12dz Chapter 72: Choose any of the 63 noble ladies from the Gong family.
Chapter 72: Choose any of the 63 noble ladies from the Gong family.
Chen Ye followed Gong Yuechan to the heart of the Gong family compound and stopped in front of an inconspicuous courtyard.
This place is exceptionally quiet and rich in spiritual energy, far surpassing the villa where Chen Ye resides. It is likely that the spirit-gathering array that envelops the entire Gong family is centered around this place.
The courtyard is not very large, and it does not have the ornate decorations of other courtyards, but it exudes a simple and solemn atmosphere.
The courtyard gate was wide open, and without needing anyone to announce their arrival, Gong Yuechan led Chen Ye directly inside.
The moment Chen Ye stepped through the gate, he immediately felt an invisible wave of divine consciousness descend upon him.
This thought was gentle and peaceful, like a breeze, without any malice, but Chen Ye sensed a powerful spiritual force within it.
"Is this the divine sense probing technique that only powerful experts can use?"
Chen Ye's heart skipped a beat. He knew that his soul power had already surpassed that of an ordinary early-stage cultivator in the Secret Realm, and this soul power was several times stronger than his! It must be at least that of a late-stage cultivator in the Secret Realm!
"Thankfully, I placed the black conch shell in the villa before coming; otherwise, if they had noticed something amiss, it would have caused even more trouble..."
As his thoughts drifted, he followed Gong Yuechan into the courtyard hall, where he saw an old man in a gray robe standing with his hands behind his back.
The old man was thin and looked to be over eighty years old. His hair and beard were all white, and his face was covered with wrinkles that showed the marks of time, but he did not look old or frail. On the contrary, he was vigorous and had an extraordinary demeanor.
"Grandpa, I've brought the person."
Gong Yuechan bowed to the old man with the respect due to a junior, and Chen Ye quickly followed suit. "Junior Chen Ye greets Senior Gong."
"We're all family, no need for formalities."
Gong Lingxuan waved his hand, and a gentle force lifted the two of them up. He then looked at Gong Yuechan and said...
"Yuechan, you may leave now. I have a few words to say to Chen Ye."
"But Grandpa..." Gong Yuechan's tone became urgent. Didn't we agree before we came that she could also be present and listen in?
"What? Are you worried that I might harm young friend Chen?" Gong Lingxuan chuckled as he glanced at his granddaughter.
"Of course not..." Gong Yuechan shook her head helplessly, glanced quickly at Chen Ye, and then slowly retreated.
After she left, Gong Lingxuan pointed to a chair next to him and said, "Young friend Chen, please sit down."
"Thank you, senior."
Chen Ye cupped his hands in a gesture of respect and did not refuse.
In front of such cultivators, it is important to be polite, but one should not appear too distant. One must know that his current identity is that of a member of the Gong family from another clan. When meeting elders, one should naturally act in accordance with their wishes.
After the two sat down, Gong Lingxuan didn't beat around the bush and spoke directly to Chen Ye.
"Although young friend Chen has only been in my Gong family for six years, he has made great contributions. Even when I am in seclusion, I often hear your name. Today, I see that you are indeed extraordinary."
Uh... does this mean I bothered him?
A strange thought crossed Chen Ye's mind, but he still quickly spoke.
"I am deeply grateful for the kindness of my master, and I will do my best to help him solve his problems."
At this point, nothing else matters but showing loyalty.
Upon hearing Chen Ye's words, a look of satisfaction appeared in Gong Lingxuan's eyes.
He possesses exceptional combat skills, knows when to advance and retreat, and is also eloquent. If one had to find a flaw in such a person, it would be that he doesn't share the surname Gong.
But... as long as you marry a woman from the Gong family and settle down in the Gong family, what does it matter if you have a surname?
After a slight pause, Gong Lingxuan continued.
"Currently, my Gong family has sixty-three unmarried daughters with cultivation potential. Young friend Chen can choose any of them, and the marriage can be completed within the month. At that time, I will also present a generous dowry. What do you say?"
