My Husband’s Ascension C36
Chapter 36 Punishment
Zhao Zhao and the members of the Xie Residence spoke until the sun had begun its slow descent toward the western horizon.
Running a sprawling household required mastery over countless matters. For half a day, Zhao Zhao received urgent instruction: from which positions within the clan held sway over its lifeblood, to the management of the family’s estates. Uncle and Auntie Xie wished they could teach it all to her in a single breath.
By the time they had finished, Zhao Zhao’s mind swirled with the weight of it, and she could not help but reflect on the inevitability of diligence; what one had neglected in youth would sooner or later demand attention.
“...This’ll suffice as an overview. When you begin practice, any questions that arise may be brought to us. Or, you may consult Lanshu directly.” Auntie’s smile, reflected in the mirror, carried warmth and quiet pride. “In the blink of an eye, it has already been a year since you left for the Immortal Mountains. Time moves far too swiftly. Though Zhao Zhao only ever recounts the amusing happenings of your days there, Auntie knows well that you have endured no small share of hardships.”
Without such trials, how could their Zhao Zhao have spoken so just now?
Uncle Xie understood perfectly, yet Zhao Zhao was no longer a child. She had cultivated immortality, and in time she would walk the path of the long-lived. Her future must be hers to shape.
He therefore spoke only to the man at her side, “In the eyes of those immortals, our Zhao Zhao may be of little consequence. Yet within our Xie Residence, she is the young lady we have cherished since birth. Xie Lanshu, Zhao Zhao tells us that you are a figure of note within the Immortal Mountains. If that is so, you cannot allow our Zhao Zhao to be belittled by those petty people. Surely, you can see to that?”
In Dao Lord Tianshu’s memory, this was not the first time he had heard such words.
That year, at Yunmeng Pier’s grand wedding, when the two were joined in matrimony, this man with the rugged features had solemnly entrusted Zhao Zhao to his care with eyes slightly reddened.
He understood that for the Xie Couple, notions of earthly attachments, Dao heart, or sword heart were beyond their comprehension.
No matter how ordinary Zhao Zhao appeared to others, to them, Zhao Zhao was their sole treasure of this world.
The clearer this truth was to him, the heavier the weight of Uncle Xie’s words seemed.
After today’s parting, he would resume his role as the Dao Lord Tianshu of Kunwu, taking up once more the responsibilities he was bound to fulfill, while Zhao Zhao would remain here, putting down roots with her sect.
He could not promise that he would protect her completely; ironically, he himself had once been the very cause of much of her suffering.
He… could make no such vow.
“Huh, Uncle, wait a moment. It looks like a pig yao just flew past over there.” Zhao Zhao spoke suddenly, pointing earnestly at a spot in midair.
Dao Lord Tianshu, lost in thought, instinctively turned his gaze, but saw Zhao Zhao turn the mirror before leaning in with a serious expression. “Hurry up and agree! What are you hesitating for?”
“…I never give my word on something I cannot accomplish.”
Zhao Zhao’s eyes widened. “Don’t play coy now. Last time, my Auntie proposed a hundred-year plan, and you even dared to agree to thirty children in a hundred years!”
Dao Lord Tianshu was rendered momentarily speechless, his gaze darkening.
That damned fox…
“Even for those who cultivate immortality, bearing children is a matter of life and death. The hundred-year plan is utterly absurd.”
Zhao Zhao had not expected to hear such sober words from this white fox. She blinked, then said, “Great, you’re fully in character. In that case, no matter what my uncle asks you to promise later, do not hesitate. Say yes to everything, understand?”
Perhaps to add pressure, she leaned very close, her breath brushing his neck and stirring a delicate tickle.
Dao Lord Tianshu’s hand at his side twitched, and he turned his face away. “...I refuse to promise what I can’t accomplish.”
For he, as Xie Lanshu, had already broken a vow once.
Knowing he could not fulfill it, he would not make her another empty promise, even if she had no idea who the man before her truly was.
“Promises do not always need to be kept.” Zhao Zhao suddenly seized his hand, her tone solemn as she enunciated each word, “As long as the promise is made with sincerity in that very instant, it is enough.”
Having endured the trials with Xie Lanshu, Zhao Zhao had come to a quiet understanding.
Rather than fretting like a resentful woman over why he did not love, why he could not keep his promises, it was better to accept reality openly and recognize that truly unchanging promises were exceedingly rare in this world.
People themselves were bound to change.
Zhao Zhao lifted the mirror again. On the other side, Uncle and Auntie Xie were still debating why a pig yao could fly.
