Marrying the Master's Wife: My Path to the Pinnacle - Chapter 34
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Chapter 34: A Preference for Wives
[Translated By Divinity]
Seeing Lu Chengfeng’s impatience, Cai Zhang couldn’t help but chuckle. “Senior Brother, there’s no need to rush. Although that woman is the widow of an elder, she was only a concubine and has no children.”
“These years in the sect haven’t been easy for her. Though she receives support from the General Affairs Hall, it’s barely enough to get by. She has food and shelter, but fine clothes and delicacies are out of the question.”
“It’s not that no one in the sect has shown interest in her, but she’s still the widow of an elder, and everyone has to consider their reputation.”
“If it were just a fling, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But marrying her, even as a concubine, is something no one is willing to do, fearing it would affect their future in the sect.”
At this point, Cai Zhang’s tone became slightly solemn. “Senior Brother, your talent in swordsmanship is monstrous. At only twenty years old, you’ve already cultivated your sword skills to the tenth level and beyond, slaying Xue Dulong with a single strike, making a name for yourself throughout Cloud Firmament.”
“I’m proud of you, Senior Brother. Even the stewards in the hall treat me with more respect knowing our connection.”
“You have a bright future ahead, Senior Brother. What kind of woman couldn’t you have? Why pursue someone with such ill fortune? Even if she has some beauty, if you were to succeed, you’d inevitably be tainted by her reputation. Countless people would gossip behind your back.”
“Please reconsider, Senior Brother!”
Lu Chengfeng could tell that Cai Zhang’s words were sincere, coming from the bottom of his heart. Though there might be some self-interest involved, it was indeed for his own good.
Unfortunately, no one understood his unique talent. To progress at a speed beyond ordinary people, he had to marry this woman.
Although there were widows of other Outer and Inner Peak elders, firstly, the strength of Outer Peak elders was ultimately limited. Even if he married one, he would only gain a few more martial arts techniques, making his repertoire more complex.
Secondly, the supreme sword scriptures of other Inner Peaks were closely guarded secrets. If he learned them and the sect discovered it, wouldn’t he be bringing trouble upon himself?
Therefore, for Lu Chengfeng, the best choice was the widow of an Inner Peak elder from the Black Crane lineage. This way, he could openly reveal his progress in the ‘Black Crane Thousand Shadows Nether Sword Scripture.’
With his mind made up, he sighed and said shamelessly, “Junior Brother, to be honest, I don’t have many other hobbies. I just have a preference for wives. If I can’t have one, I can’t sleep at night, and even practicing swordsmanship feels dull.”
“If I could marry one and experience it, I would feel refreshed, and even sword practice would become much more enjoyable.”
“The elder’s widow you mentioned, Junior Brother, has captured my interest. I’m quite keen on pursuing her. Please help me make the connection, and I’ll be eternally grateful.”
Upon hearing this, Cai Zhang was speechless. He stared wide-eyed at his handsome and elegant Senior Brother. Despite being fellow disciples for years, he had never known him to be like this!
Lu Chengfeng felt embarrassed under his gaze, but for the sake of his martial arts progress, he could only put on a lustful facade.
Seeing that Cai Zhang remained silent for a while, he couldn’t help but cough twice and ask, “Is there something troubling you, Junior Brother?”
Cai Zhang snapped back to reality and quickly shook his head. “No, no. I was just thinking about how to introduce you to that elder’s widow, Senior Brother.”
“The place where the widows of Inner Peak elders reside is called the Hall of Virtuous Widows. The families of any Inner Peak disciples who have met with misfortune live there.”
“Although it’s not a forbidden area, outsiders are not allowed to enter and exit freely, to prevent those with ill intentions from harming the families of the sect’s disciples.”
“I’ve only been there a few times after receiving tasks from the General Affairs Hall.”
Lu Chengfeng thought for a moment and said, “That’s easy to solve. How about I write a letter expressing my admiration, offering her the position of a concubine, and leave a token of my sincerity? We’ll see if she’s interested. What do you think?”
Cai Zhang didn’t find this proposal abrupt. After all, the elder’s widow was already thirty-six or thirty-seven years old, not some naive young girl. After so many years in the sect, she had experienced the warmth and coldness of human relationships and was very perceptive about many things.
With someone like her, it’s even more important to be direct and express your intentions clearly. Otherwise, it might lead to misunderstandings. If she thinks you have ulterior motives, it would be even more troublesome.
“Alright, Senior Brother, make sure your letter is sincere and not frivolous, so as not to offend her.”
“Naturally, I understand.” Lu Chengfeng called out to the waiter, and soon a young man who was serving upstairs came running in and asked, “What can I do for you, honored guests?”
Lu Chengfeng said, “Please prepare some brush, ink, paper, and an inkstone for me. If you have an envelope, that would be even better. If not, please do me a favor and run an errand to get one. I’ll pay you extra for your trouble.”
As he spoke, he took out some silver pieces from his sleeve pouch and handed them over. The waiter eagerly accepted the silver, his face beaming with a smile. “Please wait a moment, sir. I’ll be right back.”
About fifteen minutes later, the waiter returned with a tray. On it were the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone, which he carefully arranged on the table.
“Sir, here are the things you requested. Is there anything else you need?”
Lu Chengfeng glanced at them. The brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were all ordinary items, not of particularly high quality. However, the content of the letter was what mattered most, so there was no need to be picky about these things. He dismissed the waiter.
“Junior Brother, do you know the woman’s name?”
Cai Zhang replied, “Her given name is unknown, but I’ve heard people call her Lady Qiutong.”
“Qiutong, what a beautiful name.”
Lu Chengfeng personally ground the ink, then pondered for a moment before an idea came to him. He spread out a sheet of rice paper, dipped his brush in the ink, and a line of elegant small seal script flowed onto the white paper.
The writing in this world was called seal script, divided into large and small seal script. Large seal script was commonly used for rituals, inscriptions, and plaques, while small seal script was used for daily correspondence and writing.
Lu Chengfeng had achieved minor accomplishments in both internal and external martial arts, and his control of strength was precise. Naturally, his calligraphy was not bad either. His strokes carried a sense of passion and freedom, letting anyone who saw it know that the writer was a young man.
After writing a full page, Lu Chengfeng finally stopped. He waited for the ink to dry, then carefully folded the letter and placed it in the envelope.
The attentive waiter had even prepared a clay seal. Lu Chengfeng used his fingerprint to seal the envelope. After some thought, he took a jade pendant from the hilt of his sword and handed it to Cai Zhang along with the letter.
“Junior Brother, I’m entrusting this matter to you,” Lu Chengfeng said solemnly. “If Lady Qiutong has any questions or wants to inquire about me, tell her the truth. There’s no need to hide anything.”
“If there’s a chance to meet her in person and express my admiration directly, that would be even better.”
Seeing his eagerness and seriousness, Cai Zhang sighed inwardly but couldn’t do anything about it. He could only accept the envelope and the sword tassel. “Don’t worry, Senior Brother. Once I return to the hall, I’ll take the initiative to take on tasks related to the Hall of Virtuous Widows. I should be able to get a reply soon.”
“But Senior Brother, don’t get your hopes up too high. If it doesn’t work out, that’s normal. After all, she’s the widow of an elder, and she’ll have her own concerns.”
Lu Chengfeng simply said, “Please do your best, Junior Brother. If the lady refuses, please find a way for me to meet her in person. I’ll be deeply grateful.”
“Heroes truly are swayed by beauties!” Cai Zhang sighed, bowed, and said his farewells. “Rest assured, Senior Brother, I’ll take care of this matter.”
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