It was just a matter of convenience.

A chance to use their familiar tricks.

Perhaps that was the thought process of whoever was behind this.

As for whether they’d succeed...

...they probably didn’t care all that much.

If they succeeded, they’d get the person. If they failed, they could still ruin a part of his journey.

Then he’d pop up on their radar again later, and the cycle would repeat.

It was a bit much, but from the Li Family’s perspective, that was more or less the situation with Jiang Man.

Jiang Man felt the Li Family was being a little too arrogant.

"How strong do I have to get to be free of all this?" Jiang Man asked curiously.

All his troubles stemmed from a lack of strength and prestige.

He had to enter the Sect, and he had to do it in a dazzling manner.

Only then could he avoid most of the trouble.

That’s why he wouldn’t hide his strength and just barely scrape by to enter the Sect.

He needed resources, and he needed to touch treasures, so he had to be the center of attention.

That would earn him better opportunities.

It was the only way he could deal with the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart.

Right now, the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart was still chasing him, staring at his back.

But he wanted to do more than just stay one step ahead of his Fate Chart.

He wanted the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart to watch him pull away until he disappeared from its sight entirely.

He would let it experience what a true Unparalleled Celestial Pride was.

"Do you have any Spiritual Source?" Zhao Leming suddenly asked.

Jiang Man was instantly pulled back to reality, replying with some embarrassment, "Not yet."

’I will eventually,’ he thought. ’My Talent is undeniable.’

His recent Cultivation had been draining his Spirit Stones.

What he had earned, what Xiaopang had given him, and what Chang Qiweng had lent him...

...even with the additions from his Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart, it wasn’t quite enough.

He would still need to go light lamps later to earn enough for Spiritual Source.

This was to maintain his subsequent supply of food and Cultivation resources.

Zhao Leming said calmly, "Once you have enough Spiritual Source, you’ll be able to shake them off. Have you ever seen them go pester the geniuses from other families?"

Jiang Man fell silent.

For a moment, he didn’t know how to refute that.

’Isn’t having a high Cultivation enough?’

"In the Qi Refining Realm, having Spiritual Source means a higher Cultivation. If your Cultivation isn’t high, it just means you don’t have enough Spiritual Source," Zhao Leming continued.

Jiang Man fell silent again.

Then, he asked about the Luo Family.

"The Luo Family?" Zhao Leming mulled it over for a moment before saying, "The Luo Family seems to have run into some trouble. There’s a gap in their new generation. Although some of them have secured spots, very few will actually be able to enter the Sect.

"Not only that, but there are almost no Luo Family Members on the third floor.

"If they don’t recruit a son-in-law, they’ll face huge problems.

"That’s why you, as second in the Six Pavilions, are practically their perfect choice.

"Of course, they’re not just recruiting one person. They’ll likely extend an olive branch to anyone who isn’t from one of *those* families.

"But you’re the most special case. Even if you refuse, they’ll definitely come back to persuade you.

"With the Luo Family’s help, you really wouldn’t have to worry about anything anymore.

"In an instant, you’d have it all.

"You’d save yourself decades of struggle."

’Except I wouldn’t be Jiang Man anymore. I’d be Luo Man,’ Jiang Man thought.

Jiang Man didn’t say much in response.

Marrying into their family was definitely out of the question.

The constraints were too severe.

After chatting a bit more, Jiang Man headed back.

Zhao Leming watched him leave and sighed.

He still trusted the judgment of the person backing Jiang Man.

The last few times, his own perspective had been too narrow.

This time, he felt there was no need to judge with his own eyes; he would just follow the choice made by Jiang Man’s backer.

It was sure to be the right call.

’I wonder what his ranking will be in the third competition. If he’s lucky enough to take first in the Six Pavilions, he’ll definitely attract some attention during the Sect’s assessment.’

’If that happens, these families won’t dare to go too far.’

—

Bathed in moonlight, Jiang Man returned to the stable yard.

The Old Yellow Ox was still eating grass.

"Old Huang, don’t you eat meat?" Jiang Man asked curiously.

The Old Yellow Ox raised an eyebrow. "Why are you separated from your wife? Is it because you like living alone?"

Jiang Man ignored the question and started talking about the Magic Skill.

He needed to explain it once and then wait for the ox to absorb the information.

Once Old Huang understood the logic and principles behind the Magic Skill, Jiang Man could directly ask him about any powerful Magic Skills he encountered in the future.