“I do not know either. The Immortal Mountains are just that wondrous,” Zhao Zhao replied.
She tugged lightly at the sleeve of the man beside her, her eyes hinting insistently.
Dao Lord Tianshu regarded the Xie Couple in the mirror, remaining silent for a long moment.
“What Uncle just said…”
The members of the Xie Residence in the mirror fell quiet, all of them turning their gaze toward him.
“I will fulfill.” The young man smiled gently, and lightly clasped her hand in return. “If Zhao Zhao is ever bullied, no matter where I am, I will do my utmost to protect her.”
For a fleeting moment, she was dazed.
Though she knew it was merely the enchantment of the Tushan Clan, for an instant Zhao Zhao truly felt as if Xie Lanshu, the one who had vanished from Yunmeng Pier, had suddenly reappeared before her eyes.
…
The Demon Realm sought to breach the Cultivation Realm, and news of the search for their Successor quickly spread throughout the sects.
The Tushan Clan of Jimo Sea paid little mind to the safety of the cultivation world. Whether the Demon Realm and the Cultivation Realm clashed mattered little to their kindred in the Verdant Highlands of the Yao Realm.
Yet, perhaps related to this affair with the demons, Tushan Long received reports of a recent upheaval in the Zhongli Clan. Dao Lord Tianshu had removed the head of the Zhongli Clan from office; of the ten elders, three had been executed at the judgment platform, five were stripped of their positions with all private assets confiscated.
Such a move, in any aristocratic family, would be a staggering, bone-shaking event.
Tushan Long suspected that Dao Lord Tianshu had seen the Zhongli Clan as beyond saving, and, to protect his own reputation from their downfall, had chosen to abandon them.
Old dormant thoughts began to stir once more, flickering back to life.
However, just as she attempted her usual stratagem, sending the clan’s beautiful foxes to seduce the young scions of the Zhongli Clan, the sect master of Beaconlight Mountain, Xie Tanzhao, arrived with a large contingent from the Zhongli Clan and stormed the brothel.
“This is one million spirit stones.”
The young woman, flanked by the sword cultivators of the Zhongli Clan, casually tossed a small pouch of spirit stones onto the table.
In the brothel, where many of Jimo City’s influential figures had gathered, curiosity instantly sparked. Everyone leaned in, eager to catch a glimpse of the young female cultivator who had just assumed leadership of the Zhongli Clan.
She looked up at the wary Zhongli youth she had come to meet and smiled. “I hear you plan to sell part of the Zhongli estates you hold, in order to redeem your beloved. Perfect timing. I have just taken over the Zhongli Clan and lack the capital to contend with your elders. Why not sell them to me? When I eventually fully absorb the Zhongli Clan, these assets will not fall into the hands of outsiders. What do you think?”
“You must be dreaming! The Zhongli Clan will never hand itself over to an outsider!” The youth’s anger flared like a crown of fire as he flung the spirit stones back at her. “Take your filthy money! Even if Miss Wan and I die here today for love, we will never sell the Zhongli estate!”
The Tushan fox in his arms: ?
She only wanted his money, why was this man risking her life?
Zhao Zhao retrieved the pouch, smiling silently.
A few days later, the same scene unfolded at an auction house elsewhere in Jimo City.
“A fine sword indeed, but I am far more interested in the ten thousand acres of fertile land under your name, young master. Since you are willing to trade half your estate for this sword, I have a piece of top tier Mauve-Gold Copper (紫金铜). When it is forged into a peerless sword, will you sell me the remaining half of your land?”
The sword cultivator of the Zhongli Clan, who had been caught up in the frenzy of the auction, suddenly came to his senses.
“To trade a mere piece of Mauve-Gold Copper for the Zhongli Clan’s lands? You, a female cultivator, are far too heartless! Though I love swords, I am not without reason. I advise you to abandon any thought of absorbing the Zhongli Clan immediately!”
The Tushan Clan member beside him, who had been competing in the bidding, could not help but eavesdrop on their exchange.
With a single strike of the gavel, the sword he had driven to an absurd price was finally his—bought outright, as if in a daze.
“Is that so? What a pity,” Zhao Zhao said, shaking her head while doing her best to keep a small smile from showing.
Her Uncle and Auntie had taught her to first secure the external threat, to unite the fractured Zhongli Clan, and then slowly work her plans.
Though these cultivators enjoyed long lifespans, the majority of their days were spent in cultivation, leaving them unpracticed in the cunning strategies of human politics. Zhao Zhao’s provocation hit its mark with precision.
