(MC POV)
The tension in the room was so thick that I could use a sword to cut through it. Everyone was simply drinking their tea with a tense look on their faces, and this chance got me thinking.
I remembered not only that Hao Ren but also the man that Shanggaun and Mayene call father.
Firstly, that Hao Ren was actually that guy back at the auction who tried to outbid me for those pills, and I later gave one to him. Since Shangguan was also at that auction, that means that they must have at least met.
I don't want to believe that nothing went down with the two, since for him to come all the way here, literally fighting his way to the top of the mountain, showed that something was, of course, not right with these two.
Secondly, that man was called Bai Qi... I know, very familiar sounding, right? Well, wait until he hears that there is a snake named after him. Not only is he their father, but he is also the sect master of the Heavenly Dao sect, the number one sect in the Qidian kingdom.
It is even rumoured that they are also affiliated with the royal family of the Qidian kingdom and very unreasonable to deal with. Taking him down is actually easy for me, but the repercussions of that are to risk the whole kingdom not only coming after me but the sect too.
Now the plans I came up with were scrapped, and for some reason all of them involved Yuri and, of course, just using my strength to put them in place, but I don't want to create a rift between my sect and theirs. The first one was to tell them that I had a confession and that Yuri is actually my lover and that I did not want anyone to know at first, but with the whole engagement suddenly being brought up, I had no choice.
That plan sounded good and all, and with the fact that I had also been holding her hand when we stepped in, it would also really sell the act, but the flaw was that everyone in the sect knew that I saved Yuri from the dark sect when I eradicated the bandits around the area, and a simple questioning would let people know that I was lying.
I could have just lied and said that it was not the original truth, but it would still cause holes in my story, so I am going to gaslight them into shock and escape while they try to recover from their shock.
And begin acting. I have a time limit, and that is to quickly leave before their father comes back.
"I'm sorry, but I can't marry your daughter since she promised to be with another man," making the most dramatic look and voice I could muster. "As a man, I can feel his pain; know that the woman he saved and promised to be his lover suddenly says that she was lying and chooses to be with another man."
"No... Like I said before, it was just me being delusional at that time and making some stupid promise," Shangguan explained, looking at her mother, seemingly asking for help.
"How sure am I that the same won't happen to me in the near future when another man better than me comes along?" I clapped back, getting up. "Let's go, Yuri."
I quickly increased my pace, making sure it was not obvious that I was trying to run away.
"No, elder Zen, there could be another way to resolve this," Sect master Nuwa said in an agitated voice.
"I have made up my mind." I did not bother looking back as I made my way to the entrance.
"Then what about me?" I heard Mayene's voice, followed by the elders, who also tried to talk me into staying and reconsidering.
What is wrong with these people? why are they so fixed on me? Am I not the only handsome bachelor around, right? Even though I highly doubt they would find someone better than me.
Ignoring them, my whole focus was on the exit.
"Is master Zen not going to reconsider? What about my youngest daughter, then?"
No, no, no, no... Please tell me it's not him, please.
I looked up, and there I saw him looking down on me as he floated down and stood in front of the exit, conveniently blocking the exit.
"Ah, master Bai Qi, I would love to, since you have such lovely daughters, but I really just can't do something like this; it goes against my morals," I said sadly. "I can't just leave the elder sister and just take the younger one; it would seem wrong and could destroy such a wonderful family."
"But I don't mind; Shangguan made a mistake and is paying for it, so this can also be said to be a lesson to her so that she would not make such a mistake again," He said matter-of-factly.
"Father! Please, don't do this." Shangguan ran to him as she knelt in front of him, begging.
Okay, I know that I am special, but what the frick is special about me for two sisters to literally fight over me?
And this man is a bad father. Where have you heard of a father that would willingly give their daughter up for marriage like they are selling wares?
I have seen fathers that would break the three legs of any boy that even looks at their daughters' shadow, but this guy is just straight up offering up both his daughters for some kind of auction.
"You should have thought of this before promising that man," He said, with no emotion on his face at all.
"But... Wait, father has killed him, right? Does that not mean that the promise is void?" She suddenly said, looking up at her father.
Wait... This works too?
"Sadly no, that bastard was able to escape; it was like he vanished out of thin air." He burst her bubble with that statement, killing all hopes.
Eureka! ... What was that?
I suddenly thought of a plan.
"Why don't I kill him then so that the promise can be void?" Sorry, Hao Ren, but sometimes, you have to make some sacrifices.
"No, I reject!"
That little jinx!
"Why should Zenny fix a mess you made?" Mayene burst into the scene, looking at her kneeling sister with rage.
"Zenny?"
"I meant master Zen!"
"He volunteered to," Shangguan clapped back as she got back on her feet.
"Why don't you go and kill him then?" Mayene replied.
Someone, anyone, please help me.
"Master, I think the twins would be awake by now," Yuri suddenly said. Her voice sounded like a whisper, but everyone in the hall could still hear it. "I promised them that we would go for a family dinner with Chuyan before the festival starts."
Yuri, noticing that her voice was actually loud, bent her head in shame and "unconsciously" held my hand.
"Ah, sorry... I did not mean to; I was just too nervous. I always do that when I am shy..." She covered her mouth in shock, as if she were shocked that she had given that secret away.
"The twins?"
"Family dinner date?"
Yuri, I love you.
"Ah, well, you see, I have twin daughters back at the village, and Yuri is like their adopted mother, the one they chose, so in a way I already have someone," I explained with a strained smile looking at everyone.
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Eh?"
"Ehhhh??"