# Chapter 4010: Lady Shiji's Price
Void Heaven's eyes showed undisguised envy and jealousy as he said, "Marrying Shiji, you're bold enough. Have you forgotten the lesson of A Fuya?"
Chan Bing said, "Shiji is trying to provoke a rift between you and Heavenly Mother! Who doesn't know the value of Houtu Wedding Gown? Whoever obtains it at the Half-Ancestor realm becomes invincible. Even when facing an Ancestor, they can fight for a chance to escape."
Wondrous Zen Maiden said, "Lady Shiji is famously narcissistic and jealous. Rumor has it that in her era, if anyone said another woman was more beautiful than her, that woman wouldn't live to see the next day. Too dangerous!"
"What's wrong?" Zhang Ruochen laughed. "You don't actually think I want to marry her, do you?"
Void Heaven's eyes narrowed into slits as he sneered coldly, "If it's not true, would Lady Shiji, a dignified Half-Ancestor, call out to you for no reason?"
"I think this deal works. Giving the Houtu Wedding Gown to Heavenly Mother gets you nothing. But marrying Lady Shiji is different—you'd leave a romantic legacy for ten thousand years, making future generations envious."
"The reason I had Soul Mother deliver a message to her was only to apply maximum pressure," Zhang Ruochen said.
Soul Mother was now Lian Xi's title, representing the Mother of the Soul Realm.
Void Heaven said, "Right, right, right. You succeeded!"
Zhang Ruochen couldn't be bothered to argue with Void Heaven, who was already red-eyed with jealousy. He said solemnly, "I'm thinking about one question—what is Lady Shiji's purpose in announcing this so publicly? What benefit does it bring her?"
Nutian Shenzun said, "You have to think about it in reverse—what harm does it do her? None at all."
"She's certain you won't give her the Houtu Wedding Gown, so she doesn't have to worry about actually marrying you."
"Instead, this brings her many intangible benefits! First, it tells the world's cultivators that you're pursuing her, and your actions against Tiannan are for this purpose. This is enough to dilute the aftermath of the Tiannan incident!"
"Second, if you still force Qingcang to cripple himself, you'll inevitably draw public criticism. People will think Lady Shiji rejected you, and in your anger and humiliation, you're doing this."
"Third, she can use this method to borrow your influence without paying any price. From now on, anyone who wants to be her enemy must consider you, her suitor."
Wondrous Zen Maiden said, "What Grandfather said only covers the benefits she gains if you don't respond. If you actually bring the Houtu Wedding Gown and go to marry her, she'll gain even more."
"First, if you truly want to marry her, she can resist now, but given your cultivation speed, she won't be able to resist in the future! So rather than compromising later, it's better to do it gloriously now."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Wondrous, do you really see me that way? Am I someone who likes to force others?"
"I'm just thinking from Lady Shiji's position, considering her inner thoughts," Wondrous Zen Maiden said.
Void Heaven said sarcastically, "You've never forced anyone? Back then in the Fate Divine Domain... forget it, I won't bring up old matters. Anyway, I think Soul Mother might have said something to Lady Shiji. What's with that look? My spiritual power is flawless, and I control the 'Fate Heavenly Scripture.' Isn't it normal for me to know some things?"
Zhang Ruochen naturally had to explain, "Soul Mother and I were both weak back then, living in the Hell Realm in difficult circumstances, with no security from day to day. We were just protecting ourselves. Old Ghost Void, can you calm down? We're discussing serious matters!"
Void Heaven remembered he still needed to borrow the Sword Heart, so he suppressed the jealousy in his heart, tucked his hands into his sleeves, closed his eyes, and said no more.
Wondrous Zen Maiden said, "Second, since ancient times, which top-tier cultivator hasn't wanted to collect all nine cauldrons and command the entire universe? You already have five of the nine cauldrons—how could you let Lady Shiji go? Her true body is the Darkness Cauldron."
"You haven't moved against her now only because your cultivation isn't sufficient."
