For the next half-month, all preparations for the wedding ceremony proceeded steadily.
Wu Youqi did not put much effort into selecting the wedding attire, simply letting two tailors find Gu Qingyi to finalize it. He did not take this ceremony seriously at all, but to the ordinary demons who were unaware of the truth, it became proof of the deep affection between him and the new Demon Consort.
Having already been open and honest with Sazhi that one time, Wu Youqi no longer bothered to explain these rumors, leaving it to the demon masses to speculate for themselves.
For him, the most important matters at the moment were still reinforcing the barriers, transferring the prisoners within the Jimi cage, and making thorough preparations and troop deployments to face the enemy. Since he had already made the declaration, it wouldn’t do to have the thirty-six realms of the Demon Realm lose face.
These past few days, he had been leading squads to inspect various locations, to the point that he had only glanced at the wedding attire briefly before putting it aside, failing to notice that the pattern on the final set Gu Qingyi had chosen consisted of gold-traced colorful phoenixes and five-colored golden dragons.
In addition to the deployment of troops and the reinforcement of barriers, strengthening ties with the other two realms was also a necessary part of the objective: thus, various clans of the Demon Realm, as well as the Ten Yama Kings and the Eight Generals and Two Matriarchs of the Underworld, were all on the invitation list.
Over the past few hundred years, the momentum of the cultivation world had become increasingly strong. Not only were there many who ascended to immortality, but there was also a constant stream of human believers joining, so the number of cultivators only continued to grow, and their lifespans were becoming ever longer. As a result, the number of souls in the Six Paths of Reincarnation in the underworld had plummeted, leaving many ghost messengers idle and bored, with nothing to do all day long.
On the surface, the demon race was pleased to see an alliance with the demon and ghost realms; in private, Wu Youqi knew he would eventually have to descend to the underworld to search for someone, so building good relationships in advance would make things easier when the time came.
Welcoming guests, hosting banquets, arranging accommodations for the demon and ghost races, and ensuring their safety in the Demon Realm… Wu Youqi utilized everyone he could, from various demon envoys and lords of the realms to even the demon doctor Medicine Merchant, who usually liked to hide in the herb garden and ignore worldly affairs.
While he was busy and his arrangements were intense, Gu Qingyi in the West Courtyard was quite leisurely so leisurely that he could come up with a new trick every day to make Xizhu “go crazy”:
Today, he insisted on breaking into the Blood Flame Flowing Cloud Palace, climbing openly onto Wu Youqi’s lap while he was discussing serious business with others, demanding to sleep while hanging on him. Tomorrow, he would run over to peek while Wu Youqi was bathing, and when he got carried away, he would fall headfirst into the pool with flushed cheeks and a nosebleed.
Xizhu lived in constant trepidation every day, performing her duties with the utmost vigilance, yet even so, Gu Qingyi still had the ability to use lame excuses like “needing to relieve himself” to sneak away, and he could always find Wu Youqi with pinpoint accuracy—regardless of where he was.
If they were only within the restricted area, it wouldn’t matter how they messed around, but they were in public view, and there were many visiting guests. Once or twice, others could laugh it off, even making harmless jokes about how clingy the new Demon Consort was and how lucky the Demon Lord was, saying their relationship was excellent and they didn’t want to be separated for a single moment.
But once it happened too often, cracks were bound to show. It would not do for it to become common knowledge before the wedding that the new Demon Consort was a fool, making them a laughingstock to the demon and ghost realms.
Therefore, Xizhu received no shortage of scoldings, and Yunche Changyi directly dispatched a squad of demon soldiers to guard outside the West Courtyard, preventing Gu Qingyi from easily slipping out again. According to the private whispers of the demon soldiers guarding the courtyard, the future Demon Consort had thrown a tantrum for several days, refusing to eat or drink and even crying until he fainted, and when it became too much, they even had to summon the demon doctors a few times. In short, it left them completely frantic, all of them praying for the wedding ceremony to be held sooner so the Demon Lord could personally restrain his consort.
