Cohabitation with Sword Spirit-Chapter 353 - 90: Marriage Expert
February 24, 2018
While the master and servant in the Sect Leader’s Suite of the Divine Sword Tower were sharing emotions with heated liquid, in the Vice City Lord’s Mansion in Shen City, the evening party atmosphere had already become very awkward.
To be precise, for some of the people attending the banquet, the atmosphere was as awkward as a dating scene for a socially awkward recluse.
At the main venue meticulously arranged by Shen Jinghai’s team, over ten elite disciples from the Outer Courtyard felt restless and extremely apprehensive at a large circular dining table. The dishes carefully prepared by various master chefs in Shen City, when placed into their mouths, only tasted bitter, fishy, and sour, as if chewing on earth, their expressions twisted with pain.
In stark contrast were the Zhao and Li families sitting opposite the Outer Courtyard folks. Whether it was the team led by Zhao Jincheng or Li Wanqing and Li Chaolu, they all exhibited elegant demeanor in the venue. While savoring the top-tier cuisine of Shen City, they engaged in lively discussions about world wonders and cultivation experiences. Their words and actions exuded the refined demeanor of noble family youths. With meticulously prepared banquet attire and the girls’ carefully styled hair, just sitting at the dining table, these young people resembled a magnificent painting, leaving people in awe.
The stark contrast further emphasized the Li Family’s lack of grace at this moment. If this rendezvous evening banquet were a competition among young members of the three families, it could be said that the Shen Family had already lost from the beginning.
For those from the Outer Courtyard, who came with determination, such scenes were humiliating, yet they were helpless.
Because the gaze from behind was so oppressive that even breathing became difficult.
The pressure from the gaze wasn’t directly targeting anyone, so much so that if one didn’t notice those two gazes, they might not be affected at all—just like the Li Family and the Zhao Family. However, for those who sensed the gaze, the pressure was so intense that even experts like Shen Qing and Shen Feihong couldn’t escape, both breaking into a cold sweat and clenching their jaws, struggling to endure.
Then they desperately pondered this question in their hearts:
What is Lord City Lord doing here!?
For these young people who recently witnessed the City’s Lord’s majesty with their own eyes in the Battle Array Map and listened to his teachings, the presence of Shen Ruoshi had become deeply ingrained. Even the intangible pressure from the gaze allowed them to quickly identify the owner of the gaze.
The same question also appeared in Shen Jinghai’s heart. Why did Lord City Lord come to this banquet?
Looking at the elusive silver-haired Cultivator beside him, Shen Jinghai’s mental pressure at this moment was even greater than that of the Outer Courtyard youths at the dining table.
The banquet was organized under the guise of a family gathering, secretly matchmaking Zhao Jincheng and Shen Qingming, deploying a considerable amount of family resources—Shen Jinghai’s own savings had already been exhausted in the prior attempt to invite Shen Qingming to participate in the Outer Courtyard race—the main character was absent. According to Li Wanqing’s previous remarks, the missing main character was likely engaging in some unspeakable lubricated affair...
What’s worse, the other protagonist of the banquet, Zhao Jincheng, was now enjoying a lively conversation with the other two Li girls, quoting classics and engaging in witty banter, fully displaying the erudition and knowledge of noble family sons, making the two beautiful girls burst into laughter nonstop. In contrast, Zhao Jincheng’s face, resembling a slab of brick, was beaming with vigor, as if ready to ooze out bodily fluid at any moment.
The situation was indescribably terrible, all while being witnessed by Lord City Lord!
Shen Jinghai didn’t dare to speculate what was going on in Lord City Lord’s mind, knowing only that if things were to continue like this, he could no longer maintain his position as the right-hand man.
Therefore, without needing Shen Ruoshi to speak, Shen Jinghai gritted his teeth, preparing to step into the venue.
"What are you going to do?"
The sudden voice beside him made Shen Jinghai stop in his tracks.
He turned around, cupping his hands to Lord City Lord.
"This subordinate is incompetent, failing your expectations and trust..."
Shen Ruoshi frowned: "Failed my expectations and trust? What, did you cheat?"
"..." Shen Jinghai was left speechless, as if turned to stone.
Shen Ruoshi snorted coldly: "You said recently you finally found your lifelong love, I even thought that you, such an eccentric person, had finally settled down and sent a congratulatory gift, wishing you and that girl a lifetime of happiness. Is this how you repay me?"
"This subordinate..." Shen Jinghai was momentarily stunned, wishing he could rip out his black hair to prove his innocence.
After quite some time, Shen Jinghai finally caught his breath and vowed adamantly, "This subordinate has never been unfaithful!"
"Then what could you possibly do to let me down?"
Shen Jinghai had to honestly explain, "Shen Qingming is bedridden today, and only Wang Jiu is there attending to her. Meanwhile, over here... Zhao Jincheng is having an enthusiastic conversation with two other women from the Li Family."
