You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal?

Chapter 38: Chapter 38: History’s Most Shameless... Husband

When it came to the mysterious disappearance of the birthday poem, the owner of the framing shop was full of grievances and didn’t know who to tell.

At first, he’d planned to find a famous calligrapher to make a copy. But even after approaching four or five well-known but destitute calligraphy masters in Shu State City, none could capture even a tenth of the original’s unique charm.

Still not ready to give up, the shop owner paid a hefty price to commission the famous calligrapher from Guiyun Academy, Mr. Yue Ming. Only then did he manage to get a copy that captured about half of the original’s essence.

He didn’t dare voice this opinion, however, afraid Mr. Yue Ming would take it as an insult. So, he held onto the piece, delaying for several more days before finally handing it over to Xiaodie.

What the shop owner didn’t know, however, was that the moment the scroll reached Chen Yi’s hands, he could tell his birthday poem had been switched.

And with a terribly clumsy imitation at that, as if they were afraid he *wouldn’t* notice.

”Calligraphy this bad, and they still dared to sign my name to it?”

”What? This isn’t your calligraphy, Young Master?”

After a brief explanation from Chen Yi, Xiaodie understood, and her brow furrowed in anger.

Before Chen Yi could say another word, she grabbed the scroll and stormed out the door.

”Young Master, I’m going to sort this out!”

Chen Yi watched her leave, shaking his head with a smile. He didn’t think much of it.

But when Xiaodie returned, she looked dejected. ”Young Master,” she said, ”the original scroll is gone for good.”

”Oh?”

”The owner of the framing shop said the original was stolen the very same night. The replacement he had framed was commissioned from Mr. Yue Ming of Guiyun Academy.”

Chen Yi simply said, ”Oh,” not taking the matter to heart.

Perhaps some calligraphy enthusiast had taken a liking to his work and stolen it on a foolish impulse.

”Where is the scroll now?”

”Still at the framing shop,” Xiaodie said indignantly. ”That owner is despicable! He didn’t say a word after losing it and even had someone make a copy. He’s just awful.”

Chen Yi glanced at her and asked hesitantly, ”You didn’t say anything... else, did you?”

Xiaodie thought for a moment. ”I said a lot of things. I’m not sure which part you’re asking about, Young Master.”

”Things along the lines of the copy being no good, that it was clumsy.”

”That... um... I think everything I said was along those lines.”

”...”

Chen Yi sighed and told her to grind some ink for him.

Xiaodie sensed something was off. While grinding the ink, she asked, ”Young Master, did I say something wrong?”

”Not exactly, it’s just...”

’That Mr. Yue Ming happens to be the teacher of the Third Place Scholar, Li Huai’gu.’

’If those words get back to him, it’ll just needlessly make an enemy.’

After a moment’s thought, Chen Yi decided not to explain further, lest Xiaodie worry about it. He picked up a Wolf Hair Brush and spread out a new sheet of Yunsong Paper.

After composing himself, a rough framework formed in his mind. He dipped the brush in ink, and with a turn of his wrist, began to rewrite ”A Celebration for Marquis Xiao.”

This time, he didn’t use the Wei Qingzi style. Instead, he employed his Cursive Script Pen Technique, which had already reached the Mastery Level.

With each fluid, unrestrained stroke, it was as if his calligraphy mirrored his state of mind. Wisps of his Qi Mechanism began to emerge, drawing in the surrounding Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence and gathering it at the tip of the Wolf Hair Brush.

Each character he wrote was a masterpiece in itself, perfectly formed, and a faint, shimmering white glow flickered over it.

Xiaodie craned her neck to watch from the side. When she saw the shimmering white light, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her.

She rubbed her eyes and looked again. The glow had indeed vanished from the finished characters, but it reappeared on the new one he was writing.

Xiaodie’s mouth fell slightly agape. She glanced from Chen Yi’s focused expression to the characters flowing from his brush.

After her gaze darted back and forth a few times, she quickly covered her mouth, not daring to speak for fear of disrupting the Mental Realm of her young master’s calligraphy.

Though she didn’t understand calligraphy or the meaning of this phenomenon, she knew that her young master seemed to be radiating light, and she dared not move a muscle.

