Chapter 542: The Fairy Carries a Lantern

After the formal meeting gift ceremony, Li Ruozhou followed Li Yunjing out of the Lu Residence; Li Ruozhou held the wooden box, his expression dazed the entire way.

The two returned to Cuiwei Peak, entered the manor, and turned into the corridor.

Li Ruozhou suddenly said, "Father, is there something wrong with that woman, Lv Qingzhu?"

Li Yunjing was not particularly concerned and said offhandedly, "What could be wrong?"

Li Ruozhou said, "She has a venereal disease!"

Li Yunjing's figure suddenly paused; he turned back to glare at Li Ruozhou and said coldly, "Do not talk nonsense! Miss Lv is pure and unsullied, how could she have such a filthy disease?!"

Li Ruozhou: "Father, it is true! Your son saw it with his own eyes!"

Li Ruozhou then recounted the scene that had just occurred at the Lu Residence.

Li Yunjing looked at Li Ruozhou with suspicious eyes, but Li Ruozhou spoke in a matter-of-fact tone with clear details, so it did not seem like he was making it up.

"Whether it is true or false is not important!" Li Yunjing said. "Regardless of whether she has a venereal disease or not?! Even if she were oozing pus from head to toe, you must still marry her and bring her home for me! This is a marriage alliance between two sects! Do you think I am actually finding you a wife?"

After Li Yunjing finished speaking, he gave Li Ruozhou a meaningful look and then flicked his sleeves and left.

Li Ruozhou stood in the shadows of the corridor, unable to help but feel stunned.

For him, the meeting with Lv Qingzhu tonight could be described as a world of ice and fire.

From his initial full expectations, to being stunned by her beauty upon first seeing Lv Qingzhu, to hitting rock bottom upon seeing she was infected with a venereal disease, and now his father Li Yunjing's words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

Li Ruozhou's expression was quite helpless.

"Forget it, at worst, I will marry her back, throw her in a room, and just not touch her."

As he said this, he could not help but feel irritable. "I thought I could marry a celestial beauty back home!? Now this is great, I've married a female ghost back, and I still have to treat her like an idol every day—what kind of situation is this?!"

Li Ruozhou could not help but feel pent-up anger in his heart...

According to Li Yunjing's plan, after the meeting gift ceremony, the sixth day would be the day the two were betrothed.

He thought about holding this betrothal ceremony within the Taiyi Sect, and counting it up, there were only five days of preparation time, so early the next morning, he told Chu Qiushan about this matter, wanting to discuss the arrangements for the betrothal ceremony with him.

Upon hearing this, Chu Qiushan immediately summoned Zhu He.

Zhu He was in charge of the Inner History Department, and presiding over the major ceremonies within the Sect was the business of the Inner History Department.

Zhu He said, "No need to worry! Five days for preparations is more than enough."

Seeing Zhu He say this, Li Yunjing's heart immediately felt much more at ease; he had been afraid it would be too rushed and they wouldn't make it in time!

Zhu He added, "For this betrothal ceremony, I think holding it in the Fish Dragon Hall will suffice; we just need to redecorate it. I wonder what Sect Master Chu and Sect Leader Li think?"

Li Yunjing smiled and said, "Department Head Zhu's arrangements will surely be appropriate!"

Chu Qiushan said, "You handle it."

Zhu He nodded and said, "Then I will have the History Supervisors begin the arrangements today. Also, for the guests invited from the Tianyan Sect to observe the ceremony, I must trouble Sect Leader Li to write a list for me so I can arrange to send out the invitations. As for the guests observing from the Taiyi Sect, I will invite them according to our sect's customs."

Li Yunjing said, "Department Head Zhu is truly capable! You are so thoughtful! I will write the list for you right now!"

Li Yunjing immediately wrote the list and handed it to Zhu He, and Zhu He took the list and left.

That afternoon, the History Supervisors of the Inner History Department sent the invitation cards to the various peaks.

On this day, Xiao Yu was sitting in the pavilion by the lake in a daze; Duan Rong had left in a hurry that morning.