Shen Ruoshi tilted his head slightly, "So?"
"So...?" Shen Jinghai also found it hard to understand, "Isn’t this quite bad?"
"What’s so bad about it?" Shen Ruoshi said, "Qingming and that sharp-faced Jiu have a student-teacher romance; isn’t it something that started just today? It’s rumored that they were already cohabiting in QingCyan Cloud City last year, right?"
"Well... the records show it’s indeed been since May ’17 that they were living together at Shen Garden in Cyan Cloud."
"Therefore, if anything were going to happen, it would’ve happened long ago. What’s the point in stopping it now?"
"But..."
Shen Ruoshi snorted coldly again, "Are the women in the Shen Family dependent on a mere membrane to show their worth? It’s not just being fooled by a sharp-faced scumbag; even if they’re seducing and being seduced by multitudes, they are still valuable Shen Family offspring!"
"..." Shen Jinghai truly was at a loss for words regarding the Lord City Lord’s boldness, only feeling that his past twenty years as deputy had not really allowed him to grasp his superior’s mind.
"As for Zhao Jincheng, that lad." Shen Ruoshi spoke, casting a glance at Zhao Jincheng, noticing him demonstrating swordsmanship up close with Li Chaolu for a problem. In the ambiance of the evening, their posture appeared quite intimate.
Yet, upon closer observation, it wasn’t difficult to find an element of discord at this scene.
"Watch Zhao Jincheng’s eyes closely, truly clear as water. His facial enthusiasm is merely etiquette; it hasn’t touched his heart. That lad, he has not a trace, not a shred of lust at this moment." Shen Ruoshi nodded, "Indeed worthy of being personally mentored by Eldest Young Master Golden Jade City, although a bit naive in handling affairs with others, his mental cultivation is already exceptionally commendable. The sages of old said, stirred by emotion and checked by propriety; but Zhao Jincheng can even masterfully regulate instinctual emotions. This way of mental cultivation is indeed unique to Golden Jade City."
Reminded by the City Lord, Shen Jinghai suddenly realized this.
"I see, for Zhao Jincheng, it’s merely social etiquette?"
Shen Ruoshi added, "Precisely, that point should be most apparent to those two Li Family girls, for a man’s desires are never hidden from a woman’s eyes. Seeing Zhao Jincheng utterly devoid of lust, they are willing to speak freely with him."
"Your advice is well taken." Shen Jinghai found himself thoroughly in awe of the Lord City Lord, able to see through hearts from afar, crucially without deploying any immortal techniques or magical treasures, capturing so much purely with the naked eye; truly astonishing!
Shen Ruoshi continued, "What’s more, even if Zhao Jincheng harbors desires, so what? With his appearance, being liked by girls is perfectly normal! With those sharply defined facial features, how captivating and enticing? Switch to a less reserved girl, she might long to throw herself at him directly. And to be constantly subjected to such temptations, it’s hard for anyone to remain consistently clear-headed; momentary indulgence is inevitable. Recklessness in youth, young people making mistakes is common, and a positive thing! Only through errors can lessons be learned. Only through interacting and conversing with more women can one hone the skill of pleasing women!"
"This..."
Shen Ruoshi remarked, "The truly eligible ones for marriage are those men who have surpassed juvenility and matured, not the kind with nothing but hot-headedness and naivety. I do not wish for little Qingming, after marriage, to personally break new ground, managing and training a promising man by herself!"
"..." Shen Jinghai at this moment felt as if his worldview was being managed and trained by the Lord City Lord, utterly speechless.
Ultimately, he heard the Lord City Lord exhale a light sigh.
"To have tirelessly trained a promising man, sending Shen Family women to an early grave, having one is already too many."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jinghai shuddered, observing the trace of senility reflected in Lord City Lord’s eyes, and finally realizing why such drastic change had come upon the Lord City Lord.
Throughout the past years, Shen Ruoshi had never spoken such words, his fury over Shen Yue’e abandoning the family had burned on for a considerable time. But as Shen Yue’e passed away, this old man’s anger gradually mellowed, ultimately fostering an entirely different mindset among the ashes.
After all, Shen Ruoshi was already a 100-year-old man, even though his immortal Dao cultivation was remarkable and his life expectancy hadn’t reached halfway, yet as an immortal cultivator, his immortal Dao journey had reached an impasse; the remaining years, however lengthy, merely residual warmth.
An old man overshadowed by sunset’s aftermath could not possibly share the same thoughts as a once peak-stage youthful man.
Amid his reflection, Shen Ruoshi continued, "The visit today was originally intended to see how Qingming and Zhao Jincheng are getting along. Now it seems there’s no need for further observation; Eldest Young Master Golden Jade City is indeed an extraordinary character... Alright, you’ve worked hard these recent days as well, now there’s no need to interfere in matters between those two any longer, just focus on preparing for the banquet."
