Chapter 781: Chapter 781

Ding Fan, a famed alchemist, was skilled in controlling flames for his elixir-making. Now, as he used his fire mastery to cook, it seemed almost trivial.

Thus, the meal he prepared was exceptionally fragrant and delicious. Even Ye Tianshi, who had been feigning sleep, helped himself to a bowl.

After everyone had eaten, it had grown dark outside. There was no choice but to spend the night there.

Suddenly, sleeping arrangements became an issue.

The cabin was quite small, and besides Ding Fan and Lan Qier, there was also Ye Tianshi, which made it somewhat awkward.

"Girl, do you lad or not?"

While Ding Fan and Lan Qier were pondering what to do, Ye Tianshi, who had remained silent after dinner, spoke up.

Lan Qier's face flushed red. "I...I don't..."

Although Lan Qier was a martial artist, faced with Ye Tianshi's blunt question, how could she not blush?

"Girl, I've spent my life detesting those who lie with their eyes wide open... Reflect carefully. A person's life spans only a few decades. Even if you reach my age, you would only have a few hundred years of lifespan," Ye Tianshi said. "If you like something, you like it. If you miss it, it's gone forever. Don't let all these complex formalities bind you and end up living a life full of regrets..."

Lan Qier pondered the truth in Ye Tianshi's words.

"Girl, I'm asking you again, do you lad?" Ye Tianshi pressed for an answer once more.

Lan Qier bit her lip and said, "I've always misunderstood Senior Ding. Afterwards, he was willing to draw a powerful enemy away by himself to protect us, and I greatly respect him for it..."

Lan Qier always referred to Ding Fan as 'Senior' primarily because he was Sun Qi's master, and everyone in the Hundred Herbs Sect addressed him as such, so she went along with it.

"Then you do like him," Ye Tianshi said and then turned to Ding Fan. "Lad, you're lucky today. I, Ye Tianshi, will personally officiate your marriage..."

Officiate a marriage? Get married?!

Ding Fan was truly speechless towards Ye Tianshi now.

He had been pressuring Ding Fan to become his disciple all along, and now he was overstepping even more by trying to officiate his marriage.

Lan Qier, too, was stunned. She had never even thought about marriage before, and now in an instant, someone was going to officiate it?

"I have a wife..." Ding Fan said indifferently.

After Ding Fan spoke, Lan Qier felt an inexplicable wave of disappointment.

Why she felt this way, Lan Qier didn't understand herself. Could it be she truly wanted to marry this man she had known for less than a day?

"What's there to fear about having a wife?" Ye Tianshi interjected. "A true man can have three wives and four concubines, it's commonplace... Just tell me if you girl or not."

Ding Fan was truly at a loss for words. Why was Ye Tianshi so keen on marrying people off? Could this also be a step in forcing him to become his disciple?

Ding Fan had intended to say he didn't like her.

However, when he turned his head, Ding Fan saw how Lan Qier looked at him. Even though she quickly averted her gaze upon making eye contact, Ding Fan found it inappropriate to bluntly say he didn't like her in her presence.

As Ding Fan hesitated, Ye Tianshi declared decisively, "Then from now on, you two are pronounced husband and wife..."

"What if I don't agree?" Ding Fan asked.

Ye Tianshi glanced at Lan Qier. "That's simple, just eliminate this girl. It's a burden to bring two people along. Since you don't like her, what's the point of keeping her?"

Ding Fan's brow furrowed slightly.

He truly believed that with Ye Tianshi's temperament, he would carry it out.

After all, Ding Fan had slain many of Ye Tianshi's disciples and grand-disciples, yet Ye Tianshi hadn't sought vengeance for them. On the contrary, he wanted to take Ding Fan as a disciple...

Such a man was capable of anything.

At the moment, Ding Fan seemed to have no other choice. With his current level of cultivation, he was definitely no match for Ye Tianshi.

It was just as the saying goes: under someone's roof, one must bow their head.

"Senior Ding, don't listen to this demonic head... You don't have to marry me, you can't be used by this demonic head..." Lan Qier said.

Ding Fan reached out and took Lan Qier's hand firmly. "I will handle it."

Ye Tianshi slowly stood up. "Have the two of you decided yet? Will it be a killing or a wedding today?"

"Kill me... I won't let you threaten Senior Ding," Lan Qier bravely stepped forward.

Ye Tianshi nodded and looked at Ding Fan. "What's your decision?"

Ding Fan, holding Lan Qier's hand tightly, after a moment of contemplation, spoke slowly, "We'll marry..." Google seaʀᴄh 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍

Lan Qier's eyes widened in disbelief as she looked at Ding Fan.

Since she had met Ding Fan, aside from their time in the wooden hut, he had always been fierce towards her. She never expected him to compromise for her.

And now, upon hearing Ding Fan say these words, Lan Qier felt it almost surreal...

"From now on, I am your husband…" Ding Fan addressed Lan Qier. "You can call me Ding Fan..."

"Ding... Ding Fan, but..."

"No buts..." Ding Fan cut her off and then turned to Ye Tianshi. "Are you satisfied now?"

