, Xu Lian’s personal maid, found him on the street where he was hanging out with a group of spoiled noble youths, betting on dog fights and playing with birds.

Xu Lian held a majestic white dog in his left hand and a birdcage with a songbird in his right hand. A cheeky servant and two guards followed him, making him the picture of a spoiled nobleman.

“Brothers, my parents are calling me home for dinner. Let’s call it a day and meet up again sometime.”

Xu Lian said goodbye to the group of noble youths and followed Shuang’er home.

Without the eldest son of the Marquis of Yong’an, the group of pampered youths quickly lost interest and dispersed.

Xu Lian returned to the Marquis’ mansion, casually handed the white dog and the birdcage to a servant, and went to the dining hall.

When he arrived.

He saw the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an already eating.

Xu Lian was about to sit down when the Marquis glared at him, his eyes glancing at Xu Lian’s hands. “Your hands smell like dog and bird. Are you really going to eat like that?”

Xu Lian could only smile, then went to the nearby silver basin to wash his hands.

A maid had already prepared his meal and handed him the towel. Xu Lian dried his hands with the towel, returned it to the maid, and finally sat down. He picked up his chopsticks, habitually served some dishes to the Marquis and Marchioness, and then began eating heartily.

The Marchioness scolded him, “Eat more slowly. No one will steal your food.”

The Marquis sighed, “Other people’s children are married with children at eighteen. Naturally, having a family makes them more mature and steady. Our Lian’er is engaged but can’t get married, so he spends all his time fooling around with those spoiled noble youths. He’s become the laughingstock of the capital. This can’t go on.”

The Marchioness thought for a moment and said, “How about we find Lian’er some concubines first? That way, he won’t spend all his time away from home.”

The Marquis said, “What good are concubines? They can only give birth to low-status children who can’t inherit our family’s title. We must find Lian’er a proper wife.”

Xu Lian almost choked on his food. Actually, concubines could be somewhat useful.

The marquis grew angrier as he spoke, “Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter is truly unreasonable. She flew off to the sacred land and became a cultivator, but she won’t let our Lian’er marry. What kind of logic is that?

Does she really think that our Yong’an Marquis’ family is afraid of Duke Wu Ling’s family?

In terms of court influence, Duke Wu Ling’s family was given their title by the former emperor, but so was our Yong’an Marquis’ family.

In terms of influence in the Sacred Land, she’s become a true disciple in the Sacred Land, but our Qing’er, Xian’er, and Heng’er are even more impressive. They’ve long since become direct disciples and are said to have defeated all the other direct disciples. Becoming a Holy Son or Holy Maiden is practically guaranteed.

If she pushes our family too far, don’t blame us for not giving Duke Wu Ling’s family any face!”

The Marchioness asked, “What do you mean, my lord?”

The Marquis sneered, “Her refusal to annul the engagement is her own problem. Our family doesn’t need to care about her feelings or the reputation of Duke Wu Ling’s family. We’ll just find another wife for Lian’er and see what she can do about it!”

The Marchioness frowned, “This is not good. Our family and Duke Wu Ling’s family have always been close. Ruining the relationship like this isn’t right.”

The Marquis slammed his hand on the table angrily, “There’s nothing wrong with it. This is what we’ll do. Later, I’ll visit some friendly noble families and see if they have suitable daughters who aren’t married yet.”

The marquise glanced at her eldest son, who was focused on eating, hesitated for a moment and said nothing more.

Xu Lian knew that the people and things here were derived from the rules of the broken world – essentially false, illusory. In other words, except for outsiders like him, everyone in this world was like an NPC in a game, albeit a very realistic one. Beyond that, there was no difference.

He really didn’t want to marry an NPC and have children with her. It felt strange, and people who didn’t know about it might think that he had some peculiar fetish.

However, the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an were such good parents that they had touched his heart, stirring up subtle emotions in him. Fulfilling their wishes wasn’t out of the question.

So, he didn’t oppose the idea of marriage. If they wanted him to get married, so be it. It didn’t matter.

