Chapter Eleven: An Overflowing Fortune

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The scene shifts.

Within the Hundred Flowers Valley, Chu Linfeng’s earth-shattering slide-tackle left everyone in shock. Those unaware might have thought the Valley Master’s long-lost illegitimate son had finally been found, for he knelt with such startling realism and fluidity!

"Mo... Mother-in-law—I mean, Elder, please, what is it you wish to say?" Chu Linfeng asked, his eyes locked firmly onto the seven-colored gemstone ring, never once looking away.

"Cough, cough. I have an object here, and I wonder if the God of War might deign to look upon it?" the noble lady asked with a benevolent gaze.

"Oh? If you want to give it to me, just give it to me. Why ask if I like it? Playing games of mystery—could it be that the leader is testing the cadre? That must be it! Good thing I didn’t get too impatient and fall into her trap. Yes, I must decline three times and yield three times first!" Chu Linfeng mused to himself.

"No, no, no! This is too precious, I cannot accept it! Please, Madam, take it back!" Chu Linfeng feigned high-mindedness and waved his hands frantically.

"Cough, cough. I had anticipated that such worldly trifles would not catch the eye of the God of War. It was my presumption." Saying this, she handed the ring to Tang Xie. "Xie’er, you take this Hundred Flowers Ring for now."

"Yes, Mother!" Without the slightest hesitation, Tang Xie nodded, reached out, and took it.

Chu Linfeng’s guts turned to vinegar with regret. *What a catastrophe!* he thought. *What is this? Not only does the mother-in-law not play by the rules, but even this girl Tang Xie is so blunt? She just took it like that? What kind of mother and daughter are they? What kind of family is this!*

Immediately, an even more gut-wrenching thought occurred to him: *Wait, you have two daughters. If you give it to Tang Cai, isn't that the same as giving it to me? Why the favoritism toward the younger sister? If it’s in her hands, will I ever get my share? Oh, my heavens! First, the sisters were acting, and now this national-level actress has joined the fray. The whole family is working together to play me!*

As he thought this, he touched his knees, which were aching from the force of his landing, feeling both pained and furious. Tears actually welled up in his eyes.

The noble lady, naturally, had no idea how wild the boy’s imagination was. Seeing the handsome, ethereal youth weeping just like her two daughters, she was overcome with heartache and couldn't help but shed tears of her own.

"Why are you crying? Oh, what a fine child! How kind-hearted!" Trembling, the lady said, "It is certain, this object must surely belong to you. Reach out your hand."

"I’m crying? Wait, this object belongs to me?" Chu Linfeng’s spirits lifted again. *I knew it! It was just the leader testing the cadre. My kneeling was well-timed, and the pain was worth it! To spar in acting with a veteran performer, one must be genuine. So, the ring is coming back to me!*

Having learned his lesson and reflected deeply, Chu Linfeng did not hesitate this time. He mimicked Tang Xie’s actions and took the object without a second thought.

"Yes, Madam!" Chu Linfeng said, lowering his head while eagerly reaching out.

The noble lady tremblingly placed a slip of paper into his hand.

Chu Linfeng kept his head buried, grinning from ear to ear, terrified that if he looked up, others would see. After a moment, he wasn't sure if he had received anything or not—it felt as if there were something, yet nothing at all. He rubbed his fingers together; yes, there was definitely something.

"God of War, look up now... cough, cough." Seeing the lady speak, Chu Linfeng used the excuse of wiping his eyes to compose himself, then looked up, bewildered.

"This is it? A secret manual for immortal arts? My energy center is gone, what use is this to me? Where is the ring you promised?" Chu Linfeng stared at the paper, his mind blank. *What time is it? It’s almost dinner, why are they still acting?*

"Open it and look; you will understand once you see," the noble lady said with a mother’s kindness.

Half-doubting, Chu Linfeng opened the note to see four lines of verse: *Autumn ends and winter comes, the hundred flowers hide. With the oil spent and the lamp dried, what path remains? To see you is surely the day of parting; the jade tree in the wind entrusts the flower-groom.*

"Wow!" As Chu Linfeng was puzzledly reciting the lines, the lady vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Mother! Valley Master!" Everyone screamed in terror. The lady pressed her hand down, signaling for silence, urging Chu Linfeng to think carefully.

"Twelve years ago, an immortal hid this in a box and promised that I should retrieve the key this autumn to open it," the lady explained while wiping the blood away. "When I sent my daughter to retrieve it, I was already terminally ill. I hoped it might be a life-saving elixir, and if so, all would be well. I also considered what would happen if it were not. I am not one who fears death, but once I am gone, what will become of my two daughters and these elderly and weak disciples in the valley?"

"Mother! You will be fine! The Hundred Flowers Valley cannot—must not—be without you!" Tang Cai and Tang Xie wept, collapsed before the bed.

