The Senior Village Chief took the bowl of his pipe and knocked vigorously at the table. Angrily, he said, “No way. I feel so sorry for the kid. Ninth Brother, you p*ssies! Your parents and your ancestors are looking at you in the afterworld right now. Don't ever let them look down on you!”

His words helped Ninth grandfather come to his realization. Suddenly, Ninth grandfather lifted his head and said in a loud voice, “You’re right to say that. I’m a coward. Don't worry about it. We honor our elders. Now that I know it's my fault, I'll do what you advised me to do!”

After the discussion, four of them began to act at once.

The first thing to do was to perform the black magic of transferring one's lifespan to another. It required the donor to give up their lifespan willingly. Otherwise, the recipient would not get the extra lifespan and be destroyed by the black magic, which meant Shen Xingyue would die instantly.

Sixth grandfather's youngest grandson was a kid who was ignorant of things. Therefore, he was not worried about his grandson changing his mind during the ceremony. He only had to make sure his son and daughter-in-law were able to agree to the ceremony.

Ninth grandfather's daughter and son were in their forties. So it would not be that easy to manipulate them to sacrifice their lives willingly. It would be better not to perform the ceremony if they could not get them to do it!

Some other members from the Senior Village Chief's family came out to join the discussion. The group consisted of an elderly lady, a young couple, and a middle-aged couple.

The respected Senior Village Chief explained to them this big event about the continuation of their family lineage. After Second grandfather finished explaining it with a sober voice, both the elderly lady and the young couple burst out in tears. The elderly lady was Sixth grandfather's wife as well as the kid's grandmother. She was in anguish after knowing her beloved grandson was going to lose twenty-five years of his lifespan, not to mention her daughter-in-law, who saw her son as the apple of her eyes. Her heart was broken after listening to the news.

Her husband hugged her and cried with her heartbrokenly!

The middle-aged couple seemed to look alright. The man lowered his head and the woman did not show any outburst of emotions. She only wiped off her tears occasionally.

Sixth grandfather was upset by their cries. He knocked the bowl of pipe at the table and scolded in a loud voice, “Shut up! Why are you crying? Our family has no cowards. Stop bringing shame to me!”

His son comforted his wife and said chokingly, “Father, we'll listen to your decision. Please don't worry. We'll not bring shame to you!”

After that, he took his wife and mother out of the house without turning back.

“Shen Shang, Shen Hong. Say something!” Ninth grandfather whispered to his children with guilt and regret!

“Father, I disagree with you!” The middle-aged man lifted his head and spoke.

Ninth grandfather lifted his head and looked at him shockingly.

His son's answer saddened him and made him feel very disappointed. Though he was in conflict with his eldest brother, his heart had always been with the Shen family and he was willing to sacrifice everything for the family.

The middle-aged man continued and said, “Father, Second Uncle, Fourth Uncle, Sixth Uncle, please don't misunderstand what I said. I'm not disagreeing with the plan to increase Yueni's lifespan but the arrangement.”

“Shang, tell us what you're thinking. What do you think would be a better arrangement?” Fourth grandfather asked.

“My sister shall not be involved in this matter. I'm willing to sacrifice thirty years of my lifespan. Let me do it alone.”

“Brother!” The middle-aged woman shouted.

“Stop interrupting. Follow my instruction. You're not in the position to say anything here!” The middle-aged man reprimanded her.

“I'm not going to listen to you! Brother, let me do it myself. You don't have to help me!” The middle-aged woman screamed. “Shut up, sister. Stop behaving like a child. You're of great use to the Shen family. I'm just a loser. Let me take up this responsibility!”

The middle-aged woman got up all of a sudden and talked to the senior village chief. “Second Uncle, please don't listen to my brother. This has nothing to do with him. I'm willing to give up thirty years of my lifespan. Let me do it alone!”

Ninth grandfather got up silently and went behind Shen Hong in a blink of an eye. He hit her neck gently and she fell to the ground instantly.

Ninth grandfather put her down on the bed gently. Subsequently, he turned around and spoke to Shen Shang, “Son, can you tell me the reason for your arrangement?”

“Father, I became a loser after the injury twenty years ago. I have no opportunity to practice our family's martial arts and secret magics anymore. I'm a useless person!”

He glanced at his sister, who was lying on the bed when he was saying this.

“My sister is different from me as she is the leader of our generation. She has mastered the martial arts and secret magics of our family. Yueni can go for the successorship training when she turns twenty-five under the mentorship of my sister. For the sake of our family, we cannot reduce her lifespan as she is of great use to the family!”

