Chapter Fifty-Six: Snow White Says, "You’ll Get Drunk and Lose Control"

“Ah, it’s all trouble caused by youth,” Qi sighed. “Senior, your insight is remarkable. I just fought with a fire cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage. I don’t know his identity, but he left in a hurry, looking anxious. I wasn’t fast enough to stop him.”

“Then come with me to the branch division and confirm the matter. If he’s not a disciple of my Qiqi Sect, I won’t trouble you, and you’ll be free to leave. But if he is one of our disciples, no matter what the cause of the dispute, you will have to pay the price,” the cool, aloof woman said, her tone tinged with dominance and a strong inclination to protect her sect’s disciples.

Qi’s expression darkened. Wouldn’t this investigation expose him? As he considered whether to resist and play dead, a familiar woman behind the aloof lady spoke up. “Master, please show mercy. He is my fiancé.”

The words stunned both the aloof woman and the man behind her. Qi gave a bitter smile, thinking, “So I can’t escape after all?”

“Your Highness, it’s been a while,” he said. Indeed, the woman before him was the very princess to whom the Emperor of Qi had betrothed him during his days as a general. He had run away from the marriage, and from what he heard on occasion in the city, this princess had caught the eye of an immortal and was to become their disciple. Now, it seemed that the aloof woman was this immortal.

“So you are the general who fled his wedding. Who would have thought a cultivator would become a general in a mortal kingdom, only to run away on his wedding day? How strange,” the aloof woman’s expression softened, though the only handsome man present narrowed his eyes.

Qi could only manage an awkward laugh in silence.

“Since you are Xue’er’s fiancé, I won’t pursue this matter further. But whether you stay or leave is up to Xue’er. Xue’er, you’ve always refused to return with me because you were waiting for your fiancé. Now that you’ve found him, what do you intend to do?” The aloof woman handed Qi’s fate over to her newly accepted disciple.

What about my opinion? Well, Qi decided to take back his earlier impression that she was reasonable. She judged completely based on her relationship to those involved.

The princess slowly approached Qi, her gaze complex before settling into calm. Before everyone present, she reached out her jade-like fingers and smoothed the creases on Qi’s clothes, then adjusted his collar and spoke offhandedly, “Originally, I wanted you to stay in Qi and serve my father, but after learning you’re a cultivator, I realized that the small kingdom of Qi could not contain you. So come with us. Master says the Qiqi Sect is a top power in the entire southern region. Relying on such a sect is far better than wandering as a rogue cultivator. Is that alright, Master?”

Qi stood rigid, staring dazedly at the exquisite, unparalleled beauty before him. Her dark, wavy hair fell gracefully, and her alluring phoenix eyes held not a trace of seduction. Her delicate nose, finely shaped lips, and flawless, pale skin combined into a breathtaking visage that made Qi’s heart pound. Yet, as his heart stirred, a memory flashed of the black cat’s sorrowful silhouette crying in the rain, refusing to leave with him despite her sadness.

At that thought, the painful, soul-wrenching emotion returned, a shadow in his mind overwhelming him. He shuddered and instinctively stepped back, averting his gaze from his fiancé’s lovely face.

“If Xue’er has made this choice, I’ll support her,” the aloof woman said, frowning as she glanced at Qi’s retreat. “I’ll request the other elders to accept him as a registered disciple; it shouldn’t be too difficult.”

The princess seemed unsurprised by Qi’s retreat. “You really have forgotten, haven’t you?...”

“Uh, I’d like to think it over,” Qi said, scratching his cheek with a forced laugh.

“You don’t need to consider. Whether you agree or not, as long as Xue’er wants you in Qiqi Sect, I’ll take you with us. You can’t escape,” the aloof woman said coolly, still prioritizing her disciple over outsiders.

Qi was speechless, but indeed he couldn’t resist—his strength was far inferior. Unless he feigned death or fled again. But the brief moment had been enough for Qi’s mind to work at full speed. With no clear goals in the short term, joining the Qiqi Sect seemed a reasonable choice. Shelter under a great tree offers comfort; cultivating with a powerful sect would provide abundant resources and fewer troubles.

All his aims had a common prerequisite: strength. Without strength, he could not defeat madness, nor rescue the mother he’d never met, nor live freely. As now, lacking power, he had no right to choose his path.

“General Qi, though you ran from our wedding, we are still engaged unless you formally break off the engagement, or I do. I have no intention of ending it for now. If you dare to break it off…”

“I’ll kill him,” the aloof woman interjected, offering a convenient excuse.

Hey, why does it feel like my impression of you is collapsing? Qi wondered if his retreat had provoked his fiancé, causing her attitude to drop several notches.

“Of course, you are free, but I have two requests. First, my name is Bai Xue. Don’t call your fiancé ‘Princess’ anymore. Call me Bai Xue or Fellow Bai. I’ve entered the world of cultivation, so leave the princess title behind,” Bai Xue, the princess, once again swayed her slender waist as she walked up to Qi, her eyes locking onto his, as if searching for something.

Qi forced a bitter smile, retreating two more steps and turning his head away, complaining inwardly. Before entering the black cat’s world, he thought Bai Xue was a lovely name, matching the beautiful girl before him. He had heard that when she was born, snowflakes suddenly drifted down under blazing sunshine, a wondrous sight akin to snow in June, inspiring her name. But now, after gaining knowledge from another world, the name “Snow White” felt… Anyway, Qi just wanted to say, “Enough, this is madness.”

“Pa!” Qi’s retreat halted as Bai Xue grabbed his hand. Just as he thought of the black cat again, melancholy overcame him. He forcefully shook off Bai Xue’s hand, retreated five meters, and stopped, awkwardly saying, “Yes, Fellow Bai speaks sensibly, but pulling and tugging in public is a bit improper, isn’t it?”

This time Bai Xue was taken aback, then resumed her cool expression. “Second request, which you must obey and is most important—you must not drink. Not a single drop.”

Now Qi was stunned, confused. “Why?”

“Because you go mad when drunk. Absolutely mad,” Bai Xue replied, utterly certain.

(Bai Xue says: “Asking for recommendation votes—if you vote, your girlfriend will help tidy your collar; if you don’t have one… you can ask the assistant to help.”)