A chill went through Luo Qian'er. She stared blankly at Luo Tong's handsome face.
She knew her younger brother had been spoiled by their parents since childhood and they weren't particularly close, but his words still stung.
Marrying down to be with Zhou Can wasn't as simple as a normal wedding or bearing children.
It was no different from being a broodmare. She would be expected to constantly have children to expand his family line, helping him establish a local clan.
A clan... a clan! Without a large population, how could he establish one?
But she, Luo Qian'er, had always lived a pampered life of luxury, coddled and doted on. She would rather die than live like a pig or a dog!
"Since I have entered an Inner Sect Dharma Lineage, I am a part of the Daoist Lineage.
In the future, I am meant for Cultivation and Refining Techniques, to be cloaked in radiant light, to ride the misty clouds and traverse Qingming... How could I fall back into the mortal mire and wallow in filth?!"
Every time she thought of it, a coldness washed over her, as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.
'Someone of my beauty and grace, if I must marry, should at least be wed to a True Inheritance disciple from a Major Sect of a Branch Sect Dharma Lineage, like those on Beimang Ridge, and become his Daoist Companion!'
'Even if my fate is unkind and my luck is poor, being a concubine to a Direct Lineage disciple of the Fu Clan or Kang Clan would be better than this.'
'At least I could still eat meals of Spirit Rice, wear clean Magical Robes, and live in a Spiritual Mechanism Cave Mansion...'
Seeing the look on Luo Qian'er's face, Luo Tong immediately sidled closer, a fawning smile spreading across his own.
"Sister, you're being foolish! At best, that Zhou Can is just an Outer Sect Servant at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer! He even stumbles his way through the Ninth Grade Little Seven Evils Needle Technique. He still has so many questions about it that he needs you to explain and guide him."
He lowered his voice, his every word dripping with disdain for the Servant from the Sewing Peak's Laundry Room.
"How could I really let you marry down and ruin your life, Sister?
I've discussed it with Father and Mother. Why don't you just feign compliance with Zhou Can for now and pretend to agree to the marriage?
But first, he must show his sincerity by putting up two hundred thousand talisman coins! Once we have the money, as for marrying into the Zhou Family and helping him establish his clan... Next spring, I'll become an Inner Peak Disciple, and with the backing of a few elders in our clan who are at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Layer.
At that point, whether you marry him or not won't be for Zhou Can to decide!"
Luo Qian'er's beautiful eyes flickered. She considered his words carefully and felt he had a point.
'It's just... when did my little brother become so calculating?' she wondered in surprise.
"To be honest, Sister, this wasn't my idea. It was Father and Mother's plan."
Luo Tong stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at Luo Qian'er with hopeful eyes, as if his sister were his only ticket to the Inner Peak.
"You may not know this, Sister, but the clan hasn't been doing well in recent years. Most of the Spirit Fields on Beimang Ridge are Purple Mud Fields, which only yield two harvests a year with limited output.
Several of the clan elders are nearing the end of their lifespans, and our Lianxi Luo Clan might not be able to hold its position... Father and Mother sent me to the Qianji Sect hoping I could get into the Inner Peak, find a master, and support our clan."
Luo Tong used a combination of hard and soft tactics, appealing to both reason and emotion, and finally managed to sway Luo Qian'er.
She hesitated. "But how do we make Zhou Can believe us? He's not some ignorant Mortal Servant you can easily fool."
Luo Tong was clearly prepared, having planned this in detail with their parents before he even entered the Qianji Sect.
"Sister, you can test the waters by citing local customs. Just say that in Lianxi, the bride price for a daughter starts at three hundred and eighty thousand talisman coins, and see how he reacts.
If he looks troubled, you can start crying about how much you owe your parents for raising you, and how guilty you feel for not being able to fulfill your filial duties.
If he's still unwilling, you can put on a bit more of a show..."
At this, he began to recite the script he had prepared.
"You can look as beautiful as a pear blossom in the rain and ask him tearfully, 'Zhou Lang, if you truly care for me and want to treat me well, why can't you part with a few hundred thousand talisman coins? Could it be that in your heart, I'm worth less than these worldly possessions?'"
Luo Qian'er lowered her head in thought. She had to admit her brother's ploy was quite clever.
Zhou Can was stingy and petty, but he was also obsessed with saving face and keeping up appearances. A tactic like this might just work on him.
"Brother, your words are too blunt. Most men respond to a soft touch, not a hard push. It needs a bit more tenderness."
She considered for a moment, then adopted a delicate, soft voice.
"'If you are unwilling, Zhou Lang, I won't force you. I wouldn't want you to think me, Luo Qian'er, a vain and materialistic person. Let's just say our fate together is shallow, and perhaps we can meet again in the next life.'—What do you think of that, brother?"
Luo Tong clapped his hands and roared with laughter. "Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant! Sister, your methods are truly superior! No matter how cunning that Zhou Can is, he'll be eating out of the palm of your hand!"
Luo Qian'er shot him a look. "Zhou Can is petty. He only acts when there's a profit to be made. If you want to get two hundred thousand talisman coins out of his pocket, brother, you'll have to promise him some tangible benefits.
It's like leading a donkey; you have to dangle a carrot in front of its nose."
