With the addition of the ten-thousand-year-old medicinal herb, Lin Xiao Tian could have refined the Po E Dan with much better results, but he did not.
It was too much of a waste to use such excellent materials to suppress a curse instead of improving his cultivation.
The Po E Dan refined with the demon cores of the Foundation Establishment stage could still barely be used. Lin Xiao Tian had no intention of refining a higher-grade Po E Dan.
However, the curse remained a persistent trouble.
Furthermore, the Apostles could only provide demon cores of the Foundation Establishment stage at most. Lin Xiao Tian had yet to see a demon core from a Core Formation stage beast.
Fortunately, the Apostles were currently under Lin Xiao Tian's complete control, so he was not worried about them reneging on their promises.
After returning from Black Mountain, Lin Xiao Tian resumed his usual cultivation routine. Apart from refining medicine, his daily life was devoid of any significant activities.
Qin Yu Xiang, after several periods of secluded cultivation, had successfully broken through and reached the Qi Refining stage.
One day, someone from the Qin family arrived. Lin Xiao Tian had initially decided to continue his secluded cultivation with Qin Yu Xiang, but the old matriarch insisted they both go. Lin Xiao Tian was unsure of the old matriarch's intentions but ultimately accompanied Qin Yu Xiang.
The visitor from the Qin family was Qin Yu Xiang's maternal grandmother, who was currently the most caring person towards Qin Yu Xiang within the Qin family.
Qin Hai and Qin Yuan also accompanied her, although Qin Yuan's expression was not pleasant, which piqued Lin Xiao Tian's curiosity about the Qin family's purpose for visiting.
After exchanging pleasantries and catching up on family matters, the Qin family's old matriarch's gaze suddenly fell upon Lin Xiao Tian.
"Xiao Tian, I heard you and Yu Xiang have already registered your marriage?"
Lin Xiao Tian nodded noncommittally.
"Then have you held a wedding banquet?" the Qin family's old matriarch inquired further.
"No..." Lin Xiao Tian scratched his head. After saying this, he instinctively glanced at Qin Yu Xiang beside him, his face showing a hint of guilt.
He had wanted to arrange a wedding for Qin Yu Xiang before, but she had always refused, feeling that as a second marriage, it was not permitted according to the customs of Jinsha Village, where second marriages were not allowed to have wedding ceremonies. Lin Xiao Tian did not care about this, but Qin Yu Xiang was adamant, leaving him with no recourse.
"This won't do. How can you get married without a wedding ceremony? We old folks only recognize weddings, not those papers!" the Qin family's old matriarch said earnestly.
Lin Xiao Tian's spirits lifted.
It seemed the Qin family's old matriarch had come for the wedding arrangements.
Most reclusive families were traditional and placed great importance on such rituals.
Lin Xiao Tian was eager to have a wedding. He knew very well that despite Qin Yu Xiang's verbal reluctance, she secretly looked forward to it.
"I also feel that now that you two are together, and haven't even had a wedding ceremony, and the elders from both families haven't met, it's indeed not proper etiquette," the Lin family's old matriarch chimed in agreement.
Qin Yu Xiang appeared troubled, "But..."
Lin Xiao Tian knew what she was about to say and directly took her hand.
"I fully agree to holding the wedding. Yu Xiang and I will prepare diligently."
"Haha, that's right. I see that three days from now is a good day. Why not set it for then?"
"Yes! I think that's a good idea too."
The two elders exchanged a look, seeing the satisfaction in each other's eyes.
With the wedding arrangements settled, according to custom, Qin Yu Xiang was to go to the Qin family's residence and wait for Lin Xiao Tian to fetch her.
Three days later, on the wedding day.
The Lin family invited prominent families from all sides, and the atmosphere was incredibly festive.
Lin Xiao Tian, dressed in his groom's attire, was full of vigor and high spirits.
Meanwhile, at the Qin family's residence, Qin Yu Xiang was also preparing to depart.
