Marriage

Blazing Mountain lay due north of Lanliang City. It stood less than a thousand feet high, and its scenery was entirely ordinary, with nothing remarkable about it. Never mind comparing it with Little Sweet Mountain-even within the Rong Kingdom, its reputation was unexceptional.

Nor had this mountain originally belonged to Mount Yang Daoist. A pack of white foxes had lived there first, cultivating the incense-and-fire divine way with the aid of the earth's energy and the blessed human vitality of Lanliang City's tens of thousands of inhabitants.

But relying on several powerful talisman artifacts, Mount Yang Daoist had wounded the white foxes' leader and burned down their temple. He had then seized their foundation on Blazing Mountain and even changed his Daoist name to match the mountain, calling himself Mount Yang Daoist to the outside world.

"Mount Yang Daoist has displayed three talisman artifacts in public: the Five-Color Pendant, the Six-Yin Heavenly Ghost Banner, and, most importantly, that Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead..."

"Rumor has it that the fox demon leader who originally cultivated the incense-and-fire divine way here surpassed him in cultivation. It had already begun condensing a body and could almost manifest its divine presence before mortals. But Mount Yang Daoist unleashed the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead and shattered its divine body with a single strike. In the end, it could only flee in defeat, handing its foundation over to another."

Inside the bright red bridal sedan.

Dressed in a phoenix crown and embroidered bridal robes, Chen Heng's eyes flashed as he thought:

The Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead's power is no small matter. It isn't on the same level as the Five-Color Pendant and Six-Yin Heavenly Ghost Banner. Most likely, it's a mid-grade talisman artifact with eighteen restrictions, having undergone two rounds of form refinement. To strike at this old Daoist, I'll first need to trick him into handing over the bead. Then things will be easier. Excellent, excellent.

If the bead truly was a mid-grade talisman artifact, even the entire foundation on Blazing Mountain could scarcely rival its worth.

The Mysterious Truth Sect on Little Sweet Mountain was something of a local hegemon.

Even sects such as Refined Rock Mountain, the Flower-Washing Sword Sect, and White Crane Abbey, which had Cavern Mystery Refiners stationed within them, had to bow their heads and call themselves its subjects, living at its sufferance.

Yet among the Mysterious Truth Sect's Qi Refining disciples, very few possessed a mid-grade talisman artifact. Most still used low-grade talisman artifacts.

Someone as impoverished as Xu Zhi, despite his superb swordsmanship, could not afford even a single low-grade talisman artifact and could only wield a slightly sharper mortal iron sword.

The Earth Abyss teemed with yin spirits, demons, and ghosts. It was a place of utmost darkness and cold, where the bones of countless predecessors lay buried.

The Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead-its name alone marked it as an artifact of potent yang and fire. With such a talisman artifact at his side, Chen Heng would have a few more assurances of safety upon entering the Earth Abyss.

As he pondered, clouds suddenly churned high overhead, accompanied by the faint whistling of an escape light cleaving the air.

Just then.

A gust of wind from nowhere blew open the curtains and lifted the red gauze veil covering his face. Riding that wind, a lecherous gaze settled brazenly upon his features.

Here he comes?

Having already concealed his Adam's apple with a folk secret art, Chen Heng sneered inwardly. He did not move, merely feigning a timid air and allowing the man to look.

Only after six or seven breaths did that gaze, blazing with lust, reluctantly withdraw.

And then.

The black cloud condensed from embryonic breathing descended from the sky, landing before the long procession a short while later.

"Duan Bao! You fine lad, you've done splendidly! Absolutely splendidly! Today, I'll reward you with a turn in bed with your wife!"

Mount Yang Daoist stepped down from the cloud with both hands planted on his hips, immensely pleased, and said with a grin:

"Well? Doesn't your father dote on you?"

"...You do. You do."

Beside him, Wang Duanbao's heart gave a violent spasm. He slowly lowered his head and answered in a trembling voice.

"Eh? What happened to you? I clearly haven't beaten you for half a month! And where has your cousin gone off to run wild? Doesn't he know this is your father's joyous wedding day? How dare he go fooling around!"

"My cousin...said he wanted to eat Xiao Yu again. I fought him and beat him until he vomited blood."

Following Chen Heng's earlier instructions, Wang Duanbao repeated each word:

"His leg bones broke, so he couldn't walk. I left him with the Chen Clan and had those mortals look after him."

"You little beast! You have no affection for your own flesh and blood. Despicable!"

