Wedding?

Deep within the palace.

Inside the gardens, Captive Sparrow Palace.

Great clouds of steam drifted through the air. The inner chamber blazed with light, while the hot spring pool beside it lent the place a hazy, dreamlike air.

The space within was incomparably vast, its lavish decorations almost enough to make one lose oneself in them.

Most eye-catching of all was the enormous golden nanmu bed.

At that moment, a beautiful woman lounged with her hair loose, draped in crimson silk. Her expression was seductive, yet touched with a trace of impatience.

Beside her, the brawny middle-aged man lightly traced his fingers across the red silk. Seemingly sensing the beautiful woman's mood, the smile on his face grew even more pronounced.

"What is it? Are you about to get married?"

"Has your heart already flown away?"

Zhao Yunlan's tone was utterly relaxed, teasing yet carrying a hint of probing.

"It's only marrying someone. Look how nervous you are."

Zhao Yun chuckled, raising a hand to gently tap Zhao Yunlan on the nose. The beauty mark beneath the corner of her eye made her seem even more alluring.

"Besides, isn't Yun'er doing this for your great medicine?"

"Only if you become stronger will Wu Shu Kingdom have a future."

"Don't forget, Her Majesty the Empress and the others all sacrificed themselves for you, and all of this—"

Zhao Yun raised her brows, then reached beneath the pillow and took out a wooden box. When she opened it, a scarlet-red pill appeared before them.

"Ha ha ha ha, their sacrifices were all worthwhile."

"Once you obtain the formula for refining the great medicine from the Iron Sword Sect, we will take the Iron Sword Sect's place and become one of the sects. When that time comes, whether it's the Silver Moon Dynasty or those barbarian ghosts on the other side, all of them will have to submit beneath us!"

Zhao Yunlan laughed with a touch of madness. After swallowing the pill, his expression twisted at once!

"This is power!"

"Even without cultivation techniques, we can crush everything with martial skills alone."

Zhao Yunlan's expression grew ever more savage.

"It'll be a long time before I see you again. Your younger brother died during this time as well, so I'll comfort you properly now."

As his words fell, Zhao Yunlan's head abruptly rotated ninety degrees, twisting directly toward his back.

A fist-sized eye opened in the scalp at the back of his head. His body slowly curled inward, his skin split apart, and before long, he transformed into an enormous ball of flesh.

"Gulu gulu!"

Veins sprawled across the flesh ball's surface like a spiderweb, throbbing without cease.

Amid the gurgling sounds, the atmosphere became increasingly bizarre.

"Ha ha ha ha, Your Majesty is as impatient as ever..."

"Ke ke ke, don't you like it?"

A sound like fingernails scraping across glass rang out as Zhao Yunlan grew somewhat impatient.

"This servant never said she didn't like it."

The Meridian Gate of the imperial palace.

Since Zhao Lan's death, great quantities of yellow chrysanthemums had been placed here. Their permeating fragrance seemed to conceal the faint, lingering stench of corpses.

A squad of soldiers patrolled the area. At the main entrance of the Meridian Gate, a black-robed corpse hung directly in the center. Its internal organs had been hollowed out, black hair obscuring its face as swarms of flies circled around it.

Though the common people did not wish to witness such a sight, passersby still discussed it in hushed voices. Some bolder ones secretly raised their heads to look at the scene above, their expressions varied.

"Brother Zhao, we meet again..."

Bai Yu and the other two stood in the distance, looking at the scene before the Meridian Gate, their hearts filled with emotion.

Pang Tong had been right. Zhao Lan had used his life to give them one final lesson.

In this world, never assume that blood relatives could be trusted completely. If one did not keep an extra eye open in all matters, one could very easily meet a miserable end.

Bai Yu finally understood why Pang Tong had wanted him to master the slave mark at the very first opportunity.

It was a safeguard for the consequences of his own choices—an insurance policy taken out to the fullest extent possible.

"Senior Brother Pang, buy a coffin. We'll have to collect the body tomorrow, after all," Bai Yu said slowly.

"Of course we'll buy one. Since Zhao Lan wanted to return here even in death, then when the time comes, we'll bury him here."

"Bang!"

A ceremonial cannon rang out in the early morning, seemingly dispersing the gloom over Zhao King City. An enormous red carpet stretched from the streets all the way to the gates of the imperial palace.

The instant the palace gates opened wide, imperial guards dressed in festive attire stood watch in neat ranks on either side. In the skies above, more than ten people riding flying swords circled endlessly.

On the red carpet, a burly man dressed in wedding robes rode a white horse toward the imperial palace, chin raised and chest out, surrounded by the crowd.

The townspeople lining the streets watched it all with curiosity.

Who in Zhao King City did not know that An Leshan was the hall master of the Iron Sword Sect's Sword Hall? His strength reached the heavens; even within the Iron Sword Sect, he was the genuine fifth-ranked figure.

The reason Zhao King City had remained so peaceful had much to do with An Leshan.

From now on, the Wu Shu Kingdom and the Iron Sword Sect would be one family.

Thinking of the beautiful princess, the powerful guardian, and this grand wedding of theirs—

Especially when they heard that An Leshan and Zhao Yun would ascend the city walls and perform the wedding rites under everyone's witness, even the poorest beggars in Zhao King City proudly straightened their backs and celebrated for them.

Because this meant that they were all witnesses!

An Leshan smiled as he paraded through the streets. When the auspicious hour drew near, he rode his white horse through the palace gates and looked at Zhao Yun, clad in phoenix crown and crimson bridal robes.

Though the bright red veil concealed her lovely face, who did not know that Zhao Yun was the foremost beauty of the Wu Shu Kingdom?

An Leshan had long coveted the beauty. If not for the Iron Sword Sect's precious medicine making Zhao Yunlan relent, he would never have had such an opportunity.

At that thought, a trace of sorrow suddenly flashed through An Leshan's eyes.

"Xiu'er, forgive your father. Once I am wed and leave behind bloodline for the An family, I will surely pour out everything I have to find your murderer!"

An Lingxiu's death in Ashen Sorrow Mountain had always been a thorn in his heart. No one knew who had truly struck the blow.

Thus, even as a hall master, he had no way to avenge her. But he would forever keep this matter etched in his heart!

An Leshan slowly dismounted and bowed to Zhao Yunlan.

"Hahaha, Hall Master, you are too courteous. Today, Yun'er is in your hands. This can be considered fulfilling my elder brother's last request!"

Zhao Yunlan replied politely.

Just as An Leshan was about to say something more, the previously clear sky suddenly darkened. Before anyone could react, a piercing buzzing sound rang throughout Zhao King City!