Chapter 178: Chapter 0178: Bingbing’s Request_1
Zhang Bin drove toward Qingshan County at top speed. He was on his way to East Lake Residence to meet Tian Bingbing, who had just called him. She said she had something important to discuss and asked him to come over.
At first, Zhang Bin was a bit worried, fearing something had happened to the Longyin Martial Arts Hall. He had Tutu check on it and discovered that the hall was safe and sound. It was operating very well, with an increasing number of students.
It was clear that Tian Bingbing didn’t really have anything important to discuss; she obviously just missed him.
Tian Bingbing has fallen for me, too. I’m getting overwhelmed. Actually, I should have realized she was deeply in love with me that night she came looking for me on Great Green Mountain. Am I a bit slow to catch on? A wicked smile crept onto Zhang Bin’s face as his heart seemed to have already flown to East Lake Residence. He could almost see the enchanting scene of him and Tian Bingbing sharing a bed tonight.
Sigh, it’s not that I’m unfaithful. It’s just that Tian Bingbing is too beautiful and tempting. She took the initiative to ask me out; as a man, how could I refuse? Zhang Bin sighed to himself.
Eventually, he arrived at East Lake Residence. He parked the car and excitedly went to the door of his house, took out his key, opened the door, and walked in.
"Xiao Bin, you’re here?" Tian Bingbing greeted him, a captivating fragrance wafting from her.
Today, Tian Bingbing had obviously taken great care in dressing up. She wore a pink spaghetti strap dress and high heels. Her black hair cascaded down like clouds, and with her bright eyes and a smile that could bloom flowers, she looked so beautiful it made one’s heart tremble.
"Bingbing, you look absolutely gorgeous today. I’m totally lost." A look of intoxication appeared on Zhang Bin’s face. "Frankly, you should just become my girlfriend."
Although it was a joke, it was also a way to probe the beauty’s true feelings.
"Stop joking and sit down," Tian Bingbing chided playfully, inviting him to the sofa.
She prepared fragrant tea for Zhang Bin and sat down next to him. With a tender laugh, she asked, "Do you want to make that dream of yours come true?"
"Yes, of course..."
Overjoyed, Zhang Bin immediately lay down, resting his head on Tian Bingbing’s slender, pale legs. He felt incredibly cozy and relaxed. Since Tian Bingbing was wearing a short spaghetti strap dress, his head was resting directly on her bare, pale thighs.
"You certainly aren’t shy, are you?" Tian Bingbing said, feigning annoyance as her delicate hand began to stroke Zhang Bin’s hair. She looked a bit conflicted as she said, "Xiao Bin, there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, but it feels a bit abrupt, so I’ve been hesitant to bring it up. Especially during the two months you were back with your sect, I thought about it a great deal. I’ve decided I have to tell you. Please don’t laugh at me or say that I’m greedy or too forward. You can refuse without giving a reason, and I’ll accept that."
Ah, Tian Bingbing is lovesick. She’s fallen for me so deeply she can’t pull herself out. She’s about to confess her love. Is she afraid I won’t accept her? Right, she knows I already have a girlfriend, so she’s worried I won’t agree. But really, what’s the big deal? For her happiness, it’s no problem for me to make a few sacrifices. Zhang Bin muttered to himself before quickly saying aloud, "Bingbing, just say it. I definitely won’t laugh at you or criticize you. Who knows, I might even agree."
"Really?" Tian Bingbing’s face immediately lit up with intense euphoria.
"Of course, it’s true. How could I possibly lie to you?" Zhang Bin said.
"Then I’ll say it." A faint blush crept across Tian Bingbing’s pretty face. Not daring to meet Zhang Bin’s fervent gaze, she hesitated. "I... I want..."
She paused, and Zhang Bin’s heart nearly leaped out of his chest. He suddenly sat up, ready to pull her into a passionate embrace the moment she finished speaking. He encouraged her, saying, "Bingbing, don’t worry about anything. Just speak your mind."
"I... I want to join your sect. Can you recommend me?" Tian Bingbing finally said, gathering all her courage.
Ever since she had witnessed the powerful Han Tie defeat an expert like Zhang Bin, even slitting his throat, she had been shaken. Afterward, she saw the even more powerful Master Tianlong, who could actually fly on his sword. It was then she truly understood how weak she was and how much she longed to become strong.
So, she had asked Tian Guangjin about it. Tian Guangjin told her that their Tian family practiced martial arts, while the Iron Sword Sect was a semi-cultivation sect. As for Zhang Bin’s sect, it was likely also a semi-cultivation or a true cultivation sect. Only such sects possessed miraculous cultivation techniques, cultivation resources, and spiritual medicines that were hundreds of years old. Only by joining such a sect could one rapidly grow stronger. This was why she was so moved by the idea and hoped to join Zhang Bin’s sect to cultivate. But she knew it required destiny and talent. She might lack the talent, but her destiny seemed within reach because she knew Zhang Bin. His help might make it possible.
Today, she had also learned from Liu Ruolan that one of Zhang Bin’s fellow disciples, a man named Zhang Kai, was terrifyingly powerful. He was capable of killing with Sword Control and had easily slaughtered Han Tie.
She was even more certain that Zhang Bin’s sect was a genuine True Cultivation Sect, an opportunity she had to seize.
At the very least, she had to try. Failure wouldn’t matter; at least she wouldn’t have regrets in the future. That was why she had asked Zhang Bin to meet her here and had finally made her request.
Zhang Bin was dumbfounded. He felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, chilling him from head to toe.
It turned out he had misunderstood completely. Tian Bingbing hadn’t fallen in love with him at all; she merely wanted to join his sect.
But still, this is an opportunity. If she joins my sect, she’ll be my junior sister. The pavilion closest to the water sees the moon first. Besides, I had already planned to invest heavily in cultivating her, making her a disciple of my Taiqing Sect to strengthen my own influence.
With this in mind, Zhang Bin felt reassured. He adopted a solemn tone and said, "Bingbing, my sect is a cultivation sect. Once you join, it means cutting off all worldly ties. You will have to bear immense loneliness, enduring the separations of life and death as you walk a solitary path in pursuit of eternal life. Do you think you can endure such loneliness?"
"I can." Determination appeared on Tian Bingbing’s face.
"Furthermore, after joining the Taiqing Sect, you can only marry fellow senior or junior disciples from within the sect," Zhang Bin said solemnly. "You cannot marry an outsider."
"Ah... How can there be such a rule?" Tian Bingbing’s eyes widened, her face filled with disbelief.
"There’s a reason for it," Zhang Bin explained earnestly. "What is cultivation? It’s the path to becoming an immortal! The pursuit of the Dao! We gain incredibly long lives. We might live for two hundred years, five hundred years, or even ten thousand years. Becoming an immortal isn’t out of the question. So, if you marry a mortal who only has a few decades to live, they can’t accompany you forever. This would do immense damage to your cultivation mindset... That’s why we cultivators must find partners who are also cultivators. There’s an old saying: ’One seeks wealth and a partner to refine the Golden Core; wealth is not hard to find, but a true partner is. With a partner and wealth, one has external protection, so why seek immortality alone in the deep mountains?’"