I Am Willing

"Master Xie Jiu, I've delivered the wedding invitation, so I won't disturb you any longer. Mute gave me a big job, and I still have other people to visit. Please, see me no farther."

"Second Master, I've delivered the wedding invitation. We look forward to seeing you in three days."

"Master Wu, please, see me no farther. There's no need to see me out, no need."

"Immortal Lady Huo, this invitation is for Miss Huo Ling. Please pass it on to her. Mute said he promised Miss Huo this before."

"Fourth Grandpa, you're too kind. How could I just send someone to notify you? Mute instructed me to deliver the invitations into everyone's hands myself."

"Zhang Rishan, your patriarch asked me to give you this. The wedding is in three days, so bring your people to congratulate him. Let me give you a warning: if you anger him, your Fo Ye will be reduced to ashes for good. That's all I have to say. I have other things to do, so see me no farther."

Hei Xiazi delivered invitations to all the surviving members of the Nine Gates' older generation. For the rest, he only needed to send someone to notify them and explain why. These people really knew how to keep their composure. He didn't know whether they had been mentally prepared beforehand, but they all offered smiling congratulations and promised to arrive on time.

No, there had been one exception: Zhang Rishan. Mute wouldn't have told him to say those things, but Hei Xiazi was no saint either. After they had bullied his brother, it really wouldn't have been his style to pass up a chance to make things difficult for them.

He still had to hurry back and make preparations. He really couldn't be in two places at once!

For a time, winds rose and clouds gathered as forces from every side converged on the capital.

Everyone knew what was going on, exchanging knowing glances without a word. Fo Ye's death had greatly affected them. The abilities Zhang Qiling had displayed made them wary, but they also wanted to win him over. The Zhang Family's patriarch might become a second Zhang Dafoye, shoulder their burden, and resist attacks from "It," the Wang Family.

In just a few days, many operations had suffered devastating losses. Even among those recruited for tomb expeditions, only one or two out of ten came back. They were all skilled hands at raiding tombs, and losing even one was painful enough. The Nine Gates had lost more than half their people during this time. If they didn't find a solution soon, the Wang Family would wipe out the Nine Gates completely!

Whatever these people's motives, three days later, the courtyard house was full of smiling faces and flattering words. One congratulation after another seemed especially vivid against the bright red double-happiness characters in the courtyard.

Blind Man offered a token welcome at the entrance, but his main job was to collect the gifts and put them in his room. The furnishings in the courtyard hadn't changed at all: the same three rocking chairs still stood side by side. An arched flower gate had been set up in front of Zhang Qiling's room, covered in flowers of every color. Neither Zhang Qiling nor Yu Zhi had any particular thoughts about flowers, so Hei Xiazi had arranged them all in the end. There was no helping it: of the three of them, only Blind Man understood flowers!

As for the rest, there were no arrangements for the guests at all. No seats or tea had been prepared. They didn't deserve them; standing was good enough. As for a meal, they shouldn't even think about it.

"Mute, it's time." Hei Xiazi watched the clock and called the two grooms out.

At the sound of his voice, everyone fell silent and craned their necks, eager to see whether it really was as absurd as they had heard!

The door slowly opened, revealing two people who looked very well matched. Zhang Qiling carried Yu Zhi's body out of the room and, with a wave of his hand, used spiritual power to close the door. The two stood beneath the arched flower gate, and he surveyed the crowd, taking in every expression and glance.

Hei Xiazi looked at Mute in his suit. He really was handsome!

Everyone was also struck first by Zhang Qiling's appearance. The black suit set off his tall, well-proportioned figure, yet his formal attire only brought out his mysterious, ancient air. His face remained expressionless, and his eyes were like deep, ancient wells, calm and untroubled, with an air of indifference detached from worldly affairs.

But the next moment, when he looked at the jade figurine in his arms, the aura around him stirred and came alive. Even his expression softened.

It was chilling! To these people, it was terrifying!

