Chapter 24: Getting married

"After Blackwood's big 20-year celebration..."

"As Gratitude Village thrived more and more, 15-year-old Lucas started hanging out there a lot. He got a little crush on Karen, the daughter of Thomas, the village chief and a newbie in Foundational Energy. One starry night, they got a bit too cozy on the grass, and well, one thing led to another. Karen got pregnant..."

"Whoa..."

Ethan spit his drink all over his screen when he saw the update in the game's event list.

He quickly wiped his screen and clicked on Lucas's profile to see what the eldest Blackwood son had gotten himself into.

It was a dark and windy night.

Two figures were wrapped up in each other on the grass, with some pretty obvious text floating above their heads.

"Karen, you're so beautiful... your hands are so small, let me see... your eyes are gorgeous too... and your nose is so cute..."

"Yikes..."

"..."

"Dang!"

Ethan's face darkened. Who would've thought? Lucas, usually just into sword fighting and looking like a madman in battle, had such smooth moves with the ladies?

He was totally making Karen swoon!

Ethan thought for a moment, his expression turning mischievous.

"Using 'Forebearer's Love', costing 20 Spiritual Tribute points."

Suddenly, a purple light shone in the night, hitting Lucas, who was holding the girl's hand, and he just froze.

"Yikes! Lucas, what's this light?" Karen jumped.

"Huh?"

Lucas finally snapped out of it and immediately knelt down in the dark, looking guilty as sin, "Forebearer... thanks for the Divine Gift, please don't tell my dad, he... he'd kill me if he knew I messed up!"

He wouldn't dare!

Ethan glared. Nathan hadn't had kids in years, and if he tried to stop Lucas, Ethan was ready to let the Purple Thunder Solar Python break Nathan's legs.

Besides... the deed was done.

Ethan switched the view, leaving the young couple alone.

He fast-forwarded the scene, eagerly waiting for the third generation of Blackwoods to make their debut!

Sure enough.

The next day, Lucas, knowing he'd been caught, didn't sleep all night, tossing and turning until dawn.

He bravely faced his parents and spilled the beans about him and Karen.

Lucas was immediately dragged to the shrine.

"Forebearer, please calm down, marriage is the parents' decision, the matchmaker's word."

Nathan knelt on the ground, terrified, "My son Lucas acted without consent, behaving disgracefully towards the daughter of the Brown family, please punish him, Forebearer!"

Lucas was pale and also knelt down, "Please punish me, Forebearer, I won't dare again!"

"Huh?"

That's when Ethan finally realized, the game world was a bit old-fashioned.

Not like the weird stuff he'd seen in his past life, where messing around led to new trends.

Even in the real world, embryo parenting was becoming trendy.

"Forebearer, please calm down!"

In the game, Nathan, seeing no immediate response from the Forebearer, thought the Forebearer was angry. He gritted his teeth, raised a knife, and glared fiercely at his eldest son, "Unfilial son, take off your pants! How did I raise you? How dare you disgrace the Brown family's daughter, how will I face the Forebearer after I die, or explain to Thomas?"

"Dad, what are you doing?"

Lucas, terrified, saw his father raising the knife and panicked, "I... I only have one thing!"

"Stop!"

Seeing the scene in the game, Lucas wasn't the only one panicking, Ethan was too.

He muttered 'dang', never expecting Nathan to go so far as to threaten to cut off his son's dignity!

Ethan quickly clicked on the Purple Thunder Solar Python's icon, urgently saving Lucas from a dire fate.

"Yikes!"

Lucas clutched his pants tightly, relieved when he saw the temple guardian beast speak up, "Dad, look, the Forebearer's sending us a sign!"

As the Purple Thunder Solar Python shook its head at Nathan.

Nathan finally put down the knife, glaring at Lucas, "The Forebearer spared you, now get on your knees and thank him! And later, follow me to the Brown family with a proper dowry to ask for their daughter's hand! You've embarrassed the Blackwoods enough, you beast!"

"Thank you, Forebearer, for saving me!"

Lucas's sweat soaked the ground.

Ethan, in front of the screen, wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. That was a close call; his quirky descendant nearly had to learn some bizarre sword techniques to defend his honor.

As for losing face for the Blackwoods?

He wasn't as conservative as Lucas. In fact... he was kind of curious to learn a thing or two from his quirky descendant.

Soon enough.

The Blackwoods presented the dowry, and Thomas from the Brown family wasn't so conservative either. He was actually thrilled about the alliance with the child of a benefactor.

Finally.

The screen lit up with festive lights, big red lanterns hung at the door, and the character for 'happiness' plastered all over the homes in Gratitude Village and on the Blackwoods' doors and windows.

The whole village turned up at the Blackwoods' to celebrate, laying out a grand feast.

A pair of slightly youthful newlyweds walked up to the ancestral hall to the sound of gongs and drums.

"First bow to heaven and earth."

"Second bow to the high hall!"

"Today Lucas is getting married, in front of the ancestral hall, please have some tea."

"Spiritual Tribute +30!"

The second generation of Blackwoods finally had someone getting married, the third generation was about to arrive, and the Blackwoods were truly flourishing!

"Sweet!"

Ethan took a big swig of his Coke.

"The couple bows to each other, entering the bridal chamber!"