Chapter 191: The Bootlicking Immortal Lord Who Wants to Live Off a Woman

“No worries. Like I said before, everything on the mountain is just junk. Take whatever you want, burn it if you like—burn it for a few thousand years and you still won’t run out.”

“Hiss~” The three of them sucked in a sharp breath, then broke into dazzling smiles like blooming flowers. “Thank you, Ancestral Master!!!”

Su Mingyue couldn’t help but want to applaud Shen Xiuyan from the sidelines. That was some masterful maneuvering—he had those three wrapped around his finger in an instant.

Su Mingyue leaned in, her voice soft and graceful, tinged with a hint of grievance. “What about me?”

She had no intention of being the weakest cultivator on the whole peak.

Shen Xiuyan chuckled and took her hand. “Of course I haven’t forgotten you. But you’ll have to wait—at least until we hold our Dao Companion Ceremony. I promise I’ll have a surprise ready for you then.”

“Fine…” Su Mingyue pouted, still looking a little reluctant.

Then Shen Xiuyan smoothly changed the subject. “So, for that surprise… how about we speed things up and become Dao Companions sooner?”

He even turned with mock seriousness. “What do you all think?”

Perfect. That little scheme of his was executed flawlessly.

Su Mingyue: “……”

Elder Su: “……”

Ning Cui / Wang Gang: “……”

“Ahem.” Elder Su, who had just reaped some benefits, was quick to read the room. He cleared his throat. “I’ve got some things to take care of, so I’ll be heading off. You kids talk it over yourselves.”

He could see it clearly—this wasn’t something he should be meddling in. As long as they were happy, that was enough.

Now that he’d gotten his share, it was best to make a swift exit. The rest was up to his daughter. As an old father, he couldn’t—and didn’t dare to—interfere any further.

Besides, the Ancestral Master’s shamelessness was really something else. If he stayed any longer, the rose-tinted glasses he wore as a fan might just shatter completely.

Ning Cui and Wang Gang exchanged glances. “Uh, we… we’ve got stuff to do too, so we’ll just be going…”

If even Master didn’t dare get involved, what were they doing hanging around? Time to go, time to go—better to leave with the goodies they’d just scored.

Senior Sister, we salute your sacrifice.

Su Mingyue couldn’t help but laugh softly at the sight of the three of them fleeing in panic. “Look how you scared them. At this rate, you’re going to lose all your authority.”

Shen Xiuyan shrugged. “They’re my people. What do I need authority for? Wouldn’t that just be weird?”

Su Mingyue nodded. “Fair point…”

“So, when exactly are we holding the Dao Companion Ceremony?”

Seeing she didn’t answer, Shen Xiuyan circled back to the topic, clearly not ready to give up—striking while the iron was hot.

Su Mingyue shook her head, amused. “You’re really that eager to become my Dao Companion?”

Shen Xiuyan replied without hesitation, “Yes. I dream about it.”

Su Mingyue couldn’t help but laugh at the sincerity in his eyes. “Alright, alright. I’ll say yes. You pick the date.”

Shen Xiuyan’s eyes lit up, looking as delighted as a puppy that just got a bone.

“No time like the present—how about the day after tomorrow!”

Su Mingyue: “That’s a bit too soon, don’t you think?”

Shen Xiuyan waved his hand grandly. “Not at all! We should do it while everyone in the Cultivation World is still around. Saves them another trip. I’m doing this for their sake.”

Su Mingyue: “……”

Shen Xiuyan blinked innocently. “Mingyue, why are you ignoring me?”

Su Mingyue smiled helplessly. The Ancestral Master’s puppy-dog act had clearly reached perfection.

Honestly, who could say no to that?

She sighed. “Fine, fine. Do it however you want. I’m not getting involved.”

In an instant, Shen Xiuyan went from dejected puppy to smug puppy.

“Then I’ll go get everything ready. You just relax here—I’ll handle all the arrangements.”

With that, he vanished into thin air.

Clearly, he was in a big hurry.

