Chapter 4, Page 4

Sikong Zhaixing agreed with "alacrity."

However, if he were to speak the truth, Guan Qi had no fewer than ten thousand flaws. First and foremost, he was not exactly a young man. Regardless of whether those ten-plus years of madness were real or not, he was of the same generation as Lei Suntang, the head of the Six-and-a-Half Hall. And Miss Shi? She was likely several years younger than Lei Chun, the only daughter of Lei Sun. An old husband and young wife—this was by no means a good match. Unless, of course, Guan Qi were to die on the very day of the wedding.

Beyond his age, a greater problem lay in his identity. If one were to look back twenty years, his status as the leader of the Mitian League and one of the world's supreme martial artists would have been enough to keep him firmly at the pinnacle of the martial arts world. But the current Mitian League, though it had managed to escape from the encirclement and suppression of various forces, was no longer what it once was. As for whether Guan Qi, crowned with the title of the Seventh Saint Master, could still command the heroes within the league, in Sikong Zhaixing's view, it was entirely an unknown variable.

Sikong Zhaixing possessed peerless lightness skills. Because of Shi Qingruo, he had traveled in and out of the Mitian League several times and had discovered quite a few clues. Aside from the madman Guan Qi, who ignored worldly affairs, the other six Saint Masters of the Mitian League were each harboring their own secret agendas.

The highly respected First Saint Master, Yan Hefei, had gathered a group of subordinates led by the Second Saint Master, Zhu Xiaoyao, and seemed to be in contact with a certain power in the capital. The Fourth Saint Master, Ren Guishen, who led Miss Shi to select her subordinates today, and the Third Saint Master, Deng Cangsheng, were originally a pair of assassin partners. In Sikong Zhaixing’s observation, these two had met privately with people from the Six-and-a-Half Hall and had received considerable benefits from them; it did not look like a casual association—they had likely already defected to Lei Sun of the Six-and-a-Half Hall.

Then there were the Fifth Saint Master, Zhang Tieshu, and the Sixth Saint Master, Zhang Liexin, also a pair of partners. In their early years, they had needed the protection of the Mitian League to escape the reckoning of an old case, but now they had re-entered the martial arts world under the titles of "Iron Tree Blooming" and "Peerless Finger and Palm," working as pawns for the young master Fang Yingkan.

Guan Qi was completely unaware of the three distinct factions among the six Saint Masters. If it weren't for his peerless martial arts, which required such a signboard to hang at the forefront, who knew if he would still be alive today?

As Sikong Zhaixing flipped over the courtyard wall to leave, he could not help but feel bitter. He wondered why the heavens were so unfair, bestowing such unparalleled martial talent upon a man like Guan Qi. As a fine young man who loved life and took pride in his profession, the very first time he saw Guan Qi, he had almost wanted to dash his head against a wall. It was a truly shocking affair. It was enough to show that the decade of madness had not only failed to diminish Guan Qi’s martial cultivation but had, on the contrary, pushed him to a new level.

That was, perhaps, his only commendable trait.

No! Sikong Zhaixing mused, if this trait was a positive for Guan Qi, was it not a disadvantage for Miss Shi? The greater the influence Guan Qi exerted on others, the more it indicated that he could not fully control his internal energy. If there were ever a day it spiraled out of control, the first person to face the danger would be Shi Qingruo. How could this not be a reason why she should never marry him!

...Unfortunately, it was only Sikong Zhaixing who thought this way; it served little purpose.

The wedding of the Seventh Saint Master of the Mitian League proceeded in an orderly fashion. The old grievances that Ren Guishen had stirred up that day seemed to be nothing more than a ripple on a river, quickly swallowed by the steadily flowing current. For this reason, when he was summoned by the head of the Six-and-a-Half Hall once more, he could only claim that Guan Qi had been traveling with his lady frequently of late, and at first glance, they did indeed look like a perfect couple. If she were truly determined not to pursue Guan Qi's past and only wished to establish her identity as the Mistress of the Mitian League, who was to say?

In this way, she would certainly not cause trouble at this moment, but would instead contentedly play the part of a bride-to-be.

Guan Qi also seemed happy to cooperate with Shi Qingruo’s actions, issuing a rare, precise command: regardless of what major events had occurred in the league previously, he had finally found his "long-lost" lady, and the makeup wedding must not be conducted in hiding; it had to be held with dignity and grandeur. He wanted a wedding feast that would be magnificent beyond compare.

The bride’s wedding attire was ready, and all that remained was the processional escort. As luck would have it, the heavens were favorable, and the spring drizzle, after two more bouts, had finally come to an end.

