A simple sequence of events, yet fraught with complexity. Greeting every guest who came to offer congratulations, taking a sip of wine with each one—completing this circuit would leave one feeling bloated, even if it were only water instead of spirits.

Fortunately, his cultivation was immense. A mere rotation of true qi, followed by finding an unoccupied corner, was enough to convert all that liquid into steam that dissipated into the air.

“It’s great having high martial arts; you don’t even need to use the latrine when you drink too much!”

The wedding feast was immensely satisfying and relaxed, until the toasts reached the Tianshan Sect contingent. Li Xuan, who had unexpectedly appeared, spoke up: “Sect Leader Ye, I, Li, am here to fulfill our agreement!”

“Sect Leader Li really has a knack for timing things…” Ye Wen glanced down at his crimson wedding robes, raised his wine cup toward Li Xuan, and replied, “Sect Leader Li, you must grant me a few days’ grace. Let me spend a peaceful few days with my junior sister first, and then you can come!”

Li Xuan merely smiled, drained his cup, and said nothing more. However, the meaning conveyed in his eyes made Ye Wen realize his plea had been entirely in vain; Li Xuan was dead set on settling the score with him within these very days.

Though the exchange between the two men was not intentionally loud, their status ensured that many eyes were drawn to them. Thus, as they spoke, everyone around them deliberately kept silent, eager to hear what these two preeminent masters of the Wulin world had to say.

Li Xuan’s mere presence at Mount Shu was already a shock to many. But when everyone heard and understood the words exchanged between Li Xuan and Ye Wen, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd.

“Is Sect Leader Li intending to spar with Sect Leader Ye?”

“To fight during someone else’s wedding ceremony—isn't that a bit…?”

“Now that the Heavenly Dao Sect’s prestige has greatly diminished, the Chan Sect has sealed its gates and ignores martial affairs, and the senior figure Nine Swords Immortal has already ascended beyond the void, there are hardly any figures left in the Wulin who can stand as Li’s equal. Li should unquestionably be the foremost figure in the martial world. However, Sect Leader Ye’s fame has been too pronounced these past few years; perhaps that is why Sect Leader Li has come looking for him!”

“Well said. In my opinion, this contest is unavoidable… I had intended to leave after the wedding feast, but it seems I must stay at Mount Shu for a few extra days!”

“Indeed, indeed!”

A contest between the Tianshan Sect Leader and the Mount Shu Sect Leader was an exceedingly rare spectacle. At last year’s grand martial assembly, many had hoped to see a true comparison between the renowned Li Xuan and the rapidly rising Ye Wen to determine who was stronger. Alas, that Li Xuan turned out to be an imposter, much to many people’s disappointment.

This time, there would be no pretense. The assembled guests were mostly martial artists, all keenly interested in witnessing a peak confrontation in the current martial world. Many who had planned to depart immediately after the feast now expressed their intention to stay.

This presented a slight complication regarding accommodation. Unexpectedly, these martial haoke (heroes/adventurers) displayed a grand spirit, laughing heartily: “Traveling the rivers and lakes, where haven’t we slept? Never mind having shelter from the sun and rain—even sleeping outside presents no hardship whatsoever!”

The matter was thus settled. The martial world adventurers cared little for lodging; they only hoped to endure one night so they could witness the duel between these two titans the following day.

Seeing the issue settled so swiftly through mutual assurances, Ye Wen could only curse inwardly: When the hell did I agree to this? He then shot Li Xuan a resentful glare: “You bastard, Li Xuan! I’m getting married, and you rush over to challenge me? I’m not marrying your junior sister; why the urgency?”

In his agitated state, a fraction of his massive internal energy inevitably leaked out, releasing a subtle, forceful aura. Most people wouldn't notice, but Li Xuan, who was drinking, suddenly frowned sharply and turned to scrutinize Ye Wen. Yet, Ye Wen appeared utterly unchanged from before, which deeply puzzled Li Xuan.

“A hallucination? Impossible!” Since achieving mastery of the Ice Soul Cold Art and specializing further in cold energies, his power had become increasingly profound, making such occurrences rare, especially sudden optical illusions. The feeling just now, that fleeting sensation, gave him a sense of familiarity intertwined with strangeness: “It’s a bit like that old ghost Nine Swords Immortal, but also slightly different…”

Gazing at Ye Wen, Li Xuan’s eyes narrowed involuntarily. He felt certain something significant had transpired regarding Ye Wen. He even suspected that this young Mount Shu Sect Leader had somehow touched upon that very realm before him.

After a moment’s thought, Li Xuan chuckled lightly: “Why ponder so much? We’ll know everything by tomorrow anyway!”

Having offered his toasts, and having already completed the formal procedures of the baitang (wedding ceremony before the altar), Ye Wen now took his leave of the assembled guests, exiting the main hall directly. All the main rites for this wedding had been conducted in the principal hall, while the wedding banquet took place in the Mount Shu Sect’s refectory, large enough to accommodate hundreds for a meal.

Stepping outside, the first person Ye Wen saw was Huayi, who had been waiting nearby. Huayi was dressed in a delicate, light-pink silken shirt that day, standing gracefully. Upon seeing Ye Wen emerge, she came forward to lead the way, guiding him toward the rear courtyard.

“Huayi!”

“Master, what are your commands?”

