Chapter 495

There are many folk legends about the Red Joy God.

Some say he is the Old Man of the Moon, some say he is one of the Harmony Two Immortals… No matter what, one thing is undeniable: the Red Joy God is the netherworld official who oversees marriage.

In the mortal world, marriage means registering at the civil affairs bureau and getting a red book; in the netherworld, marriage means filing a Yin marriage spirit register, recorded in the ledger.

Netherworld marriage is far more serious than in the mortal world; once a couple marries and registers on the Yin marriage spirit register, to divorce they must roll on a nail‑bed, pass through a sea of fire, and endure being torn apart by a hundred ghosts.

It is said that very few can endure it.

The Red Joy God personally coming to fetch the bride shows that my marriage to Feng Xianqiu is real and cannot be escaped.

But why?

Back on Cangwu Mountain, the Great Witch's letter to me said I could refuse to acknowledge this marriage.

If Feng Xianqiu can summon the Red Joy God to act as matchmaker, what has he been doing all those previous times?

Or perhaps this marriage only takes effect now?

And what has caused it to take effect?

Thinking back to the series of changes that just happened to me, I suddenly realized that Feng Xianqiu has been waiting for me here!

As I always say, unsolicited kindness is either treachery or theft!

Feng Xianqiu sending me gifts definitely has no good intention.

"And this." Hui Moqiong pulled a sheet of paper from his sleeve and handed it to me.

I reached out, took it, unfolded it, and found it was a rubbing.

The rubbing is of a Yin marriage spirit register.

From its content, the male party on this Yin marriage spirit register is indeed Feng Xianqiu, while the female party… is the Feng Clan's Lord!

Look at the signature.

The two names in the signature are Feng Xianqiu and Feng Xingzhou.

Both are stamped with seals.

Seeing this rubbing, I understood.

Back then, the person named Feng Xingzhou, together with Feng Xianqiu, arranged this marriage.

Feng Xianqiu's future bride must be the Feng Clan's Lord!

If Feng Lishu had become the Feng Lord, Feng Xianqiu would have married her.

If my twin sister had become the Feng Lord, he would have married my sister.

And now, the one who has truly become the Feng Lord is me.

I instinctively raised my hand and lightly pressed my fingers against the new golden phoenix mark on the side of my neck… It turns out the power emanating from the black‑gold stone is the mark of the Feng Lord.

Such a fine thing, Feng Xianqiu only now brings it out to test me and confirm my identity—did he never think of doing this before, or has he only just gotten hold of the box holding the black‑gold stone?

Who used to guard this box?

I suppose it was probably his father.

That also explains many things.

Feng Xianqiu's father is the Right Guardian of the Feng Clan, and in the clan members' hearts he has long been dead.

If Feng Xianqiu wanted to obtain this Yin marriage spirit register, it should be as easy as turning over his hand.

Yet he only just got hold of it now… because Ji Luan has become a discarded child and can no longer intimidate him!

Li Qingying anxiously said, "Xiao Jiu, what should we do?"

Just then, a sound like firecrackers came from Xijiekou.

That is urging the bride.

From this moment on, that sound will ring at intervals, each interval growing shorter; when patience runs out, the Red Joy God will personally come to urge the bride, and then it will be too late.

This time I truly cannot escape.

I reached out to take the large red wedding dress, but Li Qingying grabbed my hand and shook his head at me: "Xiao Jiu, I can accept you going alone to Nirvana; I believe Nirvana's fire can wash away all sins, but I cannot stand by and watch you marry someone else! Apart from the Seventh Lord, no one may!"

Hui Moqiong also sorrowfully said, "Xiao Jiu, I feel this is a scam, one fire pit after another; if you jump into the first, there will be countless more. Let's think of a way to refuse this marriage."

"The Red Joy God has come in person, so we can't refuse." I gave a slight laugh, my tone instantly turning cold, "But marital status isn't limited to unmarried, married, or divorced; there is also a state called… widowed!"

Yes, that is widowed!

If Feng Xianqiu dies, this Yin marriage spirit register's marriage will also come to an end.

As long as he dies!

Soon I had changed into the large red wedding dress and strode out.

I had already prepared to return to the Feng Clan at any moment; doing so in this manner is also fine.

At the pawnshop I have completely handed over authority, leaving no regrets.

Everyone is reluctant to let me go, but they can do nothing.

They saw me off step by step as I left the pawnshop's gate, and I immediately saw the Red Joy God standing before the bridal sedan at Xijiekou.

His appearance is more handsome than I imagined, yet he never smiles, looking extremely stern.

The moment I looked at him, all sounds from the wedding procession vanished.

They lifted the sedan and teleported in jerky jumps, drawing ever closer to the pawnshop.

I, however, was not in a hurry; I calmly took a bamboo pole and pulled down the Soul‑guiding Lamp from the west side of the corridor—I must take it with me.

The great red sedan finally stopped at the steps of the pawnshop's gate; the Red Joy God stood to one side, and attendants stepped forward to help me into the carriage.

The moment the sedan curtains were lowered, I heard Li Qingying's restrained sobs.

No one had imagined things would end up like this.

But they also know I will eventually return to the Feng Clan; stopping me would be futile.

If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you get the tiger's cub?

The large red bridal sedan was lifted up; I sat inside the sedan, one hand tightly gripping the Soul-guiding Lamp, the other hand resting on my belly, which had grown a size larger.

Little Guy, this is a tough battle; let's work hard to win it together, then go find your dad!

The bridal sedan swayed gently; I don't know how long we've traveled, but I only felt the temperature around me drop sharply, and even the light of the Soul-guiding Lamp changed color.

We must have entered the Nether Realm.

I lifted the curtain a little; the scene before me oddly felt familiar—is this… the road in front of Wǎngsǐ Chéng?

I tilted my head slightly toward Wǎngsǐ Chéng and indeed saw the willow-branch bracelet hanging from the tip of a willow tree.

Yīnfēng gusted, the willow-branch bracelet swayed in the wind, making me inexplicably feel desolate.

Āyàn, are you really inside Wǎngsǐ Chéng?

I will find you.

I will surely!

Not long after, the bridal sedan moved forward again, its speed suddenly dropping greatly, and a faint floral fragrance came on the air.

Immediately afterward I heard what sounded like a negotiation outside; I pricked up my ears to listen closely, but I couldn't make it out clearly.

A breeze lifted a corner of the sedan's curtain; through that gap I saw a vast expanse of blooming spider lilies by the roadside, and my heart jolted—could it be that we've already reached the border between the Feng Clan and the Nether Realm?

Before, Feng Xianqiu had summoned me from dreams several times; I never expected that this time he would actually have me carried over here!

And the black mandrake grows right at this border.

Just as I was thinking about these things, the sedan's curtain was suddenly flung open by a large hand with distinct knuckles, and Feng Xianqiu's proud, spring-breeze face appeared before my eyes.

He smiled broadly and said, "Xiao Jiu, I have finally married you…"