Jiang Xuan originally thought he had deceived Xia Xiao Yu into submission.
But the sudden change in her demeanor caught him completely off guard.
The more he struggled, the happier Xia Xiao Yu became.
Just when Jiang Xuan was starting to calm down, Xia Xiao Yu spoke with a mischievous grin:
“Have you finally realized your situation? It’s no use, Brother Xuan! You could scream until you’re hoarse, and no one will come to save you.
Your only ally, your fiancée, is still on her way back to the Great Jiang Imperial City.
By the time she returns, I’ll have the contents of the Recording Stone ready.
When that time comes, I’ll present the Recording Stone to her as a gift and casually mention that if she doesn’t want its contents to be leaked, then she should cancel this grand wedding.
Do you think that wicked woman would halt the ceremony for your reputation?”
“Xiao Yu, doing this will only anger Liu Yun. Stop this now, or else…”
Before Jiang Xuan could finish, the stone door to the basement suddenly crumbled.
A clear, ethereal voice rang out, interrupting the drama.
“Xiao Yu, I kindly invited you to be my maid of honor, and here you are, gifting me something fabulous instead.
You almost had me fooled, but it seems you underestimated my strength.
To be precise, I didn’t need half a day to return to the Great Jiang Imperial City; I only needed half an hour.
And from the very start of our battle, I left a tracking mark on you.
I suspected you might have a backup plan, and it seems I was spot on.”
Upon hearing this, Xia Xiao Yu’s pupils slightly contracted. Realizing what was happening, she immediately severed the chains that bound Jiang Xuan.
Just as she was about to relocate Jiang Xuan, a chime echoed, and above her appeared an ancient, weathered stone bell.
The pressure radiating from the bell made Xia Xiao Yu’s movements slow to a crawl.
In that instant, Nangong Liu Yun expanded her sword domain, enveloping Xia Xiao Yu completely.
A moment later, when she withdrew the sword domain, a black sack materialized before her.
From within the sack, Xia Xiao Yu’s voice could be heard shouting,
“Let me out! That was a mistake! If you’re tough enough, let’s fight again!”
Nangong Liu Yun ignored Xia Xiao Yu’s struggles in the sack. She simply kicked it aside and stepped slowly towards Jiang Xuan.
“Apologies, husband. This little girl played tricks on me, so I arrived a bit late.”
“It’s fine. I always knew you’d come to rescue me, Liu Yun.”
Meanwhile, Jiang Xuan was screaming internally:
【After becoming the Saintess of the Monster Clan, that Xiao Yu is completely unreliable. What a letdown!
Thank goodness I was cautious when she forced me to make choices before. Otherwise, I would’ve been doomed!】
On the other side, Nangong Liu Yun picked up the Recording Stone that had fallen nearby.
“Oh? This is the gift you prepared for me, Xiao Yu?
Let me see what you did while I was away.”
As she spoke, she infused spiritual power into the Recording Stone, and the recorded images slowly appeared.
Seeing the footage play out, Jiang Xuan felt his heart racing.
Although he had never officially chosen Xia Xiao Yu, and never even replied to her expectations, that Recording Stone definitely recorded a scene of Xia Xiao Yu kissing him forcefully.
And that was with Nangong Liu Yun arriving just in time; if she had arrived even a moment later…
But if Nangong Liu Yun saw what was on the Recording Stone, things might not end well for him either…
Jiang Xuan was about to speak up to stop her, but Nangong Liu Yun interrupted him.
“Husband, please be quiet. Let me enjoy Xiao Yu’s gift first.”
Jiang Xuan: “…….”
After Nangong Liu Yun expressionlessly finished watching the footage, she thoughtfully remarked,
“I see now. When you said there were no ‘ifs’, it actually meant you were acknowledging your own identity and trusting I would come to save you, right?
I had sensed those bad women plotting to crash our wedding, but I didn’t expect the first to act would be Xiao Yu.
And when she couldn’t win, she ran away. I gave her chances to surrender, but she took advantage of my kindness to play tricks on me.
Moreover, despite your rejection, she wanted to use force. She really has gotten a bit too bold!
But now that her cultivation is sealed and she’s trapped by my spiritual treasure, she won’t be causing any trouble.
As my first prisoner of war, I suppose I should have a little fun torturing her.”
With that said, Nangong Liu Yun walked over to the black sack and continued,
“Xiao Yu, I’ve seen your gift, so I’ve prepared one for you too—a gift that will completely break your spirit.”
“Wait, what are you up to, you wicked woman? Why is this all directed at me?”
Watching the sack squirm again, Nangong Liu Yun smiled lightly and turned to Jiang Xuan.
“Husband, the question Xia Xiao Yu asked, I would like to know the answer too.
Now that we’re both here, if Husband had to choose only one for a wedding, who would you choose? I want an exact answer.”
Jiang Xuan: “！！！！！！”
For Nangong Liu Yun’s question, Jiang Xuan’s peripheral vision stole a glance at the sack on the ground.
Then, being true to his feelings, he unhesitatingly replied,
“Of course, I choose Liu Yun! I… I am your fiancé…”
After hearing Jiang Xuan’s answer, Nangong Liu Yun giggled.
“Indeed, your choice is me. So then, what’s your relationship with Xia Xiao Yu?”
As soon as she finished speaking, she pulled Jiang Xuan into her embrace.
Seeing Jiang Xuan seemingly at a loss for words, she leaned in close and whispered sweetly,
“It’s okay, just be honest, husband. Regardless of your answer, I won’t blame you.”
On the other side, Jiang Xuan hadn’t replied yet, and Xia Xiao Yu was already on the verge of a meltdown.
“Please stop asking! I don’t want to hear it! Just shut up!
Whatever torture you have in store, it should be directed at me, not him! I was wrong to provoke you; I’m sorry…”
“Xiao Yu, don’t be so hasty! Don’t you love asking these kinds of questions?
You prepared me a gift, and I’m just trying to clarify things on your behalf. You should be thanking me!”
“Thank you, my foot! Brother Xuan, don’t answer her! I don’t want to hear your response!”
In the end, as Nangong Liu Yun’s hands wandered and came to a stop in a particular spot, Jiang Xuan finally replied,
“She… she is just my… childhood friend… nothing more…”
At that moment, trapped in the sack, Xia Xiao Yu felt as if the sky had fallen.
