Helpless Acceptance

Li Jiudao looked at Xia Yan, who had stepped forward for him, with a brilliant smile on his face.

"Indeed, I made the right choice befriending Xia Yan. She hasn't disappointed me; when she decides to act, she means it!" Li Jiudao thought to himself.

"Ning Jie is such a coward. He's powerless but still tries to act tough. Little did he know how formidable Xia Yan is; she scared him away," Li Jiudao assumed, unaware that it was the little white cat who had frightened Ning Jie away, mistakenly attributing it to Xia Yan.

"Come on, let's continue hunting and gather some delicious prey. We'll have a feast when we return!" Li Jiudao said with a cheerful expression.

"Great!" Xia Yan's eyes lit up at the thought. Li Jiudao was known for his exceptional cooking skills, and his dishes were unparalleled. What's more, the ingredients he used contained incredible life essence, making them highly nourishing.

Excited, she drew her bow to start hunting, but then realized she couldn't pull the bowstring.

"Oh, I forgot to retract my spiritual power," she realized. She had forgotten to retract her spiritual power, which was why she couldn't draw the bowstring earlier.

"Elder Daren said we should hunt like ordinary people," she withdrew her spiritual power and tried again, this time easily pulling the bowstring.

However, she missed her target again.

"Don't worry," Li Jiudao reassured Xia Yan, offering guidance once more.

...

A row of magnificent palaces connected seamlessly, exuding grandeur. This was the imperial palace of the Xia Kingdom.

"Why is King Ning here to propose again? I made my stance clear the last time," a middle-aged man in imperial robes, sitting on the dragon throne, expressed his displeasure.

He was the emperor of the Xia Kingdom, Xia Yan's father, Emperor Xia.

The last time King Ning came to propose, he had unequivocally informed him that it was not possible. Now, King Ning was back with the same request; did he not take the emperor's words seriously?

King Ning remained calm and said softly, "This time is different. I believe this time Emperor Xia will agree to this marriage."

"Emperor Xia?" Emperor Xia raised an eyebrow.

In the Xia Kingdom, only he could refer to himself as "Emperor." Even other monarchs from different kingdoms visiting Xia wouldn't dare to address themselves as "Emperor" in front of him.

Why was King Ning using such a term?

"Oh? Why does King Ning think I would agree to this marriage?" Emperor Xia inquired, without displaying anger, his voice low and measured.

Emperor Xia was a shrewd thinker. He knew that something was amiss when King Ning addressed himself as "Emperor" before him. He wanted to hear more before making a decision.

"Because if this marriage goes through, the Xia Kingdom will prosper to an unprecedented level. No one in the Eastern region will dare to disrespect the Xia Kingdom, including the Tai Hua Sect and the Luo Yun Sect, those cultivation sects," King Ning chuckled. "I believe Emperor Xia will not refuse such an opportunity."

Emperor Xia's expression changed.

If this marriage happened, even the powerful Tai Hua Sect and Luo Yun Sect in the Eastern region wouldn't dare to disrespect the Xia Kingdom? What was King Ning talking about?

The Tai Hua Sect and Luo Yun Sect were the most influential cultivation sects in the Eastern region, far surpassing the Xia Kingdom in terms of power. How could King Ning claim such a thing?

"Emperor Xia, I must mention that my son, Ning Jie, is now a prominent disciple of the Seven Stars Sect in the Central region," King Ning proudly declared.

"The Seven Stars Sect from the Central region!?" Emperor Xia suddenly stood up, his face filled with astonishment.

"Yes," King Ning confirmed.

"What!" Emperor Xia was shocked. He couldn't believe that Ning Jie had become a prominent disciple of the Seven Stars Sect!

The Seven Stars Sect was a top-tier force in the Central region, and even the Tai Hua Sect and the Luo Yun Sect couldn't compare to it. A casual move by the Seven Stars Sect could annihilate the Tai Hua Sect and other major Eastern cultivation sects.

"Will Emperor Xia still refuse?" King Ning asked with a smile.

"Haha, it's an honor for the Xia Kingdom. How could I refuse?" Emperor Xia laughed and changed his self-reference, no longer addressing himself as "Emperor."

The Seven Stars Sect could easily crush the Tai Hua Sect and the Luo Yun Sect. How could he dare to refuse? If he did, he knew the consequences would be dire, and the Xia Kingdom would be on the verge of ruin.

"This is a significant matter, and there's no room for any mistakes. King Ning, please rest in the Xia Kingdom for a while. I'll summon the princess, and then we can discuss the wedding date," Emperor Xia said with a smile.

"Very well," King Ning nodded. Everything was going as planned; Emperor Xia had no choice but to agree.

Emperor Xia personally arranged accommodations for King Ning and then let out a heavy sigh, looking visibly older.

"I'm sorry, my daughter..." he murmured.

He had no other choice but to agree, but he felt guilty for breaking his promise to Xia Yan. He had assured her that he wouldn't interfere in her marriage, but now he was going back on his word.

"I'll go in person," he decided. He knew Xia Yan's character well and believed that only he could persuade her to return.

In addition to ordinary citizens, he also had control over cultivators in the Xia Kingdom, and he possessed formidable strength himself.

"Take good care of King Ning, and make sure there's no disrespect," he instructed, then set off for the Tai Hua Sect.

The Xia Kingdom was far from the Tai Hua Sect, and it would take him several days to arrive there. However, he would return quickly.

The Tai Hua Sect had a teleportation array, and he could use it to return to the Xia Kingdom in no time. Such arrays were complex to create and required rare materials, which the Xia Kingdom did not possess. Only top-tier forces like the Tai Hua Sect had access to such technology.

"I hope Yan'er will understand..." he sighed and hurried towards the Tai Hua Sect.

These days, Xia Yan had taken a keen interest in archery. She frequently went hunting with Li Jiudao to practice her archery skills.

Li Jiudao wondered why she was so serious about it since archery skills were not useful for cultivators. Nevertheless, he enjoyed accompanying her on these outings.

After all, who wouldn't want to spend time with a beautiful woman?

Moreover, taking Xia Yan hunting meant he didn't have to endure her excruciatingly terrible piano playing. Her music was like a cacophony of ghostly wails and wolf howls.

Over the past few days, Xia Yan had shown remarkable improvement in archery, hitting the bullseye nearly every time, her arrows never missing the mark.

"Not bad at all! This bow is now yours," Li Jiudao smiled. "I made it on a whim and never gave it a name. From now on, it's yours. Why don't you give it a name?"