Chapter 687: Wedding, Heart, Moonblade (First of Three)

Daguan Garden · lakeside pavilion.

Daoist You’s withered fingers stroked his snow-white beard as he squinted at the blood mist churning in the lake’s center.

The mist was so thick it could not be dissolved, wrapping the entire boat like a crimson cocoon.

“Young Master Yang, observe,” he rasped, a note of pride in his voice, “this yin-sha—no ordinary person, not even a martial cultivator who has forged true yuan, can survive more than a few breaths before bones dissolve and flesh rots…”

Zhao Yang clapped his hands. “Excellent, excellent! Daoist You, remarkable skill.”

After a while!

Daoist You suddenly rose to his feet, eyes wide as he stared into the lake. “Something’s wrong—those people on that boat are tough nuts.”

Zhao Yang’s eyes flickered with malice: “Daoist You, I only want Xie Guan dead.”

Daoist You’s gaze turned cold; he glanced at Zhao Yang, then suppressed his killing intent.

Had it not been for the Zhao family’s influence… this playboy would already be material for his corpse puppets.

He found it strange: why did a scion of the Nine Surnames carry corpse qi so potent even he feared it, nearly soaked into the marrow?

Truly a peculiar matter?

The Zhao family does not breed corpses.

“Rest assured, this matter is vital to the White Bone Monastery—I’ve already hidden one of our ancestral grandmothers beneath the water, just in case.”

He shook his silver bell to urge it on.

He wasn’t worried about accidents—this ancestral grandmother of the White Bone Monastery was a yaksha; even against a Martial Realm Nine Stage Xuan Dan, she could escape unscathed.

What truly troubled him was the commotion drawing the Xie family’s displeasure—after all, today was a day of great joy.

At this very moment—

The blood mist in the lake suddenly exploded into golden light! The radiance pierced through clouds like a blazing sun, turning the entire sky’s drizzle into gilded gold.

It vanished in an instant!

The bronze bell in Daoist You’s hand cracked with a sharp “crack,” and he clutched his chest, spewing a great gout of black blood.

“No… impossible!”

The old Daoist staggered to the railing, his bony claws scraping deep grooves into the red wood.

He trembled violently, his aura collapsing rapidly.

Daoist You’s face was filled with panic, utterly disregarding his wounds.

The life tablet shattered.

The life tablet bound to his blood and spirit with his ancestral grandmother’s corpse puppet… shattered!

Then, he began to wail like a child.

“All is lost, all is lost.”

“Three hundred years of effort… the ancestral grandmother is gone, the jade corpse is gone!”

Seeing this, Zhao Yang felt dread, and immediately turned his gaze to the lake.

He saw!

A youth of ethereal bearing, holding an umbrella, stepped onto the shore.

“It’s that Xie Guan again!”

Zhao Yang gritted his teeth but never linked the destruction of the corpse puppet to this bastard son: “It must be those people on the boat ruining my plans!”

Daoist You was nearly mad, his eyes glazed like dead fish—his entire cultivation as a White Bone Monastery disciple resided in these corpse puppets.

Both puppets destroyed, a True Spirit cultivator who had ignited divine fire might now be weaker than a mid-tier martial cultivator.

His gaze vacant, he collapsed beside the railing, soulless as a man bereft of spirit.

Zhao Yang, seeing this, let out a cold snort and left the pavilion.

～

【You stepped onto the lakeshore and suddenly felt a venomous gaze pierce you.】

【You turned to see Zhao Yang, teeth clenched, glaring at you from the lakeside pavilion—his powdered donkey face twisted with rage, like a hyena with its tail stepped on.】

【Behind him, a gaunt old Daoist sat slumped on the ground, his yin energy in chaos—the very aura tied to the corpse puppet confirmed everything.】

【No need to think further—today’s assassination plot was clearly meant for you.】

【It began because of you!】

【Zhao Yang had tried thrice to kill you; a cold glint flashed in your eyes.】

【The sky broke through clouds, the drizzle ceased; you closed your bamboo umbrella.】

【You had just stepped into Hongjing Courtyard when Xie Yuan hurried forward.】

Xie Yuan rushed up. "Brother, you've finally come."

【“I thought something had happened to you.”】

【You smiled and greeted the crowd. “Didn’t miss Ying’s auspicious hour, did I?”】

【Xie Yuan said, “Any moment now—we’re about to enter.”】

【You nodded with a smile to the gathering.】

【Xue Huai’an’s group was struggling ashore. Luo Su’s purple robe was stained with blood; Mei Qingsu’s face was deathly pale—none bore their usual grace.】

【“Huai’an!” Xue Hong strode forward, frowning as he gripped his younger brother’s shoulder. “Huai’an, what happened? How did you end up like this?”】

【“Who dared?!”】

【Xue Huai’an swallowed hard, his glance catching you laughing easily with Xie Yuan—he let out a quiet sigh: “...We’ll talk when we return.”】

【Xue Hong nodded solemnly.】

【A grand wedding ceremony was held within Hongjing Courtyard,】

【Red candles blazed high, brocade filled the gates.】

【Lanterns and decorations adorned the main hall; a golden-threaded “ Xi ” hung high above.】

【Guests surged like a tide, silks and perfumes mingling, congratulations rising in waves.】

【Many nobles of the Nine Surnames arrived; Grandmatriarch Xie sat in the main seat, revealing a rare smile.】

