~~~

At last, the promised day arrives. A week has passed, and it is time for Liu Jin and his father to meet Xiao Zheng. It is time for them to learn the truth.

To Liu Jin’s surprise, Xiao Nan shows up at their doorstep early in the morning. He has brought clothes for them to wear.

“Image, Little Brother,” Xiao Nan replies when Liu Jin asks him about it. “Uncle suggested it, and I agreed. It would not do for you to appear before Uncle dressed like common people.”

The clothes are of a deep crimson with some black in them, an unexpected choice considering the Xiao Sect’s colors are blue, white, and gold. Red seldom appears in their outfits except for the armbands worn by Inner Disciples. While the color is common enough at weddings, it is a bit too soon for that.

Perhaps Xiao Nan picked red because it matches the color of their eyes?

No matter. Liu Jin quickly changes into the clothes. They fit him perfectly, and whatever material they are made of is extremely comfortable.

Nevertheless, wearing something so obviously expensive leaves Liu Jin feeling somewhat awkward. Even his father doesn’t look like he is all that happy wearing the clothes Xiao Nan has brought. Then again, it may just be that his father does not like red. Liu Jin can scarcely recall him ever wearing that color.

Upon setting foot outside their house, father and son are greeted by a palanquin carried by four disciples of the Xiao Sect. Xiao Nan quickly explains it is there to take them to the main house.

As expected, the sight has attracted the attention of the entire neighborhood, and it is with hurried movements that Liu Jin and his father get in the palanquin, eager to leave the scene.

As the disciples lift the palanquin, it strikes Liu Jin that the whole thing is rather pointless. The disciples move at a moderate pace, so it’s no different from walking there. Is this also a matter of image? Probably. It is better if the groom is seen arriving in a palanquin and dressed in fine clothes, he supposes.

The trip to the Xiao Sect passes by in silence. Liu Jin is too nervous to try to start a conversation, and Liu Jianguo sees no need for it.

After what feels like hours to Liu Jin but is probably less, the palanquin stops. The disciples set it down, and one opens the door for them.

They have arrived.

The main house is as impressive as Liu Jin expected it to be. While the building can be seen even from outside the Xiao Sect, being in front of the large structure is an entirely different experience. It is not nearly as massive as Nine-Headed Snake God, but Liu Jin doubts anything is.

At least, Liu Jin hopes not.

It would be the height of unfairness if something like that existed.

The gates of the mansion open for them, and they are greeted by rows of servants who bow their heads to them. For a moment, Liu Jin feels compelled to return the greeting before remembering such a thing would be improper.

Standing in the center is an Elder. He does not look as old as Elder Hui, although his Qi is undoubtedly higher. The man smiles upon seeing them and, to Liu Jin’s surprise, greets his father by name.

The man introduces himself as Elder Gang. Liu Jin greets him back. At least, Liu Jin is pretty sure he does. His body feels like it is moving without any input from him. Liu Jin goes through the standard pleasantries in a manner that is almost stilted.

Is it because it is his first time in the main house?

Is he that nervous about meeting his betrothed?

Or perhaps, he fears what Xiao Zheng will say?

Liu Jin does not know the answer. All he knows is that there is something in his throat that he cannot swallow no matter how much saliva passes down his throat. It is a relief for him when Elder Gang takes them deeper into the house.

To Liu Jin’s surprise, Elder Gang does not take them to a great hall or a dining room. Instead, the Elder takes them to the upper floors.

“Patriarch Xiao Zheng is waiting for you here,” Elder Gang says as he opens a door for them. It is not a large door, but it is also not a small one. It looks sturdy, the type of door that is probably good at keeping sound in and out.

The room behind the door is smaller than Liu Jin expected. There is a large desk with many papers on it and a couple of chairs around it. There are rows of bookshelves lining the walls, and soft light illuminates the room.

Behind the desk sits a large man. Out of all the people Liu Jin has seen, this man is without a doubt the tallest. His body is powerfully built, something evident even with the flowing robes he wears. He has the trademark blue eyes and brown hair of the Xiao Sect. His face reminds Liu Jin a little bit of Xiao Nan, though obviously older.

It is a person Liu Jin has met no more than fifteen times throughout his life. Though their time together has not been much, the impact this person has had over his life cannot be denied.

He is Xiao Zheng.

The Patriarch of the Xiao Sect.

“Welcome,” Xiao Zheng says once Elder Gang closes the door, leaving the three alone in the room. He waves a hand to motion at the chairs. “I’d have preferred to welcome you with a banquet, but that can be done at a later date. I’d rather not have more ears around here than necessary. Please, sit down.”

Father and son take a seat. They look at Xiao Zheng, waiting for him to speak. Five breaths go by before he does.

