Chapter 225

Disheveled hair, filthy face, clothes torn beyond repair, the hair stuck to his head seeming to have acquired a coating of grime—no matter how you looked, he resembled a wandering beggar.

Thus, before he could reach the troop, he was blocked outside by the Black Cloth Guard stationed at the roadside.

"Take him back to change clothes."

Niu Dingtian glanced lightly; his eyes fell on the fur blanket Yang Kang carried on his shoulder, he paused slightly, then withdrew his gaze and softly instructed Guo Jing beside him.

"Yes, Uncle-master!"

Guo Jing bowed, accepted the order, his face unable to hide his excitement, and hurriedly ran over there.

Since that day when the two got into a confused conflict, a month has passed, and he has lain in bed for a whole month.

Upon learning that his close brother had fled to Mongolia, Guo Jing felt both angry and self‑reproachful, wanting to go look for him, but he was ordered to stay on the mountain and not go anywhere.

Now that the brothers had unexpectedly reunited, joy upon joy filled his heart, naturally making him extremely happy.

But when he ran up to Yang Kang, ready to give him a big hug without hesitation, he suddenly stared blankly at the head poking out of the fur blanket and froze in place.

"Huazheng?"

Guo Jing's face showed disbelief.

"My wife!"

Yang Kang brushed off the grime from his hair and immediately proclaimed his claim.

He gently set Huazheng on the ground, unfurled the fur blanket, and the two resembled a pair of beggar husband and wife.

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, Yang Kang cursed loudly: "Damn Ouyang Feng! He chased me all the way; if it weren't for my cleverness, that old poisonous creature would have killed me already!"

"Take me to see Uncle Niu quickly; while the chance lasts, maybe we can catch that guy. I must get revenge!"

But Guo Jing ignored him, staring blankly at the Hua Zheng before him.

She's Brother Kang's wife?

She's Brother Kang's wife?

She's Brother Kang's wife?

……

Has the girl Hua Zheng become Brother Kang's wife?

At that moment, Guo Jing stared at Hua Zheng, whose eyes darted away and refused his gaze, and felt his head go hazy.

"I've only been on the mountain healing for a month; how come when I go down again the whole world has changed? Uncle Niu said he'd snatch her to make her his own wife, so why is she now Brother Kang's wife?" Yang Kang, seeing this, felt a pang in his heart, stepped directly between them, gave Guo Jing a sideways glance, and snorted coldly: "A brother's wife cannot be cheated; Guo, what are you trying to do?"

Guo Jing was startled by the words, snapped back to his senses, and, his face reddening, said, "Uncle Niu asked me to take you to change clothes; the wedding convoy will arrive soon."

Having said that, without waiting for Yang Kang's reply, he hurriedly led the way.

"My wife, the Mongol princess!"

Yang Kang patted the shoulder of the guard beside him, proudly bragged, then took Hua Zheng's dirty hand and hurried after Guo Jing.

The two looked like complete beggars; without a guide, they truly couldn't reach Nine‑Palace Mountain.

In the distance—

When the three silhouettes vanished, Niu Dingtian furrowed his brows slightly and slowly withdrew his gaze.

Hua Zheng paired with Yang Kang; this outcome felt strange no matter how one thought about it. Yet after two years of seclusion, some matters were beyond his control.

Back when he first met Guo Jing in the desert and joked about snatching Hua Zheng as his wife, he actually kept that thought in his mind.

Otherwise, the earlier plot to assassinate Tuo Lei wouldn't have left Hua Zheng uniquely unharmed.

But love is like that—careless, fleeting; for now it seems only Guo Jing the kid can be wronged.

Half an hour later

When, on the rolling river far away, large shadows of ships slowly emerged, Yang Kang had already changed into rather festive attire, holding the silent, down‑cast Hua Zheng, and cheerfully walked up to Niu Dingtian.

On the other side stood Guo Jing, clearly distracted.

"The Crown Prince was doing fine; why did he suddenly come back?"

Niu Dingtian's expression was steady and calm; his gaze followed the distant ship shadows on the river, and he asked Yang Kang softly.

