Chapter 69

Cancer mantis.

After nearly a month of hardship, we finally reached the Jige Family's Nine-Step Gate (九進門). As we arrived at the gate, the guards, having recognized us, opened the nine gates of the Jige Family wide. Every time I see the grand Nine-Step Gate, I feel a surge of pride, and it seems that the father-in-law had heard we returned from the capital and came out to greet us with his light kung fu.

"Ah! So, did you all have a good trip?"

"Yes, Father-in-law, have you been well since we last met?"

"Of course, I naturally had a peaceful time. Come, come, let's go inside."

The father-in-law patted our shoulders and led us inside, but from behind, the sound of a dog barking could be heard.

- Woof woof!

It seems that Deokgu, having accepted my wife and me as his owners, was on guard when the father-in-law touched us.

The father-in-law, who turned around at the sound of Deokgu's barking, blinked and asked.

"Huh? What, what is this dog?"

"Ah, it's a gift we received."

"A dog?"

"Yes."

The father-in-law looked puzzled at the idea of receiving a dog as a gift. During the Northern Song Dynasty, dog meat was once banned by national law, and in Buddhism and Taoism, there are cultural taboos against eating dog meat. Without the concept of dogs guarding homes, they were considered animals of little value beyond handling leftovers or pulling carts.

"Well, we have a few dogs at home, but if it's a guard dog, it's not bad. What's its name?"

"Yes, it's Deokgu."

"Deokgu?"

"Is it something like the nine virtues?"

"No, it just means 'dog.'"

In my past life, when I went to the countryside, many Siberian Huskies were called Deokgu, but this name isn't in Korean. If you trace its origin, it seems that rural grandmothers started calling dogs 'Dog' in English, which then evolved into 'Dokgu' or 'Deokgu.' It's actually a rather common English name.

So, I named Deokgu with an English-style name to make it easier for him to endure the hardships of being away from home.

- Arf arf!

Deokgu barked happily, seemingly pleased with his name.

***

After returning to my in-laws' house and handing over the laundry, I was washing up when the servants came to inform me that the father-in-law was looking for me.

"Master, the head of the family is looking for you."

"Me? Ah! I understand. Lead the way, I'll follow."

It seemed the father-in-law wanted to hear about our trip to the capital. As I followed the servant to the reception room attached to the father-in-law's quarters, he welcomed me with warm tea.

"So, Qingyun, come inside quickly."

"Yes, Father-in-law."

Once inside the reception room, a cup of warm tea was offered. After finishing the tea, the father-in-law began to speak.

"I've heard all about your trip to the capital from my servants."

"Everything?"

"Yes, I heard you met the King of Goryeo?"

"Ah, that king, the beggar... No, the King of Goryeo, you mean?"

"Yes, it would be helpful to have connections with the Beggar Sect. You did well."

Looking at the Beggar Sect's behavior, I wondered if their help would really be useful. They seemed likely to irritate people by citing rules when asked for favors. But on the other hand, they could be a useful labor force that could be used for a meal, so it might not be bad?

The Beggar Sect doesn't take money, after all.

Moreover, we had also gained free advertising rights, which made the father-in-law very happy when I told him.

"Oh, really? Twice? The head of the sect must have been very generous."

As I slowly recounted the events in the capital, I was trying to gauge when to get up and leave, thinking the conversation was almost over, when the father-in-law began another story in a cautious tone.

"I called you here not only to hear about your trip to the capital, but also because I heard from my servants that you've been very kind to my daughter. I wanted to thank you. Thank you, I really mean it..."

The father-in-law, a doting father, spoke with a slightly melancholic look in his eyes. His gaze was filled with genuine gratitude.

Originally, this was the look he should have given me when I saved his daughter, but it felt like a long journey to get here.

However, seeing the father-in-law's apparent effort to improve, I, being generous, decided to understand.

And when someone's heart is softened, especially during the early morning or when they are emotionally moved, it's easier to win them over.

My keen intuition told me this was the right moment.

'Qingyun! Now is the time!'

It seemed to be the perfect situation, so I quickly responded to the father-in-law's words.