Xu Lian said, “Father, Mother, I think Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter might still have feelings for me from our childhood. Why don’t we ask Duke Wu Ling’s family to notify her? If she’s willing to come back and marry me, the two families won’t have to ruin their relationship.”

The Marquis was stunned for a moment, then he snorted, “Feelings for you? What do you mean?

She’s already a high-level cultivator, while you’re just an ordinary mortal. How could she have feelings for you?

Besides, when she left for the sacred land, how old was she? And how old were you? How can childhood feelings be taken seriously?

She’s been in the Holy Land for twelve years. She’s an adult now, and there are many outstanding male talents in the Holy Land. Who’s to say that she hasn’t already moved on? Why would she still have feelings for you?

Lian’er, don’t be so naive.”

“…” Xu Lian asked curiously, “If she has no feelings for me, why hasn’t she annulled the engagement?”

The Marquis said, “It’s simple. When you were young, you refused to go with her to the Sacred Land. On top of that, our family has been trying to annul the engagement, which made her feel humiliated. So she’s been dragging it out, deliberately making things difficult for you and our family.”

Xu Lian thought for a moment and said, “If that’s the case, then let’s give her some face. If she wants to drag it out, then let her. When she’s ready to annul the engagement, she can do it herself. I’m still young, so there’s no rush.”

The marquis said angrily, “That’s not enough! You’re already eighteen. As the eldest son of a noble family, what eighteen-year-old isn’t married yet? We can’t let her drag this out as long as she pleases.

I have to find you another match within this month. Don’t worry about her. Let’s see what she can do!”

Xu Lian thought for a moment. Filial piety came first, so he decided to prioritize his parents’ wishes. “All right, I’ll listen to you, father and mother. But it would still be better to notify her.”

The Marchioness also said, “We really should inform Duke Wu Ling in advance, to avoid being too rude.”

The Marquis nodded slightly and said nothing more.

In the following days.

Xu Lian went down the path of arranged marriages.

Under the arrangements of the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an, he met one beautiful young lady after another from noble families. It was truly overwhelming.

Soon, Prince Hui’s daughter, a princess, took a liking to him. In terms of court status, Prince Hui was the uncle of the current emperor, so his status was undoubtedly higher than Duke Wu Ling’s.

This was mainly because the Marquis of Yong’an’s family had produced three incomparable geniuses who were highly respected in the Holy Land. Of course, the status of the Marquis’ family in the court had also risen. They were now in the emperor’s favor, and even if Xu Lian wanted to marry a princess, it wouldn’t be difficult.

As for whether marrying into the family of the Marquis of Yong’an would offend Duke Wu Ling, no one cared.

The three incomparable geniuses of the Marquis of Yong’an’s family were destined to become great figures in the Holy Land, barring any accidents. With such a powerful background, the Marquis’ family would be an evergreen at the court. Marrying into the Marquis’ family would only bring advantages, not disadvantages.

The wedding date was quickly set. Since the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an were in a hurry, and Prince Hui knew that the Marquis’ eldest son was already eighteen and shouldn’t be delayed, he agreed to let the princess marry into the Marquis’ family as soon as possible.

Just a few days before the princess was to marry into the Marquis’ family, Duke Wu Ling’s granddaughter, Ling Ran, rushed back from the holy land. She didn’t even go home first, but went straight to the Marquis of Yong’an’s mansion.

Seeing the beautiful woman before them, the Marquis and Marchioness of Yong’an as well as Xu Lian were momentarily stunned. Twelve years had passed, and Ling Ran had changed a lot.

Ling Ran performed a standard noble family curtsy to the Marquis and Marchioness, “Greetings, Uncle and Aunt.”

This made the Marquis and Marchioness a little uncomfortable. If she had flown into a rage or made sarcastic remarks, they wouldn’t have been afraid. But her polite demeanor left them at a loss.

The Marquis could only smile and say, “Niece, you’ve returned to visit your family.”

Ling Ran looked at Xu Lian and said, “No, I’ve returned to marry my husband. Please, uncle and aunt, grant me your blessing.”