Meanwhile, the cultivation world had not been idle during these past half-months:
After Qingshuang Mountain failed to contact the Buddhist realm multiple times, they had no choice but to write to other sects across the continent, inviting them to gather at the Taiji Plaza in the mountain to discuss countermeasures. The five major sects responded actively, each sending representatives; the most enthusiastic among them were naturally Lichiwuhen and the Qianfeng Sect. They had many elders and sect members captured, so naturally, they hoped to save everyone in a single battle. Therefore, Hou Qingrong, the Sect Master of Lichiwuhen, came in person this time, and the Qianfeng Elder Jiao Yong also arrived a few days later.
Huo Lan’s opinion was that they should avoid a direct confrontation with the demon race, with saving the people as the priority, but sects like Yanyang Dao and Shuangyan Sect were determined to fight, wishing to take the opportunity to engage in a life-or-death battle with the Demon Realm:
“Sect Master Huo, you are also a Sect Master; why do you keep yielding time and again? No matter how powerful that person surnamed Wu is, he is still only one person. With our combined strength, is it possible we cannot restrain him?”
“Indeed, the Demon Realm has been in decline for many years. Since the fall of the Moon-Chasing Demon Lord, they haven’t produced any decent great demons. Hundreds of years ago, they even suffered from falling cultivation realms; what have we to fear?”
Huo Lan smiled good-naturedly, “What the two fellow daoists say is not wrong, but since that demon dares to openly issue invitations and shout provocations, he must have made full preparations, hoping to ensure that we arrive and never return. This is the reason I advocate only saving the people.”
“The Demon Realm is, after all, their lair. We are unfamiliar with the terrain and whether there are mechanisms or secret passages. It is easy to seek gratification for a moment, but if we act impulsively and fall into a trap, wouldn’t that instead increase the enemy’s arrogance?”
As he spoke in such a slow and orderly manner, the two of them found it difficult to say anything more, though they remained somewhat unwilling. Turning around, Sect Master Yin Xuesi of the Shuangyan Sect made things difficult for City Lord Ye of Liuren City:
“I hear that the person surnamed Wu intends to marry comes from your Liuren City.”
City Lord Ye glanced at him sideways, “Just a distant relative.”
“A distant relative is still a relative. City Lord Ye, the people of your Liuren City are perhaps a bit too intimate with the demon race,” Yin Xuesi said with a mocking glint in his eyes. “How come they didn’t come this time? That would have been good—they could have led us and shown us the way.”
City Lord Ye swept him with a cold glance, “Liuren City is naturally incomparable to the elite troops and strong generals of the Shuangyan Sect. While the Sect Master is busy with a thousand affairs, he can still manage the daily chores of his disciples caring for everything, no matter how small, even their eating, drinking, and sleeping.”
“You!” Yin Xuesi’s expression was as cold as frost.
“Two, two,” Huo Lan hurriedly walked over and stood between the two of them, “The enemy hasn’t even arrived yet; how can we start fighting among ourselves first?”
Yin Xuesi gritted his teeth, snorted, and walked away.
When City Lord Ye was left facing Huo Lan, he added a bit of pleasantness, “There is a grand competition in the city, and the heads of the various families are unable to free themselves. I hope Sect Master Huo will forgive us.”
Huo Lan waved his hand, “That is a major event for your esteemed sect; it is only right.”
Of course, after the pleasantries, he did not forget to remind him, “After all, the Gu family has been to the Demon Realm several times. If it were possible—I mean, if it were convenient—please ask them to draw a map…”
Before he could finish, City Lord Ye took a scroll out of his storage ring, “The head of the Gu family submitted this a few days ago, but he said his son is critically ill and needs care, so he will not be coming to assist.”
Huo Lan was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly smiled and took it.
And Yin Xuesi, who had already retreated into the crowd, could no longer restrain himself, “What do you mean by that, you person surnamed Ye?! If you had a map, why didn’t you take it out sooner?!”
City Lord Ye folded his sleeves and stepped back, “I do not speak to those without virtue.”
Fearing they would clash again, Huo Lan opened the scroll at the right moment to change the subject, inviting Hou Qingrong and Jiao Yong to step forward, “Everyone, let us look at this map!”