“I must thank you,” Xiao Zheng says, his hands clasped together over the desk. “I must thank you... and I must apologize as well. I have put quite a bit of pressure on you these past few days.”

It takes a moment for Liu Jin to realize Xiao Zheng is speaking specifically to him.

“Ah, there is no need for Patriarch Xiao Zheng to apologize to this one,” Liu Jin says, suddenly feeling the chair is too big for him. “This one has benefited greatly from the Xiao Sect’s kindness, so there is no need for Patriarch Xiao Zheng to feel troubled.”

Xiao Zheng chuckles.

“I see you have grown up to be much like your father. Xiao Nan told me about that.” Liu Jin preens a little. For him, there is no higher praise. “However, there is a reason why it is only the three of us here. There is no need for pleasantries in this room. I will speak freely, and I expect you to reply in kind. This is not a kindness, but rather a necessity considering our circumstances.”

“That is agreeable, old friend,” Liu Jianguo says, his hands resting over his lap. “If we are to speak freely, then please explain what is it that forced your hand like this? Certainly, the matter of our children's engagement was discussed a few times by us. However, we never once considered marrying our children at such a young age.”

Xiao Zheng sighs. His gaze dips down for an instant.

“You really do like getting right to the heart of things. Very well, I suppose it would be unfair of me if I did not answer. No, from the beginning, I planned on telling you everything. I only ask that you listen to my tale until the end.”

He is bothered by something, Liu Jin realizes. The way he sits, the slight tension in his muscles. It is an odd sight for Liu Jin, and it is one that leaves the young child with a sense of unease. If a powerful man like Xiao Zheng is like this, then how serious is the situation?

“I assume you have told your son about my daughter's condition.” Seeing father and son nod, Xiao Zheng relaxes a little. “Good. That makes things easier. As you know, I have done my best to keep my daughter safe ever since that day. Although it pains me to have forced her to grow so isolated, the alternative was simply too horrible to contemplate.”

Even someone like Liu Jin can understand that. If Xiao Zheng’s daughter had been discovered by the wrong Sect, the outcome would have been tragic.

“However, I knew keeping my daughter hidden forever was not possible. The Heavens are not that merciful.” Xiao Zheng frowns. “Knowing my daughter would eventually be discovered was something that tormented me greatly. I spent countless nights trying to think of a solution. In the end, I could only see two paths.”

Xiao Zheng holds up two fingers.

“One, I could try making the Xiao Sect one of the strongest Sects in the Empire before my daughter became a woman. Naturally, this was nothing more than a pipe dream. Under my leadership, the Xiao Sect has expanded its influence greatly, but it is still not something worth talking about next to the Four Great Sects.”

The Four Great Sects. Liu Jin remembers Xiao Nan mentioning them while they were on their way to New Moon Town. Within the empire, four Sects stand leagues above the rest. Those are the Four Great Sects. Xiao Nan had entertained Liu Jin by mentioning various details about them.

“I couldn’t make the Xiao Sect the strongest, and I couldn’t stop the inevitability of my daughter's discovery,” Xiao Zheng says, resigned. “However, there was one thing I could control. I could control which Sect discovered my daughter. To that end, I used the Xiao Sect’s growing influence to establish a relationship with the Sect I deemed safest for my daughter.”

“The Divine Frozen Palace.”

Xiao Zheng and Liu Jianguo stare at Liu Jin, and it takes the child a while to realize it is because he was the one who spoke just now. He brings a hand to cover his mouth in embarrassment.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to interrupt.”

“There is no need to apologize.” Xiao Zheng does not look bothered. If anything, he seems pleased. “It is as you said. Throughout the past years, I have slowly build a relationship between the Xiao Sect and the Divine Frozen Palace.”

The Divine Frozen Palace. One of the Four Great Sects. Xiao Nan once told Liu Jin that the Divine Frozen Palace had a good relationship with the Xiao Sect. He had also said something else later that day.

The Divine Frozen Palace was comprised almost entirely of females.

“The leadership of the Divine Frozen Palace is made entirely of females,” Xiao Zheng says, echoing Liu Jin’s thoughts. “For obvious reasons, many males try to join, but few are successful. Those who manage to enter the Sect stay as low-level disciples.”

Xiao Nan had joked about that too. Since the Divine Frozen Palace specializes in Yin-aligned techniques, males, who are more attuned to Yang Qi, are just not a good fit for it.

“Xiao Shuang’s affinity for Yin Qi would be a boon for the Divine Frozen Palace, even more so than for other Sects. She would be too valuable for them to mistreat her in the same way other Sects would. For that reason, they were the safest alternative in my mind. If I had to reveal my daughter to anyone, it would be to the Divine Frozen Palace. That is the conclusion I came to.”

