Su Ye asked, "What do you want to talk about?"
Wang Lieyan twirled her hair.
"How annoying~ I just confessed to you, aren't you going to respond?"
He smiled awkwardly.
Damn it! You're really going for it!
With a smile,
"It is my honor. But I really don't think that we were fated to be."
"Why?"
"I'm nearly one step from the grave. If I die, won't you become a widow then? How could I bear to do that?"
Wang Lieyan shook her head.
"I already told you, you won't die. Why don't you believe me?"
He sighed exaggeratedly.
"It's not that I don't believe you, but even my Patriarch doesn't have any way to extend my life."
Wang Lieyan smiled.
"If I say you won't die, you just won't die."
Xiaolan intervened and asked her, "Does Miss Lieyan have a way?"
Su Ye looked at her worried, but hopeful expression.
He could only sigh in his heart.
What's to come will come. Why be so heartbroken about it?
Su Ye wasn't afraid of death. The only regret he had was that he hadn't been able to find a way home.
He had looked all over the land for some sort of teleportation method, knowledge, or even rumors about other worlds.
But there was nothing.
He was beginning to fear that this cultivation world was already in a completely different dimension as compared to earth.
Wang Lieyan shook her head.
"I don't. But he's not going to die."
Su Ye looked at Wang Lieyan.
Why was she so confident?
Noticing his dubious gaze, she spoke in response.
"This involves my greatest secret, so I'm afraid I can't tell you the details. But since you don't believe in me, why not make a bet?"
"A bet?"
"If you don't die then..." She held her breathe and played with her hands awkwardly, "...then marry me!"
He looked at her with a strange expression. It was mixed with astonishment, but mainly contained confusion.
We only met today and your asking me to marry you? Could there be a scheme?!
From his experience and from countless hours of watching Donghua's on earth, he knew the depths a cultivator would go to.
Possession? Using me as a cauldron? Or to use the Su family?
Whatever it was, he was missing some crucial information.
I'll test her further.
Su Ye breathed out, "But why would I bet? If I die, then I'll die. What can I get out of this?"
She smiled.
"I coincidentally found a treasure that is capable of speaking to the dead. I wonder, are you interested in it?"
His eyes narrowed at her, his voice turned serious, "Is this real?"
"Of course. I would never lie to you."
His thoughts ran wild upon hearing about this treasure.
If it could really talk to the dead...
He imagined his mother's face and her graceful smile.
Even though he had always gone on and on about how life and death were a natural cycle, deep inside, he knew it was just to comfort himself.
Who wouldn't be sad as their loved ones died? Who wouldn't want to have a final conversation with them?
Xiaolan looked at her wrist.
The Soul Gathering Orb rested there.
Counting the time, the Soul Gathering Orb needed around 100 years in order to send the person in it to reincarnate safely.
After being hit by Ash Palm which destroys traces of the person, it took a year longer.
What this meant was that, in another year, they could finally send her off.
More than anything, Su Ye was amazed at how well she knew him. Every step he took felt as if he was always one step behind Wang Lieyan.
This could only mean that she knew him in and out, even his next actions.
But how? They had never met before this moment.
"You mean, you'll come to my deathbed to use the treasure?"
"If I lose."
She smiled.
There was this strange confidence in her every action that made him dubious.
Even though this felt like a trap in itself, he knew he had to jump into it.
"Alright. I'll take the bet."
Win or lose, I can see my mother again. This isn't a bad deal.
At the end of the day, if he lost, he could definitely see his mother again if they really do get married.
So in hindsight, there was nothing that he would be losing out on.
It was just the thought of marriage that made him feel disturbed.
His mother was a prisoner in her marriage. And he was sure that he played a part in it even if he knew it wasn't his fault.
Her suffering made him naturally distance himself from it, thus for the 100 years, he never married or never sought for anything like love.
Not to mention, his goal for 100 years was to leave this place. Having too many karmic entangles would hinder his progress.
Those around him knew about this, so they only lightly mention it from time to time in hopes that he would find the happiness he wanted.
"Alright, then swear it."
She took the Oath Flower and placed it between them.
"I can't use spiritual qi."
"Just put in your blood then. It works either way."
Not like the punish will work on me. Even curses don't work on me.
However he kept quiet about this. It was practically useless to him but at least, the other part would have to fulfill their end of the agreement.
They both placed their essence and blood inside, then swore an oath.
The Oath Flower shined blue, before turning to red.
Wang Lieyan smiled happily. With a wave of her hand, the Oath Flower returned and Long Chen's body sat on one of the Qilin.
She looked at Su Ye with a shy and bashful expression.
"After a year, I'll come pick you up in a bridal carriage then~"
Without hearing his reply, she left him in the dust.
Su Ye looked up with a conflicting feeling. He was lost in thought.
Xiaolan followed his gaze as she stood with him.
"What a strange woman."
Su Ye couldn't help but nod.
"A strange woman indeed."
"But very pretty."
"Very pretty indeed."
"...."
Hearing the words come out of mouth accidentally, he felt a tinge of embarrassment.
He quickly changed the subject amidst her smile.
"Let's go home."
Su Ye rushed off in a hurry.