Su Mingyue rubbed her forehead. How was she supposed to explain to her father that the Dao Companion Ceremony was happening the day after tomorrow?

This was enough to make her go bald.

*

In the Wu Nian Sect’s council hall, Sect Master Xia shivered at the sudden appearance of Shen Xiuyan.

Please don’t tell me he’s here to settle some score…

He quickly plastered on a flattering smile. “Ancestral Master! What brings you here? Is there something you need from your humble disciple?”

Shen Xiuyan walked straight to the main seat and sat down, saying nothing, just staring at Sect Master Xia.

The stare made Sect Master Xia’s hair stand on end, cold sweat dripping down his back.

“M-Master? Did I do something wrong?”

Shen Xiuyan sighed. “Forget it. I won’t hold you accountable. But what comes next—you’d better handle it properly.”

Sect Master Xia wiped the sweat from his brow and clenched his fists in determination. “Please give your orders, Ancestral Master. I’ll make sure everything is flawless.”

“Good.”

Shen Xiuyan began tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table. The sound drilled straight into Sect Master Xia’s heart, hammering home just how important this next task was.

“The day after tomorrow, I’ll be holding a Dao Companion Ceremony with Mingyue. You’re in charge of the preparations. It has to be perfect—no mistakes allowed.”

“W-What? When?” Sect Master Xia thought he must’ve misheard.

Shen Xiuyan was calm as ever. “The day after tomorrow.”

Sect Master Xia: “……”

After a brief silence, he bowed. “Isn’t that a little… rushed?”

“You don’t get it,” Shen Xiuyan said, resting his chin on his hand. “We’re doing it while everyone in the Cultivation World is still here. That way, they’ll all get to know Mingyue. At the very least, they’ll know who she is—and more importantly, they’ll know better than to mess with her. It’s a form of protection.”

He looked at Sect Master Xia with a smug expression, like he was mocking a single dog for not understanding the ways of love.

Sect Master Xia: That kinda stung.

He composed himself and responded respectfully, “Understood. I’ll make sure it’s the most spectacular ceremony anyone’s ever seen.”

He began rapidly calculating the sect’s remaining Spirit Stones in his mind—would it be enough to cover the expenses for the grand ceremony?

This was no trivial matter—it concerned the Ancestral Master’s Dao Completion. They couldn’t afford to cut corners and risk embarrassing the Ancestral Master.

Fortunately, Shen Xiuyan wasn’t some stingy miser. He knew full well that the sect wasn’t exactly rolling in wealth.

With a sweep of his sleeve, a mountain-like pile of Spirit Stones appeared before Sect Master Xia.

“This is the budget. If it’s not enough, ask for more.”

“It’s enough, more than enough!” Sect Master Xia nodded so fast he looked like a bobblehead.

Good heavens, so many Spirit Stones! He had never seen this much in his entire life.

With this kind of funding, what kind of ceremony couldn’t they pull off? He was determined to make sure the Ancestral Master was honored in full glory.

“Hmm.” Shen Xiuyan thought for a moment, then swept his sleeve again. Another mountain appeared—this time, a pile of rare fruits.

These were all legendary immortal fruits, the kind you could only stumble upon by chance. Sect Master Xia was so stunned he nearly fell flat on his backside.

He looked at Shen Xiuyan in disbelief. “M-Master, Ancestral Master, this, this is…”

Shen Xiuyan smiled faintly. “Can’t have a grand event without something impressive, can we? These are for the guests. Not enough?”

Sect Master Xia clutched his chest, looking like a man who’d just witnessed a god descending to the mortal world.

“Enough, more than enough! We don’t need this much—just placing one in front of each guest would be enough to leave them speechless. If you put two, they’ll be bowing and scraping, maybe even dropping to their knees on the spot.”

Shen Xiuyan rolled his eyes. “What would I want them bowing for?”

Sect Master Xia said quickly, “Exactly my point! This is too much. Just give each person one or two, that’s plenty. The rest, Ancestral Master, you should take back.”

“No need. Leave the rest for the sect—I’m not hurting for a few fruits.”

Once something’s been given, there’s no taking it back.