Truth or dare

When Xu Qi'an and his second uncle returned, the servants had already begun cleaning up the messy wedding banquet scene.

The maid was in charge of clearing away the plates, while the servants carried wooden buckets to empty the food waste. Leftovers were disposed of separately. As instructed by the aunt, the leftovers from the guests were to be sent to disaster relief outside the city.

Xu Qi'an thought his aunt's idea was excellent; he didn't want to be the subject of sour remarks like, "Behind the rich, meat and wine go to waste, while on the streets, people freeze to death."

"Ningyan, your aunt and I will rest for the day."

As they approached the inner courtyard, Uncle Xu suddenly spoke.

Then, he turned to leave, but before he could, he glanced down at his nephew who was tugging at his sleeve and feigned ignorance, saying:

"Ningyan, why are you pulling me?"

Xu Qi'an looked at him silently:

"Second Uncle, neither you nor Aunt are leaving today. Those guys are still hanging around the house, clearly trying to cause trouble. With you and Aunt here, they'll behave themselves a bit."

"Without elders to back them up, they could tear the roof off my wedding room."

Although he had Protector Yuan as a trump card, Xu Qi'an felt it wasn't enough to guarantee safety.

"What are you trying to suppress? What are you trying to suppress!" Uncle Xu scolded, tugging at his sleeve and spitting spittle all over his nephew's face, pointing his finger at his forehead.

"You've brought this upon yourself! Who told you to go around flirting with women? And you call yourself the 'backup'? You little brat, don't you even know who's sitting inside? His Majesty, the Imperial Preceptor, the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Sect, and that... the Lord of the Ten Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons."

"My second uncle is just a mere seventh-grade Spirit Refining Realm. Who am I supposed to intimidate? Any one of them could crush me with a flick of their finger."

As he spoke, he raised his little finger and gestured.

"You're someone I raised, yet you didn't inherit any of your good qualities. Who did you get this philandering and lustful nature from?" Uncle Xu turned and left, saying, "Let go! Let go! If you pull me again, I'll punish you according to family rules."

Xu Qi'an indeed let go, watching his second uncle's retreating figure, and exclaimed loudly:

"I certainly didn't inherit my second uncle's good qualities, but I did inherit his way of using green oranges. I'll go find my aunt now."

Uncle Xu turned around, beaming with smiles:

"Ningyan, today is your wedding day. How can we celebrate the wedding night without your second uncle? Come on, let's all join in, uncle and nephew."

Xu Ningyan also smiled broadly:

"My second uncle is so kind!"

Inside the main hall, the aunt instructed her maids, including Lü'e, to serve the distinguished guests her homemade flower tea to aid digestion and cut through the richness of the food.

Zhong Li changed into a clean and tidy robe, let her hair down, and sat obediently next to Daoist Jinlian.

After a chaotic scene, Master Jinlian "suddenly realized" and said:

"Miss Zhong, come quickly to my side. My merit can temporarily suppress your misfortune."

Sure enough, there were no further incidents after that.

Li Lingsu, her head wrapped in gauze, took a sip of floral tea, her eyes brightening slightly.

"Good tea has a sweet aftertaste and a rich aroma; it can dispel impurities from the stomach. This is no ordinary flower tea."

"If Master Li likes it, I'll give you a few taels." The aunt was overjoyed upon hearing this, thinking to herself that this handsome young man really knew how to talk.

My aunt loves it when people praise her for growing flowers well or for making delicious flower tea.

The others also showed expressions of enjoyment.

Most people knew perfectly well that this flower tea must have been made by Mu Nanzhi; no one else could grow such a fine tea.

Taking advantage of the moment when she lowered her head to drink tea, Li Lingsu transmitted her voice to Yang Qianhuan, who was standing in the corner (where there were no spider plants overhead):

"Brother Yang, the wedding night festivities are about to begin! Our chance to redeem ourselves is right in front of us!"

It wasn't appropriate to cause too much trouble at the wedding banquet, since everyone present was a respectable person, so Li Lingsu and Yang Qianhuan kept a low profile.

But wedding night pranks are different; you can make a ruckus to your heart's content.

Yang Qianhuan excitedly replied via telepathy:

"I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Xu Ningyan is my lifelong rival; he can always do things that I can't."

"What I've always dreamed of, what I've risked everything for, is easily within his grasp. The old supervisor, Master, used to misunderstand him and secretly flatter him. Now that Master is gone, he's become a first-rank martial artist."

"I understand, I understand!" Li Lingsu comforted her telepathically.

"Although we work in different fields, our resentment towards Xu Ningyan is the same."

He paused, then hummed:

"Tonight, I, the Holy Son, will make Xu Ningyan lose all face and regret provoking me."

The feud between Li Lingsu and Xu Qi'an is far more complicated than that between Yang Qianhuan and Li Lingsu. Yang Qianhuan's jealousy caused his physical body to split apart, while the Holy Son, the scoundrel Xu Ningyan, has tormented him countless times.

It caused him to suffer humiliation time and time again, and he almost lost himself in the process.