Xiao Yu sat in the pavilion, bored, watching the few goldfish in the lake swimming and foraging for food. Thinking of Lv Qingzhu's face from yesterday, as well as the look in her and Duan Rong's eyes when they gazed at each other, Xiao Yu could not help but feel a knot of sorrow in her heart...

Just then, Ximen Kankan suddenly ran in, panting. The courtyard had been very quiet, and the sound of Ximen Kankan's thumping footsteps startled the few goldfish, causing them to dart to the bottom of the lake, refusing to come out.

Xiao Yu turned her head and saw an excited-looking Ximen Kankan.

In the few months since Ximen Kankan left the Tower Forest, he had eaten his way back to being fat. At this moment, his chubby, round face looked rosy under the afternoon sun, and the fat on his face trembled uncontrollably.

Ximen Kankan had always been registered in the Inner History Department; after Duan Rong came out of the Wanxiang Cave, he found him a job in the department.

He had been working in the Inner History Department for some time recently.

Ximen Kankan ran into the residence and saw Xiao Yu sitting in the pavilion at a glance, so he asked, "Where is Duan Rong?"

Xiao Yu smiled and said, "He isn't here right now! What are you looking for him for?"

Ximen Kankan had not come for a few days. When he was around, Xiao Yu complained every day that he was too noisy and talkative, but after not seeing Ximen Kankan's shadow for several days in a row, she felt as if she were missing a source of amusement.

Ximen Kankan ran into the pavilion boisterously, picked up a teacup, and gulped it down. Then, he threw an invitation card in front of Xiao Yu and said, "This is for Duan Rong! When he returns, remember to give it to him."

Duan Rong held the status of a personal disciple within the Taiyi Sect; according to custom, he was qualified to attend and observe such celebrations between the two sects.

Xiao Yu glanced at the invitation on the Stone Table and saw that it had a red silk cover embroidered with mandarin ducks; one look and she knew it was a wedding invitation, so she asked, "Where did this wedding invitation come from?"

Ximen Kankan said, "Haven't you heard? Our Taiyi Sect is going to have a marriage alliance with the Tianyan Sect!"

"A marriage alliance!? Who is marrying whom?" Xiao Yu said, having already picked up the invitation and opened it to look.

Ximen Kankan said, "Lv Qingzhu and the Young Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect, Li Ruozhou!"

Before Ximen Kankan could finish, Xiao Yu had already seen it herself. She was slightly stunned, and then her eyes and brows blossomed into a smile.

Ximen Kankan looked at Xiao Yu with a strange expression and said, "They are the ones having a marriage alliance, and besides, they didn't invite you. Look at how happy you are, as if you've taken the wrong medicine!"

Xiao Yu could not help but laugh; she covered her mouth with the invitation she was reading and said, "Such a big happy event, the whole world is celebrating, why can't I be happy?"

"You can be happy! You can be happy! I'm just afraid you'll laugh until you choke?"

"Get lost!" Xiao Yu glared at Ximen Kankan and said, "If I choke from laughing, won't I just take a sip of tea to smooth it out!"

"You smooth it out! You smooth it out! Then keep laughing slowly! Remember to give the invitation to Duan Rong! I'm going back to Yunfu Peak!" Ximen Kankan said, then left the residence.

After Ximen Kankan left, Xiao Yu looked at the words on the invitation and continued to giggle foolishly.

However, as she laughed, her expression suddenly shifted.

Lv Qingzhu was going to have a marriage alliance with the Young Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect, so what were Duan Rong, Lv Qingzhu, and that delicate-looking man discussing while sitting in this pavilion yesterday afternoon?

Xiao Yu possessed the typical sensitivity of a woman; she immediately became certain that what Duan Rong and the others were discussing must have been related to Lv Qingzhu's marriage alliance.

After the invitations were sent out, the news of the marriage alliance between Lv Qingzhu and the Young Sect Master of the Tianyan Sect spread throughout the Taiyi Sect.

Inside the Longyu Hall on Cuiwei Peak, several History Supervisors began directing the Attendants to hang lanterns and decorate the place.

