Daily Intelligence System: Don't Kill Me, Honey! Chapter 1597 - 367: Why Not Just Make Her a Concubine?_3

"A concubine?"

Du Xiong stared blankly at his father, Du Zundao, and stammered, "Father, you expect me to take Caidie as a concubine? But her grandfather is Liu Futong, a venerable figure within our Zoroastrian Sect!"

Seeing right through his son's hesitation, Du Zundao gave a scoffing laugh. "Venerable or not, he should feel honored that his granddaughter is worthy of being your concubine. Do not fret; if you truly fancy Liu Caidie, she shall be yours. However, you are to marry Han Ling’er, is that clear?"

Upon hearing those words, Du Xiong dried his eyes and replied, "If I can have Caidie, then making her a concubine is perfectly acceptable."

Du Zundao eyed his son with internal disappointment, knowing exactly what kind of thoughts were running through the boy's head.

What did this naive youth know of true affection? He was simply blinded by raw lust for Liu Caidie. As long as he satisfied his carnal desires, the specific title she held was of no concern to him.

To this boy, romance was just a thin veil for his own indulgence.

Du Zundao felt a surge of disdain. What significance did marriage hold? It was merely a tool for the powerful to consolidate advantage. Once a woman ceased to serve a higher purpose, her value was relegated to her physical form—at which point, she was only fit to be a concubine.

His internal conflict settled, Du Xiong looked at his father with newfound clarity. "Father, I understand now. Let Caidie be a concubine, and I will proceed with the marriage to Ling’er."

Du Zundao gave a curt nod. "It is well that you see reason."

"Father, would it be possible to wed both Han Ling’er and Caidie at the same time?" Du Xiong inquired.

Du Zundao frowned. "The main wife must be secured first."

"Understood, Father. I shall follow your instructions."

Du Xiong agreed immediately. Caidie would not be getting away, in any case. Once she was brought into the fold as a concubine, he would be free to do as he pleased. A lecherous smile spread across his face at the thought.

The display merely solidified Du Zundao’s low opinion of his son. How could a man so obsessed with carnal matters ever hope to achieve greatness?

After a moment of contemplation, Du Zundao said, "Enough. Go now. I am rescinding today’s punishment. You are to accompany me to the Ruins tomorrow, so return to your quarters and rest. Lay aside thoughts of Liu Caidie for now. Once we obtain the Qiankun Great Method during this expedition, she will be yours to treat as a concubine in due time."

"Yes, Father, I shall not let you down," Du Xiong promised.

As Du Xiong exited, Du Zundao fell deep into thought. Navigating the Ruins was a matter of life and death, both to settle the stakes with Mr. Guan and to secure the secret escape path from Bright Peak hidden within the Qiankun Great Method.

The gathering of the imperial forces alongside the Six Great Sects posed an existential threat to Bright Peak. It would be a catastrophic battle.

None of the leadership really believed they could repel such a massive assault, nor were they confident in their survival. The upper echelons of the Zoroastrian Sect were well aware that they were facing a losing game.

Yet, surrendering without a struggle was not an option.

To yield would be to shatter the fighting spirit that Sect Leader Han had painstakingly cultivated over the years. Such a collapse would deal a fatal blow to the entire order.

After all, the Zoroastrian Sect’s continued existence relied entirely on the aura of prestige earned from Han Shantong’s defiance at Wending Mountain.

If the leadership were to flee indiscriminately, morale would disintegrate. Regional branches would likely turn treacherous, and the elite cultivators of the Jianghu would lose interest in joining a fading organization.

In short, a cowardly flight would destroy the valiant reputation the sect held among the heroes of the world.

This would not only undermine internal loyalty but also cripple their influence over local outposts, threatening the flow of assets and the perception of the sect’s enduring authority.

It was clear that the sect's stature in the Jianghu would plummet, an outcome the senior leadership found intolerable. Consequently, a direct confrontation could not be avoided.

Following a precise plan drafted by Mr. Duozhi Fox, they reached a strategy: put up a fierce fight to demonstrate to the imperial court and the world that the sect was not easily crushed, then execute a quiet retreat through a secret passage in Bright Peak. Afterward, they would broadcast defiance, framing the incident as a battle to the death, thereby preserving the sect’s heroic image.

It boils down to the difference between losing while showing resilience versus losing in utter despair. One is seen as a setback, the other as an end. The world often grants chances to those who persevere.

That was the genius of Mr. Guan’s approach.

However, there was a technical hurdle: the secret passage at Bright Peak was engineered by the master artisan Gongshu, constructed from Kunlun Mountain Stone and perfectly integrated into the terrain.

Opening it by raw force would require shifting an entire mountain—a feat impossible even for a Fourth Transition master of the Melt God Realm.

Once the passage was opened, they would be safe. But the mechanism remained locked.

Ironically, it was the original architect of the passage who had integrated the principles of the Qiankun Great Method—the sect leader’s signature technique—to allow the shift of the giant boulders blocking the entrance.

This was precisely why the technique was reserved exclusively for the sect leader, as they alone possessed the authority to move the threshold of the sanctuary.

This was the sole reason Mr. Guan and the others were fixated on acquiring the Qiankun Great Method. Without it, their master plan was entirely toothless.