Chapter 2 Tang Hui’s First Successful Match

Tang Hui discovered two important truths after opening her matchmaking stall for three days.

First, cultivators were far lonelier than she had expected.

Second, they were also dramatically stupid.

“Senior Sister Yun looked at me during sword practice yesterday,” a young disciple whispered nervously while sitting across from her stall.

Tang Hui didn’t even bother looking up from the spirit stones she was counting. “How long did she look at you?”

The disciple hesitated before answering carefully, “…About two breaths.”

Tang Hui paused mid-count and slowly raised an eyebrow. “That long?”

The disciple’s face immediately turned red.

Nearby disciples pretending to browse surrounding stalls quietly leaned closer.

Tang Hui nodded solemnly as though analyzing some profound heavenly mystery. “Interesting.”

The nervous disciple swallowed hard. “Does that mean she may have feelings for me?”

Tang Hui finally lifted her head and looked at him seriously.

“No.”

The disciple froze. “…Oh.”

“She was probably wondering why you were practicing the same sword form backward.”

The surrounding crowd burst into laughter so suddenly that the disciple nearly fell out of his chair.

“I was distracted!” he argued weakly.

Tang Hui calmly extended her hand. “Three spirit stones.”

The disciple stared at her in disbelief. “You insulted me and still charged me?”

“I provided emotional clarity,” Tang Hui corrected smoothly. “That was premium advice.”

Grumbling under his breath, the disciple still paid.

Tang Hui happily pocketed the spirit stones while suppressing a satisfied smile.

Business was thriving beautifully.

Far better than cultivation.

At least matchmaking did not require sitting cross-legged for eight hours while pretending to comprehend the Dao while her legs slowly lost circulation.

By the fourth day, her tiny stall had become strangely popular throughout the outer sect market.

Mostly because disciples found the consultations entertaining.

Partially because cultivators genuinely lacked emotional intelligence.

And partially because Tang Hui was frighteningly good at reading people.

“You like him,” she said lazily during another consultation later that afternoon.

The female disciple sitting across from her immediately stiffened. “I absolutely do not.”

Tang Hui pointed toward a handsome talisman disciple across the street who was pretending not to look in their direction.

“Then why have you bought spirit tea from the same stall seven times today despite clearly hating tea?”

The female disciple froze.

Several nearby disciples instantly turned to stare at her.

“…That obvious?” she asked weakly.

“Painfully.”

The girl covered her face in humiliation while the surrounding crowd burst into laughter.

Tang Hui accepted another payment with the calm satisfaction of someone finally discovering her life’s true calling.

Nearby stall owners had also begun paying increasing attention to her strange business.

Especially Old Chen, the artifact seller beside her.

The old man stared at the growing line around Tang Hui’s stall with an expression of deep disbelief.

“Young people nowadays are truly useless,” he muttered while polishing a damaged spirit mirror.

Tang Hui immediately shook her head. “No, no. Their emotional disasters are funding my future.”

Old Chen looked horrified.

“You speak more and more like a demonic cultivator every day.”

Tang Hui happily counted her spirit stones. “Demonic cultivators probably understand business better than righteous sects.”

Old Chen nearly choked on air.

Unfortunately, peace never lasted long inside cultivation sects.

Around noon, a sudden commotion erupted near the center of the market.

Disciples quickly scattered aside while excited whispers spread through the crowd.

“The inner sect sword genius is here!”

“Why would Senior Brother Gu come to the outer market?”

“I heard he rejected three confession letters yesterday!”

Tang Hui immediately lost interest.

Sword cultivators were troublesome customers.

Too arrogant.

Too dramatic.

Too emotionally constipated.

She continued organizing consultation slips without bothering to look up.

Then the noise around her gradually disappeared.

An unusual silence spread across the market.

The kind that made people instinctively nervous.

Tang Hui slowly raised her head.

A tall man stood in front of her stall.

Black robes embroidered with silver cloud patterns.

Cold expression.

Long dark hair tied loosely behind him.

His face alone looked capable of causing emotional suffering across entire sects.

Most importantly, a silver sword rested quietly at his waist.

Tang Hui internally sighed.

Of course.

Sword cultivator.

The man’s gaze moved calmly toward the sign hanging above her stall.

[MYSTICAL MATCHMAKING]

His expression became slightly strange.

“You’re Tang Hui?”

Tang Hui immediately became cautious.

Handsome men usually approached her for only two reasons.

Either they wanted discounts—

or trouble.

“Yes?”

The surrounding disciples watched with terrifying excitement.

Someone whispered loudly, “That’s Gu Beichen!”

Another disciple nearly gasped. “The inner sect’s number one sword cultivator?”

Tang Hui’s expression stiffened slightly.

Inner sect disciple?

Trouble.

Definitely trouble.

Gu Beichen studied her silently for several moments before finally speaking again.

“You help people pursue romantic relationships?”

