373 A Passionate Person

Zhao Yu had suffered a heartbreak and had been in low spirits these past few days. Zhao Zhitong was anxious watching him, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Instead, she tried to find various tasks to keep Xiao Ge busy, hoping he could temporarily forget his heartache.

Master Liu of the Liu Clan also kept his word and had already begun using his internal energy to treat Liu Baixue's illness.

The Forbidden Skill of the Liu Clan was sealed away precisely because this technique could easily lead people into a state of berserk demonic possession. Many had deviated into evil paths, becoming mere killing machines due to improper cultivation of this technique.

Liu Baixue learned this skill when she was very young and subsequently suffered Qi deviation, her internal energies falling into complete disarray. Fortunately, her innate talent was exceptionally high, preventing her from being completely consumed. However, her body grew progressively weaker with each intermittent relapse of her condition.

According to Master Liu, a complete cure required someone who had truly mastered this technique to use their true energy to help her regulate the disordered Qi within her body.

As it happened, Master Liu had practiced this technique and achieved a considerable level of mastery. It was only after examining Liu Baixue's pulse that he discovered she had secretly learned the Forbidden Skill.

After several days of this Qi-channeling treatment from Master Liu, Liu Baixue's condition gradually began to improve. However, when only the final session of Qi-channeling remained for a full recovery, Master Liu did not proceed. Instead, he scheduled it for the wedding day. He was worried Liu Baixue might renege on the marriage once she was fully cured.

After the two families formalized their engagement, Bai Siyuan began visiting the Liu Clan daily.

He genuinely liked Liu Baixue. The first time he saw her was at the bridgehead of West Lake. Dressed in white and holding an oil-paper umbrella, the coolly aloof, ethereal beauty had simply walked into his sight, and ever since, she had never left his thoughts. Afterward, he constantly sought reasons to interact with her, but her gaze never once fell upon him.

Later, his mother, seeing his infatuation, persuaded his father to approach the Liu Clan with a marriage proposal, but they were ultimately rejected. His father, feeling disgraced, forbade him from any further contact with the young lady of the Liu Clan. Nevertheless, Bai Siyuan couldn't stop himself from keeping track of her.

He knew she had rejected several other suitors, knew a young martial artist had appeared by her side, and knew even more acutely that her relationship with this martial artist was anything but ordinary. His heart shattered at the time. But then, just a few days ago, a servant suddenly informed him that Liu Baixue had agreed to marry him! He was ecstatic, as if he had never been so happy in his entire life. Yet, when he met her and saw the calm, unwavering gaze in her eyes, his spirits fell again. Still, he pretended not to notice, deceiving himself with a beautiful dream.

But this beautiful dream shattered after that man appeared.

That day, he had come to visit Liu Baixue as usual. While they were chatting, a man appeared in their courtyard. The man merely watched them from a distance for a moment before leaving.

He recognized the man: Zhao Yu, the renowned Nan Dao's successor from all corners of the country, the very man who was so close to Liu Baixue.

His gaze instinctively shifted to Liu Baixue, and he saw that her usually calm eyes now rippled with emotion—pain, sorrow, and reluctance.

It was at that very moment he decided his dream had to end.

"You love him deeply, don't you?" Bai Siyuan suddenly asked. Liu Baixue paused, then shook her head without speaking.

Bai Siyuan, unwilling to give up, pressed on, "Since you already have someone in your heart, why did you agree to this marriage?" He desperately wanted to know the reason.

Liu Baixue bit her lip, a pang of guilt striking her. It had never occurred to her before how unfair this was to Bai Siyuan.

"I'm sorry," she could only say, thinking of the responsibilities she bore.

"You don't need to apologize. It is I who should," Bai Siyuan said, seeing her confusion. "I'm the one who came between you two, aren't I?"

Liu Baixue was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Bai Siyuan to say such a thing. For the first time, Bai Siyuan saw his own reflection in her eyes.

So he continued, "Why did you agree to this marriage? May I know the reason?"

Liu Baixue thought for a moment before replying, "Because of my martial arts practice, I suffered a Qi deviation. In truth, I don't have long to live. My Uncle can cure my illness, but only on the condition that I marry into your Bai Clan.

"So, I apologize. I only agreed to this marriage because I wanted to be cured."

Bai Siyuan had known there must be a reason, but he hadn't expected this one. "Is your illness cured now?" he asked immediately.

Liu Baixue shook her head. "It's better, but not completely. My Uncle said he will only fully cure me after the wedding ceremony is complete."

After a long silence, Bai Siyuan suddenly asked, "Then, do you want to marry me?"

Liu Baixue looked at him, puzzled.

Bai Siyuan smiled casually. "Why are you looking at me like that? I'm not one to force things on others, much less marry someone whose heart belongs to another. Surely, I, the dignified Young Master of the Bai Clan, don't need to resort to forcing a reluctant woman to marry me because I can't find a girl who likes me? That would be far too demeaning."

Bai Siyuan spoke with a casual, dashing air, like a truly unrestrained and unconventional spirit.

Liu Baixue suddenly smiled. "You're rather different from what I imagined."

They had been together for so long, and this was the first time Liu Baixue had genuinely smiled at him. It was worth it, Bai Siyuan thought.

He couldn't help but chuckle. "What, did you previously imagine this young master to be some kind of scoundrel and bully?"

"Young Master Bai, you jest," Liu Baixue replied.

Once they had this honest conversation, Bai Siyuan, wishing for the happiness of the woman he loved, proposed a sham marriage.

"Once your illness is completely cured, I will let you go," he said.

Bai Siyuan's unexpected offer solved a major dilemma for Liu Baixue. She had been racking her brains, wondering how to persuade her Uncle to cure her illness without actually going through with the marriage. Now, this problem was elegantly resolved.

Their cheerful conversation also reached her Uncle's ears, reassuring him considerably. It seemed the wedding would proceed without a hitch.

Thanks to Bai Siyuan's involvement, Liu Baixue also learned of her Uncle's true intentions. It turned out that her Uncle's liaison within the imperial court needed more military forces. As the Liu Clan's own forces were insufficient, her Uncle had targeted the Bai Clan.

The head of the Bai Clan, recalling the Liu Clan's previous rejection of a marriage proposal, had stated that he would lend her Uncle five thousand troops, but only if the two families were joined by marriage. That was the origin of this marital alliance.

Meanwhile, Zhao Zhitong and Qiao Muchen had gathered significant intelligence in recent days. They had not only identified the liaison but had also intercepted numerous messages. However, they remained in the shadows, wary of alerting their targets and allowing the 'big fish' higher up to escape.

Their plan was set for three days after Liu Baixue's wedding, by which time her Uncle would have received the Bai Clan's troops.

March was the season when scholars traveled to the Capital City for the imperial examinations. Their plan was to disguise the soldiers as scholars and covertly move them into the Capital City.

「Time flew by; in the blink of an eye.」

The wedding of the Bai and Liu Clans arrived as scheduled, and the streets were alive with unprecedented festivity.