Within the Elder Council, the discussions regarding the alliance treaty were also reaching the most difficult parts; many matters were no longer just discussions between the relevant people in charge, but had been placed on the table to become collective discussions.

Perhaps because they were soon to become in-laws, Li Yunjing, in addition to asking for Chu Qiushan's opinion on many matters, would actually often ask Lv Zhongtang as well. This action of his drew side-glances from many of the Elders participating in the discussion, and Zhu He naturally saw it all.

Three months later, it would be the day for the Taiyi Sect to change its Sect Master.

After the new Sect Master took office, the most urgent matter would naturally be to consolidate the alliance between the two sects and put the alliance treaty into practice. Since Lv Zhongtang had become in-laws with the Sect Leader of the Tianyan Sect, if he were to succeed as Sect Master, it would clearly be beneficial for pushing forward the many details of the alliance between the two sects.

Inside the Elder Council, the discussion of the alliance treaty grew increasingly in-depth, and Li Ruozhou basically stopped participating. He was not responsible for any specific affairs within the Sect; he only occasionally acted in his father's stead for a few days when his father was away.

By the third day, he no longer went to the Elder Council.

On the afternoon of this day, he was drinking sullenly in his room, with the Personal Attendant kneeling and serving by his side.

He was just drinking with gusto when suddenly, a knocking sound came from the door.

"Who is it?" Li Ruozhou heard the knocking and let out a cold shout, a flash of annoyance appearing in his eyes.

His father and the Elders of the Tianyan Sect were all in the Elder Council discussing the alliance treaty. In this manor, who would dare to come and knock on his door at this time?

"It's me!" A clear female voice rang out at the door.

Li Ruozhou's brows furrowed, and he swept his Divine Sense toward the outside of the room. He suddenly shivered; the person standing outside the door was actually Lv Qingzhu!

"Quick! Get on the bed!" Li Ruozhou said while putting on his clothes.

The Personal Attendant immediately ran behind the screen and dove into the bed with hanging gauze curtains.

Li Ruozhou called out while dressing: "Miss, please wait a moment! I'm coming!"

Li Ruozhou put on his robes and kicked the Personal Attendant's clothes under the side table before opening the door.

Lv Qingzhu stood there. Seeing Li Ruozhou's face flushed red, smelling of alcohol, and his clothes quite disheveled, she recalled the man's reputation and her willow-leaf brows immediately shot up in anger.

Li Ruozhou stood there, bowed to Lv Qingzhu, and gave a wicked smile, saying: "I had nothing to do this afternoon, so I had a few cups of wine. I hope Miss will not take offense!"

Lv Qingzhu said coldly: "Young Master Li! Tonight at the hour of Xu, I will wait for you at the platform on the mountainside."

Lv Qingzhu turned to leave as soon as she finished speaking.

Li Ruozhou immediately asked: "May I ask what business you have inviting me, Miss?"

Lv Qingzhu glanced at Li Ruozhou and said: "Come at the hour of Xu, and I will tell you!"

After Lv Qingzhu finished speaking, she walked away along the Corridor.

Li Ruozhou craned his neck to watch Lv Qingzhu's back, then closed the door with a suspicious look. He sat back down before the side table and gulped down several more cups of wine.

He felt a bit puzzled in his heart, wondering why that little girl Lv Qingzhu had suddenly invited him to the mountainside platform.

However, that mountainside platform was not far from the manor.

Li Ruozhou recalled Lv Qingzhu's tender face from just a moment ago, and suddenly clenched his right hand, crushing the wine cup in his hand into powder.

"Such a stunner, what a pity that she's tainted with venereal disease?! Such a fine body, which lecherous ghost got to it first?! If I find out who it is one day, I'll surely skin that bastard alive!?"

As Li Ruozhou spoke, perhaps stirred up by Lv Qingzhu, a wave of heat surged in his lower abdomen again.

He staggered to his feet, took off his clothes again, and dove into the bed behind the screen, followed by a series of screams from within.

Seeing that it was almost the hour of Xu, Li Ruozhou walked out of the manor feeling dizzy and heavy-headed.

