The Boundless Elder Takes Leave

Yan carried a stack of things into Bai Jin's courtyard, only to find the wedding dress laid out on the table.

He paused at the door for a moment, first flipping open the top military newspaper to make sure he hadn't taken the wrong place, then looking up at the person lying in the chair.

Are you really planning to get married?

"The clothes are all made." Bai Jin handed him the grapes in her hand. "Why don't you try them on for me?"

Yan immediately stepped back, almost stepping on Xie Yue who entered behind him.

Hu Liena walked past them and placed the gift box she had brought on the table. She opened the box, and inside was a pair of jade buckles without any soul-guiding mechanisms. They could be fastened to her everyday outerwear, so she didn't have to wait until the ceremony to wear them.

"Congratulations."

Bai Jin glanced at the jade buckle, unusually refraining from teasing them, and sat up to accept the gift.

"Thank you. All three of you can finally take a few days off this time."

"Do we have leave?" Yan immediately closed the military newspaper.

"Yes. I'm getting married; you can't just stay here guarding the camp in the North."

Xie Yue separated the documents on the table. The handover in the military had been completed, and Hu Liena had listed all the matters that could be handled independently. Bai Jin took them and signed his name according to his duties. His Level 99 Soul Power did not allow him to relinquish his Elder position to others, and he could finally send out this leave slip with peace of mind.

When Qian Renxue returned, only Hu Liena remained in the courtyard.

She congratulated the future bride and handed over the last box. Outside the door, Xie Yue was pulling away Yan, who was still trying to eavesdrop. Their footsteps crossed the courtyard wall, and the noise finally stopped.

Qian Renxue opened the box and picked up one of the jade buckles.

"You've already sent out all the invitations."

"If we delay any longer, what if someone else sends another military report? Wouldn't we have wasted our time waiting?"

Bai Jin rose from the chair and fastened the jade clasp to her coat. It was an everyday coat she often wore when she was in the Worship Hall, and even after it was fastened, the fine gold and silver patterns still connected to the hem.

He didn't touch the Angel God Armor she had put away.

Qian Renxue held up her wedding dress in front of her. The neckline, made by the master of ceremonies, was a little higher than usual, and it touched just below her ears when she tried it on. Bai Jin stood beside her with another dress in his hand, looked at the styles of the two dresses, and then removed the extra gold trim from his own.

"If I were to bring this to a meal, I'd have trouble even turning my head."

What do you want to turn your head to look at?

"Of course it depends on you."

Qian Renxue took his clothes, altered only the collar, and left everything else as is. Bai Jin placed the insignia of an Empire Elder on the table; it could be returned to its original place after the ceremony. No one needed to bestow upon him another identity that required him to attend court every day just for the sake of marriage.

She looked at his empty lapel and fastened the jade clasp for him again.

"You are still Boundless Elder."

"Don't worry. I'm just on vacation; my home is still here."

Qian Renxue pinned the other one to his clothes, her fingers pausing briefly over the healed spot on his old wound.

"You said you had something else to do when you got back, and I thought you were going to practice some other technique again."

"If you hadn't said anything then, you would have used my leave slip to get military rations."

She smiled, then looked at the wedding dress on the table.

"I don't want to turn my wedding into a court assembly."

"What a coincidence, I don't want to wear this and listen to thirty people talking about the border either."

The two took out the prepared rituals, removing the parts that were to be presented to various places, but leaving no seats for relatives and friends. A brief memorial service was arranged in the Worship Hall, Qian Renxue personally wrote the date on the table where her grandfather used to keep his teacup.

The teacup was washed clean, but it remained in its original place.

Bai Jin stood with her for a while, without filling the cup. He knew she had said goodbye many times before, and today she only wanted to tell that person what she was going to do next.

On her way back, Qian Renxue took out the last invitation.

In the Medical Shelter in the south of the city, Bibi Dong was able to walk to the window on her own. Her Second Martial Soul could not be summoned for the time being, and the broken divine Divine Position had not shown any trace. What she had to face every day was the accountability verification and statements from the injured sent after the old order was made public.

Qian Renxue placed the invitation on the table.

Your seat is downstairs.

Bibi Dong glanced at the date, her gaze lingering on that spot for a moment before turning to Bai Jin outside the door.