...Shi Qingruo lifted her eyes to look out the window. The sunlight was pale and delicate, filtered through the swaying willow branches onto the lattice. Beyond the sounds of the Mitian League disciples’ whistles, she could hear the chirping of spring orioles—a truly beautiful scene. As for the room, it was filled with bright, festive red, which matched the fine weather.

Zhu Xiaoyao, who was in the room, seemed infected by the brightness of the spring day and bewitched by the soft, sweet smile of the beauty before her. Abandoning her earlier worry and sympathy, she continued in a low voice, detailing the day's arrangements: "The bride's sedan chair will depart from here and head toward the previously sealed and decommissioned headquarters of the Mitian League."

"Sealed?" Shi Qingruo asked, puzzled.

Zhu Xiaoyao explained, "When the Seventh Master's madness was at its worst, he almost severely injured the First Saint Master. If a strong enemy had attacked, he might not have distinguished friend from foe. There are many enemies of the various factions within the Mitian League, so to prevent any accidents, we had to close the Bianjing branch. But now, with the Seventh Master's wedding being such a major event, we must announce to all four corners that the Mitian League intends to make a comeback, so the old site will be reopened."

"Traveling from here to the main headquarters crosses half of Bianjing city; it is a journey befitting the status of the Seventh Master and his lady."

Under the feet of the Emperor, a martial artist's wedding procession crossing half of Bianjing city. This was truly something that could only happen in a wuxia-themed world. Shi Qingruo grumbled inwardly, while her face naturally revealed a hint of worry: "Would that be too ostentatious?"

Zhu Xiaoyao quickly reassured her: "My lady, rest assured. Outposts have been set up all along the way, coordinated by the Fourth Saint Master. We will never let anyone disrupt the major affairs of our Mitian League. The First Saint Master is already stationed at the Sanhe Building, ready to provide rapid support should any incident occur. The Third Saint Master and I will accompany the Seventh Master to protect the wedding procession." She added with conviction: "Since we are declaring the return of the Mitian League, we would never play games with the lady's safety."

"...That is good." Shi Qingruo let out a soft sigh.

If she hadn't been able to clearly see the factional allegiances on Zhu Xiaoyao, and hadn't dealt with her quite a bit during the first playthrough of the game, Shi Qingruo would have almost believed that the return of the Mitian League and Guan Qi to the top of the martial arts world was truly a matter of great importance that she was about to wholeheartedly support.

However, in this small encampment, Ren Guishen had his ghosts and tricks, and Zhu Xiaoyao had her own calculations—and did she not... have her own plans as well?

Shi Qingruo reached out and pointed to the wooden stand nearby. Her fingertips were devoid of nail polish, but her well-proportioned hands possessed a natural, lustrous beauty. "Bring it here."

The maid attending by her side was momentarily stunned before handing the red bridal veil to her.

Yes, the auspicious hour was approaching.

Outside the courtyard, although the drums and horns had not yet begun, Guan Qi, dressed in his groom's attire, was already sitting upright on his horse. Perhaps because of his "normality" today, the members of the Mitian League had regained their backbone, and the many masters placed within the escort procession appeared to have a well-trained sense of intimidation.

As the sedan chair carrying the future Mistress of the Mitian League set off, the festive music struck up, instantly sweeping away the lingering dampness and deathly air of the courtyard.

Was this the beginning of a new chapter for the Mitian League? No one present could say for sure. All they could see was the long procession spreading out and the pure, childlike smile on Guan Qi's face. If one ignored the undercurrents surging through the streets of Bianjing, this seemed like nothing more than an ordinary wedding with a slightly larger display.

Nothing more.

Look—the flower children walking with the procession were already tossing wedding coins from their baskets, drawing cheers from the common folk along the street. It was likely that even the weddings of high-ranking officials in the capital were no more grand than this.

...Wang Xiaoshi caught several coins that flew toward him. Looking at the long, crimson procession, he couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder. He said to the person beside him: "No wonder you closed your stall so early today; it turns out it was for this much-rumored wedding."

Bai Choufei did not answer immediately. He had come to Bianjing with Wang Xiaoshi several months ago. Relying on his outstanding martial arts, before arriving in the capital, he had naturally harbored grand ambitions to distinguish himself. But unfortunately, upon arriving, he discovered that the waters in the capital were far deeper than he and Wang Xiaoshi had imagined. Here, martial arts were not the primary factor in determining one's success; connections were. And unfortunately, they had none.

Thus, only two paths remained before them. Either choose to kill to gain fame, constantly dodging the pursuit of the Six Fan Gates while finding a protective umbrella, or lie low in the capital, waiting for a crack in the struggle between the major factions to seize power. But before that, they had to earn enough silver in the most modest way to survive.