"Every cultivator in the world, including Lady Shiji herself, knows clearly that as long as she doesn't break through to the Ancestor realm, she will inevitably have to fight you for dominance in the future."
Zhang Ruochen said, "What if she breaks through to the Ancestor realm?"
Nutian Shenzun's gaze was heavy as he said, "If she breaks through to the Ancestor realm before you, she will inevitably take the nine cauldrons. The best outcome would be to seal your cultivation, not giving you the chance to break through to the Ancestor realm. But with Qingtian's lesson, how could Lady Shiji make the same mistake? Killing you, eliminating the root, is her only correct choice."
At this point, Nutian Shenzun said, "Perhaps Lady Shiji has already seen the future and thinks that marrying you at this stage would be a better choice, avoiding future life-and-death conflicts."
Zhang Ruochen said, "So Divine Venerable believes Lady Shiji genuinely intends to marry me?"
"Who knows? A Half-Ancestor's heart isn't so easy to guess."
Nutian Shenzun said, "After this round of confrontation, your mutual probing has ended. You both have a general understanding of each other's bottom lines."
"I suggest you have an open and honest talk with her. Continuing to suspect each other like this isn't good. As for the Ancestor realm, it's still too distant for both her and you."
...
The news spread like it had wings, traveling extremely fast.
First, it caused shock among the Upper Three Clans on the Dark Abyss defense line. Countless cultivators envied Zhang Ruochen, only regretting they couldn't take his place.
"Strength—with absolutely powerful strength, what woman can't you marry? Train hard, I want to be the next Emperor Chen."
Countless young cultivators tore up their treasured portraits of Lady Shiji, abandoned all distracting thoughts, and sweated profusely, only wanting to go further in cultivation.
Many deities of the Death Clan were indignant.
They felt that Zhang Ruochen must have used Qingtian and Second Master's lives to force Lady Shiji to compromise.
Stone Clan cultivators fell into confusion.
"If Lady Shiji marries into the Sword Realm as the Empress, where does that leave our Stone Clan?"
"Of course, we join the Sword Realm too! Xiu Chen Heavenly God and White Divine Venerable already brought the cultivators of two Stone God Stars to join the Sword Realm. Moving there is just a matter of time."
"I predicted this day would come, but I didn't expect it so soon."
A Rakshasa cultivator refused to accept it, saying, "Impossible. Emperor Chen has already given the Houtu Wedding Gown to Heavenly Mother. How could he give it to Lady Shiji?"
The Stone Clan cultivator traveling with him said, "Are you questioning Lady Shiji's charm?"
"The Houtu Wedding Gown—the key word is 'wedding gown.' How could it be given away so easily? He only lent it to Heavenly Mother."
"You simply don't understand. For many cultivators, marrying Lady Shiji is more fulfilling than proving the Ancestor path."
...
When the news reached Wuding Divine Sea, it naturally caused a storm of debate.
Deities from various realms under the Sword Realm's banner became expectant, hoping Zhang Ruochen could bring Lady Shiji back to Wuding Divine Sea so they could glimpse the immortal beauty of the number one beauty through the ages.
As for the value of the Houtu Wedding Gown, they didn't care at all. Giving it to anyone was the same.
...
After using the Sword Heart to strike the Nether River fifteen times, Zhang Ruochen finally set off for the Glass Divine Temple.
Completely ignoring Lady Shiji's cleanliness obsession, he didn't bathe or change clothes before directly entering the temple.
Standing in the center of the hall, Zhang Ruochen raised his voice, "Milady should wake up now. You've stirred up such a storm—can you still sleep?"
Lady Shiji's palanquin bed was separated by a layer of light gauze and bead curtains.
Lian Xi and Bai Qinger stood on the left and right sides of the bead curtains.
As the Star Lord of Shiji God Star, after the battle with Desolate Heaven, Bai Qinger had come to the Glass Divine Temple to pay respects to Lady Shiji. To any Stone Clan cultivator, Lady Shiji, as a living Half-Ancestor, was worthy of respect, and one could also seek cultivation guidance from her.