The elders nodded silently. Ninth grandfather chokingly said, “Son, you are my pride and not a loser. There is no loser in the Shen family!”

……

Shen Xingyue smiled happily and blissfully.

She felt that she had no more regret in her life. What else could she ask for! She had reunited with her beloved man and could close her eyes, lying on his laps right now.

Li Mu had been by her side all the time. They had meals together, strolled together, and spent time together.

Both of them had always wanted to do something for the villagers. However, they were often pushed away by others and asked not to worry about anything. What they asked them to do was to go out dating each other.

Li Mu's identity as the son-in-law had been acknowledged by everyone in the village. They were very close to him and would always call him respectfully whenever they bumped into him.

As they were strolling by the stream, Shen Xingyue pouted and asked, “Honey, I regret it. I feel very regretful!”

“What is it, honey?”

“I regret that I didn't go back to Shanyang with you. We would have married each other a long time ago if I had not been that rebellious that time!” Shen Xingyue answered in frustration.

Li Mu could not help laughing and grabbed her waist. With a smile, he said, “Better later than never. We're a couple now!”

Shen Xingyue fell into his arms and said softly, “I can't leave you, honey. I want to stay with you forever!”

Somehow, Li Mu remembered Lin Wan when he was hugging her. His heart was in pain silently. He did not know how to describe the mixed feelings within him.

He felt that he had done something wrong against Lin Wan. But at the same time, he thought that it was okay for him to marry his new lover, Shen Xingyue, in this new life.

Having said so, why did he feel more and more guilty every time he recalled her face?

“Honey, have you ever regretted marrying me?”

“What nonsense! Don't ever think that way!”

“Tell me. Have you ever regretted marrying me?”

Li Mu hugged her even tighter and whispered at her ears, “I'll never regret it!”

“Then, if I didn't fall sick, would you still marry me?”

“No!”

Li Mu regretted the moment he said that. Somehow, the word “no” came to his mind subconsciously.

Worriedly, he looked at her and was afraid that what he said had made her upset. He did not expect Shen Xingyue to laugh and give him a kiss.

“I got to be grateful that I'm ill!”

“Stop talking nonsense!”

“Honey, you're still in love with her, aren't you?” Shen Xingyue asked and winked at him slyly.

“I'm still in love with the past Lin Wan!” Li Mu answered truthfully.

“What about the present Lin Wan?”

“No feelings at all!”

“I got it. Still, she was the one who brought you to me. I should thank her for being irrational and giving us this opportunity to be together!”

“You won't turn out to be that way, will you?”

“I don't think I even have the chance to become that way!”

Suddenly, her face blushed and gripped his collar. She said, “Stop bringing up the past!”

Li Mu was not afraid of her threat at all. Happily, he said, “You're good at looking for trouble. In the end, you become my ex-girlfriend after being with me for three years!”

Shen Xingyue laughed and continued lying in his arms, refusing to get up.

Li Mu laughed along with her. All the good and bad memories in the past were memorable to him now.

“Honey, I want you to promise me one thing.”

“Sure. Tell me what you want!”

“After I die, my clan will bury me here. Can you come and visit me, talk to me when you're free?”

Li Mu was a little sad and nodded his head. “Okay. I promise!”

“There is one more thing that you have to promise me!”

“Okay. What is it?”

“You must neither be depressed after I die nor give up on yourself. You got to get married to a woman that you love and bring her to visit me so that I can bless you two!”

Li Mu went silent and kissed her gently on her forehead.

“Honey, I'm thinking of giving half of my inheritance to my clan. What do you think?”

Li Mu could not understand why she asked him about it. Strictly speaking, he was not her husband legally. Therefore, he had no right to comment on this matter.

Besides, it was a little inappropriate to discuss her inheritance on this occasion. Li Mu did not know how to answer it.

Shen Xingyue noticed his embarrassment. She smiled and said to him gently, “I have worked very hard all these years. I have used some money to develop the village, and the rest has been kept as my savings. I guess there is about ten million.”

“That's a lot. I know that your salary was high but how did you earn so much with your limited working years?” Li Mu asked out of curiosity.

“It's not that difficult. Look at the mountains here. There are many goodies in them. I got some friends to help me sell my people's products in the big city. In a short time, I accumulated my wealth out of it. It was difficult in the beginning. But it became easier after some time.”

“Awesome! No wonder you're one of the top students. You're good at your studies, business-minded, and have a strong working ability. I admire you a lot!”

Li Mu gave her his sincere compliments. Shen Xingyue shook her head happily and asked earnestly, “Honey, I'm going to give you half of my inheritance and the other half to my people. What do you think?”