"Xiao Gang will be heartbroken..."
"But if he isn't heartbroken, then I'm the one who will be!"
Another voice roared in the depths of her heart. "Why? Why could Liu Erlong marry Xiao Gang with a clean slate, while I can only hide in the shadows and watch them be happy?"
"Why was I ruined by Qian Xunji, while Liu Erlong could walk away unscathed?"
"It's not fair..."
"This isn't fair!"
Bibi Dong's eyes gradually changed.
With a flicker, she appeared behind a large tree outside the wooden house. Through a gap in the leaves, her cold gaze once again fell on Liu Erlong, who was sitting with Yu Xiaogang in front of the house, laughing and joking with him.
Jealousy and resentment began to burn deep within her.
"Liu Erlong..."
She murmured, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible. "Don't blame me."
"If you must blame someone... blame your bad luck."
With that, Bibi Dong rose to her feet and vanished silently among the shadows of the trees.
In the distance.
Liu Erlong suddenly shivered and instinctively glanced around.
"What's wrong?"
Yu Xiaogang asked with concern.
"Nothing."
Liu Erlong shook her head. "I just feel... like something's watching me."
"Maybe it's a Soul Beast."
Flender said nonchalantly, "Don't worry. With me here, no Soul Beast will get close."
Liu Erlong smiled and said nothing more, but for some reason, unease lingered in her heart, as if she were being watched by some primordial beast.
Could it be... him?
Liu Erlong thought distractedly. The thought of her biological father suddenly came to mind, and her heart skipped a beat. No... that can't be, can it?
She felt that there was no way she'd become uneasy for no reason.
After thinking it over, she couldn't imagine anyone else paying attention to her besides that biological father who didn't care about her at all.
So...
What was she supposed to do?
Yu Xiaogang had no idea how complicated Liu Erlong's feelings were just then. He kept chattering away, showing off his knowledge of Martial Soul Theory.
Time passed quickly.
That day, before midnight had even passed, Spirit City began to bustle with activity.
By three or four in the morning, lanterns had already been hung and decorations put up everywhere. The city looked exceptionally festive.
That wasn't all.
A red carpet had even been laid along the main road outside Pope Palace. Quite a few Spirit Hall deacons had been dispatched to keep Soul Masters from walking on certain sections and dirtying it.
Of course, it wasn't as though the whole city had been outfitted for the occasion. The red carpet covered only a fixed route outside Pope Palace, stretching all the way to the city gate. That was all.
After all, the bride was only a cardinal.
In other places, a cardinal in Spirit City might indeed hold a fairly lofty status. But this was Spirit City, where a single brick could take out a whole crowd of cardinals.
"Grand Sect Master, are you sure you don't need a protector or the Grand Sect Master himself to come?"
"No. Just have a few elders come. They need to preside over the ceremony."
"Yes!"
At the Seven Kill Sect's station in Spirit City, the inner disciple in charge of the post bowed and took his leave after hearing Chen Fan's answer, hurrying off to deliver the message.
Chen Fan watched the disciple leave, his brows knitted in thought. Then he called out, "Someone!"
"Grand Sect Master!"
"Is the Spirit Hall Saintess, Bibi Dong, part of the wedding procession this time?"
"Grand Sect Master, according to the information circulating inside Spirit Hall, she seems to have left on a training journey..."
Left on a training journey?
Chen Fan furrowed his brow. Could she have gone to Slaughter City?
That doesn't make sense... I already told Bibi Dong that Yu Xiaogang was about to marry Liu Erlong. She shouldn't be so indifferent, should she?
For the past three days, Chen Fan had been wandering around Spirit City, keeping an eye on Bibi Dong's movements from the shadows.
But in the end, he'd come up empty.
Chen Fan hadn't been looking into Bibi Dong's movements because he wanted to get with her again.
Rather, he'd been thinking of using Bibi Dong as a way to poach Hu Liena, or perhaps finding something profitable to do while she tore into Liu Erlong and Yu Xiaogang.
Spirit Hall's three beauties.
Qian Renxue, Ling Yuan, and Hu Liena.
The first was absolutely off-limits. If he touched her, Qian Daoliu would probably chase him around with the Angel Holy Sword and hack him into minced meat.
The second was already a duck in his mouth; there was no need to worry about her.
So all that was left was the third...
But what was going on with Bibi Dong? Why did it feel like she wasn't following the script?
Chen Fan thought it over, but still couldn't figure out what Bibi Dong was up to. In the end, he simply stopped trying.
Forget it. I won't worry about her!
I'll get married first!
Soon, the sky grew bright.
The main streets of Spirit City were decked with lanterns and decorations, filled with a festive air.
Red silk stretched from the city gate all the way to Spirit Hall's station. The shopkeepers along the road had no idea what the occasion was, but when they saw the spectacle, they joined in the fun and hung red lanterns outside their own shops.
There might be no consequences if you hung one, but if you didn't, you could very well be remembered for it!
After all, this was something Pope Palace had spearheaded!
If you didn't fall in line, someone would definitely remember you!
"Have you heard? The new sect master of the Seven Kill Sect is marrying one of our cardinals!"
"Of course! What a spectacle. Eighteen chests of betrothal gifts, every one of them priceless!"
"The Seven Kill Sect is forming a marriage alliance with Spirit Hall..."
Soul Masters gathered in small groups on either side of the street, whispering and gossiping.
Nothing unexpected happened along the way.
The wedding procession set out from Spirit Hall's station and swept grandly through the city.
Chen Fan rode at the head on a tall horse, wearing a red formal robe with gold patterns, cut in the style of a top scholar's ceremonial gown.