「A moment later.」

Chen Yi finished writing, added the title, signed his name, and stamped his seal. Only then did he set down the Wolf Hair Brush and let out a long sigh of relief.

However, he was visibly exhausted. He leaned back in his chair, rubbing the bridge of his nose.

”Bring me something to eat.”

Xiaodie snapped back to her senses and quickly brought him some pastries and water. Then she stood behind Chen Yi, gently massaging his temples.

”Young Master, you were so... so incredible just now.”

Chen Yi sat up a little straighter, closing his eyes and enjoying her massage. His mind and body relaxed considerably.

”Tell me, how so?”

”It—it was the characters. They were all glowing. It was so beautiful.”

”Is that so?”

Chen Yi understood. Xiaodie must have been talking about the Mental Realm imbued in the characters after his Qi Mechanism had drawn upon the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Essence.

He had known about this ever since he began practicing the Martial Arts. As his Cultivation increased, he grew more adept at it, to the point where his will could command it effortlessly.

Once he achieved another breakthrough in the Calligraphy Dao, his calligraphy would advance as well, and the Mental Realm imbued in his work would possess an even greater charm.

’It’s just that, when that time comes, my Ninth Grade Realm Cultivation will clearly be insufficient.’

「After a short rest.」

Chen Yi had Xiaodie take the scroll to the framing shop. ”Remember to take a few Armored Warriors with you to guard it,” he instructed. ”We can’t have it stolen again.”

”I know, Young Master! I definitely won’t let it get lost this time!”

’I hope so,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, by the time this birthday poem is framed, the Old Marquis’s birthday will already be over.’

...

「The next day.」

The first light of dawn appeared in the east, casting a violet hue upon the clouds.

On the main road outside Shu State City, a carriage decorated with carved clouds and painted flood dragons was parked by the roadside. Shen Huatang, dressed in a plain white gown, stood expressionlessly beside it, clutching a Long Sword.

Though not stunningly beautiful, her features were delicate. Her cold and detached aura, however, still drew second glances from passing carriages.

Shen Huatang paid them no mind, her gaze fixed on the far end of the road.

About an hour later, she saw a carriage flying the red flag of the Xiao Family approaching in the distance. She knocked on the carriage door.

”Eldest Miss, the Second Miss’s carriage has arrived.”

”Thank you.”

Xiao Wan’er lifted the curtain and stepped down from the carriage with Shen Huatang’s support. She pulled her cloak tighter, letting the fur-lined collar envelop her neck.

She looked toward the approaching carriage, raised a hand slightly above her shoulder, and waved.

”Second Sister, over here!”

Her voice was soft, but the person in the distant carriage clearly heard it. A moment later, a cool voice drifted back.

”Thank you for waiting, Eldest Sister.”

The words had barely faded when the carriage sped up and came to a halt before Xiao Wan’er.

Immediately after, Xiao Jinghong leaped from the carriage, dressed in the light garb of a wandering warrior. Her high ponytail swayed in the wind. She still wore the Silver Half Armor, revealing only her crystalline, jade-white lips and chin.

Xiao Wan’er stepped forward and took her hand, a gentle smile gracing her pale face. ”It’s no trouble. I only arrived an hour ago myself.”

A small smile touched Xiao Jinghong’s lips. She nodded and said, ”Eldest Sister, it’s cold out. Let’s talk inside the carriage.”

With that, she helped Xiao Wan’er into the carriage and followed her inside.

Once they were settled, Shen Huatang leaped onto the driver’s seat, cracked her Long Whip against the horse’s flank, and shouted, ”Giddy-up!”

CLIP-CLOP...

The horse’s hooves clattered on the road. Instead of waiting in the long line to enter the city, they passed through an empty, adjacent gate.

”Second Sister, inspecting the Three Towns must have been arduous. You don’t need to rush off again. Stay home and rest for a few days.”

”Alright.”

Xiao Jinghong nodded. Just as she was about to speak, her ear twitched, and a flurry of voices from within Shu State City reached her.

’Chen Yi of the Xiao Mansion, also known as Chen Qingzhou, abducted a young woman in broad daylight? And he frequents brothels?’

’The most shameless live-in son-in-law in history?’

Xiao Jinghong’s lips thinned into a line, her eyes growing sharp.

’The most shameless... husband in history is more like it!’