Tang Hui straightened professionally. “I provide emotional guidance, compatibility analysis, conflict resolution, romantic strategy—”

“Good.”

Tang Hui blinked.

“…Good?”

“I require your assistance.”

The entire marketplace exploded into whispers.

Tang Hui stared at him suspiciously.

Wait.

A handsome inner sect genius came personally seeking matchmaking advice?

Impossible.

Cultivators like Gu Beichen usually caused romantic problems rather than suffered from them.

Unless—

Tang Hui narrowed her eyes slightly.

“…Senior Brother.”

“Yes?”

“You secretly like someone.”

The market became deathly silent.

Several disciples looked moments away from spiritual collapse.

Because Gu Beichen had rejected countless admirers over the years.

Cold-hearted.

Untouchable.

Focused entirely on the sword Dao.

Yet now—

he was asking for relationship advice?

Gu Beichen remained expressionless. “…Correct.”

The silence deepened further.

Somewhere nearby, someone dropped a spirit fruit from pure shock.

Tang Hui suddenly became interested.

Very interested.

This was premium gossip.

She gestured seriously toward the chair opposite her stall. “Please sit.”

Gu Beichen sat down calmly.

The surrounding disciples immediately pretended not to eavesdrop while very obviously eavesdropping.

Tang Hui leaned forward slightly. “Tell me about the situation.”

Gu Beichen remained silent briefly before speaking.

“She avoids me.”

Tang Hui nodded wisely. “Common symptom.”

“She appears nervous whenever I approach.”

“Also common.”

“She once ran into a pillar after seeing me unexpectedly.”

Tang Hui paused.

“…That’s actually promising.”

The nearby disciples stared at her in disbelief.

Tang Hui ignored them professionally.

“Describe your interactions.”

Gu Beichen frowned slightly. “I greet her occasionally.”

“Good.”

“I once gave her a spirit herb.”

“Excellent.”

“She thanked me and fled immediately.”

Tang Hui rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

Interesting.

Very interesting.

There were only two possibilities here.

Either the girl genuinely feared him—

or she liked him too much and completely panicked.

Considering Gu Beichen’s face, the second option honestly felt more likely.

Tang Hui nodded confidently. “She probably has feelings for you.”

The surrounding disciples nearly stopped breathing.

Even Gu Beichen’s gaze sharpened slightly. “…You’re certain?”

Tang Hui was not certain at all.

But confidence was extremely important in business.

“Women are complicated,” she said mysteriously.

Nearby female disciples immediately looked offended.

Tang Hui ignored them completely.

“Tell me honestly,” she continued, “are you naturally intimidating?”

Gu Beichen considered the question carefully. “…I’ve been told that before.”

A disciple somewhere in the crowd whispered, “By literally everyone.”

Tang Hui nodded solemnly. “There’s your problem.”

“My problem?”

“You approach women like you’re preparing for a life-and-death duel.”

The market became dangerously quiet.

Mostly because it was true.

Gu Beichen’s expression grew increasingly thoughtful.

Tang Hui pointed directly at him. “You’re too intense.”

“…Intense?”

“When you look at people, it feels like you’re deciding whether to cut them in half.”

Several disciples nodded instinctively.

Even Old Chen silently retreated farther away.

Tang Hui continued professionally, “You need to appear gentler.”

Gu Beichen frowned slightly. “…How?”

Tang Hui opened her mouth—

then froze.

Actually…

How exactly did one make a terrifying sword cultivator appear gentle?

That sounded impossible.

Tang Hui stared thoughtfully at Gu Beichen’s cold expression before suddenly pointing toward a nearby paper lantern stall.

“Buy her something cute.”

The market fell silent again.

Gu Beichen looked genuinely confused. “…Cute?”

“Yes.”

“You believe this will help?”

Tang Hui nodded with absolute confidence she absolutely did not possess.

“Women appreciate thoughtful gestures.”

That sounded reasonable enough.

Probably.

Gu Beichen fell silent briefly before slowly standing.

“I understand.”

Tang Hui relaxed slightly.

Good.

Consultation complete.

Then Gu Beichen calmly placed a small spirit pouch onto her table.

Clink.

Tang Hui’s eyes widened slightly.

That sound…

Spirit stones.

Many spirit stones.

“Payment,” Gu Beichen said calmly.

Tang Hui carefully opened the pouch.

Then nearly stopped breathing.

Twenty high-grade spirit stones.

TWENTY.

Tang Hui immediately looked up in horror. “Senior Brother… this is too much.”

Gu Beichen simply nodded once. “If your advice succeeds, there will be more.”

Then he turned and left.

The surrounding disciples instantly swarmed her stall.

“You actually advised Senior Brother Gu?!”

“Who does he like?!”

“Is matchmaking really this profitable?!”

Tang Hui barely heard any of them.

Because she was still staring at the spirit stones on the table in complete emotional shock.

Cultivation suddenly seemed even more unnecessary than before.