They were terrified that the rumors were true, that he really was marrying a dead man, and terrified that Zhang Qiling seemed to have truly gone mad!

They couldn't see exactly what the dead man looked like, because his face was covered by a mask. Only a few of the Nine Gates' second generation knew his appearance.

"Ahem, today is the happy occasion of my brother's wedding. Thank you all for traveling a thousand miles to witness the union of the groom Zhang Qiling and the groom Yu Zhi. Marriage is the most sacred covenant, a symbol of love and responsibility. Now, I declare the wedding ceremony officially underway!" Hei Xiazi was dressed festively today. He had even taken off his sunglasses, and his hair was combed perfectly neat.

"Zhang Qiling, are you willing to take Yu Zhi as your husband, to love, support, and stay by his side through prosperity and adversity, health and sickness, never to part for life after life?"

"I am willing," Zhang Qiling answered firmly and resoundingly. He was not only announcing it to the world, but also telling Yu Zhi that he was willing.

"Yu Zhi, are you willing to take Zhang Qiling as your husband, to love, support, and stay by his side through prosperity and adversity, health and sickness, never to part for life after life?"

Yu Zhi was so moved that he sobbed helplessly in his sea of consciousness. He knew he shouldn't cry today, but this really was what he had always dreamed of.

At that moment, everyone's eyes focused on the jade figurine. Even Zhang Qiling turned his head, seemingly waiting for something.

Yu Zhi finally composed himself and solemnly said in his sea of consciousness, "I am willing."

Hearing this, Zhang Qiling smiled like a snow mountain melting, like a bolt of lightning streaking across a dark horizon. Smiling, he repeated Yu Zhi's words: "I am willing!"

Hei Xiazi was used to such things by now and continued.

"I pronounce Zhang Qiling and Yu Zhi husbands, never to part." Hei Xiazi was also very happy for his brother. He had finally married him off.

Still holding Yu Zhi in his arms, Zhang Qiling looked at the crowd. Very good, the entire Nine Gates had come, without a single one missing!

Then he looked at Blind Man, the expression on his face plainly telling him to hurry up and send the guests away.

Hei Xiazi was helpless and could only take the job on himself. "Thank you all for coming. Mute isn't good with words, and my brother's husband is also... not good with words, so let me see to you all properly." As he spoke, Hei Xiazi led everyone outside.

These shrewd people could all see that the polite words were a way of sending them away. In any case, they had shown their faces today, and presumably Zhang Qiling would remember them, so they had achieved their purpose.

They all said, "It was truly a great honor to attend the ceremony. We have plenty of business at home that we haven't dealt with, and after being away for a few days, we must hurry back. Master Hei, please, see us no farther!"

"All right, then I won't ask you to stay!" As soon as he finished speaking, Hei Xiazi shut the gate, paying no attention to the expressions on the faces of the people outside.

Outside the gate, several important figures of the Nine Gates exchanged glances, traded a few polite words, and went their separate ways.

The plan in Wu Sansheng's heart took shape at that moment. It was crazy, but he was eighty percent sure of it! He had to work out the details as soon as possible.

Wang Family

"Patriarch, Zhang Qiling really did marry a dead man. It seems the Zhang Family's patriarch is finished." A man knelt on the ground and recounted what he had seen that day.

"Keep watching. Don't alarm him. Make some contact with Hei Xiazi, but don't rush and let him discover your purpose." The man was hidden in the darkness, his appearance impossible to make out.

"Yes, Patriarch!"

"How are things with the Wu Family?"

"Everything is normal with the Wu Family. Wu Xie is now being raised by Wu Laogou and Old Madam Wu."

"Continue guiding Wu Sansheng."

"Yes!"

"You may go!" The figure waved a hand, pondering why the revelation obtained through the sacrifice was different from what was happening now.

By rights, Zhang Qiling should have gone to the Wu Family. Why was he still keeping watch over that corpse? Surely he wasn't just in love with a corpse!