Baojian wasn't originally a member of the Mo family; he had only heard of this matter in passing from the old servants in the household. As Mo Yuanjiao grew older, he gradually lost touch with Miss Xuanyuan, and Baojian wasn't clear on the details.
After hearing Baojian's explanation, Sun Yigao understood and found the situation amusing. He hadn't expected Mo Yuanjiao to have a childhood marriage promise hanging over him.
Judging by the earlier scene, it seemed that Mo Yuanjiao was somewhat considerate of Miss Xuanyuan. Otherwise, given his current cultivation level at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, it would have been easy for him to quietly escape from a young girl's pursuit.
As Sun Yigao suspected, Miss Xuanyuan would soon realize the futility of her chase once she reached Wenxin Road. He and Mo Yuanjiao had both thought the same thing.
Indeed, when Xuanyuan Haoyue reached the foot of Beishan Mountain, she found herself blocked by Wenxin Road.
Mo Yuanjiao stood on the mountain path, smiling in satisfaction. "See? You can't get through, can you? You can't catch up, so why don't you go back home now?"
Xuanyuan Haoyue looked at the beautiful peach blossom-lined path in front of her, yet it was as if an invisible wall blocked her way. She couldn't take another step forward. Seeing Mo Yuanjiao's gloating expression, she grew frustrated.
"Jiaomei, summon the carriage!" she ordered.
The Xuanyuan family's carriage had been following them from a distance. Upon hearing the command, the maid called Jiaomei hurriedly went to fetch the carriage.
Mo Yuanjiao watched as Xuanyuan Haoyue, with the help of her servants, lifted her skirt and climbed into the carriage. He assumed she was about to leave, but instead, the young lady settled into the carriage comfortably. She had the curtains propped open and began leisurely enjoying tea and snacks, raising her eyebrows at Mo Yuanjiao as if to say, "I'm not going anywhere."
Mo Yuanjiao sighed in exasperation. After a moment's thought, he reminded himself that this was the foot of Lingxian Sect's mountain, and there shouldn't be any danger. He glanced at Xuanyuan Haoyue's loosely tied hair and the hairpin that seemed ready to fall out at any moment. With a resigned shake of his head, he decided to leave a trace of his divine sense on the peace-lock pendant hanging around her neck.
He remembered that she had worn this pendant since she was a child, and it seemed unlikely she would take it off easily. This would allow him to sense if she were in any danger. After marking the pendant, he called out to her, "If you stay here and something happens, don't come crying to me later!"
With that, he quickly made his way up the mountain, leaving her behind.
Just a few days ago, Mo Yuanjiao had been working on carving a particularly complex formation. Suddenly, he received a letter from his mother asking him to return home urgently.
Since General Mo was still serving in the court and had little time for cultivation, Lady Mo and Old Madam Mo didn't spend much time at Lingxian Sect either. They spent half their time in the capital, so occasionally, they would ask Mo Yuanjiao to return home. He hadn't thought much of it when he received the letter.
However, to his surprise, this time, the reason they had called him back was for a marriage meeting…
Thinking about this, Mo Yuanjiao couldn't help but sigh deeply. He was cultivating in immortality! How could he have the time or interest for marriage? His mother and grandmother were always worrying about unnecessary things. He couldn't understand it at all.
In his opinion, if his mother focused more on cultivation, wouldn't that be better? After all, three years had passed, and she was still only at the second level of the Qi Refinement stage!
Mo Yuanjiao found this baffling.
Why would anyone want to get married? Having a wife would mean constantly having to take care of someone else, a person who could be easily upset for reasons he might never understand. Girls were particularly tricky. A single wrong word could make them cry, and no matter how much you tried to console them, it would only make things worse.
And then there was the matter of having children. Mo Yuanjiao thought it best to forget about it. After all, he now had a lifespan of hundreds of years—why would he need children?
Besides, cultivation was far too enjoyable. Now that he had reached the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, he was thrilled by all the new spells and abilities he could explore. How could anyone prefer marriage over the joy of cultivating?
While Mo Yuanjiao was busy fretting over the marriage proposal in the Formation Hall, on the other side of the mountain, Old Man Lin was similarly worried about the marriage of his second grandson, Lin Yun.
Last year, Lin Lei, the eldest of the Lin family's grandchildren, had met a young woman from Songyang County while on an assignment outside the sect. At the time, he was dressed in plain clothes to avoid drawing attention and wasn't wearing his sect robes. The girl didn't know his identity and thought he was just one of the workers accompanying the government officials.
The young woman's family was responsible for preparing meals for the officials during their stay in Songyang County. Over time, Lin Lei and the girl became acquainted.
The girl was straightforward and hardworking, quick to get things done, and had a good head on her shoulders.
By the time Lin Lei turned nineteen, his heart had been stirred, and he grew fond of the girl. Being a straightforward person, he seized an opportunity to confess his feelings.
To his delight, the girl also liked him, and after completing his assignment, Lin Lei eagerly returned home to ask his family to arrange the marriage.
When they discussed the engagement, Lin Lei's father didn't reveal their connection to Lingxian Sect, fearing that the girl's family might feel pressured into agreeing because of their status. So, they simply said they were from Xiushui Village. After all, although people had heard of Lingxian Sect, few knew exactly who was a member.
It was only after both families had settled on the engagement that Lin Lei's father, feeling somewhat embarrassed, revealed the truth about their background to the girl's family. By then, he had observed them enough to be confident they weren't the type to gossip.
It was only then that the girl's family learned that the young man courting their daughter was a member of the renowned Lingxian Sect.
They were thrilled but also overwhelmed by the revelation.
Still, they were careful to keep this information to themselves, understanding the potential risks involved. They didn't want to jeopardize their daughter's engagement by letting the secret slip.
After both families settled on a wedding date, they decided that Lin Lei and the girl would marry in November of this year.
Currently, it was midsummer, and there was still some time before Lin Lei's wedding.
Thus, very few people were aware that a Lingxian Sect immortal would soon be getting married.
With his eldest grandson's marriage arranged, Old Man Lin suddenly thought of his second grandson, Lin Yun.
Lin Lei was twenty this year, and Lin Yun, only a year younger, was nineteen. Yet, Lin Yun had no marriage prospects in sight. Old Man Lin realized he had been so preoccupied with cultivation and farming that he had forgotten about his second grandson's marriage.
The more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt.
But then, he reminded himself that Lin Lei's marriage had been arranged by his parents, not by him. As a grandfather, it was understandable that he hadn't been as involved. If anyone was to blame, it was Lin Yun's father for neglecting his son's future.
With that in mind, Old Man Lin picked up his hoe and set off to find Lin Dayou to give him a piece of his mind.