Chapter 49: Returning to School (1)
The interior of the expansive Lich Sect Leader's Pavilion was absolutely silent. The three of them, each with a different expression on their face, formed a triangle as they stood in the room.
After a long while had passed, Quiet And Steadfast sighed and quietly said, "Master, I hope you'll keep your word. Your disciple will go get married now."
Then, he bowed towards Silky Moon before pulling Shen Jingbin, who had a face full of astonishment, out of the pavilion.
"What the hell. That can't be true, right? Don't tell me you're really planning to get married? What's your Sect Leader planning?" Even someone like Shen Jingbin, who usually maintained a cold facade, felt it collapse in the face of this miraculous development. The moment they stepped out of the pavilion, she grabbed ahold of Quiet And Steadfast's sleeve and called out to him.
Quiet And Steadfast extended a hand and paused it above her head, before bringing it back down onto her shoulder. After he gave her a comforting pat, he said, "The previous quest relating to Du the Unvanquished, the Four Divine Beasts quest we're on now, as well as the hidden quest I received, all likely revolve around the epic grade hidden quest. If that's the case, then we have to know where the Four Divine Beasts are. We definitely can't let the clues my Master has pass us by. It's just marriage. Relax, I won't treat you unfairly."
At first, he'd planned on stroking her head but found himself unable to do. So, he switched his target and patted her shoulder instead.
Shen Jingbin shrugged her shoulders uneasily and replied, "This isn't a matter of treating me unfairly. No matter how you look at it, I'm the one who'll profit from our marriage so I can't say too much. But are you really willing to accept this?! Take a good look at me. Take a good long look at me!"
As instructed, Quiet And Steadfast closely evaluated her face. However after three seconds, he couldn’t help but look away.
Truth be told, he didn’t care about the appearances of others. In this day and age, plastic surgery and the like were prevalent. The girls he saw on the streets seemed to be carved from the same cookie-cutter template, so he wasn't interested in the appearances of others at all. Moreover, this was a game. In-game avatars didn't necessarily reflect how one looked in real life. Nevertheless, Shen Jingbin's appearance was too demonic. It was simply impossible for him to look straight at her.
Shen Jingbin was instantly riled up when she saw Quiet and Steadfast look away, "See! How do you plan on marrying me if you can't even look me in the eye! Silky Moon definitely isn't the only one who knows about the four Divine Beasts! Let's ask someone else!"
"However, if you closely examine the Lich Palace's background, you'd notice that there's definitely a link between the Lich Palace and the Black Tortoise. The other sects might have information as well, but I think we need to rely on Silky Moon if we want to find out information related to the Black Tortoise."
Upon hearing this, Shen Jingbin instantly deflated, "Then what should we do?"
Quiet And Steadfast felt like his self-confidence had taken a bit of a blow. He felt that his behaviour towards her had been pretty good from the onset. He wasn't arrogant and treated her very amiably. In addition, with her identity as Dawn's younger sister and her high Luck stat, he'd showered her with plenty of care and attention. Yet, why did she seem so reluctant when the idea of marriage was brought up?
He was without a doubt, a god fully deserving of his rank! Younger sister, why are you hesitating?!
"You…don't want to?"
"This isn't about whether I'm willing or not… Don't you feel you're selling yourself short?" Shen Jingbin gazed at him with a conflicted expression.
Quiet And Steadfast was Shen Jingchen's dear friend. She could also see just how much Shen Jingchen respected him, so she didn't want to cause him harm.
It might only be a marriage in-game, but for a god like him, his marriage would no doubt be hotly discussed amongst the entire player base. If she were to be his bride, the value of his marriage would certainly be lowered, and it might even negatively affect his reputation. He might even be turned into a laughing stock because of her if he were to run into Life At First Sight in the future. Once that happens, she would be an unavoidable nuisance, a complete disgrace to him.
Initially, even before she had felt a sense of belonging to Jade Sea Pavilion, she had already recognised just how he'd endlessly toiled to build up the guild's fame. Now, she was fully aware of how good a person he was, so how could she let herself turn into a weak point for others to attack him?
This was just like back then when she'd prevented Grandfather Shen's name being dragged through the mud by resolutely resigning from competitions.
It could be said that she took things too seriously, that she'd put so much thought into a simple game, but she was just that obstinate.
Of course, Quiet And Steadfast had no way of understanding the complex inner workings of her heart. He smiled, a soft light shining within the depths of his eyes. His gaze swept over her face and rested on the soft crown of her head. It had to be said that while she wasn't pretty, the game's realism thankfully allowed for her head of black hair to come out looking very nice, almost the same as it did in real life.
"I'm not selling myself short. I'm the one who stands to gain from your high Luck stat. And, even though your level isn't high, you're able to oppose Nine Ballads. This means your potential definitely isn't ordinary. You'll definitely be an expert by the time you reach a higher level and aren't burdened by the difference in levels. I don't think I'm losing out at all… As for your appearance, it'll be fine once I get used to you. Wasn't I just fine when I brought you along to raise your level?"
By this point, Shen Jingbin was left speechless.
Quiet And Steadfast persisted, "Since I'm not selling myself short, I assume you don't have any further objections, right? In that case, let's return to Jiuli City and prepare for our wedding. No matter the reason for our marriage, our very first wedding needs to be commemorated, so I don't want to rush things. Not to mention, Dawn's your brother. I need to let him know I'm marrying you regardless of whether this is a good or bad thing."
"…"
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