Yang Kang felt that after two years apart, his own Uncle had changed noticeably, sensing a vague pressure; he immediately dropped his smile and spoke honestly:

"I killed Ouyang Ke; Ouyang Feng concluded I was the culprit. Fearing the old poison master would take my life, I slipped out in the night, but he still chased and drove me away."

As he spoke, Yang Kang seemed to recall something, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

He then pulled a book from his bosom and handed it to Niu Dingtian with both hands.

Niu Dingtian lifted his eyebrows slightly, his gaze returning from the river to rest on the book's cover.

"Six‑Yang Divine Skill?"

Yang Kang nodded, whispering, "It was seized from Ouyang Ke that night, hidden close to his waist; I doubt it's any good."

Seeing Niu Dingtian not reach out to take it, Yang Kang couldn't help but ask curiously, "Uncle, won't you look at it?"

"This technique was created specifically to counter pulse‑blocking attacks; for others, cultivating it is almost useless," Niu Dingtian shook his head and said.

During the Peach Garden battle that day, he had glimpsed the martial content from the dying old monk's consciousness, and it truly was a rare high‑level technique.

But the arrogant big characters on the first page were merely the old monk and his senior brother Xian Yaozi vying for superiority, plastering gold on their own faces.

Yang Kang, hearing this, felt greatly disappointed, closed the book, flipped through it a few more times, then tore it apart with both hands and, somewhat disdainfully, tossed it toward the roadside.

At that moment, the large ships on the river had already docked; the ceremonial guard on the shore sounded drums and horns, elegant music played, solemn and graceful.

As people and bridal palanquins from the ships disembarked and merged with the two processions coming from Xiangyang City, the entire Yangtze River dock turned a blaze of crimson.

"Uncle, congratulations! Jing'er wishes you and Seventh Master eternal happiness!"

Guo Jing stared blankly at the distant eight‑palanquin, bright red, then solemnly clasped his fists and congratulated Niu Dingtian. Niu Dingtian's face broke into a long‑absent smile, patted Guo Jing's shoulder, and laughed, "A true man has no worry of lacking a wife. In the future, when you meet someone you like, don't dither. You'll lead the horse for Uncle; next year you can marry eight!"

Guo Jing's face flushed instantly; he glanced covertly at Hua Zheng, then hurried to the side and led the high‑headed white horse with red silk reins to Niu Dingtian's side.

Thus, the two on one horse, stepping on the red carpet, walked amid the synchronized drums and music toward the eight orderly wedding procession units ahead.

"Father‑in‑law!"

"Auntie!"

"Yideng Dashi!"

Huang Yaoshi, strict in defense, Yideng, and also Bao Xiruo's auntie—these four, as elders on the bride's side, Niu Dingtian stepped forward one by one to perform the junior's salute.

Afterward, he nodded to each person seeing off the bride at every bridal sedan.

"Rong'er is entrusted to you; I hope you will wholeheartedly protect her from now on," Huang Yaoshi whispered.

"Please rest assured, Father-in-law!" Niu Dingtian said with clasped hands and a solemn expression, "Also please put your mind at ease, Auntie and Yideng Dashi!"

Now it was already late; the party had to ascend Jiugong Mountain at dusk, so Niu Dingtian did not linger in pleasantries, lightly nodded to the master of ceremonies, and directly swung onto his horse.

At this moment he wore black high boots, a red ceremonial robe, a crown on his head, and a jade belt around his waist; after mounting, an aura of wealth and honor naturally emanated.

"An auspicious hour, the newlyweds set forth! Dragon and phoenix bring blessings, a hundred years of harmony! Lift the sedan——"

With a resonant sound echoing across the dock, Niu Dingtian led on horseback, guiding the mighty procession toward Jiugong Mountain.

Along the way the troupe scattered flower petals, handing out happiness candies and fruits to everyone they met, and the onlookers all offered blessings.

At dusk, the summit of Jiugong Mountain.

"Bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second bow to the parents!"

