Chapter 124: Marriage

No wonder the Qin family obtained the “Hui Character Secret Scripture.”

So it’s just something handed out everywhere.

Yet from Ding Yingqiu’s words, Li Lin sensed something… suspicious about this matter.

In this era’s view, secret scriptures were not something as extreme as being passed only to sons, but at least they were valuable—why would they be handed out everywhere?

Coupled with the hallucinatory visions he experienced while practicing the “Hui” Character Secret Scripture, Li Lin could not help but feel some concern about it.

After that, Li Lin had the government office runners search the city for several days but found no unusual individuals or organizations, so he gave up.

It seemed the assistant prefect’s family had indeed been moved away.

But Li Lin kept the bronze plaque.

Time passed swiftly, and two months of peaceful days slipped by.

In the early autumn chill, the entire county was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners.

Because the county magistrate was marrying off his daughter.

Bai Bufan stood by the roadside, watching the eight-man palanquin pass by, and said enviously, “When I marry, I want a procession like this.”

Bai Zhiwei slapped his head: “You trying to drain my entire fortune?”

Bai Bufan chuckled: “You’ve got so much money anyway…”

Bai Zhiwei thought for a moment—he remembered that he and the others still had a “treasure” hidden at Bobai Military Garrison; retrieving some of it wouldn’t be hard to afford such a display.

“Then give it a try,” Bai Zhiwei whispered. “But you must bring back a virtuous girl—or I’ll break your legs.”

Bai Bufan stared at him in shock: “Uncle, you’re serious?”

“Your father… your uncle here, still has some ability,” Bai Zhiwei smiled. “Come on, follow me—we need to protect the bride.”

A group of children followed the bridal palanquin to the Li residence.

Huang Qing sat inside the palanquin, veiled.

She could see nothing around her—only red before her eyes.

Yet she felt no worry, only a drowsy joy.

Everything that followed was guided by others.

Someone took her hand, led her into the Li residence, into a room, guided her to bow to Heaven and Earth, then led her into another chamber.

She sat on the edge of the bed, the veil still untouched.

She waited quietly.

Shy, but mostly expectant.

Time passed slowly; outside, the noise grew loud, then gradually faded into stillness.

Only then did she feel nervous.

Shortly after, someone lifted her veil.

Huang Qing looked at Li Lin before her and smiled involuntarily.

They drank the wedding cup, blew out the lamp.

Mandarins entwined!

Huang Qing finally understood what it meant to walk on clouds—when Hong Luan spoke of it before, she hadn’t understood; now, she understood completely.

When she woke the next day, Li Lin was gone.

Hong Luan entered with a basin of water and said, “Miss, let me wash you.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s my duty,” Hong Luan said, gazing at Huang Qing with envy. “You’re even more beautiful now.”

Huang Qing smiled: “As long as my husband likes it.”

After washing and dressing, Huang Qing, supported by Hong Luan, went to the main hall.

There, a full table of food had already been laid out.

Huang Qing looked outside—the sky was nearly noon.

“Come eat,” Li Lin smiled.

Huang Qing looked at her husband, warm as jade, her eyes filled with tenderness.

“From now on, you’ll handle household affairs,” Li Lin said while eating. “Hong Luan will assist you—ask her if you don’t know anything.”

Huang Qing nodded.

“Also, the family money is under the bed; the ledger is in the first compartment of the wardrobe in the bedroom,” Li Lin said. “If you or Hong Luan need money for anything, take it yourself—no need to ask me—just keep a record.”

Huang Qing nodded eagerly, her heart blooming with joy.

For a man to let a woman manage money was to acknowledge her as the principal wife.

Huang Qing never expected Li Lin to have only her as a wife—Hong Luan was already a concubine.

In this world where life was uncertain, men were fewer than women, so monogamy had no place at all.

After lunch, Li Lin went out to find Ding Yingqiu.

“The groom comes to me on his first day? Not very proper,” Ding Yingqiu teased. “Shouldn’t you be with your bride?”

Li Lin smiled: “There’ll be plenty of time later—no rush. I came to make a trade.”

“What kind of trade?”

“I heard the Ding family has a dual-cultivation secret art.”

Ding Yingqiu’s face flushed slightly: “Get out, get out—you’re talking about this to a virgin girl—are you insane?”

“We’re martial folk—why be so formal?”

Ding Yingqiu gave Li Lin an irritated glare: “Fine, only because you’re handsome—if anyone else spoke to me like this, I’d crush his brain and sell it as soup with red oil on the street.”

Li Lin hissed: “That’s brutal.”

“Fine, what can you offer?”

“Money?”

“The Ding family doesn’t lack that.”

“Thunder Strike Spell…”

“The one you traded with Tianyi Sect?”

“A bit better—I’ve gained new insights into the Thunder Strike Spell recently.”

Ding Yingqiu nodded: “Sounds good. Anything else?”

Li Lin thought and said: “Paper Crafting? The Guiding Paper Person and the Soul-Guiding Paper Person.”

“Those pink ones—the smug-looking paper people?” Ding Yingqiu’s eyes lit up.

She had seen Li Lin’s Guiding Paper People before—big eyes, initially frightening, but after a while, strangely cute.

And women naturally favored pink.

“Yes, those—but I can’t guarantee I can make them pink.”

“Why not?”

“The appearance of a paper person reflects the caster’s nature,” Li Lin explained. “Paper crafting inherits the caster’s intent—it’s essentially an external extension of the caster.”

Just weaker.

Ding Yingqiu nodded eagerly: “Then the paper person I make will be utterly charming, delightful—fine, I’ve decided: I’ll take the Paper Crafting technique.”

“I’ll go write it down and bring it to you.”

“Good—I’ll need to transcribe my own copy anyway.”

Two days later, they exchanged the secret scriptures.

Dual cultivation was the art of yin-yang complementation.

Yuan qi… yin qi would flow from high to low until both sides balanced.

At first glance, it seemed the one with higher cultivation was at a disadvantage—but the accounting wasn’t that simple.

In the first few days, there was indeed a slight loss—hard-earned cultivation was given to the other.

But when man and woman unite, yin and yang mutually generate—dual cultivation cultivates life, cultivates yin and yang.

Yuan qi and yin qi circulated between them, flowing ceaselessly, invisibly accelerating their movement within the body, gradually expanding the meridians, indirectly increasing cultivation speed.

Secondly, after yin-yang complementation, the quality of both yuan qi and yin qi would further improve.

Within three days, the effects were already clear: Li Lin felt his qi gathering speed had increased, and Huang Qing had faintly begun to sense “qi.”

Li Lin checked Huang Qing’s pulse and smiled: “Now you can learn a martial art for self-defense.”

“Can I really learn?” Huang Qing’s eyes widened.

“Before, no—but now, yes, as long as you practice with me every night.”

“But those postures are so embarrassing,” Huang Qing blushed.

“Just say whether you’re willing or not.”

“Of course… I’m willing.”

(End of Chapter)