Mount Yang Daoist, who had still harbored some doubts, flew into a rage at these words, instantly casting that faint unease to the clouds beyond the heavens.

He sprang forward and, with a single slap, knocked Wang Duanbao off his horse and onto the ground.

"Don't you know our Wang family passes down filial piety and brotherly devotion? How dare you strike your cousin without a thought for your own flesh and blood! I taught you to read so many books of the sages, only for all that learning to end up in a dog's belly!"

Still furious, Mount Yang Daoist viciously kicked Wang Duanbao again, making his back curl like a boiled prawn.

"She's only a woman, after all. If your cousin wants to eat her, then-"

He hesitated, but remembering the peerless beauty of the lovely creature inside the sedan, he smacked his lips uncertainly before finally hardening his heart.

"Then let your cousin eat her!"

"What?!"

Wang Duanbao, who had been rolling about clutching his stomach, forgot his agonizing pain. He was nearly stupefied with shock. "Father! You're going to kill Xiao Yu?!"

"If the old doesn't go, the new can't come. Xiao Yu is your old mother, and the one in the sedan is your new mother. The new one is far prettier than the old."

Mount Yang Daoist was unconcerned. "Don't you even understand that?"

"But Xiao Yu is my wife! Please give him someone else to eat!"

"Do I need you to teach me how to conduct my affairs? You motherfucking wretch!" Mount Yang Daoist's face darkened.

Wang Duanbao, meanwhile, found courage from somewhere and simply stood motionless, glaring at him.

"You rebellious little bastard!"

Mount Yang Daoist barked coldly. His Daoist robe stirred without wind, and the small stones beneath his feet began to shatter one after another, crackling all around him.

Just as the tension reached the point of drawn swords and taut bows, a woman's voice suddenly drifted from the halted red sedan, as melodious as an oriole emerging from a valley, its trailing notes exquisitely soft and lilting.

"Aren't we going? Are we still getting married?"

The voice nearly melted half of Mount Yang Daoist's bones. His towering rage seemed to have been doused by a sudden basin of water.

"Is my beauty so impatient to enter the bridal chamber? Good, good! But mine is a household of poetry and books, after all. Let me arrange a banquet first, then I'll come join you!"

Mount Yang Daoist first chuckled toward Chen Heng, then turned to Wang Duanbao with a vicious look.

"This is a joyous day. I'll put this beating on your account for now and deal with you later!"

With that.

He circulated his innate Embryonic Breathing and once again rode a black cloud leisurely into the sky.

The procession at the foot of the mountain lifted the sedan once more, drums and music filling the air amid a festive atmosphere.

"Young master, I've thought it through!"

Seeing that Chen Heng had said nothing further from inside the red sedan after helping him out of his predicament.

Wang Duanbao gritted his teeth, approached the sedan, and lowered his voice.

"Help me get rid of that old thing, and I'll give you sixty percent of Blazing Mountain's treasures!"

Inside the sedan.

No one spoke.

Only after a long while did a faint voice reach his ears, gentle and indifferent.

"We can discuss that afterward."

That night.

Blazing Mountain was decked with lanterns and festive decorations. From its foot to the great hall at its summit, brilliant light gleamed like flowing pearls, like mercury spilled across the ground.

At the banquet.

After Chen Heng repeatedly urged countless cups of wine upon him, Mount Yang Daoist had grown somewhat drunk. Finally, he swept his broad sleeve aside and shakily produced a large red-and-white bead from the Heaven and Earth Bag at his waist.

"Here, here, my beauty. This is the big bead you wanted to see-the Thunderfire Thunderclap Bead!"

Mount Yang Daoist cheerfully handed it over. "Touch it. Isn't it wonderfully warm...Xiao Yu, you bitch, stop blocking my view of my beauty! Hurry up and get out of the way with Duan Bao!"

Beside Chen Heng.

A pale, thin young woman curtsied, then woodenly left the table. She staggered as she walked, like a child who had only just learned to toddle.

"Indeed, it is a precious bead."

Only once the young woman had gone some distance did Chen Heng leisurely reach out and accept it.

"Only..."

"Only what?" Mount Yang Daoist asked, puzzled.

"A pity such a lustrous pearl has been cast into darkness." Chen Heng smiled.

With that smile.

Nearby, Xu Zhi, disguised as a servant, abruptly overturned the banquet table, drew his sword, and thrust straight at Mount Yang Daoist!