Chapter 3003 - 3004: To Marry or Not to Marry

Chapter 3003: Chapter 3004: To Marry or Not to Marry

Ao Song’s father is called Zhong Kui. At first glance, it sounds a bit like Zhong Kui, supposedly because when his father saw him born so dark, he gave him this name.

The Zhong family seems to be quite down-to-earth, and the old Mr. Zhong isn’t very reliable either.

Zhong Kui ran all the way to ring the sound transmission bell that the family only uses in emergencies and then rushed to the Ancestral Hall.

In the Ancestral Hall, the tablets of the Zhong family ancestors are worshipped, but there’s also a Secret Chamber inside where the Life Talismans of all living members of the Zhong family are kept, including Ao Song’s.

He didn’t check the Life Talisman every day, so he didn’t notice anything had happened to Ao Song. When he saw it now, Ao Song’s Life Talisman was covered with web-like cracks, almost completely shattered.

He reached out but didn’t dare to touch it, his hand trembled violently, and he pulled it back.

"It’s bad, it’s bad, there’s a problem within the family." Zhong Kui murmured to himself, then rushed out again.

Within a short time, the elder men of the Zhong family gathered from all directions into the hall.

Ao Song had the steward arrange guest rooms for Bai Ruozhu and the others, asking them to look after the Astrologer first, then he hurried to the Assembly Hall.

"Someone wants to harm Songsong." Zhong Kui said firmly, "Not long ago, we discussed letting Songsong assume the Patriarch position, and now this has happened. It can’t be a coincidence!"

The Clan Elders already knew roughly what was happening and were very worried seeing Ao Song’s pale face.

"I don’t want to be the Patriarch, whoever wants to, let them do it. Why harm me like this? My friend shifted the backlash to save me, stop talking about other things for now, save him first! Otherwise, I’ll never get over this guilt for the rest of my life, I’ll hate myself to death." Ao Song cried.

"He’s still alive after transferring your backlash?" A Clan Elder asked in astonishment.

Ao Song quickly said, "Sister Ruozhu used medicine to hold it temporarily, but it’ll only last one or two days at most. Sister Ruozhu is Ning Rang’s disciple."

"What Ning Rang, it’s Zhong Ran." One Clan Elder said angrily, and Ao Song remembered Ning Rang was his younger brother.

The National Master Ning Rang left the Zhong family and even blocked a curse for an emperor, which infuriated his own brother the most.

The Zhong family doesn’t interfere with worldly matters and doesn’t get involved in any faction’s power struggles. Isn’t this breaking the Zhong family’s rules?

So Ning Rang was no longer considered part of the Zhong family.

"Exactly who could have access? Without all of us working together, how could we have opened the seal?" Another Clan Elder asked.

"Perhaps we can only open the seal and take a look now." Zhong Kui said.

His words seemed to stir up a storm, and the Clan Elders all began to oppose it.

"No! It’s against the rules to open it without a new member in the family. Who’s been born recently anyway?"

"Yeah, if we break the rules and something goes wrong, what then?"

"We can’t open it. What if it’s a trap by the opposition?"

"..."

Ao Song’s forehead was sweating from anxiety. "I don’t care if you open the seal or find some other way; you must save the Astrologer. He can’t die!"

At this moment, Ao Song’s mother arrived. Generally, the women of the Zhong family do not participate in meetings, but as the Patriarch’s wife, she could.

"Seeing the state of that child, he transferred all of Songsong’s curse to himself. It seems his magic technique should be quite exceptional, but from which family is he? Who’s his master?" Ao Song’s mother asked.

"The Astrologer is the first Yin Yang Master in Fusang, his spells surpass my own. If I had known he would do this, I wouldn’t have agreed to it no matter what." Ao Song said, crying self-reproachfully.

Ao Song’s mother exchanged glances with her husband, thinking that perhaps their daughter had developed feelings for that Yin Yang Master?

"This transferring backlash or its backlash, I’m afraid there’s no way." A Clan Elder sighed.

Ao Song’s body swayed, her mother hurriedly held her up, "Songsong, don’t worry, there will always be a way."

"How can I not worry? If there’s no way, it really will be too late." Ao Song’s eyes were filled with a dead stillness, "If he dies, I won’t hang on living. Rather than living in lifelong pain and regret, I might as well die too!"

"Songsong!" Zhong Kui was both angered and heartbroken. How could this child talk about death so lightly? Didn’t she know how worried he and her mother were?

Ao Song plopped down on her knees and kowtowed to everyone, "Father, Mother, all of you seniors, I beg you, please save the Astrologer!"

Ao Song’s mother, feeling heartbroken, pulled her daughter up and hugged her tightly.

The Clan Elders looked at each other, unable to think of any solution.

"I know!" Suddenly, a Clan Elder with white hair and beard cried out, "If that Astrologer became a member of the Zhong family, wouldn’t there be a new member and the seal could be opened? Perhaps he might even survive."

Ao Song’s mother thought of something, her face turned deathly pale, and she glared fiercely at that Clan Elder.

What he meant by becoming a member of the Zhong family was to marry someone from the Zhong family, but he also said perhaps he might survive. If he doesn’t, wouldn’t Ao Song become a widow?

If the Astrologer were to become a member of the Zhong family, his marriage to Ao Song could not be taken lightly; it must be a formal marriage contracted with the heavens and the earth.

A member of the Zhong family only marries once in a lifetime and only has one child. If the Astrologer couldn’t be saved, wouldn’t this ruin Ao Song as well?

Ao Song quickly realized, and excitedly said, "Yes, yes, Mother, you must make preparations, I will marry him, marry tonight!"

"No way!" Ao Song’s mother shouted, "This is too rash, you can’t just marry someone at will!"

"I’m not rash. Without him, I’d already be dead, none of you would have the chance to even see me one last time. Why can’t I marry him, why can’t I do everything to save him?" Ao Song raised her chin, angry at the questioning.

"But daughter, our family’s marriage isn’t like ordinary people’s. Do you truly wish to marry him, or do you simply want to repay the kindness?" Ao Song’s mother couldn’t help but cry, "Why not find a girl from a collateral branch? I’ll adopt her as a daughter; we’ll treat her well in the future."

This meant finding a collateral branch girl to marry the Astrologer; if he could be saved, Ao Song’s kindness would be repaid.

If he couldn’t be saved, at least Ao Song would be spared.

The Clan Elders all nodded in agreement; Ao Song was the one to succeed as Patriarch. If there were no heirs, then this position would need to be reassigned.

But with the dwindling offspring of the Zhong family, it’s quite challenging.

"No, I want to marry him." Ao Song said firmly, "This is my matter, no one can replace me, I also don’t want to see him marry someone else, especially without his consent."

Ao Song’s mother, unwilling to give up, asked: "How do you know he would want to marry you? He can’t even speak now."

"Someone who’s willing to give up his life for me, how could he be unwilling?" Ao Song’s tears flooded out, silencing her mother.

Indeed, that man, willing to sacrifice his life for Ao Song, how many men in this world could do that?

"Do as Songsong says. She’s grown up, she should choose her own path." Zhong Kui finally spoke.