Wedding!

Once the marriage between Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoyun was settled, the wives and concubines in his household naturally learned of it.

Though his household was harmonious and all the women were gentle and virtuous, the news still left them somewhat downcast.

It was not merely because Lu Changsheng was taking another wife.

The Lu Lineage also had something to do with it.

After all, apart from Qu Zhenzhen, every woman among them came from the Lu Lineage.

Now that Lu Changsheng's standing within the lineage had risen, they were marrying an elder's direct granddaughter, a woman with a spiritual root, to him.

Moreover, it would be a proper, formally sanctioned marriage, complete with the three letters and six betrothal rites.

Naturally, this left them feeling somewhat uncomfortable.

Although they had always been divided into wives and concubines, there had been no rigid hierarchy among them. Everything depended on Lu Changsheng's affection.

Once this elder's granddaughter married into the household, it went without saying that she would become his principal wife.

"Rest assured, my dear wives."

"I've always treated you all equally. One day, I'll make it up to every one of you with a grand wedding."

Lu Changsheng noticed that his wives and concubines were unhappy and spoke to comfort them.

These women had been with him for so many years. Each had borne him two children and was carrying a third, so naturally, he had developed feelings for them.

"Thank you, husband."

"Husband, we're all right."

"The lineage's willingness to marry Lady Miaoyun to you shows how highly they regard you."

Though the women felt downcast, with something of the regret of wives who had urged their husbands to seek a marquis's rank, they soon adjusted their feelings. They knew this was simply reality.

With Lu Changsheng's present status, ordinary women without spiritual roots like them were no longer quite his match.

Being his wives and concubines was already a blessing.

Their lives were already countless times better than those of many of their sisters and close friends.

Besides, after so many years together, they had come to understand his character.

They knew their husband was not a heartless man who would forget his old loves upon finding a new one.

That night.

Lu Changsheng came to comfort his wives and concubines.

As though spurred on by the day's events, they all put in extraordinary effort, joining forces and bringing a thousand tricks into play.

Afterward-

Lu Changsheng lay on the bed with the women in his arms, unable to keep a thought from surfacing.

Truly, those near vermilion turn red, and those near ink turn black.

Since when did my wives and concubines know so many tricks?

They've learned all these ways to play just from spending these past few days with Jiu'er and Shui'er, the two women Hong Yi sent.

How could anyone withstand this every day?

In the blink of an eye, eighteen days passed.

Lu Changsheng and Lu Miaoyun's wedding began.

Unlike Lu Changsheng's previous two modest weddings, which had been little more than formalities.

This wedding was grand, proper, and bustling.

All of Green Bamboo Mountain was filled with festive cheer, adorned with decorations and large red lanterns.

Lu Changsheng woke early that day.

With two matrons helping him dress, he had his hair combed, donned a golden crown, and changed into a red brocade groom's robe.

Then, with a large red flower pinned to his chest, he mounted a spirit steed and led the wedding procession to the Fourth Elder's residence amid the clanging of gongs and beating of drums to receive the bridal sedan.

Since both households were in the Lu Lineage's Green Bamboo Valley and were not far apart, after escorting Lu Miaoyun, dressed in a fiery-red wedding gown, phoenix crown, and ceremonial cape, into the bridal sedan, Lu Changsheng took the procession on a circuit around Green Bamboo Mountain.

Along the way, most of the Lu Lineage Disciples came to watch the wedding.

"I still remember standing right here four years ago, watching Lu Changsheng enter our Lu Lineage as a live-in son-in-law. Who would've thought that just over four years later, he'd be marrying our younger clan sister Miaoyun?"

"What can you say? He's talented at talisman making."

"Exactly. Who could have imagined that a live-in son-in-law recruited for breeding would have such talent for talisman making!"

"A Mid-Grade Talisman Master! He became one in just over three years. His talent is even better than Sister Miaoge's. By marrying our younger clan sister Miaoyun to Lu Changsheng, the Fourth Elder might be grooming him as her successor."

"Now that he's married our older clan sister Miaoyun, he'll have the Fourth Elder looking after him. Lu Changsheng has really soared to success."

"He only has a ninth-grade spiritual root. No matter what, he has no hope of reaching foundation establishment in this lifetime."

"Foundation establishment? I have a sixth-grade spiritual root, and without some lucky opportunity, I wouldn't dare dream of reaching foundation establishment in this lifetime."

"But Lu Changsheng really has changed. I remember how ordinary he looked back then. Now he's actually this handsome."

"He spends all day indulging in women. He must have practiced some cultivation method for nurturing health and preserving his looks."

"If only I'd married Lu Changsheng early on."

Many Lu Lineage Disciples sighed with emotion as they watched the handsome, straight-backed Lu Changsheng ride his spirit steed to take Lu Miaoyun as his bride.

In the brief span of four and a half years, many of them had witnessed Lu Changsheng enter the Lu Lineage as a live-in son-in-law brought in for "breeding."

Then he had become a Talisman Apprentice, a Talisman Master, and moved into Green Bamboo Valley. Now, he was marrying the Fourth Elder's granddaughter.

The Immortal Seedlings who had come to the Lu Lineage as live-in sons-in-law alongside him were even more envious as they watched him on his spirit steed. It all felt like a dream.

Back then, they had all been rejected by the Azure Cloud Sect and come to the Lu Lineage as live-in sons-in-law.

Now, four and a half years later, they were still "breeding" for the lineage, working toward their quota of fifty children in twenty years.

Yet Lu Changsheng was already marrying the Lu Lineage Fourth Elder's direct granddaughter, a female cultivator with a spiritual root.

One had to remember that this Fourth Elder was a First-Rank Top-Grade Talisman Master.

She held an extraordinary position within the lineage. How could they not envy Lu Changsheng for marrying her granddaughter?

Among the crowd, Li Feiyu watched the scene and recalled how the two of them had come to the Lu Lineage together. His heart filled with a hundred mingled emotions.

Still, he was happy for Lu Changsheng.

Riding his spirit steed and feeling the countless gazes upon him, Lu Changsheng felt rather like a man whose horse's hooves flew swiftly on the spring breeze of success.

After enduring so long in the Lu Lineage, he felt he had finally made it.

Yet he knew full well that in this world, where the strong devoured the weak and strength reigned supreme.

Cultivation and power were what truly mattered!

His current status and position had all come from his skill in talisman making.

It was a shortcut, like rootless duckweed or a pavilion suspended in the air.

I absolutely must not let it go to my head!

And so, after making a circuit around Green Bamboo Mountain, Lu Changsheng brought his bride back to his residence.

With the Lu Lineage's senior figures bearing witness, the wedding ceremony began.

"First, bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second, bow to your elders!"

"Husband and wife, bow to each other!"

"Escort them to the bridal chamber!"

Once the wedding was complete, Lu Miaoyun had, despite arriving later, risen above the others to become

Lu Changsheng's principal wife.

Lu Changsheng had known this would happen all along.

He had not argued with the Lu Lineage over such titles and distinctions, which would only displease the Fourth Elder.

His wives and concubines had also been prepared from the outset and were very understanding.

After escorting his bride to the bridal chamber, Lu Changsheng unfastened the large red flower and went out to entertain the guests.

That day, he also became acquainted with the Lu Lineage's senior figures, clan elders, and guest elders.

He had formally entered the lineage's inner circle and become one of their own.

During this process, he met the Lu Lineage Fifth Elder and, while offering him a toast, mentioned that he wished to purchase Jade Bamboo Wine.

The Fifth Elder readily agreed.

He also said that he had quite a few other kinds of spirit wine at home, and Lu Changsheng could come over to taste and purchase them.