Pavilion Master Hua of Lichiwuhen and Elder Hu of the Qianfeng Sect stepped forward closely, and the few of them gathered around to look at the map drawn by the head of the Gu family. Seeing that the terrain of the Demon Realm was complex and not as simple as they had imagined, the members of Yanyang Dao and Shuangyan Sect exchanged glances and said nothing more, all agreeing to Huo Lan’s position: they would save the people first this time, probe the truth about the demon race, and then plan for the future.
“If any accidents occur,” Huo Lan finally added, “do not get entangled in the fight. With one hour as the limit, everyone must withdraw as quickly as possible. Do not increase unnecessary casualties.”
Thus, time passed day by day, and it was soon the seventh day.
On the fifth day, after Wu Youqi processed the final memorial, he finally found the time to go around to the West Courtyard to check on Gu Qingyi. He didn’t know if it was his imagination, but when Xizhu came out to greet him, he felt that despite not seeing her for a few days, the girl had aged several years for no reason.
In the past, even if he only passed by the West Courtyard, he could hear Gu Qingyi clamoring and shouting to see him. Today, he had already walked to the door, but there was still not a single sound.
Wu Youqi could not describe what this feeling was, so he turned to ask Xizhu, “Did you bind him with spider silk?”
Xizhu hurriedly waved her hand, “How would I dare! The Young Master is currently sleeping. He cried for half the night yesterday and is probably exhausted.”
As she spoke, she stepped forward to push open the door. She intended to lead Wu Youqi into the main room, but at a glance, she saw the bed was empty:
“Young Master?!”
Xizhu had truly been tormented into illness by Gu Qingyi. Without waiting for Wu Youqi’s order, she took out her whistle and summoned the guards outside the door:
“The Young Master has disappeared again!”
The word “again,” plus the instantly bitter faces of the demon soldiers, made Wu Youqi feel a bit of pity for this group of people. He stood at the door, watching the crowd gather and disperse in all directions. Just as he was about to give Xizhu a notice and leave, a handkerchief fell from the sky.
It was a square red kerchief with tassels and golden edges, just large enough to cover a person’s head. There was no spiritual power on the handkerchief, nor was there any demonic energy. Because it was so sudden, Wu Youqi didn’t even have time to dodge. By the time he reacted and reached out to grab it, he first heard Gu Qingyi’s silly giggling:
“Brother is unveiling the bride’s veil himself”
The little thing didn’t know where he had climbed up to the roof and was resting his chin on his hands, looking down at him and grinning mischievously, “What a beautiful bride.”
Wu Youqi: “…”
Hearing the sound, Xizhu and the others turned around and saw Wu Youqi with a wedding veil half-draped over his head. They all held their breath, lowered their eyes, and silently retreated.
After Wu Youqi took the veil down, he looked helplessly at the gold-threaded embroidery of dragons and phoenixes on it before gesturing twice to Gu Qingyi.
Gu Qingyi understood, turned himself around on the roof ridge, climbed down the ladder from the other side, and trotted over to his side.
Wu Youqi looked at him and handed the wedding veil over without temper. The little fool was still smiling brilliantly, only his eye sockets were somewhat red from crying all night, and his voice was slightly hoarse. Thinking of all the schemes that would follow, Wu Youqi was uncharacteristically patient, softening his voice as he reached out to ruffle his hair, “Be good, listen to me.”
He didn’t know if Xizhu had told Gu Qingyi the procedure for the wedding, but at this moment, he still personally told him about it again, from wearing the wedding robes to getting into the bridal sedan:
“Don’t run around, don’t talk too much, and stay by my side, do you understand?”
Gu Qingyi hugged his hand and grinned. It was impossible to tell from his expression whether he understood, but since he was asked, he still dragged out his response: “Okay—!”
He had agreed, but the fool’s thinking was obviously different from normal people. At this moment, he said it was fine, but when night fell, Gu Qingyi took advantage of when everyone was off guard and leaped over the wall again, drilling into the Blood Flame Flowing Cloud Palace, saying that no matter what, he had to stick to Wu Youqi.
