Could it be that I am the cruel villain?

"Strong body, steady gait, showing no signs of dizziness. Yesterday I thought he was merely pretending to be calm, but I didn't expect him to recover in just one day. This constitution is truly rare. It seems he will be fully recovered for the next round of the tournament in a few days, and with that..."

This thought flashed through the mind, but there was no trace of it on the expression. Instead, a natural nod followed, just about to ask Jiang Feng for his thoughts, but then the next sentence came.

"Old Yan naturally has more tricks up his sleeve than this."

"A descendant of the Royal Family, always carrying that Vajra Umbrella as if it's everything. At least five or six decent magic treasures are hidden with him, and he's already started practicing Finger Technique to the world-shattering realm. Last time, I even suffered a blow from him."

"Always hiding things, I've been annoyed by him for a long time... Oh yes, Sister Bai Yu, didn't you mention going home last time?"

"At that time, Senior Sister said I should take over. I asked her about it, and she said all these affairs would be managed by me in the future. You can go whenever you like; I'll find someone to help with the external duties of the sect."

"Two years of maternity leave with paid vacation."

She directly raised her hand and gestured two fingers.

Yan Fengchun's old face instantly darkened, wishing he could charge up with the Vajra Umbrella to smack this fool, only knowing how to sell out his teammates. The first half of the sentence made him quite angry. But the latter half brought a flush of blood to his darkened face, smiling brightly and nodding with satisfaction, almost leaping to hug his brother and kiss him twice.

Good brother!

Because the latter half was tantamount to Swordmaster Peak agreeing to the marriage and would strongly support it.

Everyone with a keen eye knew what Bai Yu planned to do by going home. She had no concerns about her sect, as neither Liu Tangxi nor Jiang Feng, along with their fellow disciples on the mountain, had any objections to Yan Fengchun.

There's talent, strength, connections, and background. Most importantly, he hasn't been involved in any scandals outside, and Jiang Feng became close friends with him for three years and found this kid to be indeed decent.

Plus, Yan Fengchun is generous, often gifting the Swordmaster Peak with presents, so he is quite likable. Thus, when Bai Yu descends the mountain after the Nine Peaks' tournament, it's naturally for two things.

To bring Yan Fengchun home to meet her parents and to meet his parents as well.

Generously offering a lucrative condition of two years of paid maternity leave, a benefit that might cause a massive scramble in today's job market due to position problems. Hearing this, Bai Yu's expression was slightly stunned, even retracting the longsword she had already drawn, returning it to her scabbard.

Though the first half of the sentence had hints of undermining the relationship between husband and wife, the latter half undoubtedly completely diverted her attention, which could be considered an alternative way of indirect intervention.

The expression was somewhat unnatural, as mentioning something like maternity leave for contemporary women is a bit embarrassing, and quite avant-garde. It seemed as if she was embarrassed but then immediately revealed a smile.

She genuinely answered.

"Thank you, Senior Brother, for the care."

It was clear that this was in response to the last part about maternity leave.

Even now, the two of them remained like this; you call your way, I call mine. He refers to her as 'Sister,' and she calls him 'Senior Brother,' with a focus on spontaneity, unchanged over three years.

Waving casually, although Liu Tangxi is the Peak Master, now more than half of the affairs on Swordmaster Peak are decided by him. Gu Miyun was interested, looking at Mr. Jiang, and judging by his intuition, this matter wouldn't end here. There must be more to say.

"However..."

As expected!

Mr. Jiang just glanced at the longsword that the girl had retracted.

"Senior Sister said, according to our Mountain Gate rules, when a woman marries out and wishes to marry other cultivators, she doesn't need a substantial dowry or various gold and silver, but there is one rule that must be followed."

Revealing eight pristine white teeth.

"That is, the groom must openly and rightly defeat the bride; we of the Swordmaster Peak never marry off to the worthless."

He almost fainted, his legs softening.

Even now, Yan Fengchun is constantly toggling between extremes, one moment in the heavens, the next on the earth, thrilling and tense, nearly spitting blood.

The most speechless moment came when Bai Yu earnestly nodded in agreement.

"Rest assured, Senior Brother, I won't go easy on him."

Clang!

The longsword was drawn once more.

He initially wanted to shout out angrily, denounce someone for stirring up trouble and disrupting their marital relationship, but just as he was about to speak, he noticed his brother's helpless look.

Immediately, he understood.

The last condition wasn't made up. With Peak Master Liu's temperament, she could truly say something like that.

He could only let out a long sigh watching Bai Yu, full of fighting spirit with her longsword in hand, and for a moment, he couldn't help but feel the Vajra Umbrella in his hand was rather heavy.

"Senior Brother Gu, forgive me for the scene."

Ignoring the domestic squabble behind him — though the couple doesn't fight daily, they spar every so often, with Yan Fengchun often deliberately letting Bai Yu win.

"Originally, a few days ago, I wanted to discuss this matter with them thoroughly, but I got so busy preparing for the tournament ceremony that I forgot. This time, it was Senior Brother Gu who pointed it out. Without your reminder, I might have forgotten again. Both of them are excellent disciples, and Old Yan is my brother through life and death; I certainly agree to this union."

"It's just that the rules of the Mountain Gate..."

Spreading his hands with a helpless gesture.

Gu Miyun laughed heartily once more.

"Let's see what fate has in store — certainly, the couple can't quarrel just after one spar. Come, come, come, I heard about you back when I was at the border. It's a pleasure to finally meet you in person."

With a gesture of invitation, the two walked side by side.

Indeed, Gu Miyun had deliberately fanned the flames earlier to warn Yan Fengchun about the rules of Swordmaster Peak. When he saw that Yan Fengchun hesitated in a duel against Bai Yu, he guessed the boy wasn't aware.

Jiang Feng also quietly assessed, as this was his first time seeing the Dragon Head Peak's Chief Disciple, who serves as the chief among the third-generation disciples within the entire Purple Cloud Palace. The significance was evident.

According to what he heard from Senior Sister and other sect disciples, this Chief Gu should be under forty this year, in the mid-Nascent Soul stage, which is already an unattainable realm, even among the Purple Cloud Palace's Inner Sect Disciples. Many around the age of fifty are still stuck in Core Formation.

On hearing this, it resembles the age of a middle-aged man, possibly grandparent-aged in a time when average life expectancy barely reaches forty, but that's for ordinary people.

For cultivators, age means almost nothing. They often spend years, sometimes decades, advancing to a new realm. What really matters as their realm advances comes down to two words.

Comprehension.

"Average talent, reasonable insight, excellent qualifications, virtues covering flaws. The boy's strength is decent, and his disposition is unwavering. As a backbone, he could certainly lead the sect forward, but as a talon, he's slightly lacking."

The first sixteen words were Liu Tangxi's evaluation of this nephew's talent, while the latter half was her foresight regarding Gu Miyun's future.

Admittedly, Fairy Liu has a keen eye for assessing people. Gu Miyun's personality isn't suitable for a completely dominant leadership role or for the executioner's role like Liu Tangxi's. His strengths lie in his ability to link the past and the future, serving as a pillar.

"Brother Jiang, yesterday's tournament was truly spectacular."

"Even I don't have the confidence to win against Uncle Yun's prized disciple, yet you managed to defeat her. Though she admitted defeat, it seems more to save face. The sect's elders and Peak Masters all agree it was your victory."

"No wonder Uncle Liu chose you. Heh, just look at how lively Swordmaster Peak is; I've lived at Purple Cloud Palace for over thirty years and never seen Swordmaster Peak so vibrant. It's thanks to you that it's turned out this way."

"With that in mind, the next round of the tournament is sure to be exciting."