Volume One, Chapter 18: Gong Becomes the Wife, Han the Concubine

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Seeing Old Gong arrive, the Han couple immediately felt as if facing a formidable enemy. It seemed the Gong family daughter also wanted to marry in! Tsk tsk, this was not a good sign. The couple exchanged a glance, their hearts suddenly chilled.

“Sister-in-law, what are you…?” Mrs. Han hurriedly asked.

Mrs. Gu gave a forced smile, her eyes cold. “Isn’t this all your doing? Your daughter’s life has become such a burden because of you. No choice, the unfortunate help the unfortunate—otherwise, how would life go on?”

Old Gong wasn’t a man of many words; if he were, he would have long scolded the Han couple harshly.

“What about my Jingyue?” Mrs. Han was desperate, grabbing Mrs. Gu and pleading, “You can’t just ignore my Jingyue. If it weren’t for your Gu Lan, how would she have ended up like this? Besides, the two kids are so close!”

“Are you done? If so, you can leave now!” Mrs. Gu bluntly issued the dismissal.

“Mother, I love Jingyue, and I want to marry her!” Gu Lan stubbornly shouted from the corner.

Old Gong slammed his teacup into pieces, his voice fierce. “Boy, I’m still alive. You have no right to bully my daughter and then shirk responsibility!” he growled.

In the entire Xiao Han Village, Old Gong was considered a master. Having reached the seventh stage of Qi Refining, he was the village’s top expert, far beyond the Han couple’s level.

Gu Lan was frightened by Old Gong’s overwhelming wrath. Mrs. Gu quickly said, “If you want to marry Jingyue, that’s not impossible.”

Old Gong glared angrily, but the Han couple were overjoyed.

Mrs. Gu continued, “If you want to enter the Gu family, fine, but you have to be a concubine!”

Upon hearing this, the smiles on the Han couple’s faces instantly froze.

“A concubine? Jingyue a concubine?” Mrs. Han’s eyes widened.

“Exactly,” Mrs. Gu nodded. “Either a concubine, or forget it. It’s up to you.”

Concubine? How could that be? Mrs. Han immediately rejected the idea. Their daughter was beautiful and refined—how could she be a concubine?

But this resistance lasted only briefly. Mrs. Gu was already negotiating the wedding details with the Gong family. If they dared to refuse, it would no longer be the Han family’s concern.

“What should we do, husband?” Mrs. Han nearly cried.

Mr. Han sighed, “Fine, it will be as is.”

Better to be a concubine than to stay home and be mocked by the village.

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“All right, Sister Gu, I agree!” Mr. Han declared.

So, the wedding invitation Jiang Heng received was actually for Gu Lan and Gong Huimin. As for Han Jingyue, she was just an extra.

Back home, Jiang Heng tossed the invitation to Butler Luo. “You handle it.”

Luo took the invitation. “Since they’re all classmates, just send some customary gifts. You don’t need to go. If you go, you’re just giving them face.”

Jiang Heng nodded. “Of course, I’m too lazy to go. If I do, it’s only to collect debts.”

It turned out Gu Lan had been repaying Han Jingyue’s debts. Now that they were family, these debts became shared.

“Debts?” Luo was surprised.

Jiang Heng explained, “I spent a lot on Han Jingyue before they broke up. Naturally, I can’t just give it away. Gu Lan, trying to be a hero, took on the debt, so the IOU is in his name.”

“I see!” Luo chuckled. “Good, that’s how it should be! But can they pay it back?”

“I gave them ten years, which is generous. Luo, remember to send people to collect from time to time. Whether we get it back or not doesn’t matter; they just need to remember the debt,” Jiang Heng instructed.

The wrinkles on Luo’s face relaxed into a smile. “I know what to do!”

Such a small matter was easily handled.

Ah, the young master has finally grown up, understanding the importance of clear debts and favors.

The Gu family’s wedding date was fast approaching.

Because of the disgraceful events, the Gu, Han, and Gong families all faced punishment from the academy, so the wedding was modest. Only close relatives and friends, along with some academy classmates, were invited.

On the wedding day, Gong Huimin wore a bright red bridal dress but bore no smile.

She never wanted to marry Gu Lan, especially with Han Jingyue becoming Gu Lan’s concubine—that was unbearable!

Meanwhile, Han Jingyue was carried into the Gu residence in a small sedan chair. Her pink attire and concubine status dampened the joy of marrying Gu Lan.

Few guests came to congratulate the newlyweds; only close family and friends attended. No casual acquaintances came.

None of the academy’s classmates showed up either, which deeply disappointed Mrs. Gu. She had hoped to collect some gifts from them to offset their losses.

Now, neither guests nor gifts arrived. She had prepared much for the banquet and truly suffered a loss.

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But the master of ceremonies announced, “Young Master Jiang Heng of the Jiang family sends congratulations to the newlyweds.”

Mrs. Gu was delighted. Even Gu Lan’s eyes brightened, admiring Jiang Heng’s gesture.

However, the visitor only presented a full bridal bed set, without any valuable spirit stones or cash gifts.

Butler Luo smiled at Gu Lan and said, “My young master is still in the Dan Institute and couldn’t come in person, so he sent me to extend his congratulations.”

After the formalities, he turned and left. The young master was not on good terms with them and certainly wouldn’t stay for the feast.

Gu Lan and Han Jingyue’s hearts were filled with mixed emotions. After seeing off the guests, they proceeded to the bridal chamber rituals.

But that night, Gu Lan did not enjoy the happiness of newlywed bliss.

He was horrified to discover a grave problem: it wasn’t fatigue causing his lack of response these past days—it was complete impotence!

How could this be? He was only sixteen!

That night, Gu Lan was deeply dejected, barely sleeping a wink.

Since returning from his trial, Jiang Heng had begun gathering spirit herbs to refine pills.

To enter the sect beyond the main gate, one had to either reach the Foundation Establishment stage before thirty or achieve a certain level in pill refining and formation techniques.

That level was Triple Grade. A third-grade pill master could refine third-grade pills, which were suitable for Foundation Establishment cultivators.

To reach that level required not only refined skills but also peak Qi Refining cultivation.

Jiang Heng’s previous life cultivation was at the twelfth level of Qi Refining, but his pill refining skill was only at level two. Rapid advancement in the Dan Institute alone was insufficient; he needed to find a renowned teacher elsewhere.

But the best pill masters were all inside the sect, which he couldn’t enter. Outside, there were three pill workshops in the market.

Each workshop was led by a fourth-grade pill master who had come from the sect. To study under them, all one needed was a recommendation from a disciple of the sect’s ancestor.

Jiang Heng, reborn, was no rigid traditionalist. He would seize every opportunity available to him.

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