“If you are speaking like this, I can only assume you have already done so, old friend.” Liu Jianguo finally chooses to speak. He looks at Xiao Zheng with honest curiosity. “In that case, why do all this?”

Xiao Zheng shakes his head. His lips thin slightly.

“You misunderstand, my friend. The Divine Frozen Palace has indeed realized the truth of my daughter’s condition, but it was not at my discretion that they did so." One of Xiao Zheng's hands curls into a fist. His knuckles soon go white. “Shortly after your son and Xiao Nan left for New Moon Town, I received a visitor. One of the Five Fairies, Meng Yue.”

Liu Jin’s eyebrows rise.

The Five Fairies of the Divine Frozen Palace. They are the strongest cultivators of that Sect as well as the most beautiful. According to Xiao Nan, many great and powerful men had traveled all the way to the Divine Frozen Palace just for the opportunity to catch a glimpse of them.

“It was not something I expected. Meng Yue had just finished hunting a powerful Spirit Beast that she had been chasing for the better part of a month. Upon realizing she was close to our Eastern Port City, she decided to pay a visit. I couldn’t refuse her. The moment Meng Yue entered this house, she knew.”

Just like that.

The daughter Xiao Zheng had tried to keep safe all these years had been discovered just like that.

“Immediately, she asked to take my daughter as her personal disciple. She said a talent like hers could not possibly bloom in a city like this. Of course, this was not a request I could turn down.”

Requests from high-level cultivators are never just requests. Even if Xiao Zheng is in the Emperor Realm, he cannot afford to anger someone from the Divine Frozen Place. The difference in power between it and the Xiao Sect is simply that big.

“So you used the wedding to buy yourself some time.” Liu Jianguo’s voice breaks the story. His face is as serious as Liu Jin has ever seen it.

“It was the only way. I told her my daughter had already been promised to someone. If she suddenly took my daughter, I would be seen as going back on my word and lose face. Luckily, she decided to humor me. Once the wedding is done, Liu Jin and Xiao Shuang will live together for one month. After that, she will come to take my daughter to the Divine Frozen Palace. That has already been decided.”

For Meng Yue to be so accommodating to Xiao Zheng's request is extremely merciful. She could have easily let him lose face, but she hadn't. Instead, she had given him time to organize the wedding and even allowed for the newlyweds to live together for a month. If Xiao Shuang left immediately after the wedding, it would reflect poorly on Xiao Zheng. People would say his daughter had run away to avoid being Liu Jin's wife.

One month wasn't much, but it was enough.

“It is not as bad as it could be,” he says, although Liu Jin wonders if he is just saying that to make himself feel better. For the first time, he sees beyond the low lighting of the room and notices how tired Xiao Zheng's face looks. “I planned on revealing my daughter when I had more leverage, but if one of the Five Fairies is taking her as a disciple, I can be sure they will not use her in… unsavory ways.”

“Is there any need to hold the wedding then?” Liu Jin finds himself asking.

Since he returned to Eastern Port City, Liu Jin was told he would be marrying Xiao Zheng’s daughter. However, if his daughter will be taken by another Sect, then it does not seem like there is any point to it.

In that case, why has Xiao Zheng gone out of his way to make knowledge of the wedding public?

“My son is right,” Liu Jianguo says. “If your daughter will be taken to the Divine Frozen Place no matter what, then there is no need for the wedding to happen.”

“I disagree." Looking at Liu Jin, Xiao Zheng says,” To be honest, I really did want you for my daughter. However, even if you cannot share your lives with each other, the marriage still serves a purpose. First of all, I already offered my daughter’s hand to you, so I cannot be seen as going back on my word. While I said it to get Meng Yue to agree, it would bother me greatly to become the type of man that goes back on what he has promised. More importantly, the wedding will aid both you and my daughter.”

“How so?”

“By marrying you, my daughter will enter the Divine Frozen Palace as a married woman, something Meng Yue will honor.”

In other words, any attempt to marry her off can be waved away because “she’s already married.” Being married to Liu Jin would grant Xiao Shuang another layer of protection.

“Meanwhile, by marrying my daughter, you become part of our family. Our families have been friends for a long time, and it is time I make that official,” Xiao Zheng explains. “If at all possible, I’d like it if you two moved here, but something tells me this one won’t leave his house.”

“That is true.”

Xiao Zheng scoffs. “Regardless, it is time I make our relationship known. You will be my son-in-law, and you will be treated as such. It is not ideal, but it is the best I can do. Besides... the time I spent preparing for the wedding is time I have to say goodbye to my daughter. Please, allow me that bit of selfishness.”

Xiao Zheng looks tired as he finishes speaking.

How long has he spent thinking all this?

How much time has he spent trying to think of a solution?

“Now,” Xiao Zheng says after a moment of silence. “Would you like to meet my daughter?”

~~~