A smiling voice came from the palanquin bed: "How could it compare to the storm you stirred up in Tiannan? Did you bring the Houtu Wedding Gown? Let me see it."
"I didn't bring the Houtu Wedding Gown."
"Then what are you here for?"
Zhang Ruochen saw that Lady Shiji was still playing dumb and knew she had turned the tables on him. So he stopped letting her lead and said, "I think marrying Milady doesn't actually require the Houtu Wedding Gown."
Silence fell in the hall.
After achieving the effect of striking the mountain to shake the tiger, Zhang Ruochen sat down in a seat on the right and said calmly, "With Milady's intelligence, you should be able to guess that my purpose in coming to the Dark Abyss defense line is to reclaim the Ghost Gate Pass that originally belonged to the Kunlun Realm."
Lady Shiji's voice was cold and clear: "The Fate Mirror, right? Yes, it once belonged to the Kunlun Realm, but it was swept away by the Nether Sea! I obtained it from the Nether Sea—why should I return it to you?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "If you use the Ghost Gate Pass as your dowry, I will marry you."
Lian Xi and Bai Qinger exchanged glances—the former shocked, the latter worried.
How could they have imagined Zhang Ruochen would dare say such a thing?
Bai Qinger naturally knew that Zhang Ruochen's aggressiveness and encroachment were intentional, deliberately setting the price high. But wasn't he afraid of angering Lady Shiji?
After all, she was an old-school Half-Ancestor.
After a long silence, Lady Shiji walked out from behind the bead curtains, releasing her Half-Ancestor might. Her eyes flickered with an uncertain deathly radiance as she said, "Does Emperor Chen truly believe he already possesses the strength to do whatever he wants in heaven and earth?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Is Milady saying that in the future, I will have the strength to do whatever I want in heaven and earth?"
"The future—who knows if there will be a future?" Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since no one knows what the future holds, let's talk about the present. I want to settle old accounts with Qingcang. You stopped me, saying you'd give me a satisfactory answer in one day. Your answer is to marry me—can I understand it that way?"
"Isn't this the result you wanted?" Lady Shiji countered.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Since everything is out in the open, let's stop with all the circumlocution. Why can't we be more straightforward? I trade Qingcang and Di for the Ghost Gate Pass—what does Milady think?"
Lady Shiji shot him a glare and said, "If you had used this attitude to talk with me from the start, would we have ended up in this situation? I, a Half-Ancestor, the number one beauty through the ages, have to sacrifice my reputation just to gain a little initiative."
Zhang Ruochen said, "Milady's methods have also damaged my reputation, haven't they? Now, cultivators of the Death Clan and Stone Clan all think I deliberately made things difficult for Tiannan, with the real purpose being to force you to marry me. Am I not wronged? I'm the victim here."
"Who knows if you really have such thoughts? A man who can fall in love with over a dozen women is like a greedy cat—how could he see a fish and not crave it? Especially when the plumpest, most delicious one is right in front of him." Lady Shiji's voice was soft, full of feminine charm. Anyone could hear the narcissism in her words.
Zhang Ruochen truly had no feelings for Lady Shiji. He always felt she was vast and unreal, like clouds and mist at the horizon, without that intimate desire to taste her beauty.
He said, "So, Milady has rejected my proposal?"
"I reject it."
Lady Shiji said, "You never intended to touch Qingcang in the first place. You were just scheming against me—how can you use him as your bargaining chip? As for Di, do you think you can take away the Fate Mirror with just an empty promise?"
Zhang Ruochen said, "Then what are Milady's conditions?"
"The value of the Fate Mirror is no less than that of the nine cauldrons. If it's forged together with the Sword Pavilion, Nether Prison, and Nether Purgatory into the legendary Seventy-Two Layer Tower, its value becomes even more incalculable. You need to exchange three things for it!" Lady Shiji said.
"Milady might as well tell me first."
Lady Shiji said, "The Five-Colored Glass Cover, the Desolate Moon, and of course, the Di you mentioned earlier."
Lady Shiji's demand for the Five-Colored Glass Cover was within Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
After all, the Five-Colored Glass Cover was refined from "Five-Colored Stone" and "Lighting Glass Lamp."