"Now that she's my wife for life, isn't it natural to cherish her? I'll treat her with the utmost care, like a flame that might be extinguished if I let it go or if I hold it too tightly. Father-in-law."

I chose words that would instill trust and confidence, aiming to touch the heart of the doting father-in-law.

'Let's aim for a 20% success rate, Father-in-law.'

I boldly asked for a favor and looked at the father-in-law.

Then, an unbelievable story came from the father-in-law's mouth.

"Hehe, this person... I was thinking that after this trip to the capital, I would allow you and Qing to... consummate your marriage..."

'What!? What kind of room?'

Words ending with 'room' have a magical effect on men. PC room, motel room, back room, etc...

I had always thought of the father-in-law as a hormone-imbalanced, doting father, but it seems he was a man after all, like a local mafia boss.

I could only blame my poor judgment...

'What a fiery man!'

Perhaps the 10% or 20% success rate was just a joke from the father-in-law.

'Well, what a cute, mischievous middle-aged man.'

In response to the father-in-law's words, I declared my ambition for the Jige Family and patted my chest.

"Father-in-law, thank you! I will dedicate my life to the revival of the Jige Family! Although you might be disappointed, I want to have a daughter who looks like my wife. Wouldn't she be adorable?"

The father-in-law, who was about to continue the story, suddenly froze and fell into deep thought at the mention of a granddaughter who looks like his daughter.

What could make him think so deeply?

A daughter named Jige Qing Jr. would be like summoning the past. Seeing a granddaughter would bring back the joy of raising his daughter, and for a doting father, there could be no greater happiness.

While the father-in-law was lost in thought, I wondered if I should go jogging with Deokgu to prepare for the night.

Then, the father-in-law, who had been lost in thought, asked cautiously.

"A granddaughter would be nice... Ahem... But do you have the courage to risk your life?"

I nodded and answered with fierce determination.

"How can a man not risk his life to cherish his wife!"

As I looked at the father-in-law with burning eyes, he nodded.

"If you say so..."

"What's there to think about?! Please, let me have her tonight!"

The father-in-law seemed to think for a moment, then approached with a look of concern, patted my shoulder, and said.

"Still, it's too dangerous. There's no guarantee of success, you know."

"Huh?!"

I couldn't understand what was dangerous or what had a low success rate, so I looked at the father-in-law with wide eyes. Then, an unbelievable story began to spill from his mouth.

"I heard that during this trip, Qing pierced the head of a bandit."

"Oh, the railgun, no, the Tanji Sinthong, you mean?"

"Yes, and I also heard that she broke a few teacups and pieces of furniture."

'Did that happen?'

On the way back, she had broken a few things, but it seemed she had trouble controlling her strength. But surely not...

I hoped it wasn't true and looked at the father-in-law with a blank face as he began to explain why his wife couldn't control her strength.

"To explain, it's a long story, but as you can see, Qing is not entirely of Central Plains descent. She has blood from a side that can't be mentioned..."

Her fair skin and blue eyes were clearly of Western descent from her past life. In the Central Plains, there is only one place where people with such features exist.

If her hair were silver, it would be perfect, but it seems she inherited the black hair from the father-in-law.

I cautiously asked.

"Perhaps, from the Beihai Binggong (北海氷宮)?"

At my question, the father-in-law's eyes widened, and he suddenly jumped up to check the surroundings, then asked me.

"You, where did you hear that?! Could it be the Beggar Sect, those beggars?"

"No, from her blue eyes and silver hair, the Beihai Binggong is a rule..."

Normally, when you hear 'Beihai Binggong,' you think of a cool and aloof beauty, but it seems this was treated as a secret here.

I quickly made up an excuse, fearing I might provoke his anger and end up on the floor.

"When I was young, I read a miscellaneous book and came across it... I don't remember the exact title, but it mentioned that there are blue-eyed people in the Beihai Binggong. I was very curious and when I saw your wife at an inn, I was completely captivated by her eyes..."

I looked up at the father-in-law with puppy-dog eyes, and after a moment, he nodded.

"You seem to have read a strange book... Did you want to marry Qing?"

'Phew... Did I get away with it?'