Luo Tong frowned. He had wanted to say that with his sister's beauty, a few soft words would be enough to move Zhou Can. Why add anything else to the deal?
But on second thought, the two hundred thousand talisman coins were what mattered most. So, he asked, "What do you have in mind, Sister?"
Luo Qian'er's voice was soft and gentle. "Zhou Can's aptitude is mediocre. Even though he was taught the Little Seven Evils Needle Technique by the Inner Peak, he hasn't grasped its essence after years of bitter practice. He's never been able to master it.
Later, write a letter back to Lianxi and ask Father and Mother to include the clan's Ninth Grade Spiritual Object, the Purifying Flood Lotus, as part of my dowry, along with two acres of Spiritual Lotus Waterfield."
Luo Tong immediately hesitated. That was all part of the "provisions" the clan would use to support his own Cultivation in the future. How could they just hand it over to Zhou Can for free?
"It's just an empty promise to whet his appetite," Luo Qian'er said reassuringly,
"Wait until you secure a spot as an Inner Peak Disciple, receive a True Skill, and your Cultivation has advanced.
In the future, when Zhou Can sees you, he'll have to respectfully call you 'Senior Brother.' And naturally, no one will dare look down on our Lianxi Luo Clan again."
Luo Tong's heart burned with excitement at the thought. He clapped his hands and said, "We'll do as you say, Sister!"
The siblings exchanged a smile, as if they could already see a bright and smooth path laid out before them.
Luo Tong suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, Sister," he asked, "I remember you mentioning a Mortal Servant from Red Flame Peak once, a toad lusting after a swan's flesh, who was infatuated with you. Was his name 'Jiang Yi'?"
Luo Qian'er frowned, thinking hard. The name did seem familiar.
"Yes, I have some impression of him. He comes from a humble background and studied Daoism for a few years.
When we first entered the sect, he and I trained together in the Lower Courtyard while waiting for our workshop assignments.
He was quite attentive to me back then. Later, after I went to Nourishing Soul Peak, he would still come looking for me from time to time to give me some talisman coins..."
As she spoke of this, a trace of displeasure still lingered on her face.
"I thought he was a kind-hearted person, but who would have known? When he heard I was transferred to Sewing Peak and had gotten close to Zhou Can, he actually ran over to question me! He thought Zhou Can was forcing me and even wanted to elope with me, to run away down the mountain! It's completely absurd!"
Luo Tong had a strange look in his eyes. From his sister's description, this man was clearly a lowly, incompetent person.
'How on earth did he become an Inspector in the Quenching Room?'
'And he's going to compete with me for a spot as an Inner Peak Disciple?'
"I was afraid he'd cause a scene, and the gossip would displease Zhou Can, so I sternly rejected him.
But he was incredibly stubborn. He was convinced I was being forced by Zhou Can. In his sorrow, he even left behind ten thousand talisman coins, saying he would send me money every month from then on. He just wanted me to live well, and that would give him peace of mind."
As Luo Qian'er spoke, the image of the young man gradually became clearer in her mind.
He had a rather handsome face, but it couldn't hide his air of poverty, which made him seem pathetic and useless.
"Why did you suddenly ask about him, brother? It's strange, now that I think about it... I didn't receive any talisman coins from him last month.
Hmph. A man's empty promises really can't be trusted."
Luo Qian'er gently shook her head.
The talisman coins that young man named Jiang sent each month weren't even enough for her to rent a private courtyard on Sewing Peak.
But he clearly had no real ability, yet he insisted on putting up a brave front. This made her despise and look down on him even more.
"Not long after I joined Red Flame Peak, I looked into who, besides those in the Forging Room, was using their Servant connections to scheme for a spot in the Inner Peak.
Jiang Yi was one of them! I don't know what trick he pulled, but he somehow won the favor of Marshal Yang of the Quenching Room. Not only was he promoted to Inspector, but he also went to the Inner Peak to attend a lecture some time ago..."
'Jiang Yi? An Inspector? And he's aiming for the Qingyun Road to the Inner Peak?'
Luo Qian'er's beautiful eyes flew wide open. Her mind buzzed as if she'd been struck a heavy blow.
Immediately after, a wave of anger surged through her, and she felt as if she had suffered a great injustice.
"He said such nice things to my face, 'The talisman coins may be few, but they are a token of my sincere heart'! Hmph! I thought that even though he was pathetic, he at least had some sincerity. Now I see it was all an act!
Men... none of them can be trusted! He had money to curry favor with a Marshal and plot for a spot in the Inner Peak... and he completely forgot about me, tossing me beyond the nine heavens!"
Seeing Luo Qian'er's uncontrollable anger, Luo Tong gently tried to console her.
"Sister, calm down. That Jiang Yi got lucky and made a sudden comeback. I guess you could say he has some potential.
Maybe we can still squeeze some more out of him... If you get the chance, Sister, you might want to show him a little favor."
Luo Qian'er's pretty face was cold as she remained silent.
Before, it was Jiang Yi who did everything he could to please her. Now, she was expected to lower herself for him. Naturally, she was completely unwilling.
"Sister, I'm heading back to Red Flame Peak now."
Seeing this, Luo Tong didn't press the matter. He cupped his hands in farewell.
"I'll wait for your good news."