After that last mouthful of blood, the lady felt her life force fading. She could no longer comfort her children and hurried to give her final instructions.

"Autumn passes, winter comes... the oil is spent... the immortal foresaw that I would not survive the winter. To see you is the day of parting... cough... Since my husband passed, the Hundred Flowers Valley has stopped taking in disciples and closed its gates. Few have entered. Now... you arrived with my daughter just as the immortal predicted. 'The jade tree in the wind entrusts the flower-groom'... Chu Linfeng... Linfeng... 'entrusts the flower-groom'... Peach Blossom God of War... Hundred Flowers Valley... how could there be such a coincidence..."

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"Mother! Stop talking! I will throw this jinx out of the valley right now!" Chu Linfeng was still in a daze, but Tang Xie suddenly realized what was happening. She jumped up, grabbed Chu Linfeng, and tried to drag him out of the room.

"Xie’er! Do not be rude!" The lady quickly stopped her. "Mother, this is destiny! This God of War, Chu, is the very 'peace of mind' the immortal has granted me!"

Looking at the agitated lady, Chu Linfeng was even more baffled. *What does that mean? I’m a 'peace of mind' pill? Damn it! They aren't going to turn me into medicine, are they?!*

"Younger sister... Miss is right, I am a jinx! I will disappear immediately!" Before he could finish, he turned to run, thinking, *This is too terrifying! This is a man-eating flower!*

"Come back!" Before Chu Linfeng could take two steps, Tang Cai pulled him back. Having lost his cultivation, Chu Linfeng was like a chick in her hands. She hauled him back to the bedside, pressed down on his shoulders, and *thump*, he was kneeling again.

At this moment, Chu Linfeng felt as if his insides were burning. He screamed internally: *The heavens are unjust! Even the immortals are conspiring against me! I shouldn't have eloped! I shouldn't have been greedy for the dowry! I haven't pleased the mother-in-law, and now I've lost my life!*

"God of War, are you unwilling? Do you wish to leave the Hundred Flowers Valley to its fate? To watch me die with my eyes open in regret?" The lady looked at the fleeing Chu Linfeng with more urgency than he himself felt.

Hearing this, Chu Linfeng slumped onto the floor, his eyes hollow. He sighed inwardly, *That’s it! This woman surely wants me to trade my life for hers.*

The lady, unaware of his thoughts, said excitedly, "God of War, please turn and look—cough, cough. Since my husband passed, the talents of Hundred Flowers Valley have withered. Those who truly wanted to cultivate have left, leaving only the weak and the old. Steward Mo, his family was eaten by beasts thirty years ago, and my husband and I saved him. Look at the boy on your left, his name is Tang Ying. He was born with a brain disease that blinded his right eye, and his parents abandoned him in the snow; I found him and took him in. And the boy on your right with the severed arm, his name is Li Gan. He cut off his own arm to repay his father's debt. He was only eight years old! Think of the pain!"

"Valley Master, please, say no more!" Steward Mo and the others wailed in grief.

Chu Linfeng slowly stood up and turned to look at them, unable to hold back his own sobs.

"And all these orphaned girls behind... cough... ask them... which one of them hasn't lost their home and family? What aspirations can they have? They are weak women who only seek a roof to shield them from the wind and clothing to cover their bodies, just to survive!" As she spoke, the lady’s tears flowed like a fountain, and the women wept even more bitterly.

"Alas! They are like me—poor souls without fathers or mothers," Chu Linfeng sighed, looking up as tears fell.

He touched his abdomen and whispered to himself, "I didn't even manage to take care of my brother as I promised. Now that my energy center is gone, I am a cripple in this world. Perhaps it is for the best to go to the underworld and reunite with them... it would be better than..."

Chu Linfeng turned and bowed. "I await your command, Madam!"

"Good! Good! Good..." Hearing this, the lady slowly sat up straight, then looked at the crowd, coughing. "Does my word still carry weight?"

"The Valley Master has given us the gift of a second life! Whatever you command, we will go through fire and water, even if it costs us our lives!" Steward Mo led the way.

"Through fire and water, we will not refuse!" the crowd shouted in unison.

The lady looked at her daughters. "And you two?"

"We follow Mother's wishes!" the sisters replied together.

The lady raised her hand in a sword-finger gesture, looked up, and wept, "I, Yang Mengjiao, the fourth-generation Master of Hundred Flowers Valley, weep and kowtow to our ancestors. Since my husband’s passing, I have held the valley until this day. Talents have withered, the sect has declined, and despite my heart's blood, I have achieved nothing. Now, my oil is spent, and I go to the underworld to beg forgiveness from the ancestors and my husband!"

Hearing her self-reproach, the crowd sobbed, "Valley Master! Do not demean yourself! What sin have you committed!"

The lady ignored their pleas and continued, "Fortunately, the immortal took pity and granted us a virtuous groom. I pray the ancestors have spirits in the afterlife to protect this youth. I do not ask him to hold up a collapsing sect, but to save these lives in this world."

