Chapter 121: A Forced Marriage?

It had been half a month since the war between Caesar and Reese ended. During these two weeks, three pieces of news shook the entire continent.

The first: the pride of the continent’s priests, the Level Nine Ancient Holy Priest, His Highness Vladino, Right Chancellor of the Caesar Empire, fiercely resisted the two great powers, Brown and Frodo, before ultimately vanishing beneath an ancient divine technique.

The second was even more shocking. Though unconfirmed officially, many notable figures across the continent knew that almost the moment Chu Tian disappeared, all priests on par with Vladino began facing annihilation, nearly all being hunted down.

The third came shortly after the second. The Caesar Empire, Agura Mountain, Red Moon City, and the Magic Kingdom of Elsen—four dominant forces on the continent—jointly declared that if His Highness Vladino died on any nation’s soil, that nation would have no reason to exist.

For a time, Chu Tian’s whereabouts and fate became the continent’s greatest mystery. Yet, the young master had no time to care about it now, for a stubborn old man was giving him a harsh lesson. His grandfather had finally discovered that Locke had formed a mercenary group.

“You brat! How dare you kidnap my granddaughter?!” Rodman, Julia’s grandfather, was furious, pointing at Chu Tian and berating him. “Do you want to die? Back then, I didn’t press charges when you stole from me and even fed you, and this is how you repay me—by abducting Julia?!”

Casting a sharp glance at the gleeful Xiao Bai, Chu Tian grinned and retorted, “Grandpa Rodman, Julia wanted to become a mercenary herself. This has nothing to do with me…”

“Hmph! How shameless of you. If it weren’t for you and Locke, that rascal, Julia wouldn’t have gone to become a mercenary!” The old man’s anger flared anew. “If you were my grandson, I’d have beaten you to death long ago!”

A chill ran down Chu Tian’s spine as he recalled Locke kneeling all day in the yard, holding a huge stone. From Locke’s miserable state, it was clear this old man had a cruel streak toward his grandchildren.

“Grandpa, please don’t scold Andy anymore,” Julia said, tugging Rodman’s hand and swaying it gently while pouting, “Grandpa~~ I’m already fifteen and a Level Two professional. I can definitely protect myself. Please let me be a mercenary…”

At his granddaughter’s coaxing, Rodman instantly softened. “Grandchild, you don’t understand. Being a mercenary is dangerous. Listen to me, Grandpa will soon save up enough gold coins to send you to the Elsen Kingdom to study magic.”

“No! I want to earn my own money!” Julia’s voice trembled as tears welled up.

“Alright, alright, I agree!” Rodman finally relented. But turning sharply to Chu Tian, he warned fiercely, “Boy, Julia was kidnapped by you to be a mercenary, so you better protect her well. Hmph! If a single hair falls from my granddaughter’s head, I’ll skin you alive!”

“Praise the Goddess of Life…” Chu Tian was about to protest but was cut off.

“Praise your ass! Are you crazy?” Rodman scrutinized Chu Tian, especially the thief’s emblem hanging on his chest. “You’re a thief, not a priest. Why praise the Goddess of Life? If anything, you should praise the God of Death and the God of Darkness!”

“Hehe, yes, yes, I misspoke,” Chu Tian chuckled, though his eyes narrowed. How dare this ordinary country old man slander the Goddess of Life so casually, yet clearly knew the thief’s faith? “Rest assured, I will protect Julia.”

“Good that you admit your mistake, hehe.” Suddenly, the old man’s grin turned lecherous, his expression as disgusting as it could be. “By the way, you said your name is Andy, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. I’m Andy!” Chu Tian’s eyes narrowed further. From experience, old men on the Phantom Beast Continent—especially ones looking that sleazy—should never be underestimated. He carefully replied, “Grandpa Rodman, I’ll go check on Locke. He’s been kneeling for quite a while.”

Chu Tian turned to slip away, but Rodman wasn’t about to let him off so easily. “Don’t rush off.” With that, Rodman grabbed him. “There’s something to discuss—no, to notify you about!”

“What is it?” Chu Tian’s nerves, heightened by his Dragon Emperor’s blood, tensed.

“You’re not married yet, right?” The old man glanced at Julia.

“What?!” Rodman’s hint was so blatant that Chu Tian gasped, Julia’s cheeks flushed, and even Xiao Bai perked up his ears warily, staring at the old man.

“I’m not married, but I am engaged,” Chu Tian answered truthfully.

“Just engaged? Haha.” Rodman laughed. “No matter, even if you’re married, it’s fine. What do you think of my granddaughter?”

Damn! This old man’s mind was seriously twisted! Chu Tian cursed silently. Having only known Julia for a dozen days, this man already wanted to marry her off to him—was this not insanity?

