Chapter 64 - 63: Miss Cai

Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Miss Cai

"Such endurance. This Gao Jingxing is capable of great things," Zheng Jun mused as he watched Gao Jingxing and Bian Kuang leave.

He had intentionally provoked the man, hoping to incite him into another fight. After all, one fight yielded 2,500 points of progress. Two fights would have paid off his debt completely. It was like taking out a loan from a loan shark, only to discover the lender had been busted by the authorities and he no longer had to pay back a single cent.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Unfortunately, Gao Jingxing refused to fight again after the first bout. How frustrating. He couldn’t exactly just draw his blade and hack the man to death, could he? While doing so would speed up his repayment—likely clearing his debt on the spot—Zheng Jun still had some sense left.

The Vast Sea Sect still had three Outer Gang Martial Artists. If he killed their sect’s great hope and they went mad, coming after him with everything they had, what then? He was currently no match for an Outer Gang expert. He would have to wait until he was strong enough to defeat one.

Naturally, Zheng Jun would show no mercy to the Vast Sea Sect. After all, everyone in that sect wanted him dead. Even during their recent "sparring match," Gao Jingxing’s eyes had gleamed with killing intent, aiming to strike him down under the guise of practice. Since Zheng Jun had been the one to propose the spar, if he were accidentally killed, Gao Jingxing might face some blame, but the consequences wouldn’t be severe. The Cai Family certainly wouldn’t overly chastise the Vast Sea Sect for a dead man.

From Lou Wei to Bian Kuang, and from Bian Kuang to Gao Jingxing. One after another, they had come to provoke him; he had never once provoked them! Once he reached the Outer Gang realm, he would personally visit their sect to experience the Vast Sea Sect’s brilliant techniques.

As Gao Jingxing and Bian Kuang disappeared into the distance, Cai Xun clapped his hands and cheered, "Excellent skills, Sanlang! Using the Wave-Treading Saber to defeat the chief disciple of the Vast Sea Sect—how magnificent!"

Cai Xun’s eyes held a mixture of joy and complexity. Zheng Jun was truly an Unparalleled Celestial Pride, a young genius. Having such a talent appear before him was genuinely a stroke of tremendous luck. But what complicated Cai Xun’s feelings was that an Unparalleled Celestial Pride of this caliber was already beyond his ability to control.

If Zheng Jun had merely been on par with Gao Jingxing, Cai Xun would have considered him the perfect assistant. But now, Zheng Jun’s talent was clearly leagues above Gao Jingxing’s. He was no longer someone Cai Xun could rein in.

"I’m afraid it won’t be long before the Patriarch and the Old Patriarch come in person," Cai Xun lamented inwardly, a sour taste in his mouth. If that happened, the person Zheng Jun would assist in the future would be his eldest brother.

"You flatter me, County Captain Cai." Zheng Jun sheathed his saber with a solemn expression and offered a slight bow.

Cai Xun laughed heartily, grabbed Zheng Jun’s arm, and warmly said, "Let’s talk inside."

Zheng Jun followed him inside, pondering, "It seems defeating Gao Jingxing has elevated my status in Cai Xun’s eyes once again. I should be able to get a bit more investment out of him." ℯℯ𝘭.

Aside from Cai Xun, the only people inside were Cai San, Cai Liu, and Cai Qi—three of the Cai Family’s servants who were considered their own people. Everyone else had been politely turned away by Cai Xun under the pretext of discussing vital military matters.

As soon as they entered, Cai Xun smiled faintly and addressed him, "I’ve heard that you haven’t taken a wife yet, Zheng San. How about I act as a matchmaker and find you a good marriage?"

Hearing this, Zheng Jun’s heart skipped a beat. Just as he suspected!

When they had met earlier, Cai Xun had mentioned the phrase "one family." Zheng Jun had found it a bit odd at the time, and coupling it with other recent events, he had formed a few guesses. Now, Cai Xun’s words confirmed everything.

Zheng Jun immediately cupped his hands and replied, "Sir, it is true that I remain unmarried. However, the path of Martial Arts requires unwavering resolve. A true man should wield a three-foot sword to establish unparalleled merits. I honestly have no plans to take a wife in the near future."

"Marrying a woman from the Cai Family? Wouldn’t that tie me down entirely? I only want to be a subordinate, not a son-in-law! The Cai Family is always scheming one thing or another and will inevitably cause major trouble sooner or later. If I bind myself too deeply to them and something goes wrong, the future repercussions will be endless," he thought.

Zheng Jun was no eunuch, naturally, but he preferred to be cautious about committing to a woman he had never even met.

Hearing his response, Cai Xun quickly said, "Sanlang, your dedication to Martial Arts is truly unwavering! But since ancient times, a hero has always needed a good companion by his side! My ninth sister is eighteen, exceptionally beautiful, and yet to be married. She has been obsessed with weapons and martial matters since childhood. When she heard your story, she was incredibly intrigued. If you don’t mind, you could marry into our family and become my brother-in-law.

"I also heard you’ve been looking for a residence recently. The large estates in Black Mountain County are all owned by prestigious families. If it suits you, you can take the Qingshui Gang’s headquarters. It’s spacious enough; it merely requires some cleaning up.

"Beyond that, we have estates in both the Commandery and the State capitals ready for you. You only need to focus on practicing your Martial Arts. The Cai Family will take care of absolutely everything else!"

Hearing this, Zheng Jun couldn’t help but frown. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say.

"This..." Zheng Jun took a deep breath. After a few seconds of contemplation, he realized he truly did not want to be shackled by the Cai Family. He stated, "I appreciate your kind intentions, County Captain, but my path in Martial Arts has only just begun, and I hold a heavy responsibility in the military. Martial Artists are prone to fierce battles, and soldiers must fight on the battlefield. One careless move could lead to my death. If I were to make Miss Cai a widow at such a young age, the fault would be entirely mine."

"There is no rush on this matter." Seeing that Zheng Jun was actually refusing, Cai Xun showed neither anger nor surprise. Instead, he smiled and said, "In a few days, you’ll accompany me to the State capital to report on our duties. My ninth sister, An Yun, will be there as well. All you need to do is meet her."