She won't wait for you to stay for dinner this time.

"Then I'll wait," Bai Jin said.

Qian Renxue placed the invitation beside her mother and got up to leave. As she reached the door, Bibi Dong called her back. After thinking for a moment, she asked if there was anything she needed to prepare.

"Just come."

After her daughter finished speaking, she reached out and closed the window for her.

On the day of the wedding, there were more cars parked outside the courtyard gate than Bai Jin had expected.

Ning Fengzhi brought only a wedding gift and a few old friends; he didn't bring any troops or the imperial flag. Ning Rongrong got out of the car, first looked around the courtyard, then looked at the seats on the table, complaining that Bai Jin even wanted to reduce the number of tables at his own wedding banquet.

Oscar followed behind her, carrying the gift box for her.

"Don't even mention it, he might actually try to put me in the kitchen later."

"You're here, aren't you going to show off your skills?" Bai Jin overheard this.

Oscar immediately pushed the gift box towards him, pulled Ning Rongrong inside, and said with a smile that he was only responsible for eating today. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing arrived later. Before Ma Hongjun even entered the room, he reserved the seat that Yan had saved for him, and the two argued for a long time over the bigger cup.

Dugu Bo arrived a little late and tossed over a medicine bottle.

"Keep it. Don't use the Reversal as a sleeping aid anymore."

"Your congratulatory gift sounds like an insult."

"Then remember that."

Bai Jin put away the medicine bottle and didn't argue back.

Tang San and Xiao Wu also arrived.

Neither of them carried Trident, nor did they bow to anyone. Xiao Wu personally picked a bouquet of flowers and presented it to Qian Renxue, with small Leaf from the roadside still hanging on the branches.

"For you."

Qian Renxue accepted the flower, thanked her sincerely, and placed it beside her seat.

Tang San handed the gift to Bai Jin, and the two stood at the door and glanced at each other. Bai Jin patted him on the shoulder and pointed to his companion who was already seated. Tang San nodded and took Xiao Wu's hand as they walked over.

The Medical Shelter's vehicle arrived last.

When Bibi Dong got out of the car, someone came to help her. After she steadied herself, she walked into the courtyard and sat down in the reserved spot. It wasn't far from the main hall of the ceremony, so she could see her daughter clearly and didn't need to say a good word about those unresolved old responsibilities.

Bai Jin walked to the middle of the courtyard.

Qian Renxue emerged in her wedding attire, her hair adorned with far fewer gold ornaments than at court, the jade clasp Hu Liena had given her still fastened at the lapel. She glanced at the corresponding clasp on his chest, smiled, and extended her hand.

Bai Jin grasped her hand and led her forward.

The laughter and chatter in the courtyard gradually subsided. Hu Liena straightened the last hem of their clothes and then retreated back to her friends. Bai Jin looked up at Qian Renxue, this time not hiding his true thoughts in a joke.

"From now on, if you're home when I come home, I'll wait for you. If you're not, I'll leave food for you."

Qian Renxue looked at him, her palm pressed tightly against his hand.

"I'll keep you company while you take your vacation."

Bai Jin lowered his head and placed a kiss on her forehead.

Yan's cheers came from the table. Only after he finished shouting did he realize that Xie Yue was looking at him, so he refilled his cup. Ma Hongjun suppressed a laugh and snatched the same wine pot away, and laughter rang out in the courtyard.

Qian Renxue took out the leave slip that Bai Jin had been waiting for for a long time.

She had signed many documents in the palace before, from military rations to trade routes. After the documents were stamped, someone would take them and carry them to the next place. This time, when she took out the paper, Bai Jin first grasped her other hand, which was free.

The wine on the table was still warm, and the friends had already picked up their glasses. Bibi Dong sat below watching her daughter, and after a moment, she replaced her glass with warm water and raised it to the same height.

Qian Renxue looked over, nodded to her, and then returned to Bai Jin's side.

He still held her hand, his palm no longer stained with the blood he hadn't had time to wipe away God War. Once she had a firm grip on the pen, he smiled and looked at the paper with her.

She stamped her mark at the end, then handed the pen to him and pointed to the number of people in the group.

Bai Jin smiled and crossed out the original number, then wrote down a two.