Not only had she defended her position against Tushan Clan’s hidden schemes, she had also turned the previously divided Zhongli Clan into a unified force, brought together by the visible threat she posed.
When the time was right, Zhao Zhao, holding the Donghua Pearl, entered the Zhongli estate once more.
The last time she came, she was but a minor, no-name sect’s female cultivator, treated politely as a guest.
This time, however, the gazes cast upon her were altogether different; predatory, like those of tigers, leopards, and wolves. Were it not for the Donghua Pearl in her hand, carrying authority akin to an imperial seal, most would have drawn their swords to block her and her companions at the gate.
Only when Zhao Zhao explained the purpose behind her recent actions did the two remaining elders of the Zhongli Clan signal the others to settle down, allowing her group to take their seats for a detailed discussion.
Zhao Zhao instructed Xiao Bai to present a comprehensive plan.
“This is a summary I have compiled based on the operational methods of the Divine Farmer Sect and Immortal Realm of Kunwu.”
The leading elder unfurled the scroll, which revealed every detail: from how the Zhongli Clan might increase its resources, to the assistance Beaconlight Mountain would provide, and how the profits would be divided.
It also outlined the selection process for the next head of the Zhongli Clan.
“Come next spring, Beaconlight Mountain will open its gates widely to recruit disciples. We welcome esteemed sword cultivators from the Zhongli Clan to teach here, and we also welcome young members of the clan to train at Beaconlight Mountain. I have but one condition.”
The young woman’s smile was gentle, almost serene.
Today she had specially donned a gown of dignified tones, and perhaps because of the garment’s presence, she seemed even more composed than her usual youthful self.
“The Zhongli Clan’s head and those entrusted with key duties shall, in the future, be selected from among the disciples of the Zhongli Clan trained here at Beaconlight Mountain. Do any of you have objections?”
The assembly exchanged glances.
Had she demanded the clan headship for herself, taking control of all affairs, they would naturally have risen to oppose an outsider.
But she was proposing that the Zhongli Clan’s affairs remain under the clan’s own members. While Beaconlight Mountain would share in the profits, it would also contribute resources to manage their estates.
Compared to Lord Yaoguang’s plan to absorb the Zhongli Clan into Beaconlight Mountain, this arrangement felt more like a strategic alliance.
If this arrangement held, the Zhongli Clan would suffer no loss at all; in fact, they would have gained a wealthy and powerful patron.
Thus, three days later, the Zhongli Clan dispatched their elders to Beaconlight Mountain, formally inviting Zhao Zhao to preside over the clan’s ancestral rites on the upcoming New Year’s Eve, alongside the two clan elders.
In this way, Cloudculm Abode was officially accepted.
The news traveled across a thousand mountains, reaching Immortal Realm of Kunwu in no time.
“...Truly worthy of being the person who ensnared our Dao Lord’s heart, enough that he forfeited seven hundred years of cultivation. In less than half a year, she has successfully brought the Zhongli Clan under her influence. By next spring, she will formally recruit disciples and expand her power.” Holding the report delivered by his attendant disciple, Lord Yaoguang, though speaking with a teasing edge toward Dao Lord Tianshu, could not hide his genuine admiration for Zhao Zhao.
The memory of her first arrival at Kunwu was still crystal clear; in what felt like the blink of an eye, she had become the head of her own sect.
“This sect master is still so young. When her renown spreads in the years to come, with such talent and beauty, how many cultivators will be captivated by her…”
The youth meditating beside the cliff of Separation’s Regret Heaven slowly opened his eyes. “Have you finished speaking?”
“Why is it that you cannot bear the truth?” Lord Yaoguang stepped beside him, observing for a moment before his smile receded. “Tell me honestly. Since returning from Jimo Sea, how many times has your sword intent run wild? The other elders of Kunwu remain unaware, yet the Demon Realm has stirred repeatedly; they still expect you to quell it. But with your condition so changed from before, what chances of triumph remain?”
“Even with scarcely any hope, I am bound to go.”
Heavy snow pressed down, blanketing all of Kunwu in a pure, unbroken white.
The climate of Jimo Sea was mild; even in the depths of winter, it should not have been so bitterly cold.
Dao Lord Tianshu lifted a hand to catch a falling flake, and beneath the exposed sleeve, his sword wounds were evident—countless cuts healed and reopened over time, with perhaps new marks added each day.
Each scar was a silent punishment for his refusal to love her openly.
