I Don’T Want To Be This Master For A Day Anymore. Chapter 6

The Marriage Contract’s Harm

Qiu Yin’an hadn’t fully recovered from his shock and fury when the old beggar continued, “That boy, because of this marriage arrangement, lived a miserable life. If the Venerable Lord’s wife of Qingxuan Peak hadn’t been so eager to set the engagement back then, how could he have ended up orphaned and utterly alone?”

Qiu Yin’an’s face instantly turned cold. “Are you accusing my Qingxuan Peak of a crime?”

The old beggar replied, “I am not speaking nonsense. If you are willing to listen, I will tell you.”

Qiu Yin’an said sharply, “Fine, I want to hear it. But if you are slandering my Qingxuan Peak, I will certainly make you pay the price for the words you just spoke.”

The three found a relatively quiet tea stall on the street corner and sat down. The old beggar began, “This Wanzong Mountain was originally supported solely by Venerable Lord Wan. Later, he married a wife, and that wife brought her younger brother and her mother into the mountain gate. The Venerable Lord doted on his wife and indulged her in everything. Eventually, it became unclear whether the Venerable Lord or her family had the final say in the sect—”

“Stop.” Yao Ye slammed his teacup heavily onto the table, the sharp clatter interrupting the old beggar. “We don’t have time for this gossip. Hurry up and explain clearly what you just said.”

Qiu Yin’an also frowned, his eyes terrifyingly cold.

The old beggar sighed deeply and continued, “Before the child was born, Qimen Pavilion predicted he would be a lucky star who would bring prosperity to his husband. Qingxuan Peak therefore sought the marriage, and everyone in Wanzong Mountain was overjoyed. The Venerable Lord even planned to send the child to Qingxuan Peak as soon as he reached one month old, fearing you might back out. But when the child was born, everyone was stunned—it was a boy.”

A surge of anger rose in Qiu Yin’an’s chest. “Since a boy was born, you should have immediately informed Qingxuan Peak and canceled the engagement. What is the meaning of this?”

“Don’t rush, let me explain,” the old beggar continued. “The Venerable Lord and his wife initially planned to do just that, but his brother-in-law wouldn’t allow it. He insisted that they must rely on the great tree of Qingxuan Peak, saying they wouldn’t get another chance like this. He stubbornly offered a terrible suggestion: that the Venerable Lord and his wife should strangle the newborn child, then adopt a girl from another family to impersonate the fiancée, just to deceive Qingxuan Peak for the time being. He even said that if the wife conceived again next year and it was a girl, they could wait until the child was six or seven and secretly swap them back. If it was another boy, they would just keep the secret forever.”

Yao Ye spat in disgust. “To climb the social ladder, they would even kill their own flesh and blood. This small sect, Wanzong Mountain, is truly despicable.”

Qiu Yin’an’s face was grim. “Did the child’s parents actually agree?”

The old beggar said, “Even a tiger won’t eat its cub. How could they agree? The Venerable Lord and his wife absolutely refused, saying they would raise the child since he was born, and named him Wan Qiongju. Due to the disagreement, the four adults turned against each other.”

“What happened next?” Qiu Yin’an pressed. “Is Wan Qiongju still alive?”

The old beggar replied, “He is alive.”

Qiu Yin’an breathed a sigh of relief.

The old beggar continued, “But after that fight, the Venerable Lord and his wife, along with his brother-in-law and his wife—all four adults died. Wanzong Mountain was left with only the wife’s elderly mother, the two boys left behind by the Venerable Lord’s brother-in-law, and the infant Wan Qiongju, who was less than a month old.”

“Those two boys were several years older than Wan Qiongju and remembered everything. So, the brothers tormented Wan Qiongju every day in various ways. The old woman turned a blind eye. That child was raised by us servants, taking turns, until he reached the age of understanding.”

Yao Ye was furious upon hearing this. “This child has a bitter fate, but it was all the result of Wanzong Mountain’s own greed. You cannot blame Qingxuan Peak.”

The old beggar countered, “That may be true, but if the Venerable Lord’s wife of Qingxuan Peak hadn’t ordered the engagement, none of this would have happened later.”

“Go to hell.” Yao Ye was so angry he nearly flipped the table. “If you insist on pointing fingers, blame Qimen Pavilion! They couldn’t even accurately predict the gender, let alone the so-called lucky star fate.”

Yao Ye stood up, ready to return home, but found Qiu Yin’an sitting motionless with a dark expression. He comforted him, “Let’s go, Yin’an. Try to look on the bright side. There are plenty of people in the Cultivation World who want to marry you. Chen Liang will come here and find nothing. Let’s go back to Qingxuan Peak.”

Qiu Yin’an said, “I want to go to Wanzong Mountain.”

Yao Ye asked, “Why go there? The people are dead. Are you planning to settle accounts with that child?”

Qiu Yin’an replied, “He has never met me, yet he suffered so much hardship because of his engagement to me. I want to see him and see if I can help him.”

Yao Ye said, “See what? Everyone has their own destiny. Let’s go.”

Qiu Yin’an’s gaze was heavy. “I must go.”

Seeing Qiu Yin’an’s firm resolve, Yao Ye threw up his hands. “Fine, fine, I’ll go with you. Consider it closure, so you don’t remember this troublesome mess after ascending and feel annoyed.”

The beggar seemed excited and changed his address for Qiu Yin’an to ‘Noble One.’ “Is the Noble One truly willing to help? I thank you on behalf of that child first.”

Qiu Yin’an untied the money pouch from his waist and threw it directly to the old beggar. “The money here is enough for you to live comfortably for several years. Now, take us to find Wan Qiongju.”