Without hiding anything, Chu Chengzhou opened the gift box and held it out to Tang Xiao.
As the lid lifted, a faint emerald glow bloomed. Everyone looked and saw a jade-green soul bone inside. Beside it lay a stack of golden cards.
This torso soul bone was none other than the one Chu Chengzhou had swapped out earlier, carrying a healing-type soul bone skill: Endless Vitality.
"A torso soul bone?"
At the sight of the green soul bone, Tang Xiao and the five Haotian elders could not help exclaiming in unison.
Even through the box earlier, the six had sensed the soul bone's years were not low, at least fifty thousand.
A soul bone over fifty thousand years made for a very weighty betrothal gift.
After all, the Haotian Sect was no longer the number one sect of old. Though Tang Yuehua was direct lineage, she was no proud daughter of heaven, but a level 9 Soul Scholar who could not become a formal soul master.
Frankly, even as the woman's kin, the six felt this betrothal gift was more than Chu Chengzhou needed to give.
They had never imagined it was not merely a high-year soul bone, but a torso bone of over sixty thousand years.
Setting aside how strong the bone's skill was, the part matters. Even at the same years, value differs by part, especially the relatively rare head and torso.
Soul bones are costly. Hundred-thousand-year bones are hard to find. In general, eighty to ninety-thousand-year limb bones are a great power's heritage bones.
For head and torso bones the bar is lower. Once they pass fifty thousand years, they count as heritage bones, valued above ordinary eighty to ninety-thousand-year limb bones, second only to hundred-thousand-year limb bones.
The reason is that the head bone is the only one among the six standard parts that can raise spiritual power, while the energy contained in a torso bone and the boost it gives to a soul master's physique far exceed those of limb bones of the same years.
Without a doubt, this sixty-thousand-plus torso bone Chu Chengzhou was presenting as a betrothal gift was enough to become part of the Haotian Sect's foundation.
"Brother-in-law, this…"
Looking at the torso bone and the stack of glittering gold coin cards, Tang Xiao hesitated.
At that moment, he was truly stunned by Chu Chengzhou.
He had thought Chu Chengzhou was just a handsome lad, but it turned out he was a man who hid his depths.
If he could part with a sixty-thousand-year torso bone as a betrothal gift, even a toe could tell you Chu Chengzhou was no simple figure.
"Big brother-in-law, please accept it. In my heart, a sixty-thousand-year torso bone and eight million gold soul coins are not worth one ten-thousandth of Yuehua. I will not wrong her.
By the way, the torso bone's attached skill is of the healing type."
Seeing Tang Xiao's hesitation, Chu Chengzhou spoke with firm clarity.
Though Chu Chengzhou had no proper occupation and counted as jobless, he was very wealthy.
He had fleeced Star Luo hard. In personal assets alone, even Ning Fengzhi, famed as the continent's wealthiest, could not match him.
Chu Chengzhou: My thanks to the Star Luo brothers for their generosity.
Of course, he did not have quite as much on hand now. Aside from gold soul coins and soul bones, the gifts from the Star Luo folks, many treasures from the royal vault, the Star Luo Empire's gold coin cards, all had been given to Qian Renxue, who donned the empress' robes and knelt to sing "Conquer."
"Good brother-in-law."
Smiling broadly, Tang Xiao pulled Chu Chengzhou into a warm hug.
Set aside the torso bone fit to be a heritage bone. Even the gold coin cards totaling eight million gold soul coins were precious.
Know that the current Haotian Sect was not the Haotian Sect of its peak. When the sect sealed itself away, its income was cut off.
The sect had always been known for strength, not industry. Its holdings were far smaller than the lavish Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. The nest egg left when they went into seclusion existed but was not much.
There were over two hundred core disciples, with many attached and outer disciples. Aside from a few thin fields in the forward village, they did no production, devoting themselves to cultivation. For over ten years they had been eating through a nest egg that was not large to begin with.
Add in the daily maintenance of the sect's mimicry cultivation field, and finances had long been a headache for this sect master.
So much so that Tang Xiao had been forced to order the sale of some of the sect's poorer-quality, lower-year soul bones to get by.
Now things were good. A fine brother-in-law had sent eight million gold soul coins. No need to sell bones. So long as they did not squander it, even sitting and eating, they could eat for a long time.
It was not only Tang Xiao who was pleased. Including the five elders, every Haotian member present was all smiles, finding the young Chu Chengzhou ever more pleasing to the eye.
The son-in-law… or brother-in-law… or uncle-in-law, depending on who was thinking… really was quite handsome.
Good little brother, why didn't you discuss the betrothal gift with me?
Tang Yuehua looped her arm through Chu Chengzhou's and sent a voice transmission.
Anyone could see the deep affection in her eyes as she looked at him.
Chu Chengzhou did not answer. He smiled at the big sister, turned to face her, and pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Oh—Grand-Aunt, Grand-Uncle, give us a kiss!"
A sweet-faced little girl with two small braids piped up.
"Right, right. Xiao Tiantian is right. Second Aunt, Second Uncle, you two give us a kiss!"
The burly gray-clad man behind the girl laughed and chimed in.
"Kiss, kiss!"
The courtyard boiled over, voices rising one after another.
"Yuehua."
Unable to refuse such enthusiasm in his ears, Chu Chengzhou looked at Tang Yuehua and spoke softly.
Tang Yuehua blushed, leaned forward a little, and closed her eyes.
Without hesitation, before the eyes of the one hundred sixty to seventy Haotian members, Chu Chengzhou pressed his lips to that dewy red mouth.
After a long moment, they parted. Tang Yuehua, shy, buried her head against Chu Chengzhou's chest.
"Oh—Grand-Aunt is shy. One more."
Little Tang Tiantian, wise beyond her years, piped up again.
"Tang Tiantian, if you stir things up again, there will be no red envelope for you."
Tang Yuehua lifted her head and feigned shy anger.
"Ah, Grand-Aunt, no."
Tang Tiantian's face crumpled at once. No red envelope for a child? Grand-Aunt was too mean.
"Don't worry. Tiantian, is it? Even if your Grand-Aunt doesn't give you one, your Grand-Uncle will."
Chu Chengzhou smiled.
"Mm, mm. Grand-Uncle is the best."
Tang Tiantian nodded earnestly.
"Hahaha…"
Laughter rippled across the courtyard.
Er… perhaps some people were happy too early.
T/N: For 40 chapters ahead on my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle