Chapter 163: The Dagger Revealed at the End of the Map

Fan Xian stood stiffly in front of the Chancellor’s mansion for a long time.

During this time, the group members hid in the mirror space, winking and making faces at him.

Fan Xian was both annoyed and amused, but dared not show it, pretending not to see them at all.

Then again, thanks to the group members, Fan Xian’s attention had been diverted enough to endure this vulgar ceremony and finally see the woman he had longed for.

After a burst of ceremonial music, the Chancellor’s gate slowly opened again.

Two matchmakers led the bride, Lin Waner, out.

Today, Lin Waner wore a brilliant red gown, its sleeves and hem layered like evening clouds, elegant and auspicious; as she walked, her jade pendants chimed softly, the jade belt at her waist hung gracefully, accentuating her slender, willowy figure—graceful, delicate, and ethereal.

Seeing this scene, the group members stopped their antics and watched the two with smiling faces.

The onlookers among the capital’s citizens, however, brightened instantly and began shouting.

Some young men even shouted loudly, demanding the bride lift her red veil so everyone could see her.

If it were just playful teasing, it wouldn’t matter—on such a joyous day, no one would care—but some reckless fools had no filter, and their words made Lin Yu frown slightly, casting them a cool glance.

In an instant, invisible power surged into their bodies, sealing off several acupoints, rendering them utterly mute.

Of course, mere insolent words didn’t warrant making them permanently speechless for life.

Lin Yu’s punishment was measured—he silenced them for only three days, a minor lesson.

Fan Xian noticed the sudden silence of those voices and shot Lin Yu a grateful look.

Lin Yu smiled and gestured for him to step forward and welcome the bride.

But unfortunately, the Kingdom of Qing had its own rigid protocol for welcoming the bride.

Only after this ritual concluded did Lin Waner, dressed in red, finally step lightly onto the bridal sedan.

Throughout the entire process, Fan Xian had not spoken a single word to her, exchanged a single glance, or even touched her skin—leaving the watching group members loudly disappointed.

…

Back at the Fan mansion, guests had arrived, music and drums rang out, and the scene was lively.

The bride was first escorted to the bridal chamber to wait, while the groom, Fan Xian, stood in the main hall, smiling and chatting with the guests.

This was the proper procedure for a noble wedding; Lin Yu did not intrude, instead taking his seat among the honored guests with the group members, ignoring the high officials and royal nobles around them, sipping wine and laughing freely.

Under the effect of the same banishing spell used at the New York Sanctum, the surrounding guests were completely unaware of their presence.

Yet whenever they passed by, the guests would instinctively avoid them, never finding the behavior strange in the least.

Seeing this, Fan Ruoruo—who had been deliberately excluded from Lin Yu’s influence zone—felt a chill of awe.

After a moment’s thought, she rose decisively and took a seat at Lin Yu’s table.

Sure enough, the moment she sat down, the Prince of Jing, who had been sneaking glances at her, suddenly looked bewildered—as if he could no longer see her—and began scanning the bustling Fan mansion in confusion.

Fan Ruoruo exclaimed: “How is this possible?”

Lin Yu replied casually: “Just a minor spell, nothing remarkable.”

“I see…”

Fan Ruoruo nodded unconsciously, then suddenly realized what he’d said, staring at him in shock:

“What?!”

“A spell?!”

Though she had long suspected the true nature of Lin Yu and his group, this was the first time she had heard it confirmed outright from their own lips.

Lin Yu smiled without answering directly, instead glancing at the Prince of Jing nearby: “Don’t like him?”

Fan Ruoruo calmed down, looked at the group members around her—each with different expressions, yet all smiling warmly—and said softly: “The Prince of Jing is a paragon of the capital. I am merely shallow and unworthy of him.”

Xiang Yunye nodded: “Understood. You don’t like him.”

Su Haoming grinned: “Sis Ruoruo, don’t be shy. With Brother Lin here, they can’t hear you. If you don’t like him, just say so—you’re Old Fan’s own sister. We’ll stand up for you!”

“...”

Hearing this, Fan Ruoruo’s heart stirred.

After a brief pause, she spoke in a low voice: “But I heard the Emperor intends to arrange my marriage... I...”

“So what?” Su Haoming said carelessly. “Just say the word, sister, and I’ll march straight to the palace and have a proper talk with the Emperor of Qing!”

Fan Ruoruo gasped in alarm: “That’s out of the question!”

She had only wanted to ask her brother’s mysterious friends if they had any way to avoid the Emperor’s decree—she had never dreamed of urging them to storm the palace and confront the Emperor directly!

Lin Yu exchanged glances with the group members and said: “Enough, Xiao Su, stop teasing her.”

“Sis Ruoruo, don’t worry. On this matter, Fan Xian already has a plan. Just refuse politely—the rest is up to your brother.”

Fan Ruoruo paused, then nodded slowly, half-understanding.

After that, Fan Ruoruo hid among the group members’ table, avoiding eyes and crowds, enjoying a rare moment of peace.

Fan Xian, after drinking with the guests for a while, came over and plopped down beside his sister.