She dropped her hand. Looking at the crowd kneeling before the bed, she spoke with newfound strength, "Disciples of Hundred Flowers Valley, hear my command!"

The crowd, who had been slumped in grief, straightened their posture along with the two sisters and shouted, "We hear your command!"

"I, Yang Mengjiao, as the fourth-generation Valley Master, issue my final order: from this day forward, Chu Linfeng is the fifth-generation Master of Hundred Flowers Valley!"

Having said this, the old lady’s spine collapsed, and she sank back onto the bed. The faint flush of blood that had returned to her face from seeing her daughters vanished entirely.

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Hearing this, Chu Linfeng and everyone else froze as if turned to stone.

"Valley Master, this cannot be! Even if you pass on the position, it should go to the two young ladies, not to an outsider!" Steward Mo was the first to react, bowing. "Yes, yes, please reconsider, Valley Master!" the crowd echoed.

Chu Linfeng suddenly realized—it wasn't that they wanted to turn him into medicine; this "peace of mind" was about entrusting the sect to him on her deathbed. Having just survived a catastrophe, Chu Linfeng didn't care about power; his only thought was to save his own skin and flee.

"Madam, they are right! I am an outsider. Taking over the sect is a family matter; how could you entrust it to me?" Chu Linfeng clasped his hands.

"Cough, cough. God of War, come closer. I have two treasures to give you." The lady beckoned him.

Chu Linfeng thought, *This works! Giving up the position of Valley Master for two treasures? That’s a great deal.* He knelt down again, without hesitation, and reached out both hands.

The lady smiled kindly. "Cai’er, Xie’er, you two reach out your hands as well!" The two sisters obeyed, and the lady took their hands and placed one in each of Chu Linfeng’s palms. All three were stunned.

"When I offered the valley's greatest treasures earlier, you did not take them, and I knew I could trust you. These two are my greatest treasures. You cannot refuse. I heard you lament that your parents are gone, so today I will make the decision for you. Today, I betroth both my daughters to you. From this day forward, you are a member of our Hundred Flowers Valley," the lady coughed.

"Ah! Mother, you want me to share a husband with my sister? I refuse!" Tang Xie pulled her hand back and shouted. Her sister’s face flushed red, but she remained silent. Chu Linfeng also exclaimed:

"Madam, this is not appropriate! This violates ethics and norms! One is enough..."

"This must not be! Valley Master, absolutely not!" The crowd also cried out. If the position of Valley Master fell to an outsider, and the two young ladies were also his, wouldn't they be completely taken over by a thief?

"Silence! You all claim to listen to me! Now not one of you obeys—do you want me to die with my eyes open in regret? You... you... cough, ugh!" The lady’s expression grew frantic. After vomiting a mouthful of blood, she could no longer speak, only staring wide-eyed and pointing at Chu Linfeng.

Seeing this, Tang Cai and Tang Xie pushed at her, crying. "Mother! Don't scare us! Mother, speak to us!"

"Valley Master! Valley Master!" The crowd rushed forward in terror.

The lady still did not speak, only staring and pointing at Chu Linfeng.

"Mother! Xie’er is willing to marry him! I will listen to everything you say! Mother, speak... Mother!"

The crowd also knelt, saying, "We will all follow the Valley Master’s will! We dare not disobey!"

The lady remained silent, pointing.

Tang Cai wiped her tears and turned to the crowd. "Let us all pay respects to our new Valley Master." She pulled the struggling Tang Xie toward him.

"We pay respects to Valley Master Chu!" Everyone kowtowed in unison.

"Everyone, get up, get up! Old man, please, get up!" Chu Linfeng hurriedly pulled them up one by one. "Tang Cai, Tang Xie, you too, get up!"

After pulling the sisters up, Tang Cai tugged at Tang Xie’s sleeve. "Pay respects to your husband."

Tang Xie sobbed and obeyed. The two sisters bowed to Chu Linfeng. "We greet you, Husband!" Chu Linfeng quickly lifted their arms. "Get up, get up!"

After everyone was helped up, the lady was still seen staring and pointing.

Tang Cai wept, "Husband, Mother must be waiting to hear you agree, that is why she is still holding on!"

Chu Linfeng hurriedly knelt before the bed. "I, Chu Linfeng, am willing to take over Hundred Flowers Valley. I will treat Tang Cai and Tang Xie well and never fail them! From this day on, the people of Hundred Flowers Valley are my own kin, and their affairs are my affairs. I, Chu Linfeng, will carry the burden of this valley on my shoulders! If I break this vow, may the immortals strike me down! Mother-in-law, I, Chu Linfeng, pay my respects!" He bowed his head and knocked it against the floor.

Before Chu Linfeng could stand up, the lady’s hand dropped, and her eyes closed tightly.