“You…”

Seeming to anticipate what Ye Wen was about to ask, Huayi smiled: “The Mistress is waiting anxiously, Master. You should hurry!”

Ye Wen had considered marrying both women simultaneously, but Huayi had refused.

Later, Ye Wen had considered holding another formal ceremony to officially welcome Huayi into the fold, but Huayi merely smiled faintly and said, “Having Master say those words is enough!” And… there was no follow-up.

Following Huayi to the small courtyard where she resided, Ye Wen stood before the door of his own room. This doorway was intensely familiar, yet today it felt strangely alien. Because after today, this room would have another mistress, and that mistress was waiting for him inside, at this very moment.

Swallowing hard, Ye Wen pushed open the slightly ajar door and strode in. Behind him, Huayi closed the door once Ye Wen had entered.

Walking into the private chamber, he saw Ning Ruxue sitting on the familiar bed, clad in her heavy red wedding robes, her beautiful face completely obscured by the bridal veil. Ye Wen walked over, scrutinizing her from every angle for a long moment, noticing that Ning Ruxue’s breathing was slightly rapid, and her entire body was trembling faintly.

“The veil is certainly secured tightly!”

Ye Wen’s simple remark nearly stole the breath from the already tense Ning Ruxue. Lifting her jade foot, clad in red embroidered shoes, she prepared to stomp hard on Ye Wen’s instep: “Still spouting nonsense, have you drunk too much?”

He neither dodged nor retreated, allowing Ning Ruxue to land her foot squarely. However, as her raised foot descended, it was unbelievably light; Ye Wen felt only a gentle brush of a soft breeze across his instep, with no sensation of pain at all.

Having allowed his junior sister to vent a small burst of petulance, thereby dispelling some of her tension, Ye Wen smiled, lifted the heavy red veil, and tossed it onto a nearby table, neatly covering the long rod used for unveiling ceremonies.

Ning Ruxue was startled when the veil was suddenly whisked away. Seeing Ye Wen grinning at her, his hands empty, she inferred that her Senior Brother had not followed the proper etiquette.

“Senior Brother is being mischievous again!”

“Now that it’s off, you can’t ask me to put it back on, can you, Junior Sister?” Ye Wen expected this to make Ning Ruxue concede. Who knew that his junior sister was far more resolute than he anticipated? He walked to the table to retrieve the veil, then thrust the rod into Ye Wen’s hand: “Unveil me again!”

“…,” staring at the rod in his hand, and seeing Ning Ruxue glare at him, Ye Wen could only shrug. He waited until his junior sister had replaced the veil before using the rod to lift and remove it from her head.

“Is that acceptable now?”

Ning Ruxue couldn't help but smile at Ye Wen’s disgruntled expression. That smile momentarily eclipsed the room’s overwhelming crimson decorations. Ye Wen gazed at his lightly made-up junior sister, reached out, and gently touched her cheek: “You look beautiful! Smile for your Senior Brother!”

“Senior Brother!”

Ye Wen grinned wickedly: “Calling me ‘Senior Brother’ isn’t quite right anymore! Time to change your address!”

This statement caused Ning Ruxue’s face to flood with a boundless crimson blush that spread across her cheeks, ears, and neck. Seeing her so shyly flustered, Ye Wen found it both amusing and captivating.

Just as he was about to tease her further, Ning Ruxue parted her lips, struggled for a long moment, and finally managed to utter a near-inaudible sound: “Hus…” Hus…” “…Hus…”

“Hus what?”

Ning Ruxue’s face grew redder, almost matching a steamed prawn. Ye Wen retracted his hand, then gently took hold of the fingers of Ning Ruxue, who was nervously twisting the hem of her dress: “Hus what? I’ve been waiting a long time!”

If this were a comic strip, a mushroom cloud of steam would be rising from Ning Ruxue’s head; or perhaps she would simply faint backward, with dizzying circles spinning in her eyes.

“Hus what, hus what! I… I won’t say it! Senior Brother is Senior Brother!”

She turned her head away, ultimately failing to utter the word. Yet Ye Wen didn't press the issue; instead, he gently pulled her into his embrace and whispered into her ear: “My wife!”

Ning Ruxue, who had been slightly struggling, instantly went limp in Ye Wen’s arms. She buried her entire face into his chest, her head feeling as though it were weighted with lead, refusing to lift, allowing Ye Wen to slowly divest her of her garments one by one, revealing her perfect form to her Senior Brother.

Placing Ning Ruxue onto the couch, Ye Wen quickly managed to undress himself in a few swift moves, and then joined her on the bedding.

Ning Ruxue, eyes tightly shut and afraid to open them, felt a familiar energy envelop her. Recalling the words Aunt Zhao and Huayi had shared with her, she understood what was about to happen. Overwhelmed by shyness, she turned her head aside, kept her eyes closed, and softly whispered: “Husband…” “…Aowu…”

The midnight hours were filled with limitless, beautiful spring light. Ning Ruxue, experiencing such things for the first time, slept soundly. Ye Wen held her close, watching her slumber.

Not only did he achieve his heart's desire that night, but while Ning Ruxue slept unknowingly, he used the essence of the Crimson Fruit within his body to temper her entire meridian network. Combined with the beneficial effects of his own innate Purple Qi, Ning Ruxue’s physical constitution improved dramatically. Furthermore, he transferred a portion of the

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