Hearing Ice Chunk changing her clothes, Li Mo couldn’t help but conjure up some rather vivid imagery in his mind.
Across a doorframe, she slipped out of her simple attire and into a radiant red dress, blooming in the sunlight like a fiery rose…
Now he really wanted to sneak a peek, but alas, the security, aka Old Li, was standing guard like a stubborn old man, giving no quarter whatsoever.
“You really think it’s that easy to see her?”
“Dad, I was just joking about being swapped at birth! Now I’m starting to have my doubts.”
Li Mo sighed dramatically, looking at Ice.
Li Dalong waved him off. “Go on, go on. You’ll see her tomorrow! Can’t you just hold it together for one more day?”
With that, Li Dalong shooed him away and grunted, clearly recalling that he himself hadn’t had the chance to peek when it was his turn.
…
The autumn wind was refreshing, and the engagement banquet was officially underway.
For the Grand Qingyuan Sect, this feast was a bit of a scramble. The folks from the promotion ceremony hadn’t even left yet, and now more guests for the wedding were piling in, resulting in an open-air banquet stretching from the main hall all the way to the mountain gate.
Li Mo rode out of the mountain gate on horseback.
Let me tell you, in that getup his old man once wore to pick up a bride, and with the air of the top of the Qianlong List, he looked quite the dashing young man, brimming with youthful vigor as if the Spring breeze were tugging at his horse’s reins.
“The Qingyuan Sect today feels even livelier than during the promotion ceremony,” Elder Xu remarked, somewhat wistfully.
“That’s right! Even the King of South Border showed up, along with his gifts!” Qian Bufan was sitting at the entrance collecting gifts and gestured sumptuously.
“Aren’t we just getting engaged here? Do we really have to bring gifts for that?” One elder from the Sword Manor blinked in confusion but still started rummaging for cash.
“I heard that this is actually getting married, and the Cold Fairy even changed her title to ‘Li’s Beloved Fiancée!’”
“This definitely doesn’t feel like an engagement.”
“Right? I passed by and saw the bridal chamber already decked out! Who needs a bridal chamber for an engagement, huh??”
Along the way, the martial artists were abuzz with gossip, some insisting it was just an engagement and others claiming it was indeed a wedding.
Shang Qin Qing’s lips twitched at the edge of the crowd; she seemed on the verge of bursting into uncontrollable laughter.
But then she caught sight of a group of people arriving at the mountain gate and held back.
“So, only marriage requires a bridal chamber?” A guest shouted from the crowd.
The person being questioned shot them a look that could only be described as ‘are you serious?’ but upon realizing it was the renowned Lingxi Sect Master Mo Chaozong, they awkwardly nodded.
“Correct! Engagements don’t require a bridal chamber.”
“Then today must be a wedding, for sure,” the casts of Huanmo Sect murmured in agreement, relieved.
“Goodness, for a moment I thought something had gone wrong with our plan!”
“Master Mo, your Lingxi Sect is thriving; I trust you didn’t come empty-handed…” Qian Bufan extended his hand, his fingers rubbing together sheepishly.
“…”
Mo Chaozong remained silent, dumbfounded. He had come to stir trouble, not to fork over money!
Reluctantly, he pulled out a stack of silver coins.
“Lingxi Sect presents eight taels! Now wait outside the mountain gate!” Elder Qian boomed with authority.
“Only eight taels? Master Mo, you’re not here to stir trouble, are you?”
“After all, your Lingxi Sect was the most likely candidate to take over the Zhenzhou sect. You’re not holding a grudge over not being selected, are you?”
“Could it be that Lingxi Sect is so broke they can only offer this little?”
At this, Mo Chaozong’s fists clenched. When had he ever been subjected to this?
“Control your temper; don’t mess it all up,” Si Tu Ding whispered to him.
It wouldn’t be convenient to strike outside the mountain gate.
“Hmph.”
Mo Chaozong snorted coldly and pulled out two bundles of banknotes. “There, satisfied now?”
Having given the cash, he stepped inside, only to realize his entourage hadn’t followed him in.
A warm reminder: Check the top right corner for the options to switch between Simplified and Traditional Chinese, adjust the font size, or change the reading background color!
…
Just as he entered, he was stopped by Qian Bufan.
“Didn’t you just hand over the cash?”
“Disguised as Si Tu Ding, I’m here for a serious inquiry,” came a deep voice.
“He only gave his share!”
“You little…”
“Hmm?”
“Cutie.”
And so, one by one, the Huanmo Sect members lined up to pay up, making their not-so-bulging wallets even thinner.
Of course, they didn’t leave empty-handed—they at least got a couple of dolls of “Li’s Young Hero and Cold Fairy” as gifts.
Meanwhile, Young Li had no idea that Elder Qian was even pilfering from the Huanmo Sect.
Li Mo entered Ziyang Mansion, and people regarded him with a mix of respect and awe, suddenly forgetting any notion of the “wife-stealing little tyrant” as their brains turned to mush.
It felt like this path stretched on to eternity, yet also passed in the blink of an eye.
He felt heavier than lead, and yet it was as if he were walking on clouds.
…
At that very moment, the bride-to-be was sitting in front of the vanity, letting Gu Xueqin arrange her hair. She stared blankly into the mirror, waves of emotion rippling in her heart.
She never imagined the scenes from her dreams would manifest so vividly.
At first, she thought of how the Li family had helped her, and with that thought, she entered the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, intending to look after that childish ghost a bit.
After all, she came to be the big sister, and she had lived for two lifetimes.
But as time went on, she ended up owing him more and more.
It seemed like, well…
All she could do now was give herself to him.
Presently…
“It seems this packet is stuffed with banknotes…”
Lan Tian entered holding a red envelope.
“Hmm? Isn’t the young lad giving out red packets?”
Shang Wu, who came to be a bridesmaid alongside Lan Tian, recalled how initially, Li Mo had refused that tradition.
Everyone knew that before taking the bride, the groom had to pass a series of tests to enter, and the bridesmaids were supposed to create some ‘obstacles.’
Shang Wu was meant to be the obstacle; how could this not be a delight?
But Ice Chunk didn’t have many friends, so with Lan Tian in tow, it looked like the only strong support was the fighting champion of the Qingyuan Sect.
“Yeah, do you also give out red packets during engagements?” Lan Tian nodded eagerly.
“Should… be expected,” Shang Wu crossed her arms, suddenly serious and refraining from raiding her beloved disciple’s stash—a rare moment of maturity.
“……”
Ying Bing pursed her lips, thinking that red packets were really only for weddings.
But given how much she had already been played by the childish ghost, what was one more instance? She might as well play dumb.
“Aren’t you beautiful, Ice Sister!”
Lan Tian even forgot about the red envelope, staring at Ying Bing’s black hair styled in a phoenix-patterned red dress, unable to resist wiping the drool from her lips.
Gu Xueqin wanted to add a couple of flattering comments, but when she looked up at the mirror again, she felt any praise would feel superfluous.
She opened her mouth, but words caught in her throat, making her eyes a little misty.
After all, she had raised her since childhood—she was no different from her own daughter.
“Lucky that smelly brat…”
“Mom, what time is it?”
“Calm down! We can’t let him take you away that easily!”
Madam Gu, Young Li’s protective mother, had the look of a guardian hen, hovering near the bedroom door.
After searching for a while, she finally found the bolt.
How odd—Little Ice never locks her door!