The makeup artist finished Qin Yu Xiang's makeup, and looking at herself in the mirror, Qin Yu Xiang's face radiated happiness.
Just then, the room door opened, and Qin Yuan, adorned in elegant attire, appeared beside Qin Yu Xiang.
"Teacher Qin," Qin Yu Xiang looked up at Qin Yuan.
"Silly girl, what should you call me now?" Qin Yuan asked with a smile.
"Auntie."
"Mm!"
Qin Yuan smoothly took the comb from the makeup artist and began to comb Qin Yu Xiang's hair.
Her movements were gentle, showing that she truly regarded Qin Yu Xiang as her own child.
"Let me show you this."
As Qin Yuan spoke, she took out a small box.
Upon opening it, it revealed a box of rouge.
"Such an old item is rarely seen nowadays. Only an old woman like me would appreciate such things," Qin Yuan chuckled.
"Auntie, you shouldn't say that. You are very young, and I like this item too," Qin Yu Xiang replied, taking the rouge and smelling it.
A faint fragrance entered her nostrils, refreshing and pleasing.
"You like it too?" Qin Yuan sighed, her eyes filled with nostalgia. "My sister also liked it back then. We both enjoyed these old trinkets. The rouge she made was better than mine."
"My mother?" Qin Yu Xiang gazed blankly at the rouge before her. "What kind of person was she?"
Qin Yuan smiled faintly, carefully applying the rouge to Qin Yu Xiang's face, and then said gently:
"She was a good sister. She was very brave."
Qin Yuan began to recount the events of the past.
At that time, Qin Yu Xiang's mother was engaged to someone from another family, but she did not like the person at all. So, she secretly ran away and eventually met someone she loved.
For the sake of love, Qin Yu Xiang's mother, disregarding the family's objections, resolutely chose love. Unfortunately, the outcome was not good.
Qin Yuan's expression turned sorrowful as she reached this point.
"If only she were alive," she said, looking at Qin Yu Xiang in the mirror. "Do you miss her?"
"I don't know," Qin Yu Xiang sighed.
Her memories of her mother were too few.
"If you had the chance, would you want to see her?" Qin Yuan asked again.
Qin Yu Xiang nodded, replying with a single word, "Yes!"
Qin Yuan smiled.
Her smile was brilliant.
The next moment, her expression turned ferocious.
"Then you should thank me. I helped both you and your mother."
"What do you mean?" Qin Yu Xiang frowned.
"You wouldn't have thought, would you? The rouge is poisoned." She looked directly into Qin Yu Xiang's eyes. "Your poor husband will only see the bride's corpse on their wedding day."
Qin Yuan laughed triumphantly as she spoke.
"Auntie, why are you doing this?"
Qin Yu Xiang, however, appeared very calm.
Seeing the calm Qin Yu Xiang before her, Qin Yuan became displeased.
"Why?"
"Are you asking a question you already know the answer to?"
"Didn't the Qin family tell you?"
"In this family, the person I hate the most is your mother."
"That selfish bitch. She got her love, but what about mine?"
"Do you know? It was because she eloped that I had to marry someone I didn't like."
"My poor Xiao Fan, in the end, because of me, he was even killed by the Qin family."
Qin Yuan spoke with increasing agitation, her grip on the comb crushing it into pieces.
"Auntie, I'm sorry," Qin Yu Xiang said, looking at Qin Yuan.
"Heh, are you apologizing on behalf of your mother? Does an apology help? Can my lover come back to life? Do you know that after marrying, that good-for-nothing died, and I started to live as a widow? Do you know these things?"
Qin Yuan tightly clutched Qin Yu Xiang, her eyes filled with hatred.
"Only your death can quell my anger."
"I can't kill Lin Xiao Tian, so I'll kill you. Let him feel the pain I experienced back then..."
Just as Qin Yuan was about to continue, a crisp sound was heard.
*Snap!*
Qin Yuan looked at Qin Yu Xiang before her in surprise.
It was the first time she had seen such coldness in Qin Yu Xiang's eyes.