Returning to the Sinister Clan for just a few days, Si Lan arrived, bringing with him three different styles of wedding dresses, reportedly handpicked by Lu Qianqiao.
Xin Mei stared blankly at the three phoenix crowns that looked suspiciously like chamber pots for a long while. She turned to glance at Si Lan, whose face remained expressionless. Then she looked at Xin Xiong, whose eyes sparkled with excitement—likely, even if Lu Qianqiao had sent actual chamber pots, he would have wept tears of joy.
"Are you sure... I’m supposed to wear this to marry him?"
She lifted one chamber pot—no, one phoenix crown—and plopped it onto her head, instantly swallowing half her face.
Si Lan coughed discreetly. "The General said this is the traditional wedding style of the War Ghost Clan."
...The brides of the War Ghost Clan were truly pitiful, all marrying with chamber pots on their heads.
"The General also instructed that he’ll deal with the peasant soldiers near Jiaping Pass within half a month and won’t have time to look after you. So this... challenging task has been entrusted to me. For these two weeks, you’re to stay obediently in the Sinister Clan and not go anywhere."
Truth be told, this task was indeed challenging... Si Lan rubbed his aching temples.
Unexpectedly, she nodded meekly without any protest. The breath Si Lan had been holding in his throat finally escaped.
"Oh, Si Lan," Xin Mei removed the phoenix crown and turned to him with a kind expression. "Since you’re here, why not take this rare opportunity to visit that doctor in Greenwater Town? He’s skilled in acupuncture and specializes in treating facial paralysis, spasms, and strokes."
...That breath of his had clearly been exhaled too soon.
For Xin Mei, half a month passed in the blink of an eye. For Si Lan, it felt longer than three lifetimes.
Jiaping Pass soon reported a victory. Though the old General Bai Zongying had retired, the newly appointed General of Agile Cavalry proved no less formidable, effortlessly slaying several of Wu Shuang’s top generals. Wu Shuang, who had been unstoppable since his uprising, finally encountered a mountain-like setback. Left with no choice, he withdrew his forces from Jiaping Pass, retreating beyond the borders of Qiong Country—likely not daring to return anytime soon.
Emperor Rong Zhengdi was overjoyed, showering rewards of gold and silver like flowing water. He even ordered the construction of a grand General’s residence in the capital, eagerly awaiting the General’s triumphant return.
This expectation, however, was once again dashed. Lu Qianqiao submitted a memorial requesting half a year’s leave. Without waiting for a response, he packed up that very night and returned to the Imperial Mausoleum.
He was busy getting married these days and had no time to return to court.
That day was the eighteenth of September, said to be the most auspicious of all auspicious dates.
Xin Mei, with a chamber pot-like phoenix crown on her head and a tattered sack of a wedding dress woven from the feathers of a hundred birds, found herself under the scrutiny of countless eyes. Dressed like this, she couldn’t muster her usual courage and could only hide her face behind her sleeves as she boarded the bridal carriage once more. Unlike last time, Lu Qianqiao was present this time, riding atop his fiery-red Fierce Cloud Colt, draped in a similarly tattered wedding robe—yet he still managed to look dashing and imposing.
Greenwater Town was abuzz once more. Rumors spread that the Sinister Clan’s young lady, infamous for her husband-killing fate, had barely been married a few months before her previous husband met his demise. Yet, she had somehow found another unlucky soul to take his place—and this one was exceptionally handsome.
Watching Xin Xiong’s wrinkled face bloom like a flower, the townsfolk with unmarried daughters seethed with envy. They drowned their resentment in feasting, eating and drinking until the kitchen could no longer keep up, only then leaving with some semblance of satisfaction.Seeing the wedding procession about to depart, Xin Xiong quickly steadied the bridal carriage and lifted the curtain: "Little Mei, have you read those books I gave you?"
Xin Mei had been spinning the phoenix crown on her finger when she heard this, causing it to clatter to the ground.
Those books... She had only managed to read the Collection of Orchid Musk and Delicate Stamens. She had intended to peruse the others when she had time, but who knew that when Lu Qianqiao escorted her back to the Sinister Clan, he'd confiscated them all without a word.
"I'll study them properly, don't worry."
He had tossed her this line with such deadpan seriousness that it gave her several nights of restless dreams.
"Anyway, I'll inspect the goods tonight."
Xin Mei picked up the phoenix crown and turned to give Xin Xiong a long-missed, domineering smile.
The grand wedding procession finally took to the skies, heading toward the Imperial Mausoleum. Feeling stifled inside the carriage, Xin Mei lifted the curtain and unexpectedly saw Lu Qianqiao approaching on his Fierce Cloud Colt. She quickly waved.
"Si Lan said your War Ghost Clan's wedding customs are different from ours—something about performing chest-crushing stunts later. Let's make a deal: feed me first, then the performance, okay?"
...Chest-crushing stunts? What exactly had Si Lan told her?
Lu Qianqiao took out a bag of pastries from his robe and tossed it to her, smiling faintly: "Silly girl, do you think this is some street performance? Just cover your head with the veil—you don't need to do anything."