Five-Colored Stone was priceless to the Stone Clan and might even help Lady Shiji advance to the Ancestor realm.
But the Desolate Moon was beyond Zhang Ruochen's expectations.
So far, Zhang Ruochen only knew that the Desolate Moon had a deep connection with Bai Yuan, one of the Nine Great Witch Ancestors. It had floated above the Ancient Desolate Ruins City for many years, continuously absorbing the dark power of the Dark Abyss.
Inside the Desolate Moon, there was no concept of time or space, containing dark power that shared the same origin as dark anomalies.
Zhang Ruochen always felt that within the darkness of the Desolate Moon, there was a great secret hidden. Unfortunately, after multiple attempts to probe it with spiritual power and divine thoughts, he found nothing and had to give up.
Zhang Ruochen said, "Milady is being a bit excessive, isn't she? You're asking for too much!"
"Aren't you being excessive?" Lady Shiji revealed her charming smile again. "We're even. What you want to obtain is far more than just the Fate Mirror."
Zhang Ruochen didn't rush to bargain. "What exactly is the Desolate Moon? I think Milady must know."
"If you give it to me, I'll tell you," Lady Shiji said.
Zhang Ruochen shook his head.
Lady Shiji looked helpless and said, "Then I can only tell you that its use to you is minimal, yet it can bring you deadly disaster."
"Dark anomalies? Or Bai Yuan?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Lady Shiji shook her head. "It's not that simple."
Zhang Ruochen observed the furnishings in the hall and suddenly changed the subject. "Lian Xi and Qinger both respect Milady greatly, but if I ask, they will both leave with me. Does Milady know why?"
Lady Shiji looked at Lian Xi and Bai Qinger. Seeing that they didn't refute Zhang Ruochen's words, she felt somewhat annoyed but couldn't show it, lest she invite Zhang Ruochen's mockery.
She said with a light, breezy smile, "Emperor Chen is indeed a very charming man!"
Zhang Ruochen took out the walnut-sized Desolate Moon and directly tossed it to Lady Shiji. "Because whatever they need, if I have it, I will give it to them without hesitation. If I don't have it, I will find a way to get it for them."
Lady Shiji caught the Desolate Moon. After confirming it wasn't fake, a strange light appeared in her eyes. "A man like you is hard for women not to like."
"And the answer I want?" Zhang Ruochen said.
Lady Shiji calmed her violently fluctuating emotions. She knew she had fallen into Zhang Ruochen's rhythm, but it no longer mattered.
"Since Emperor Chen is so generous, how can I continue to hide things? Actually, by taking the Desolate Moon, I am deflecting a calamity for you."
Lady Shiji continued, "Do you know why Bai Yuan, one of the Nine Great Witch Ancestors, became the dark anomaly of the Immortal?"
"Why?"
"Because of the Black Dragon."
"Who?"
"The father of the Swastika Azure Dragon, the Hongmeng Black Dragon."
Lady Shiji began to narrate the secrets of the ancient desolate era. "During the ancient desolate period, the most intense battles were undoubtedly between the Witch Ancestors and the Immortals among the Primordial Beings. These Immortals were beings who had survived from the previous Calamity Epoch, hiding within the Twelve Ancient Clans."
"The fall of the Immortals marked the end of the Ancient Era and the beginning of the Desolate Era."
"Among them, after the Hongmeng Black Dragon fell, its dragon corpse was taken away by Bai Yuan and suppressed under Buzhou Mountain to prevent the corpse from giving birth to a new spirit. This Desolate Moon is the Immortal Dragon Pearl of the Hongmeng Black Dragon!"
Zhang Ruochen didn't regret it because of the Desolate Moon's value. Shocked in his heart, he couldn't help asking, "Milady knows the origin of the Desolate Moon. There must have been some Half-Ancestors and Ancestors in history who also knew, right? Why has the Desolate Moon shone over the Ancient Desolate Ruins City for ten thousand years without being taken away?"
(Chapter End)