Love at First Sight, Love at Second Sight

After the first round of mutual appreciation, only a handful of girls and boys still had their faces covered. Anyone who paid attention could make a rough guess at their identities based on the abilities they had displayed.

The second stage was Love at First Sight.

The girls could light a lamp for any boy they were interested in. The more lamps a boy received, the greater his charm proved to be. Boys who received no lights could only leave the event in disappointment.

Since Number One had been eliminated, Yue Zhengyu became the first to be chosen.

He stood confidently on his lotus leaf. Sixteen lamps lit up across Sea God Lake with a swish. Yue Zhengyu smiled at Xu Xiaoyan. Though Xu Xiaoyan looked somewhat annoyed, the lamp beneath her feet was lit as well.

Tang Yinmeng smiled. "It seems Junior Zhengyu is still quite charming."

With Yue Zhengyu setting such a high standard, the next several boys received only a pitiful few lights. Some did not receive a single one and were eliminated miserably.

Soon, it was Xie Xie's turn.

Xie Xie clenched his fists. He did not care in the slightest how many people lit lamps for him. His gaze was fixed solely on the figure who had released Dark Curtain earlier.

The lamp beneath that figure's feet remained unlit for a long time. Only when Lan Muzi began the countdown did a trace of bitterness appear on Xie Xie's face. Then, at last, the lamp beneath her feet lit up.

The soul-guided light was not dazzling, yet Xie Xie felt an urge to cry.

Xu Lizhi gave Xie Xie an envious look. When it was his turn, he lowered his head, not daring to look at the result.

Light reflected across the water. Xu Lizhi slowly raised his head and saw Ye Xinglan standing quietly beneath the glow, her eyes brilliant as stars.

She was extraordinarily beautiful. Even though she did not care for dressing up and normally focused only on her sword, she was the most beautiful person in his eyes.

But then several more lamps lit up. Xu Lizhi looked over and found that they all belonged to his companions, and he could not help but reveal a bitter smile.

So she was only sympathizing with him too? Xu Lizhi's mood sank once more.

The second stage soon reached its end.

Number Fifty, Long Yue, received a light from only Dai Yuner, but that alone was enough to make him hold his head high.

Among all the boys, only Number Fifty-One had yet to reveal his face.

"Number Fifty-One, will you reveal your face? If you do not, you will lose your chance to do so," Tang Yinmeng reminded him.

Number Fifty-One seemed to hesitate, but he still reached up to remove his mask and cloak.

Sword-like brows, starry eyes, and a face as fair as jade. His long black hair was casually tied behind his head and drifted in the wind. His handsome appearance was striking, while his blue-gold formal attire and mysterious, elegant bearing made him even more captivating.

When he gave a faint smile and nodded to his stunned companions, they all cried out in shock, disbelief and uncontainable joy filling their voices.

"Boss!"

"Captain!"

Long Yue simply stared at him blankly.

Tang Wulin had raced all the way from Blood God. If he had not been delayed by encountering evil soul masters on the road, how could he have only arrived in time to attend the matchmaking event directly rather than reunite with his companions first?

They had not seen one another for three years, and he missed them dearly as well.

"Sorry for making you worry."

Xie Xie trembled with excitement, while Xu Xiaoyan nearly could not stop herself from jumping off her lotus leaf.

Long Yue murmured, "I knew it. How could you possibly be dead?"

Tang Wulin said, "You have gained quite a bit."

Long Yue took a deep breath. "After this ends, I have something to say to you."

Tang Wulin nodded. "All right. We can catch up later."

Tang Yinmeng and Lan Muzi were somewhat bewildered. Lan Muzi said, "Junior, sorry, but could you introduce yourself?"

He nodded. "My name is Tang Wulin."

Tang Yinmeng's eyes widened. "So you're Tang Wulin."

Tang Wulin smiled politely.

The former captain of the current Shrek Seven Monsters, hailed as a genius seen only once in ten thousand years, had finally returned after disappearing for three years.

Of course, Tang Wulin was very low-key. Quite a number of people in the inner court did not actually know him. Although they were somewhat curious about his appearance, they did not react too strongly.