After that, Jiang Man recounted the day’s events, including the six letters and their contents.

"Don’t you want to touch a wife? If you marry into their family, you can," the Old Yellow Ox said.

Jiang Man was taken aback. "Old Huang, you can be as cynical as you want, but don’t go getting any crazy ideas."

He was still bound to that Fairy of unknown origin.

A situation like that was bound to have its downsides.

He still had to get a divorce first.

Besides, touching a Luo Family Member and touching a Fairy were two completely different things.

However, Jiang Man was a bit curious. If he pretended to agree to the Luo Family’s proposal and leeched off them, how could he avoid the constraints of the contract?

He voiced his question.

The Old Yellow Ox replied calmly, "It’s simple. The contracts nowadays were established under the great order of the Immortal Sect and are constraints personally handed down by them. Just become more powerful than the Immortal Sect and set new rules."

Jiang Man was silent for a moment, then asked, "What if I break it halfway through?"

The Old Yellow Ox just looked at Jiang Man calmly, not saying a word.

Jiang Man pretty much understood. Once a contract was signed, it was basically impossible to defy. He really would have to be a Luo Family Member for the rest of his life.

’But if that Fairy found out I married into another family, I wonder what would happen,’ he thought.

Just as Jiang Man was about to ask another question, he suddenly saw a faint light appear on the old ox.

Jiang Man: "..."

The Old Yellow Ox was also taken aback.

The two of them stared at each other, four eyes meeting.

"What are you looking at? It’s for you," the Old Yellow Ox said calmly.

"Couldn’t it be for you?" Jiang Man retorted.

A message had arrived just as they were talking about him marrying into another family.

For some reason, they both felt a sense of guilt.

It wasn’t that he cared much about her feelings, but rather that she was just too powerful.

Her identity was also incredibly complex.

He must have had a death wish back then to have provoked someone like her.

Jiang Man had asked the Old Yellow Ox about it before, and it had said that this kind of situation shouldn’t normally happen.

But the unexpected had happened nonetheless.

All he could do was face it.

With a sigh, Jiang Man reached out and took the ball of light.

The light immediately enveloped him.

The Fairy’s clear and pleasant voice sounded once more, but this time it was tinged with grievance:

"Husband, they laughed at me today. They said I was married, yet I don’t even know my husband’s name. They said I’m a widow with a living husband.

"I don’t know when I’ll be able to stay by your side forever.

"Also, Husband, have you asked that Evil God when the Magpie Bridge will open?

"There isn’t much time left."

As her voice faded, a chill ran down Jiang Man’s spine.

Such a gentle voice.

He remembered she had sounded just like this when she tricked him into taking the key.

He had been a fool back then and had actually believed her.

If he believed her again, he’d truly be a fool.

"What did she say?" the Old Yellow Ox asked curiously.

Jiang Man told him everything.

The Old Yellow Ox was silent for a moment. "In the future, you don’t need to tell me when your wife is flirting with you."

Jiang Man replied with a straight face, "How could I do that? I need you, Senior, to distinguish what’s true from what’s false."

The Old Yellow Ox shot Jiang Man a look and said nothing.

It just kept chewing its grass.

Jiang Man continued, "Senior, when does the Magpie Bridge open?"

More than half a year had passed, but he had never asked about the Magpie Bridge.

Now that the Fairy had suddenly brought it up, he had a bad feeling.

The Old Yellow Ox swallowed its mouthful of grass and said, "The day the lake appeared on the back mountain back then was the day the Magpie Bridge opened.

"Do the math. How long has it been since then?

"The Magpie Bridge usually opens once a year, unless something unexpected happens."

Jiang Man paused, recalling the past.

The wedding ceremony should have been in the middle of the eighth month.

So this time, the Magpie Bridge would also open in the middle of the eighth month?

"No." The Old Yellow Ox shook its head and said softly, "It’ll be earlier."

Jiang Man: "..."

He was silent for a long time before looking at the Old Yellow Ox and asking quietly, "Old Huang, if I take the initiative to get a divorce, do you think she’ll let me go?"

The Old Yellow Ox looked at him in silence.

Jiang Man continued, "Every grievance has its source, every debt its debtor. Old Huang, you..."

The Old Yellow Ox cut him off, stating calmly, "If danger comes, I can use my remaining power to escape. Unfortunately, I can’t take anyone with me."

Jiang Man: "..."