Su Haoming, Xiang Yunye, and the others raised their cups with grins, reminding him that the groom couldn’t escape like the bride’s sister.

Fan Xian didn’t mind drinking—he only minded who he was drinking with.

Facing the group members’ toasts, he accepted every cup without refusal; after all, with his cultivation, he could easily metabolize all the alcohol with a single Qi circulation.

After going around the table, Fan Xian frowned, glancing disdainfully at his cup:

“What kind of swill is this? How dare it be served to Brother Lin?”

“...”

Lin Yu blinked, then said irritably: “If you want something, just say it—don’t beat around the bush.”

“You really understand me, Brother!” Fan Xian gave a thumbs-up, eyes bright with anticipation. “Do you still have the Cherry Wine from Moonlight Window? Preferably the one brewed with Ice-Stick Cherry—I want to take a bottle to use for our wedding toast!”

“You’re picky...”

“Heh, I tried it two days ago—it’s really good.”

As if you actually care about the taste!

Lin Yu mentally grumbled, then flipped his right hand—and four glass bottles, each the size of an oil drum, appeared out of thin air on the table.

The moment the stoppers were removed, a cool, fragrant aroma spread through the air.

Fan Xian’s eyes lit up; he instantly summoned a portion of the pale blue wine with his Qi, pouring it into a small vial he pulled out, then carefully stored it in his storage pouch.

“Brother, you too—”

Fan Ruoruo stared wide-eyed at her brother.

Fan Xian glanced at her, ruffled her hair gently, and said:

“You’ll find out sooner or later. Today’s a perfect day.”

He poured her a cup and smiled: “Try it. This is something you won’t find in Qing. Drink it, and your skin will turn fair, smooth, soft, and luminous as jade.”

Oh?

Fan Ruoruo’s eyes brightened; she forgot her earlier question and hastily lifted her cup.

“Little sister toasts all you brothers!”

“Hah!”

The group members burst into laughter, raising their cups in return.

Beside them, Lin Lie tugged Fan Xian’s sleeve, winking: “When are you two going to bow to Heaven and Earth?”

Fan Xian’s smile froze. “Not yet. They say it won’t be until the afternoon.”

It was barely past noon—so at least two or three more hours to go!

He Jing and Lin Lie exchanged glances, both wearing expressions of pity.

…

…

After three rounds of wine, the group members had finally relaxed, basking in Fan Xian’s wedding luck.

During the feast, Fan Ruoruo, having drunk too much Ice-Stick Cherry wine, collapsed drunkenly onto the table, nearly missing the most important ceremony—the bowing to Heaven and Earth.

Fortunately, Lin Yu intervened, dispelling her intoxication, allowing her to witness her brother’s wedding firsthand.

Finally, the time came for the bowing ceremony. Fan Xian and Lin Waner each held one end of the red silk ribbon, gazing tenderly through the red veil.

This overly sentimental scene made the group members’ hairs stand on end; they erupted into furious complaints in the group chat.

But Fan Ruoruo was deeply moved, her eyes reddening, tears welling up...

Since many officials and nobles were present to observe, the group members restrained themselves—only complaining in the group chat—and watched silently as Fan Xian and Lin Waner bowed to Heaven and Earth, then to their parents.

When the ceremony ended, gifts poured in.

Among them were presents from the imperial consorts, a vast quantity of treasures bestowed by the Emperor of Qing, and his own brushstroke inscribing the four characters: “A Hundred Years of Harmony.”

Such honors struck like a bombshell, making the eyes of the Six Ministries officials grow heavy with gravity.

Yet Fan Xian himself showed no reaction to any of these gifts.

Even the Emperor’s personal calligraphy stirred not a flicker of emotion in him.

Finally, amid joyful music and celebration, the alliance between the Fan and Lin families was sealed.

The newlyweds were escorted to the bridal chamber under the smiling gaze of Chancellor Fan Jian, and the guests began to depart.

Fan Xian dismissed his father and concubine, drove away the maids and servants, then yanked his younger brother Fan Sizhe out from under the bed before closing the bridal chamber door and stepping before the bride.

Sensing the shadow before her, Lin Waner clenched her hands resting on her knees.

Beneath the red veil, her lips bit gently, her eyelashes trembled—nervous yet hopeful for what was to come.

But strangely, Fan Xian stood before her without moving, silent for a long time—until she was about to lift the veil herself—before finally reaching out to pull it aside.

With the rustle of silk, Lin Waner held her breath, opened her eyes hesitantly—and saw Fan Xian... and behind him, six strange young men with peculiar expressions.

“Ah—”

Before the scream could escape, Fan Xian clamped his hand over her red lips and chuckled bitterly:

“Shh, Waner, don’t get worked up—do you remember the Brother Lin I mentioned to you?”

“…”

Lin Waner froze slightly, then her face flushed crimson as she whispered, “Them?”

“Exactly!”

Fan Xian embraced his new bride and smiled warmly, “Trust me, this is the real gift-giving moment—the formal ceremonies outside can be skipped, but my six friends’ gifts? Those are absolutely essential!”

(End of Chapter)