“Grandpa, what are you saying? I don’t want to marry!” Julia panicked. She never dreamed her own grandfather would try to marry her off to someone she’d only just met. “Andy and I barely know each other; how could I marry him?”

“Shut up!” Rodman’s expression turned severe. Then he said to Chu Tian, “Boy, do you want to refuse? If you dare, I’ll skin you alive!”

“Hey, old man…” Chu Tian’s stubborn temper flared. In recent years, he had held high power and authority, and no one had dared threaten him like this before. “I refuse! Go ahead and try to skin me!”

“Hmph!” Rodman sneered and waved a hand. “Julia, you’re out!”

Julia hesitated, then left under Rodman’s stern gaze. The old man’s expression immediately darkened, becoming threatening.

“Your savior?” Chu Tian was stunned. Rodman had only fed him once and overlooked his theft—how could that count as a life-saving favor?

“Don’t you get it?” Rodman smiled, then pulled a large bundle from under the bed and tossed it before Chu Tian. “Without me, you’d be like these things!”

“Who exactly are you?” Chu Tian asked coldly. Inside the bundle were the shattered remnants of Chu Tian’s belongings after his passage through the void.

“Who am I? Haha, I’m Julia’s grandfather. Don’t you recognize me?” Rodman retorted. “Hehe, you may not know me, but I know you—Ancient Holy Priest, His Highness Vladino!”

“Praise the Goddess of Life!” Chu Tian smiled. “You told me there were many priests called Vladino on the continent. How did you know I’m the real one?”

“There are indeed many priests named Vladino,” Rodman said, pointing at the great sword behind Chu Tian’s cup. “But there’s only one true owner of the Judgment Blade!”

Chu Tian laughed, genuinely pleased. “Sir, could you tell me how you recognized the Judgment Blade? People on the continent call it Dracula’s Wrath. Also, this blade isn’t the same as before. How did you recognize it? Besides me, only its previous owner could, right?”

“Ah?” Rodman was taken aback by Chu Tian’s quick thinking and insight.

“Mr. Rodman!” Chu Tian squinted and smiled. “Or should I call you Mr. Dracula?”

“Gah gah~” The old man gave a strange laugh, tacitly confirming it.

“Alright then. Now, can you tell me what’s really going on?” Chu Tian shrugged and sat on the bed, waiting for Dracula’s explanation. “Don’t tell me you saved me by coincidence.”

“Very good!” Dracula nodded approvingly. “You’re the first to be so calm before a Tier Ten magical beast!”

“Enough talk!” Chu Tian was impatient. He wasn’t afraid to provoke Dracula. Since Dracula shamelessly wanted to marry his granddaughter to him, he must have some ulterior motive. Chu Tian wasn’t scared.

“First, you should thank me!” Dracula said. “You were teleported by Brown’s domain, but Brown’s power cannot fully control the domain’s force, so your belongings shattered during the teleportation!

“Half a month ago, I sensed spatial fluctuations nearby. Amidst the waves, I caught the aura of the Judgment Blade, so I casually pulled you out from the void.” Dracula glanced at Chu Tian and smiled. “Without my interference, you would have either drowned in the western sea or shattered along with your belongings!”

“So, you really are my savior,” Chu Tian said. “Why did you save me? Could it be because I’m the blade’s owner?”

“As long as you promise to marry Julia, I’ll tell you!” Dracula grinned lecherously. “Gah gah, if you don’t marry her, how about I just kill you?” One hand rose threateningly.

“Praise the Goddess of Life!” Chu Tian solemnly raised his right hand. “In the name of the Goddess of Life, I swear I agree!”

“Wuwu!” Xiao Bai suddenly barked, glaring fiercely at Dracula and Chu Tian, clearly displeased with both. But when he heard Chu Tian swear by the Goddess of Life, he immediately lay down, smiling. Poor Tier Ten magical beast Dracula had no idea that for Chu Tian, the Goddess of Life’s credibility was worth less than a pig beast.

Dracula said to Chu Tian, “Words alone mean nothing. How can I trust you?” He pulled out paper and a pen, placing them before Chu Tian. “Write it down!”

“Praise the Goddess of Life!” Chu Tian put on a mystic expression and obediently wrote the marriage contract, handing it to Dracula. Naturally, it was done in the Goddess’s name.

“Gah gah.” Carefully folding the contract, Dracula smiled slyly. “Actually, you don’t have to fear me killing you, because I can’t!”

“What do you mean?”

“Simple!” Dracula pointed to his frail body. “To save you, I exhausted my last ounce of strength. Now, I’m just an ordinary old man!”