Chapter 454: The Holy Maiden’s Thoughts
In truth, the Head of the Xia Family also wanted to show up in person and meet her chosen son-in-law, but her current appearance was a bit inconvenient for social gatherings. So, most of the family matters had been handed over to her husband, Yun Yu Zhenren.
When Yun Yu Zhenren received his wife’s “special instructions,” he could only shake his head helplessly, a wry smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
But he had to admit, while this approach might seem a little shady, such gentle traps were indeed quite enticing for men.
Back in the day, he had fallen into the very same gentle trap set by the Head of the Xia Family, and since then, he had been hopelessly in love with this woman, ready to give her everything.
Because of this, he met the love of his life, and they had weathered the ups and downs together for decades.
He believed his little darling would be able to replicate their old path.
At this moment, Xia Linglong had no idea that she had been sold out by her parents.
She was still dazed, feeling a bit caught off guard by the sudden plan to introduce Yun Zhonghe to her family.
“Uh? Is this… appropriate?” Xia Linglong stammered.
Sure, she liked Yun Zhonghe, but that didn’t mean he liked her back!
And besides… there were so many girls who liked him, why would it even be her turn…
Xia Linglong brushed her hair back, feeling uneasy, not wanting to cause any trouble for Yun Zhonghe.
But Yun Yu Zhenren understood.
His child’s nature was just too compliant; throughout her life, she never wanted to compete for anything and always adopted a “go with the flow” attitude.
But feelings were a different story—if one didn’t proactively pursue them, they might end up with endless regrets in the future.
As parents, they certainly didn’t want to see their children hesitate and retreat, only to regret it for life.
“It’s just a meal, nothing more. You can trust your dad, right?” Yun Yu Zhenren smiled gently.
“Um…” Xia Linglong responded weakly.
Even though her mother could be a bit fierce, her father was still quite reliable.
Since Dad said so, then they should follow his advice.
“By the way, here’s something for you, which your mother asked me to give you. She said you should read it more often; it might be helpful.”
With that, Yun Yu Zhenren took out a book from his sleeve and gently handed it to Xia Linglong.
Xia Linglong took the book, looked down, and saw the cover boldly stating: Eighteen Styles of Palace Struggles!
Xia Linglong: “…”
What in the world is this shady stuff?!
Yun Yu Zhenren chuckled, “You’ll find it useful in the future.”
Xia Linglong: “…”
Flipping through it briefly, the techniques looked a bit strange, but also somewhat insightful.
Upon reflecting, Mu Jixue and Lin Zhongyu were together, and Su Xiaoxiao had Su Xinghe’s support. Compared to them, she was all on her own and definitely needed some tricks up her sleeve to win his affection…
No, no, no! What affection?
But in the end, Xia Linglong carefully placed the Eighteen Styles of Palace Struggles into her storage ring.
—
Not just Xia Linglong, but Qin Hongye was also splurging on Thousand-Mile News, buying thousands of copies and then hiding in her little room, using her Fire Spirit powers day in and day out.
Even an unexpected figure got several copies.
The Holy Maiden of the Southern Continent Sacred Land!
The third main female lead in the game!
At this moment, she was sitting in a serene courtyard, a guesthouse specially prepared for her by the Xuantian Sect.
Though small, it was complete with everything: pavilions and flowing water, lush greenery, and shady trees.
Dressed in white, she resembled a celestial butterfly, graceful and beautiful.
Her golden hair swayed gently in the breeze, adding an air of untouchable purity, as if she were an elf stepping out of a forest, every breath resonating with nature.
It wasn’t just her looks; that ethereal aura was breathtaking.
As if she didn’t belong to the mundane world.
Elegant and exquisite, she was peerless, her beauty pure and otherworldly, untouched by the dust of the world.
A feeling that couldn’t be clearly described lingered.
A white silk cloth covered her eyes, suggesting she might have an eye condition.
Jade should be flawless, but even slightly flawed jade has its merits.
Holding the Thousand-Mile News, even with her vision obscured, one could feel the longing in her gaze.
“So this is… someone who might become my future husband?” she murmured, her voice a haunting melody wrapped in confusion.
Some memories from the past stirred.
When she was first appointed as the Holy Maiden of the Southern Continent Sacred Land, a revered seer had personally read her fortune.
He said she was destined to have two significant others.
One was a silver-haired girl, and the other a golden-haired boy, and the seer even added many details.
The Southern Continent Sacred Land did not forbid the Holy Maiden from marrying outsiders, but the scrutiny of the potential spouse’s identity was extremely rigorous.
After all, marrying the Holy Maiden meant the partner would also represent the Sacred Land.
According to tradition, the Holy Maiden could only marry one, but to have two potential candidates in the prophecy, one being female, was quite perplexing.
It should just be a misreading—how could the Holy Maiden marry another girl? After all, such prophetic errors were not uncommon in history.
That meant the so-called “golden-haired boy” was the only choice.
Seeing the shadow of Yun Zhonghe reflected in the water curtain during the grand competition, she suddenly felt a strong sense that he was the one the seer had mentioned, possibly her destined one.
The girl’s heart was inevitably stirred.
Although this was just a possibility, and the future might not unfold as foretold, it was something she couldn’t ignore.
“He seems like a very impressive person.”
The girl murmured softly, bit her lip, and fixed her gaze on the image of Yun Zhonghe on the Thousand-Mile News, her cheeks flushing.
The pure Holy Maiden, raised under strict teachings within the Sacred Land, was naturally very conservative and naïve regarding matters of the opposite s*x. However, the shocking image of Yun Zhonghe with his upper body bare and defined muscles turned her cheeks as red as a sunset.
This image was so stimulating! People beyond the Southern Continent were this open? How could such images shamelessly appear in the Thousand-Mile News?
The cultivation world was vast, and the information needed varied by region, so Thousand-Mile News was also divided by locality, featuring different content.
The Southern Continent version of Thousand-Mile News was naturally centered around the Southern Continent Sacred Land, meticulously covering related events and occasionally sprinkling in major news from other continents.
The people of the Southern Continent held the Sacred Land in high esteem, caring deeply about its affairs, while worldly events outside often seemed less significant.
Thus, the illustrations in the Southern Continent version of Thousand-Mile News were also relatively modest and conservative.
The grand competition at the Xuantian Sect would appear in the Southern Continent version, but images like Yun Zhonghe’s would definitely be cut.
So, encountering such openness from the outside world for the first time, the pure Holy Maiden was left utterly shocked.
But…
The scene before her was like a magnet, pulling her attention and making it hard for her to look away.
The Holy Maiden was glued to the page, swallowed hard.
No… I can’t look anymore… It disrupts my meditative state.
She reminded herself, recalling the Sacred Land’s teachings—cultivate a calm heart and minimize desires…
So she put down the Thousand-Mile News.
Holy Maiden: “…”
Holy Maiden: “(sneaks a glance)”
Holy Maiden: “(sneaks another glance)”
