The Romantic Cultivator

Today was Yuan Ji's big day with Shangguan Yan.

But everything was in a daze for Yuan Ji. He could only remember the fake smiles and congratulations that had come from the other three elders. In their eyes, there were only envious look and hatred for him.

And now he was sitting in the bridal room with Shangguan Yan.

Shangguan Yan did not remove her bridal headdress that had also veiled her face as she waiting for her groom to do so.

Yuan Ji was not happy at all. It was not because he was unhappy with Shangguan Yan; she was perfect in many ways.

But he really did not have the heart to face her.

It was because he blamed himself for landing her in her woeful state.

Moreover there was another reason too.

He had regarded himself as her highly respected old master. Although he had a new identity now but this master-disciple relationship had never changed in his heart. Therefore he was unwilling to enter the bridal chamber.

The two of them just sat there for a long time without exchanging a word.

Finally Shangguan Yan was weeping and her soft gentle voice was heard saying. "Brother Yuan Ji, are you despising me that you don't even want to look at me?"

Yuan Ji smiled awkwardly, "Not at all."

"Then why won't you lift my veil and look at me?"

"That is because…" Yuan Ji could not continue. It was because he could find no other reasons not to do so.

Shangguan Yan: …

"No, you really despise me."

Yuan Ji inhaled deeply, "No, I really don't."

Shangguan Yan was trembling now. "You are lying."

"Yan'Er, I am not lying to you." Yuan Ji sighed even heavier than before.

"You call me Yan'Er?" Shangguan Yan trembled even harder than before and her tears were dripping down on her dress. "Why are you calling me so intimately yet you're so distant at the same time…"

Yuan Ji: …

He had always called her Yan'Er. Just now he had accidentally let slip of his tongue.

"My old master used to call me Yan'Er too." Shangguan Yan sobbed softly.

"Your old master must have liked you so much too." Yuan Ji forced himself to smile.

"No, he don't. He…dislikes me in fact. He is always scolding me. I can never do anything right in his eyes. In his eyes, I am unfit to be a core protégé and he often said that he must be blind to choose me to be his core protégé." Shangguan Yan was trembling uncontrollable now as the bad memories of her old master returned to her.

Yuan Ji was also trembling uncontrollably. Yes, he did say all these hurtful words to her in the past and more.

He had wanted to be the strict master and he did not see anything wrong with that. It was because he had an equally strict master in the past too and he had always thought this was the proper way to teach the protégés so that they could be outstanding cultivators. After all, the life of a cultivator could be extremely brutal. One wrong mishap and their life would be consumed by their cultivation practices.

In the end, it was his useless Shangguan Yan that had supported his Orthodox Sword Sect with her self-sacrifices.

He really felt so ashamed of himself.

All of a sudden Shangguan Yan had her hands touching his arm gently, "But I have my lord now…do I?" Her fingers were trembling hard when she had said that. It was because she was unsure if she was right to say so.

Yuan Ji could feel her trembling fingers on his arm and he could see her tears that were dripping.

Finally he said gently and he was also trembling, "Yan'Er, don't cry. From today onward, you are not alone anymore. Forget your old master. He is already no more. In the future, I will take good care of you."

"Really…" Shangguan Yan's voice was trembling. She could not believe what she was hearing. "Then why…don't you take off my bridal veil yet?"

Yuan Ji sighed softly as he took off her bridal veil with trembling fingers.

He could see her tearful and sorrowful eyes. Immediately his heart was aching. He muttered, "Sorry. I am too insensitive."

Their eyes locked gently and Yuan Ji said quietly, "Yan'Er, you are so beautiful today."

Shangguan Yan averted her eyes as she said softly, "No, I am not. My eyes must be so swollen now and my face must be fluffy, I am ugly to look at."

"No, you're not. You are really very beautiful now." Yuan Ji said firmly.

Shangguan Yan shook her head gently, "Chengxi is more beautiful than me…the way you look at her is different from when you look at me…I saw your eyes are constantly on her."

Yuan Ji: …

"My sister didn't even want to come to my wedding today. She must be so heartbroken right now. And you are the same. I can tell that the way my sister looks at you is completely different too."

Yuan Ji: …

He smiled weakly, "Yan'Er, say no more. From now onward, I'll take good care of you. Alright?"

Shangguan Yan averted her eyes as she said gently, "Brother Yuan Ji, your Yan'Er must let you know something first or else you will be unhappy with me later."

Yuan Ji smiled awkwardly, "I won't be unhappy with you. Don't worry."

"Palace Mistress says she has a surprise for you."

Yuan Ji was startled. He had completely forgotten about Xia Jiaqing's surprise.

He smiled bitterly, "Nothing good will ever come out from her little surprise."

Shangguan Yan lowered her eyes and her lips were trembling, "I'm actually Palace Mistress' spy."

Yuan Ji: …

Although he was surprised but he quickly regained his composure to say, "Well, this is a little surprise. But I don't blame Yan'Er. You must have your own difficulties for doing so."

But he was suddenly perplexed. "Why did Xia Jiaqing wants me to know that Shangguan Yan is her spy? Is it because she is trying to remind me that she is constantly watching over me? Isn't it better that I do not know who is spying over me? She is too tactless…she is really a bimbo…"

Shangguan Yan continued slowly and her voice grew even softer, "My body is still pure."

Yuan Ji: …

Yuan Ji: …

Yuan Ji: …

He was completely stunned and surprised as he thought, "Don't tell me this is the surprise?!"

His pupils had turned white and he felt like flipping over to the ground right now.

"On my first day here, Palace Mistress had secretly approached me and asks me to be her spy. In exchange, she gave me a special scent to apply on my fingernails. This special scent will cause men to develop delusions once I've scratched them. Even a golden supremacy has no immunities to it."

Yuan Ji stared blankly at Shangguan Yan and he was suddenly stoned.

He was trembling all of a sudden as he stammered, "Palace Mistress has protected my Yan'Er since the very start…"

"Yan'Er, I need to go out for a little while and I'll be back soon. Alright?" He quickly said to Shangguan Yan.

Shangguan Yan was about to say something but Yuan Ji quickly interrupted her with a gentle smile. "I will be back for you later. I have never despised you and will never do so. You are my consort now. But there is something that I must ask Palace Mistress now."

With that he had dashed out of the bridal chamber.

It was because he had suddenly realized that Xia Jiaqing had already known who he was and that was the only reason why she was letting Shangguan Yan to inform him of her 'little' surprise.

He was now panicking, "Jiajia, I've wronged you…"

He had to find her quickly before it was too late.

Why did he have to sit in the bridal chamber for so long?!

If he was not wrong then tonight it would be the last time that he would see Xia Jiaqing again. He prayed that he was wrong this time!

He was muttering, "You are a fool not to trust her."

"Don't be fooled by her great beauty…"

"Don't be so naïve to trust her completely…"

"I didn't say that. It is my inner demon that is feeding me the wrong ideas…"