Chapter 508 - 252: Half-step Peak Wife?

Chapter 508: Chapter 252: Half-step Peak Wife?

Lady Lan composed herself and said solemnly,

"Between us, cooperation is mutually beneficial, while conflict will harm us both. Since Lord Chen is so determined to obtain the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly, I will propose two conditions.

If you can satisfy either one of them, we won’t have to come to blows. What do you say?"

"Let’s hear them." Chen Sheng gave a slight nod, gesturing for her to continue.

Lady Lan raised a single, slender, jade-like finger, her expression solemn.

"First, there’s no need for me to elaborate on the value of the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly; Lord Chen, you surely understand it better than anyone. This Gu is fundamental to my future path of cultivation. If you want me to hand it over willingly...

...you must offer an Exotic Treasure of even greater value in exchange. Otherwise, it is absolutely impossible."

At this point, her tone paused, turning cold and filled with a hint of finality.

"As for threats and coercion, there is no need for Lord Chen to mention them. I have no doubt that your methods are extraordinary.

But if I am truly pushed into a desperate situation, I can, with a single thought, activate a Secret Technique to completely destroy this Gu, along with the connection it has with me.

At that point, even if you do manage to kill me, you will have gained nothing for all your trouble."

These were not empty threats from Lady Lan.

This Gu had been connected to her Divine Soul and fused with her Blood Qi for many years, long having become a part of her very being.

She was indeed confident that she could ensure their mutual destruction at the final moment.

"Continue."

Chen Sheng’s expression remained unchanged as he tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

Lady Lan took a deep breath. An almost imperceptible blush rose on her cheeks, but she quickly suppressed it, her gaze returning to its clear brightness. 𝘧𝓇ℯℴ𝓂

"Second... I can consider... performing the act of dual cultivation with you, Lord Chen."

"However, the prerequisite is that Lord Chen must give me a clear guarantee and a proper title. You already have a marriage contract with the legitimate daughter of the Nie Family, and I will not force you to break it.

But at the very least, you must marry me openly and honorably with the rites befitting a primary wife, granting me the position of a Co-Wife.

While I wouldn’t dare call myself a goddess descended to the mortal realm, I believe my appearance, character, and status are such that marrying you, Lord Chen, would not bring you any dishonor, would it?"

Lady Lan lifted her chin, her gaze frank yet tinged with a cold pride.

If it were just a one-time dual cultivation session, a fleeting affair to solve an urgent problem, Lady Lan might not have been entirely against the idea.

But the Yin-Yang Gu Kings were drawn to each other, and their effects could not be exhausted in a single session.

In the future, if they wished to use the Gu Kings’ power to advance their Cultivation, they would inevitably require many sessions of Yin and Yang Complementing Each Other.

At that point, what sort of awkward position would she be in?

Would she have to become Chen Sheng’s secret lover, to be summoned and dismissed at his whim? Or a kept woman, hidden from the light of day?

This was something her proud and ambitious heart could never tolerate.

Therefore, Lady Lan needed a title, one that matched her station and guaranteed her future status.

Marrying Chen Sheng, a prodigy whose fame shook Yunzhou, involved many considerations and a sense of unwillingness.

But after weighing the pros and cons, it didn’t seem entirely unacceptable.

"Your first condition, I’m afraid I cannot accept."

Chen Sheng rejected it almost without a second thought.

Never mind that he currently couldn’t produce a treasure more valuable than the Simurgh Phoenix Jade Butterfly.

Even if he could, he would never make such an unprofitable exchange.

"As for the second condition..."

Chen Sheng pondered for a few breaths before slowly shaking his head.

"I also find it inappropriate."

"Lord Chen, what do you mean by that?"

Lady Lan’s chest heaved slightly. A flame of anger, born from feeling slighted, flared up once more, and she spoke, forcing down the indignation in her voice.

"Could it be that in your eyes, Lord Chen... I am not worthy of you?"

Rejected twice in a row, even someone as poised as Lady Lan couldn’t help but feel a mix of shame and anger.

The pride she held as the foremost beauty of Nanzhao was painfully stung.

"You jest, my lady. As the Sect Leader of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, your status is noble."

Chen Sheng looked at her with a half-smile, but his words took a sharp turn.

"It’s just that, if I were to marry you with the rites of a Co-Wife as you suggest... are you planning on bringing the entire Ten Thousand Poisons Sect with you as a dowry into my Chen Family?"

"You have quite the beautiful dream, Lord Chen."

Hearing this, Lady Lan’s shame and anger subsided slightly. She let out a soft snort and explained,

"Ke’Er has already reached Profound Mastery Cultivation and is the rightful Young Master of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect. As long as we overcome this current crisis and stabilize the situation, I will naturally return the position of Sect Leader to him.

At that time, I will be nothing more than a simple Loose Cultivator. Though I’ll still have ties to the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, I will no longer be its master."

"Even so," Chen Sheng’s brow furrowed slightly, "we have known each other for a mere two days. Why must you be so insistent on this matter of a title?"

"You are mistaken, Lord Chen!"

Lady Lan’s face fell, her voice tinged with displeasure.

"The Yin-Yang Gu Kings are mutually generative and compatible; their effects are long-lasting. How could this be resolved with a single session of dual cultivation? In the future, to use their power to advance our cultivation, we will frequently need to... have Yin and Yang Complement Each Other.

What, from the sound of it, are you suggesting you only want to ’borrow’ me for a time, treating me as some cheap woman who can be summoned and dismissed at your whim?"

Speaking to this point, she snorted coldly and bit her lower lip.

"I am not so... cheap!"

Chen Sheng’s brow furrowed even tighter.

But he balked at the thought of formally marrying a Sect Leader as a Co-Wife, especially one who had been another man’s wife and had such extensive connections.

It involved far too many complications; this was not a simple matter between a man and a woman.

The silence lasted for a moment before Chen Sheng finally spoke, his voice low.

"I... am not fond of other men’s wives."

This was, of course, a lie.

Chen Sheng actually had quite a liking for other men’s wives.

But a liking was just a liking; actually marrying one and bringing her into the family was another matter entirely.

"You...!"

Lady Lan’s expression changed in an instant, her face turning deathly pale. Her chest heaved violently, clearly showing she was incandescent with rage.