"What satisfaction is this? Marriage has to look the part. You two wait here, I'll go arrange your wedding. I won't come back tonight, and you can perform the marital rites..."

After saying this, Ye Tianshi flickered and dashed out of the cabin.

Ding Fan shook his head as he watched Ye Tianshi's retreating figure.

"Ding... Senior Ding, I know you just want to trick that demonic head, and I can cooperate with you," Lan Qier approached at this moment and said to Ding Fan.

"He probably won't come back tonight, so you can sleep in the bed," Ding Fan said.

Lan Qier, seeing that Ding Fan did not refute her words, realized that Ding Fan's agreement to Ye Tianshi was indeed just to deceive the other party. For some reason, Lan Qier's heart felt somewhat empty.

"It's getting late, rest now," Ding Fan said while taking a seat in the chair that Ye Tianshi had sat in earlier.

"Senior Ding, while the enemy hasn't come, we could actually just run away," Lan Qier said as if suddenly remembering something.

"There's no way around it; we can only take it one step at a time now."

Ye Tianshi had placed a Divine Sense mark on both Lan Qier and himself. Lan Qier didn't understand, so there was no need to explain too much to her.

Under the current circumstances, if they truly attempted to flee and were caught by Ye Tianshi, Ding Fan would be unable to protect Lan Qier at all costs.

Lan Qier, seeing Ding Fan , didn't say anything more and obediently went to rest and sleep on the bed.

After Lan Qier fell asleep, Ding Fan waited until he was certain she was asleep before taking out the Seventh Grade Foundation Building Pill he had refined earlier.

Ding Fan's body was extremely weak at the moment, and if he didn't quickly use the Foundation Building Pill, he would have no way to recover swiftly.

After swallowing the Seventh Grade Foundation Building Pill, Ding Fan quietly began to heal his injuries through cultivation.

The night passed without words.

After performing the Grand Circulation three times and the Xiao Zhoutian many times over, daylight finally began to break outside.

Ding Fan stood up and stretched his limbs. His wounds had healed significantly, and he could clearly feel his body brimming with strength.

After a night's healing, Ding Fan could distinctly feel that his internal injuries had improved a lot; although not fully healed, they no longer hindered him.

The sky outside was now clear. Pushing open the door, a fragrance of fresh earth greeted him.

The nearby river had risen, and the leaves on the tree trunks, washed by the overnight rain, appeared very bright.

"You're awake?" Lan Qier got up from the bed as well.

Spending the night in a wooden hut with a strange man didn't worry Lan Qier at all; she had slept very comfortably throughout the night.

Just at that moment, a figure appeared before Ding Fan and Lan Qier without any warning.

"The two little ones seem to have had a good rest last night," Ye Tianshi said, looking at them with satisfaction and nodding.

Not long after Ye Tianshi arrived, Ding Fan saw seven or eight people frantically running in their direction from afar.

Using his Divine Sense to probe, Ding Fan quickly realized that these people were none other than the disciples of the Upper Xuan Sect, whose members had their arms cut off by Ye Tianshi the day before.

Yang Baichuan was among these people at the time.

Ding Fan was momentarily puzzled about why these people had come.

Before long, the group had already run up to Ye Tianshi.

As they came closer, Ding Fan saw that each of them was carrying a large chest on their backs.

"Master, we have found all the things you asked us to buy," Yang Baichuan said, standing respectfully before Ye Tianshi.

Ding Fan suddenly understood.

So these people had been captured by Ye Tianshi as drudge workers, all serving Ye Tianshi now.

"Those who are to arrange the room, arrange it; those who are to prepare the meal, prepare it. The wedding will start shortly," Ye Tianshi said indifferently to the crowd.

"Yes! Master, we will start acting now," they responded.

Yang Baichuan, now completely devoid of his previous arrogance, was busy directing his subordinates to begin preparations.

Yang Baichuan's group set down their chests; then, they opened them and got to work.

The chests contained food, drinks, and also some red bedding. Ding Fan didn't know how Ye Tianshi managed to amass so much stuff overnight.

"Boy, this venerable self is preparing your wedding, but you seem not only ungrateful but also inclined to fight," Ye Tianshi said, glancing at Ding Fan indifferently.

Swish… Ding Fan's hand suddenly held a Nine Profound Iron longsword.

"Naturally, I must fight!"

Without wasting words, Ding Fan's longsword swept directly towards Ye Tianshi.

How could Ding Fan willingly be a puppet, controlled by others? Even at the risk of mutual destruction, he was prepared to resist.

Swish, swish, swish… Ding Fan launched several rapid strikes, aiming directly at Ye Tianshi's vital points.

Since Ye Tianshi's cultivation was extraordinary, Ding Fan had to give his all from the very start.

Yang Baichuan and the others were taken aback, obviously not expecting the two to suddenly engage in combat.

Watching Ding Fan and Ye Tianshi fight, a sinister smile appeared on Yang Baichuan's lips.

Ding Fan had humiliated him, and Ye Tianshi had severed his arm.

Regardless of who was defeated, it would serve as his revenge...