"this……"
Chen Ye paused for a moment.
To be honest, before he came, he had a vague feeling that the Gong family was going to marry off a daughter of the clan, but he never expected that the head of the Gong family would be so generous!
Sixty-three women of the tribe can be chosen at will?
You must know that these are not ordinary mortals without spiritual roots. Each of them has the aptitude for cultivation, and some have even begun their cultivation!
"What, you're unwilling?" Seeing Chen Ye hesitate, Gong Lingxuan snorted and a huge pressure immediately enveloped Chen Ye.
"It's not that I'm unwilling."
Chen Ye's expression changed slightly, and he stood up.
"It is only because I am devoted to the Dao and obsessed with cultivation that I would inevitably be neglected if I were to marry the daughter of the main family. I beg you, senior, not to wrong the women of the clan and push me into this fire pit..."
Comparing yourself to a pit of fire?
Even with a century of self-cultivation, Gong Lingxuan was almost laughing in anger upon hearing this.
He glanced thoughtfully at Chen Ye, then recalled the way his granddaughter had looked at the boy earlier, and seemed to understand what Chen Ye was thinking.
It's not that he's unwilling, but rather that he has grand ambitions!
After all, both of them knew perfectly well that Gong Yuechan was definitely not among the sixty-three unmarried clan girls...
"That's enough."
Gong Lingxuan shook his head, and the powerful pressure dissipated instantly.
"Since you are unwilling, I will not force you. However, at your age, you will eventually have to settle down and start a family. Within the next ten years, my Gong family can provide you with all the necessary conveniences for your cultivation. But after ten years, you must marry a woman from my Gong family!"
For such family-based cultivation forces, blood ties are the most important thing; otherwise, no matter how strong you are, you may not be able to gain much trust.
Ten years has passed, and this is only because Chen Ye killed members of the Zhou family multiple times and saved Gong Yuechan. If an ordinary outsider dared to refuse the marriage arranged by the main family, it would have aroused suspicion long ago.
"Thank you so much, senior!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ye breathed a sigh of relief, finally having overcome this hurdle. As for what would happen ten years from now, he would deal with that ten years from now.
Seeing that Chen Ye agreed, Gong Lingxuan's expression softened, and then with a flick of his sleeve, two more items appeared on the table.
One of the items was a jade token, identical to those held by members of the Gong family. With this token, one could enjoy a 20% discount on any item purchased at the Gong family's shops.
The other item was a control array plate that emitted a faint spiritual light.
"This is the latest demon-hunting ship built by the family's treasure ship workshop. Starting today, you can take command of this ship to go out to sea and obtain cultivation resources. As for the distribution of profits..."
Gong Lingxuan paused, seemingly waiting for Chen Ye to make the request.
"Fifty percent," Chen Ye said in a deep voice.
"Fifty percent?" Gong Lingxuan raised an eyebrow. This kid's appetite is really that big?
But Chen Ye said decisively, "This junior can pay no less than 30,000 spirit stones to the master family every year in exchange for 50% of the profits from the demon-hunting ship."
"What if you can't do it?" Gong Lingxuan asked in a scrutinizing tone.
"I'll leave it to the master to decide!" Chen Ye replied without hesitation.
However, hunting demons at sea and obtaining 60,000 spirit stones a year is extremely difficult. But what if we tried a different method?
If the Zhou family could plunder the Gong family's spirit ship, why couldn't he plunder the Zhou family?
The two families are adjacent to each other, and their areas of expertise overlap in both the demon-hunting sea and the merchant shipping routes, so it is not difficult to obtain the approximate location of the Zhou family's ships.
Moreover, since Gong Lingxuan entrusted him with the command of a ship, he probably had such thoughts in mind, so Chen Ye would naturally take this opportunity to seek benefits for himself.
Ultimately, it's nothing more than mutual exploitation.