After gazing at her quietly for a long moment, his ears turning slightly red, he added softly: "You look... very beautiful today."
He had imagined her wearing the War Ghost Clan's bridal attire many times, but the mental image paled in comparison to the real person sitting before him now.
"Our bridal robes suit you very well."
Xin Mei hesitated, looking down at the sack-like dress she was wearing and the phoenix crown resembling a chamber pot in her hand. So... in his eyes, this was what suited her.
"You don't look bad in these clothes either," she offered a half-hearted compliment. "These bird feathers are really extravagant."
Huh... he's smiling so blissfully.
Guiltily, Xin Mei picked out a date cake and silently stuffed it into her mouth.
Just as Lu Qianqiao was about to say more, he suddenly sensed something amiss. Turning sharply, he saw several enormous Paradise Birds emerging slowly from a cloudbank in the distance, pulling a dazzling golden Long Carriage—ostentatious and luxurious—as it leisurely approached.
Golden light transformed into flowing characters that occasionally brushed against their bodies, creating an... unpleasant sensation.
"General!"
Si Lan, ever vigilant at the front, immediately wheeled his horse around, instinctively positioning himself as a shield while subtly resting a hand on his sword hilt.
Lu Qianqiao shook his head, signaling him to stand down.
Now he understood the source of that unpleasant aura he'd detected on Xin Mei before—had she encountered the Youhu Clan's High Priest?
"...What do you want?"
He urged his horse forward three paces, his voice indifferent.
The white bamboo curtain was lifted by a black-gloved hand as the High Priest poked his head out, smiling leisurely at him.
"Not here for you. For her."
He pointed at Xin Mei in the bridal carriage, her cheeks stuffed with date cakes.
Lu Qianqiao's brow furrowed, but he remained silent, merely shifting slightly to block the other man's brazen gaze.
"Beautiful bride in the carriage!" The High Priest cupped his hands around his mouth and called out loudly, "Thank you for the mooncakes last time. Today I've come to return the favor."Xin Mei brushed the crumbs off her hands and studied him curiously for a long moment before exclaiming in surprise, "Do I know you?"
"Ah, so unkind," he chuckled nonchalantly. "Forgotten me already? No matter. Here's a return gift for you—and I've also brought along that fox from Esteemed Spirit Valley's congratulatory present. Catch!"
With a flick of his long sleeve, he tossed over a large box.
Lu Qianqiao intercepted it with lightning speed, holding it while staring at the man for a moment before finally lowering his gaze. In his hand was a wooden box over a foot long and wide, containing two smaller boxes—one holding a pigeon-egg-sized luminous pearl, the other a delicate golden necklace.
"The necklace is from me," the High Priest said lazily, a slow smile spreading across his face. "Wishing you a harmonious union, inseparable as glue and lacquer, and many children soon."
The necklace emitted a loathsome aura. Without changing expression, Lu Qianqiao tossed the box aside.
Unfazed, the High Priest continued smiling. "Why such hostility? I rather like you, you know."
Lu Qianqiao turned away and ordered, "Move on."
The wedding procession resumed, and the resplendent Long Carriage soon vanished from sight. Xin Mei craned her neck to watch until inspiration suddenly struck. "Oh! It's that meat-eating fake priest!"
"Don't think about him," Lu Qianqiao said flatly.
Huh? Was he jealous?
Xin Mei cupped her chin and beamed at him sweetly. "There, there. You're the only one in my heart."
A faint smile flickered across his face before disappearing. "Sit properly. Don't fall."
The Youhu Clan... Li Min had mentioned before leaving Jiaping Pass that they'd been growing restless lately, even troubling his mother. One side insisted they were descendants of heavenly gods, while the other adamantly denied any divine lineage—hence the conflict. With the War Ghost Clan dwindling in recent years... it was time to settle this.
"Lu Qianqiao, what are you thinking about?" The bride's voice from the wedding carriage interrupted his thoughts. He smiled—right, they were still mid-wedding.
"Nothing." He drew the curtain for her. "Sit tight. We're picking up speed to reach the Imperial Mausoleum before dark."
Weddings might look joyous to outsiders, but those involved only found them exhausting.
For the War Ghost Clan, getting married was more troublesome than childbirth. Xin Mei, veiled and cradled in Lu Qianqiao's arms, endured knife mountains and boiling oil cauldrons—the purpose of her phoenix-feather wedding dress being to ensure not a single feather fell during these trials, lest it bring bad luck.
Finally entering the gates, they were immediately greeted by a flying iron ball—was this a bridal chamber or a trap room?!
Lu Qianqiao effortlessly kicked the ball away, smashing the wall to pieces and reducing the poor room to rubble.
Turns out... the actual bridal chamber was further inside.
Placed on the bed, Xin Mei barely had time to feign shyness before hearing several whooshes beneath her feet—a row of steel blades shot up through the bedboards, transforming the wedding bed into a cage.
As the groom stood outside rolling up his sleeves to dismantle the blades and reach his bride, the "trapped" lady had already erupted in fury, kicking the blades apart.
"Come here!" Xin Mei yanked off her veil and crooked a finger at him. "Now—can we finally have our wedding night?"
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