Having nothing better to do, and since it was not yet the day of the grand wedding, Wu Youqi endured it. While having people prepare a bed for Gu Qingyi, he warned him:
“Do not let it happen again!”
Gu Qingyi nodded, but by the night of the sixth day, he used the same trick again. Taking advantage of everyone fiddling with the bridal sedan, he slipped out once more.
When Wu Youqi returned from Fuyu Mountain and saw Gu Qingyi pulled the quilt up and lying on his bed, he was almost so angry he laughed:
Tomorrow was not only a wedding, but also held many other important meanings—it was a critical matter that could not afford any mistakes. It wouldn’t do to have the crowd watch the bridal sedan of the Demon Palace be raised and then lowered on the spot; that—what kind of decorum is that.
This time, he uncharacteristically did not yield, directly using a hand strike on the back of Gu Qingyi’s neck to knock him unconscious, then having Xizhu change him into his wedding robes and stuff him into the sedan. Feeling uneasy, he even personally cast an Ice Lotus Seal.
The seal restrained the space, forcing Gu Qingyi to stay obediently in that three-foot-square small compartment, waiting for the dawn of the next day.
After arranging all this, the blood moon rose to the middle of the sky. Wu Youqi waved his hand and was about to return to the bedchamber when he turned around and met Xizhu’s pair of surprised eyes:
“Supreme Lord, you, you on your body!”
He looked down suspiciously, only to discover that a layer of spiritual light was faintly emerging from his whole body, fine light spots like stars and stars emerging from his four limbs and bones.
Like sparks flying and dispersing from a burning bonfire into the sky.
He knitted his brows, his eyes deep.
Seeing those light spots float into the air, under their gaze, they actually gathered together, and then with a “whoosh,” disappeared into Gu Qingyi’s body.
Wu Youqi’s pupils shrank, and his gaze suddenly became sharp.
The unconscious Gu Qingyi had no sensation at all; he was even smacking his lips, seemingly dreaming of something delicious.
Xizhu rubbed her eyes. Just as she opened her mouth to ask, she saw more spiritual light rising into the sky, actually vaguely forming a fuzzy human silhouette. The silhouette only lingered for a moment. Xizhu blinked, and it vanished, disappearing even faster than smoke or mist.
Soundless and traceless, just like an illusion produced in her confusion.
If the Supreme Lord standing beside her didn’t have a ferocious expression and eyes filled with cracks, Xizhu would certainly have thought she was seeing things:
…What on earth was that?
Xizhu leaned in closer, wanting to use her demonic energy to check.
Coincidentally, Wu Youqi also condensed his demonic energy and leaned forward to explore. The two accidentally bumped into each other, and their demonic energy collided, so neither of them noticed.
A dark sword mark flashed across Gu Qingyi’s brow and then disappeared.
Wu Youqi pushed Xizhu away in annoyance and condensed his demonic energy to probe again, but after checking his meridians and spiritual platform, he still did not find anything unusual. He ground his back teeth, suddenly thought of something, and instead used his spiritual sense. After checking, sure enough:
The lingering soul on Gu Qingyi’s body had become somewhat different.
Although it was still in the state of being incomplete in its three souls and seven spirits, but… how should he put it?
If one compared the state of his soul from before to a small sapling, then now it had sprouted—taller and stronger. Although not yet lush with branches and leaves, it was also extremely different:
Wu Youqi stumbled backward and laughed out loud, “Ha!” The expression on his face relaxed for a moment, but then it suddenly became very ferocious:
As if filled with extreme resentment, extreme rage, extreme hatred.
His eyes were bloodshot, and tears were spilling from the corners of his eyes, but the corners of his mouth were being pulled up at an extreme angle, and the laughter was crazed—
Xizhu was shaken by fright, “Supre—Supreme Lord…?”
Wu Youqi wiped his face, a point of spiritual light on his fingertips, and instantly cast down a barrier. On the flowing, colorful barrier, there were many six-petaled snowflakes, but after falling, they turned into huge blue lotus flowers, engulfing Gu Qingyi within them.
“Send him back to the West Courtyard,” he said in a cold voice.