【The master of ceremonies cried out the rites; drums and music thundered, flutes and strings echoed endlessly. Cups and goblets clinked; exquisite dishes flowed like water; guests exchanged toasts, laughter ringing loud.】

【You stood quietly outside the corridor pillars, away from the banquet tables arranged by rank, beyond the crowd.】

【Xie Yuan returned to his mother’s side; Zhang Yunzhi’s father stood beside Li Shujun, who stood beside her elder brother.】

【The Xie family would never seat a bastard son like you—so you were left in peace.】

【Yet even as you stood alone,】

【Countless gazes clung to you like spider silk—Madam Zhao’s unhidden venom, Madam Yuan’s disdain, the resentment of the second courtyard’s youths, the schadenfreude of the first courtyard’s heirs… and countless other families’ probing stares, assessing you like a rare commodity.】

【You paid them no mind, only gazing at the center of the wedding hall.】

【When Sima Ting lifted the red veil with the bridal scale, Xie Ying’s bashful eyes shimmered with happiness.】

【The hall lit up with lanterns; cheers erupted: “The couple is now wed.”】

【A silent smile touched your lips.】

【If Mother were still alive, she would surely weep—she was but a maid in the Xie household, her greatest wish to be formally wed, even with a meager dowry, she would have been joyful.】

【Before her death, when she was gravely ill, she took out the hidden red veil from the cabinet at night.】

【Fourth sister told you: Mother could have aborted the child—Grandmatriarch would have given her a generous sum to settle elsewhere.】

【Madam Yuan constantly warned her; the household’s gaze was cold as ice.】

【You never knew what that frail woman thought through that night—but she stubbornly carried the child to term.】

【At the banquet, voices roared, guests surged forward to offer congratulations. Xie Yuan and other favored sons received red envelopes, beaming with joy.】

【Grandmatriarch wore a radiant smile, benevolent and kind.】

【Xie Ying’s gaze swept through the clinking cups and goblets, searching—finally settling on the solitary figure in the corner. Her fingers unconsciously twisted the bridal veil, until a warm hand gently clasped hers—】

【“Ying’er,” Sima Ting whispered softly, “you are my wife now. No need to hesitate. Go.”】

【Xie Ying’s eyes glistened.】

"Brother—"

【That clear call fell like a stone into water—the entire hall’s laughter froze. Grandmatriarch’s face darkened; Madam Zhao’s gaze turned glacial.】

【You stepped forward slowly; Xie Ying smiled brightly and slipped a red envelope into your hand.】

"Brother, this is for you—a token of good fortune."

【“Fourth sister knows your talent. I wait for the day you become renowned under heaven.”】

【You took it slowly and smiled. “Thank you, Fourth Sister.”】

【Sima Ting watched, his expression complex.】

【As the banquet reached its peak, you slipped away quietly, leaving Hongjing Courtyard.】

【The sky began to drizzle again; you opened your bamboo umbrella.】

【A slender figure behind you hurried after you, lifting her skirts.】

【Zhang Yunzhi came up behind you and whispered low, “Young Master Guan, please wait.”】

【You were slightly puzzled.】

【The two of you stood still in silence.】

【A while later!】

【The light rain by the lake pattered softly, each drop rippling the water in endless concentric circles.】

【Only Zhang Yunzhi remained, lost in thought, dazed.】

【You held your umbrella and walked away again; a small boat rested quietly at the shore—you stepped onto its prow.】

The old boatman gently rowed his oar, the creaking sound stirring the misty rain on the lake, carving a path through turbulent waves.

You suddenly felt something, and turned your head toward the distant pavilion.

A thin, tall Daoist had a fierce gaze, shaking a silver bell that emitted a piercing, shrill ring.

A cold wind swept over, carrying the stench of decay; dark shadows glided beneath the lake, hiding a corpse puppet of far lower cultivation.

The Daoist You of the White Bone Monastery knew the disaster of today had been caused by you.

You Daoist’s withered fingers nearly crushed the silver bell; his eyes burned with venom like boiling oil—those two corpse puppets, forged over a century of painstaking effort, were destroyed at once, all because of this seemingly frail youth before him!

The few men just now were from the Xue family of the Nine Surnames—unapproachable.

But you, a bastard son, if you die, he can still obtain that item—it’s better than nothing.

“Little brat…” Black blood seeped from his teeth; the bell’s chime turned suddenly mournful, “Today, I’ll sacrifice you to my White Bone Monastery’s sacred corpse.”

The boatman felt only a sudden chill wind.

You lifted your eyes beneath your umbrella and shook your head—you were in low spirits.

Within the dantian, the long-silent Sword of Ghost-Slaying suddenly rang clear, glowing with a cold, moonlike radiance—this sword was specially potent against yin evils; when drawn, it left no color or form, visible only to those who could perceive the unseen.

You pressed two fingers together like a blade and lightly slashed forward—

A phantom great sword split forth from the lake.

Others could not see it, but in You Daoist’s suddenly constricted pupils, a sword of brilliant, moonlike light slowly cleaved from the shimmering lake surface; before the blade even reached him, his flesh began peeling away inch by inch, his primordial spirit nearly splitting apart—he had no means to resist!

Like the radiance of sun and moon!

The corpse puppet beneath the lake never even surfaced before it burned to ash in the water.

The last flicker of You Daoist’s spiritual awareness shattered: “Zhao Yang, fuck your mother!”

“What kind of person did you even provoke…”

Then his body collapsed heavily to the ground, all life extinguished.

The boat slowly drifted to shore; you walked away beneath your umbrella.

(End of Chapter)