Mu Nanzhi, Huai Qing, and the others lowered their heads and drank their tea in silence, silently gathering their strength and emotions.

Because of Zhang Shen's matter, they were somewhat embarrassed. Although others tacitly avoided mentioning it, the fish, who had something to hide, kept a low profile for the time being.

Chu Yuanzhen, Daoist Jinlian, and Asuluo sat together. The first two were engrossed in the verbal battles between the women, finding their words to be veiled in barbs and sarcastic in nature. At times they joined forces, their attacks aimed directly at Xu Ningyan; at other times they fought amongst themselves, hurling insults at each other.

Isn't this much more interesting than court intrigue?

Of course, if it were just women scheming and exchanging sharp words, it wouldn't be very interesting.

The most interesting part of this show is that the protagonist is Xu Ningyan, a first-rank martial artist.

As for Asuluo, the reason he stayed behind to make a scene at the wedding was that, as members of the Heaven and Earth Society, he was worried that Xu Ningyan wouldn't be able to handle the situation, so he stayed to keep things under control. It was definitely not because he wanted to see the women scheming against each other or Xu Ningyan making a fool of himself.

Of course, whether his presence was effective in maintaining order was not his concern.

Although they were brothers, Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao's thoughts were much more simple and unpretentious. They never expected that their good brother Xu Ningyan would not only frequently invite them to brothels to listen to music, but even set up a stage at his home.

This is much more interesting than listening to music in a brothel.

"Night Princess" held a fox cub in her arms, a smile playing on her lips, her lively eyes occasionally darting around, as if she were secretly plotting some wicked scheme.

Ji Baiqing also stayed. Teasing the newlyweds is something suitable for all ages, and elders don't need to avoid it. She planned to protect her eldest son from harm. She dared not say anything else, but dealing with a few young women was a piece of cake for her birth mother.

Among this group of people with ulterior motives, the leaders and chiefs of the martial arts alliance were much simpler in their thoughts; they were purely there to make a ruckus during the wedding night.

People in the martial arts world love excitement.

At this moment, they saw the groom Xu Ningyan and Xu Pingzhi return, and they immediately stood up.

Li Lingsu suppressed her excitement and smiled:

"A moment of blissful romance is worth a thousand pieces of gold; we should now escort the groom to his bridal chamber."

"Big pot!"

Xu Lingyin came running over with her short legs and announced loudly, "I almost choked to death on a chicken bone!"

After she finished speaking, she looked at Xu Qi'an with a serious expression, expecting to see his reaction.

"That shouldn't be the case! Your birth chart is very strong! "Xu Qi'an was about to ask when he heard his aunt say irritably.

"Don't listen to your second uncle's exaggeration, he just choked a little. It's all Lina's fault, she insisted on taking the chicken leg from her, and Lingyin stuffed the whole chicken leg into her mouth."

And so, surrounded by a group of people, Xu Qi'an walked towards the bridal chamber.

Inside the bridal chamber, the head palace maid who had come with the dowry saw Xu Yinluo leading a large group of people through a crack in the window.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, there are so many people!"

The head palace maid was somewhat intimidated by the sight of this display.

Lin'an was experiencing a firsthand, a typical scene of a young woman getting married.

But she wasn't worried at all; on the contrary, she was full of fighting spirit. She knew that Huaiqing, the Imperial Preceptor, and Li Miaozhen—these women who coveted her lackeys—would definitely not let her off easily.

The second princess had been outwitting and outmaneuvering the eldest princess since childhood, suffering repeated defeats but never giving up. She had no other skills, but she was never short of fighting spirit.

Bang!

With a sound that was neither too loud nor too soft, the bedroom door was pushed open, and a group of people rushed in.

The bridal chamber was extremely spacious, divided into an inner and outer room. The outer room had a living room and two bedrooms, where two senior palace maids lived.

The inner room has two halls, one large and one small, separated by an expensive and magnificent six-fold screen. The large hall is used to entertain some close female friends, while the small hall is furnished with a desk and a display shelf.

The entire bridal suite has a total area of over 200 square meters, more than enough to accommodate this group of people with ulterior motives.

Lin'an had already put on her phoenix crown again and was dressed in a bright red wedding gown embroidered with golden phoenixes. She was exquisite and beautiful. Not to mention, even though she was "fully armed," she was not intimidated at all when facing the stunning beauties such as Luo Yuheng and Huaiqing.

At least in terms of appearance and temperament, Lin'an has maintained its composure.

Congratulations on your wedding, Your Highness!

Wang Simu said with a smile.

Everyone else bowed and greeted them, but this did not include the fish in the pond.

After Lin'an rose to return the greeting, Yang Qianhuan, wearing a hood, strolled to the window, turned her back to everyone, and said impatiently:

"Gentlemen, I have an interesting idea."

Waiting for everyone's gaze, Yang Qianhuan said in a deep voice:

As the saying goes, priceless treasures are easy to find, but a loving husband is hard to come by.