In the Yihua Palace, the spacious, festive hall was packed with people; after the second bow, Niu Dingtian gazed at the eight brides before him, dressed in wedding attire but whose identities were hard to discern, and an inexplicable joy welled up in his heart.

But what should we do tonight?

Besides feeling delighted, Niu Dingtian also thought of a rather thorny problem.

He wanted to tenderly caress each bride's skin on the wedding night, but evidently neither time nor his body could cope.

I have to go to my sister-in-law's room, to Rong'er's room, and to any who haven't tasted it—already that makes five……

"Spouses bow to each other!"

"Send them to the bridal chamber!"

Amid the master of ceremonies' calls, Niu Dingtian's train of thought was interrupted, and he completed the final bow with the eight brides opposite him.

Then came toasting and thanks.

However, the wonderful time must not be wasted at the wine table; after accompanying the guests for a couple of drinks, Niu Dingtian made an excuse to leave and went straight to the courtyard where the bridal chambers were.

Seeing Niu Qian'er holding a lantern and guarding the courtyard gate, Niu Dingtian felt a stir and waved at her.

"Sect Leader!"

Niu Qian'er stepped forward, bowed with her hands folded; though she usually wore men's attire, tonight she rarely donned a plain white women's outfit.

Niu Dingtian leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words; after speaking, he waved his hand and said softly, "Hurry in and get it done—I'll wait here."

"This…" Niu Qian'er's jade-like face flushed slightly, showing a hint of hesitation.

However, after only a brief hesitation, she nodded slightly to Niu Dingtian and turned to walk into the courtyard.

Half an incense stick later, Niu Qian'er exited the courtyard gate, gave Niu Dingtian a slight nod, and whispered, "It's the easternmost room."

"Outside are the people sent by the Lin'an Imperial Palace; Grandma says they are experienced, Sect Leader—if you have any needs, just call them."

Niu Dingtian nodded and said, "You should also go rest early; no need to keep watch here."

Having said that, he hurried into the courtyard.

Walking east along the courtyard's eaves, when he reached the easternmost room, he glanced at the two dignified beauties standing guard at the door, without pausing he gently pushed open the door and stepped into the side chamber.

Under the glow of vermilion candles, sandalwood incense could be seen curling and filling the air.

On the east and west sides, the beds draped with red linens held eight brides seated upright, each wearing fiery red phoenix‑pattern wedding robes and veiled with red headcovers.

Only on the north side of the room, in the warm alcove, lay a somewhat larger bed bearing a dragon‑and‑phoenix quilt, mandarin‑duck embroidered pillows, and red dates, peanuts, longan, and lotus seeds, symbolizing "early birth of a noble son."

Feeling that several of the women seemed especially nervous, Niu Dingtian paced slowly around the room and lightly laughed, "Husband, I truly do not want to neglect any of you on our wedding night, so I had Qian'er summon all of you together just now."

"Although marital intimacy is inevitable, if we truly all shared one big bed, first the bed isn't large enough, and second, young ladies are modest, so we must also save some face for the brides."

Having said that, one could clearly hear someone in the room let out a heavy sigh.

Niu Dingtian pondered briefly, then said, "But after all, it's our wedding night; I can't let a few of you postpone the bridal chamber for days, or after only a brief moment of intimacy abandon you to seek the next."

"So, husband has devised a game; since we'll all be one family anyway, we might as well not stand on ceremony—tonight we'll simply crowd onto these three beds."

"As for sharing a room, we'll go by the dice roll, one by one, the higher roll goes first. The brides all wear veils, so no one knows who will share a room with whom—it's as if nobody saw."

"How about that?"

Having said that, Niu Dingtian paused his steps, glanced at the beds on the east and west sides, seeking their opinions.

However, he heard thumping heartbeats, heard teeth grinding, and yet heard no objection from any of the eight.

"Not speaking? Not speaking means you all tacitly agree, husband!" Niu Dingtian said, raising his eyebrows.

Seeing that several women still remained silent, Niu Dingtian felt a surge of joy, quickly shed his ceremonial robe, and called out loudly toward the door:

"You two outside! Bring in some food, drink, and bedding, and also a pair of dice!" (End of chapter)