I sighed in relief as the father-in-law opened the door and checked outside, then ordered the servants not to come to this area for a while.

He returned to his seat and continued the story.

"Qing is indeed of Beihai Binggong descent. My wife was the successor of the Binggong twenty years ago. Have you heard of the 'Saiwai Xueshi' (塞外血史) from twenty years ago?"

"The 'Saiwai Xueshi'?"

"It refers to the bloodbath caused by the Saiwai martial artists in the Central Plains twenty years ago."

From what I gathered from the father-in-law, a few successors of the Saiwai martial artists who had come to the Central Plains for a visit were brutally killed in an attack that seemed to be the work of a demonic sect. This led to a misunderstanding that the attack was carried out by the Central Plains' major sects, resulting in a tragic event.

However, the father-in-law, who was passing by at the time, heroically saved the successor of the Binggong and protected her. During this time, they fell in love and had a child...

It sounded like a romantic story, something you'd expect from the protagonist of this world.

I'm just a chef, though...

'Is this a con artist?'

"Then, what about Mother-in-law?"

"Qing was born, and her mother was taken back to the Binggong... After giving birth, she was taken back to the Binggong..."

The father-in-law, who wasn't a powerful martial artist at the time, saved the dying mother-in-law and used his intellect to protect her from the pursuing demonic sect. However, the demonic sect succeeded in deceiving the Binggong by using the mutilated and burned bodies of their victims. The enraged Binggong invaded the Central Plains and caused a bloodbath in the northern region.

When the father-in-law, who was still doting on his wife, heard about the bloodbath, he took his wife, who was carrying a child, to the Binggong to inform them. By then, many northern sects had already suffered.

The northern sects of the Central Plains, still bearing the scars of that event, would not tolerate knowing that my wife is of Beihai Binggong descent, so the father-in-law sternly warned me not to tell anyone.

"Yes, but aside from that, how does this make my wedding night dangerous?"

I gave the father-in-law a hint and asked again, as I was getting impatient with his long-winded story.

"During this trip, I asked my servants to check on Qing's condition, and it seems the problem with her body has become more serious."

"Really?! What, what's wrong? I'll check it out!"

I was about to lose my mind at the sudden news that my wife was ill.

The father-in-law patted my shoulder.

"Don't be so alarmed, she's not in danger of dying. However, there's a problem with her internal energy..."

"What?"

The father-in-law explained in detail about my wife's condition.

Currently, my wife's body contains two types of energy: one given to her by the Beihai Binggong right after she was born, and the other given by my grandfather to save her from a severe peanut allergy. When the allergy was severe, the two energies worked to maintain her body, but once the allergy disappeared, the excess energy became uncontrollable.

The energy from the Beihai Binggong is a strong, cold natural yin energy. The Jige Family's Xuan Yuan Quan Tan Shen Gong (玄元全檀神功) aims to build up the energy that forms the foundation of heaven. These two energies, which are completely different and do not mix, have settled in her body in a strange state. While she hasn't fallen into a state of madness, her emotions easily trigger the release of energy beyond her control, making it impossible to regulate her strength.

"So, if you can't control your emotions on the wedding night, you might not see the morning sun..."

In the end, while it's up to me to decide whether to consummate the marriage immediately, it could end up being a happy but final memory for me, like a female mantis that eats the male after mating.

The father-in-law's implication was that Jige Qing might kiss me so passionately that my front teeth would fall out, or hug me so tightly that my ribs would break.

The father-in-law had thought it would just be a temporary issue before the trip, but it seemed to be getting worse. After hearing the report from the servants and checking himself, he confirmed it was true...

'This can't be!'

"That's how it is. I didn't expect this to happen, and I'm sorry..."

"Huh?!"

It felt like my soul was sinking into the ground.

"Is there no way to treat it?!"

"Of course, there are a few methods."

'Phew... As expected, a mischievous middle-aged man. He should have mentioned this first!'

Thankfully, there were a few methods, and I pressed the father-in-law to tell me.

"Quickly! Tell me the methods!"

This was a more serious situation for me than the 'Saiwai Xueshi.'