Chapter 368: The Grand Wedding

"Say that again?"

Duan Ling looked at Ye Lin in disbelief.

"It's just that... I am going to attend a wedding, as the groom."

Ye Lin gave a sheepish smile, looking somewhat awkward.

"You're joking, right?"

A strained smile tugged at the corners of Duan Ling's mouth. Her beautiful eyes stared fixedly at Ye Lin, as if she were hoping to get a negative answer from him.

"Er..." Ye Lin felt a bit guilty at this moment and muttered softly, "It's true..."

"Are you being forced into this? You don't love her, right? You're just being coerced, right?" Duan Ling pressed.

Ye Lin did not know how to explain it to Duan Ling, but he did not want to lie to her either, so he could only remain silent.

"Why..."

Ye Lin's silence caused Duan Ling's emotions to completely collapse. She slowly took a few steps back, her eyes turning slightly red.

"Why are you doing this to me... Did I do something wrong?"

She slowly squatted on the ground, hugged her knees, and buried her head into them.

Her small frame trembled slightly until she could no longer hold back and burst into tears.

"Why on earth, what do you take me for?"

"I'm sorry..."

Ye Lin lowered his body to comfort Duan Ling, but she suddenly dodged to the side like a startled rabbit.

"Don't touch me!"

Knowing he was in the wrong, Ye Lin could only stand silently to the side. After crying for who knows how long, Duan Ling's sobbing finally subsided a little, her eyes already swollen like peaches.

She took out the divine artifact, the Netherworld Yellow Springs, and shoved it into Ye Lin's hand.

The moment the Netherworld Yellow Springs left her body, the terrifying poison on Duan Ling appeared once again, even more fearsome than before. Beneath her fair skin, it was as if countless black venomous snakes were slithering about.

The surrounding air, tainted by this violent poison, condensed into black frost.

"Your thing, returned to you. I don't owe you anything anymore."

As soon as she finished speaking, Duan Ling turned and left without the slightest hesitation.

Ye Lin opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but he did not know how to begin.

Should he tell Duan Ling to be his concubine? That would be far too scummy. He had indeed gone too far in this matter, so Ye Lin could only remain silent. Perhaps Duan Ling choosing to leave him was the right choice.

Ye Lin chased after her and hung the Netherworld Yellow Springs back around Duan Ling's neck.

"You never owed me anything. It's better for this thing to stay with you."

By now, Duan Ling was covered in tears. She had expected Ye Lin to ask her to stay, but she had not expected that Ye Lin only wanted to give her the Netherworld Yellow Springs, with no intention of stopping her from leaving.

He was not even willing to make up a lie to deceive her.

Recalling the process of how she and Ye Lin met... it was true, she had always been the one clinging to him. Perhaps in his eyes, she was just an annoying pest who bothered him every day.

"If she asks about me, don't tell her what we went through. Let's just pretend we never met. This is my final request," Duan Ling said softly.

"Mm."

Ye Lin nodded woodenly, watching helplessly as Duan Ling walked further and further away, finally disappearing into the darkness.

Ye Lin felt... as if he had vaguely lost something very important, and his heart ached terribly.

Yet, all of this was his own doing; he could blame no one else.

If he truly had no feelings for Xie Xiaoxiao, he could have brushed it off as a delaying tactic to deal with Xie Hong, but the truth was that his feelings for Xie Xiaoxiao were not exactly simple.

He truly did not want to lie to Duan Ling. He was already a beast for letting her down in silence; to make up lies to deceive her—even Ye Lin, this beast, felt that would be going too far.

Three days passed in a flash.

During this time, Ye Lin finally witnessed a portion of the Xie family's true strength!

Under Xie Hong's introduction, he met an old man who was aged beyond recognition. His hair and teeth were nearly all gone, decrepit and withered, his skin wrinkled, yet he gave Ye Lin an incomparable sense of oppression.

This was an existence capable of contending with the Demon Emperor!

"Sigh, the Third Ancestor has lived for nearly two hundred years. His lifespan is almost exhausted, and I fear he does not have long to live. At most, he can only strike one more time," Xie Hong sighed gloomily.

Ye Lin was shocked to his core. A Blazing Sun realm powerhouse was already terrifying enough; a Blazing Sun realm expert on the verge of death was even more frightening than the Human Emperor.

The Human Emperor would at most fight with all his might, but this person would be fighting for his life the moment he struck.

Ye Lin understood that this old fox Xie Hong was killing the chicken to scare the monkey, reminding him not to think he could act recklessly just because he had the Human Emperor's backing.

At the same time, it was telling him that being in the same boat as the Xie family would not be a loss; if nothing else, the Xie family's Third Ancestor would become his own backing.

In truth, Ye Lin wanted to ask Xie Hong if, since the Third Ancestor didn't have many days left, he could use Endless Devour to absorb him. Absorbing a Blazing Sun realm expert should make his strength skyrocket.

But considering he might be slapped to death if he said that out loud, Ye Lin wisely chose silence.

During these three days, the news that the Xie family, one of the Five Great Families, was marrying off a daughter had spread throughout Great Xia.

Today, the Xie family was gathered with top figures from the capital; many big shots even traveled from afar via teleportation arrays specifically to offer their congratulations to the Xie family.

"Great Xia Jiang family head Jiang Tiandao has arrived in person!"

"Great Xia Zhuge family head Zhuge Yi has arrived in person!"

"Great Xia Ji family head Ji Wubing has arrived in person!"

"The entire senior leadership of the Great Xia Academy has come to offer congratulations!"

"The head of the Shencheng Wu family has ordered us to present a gift to the Xie family and young friend Ye Lin, wishing to turn hostility into friendship!"

"The Western Suppressing King Ding Zhen has sent his mount, the Divine Rainbow Snow Leopard, to arrive with generous gifts!"

The threshold of the Xie family was nearly trampled to pieces. Big shots rarely seen on ordinary days appeared one after another, and even those who did not come in person sent people to deliver heavy gifts.

Even the Shencheng Wu family, who had some grievances with Ye Lin, was no exception, as they did not wish to be remembered by Ye Lin because of past grudges.

After all, in these past few days, they had already inquired about the detailed information of this Xie family son-in-law.

Forbidden Spellcaster, level 74.

The combination of these two conditions was enough to make countless people wary.

Looking at human history, there had never been any Forbidden Spellcaster who could raise their level so high.

The Xie family was even more satisfied with this son-in-law; a Forbidden Spellcaster was an existence that could sweep through all opponents of the same rank.

As long as they protected him until level 90, the Xie family would essentially have a trump card capable of bringing world peace. By then, as long as Ye Lin was still alive, who wouldn't be respectful and courteous when seeing members of the Xie family?

Moreover, the struggle of the families was about to begin. A level 74 Forbidden Spellcaster entering the Heaven Refining Secret Realm could bring incomparable help to the Xie family.

Just then, the voice of the Xie family disciple responsible for welcoming guests at the door began to tremble, and he shrieked.

"The Human Emperor has arrived!"

Everyone at the wedding scene was shocked!

This was the Great Xia Human Emperor! In the past, let alone marrying off a daughter, even if the heads of the Five Great Families were taking wives, the Human Emperor would not show his face, at most sending someone to deliver a gift.

Yet on this day, the Human Emperor had actually arrived in person!

The three family heads of the Jiang, Ji, and Zhuge families looked suspicious. Could this old guy Xie Hong have become a turncoat, secretly betraying the Five Great Families to defect to the Human Emperor's side?