The platform on the mountainside that Lv Qingzhu mentioned was the place where the Cloud-Feather Mad Eagle had landed when they first arrived at this Cuiwei Peak. It was not a long way, but the whole path was pitch black.

At the hour of Xu, the sky had only just turned dark, but in these Endless Great Mountains, once the sun set, everything was pitch black.

At this moment, on this Cuiwei Peak, only the nearby manor, the Elder Council, and the Longyu Hall were brightly lit.

Inside the Elder Council, the negotiation of the alliance treaty was still ongoing, and sounds of arguing could be heard from time to time.

Li Ruozhou walked to the mountainside platform and saw a figure standing at the edge of the platform, holding a lantern.

The dim yellow light of the lantern illuminated the person's dress and face; looking from afar, it was indeed Lv Qingzhu.

Li Ruozhou flashed closer, cupped his hands in a salute, and said: "Miss Lv, I apologize! I, Li, am late!"

Lv Qingzhu looked at him coldly and said: "Follow me! I'm taking you to a place!"

Li Ruozhou's expression shifted as he asked: "May I ask what place, Miss?"

Lv Qingzhu said: "This matter concerns our marriage alliance. Just follow me! Don't ask too many questions!"

After Lv Qingzhu finished speaking, she suddenly lifted the lantern and rose into the air using Wind Riding amidst the night.

Lv Qingzhu's robes fluttered as she hovered in the desolate night sky, standing in the air with her lantern, looking just like a fairy.

Li Ruozhou looked up, his eyes momentarily dazed. In that instant, he felt that if he married Lv Qingzhu, even if she really had a venereal disease, he wouldn't let her go! Otherwise, it would be too much of a waste of a heavenly treasure!

Lv Qingzhu hovered there, and seeing that Li Ruozhou seemed to have no intention of moving, she shouted coldly: "If you are afraid, you don't have to come. But our marriage contract will be called off right here!"

After Lv Qingzhu finished speaking, she flashed into the clouds and mist within the valley with her lantern.

One could see a cluster of light in the darkness, amidst the ethereal clouds and mist, dim like a bean, moving along...

A flash of hesitation crossed Li Ruozhou's eyes. He reached out and touched the Longevity Lock he wore around his neck; this item was a defensive magic treasure. With this item on his person, as long as it wasn't a master at the late stage of the Dongming Realm, it would be impossible to hurt him.

"Miss Qingzhu, wait for me!"

Li Ruozhou used Wind Riding, and seeing the dim, bean-like light in the ethereal clouds and mist several yards away, he immediately urged his body to chase after her.

Lv Qingzhu noticed Li Ruozhou following and a flash of coldness appeared in her icy eyes. She had absolutely no good feelings for this person; if not for his sensitive status, she would have really liked to turn around and run him through with her Sword right here in the mist!

Lv Qingzhu traveled through the clouds and mist with her lantern, and before long, she had already covered several miles.

Li Ruozhou followed for a while, his heart beating faster and faster, so he shouted: "Miss Qingzhu, where exactly are we going?"

Lv Qingzhu did not make a sound, only traveling through the clouds and mist with her lantern.

Li Ruozhou felt more and more that something was wrong. Just as he was about to say something else, he heard Lv Qingzhu say coldly: "Follow me down!"

As soon as Lv Qingzhu finished speaking, she suddenly turned and flew diagonally downward with her lantern!

Li Ruozhou's gaze tightened, and he followed the dim, bean-like light as it flew over.

He saw Lv Qingzhu fly out of the mist-filled valley and descend toward a pitch-black mountain peak not far away.

That mountain peak was pitch black, without a single spark of light. Lv Qingzhu floated down with her dim yellow lantern and sank into the darkness.

Li Ruozhou subconsciously touched the Longevity Lock on his neck again, then recalled his father repeatedly telling him that the marriage alliance was a matter of utmost importance. At this moment, Lv Qingzhu's figure had already vanished into the darkness, and fearing he would lose her, he urged his body toward the place where Lv Qingzhu's figure had disappeared...

(End of chapter)