Only, the robe wasn't embroidered with a dragon on the chest. Instead, it bore a Seven Kill Sword, outlined in silver and embellished with gold thread. It gleamed in the morning light, marking his identity as a member of the Seven Kill Sect.
Behind him.
A sedan chair carried the emblem of Ling Yuan and was borne by eight men.
Its curtains were made of the finest Shu brocade. Against their vermilion background, a fiery-red spirit bird was embroidered with wings outstretched as if ready to take flight, so lifelike it seemed to flutter.
The curtains swayed gently, and a figure dressed in a bright red bridal gown and phoenix crown could just be made out inside.
Quite a few Soul Masters had also gathered along the red carpet to watch, but Spirit Hall guards maintaining order kept every one of them behind the carpet.
Only the wedding procession was allowed on the brand-new red carpet. All other Soul Masters were forbidden from setting foot on it.
Before long.
The wedding procession left Spirit City behind and headed toward the Seven Kill Sect.
Qian Xunji, the Pope, stood atop the city gate tower at the main entrance to Spirit City, looking down at the procession as it moved farther and farther away. His eyes narrowed slightly as his thoughts churned. "The Seven Kill Sect..."
His gaze was focused mainly on Chen Fan, riding at the head of the procession.
An eighteen-year-old sect master and a Level 49 Soul Ancestor.
With talent like that, he could be called a genius in an ordinary place, and even a promising young talent in a regular sect.
But.
For a top sect like the Seven Kill Sect, it simply wasn't enough.
In Qian Xunji's mind, the Seven Kill Sect was already on a par with Spirit Hall and the Clear Sky Sect.
As for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan...
Sorry, but in the current era, the former was still just an ordinary sect.
As for the latter, Yu Yuanzhen had only recently broken through to the Titled Douluo level. He was still a nobody.
In Spirit Hall's eyes, the two were utterly unremarkable, ordinary sects in the most ordinary sense.
If the Seven Kill Sect's master were merely an ordinary Titled Douluo, then this level of talent would indeed make him a heaven-blessed prodigy. But... in a sect with a Level 98 powerhouse, his talent really does seem a little lacking.
So why did Chen Jianjun hand the position over to him?
Qian Xunji was baffled.
If he remembered correctly, Chen Jianjun had a son who was said to have broken through to the Titled Douluo level several years ago and possessed the strength to challenge opponents of a higher level.
"Could it be... that there's some secret hidden within Chen Fan?"
Qian Xunji murmured.
He recalled the aura he'd sensed from Chen Jianjun during their conversation three days ago—an aura that was in no way weaker than Golden Crocodile Douluo's.
On top of that, he'd been keeping an eye on Chen Fan, both openly and discreetly, for the past three days. The man really did seem to be nothing more than an unremarkable Level 49 Soul Ancestor. He couldn't see anything special about him at all.
After thinking it over without coming up with an answer, Qian Xunji came back to himself, withdrew his gaze, and beckoned.
At once, the cardinal beside him stepped forward. "Your Holiness the Pope."
"Spread today's news."
Qian Xunji's tone was casual. "Don't embellish it. Just say that the Seven Kill Sect's master is taking one of my cardinals as his wife."
The cardinal paused. "Your Holiness, should we publish that he's taking her as his bride?"
The distinction between "taking her as his bride" and simply "marrying her" could make all the difference in how the news was presented.
Taking her as his bride put the emphasis on the betrothal: he'd offered betrothal gifts and followed the engagement rites before marrying her. It stressed that the couple had been properly wed, with all the appropriate formalities observed. The bride's family would also have prepared the corresponding rites and provided everything their daughter would need for her new life.
A marriage arranged through such a formal betrothal might not make her the principal wife, but it came close. More importantly, it signaled cooperation between the two sides and served as a weathervane for their respective factions.
Simply saying that he was marrying her suggested only the beginnings of cooperation, a growing connection and closer ties.
"Yes, publish that he's taking her as his bride."
The cardinal wasn't a fool. He immediately understood that this was meant to be published deliberately for the Clear Sky Sect to see!
The Clear Sky Sect was currently growing powerful, and Spirit Hall was locked in constant open and covert conflict with it.
At a time like this, winning over the Seven Kill Sect would undoubtedly put pressure on the Clear Sky Sect.
"Yes. I'll have it published at once, and make sure it's sent especially far toward the Star Luo Empire."
The Clear Sky Sect's sphere of influence lay within the Star Luo Empire.
"No."
To the cardinal's surprise, Qian Xunji shook his head. "Don't target the Star Luo Empire. Target the entire continent."
"Spread it as far as possible."
At that, the cardinal understood.
The Pope wasn't merely trying to make sure the Clear Sky Sect saw the news. He wanted to send a signal to the entire Soul Master World: the Seven Kill Sect, which had rarely shown itself for years, had reached an agreement to bind itself closely to Spirit Hall!
In other words.
The Seven Kill Sect was going to share a pair of pants with Spirit Hall. The rest of the sects could decide what to do about it!
"Yes, Your Holiness."
Meanwhile, with the wedding procession!
The procession had now entered the bounds of Star Dou Forest.
It was the only route from Spirit City to the Seven Kill Sect. Otherwise, they would have to travel north from Spirit City, going around several kingdoms before reaching the Seven Kill Sect.
Chen Fan rode his horse, his eyes sweeping over the surroundings as his brows furrowed. Something didn't feel right.
It was too quiet.
Normally, there should have been at least some birds chirping in Star Dou Forest. It shouldn't have been this eerily silent.
"Grand Sect Master, doesn't something feel a little off?"