"Princess Lin'an is of noble birth, a golden branch and jade leaf. Her marriage to Xu Ningyan has caused me great sorrow. Therefore, I intend to ask Xu Ningyan a question. During this process, I will use my Qi-Watching Technique to watch you. If you lie, I will know."

Li Lingsu, like a straight man in a comedy duo, clapped and cheered:

"Wonderful, wonderful!"

"That's a good idea. I think everyone should ask the groom a question."

Upon hearing this, everyone's eyes flickered, each with their own thoughts.

This game is so much fun!

It strikes right at the heart!

"I believe we cannot only question the groom," Huaiqing said calmly, drawing the first knife in this act of fratricide.

"Lin'an also has to accept the problems."

This suggestion won the unanimous approval of Li Miaozhen and others.

At this moment, Lin'an was unaware of the seriousness of the situation, and straightened his chest without fear.

Mu Nanzhi, who had an ordinary appearance, frowned and said:

"Wait a minute, I remember Xu Ningyan has Law Technique to conceal his aura."

Luo Yuheng said calmly:

"It's alright. Even if he conceals his aura, the Qi-Watching Technique, though unable to see through it, can still detect it. But Ningyan must do his utmost to suppress his aura."

This means that Yang Qianhuan could use her Qi-Watching Technique to see that Xu Qi'an was concealing his aura and knew that he was cheating.

Fate is something that can only be concealed, not changed. Concealing one's aura was for Yang Qianhuan's safety.

"This is boring, let's try something different," Xu Qi'an quickly refused.

"If you don't agree, we won't leave today, we'll all sleep in your room," Li Lingsu said loudly.

The crowd burst into laughter and joined in.

Xu Qi'an pondered for a moment and said:

"Okay, but I have one condition. It can't just be you asking; Lin'an and I need to ask too."

Chu Yuanzhen, a scholar by birth, had clear logic. "Tonight you are the groom, we can ask questions, but you can't."

"You're courting death, so don't blame me." Xu Qi'an sighed helplessly.

"OK!"

As everyone was talking, the aunt took off the little girl's shoes and pushed her onto the big bed to roll around in the sheets.

In Beijing custom, it is believed that a young child rolling around on the bed of a newlywed couple can ward off evil spirits and bring good fortune, while also symbolizing the wish for "early birth of a son."

Typically, young boys and girls are allowed to roll around on the platform, symbolizing the wish for a son and a daughter.

Seeing Xu Lingyin rolling around on the bed, Ji Baiqing's face darkened. She thought to herself, "Well, Xiaoru, you are the most vicious person."

She didn't want her eldest granddaughter or grandson to be a child like Lingyin, even though that child was exceptionally talented in cultivating the power of Gu.

The game is played by drawing lots. The person who draws the lot with the word "Question" can ask the bride or groom a question.

The fairness of the lottery was overseen by Xu Qi'an, a first-rank martial artist.

Soon, the results of the first lottery were in, and the lucky winner was Asuro.

Those who didn't draw the "question" slip were disappointed.

Yang Qianhuan transmitted her voice:

"Quickly ask him how many women he has outside."

Asuro glanced at him and said:

"That's an interesting question, but I refuse!"

What did he just say in telepathy? Everyone looked at Yang Qianhuan, then at Asuluo, who was nine feet tall and ridiculously burly.

Asura is still quite kind. Why hasn't Protector Yuan arrived yet? What is Senior Brother Sun dawdling about? Xu Qi'an muttered to himself, "..."

"Are you going to ask me, or Lin'an?"

Asuluo ignored Yang Qianhuan's back of the head, looked at Xu Ningyan, and said:

"I'm just asking a casual question; I won't put you in a difficult position."

The smile had just appeared on Xu Qi'an's face when he heard Asuluo say:

"How did you get promoted to the second rank?"

Xu Qi'an's smile froze instantly.

Mu Nanzhi's expression changed.

An eerie silence suddenly fell over the hall. Those who knew the truth felt a surge of excitement, thinking to themselves that the main event was about to begin.

Li Miaozhen, Luo Yuheng, and Huaiqing glanced discreetly at Mu Nanzhi, whose face had turned pale.

Good, let's take care of one first.

Li Lingsu and Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Asuluo.

I knew this guy was a heartless monk.

As a monk, Master Hengyuan can be considered the conscience of Buddhist School.

Xu Lingyue, Ji Baiqing, and Xiao Yuenu were unaware of the inner workings of the matter, but they were all extremely adept at reading people. Upon seeing Xu Qi'an's frozen smile and noticing the subtle shifts in expression and the clashes of eyes among the members of the Heaven and Earth Society, they realized that something was amiss.

Xu Qi'an took a deep breath:

"Flower arrangement!"

P. S.: I'm writing this rather slowly; it feels even harder than writing action-packed scenes. Writing slice-of-life stories interesting really tests an author's ability and control over the plot, but even then, some readers still find it filler. Fortunately, the wedding scene will be finished in the next chapter, starting the next chapter's story. Hmm, the next chapter will fill in a big plot hole.