Lan Muzi said, "Then let our Sea God Fairies light up their lamps for Number Fifty-One!"

More than a dozen lamps lit up across the silent Sea God Lake, about the same as Yue Zhengyu. After all, appearance was the greatest advantage at an event like this.

Tang Wulin looked at the lamp lighting up beneath Number Seventeen's feet and smiled, his expression as radiant as spring mountains in bloom.

Lan Muzi exclaimed admiringly, "Handsome men really are in high demand! All right, the second stage has ended. Next, we will enter the third stage—Love at Second Sight!"

During Love at Second Sight, every boy would have one minute to introduce himself. Once all the boys had finished, the girls would have one and only one chance to choose. Whether a boy and girl could successfully become a pair would depend on Love at Second Sight.

The order for Love at Second Sight was determined by drawing lots.

By coincidence, Yue Zhengyu was once again the first.

Tang Wulin watched Yue Zhengyu spread his wings and smile at Xu Xiaoyan. This is bad, he thought.

"Xiaoyan, you are truly beautiful today, like a princess waiting for her prince. And I am your prince, my princess." He gave her a bow. "Come with me. Marry me, and I can give you the best life. Have a few children for me and be my virtuous wife, all right? Come with me. I do not think there is any need for us to participate in the remaining stages."

Yue Zhengyu's face was brimming with confidence, but Tang Wulin sighed.

With every sentence Yue Zhengyu spoke, the smile on Xu Xiaoyan's face faded a little more. By the time he finished, he realized that Xu Xiaoyan had gone pale, her eyes filled with sorrow and pain.

He froze.

Xu Xiaoyan fought back her tears. "I never thought... Sorry, Zhengyu. I think we should both calm down for a while."

Starlight flickered around her as she shot off into the distance.

Yue Zhengyu hovered awkwardly above his lotus leaf. He truly could not understand how things had turned out this way. With a furious roar and a beat of his wings, he flew away in the opposite direction from Xu Xiaoyan.

Tang Wulin frowned slightly and exchanged a look with Xie Xie.

Xie Xie was equally stunned.

Although the beginning had gone poorly, it was merely an interlude. The Love at Second Sight stage had to continue.

Lan Muzi drew several more numbers in succession. Some confessed passionately, then jumped into the water after realizing there was no hope. Some had no intention of finding a girlfriend at all and simply jumped in as well. Of course, some boys found success after confessing.

Lan Muzi drew another number.

"Number Sixteen."

Xie Xie took a deep breath as his lotus leaf slowly moved forward.

He opened his mouth several times, yet no words came out.

He was silent for quite a while, until even Lan Muzi could not help reminding him, "Junior, there is a time limit."

Xie Xie instinctively looked toward Tang Wulin.

Tang Wulin gave him an encouraging smile.

Xie Xie gritted his teeth, shut his eyes, and steeled himself.

"I... I know that I am not really a genius. I used to think too highly of myself, but after growing up, I realized that I was merely an ordinary person who had been living at the foot of the mountain for a long time. And you are halfway up the mountain."

"Our goal is the summit. We did not start from the same line, so most of the time, I could only watch your back and chase after your footsteps."

The more he spoke, the smoother his words became.

"Sometimes, I get tired too. I wonder whether this is really worth it. But whenever I look at you, I tell myself firmly that no matter how exhausted I am, it is worth it."

"Because of Boss, my martial soul mutated. Only from that moment onward did I truly gain the confidence to stand beside you. Now, you have gone farther and faster than I have, but I will definitely catch up. Even if you want to shake me off, I will cling to you like glue! I will not make you wait for me. I, Xie Xie, will one day use my own efforts to make you face me properly!"

Xie Xie abruptly opened his eyes and shouted, "Yuanen! I love you!"

After saying that, just as he was about to jump into the water, a voice rang out. "Stand still!"

Xie Xie paused.

Tang Wulin said calmly, "How do you know you will not succeed before the very end?"

Xie Xie smiled bitterly. Looking at Yuanen across from him, who had not removed her conical hat, he slowly retreated back to the center of the group.