Four days earlier.
In the study of Li Haimo, the clan leader.
Li Tianxi, who was in charge of internal affairs, cupped his hands and said, "Clan Leader, these are the portraits and family backgrounds of the seven prospective Li Family brides."
The portraits showed the faces of seven beautiful young women.
Li Tianxi carefully examined each portrait, then let his gaze linger on the portrait of Li Shuidao's prospective bride.
He shook his head again and again, displeasure written all over his face. He made no attempt to hide his thoughts. "This round-faced country girl won't do. She isn't good enough for Shuidao. We have to find someone else!"
"Find someone else? The wedding is almost here. How are we supposed to change it?" Li Tianxi asked, dumbfounded.
A flicker of displeasure crossed the clan leader's already somber face. Looking at Li Tianxi, he declared, "Find someone else! Let Li Shuidao be the last to marry and enter the bridal chamber. You still have seven days, which is surely enough. His bride must come from a distinguished family. Use Li Yijun's bride as the standard; she can only be better, never worse!"
"You have to understand that young people love to compare themselves with one another. If the bride the Lineage finds him can't match his talent, he may well grow rebellious!"
"Find another Li Family bride. Her beauty must surpass every woman in Divine Wood City!"
Li Haimo's voice was stern and left no room for argument.
Li Shuidao's talent and potential had completely astounded him.
He absolutely could not let such a promising clansman go unchecked!
Although Li Shuidao had already joined a sect and would be trained by it, keeping him firmly under control was simple enough.
His beloved had to be with the Lineage, his children with the Lineage, and his parents, brothers, and sisters with the Lineage.
With everyone more precious to him than his own life in the Lineage, no matter what task it assigned Li Shuidao, he would surely give it everything he had. He would fight to the death without complaint and die without regret!
The ancestral hall and the honor of the Lineage were nothing but empty things. The bonds between parents and children, and the love between spouses, were what truly mattered.
No one could escape these shackles!
That was the very reason Cultivation Families could exist.
Even that heartless, unfeeling fellow Li Tianjue had waited until he'd taken his children away before daring to betray the Lineage.
Finding Li Shuidao a beautiful bride was a small matter, but hidden within it was the clan leader's profound wisdom in keeping the Lineage under control.
Under immense pressure, Li Tianxi immediately summoned several juniors of the Hao generation to meet and discuss a solution.
"That's the situation. The clan leader has given us a death order: within seven days, we must find a beauty whose looks surpass every woman in Divine Wood City and make her Li Shuidao's new bride." Li Tianxi rubbed his temples, his face clouded with worry.
The juniors seated around the meeting table all looked troubled, their faces full of helplessness and confusion.
The group departed to carry out their orders.
The matchmakers of Divine Wood City were thrown into an uproar.
"We spent over half a year carefully choosing these seven women from all the villages within ten li. And now you want us to find a beauty who surpasses every woman in Divine Wood City in just seven days? What do you take marriage into the Li Family for?"
"No matchmaker could pull this off!"
"We wouldn't do it for any amount of money!"
"Um... does your Immortal Master only need to be beautiful?" one matchmaker asked.
A Li Family cultivator replied, "Oh... do you have someone in mind? If you can make this work, we'll pay you even for a recommendation."
"Well... there's a man on the east side of the city who just took a concubine. Her looks, tsk, tsk... she definitely surpasses every woman in Black Mountain."
The Li Family cultivator snapped, "Get lost!"
On the first day, Li Yijun got married. He brought his bride into the ancestral hall to pray to their ancestors.
The wedding banquet was an extravagant affair.
Meanwhile.
Word came from the matchmakers: there was absolutely nothing they could do.
On the second day, Li Haotang got married...
The matchmakers still had no solution.
On the third day, Li Shuilin got married...
Li Tianxi had completely given up hope in the matchmakers.
On the fourth day, Li Shuilong got married...
Li Tianxi asked the clan leader whether a woman from another Cultivation Family could be a suitable match for Li Shuidao. The result, naturally, was that the clan leader gave him a furious scolding.
If Li Shuidao married into another Cultivation Family, then once he advanced in cultivation, would he look after his wife's family or his own?