Wang Xiaoshi chose to use his medical knowledge to work as a pharmacist at the old-established Huichun Hall, while Bai Choufei, relying on his fine calligraphy and painting skills, sold his works on the street.

"This wedding has nothing to do with us." The dust of several months had smoothed away some of the arrogance in Bai Choufei, but his words remained cold. "The few coins you caught aren't enough to make up for the loss of closing your stall early today, let alone buy the wine and food at Yideju that you mentioned the other day."

Wang Xiaoshi was open-minded and tucked the coins into his pouch. "Don't say that. Who knows if we might catch some of the good fortune? If this Mitian League rises to power, it might be a good thing for us; perhaps we might find an opportunity to establish ourselves. If we continue to waste time like this, we're going to get sick."

"What sickness?"

Wang Xiaoshi laughed, "The poverty sickness."

When a person is poor, their ambitions are short—that was a truth throughout history. He said it very smoothly.

"Fortunately, after dealing with those wicked traffickers that day, Miss Shi did not accept our invitation to come to Bianjing with us. Otherwise, she would have had to suffer poverty along with us. I wonder how she is doing now. And Miss Tian and Wen..."

"—What are you looking at?" Wang Xiaoshi suddenly noticed that when he mentioned these people they had met along the way, there was a rare lack of emotion on Bai Choufei's face. Instead, he was looking in one direction, his face filled with contemplation. Wang Xiaoshi immediately changed the subject.

He followed Bai Choufei's gaze and saw that he was not watching anything else, but that very sedan chair!

Bai Choufei murmured in a low voice: "...I always feel that this sedan chair is a bit strange."

Wang Xiaoshi replied: "For a major force like the Mitian League, the sedan chair for the leader's lady should naturally be a bit special. It can't be as sloppy as a countryman marrying a wife."

Bai Choufei shook his head. No, the strangeness he spoke of was definitely not about the specifications or style of the sedan chair. Given Guan Qi's status in the martial arts world, even if the sedan chair were twice as large as others, it would not be out of place. What he found strange was that, as the sedan chair moved forward, he seemed to hear the sound of mechanical gears shifting. He could not have misheard...

"Watch out!"

Someone in the back suddenly shouted loudly.

Bai Choufei had no time to think further; he immediately pulled back his thoughts and turned to follow the sound. Upon turning, he was shocked to see that from the direction of the commotion, several horses with their tails on fire, he knew not from which alley they had been released, were charging directly toward the crowded street.

Stimulated by the fire, the horses had lost all reason. The tables, chairs, and railings that the crowd had hastily pushed aside to make way only slowed the horses for a fleeting moment before they continued to gallop forward. And everyone could see that these crazed horses were charging directly toward the sedan chair.

Bai Choufei felt a shock in his heart, realizing how unscrupulous the gang fights in the capital were. No one would believe these horses appeared by coincidence. They were definitely targeting the Mitian League's wedding today! And it was impossible that there were only horses involved.

But these mad horses charged fast, and the reactions of the Mitian League guards were not slow. As soon as the trouble began, a figure in wide robes soared into the air, lunging directly at the galloping horses. Several members of the guard, closer to the scene, had already drawn their swords to intercept. With Bai Choufei’s keen hearing, he could hear that the Mitian League had long been prepared for such an attack; the wide-robed figure in the back even had the spare energy to shout out loud:

"No blood must be shed—"

This was the wedding of the Seventh Saint Master of the Mitian League; how could the sight of blood be inauspicious!

But the moment the first burly man intercepted the horse and struck, Bai Choufei suddenly realized something was wrong, for the force of this man's strike was far too heavy. This was not a method that avoided shedding blood. The palm strike was not aimed at a vital point to kill the horse instantly, but rather—it struck the horse's body.

With a loud "bang," the charging steed was instantly shattered by the fierce palm power. Flesh and blood flew everywhere, creating a mist of gore that splashed onto the wedding procession. The next moment, another palm struck the remaining horses. Looking at it, the momentum was even more ferocious than the previous strike.

"Not good!" Wang Xiaoshi, having been dealing with medicine recently, was much more sensitive to poisons than most people present. He almost instinctively grabbed Bai Choufei and retreated rapidly.

But the Mitian League guards clearly did not have that luck. Those who had come to intercept the chaos were met head-on by the blood mist; they immediately let out a chorus of screams and collapsed to the ground.

Almost at the same time as the middle of the procession fell into chaos, several squads of masked men in black suddenly appeared from both sides of the street, leaping down from the rooftops with lightning speed.

Everyone could see their target—

It was the sedan chair carrying the bride!