On the fifth day, Li Yixin got married...
Li Tianxi was as frantic as an ant on a hot pan.
On the sixth day, Li Yiqing got married...
Li Haoyun, Li Shuilang's father, suggested a woman from the martial world named Xia Ruoxue to the frazzled Li Tianxi.
She had come alone to the Eastern Inn in Divine Wood City, though no one knew why.
When Li Tianxi saw her in person, he was stunned by her beauty and overjoyed.
The matchmaker verified that she was a virgin.
The Li Family sent the betrothal gifts. The wedding would be held the next day.
Although the Li Family had delivered the betrothal gifts, it was Li Haoshan who accepted them.
In other words, this was a forced marriage.
As the woman's temporary father, Li Haoshan had married her off to the Li Family.
Not only had he taken care of the matter, he had also received the betrothal gifts.
On the seventh day, Li Shuidao got married...
Early in the morning, the matchmaker and all the Li Family elders arrived together. They busied themselves checking the wedding preparations while pointing out this and that.
Li Shuidao could only rush around, getting dressed for the ceremony while making sure every detail was in order.
Soon, a ceremonial procession escorted Li Shuidao's parents to the ancestral hall.
Together, they bowed three times to their ancestors, thanking them for their blessings.
His parents' eyes were full of excitement and anticipation.
Li Shuidao understood that this was not only his happy occasion, but his parents' as well.
Though he was thoroughly impatient, he could only go along with everything...
The endless formalities kept them busy until evening, when the wedding banquet finally began...
By evening.
Flowers adorned every corner, and gold and jade gleamed. Red ribbons and flowers decorated with auspicious dragons and phoenixes filled the grand banquet hall.
The doors to the banquet hall stood open as guests filed inside.
Cheers thundered through the hall, stirring everyone's hearts.
Accompanied by music, the storyteller dramatically recounted the love story of Li Shuidao and Xia Ruoxue, making them sound like childhood sweethearts and a match made in heaven.
The guests had heard similar stories every day for the past seven days...
A delicate stage had been set up in the center of the banquet hall.
Chairs for the parents sat upon it.
Li Shuidao's father, Li Haoshan, and his mother, Madam Jiang, sat on either side in wooden chairs.
Red candle stands and delicate flowers adorned both sides of the raised platform, filling the air with the heady scent of happiness.
Behind the stage hung an enormous red silk curtain embroidered with exquisite dragons and phoenixes, symbols of good fortune and eternity.
The names of the happy couple were displayed on the backdrop.
Groom: Li Shuidao.
Bride: Xia Ruoxue.
The air was filled with the fragrant aroma of delicious food. Tempting delicacies filled the banquet hall, whetting the guests' appetites.
Every seat had been carefully set with tableware and an elegant red wine cup, ready for the guests to enjoy.
When the banquet began, Li Shuidao led Xia Ruoxue, her head covered with a red veil, onto the stage with a red silk sash.
The wedding host, Li Haoyun, called out loudly, "First, bow to Heaven and Earth!"
Li Shuidao dropped straight to his knees and bowed!
"Second, bow to your parents!"
Li Shuidao turned toward his parents and bowed!
"Now, the couple bow to each other!"
Li Shuidao turned toward a strange woman and bowed!
"The ceremony is complete—"
"Escort the bride to the bridal chamber!"
Amid the guests' congratulations, Xia Ruoxue was escorted to the groom's room.
The bride went to the bridal chamber, but the groom couldn't follow.
He still had to drink with the guests.
Li Shuidao could only force a smile and go from table to table, drinking with everyone.
"Brother Shuidao, congratulations on marrying such a beauty!" Li Shuiting came over with a raised cup to offer a toast.
Li Shuidao replied, "Thank you, little sister. Same to you, same to you..."
Glug, glug, glug, glug...
"Brother Shuidao, congratulations on marrying a beauty!"
Glug, glug, glug, glug...
Li Shuidao said, "Thank you, thank you..."
"Haha... Brother Shuidao, you really are a good husband—so sincere! No wonder such a beauty fell for you!"
Glug, glug, glug, glug...
Li Shuidao said, "Thank you for the kind words, big brother..."
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