Chapter 153: Finally

Before the path union ceremony, the steward of Radiance Sect had sent a flying message seal to Huan Zhong asking him whether the path union ceremony should be prepared as luxurious and low-key or so extravagant that everyone in the cultivation world would feel admiration.

Originally, this steward would not have been so chatty to ask this. In any case, with Zhong Xi Shishu‘s personality, he naturally would not be like those pompous male cultivators who wanted to show off their wealth to the entire cultivation world at their path union ceremony.

But this routine inquiry gave him an answer completely different than he imagined. Zhong Xi Shishu requested a grand handling, and a magnificent one. Even his attendant, Elder Lin Hu, had come back and taken many good things from Zhong Xi Shishu‘s private stores. He turned the entire wedding procession into a gold and glowing one that no one else could rival in a thousand years.

“I had not expected Radiance Sect, who is usually so cold and noble, to be so scary when they show off.” A disciple of Cool Breeze Sect hid in a corner of Splendid Cloud Sect as he reached to grab the floating red envelopes. These red envelopes were not like the ones that Sky Sect sent at New Year’s Eve which contained coupons and discounts. These envelopes contained spirit stones, precious stones, seals or medicine ingredients.

“When a low-key person suddenly becomes high-key, it is more shocking.”

The Cool Breeze Sect disciples who obtained red envelopes all had smiles on their faces. Even the disciples of major sects secretly used spells to grab the red envelopes that had fallen to the ground, without any of their usual composure.

Hearing the female cultivators in the surroundings speak of how well-matched Spirit Master Zhong Xi and Miss Kong Hou were, Ling Yue looked up at the dancing female cultivators in the sky and gave a smile. For the next five centuries, and even a millennium, the people who had seen this path union ceremony would not forget today.

She spread out her palm and received a floating red envelope that was embroidered with the words “Never Separating.” She opened it and saw nine spirit stones inside.
Was this referring to lasting for a long time?[^1]

She put the nine spirit stones into her own storage ring. Then she turned and saw Ling Bo of Clear Dawn Sect bending down to pick up red envelopes. She was faster than the other male cultivators. She stilled. The Ling Bo of her memories, who had servant girls opening the way for her by throwing flowers, and who always cared about her appearance and compared herself to other women in beauty, was picking up her skirt and fighting over red envelopes with other people?

Noticing Ling Yue’s attention, Ling Bo turned her back to Ling Yue and used her stare to force back the male cultivator competing with her. Then she bent down and picked up the red envelope.

She was not one who was so greedy, but Kong Hou’s luck was so strange. If she grabbed more of Kong Hou’s red envelopes, she would definitely benefit.

##

The wedding procession flew past the gates, the front hall, the other peaks to reach Moon Perching Peak.

Huan Zhong wore his wedding robes and rode the flying horse at the front. Kong Hou, standing on the stone steps, looked up and their gazes met.

Huan Zhong smiled at Kong Hou. With a sleeve, he used a minor spell Kong Hou had once taught him.

Flashing light turned into fresh flowers in the air. The petals slowly floated down and caused Moon Perching Peak to be beautiful and dream-like.

At that time, Kong Hou had been walking on the street and said to him with a smile that she would perform a magic trick for him.

Now, he could perform many magic tricks for her every day.

“So beautiful…” The female senior disciples around Kong Hou looked up at the “flower petals” floating in the air with admiration in their eyes. Ling Hui turned and smiled at Kong Hou. “I originally worried that Spirit Master Zhong Xi would be too dull for you and your lively personality will be neglected if you are with him. Today, I know that I worried for nothing.”

Even the dullest person would be different in front of their beloved. Making the person one loves happy is an instinct. This kind of instinct is engraved in the bones, imprinted in the blood. When one encounters the right person, they will learn on their own.”

“I will not be neglected. Huan Zhong knows how to do almost everything except for giving birth.” Kong Hou had a happy smile. “He will make beautiful dresses and hairpins for me. He will go with me to have fun.

“The things I dreamed about in childhood will be realized by him.” Kong Hou laughed out loud and looked at Ling Hui. “Shijie, do not worry—I will live very well.”

“I originally thought that with your cultivation being the same as Spirit Master Zhong Xi’s, if Spirit Master Zhong Xi makes you unhappy, you can rival him in a fight. But his cultivation suddenly jumped up; now, you are not a match for him.” Ling Hui said, half-jokingly, “Do not worry. If he is not good to you, we can call the three elders to help.”

“All right.” Kong Hou nodded. “I am someone with behind-the-scenes supporters.”

Huan Zhong descended the flying horse and walked through the air towards Kong Hou. There were only a few steps separating him and Kong Hou.

Kong Hou was at the top of the stairs. He was at the bottom of the stairs.

Behind him were Radiance Sect disciples. Around Kong Hou were the female senior disciples of Splendid Cloud Sect.

There were numerous people here, but their eyes only saw each other.

Huan Zhong extended his hand in front of Kong Hou. Kong Hou put her hand into his palm. The two hands gripped each other tightly.

“There are so many red envelopes being sprinkled down. I didn’t get to pick even one.” Kong Hou thought of how she and Second Shixiong would go down the mountain every New Year’s Eve to get red envelopes and then share them.

“I left the biggest for you.” Huan Zhong took out nine brocade bags. These nine bags were different from the ones scattered around. These were fine storage bags embroidered with seals. They looked small but could hold many things.

Kong Hou took them with a smile. “I like big red ones.”

“Since you like them, how could I give them to others.” Huan Zhong looked at Kong Hou’s phoenix crown. “Are you satisfied with this kind of path union ceremony?”

“Yes.” Kong Hou looked at the flower petals that hadn’t dissipated in the air. “Greatly.”

She did not want anything low-key. She wanted the entire cultivation world to know that the man she loved had held the grandest path union ceremony in a thousand years for her, and spent a great effort for her.

She would only have one path union ceremony in her life. What was the meaning in being low-key and simple?

People would say she liked beauty and had some vanity. But she was still a good female cultivator.

“As long as you like it.” Huan Zhong was slightly regretful. “It’s a pity that some of the disciples had to go be stationed at other sects. Otherwise, the ceremony could be even grander.”

“No matter—like this is already enough to make many people hate us.” Kong Hou held Huan Zhong’s hand. “In the future, when other people hold path union ceremonies, they will think of our path union ceremony first. When I think about it… I am very happy.”

“Oh, you.” Huan Zhong smiled and walked with Kong Hou to the edge of the peak.

“Harmonious Phoenix Carriage.”

The disciples of Radiance Sect took out their flying swords to form a grand and glittering bridge in front of the pair. The female disciples of Splendid Cloud Sect saw this and released their flying talismans.

In the clouds, a grand phoenix carriage pulled by eight flying horses stopped at the other end of the sword bridge.

Huan Zhong stepped on the sword bridge first and turned to look at Kong Hou. Kong Hou smiled at him and stepped on as well.

The wind rose. Kong Hou’s mantle flapped in the wind. She stopped in her steps and looked at the Splendid Cloud Sect disciples behind her. The shijie all looked at her with smiles, some of them using spells to form shadows of dancing dragons and phoenixes around the bridge.

“Go forward, do not look back,” Ling Hui said with a smile. “We are behind you; do not be afraid.”

Kong Hou gave a big smile towards them and whispered, “I am not afraid.”

In this life, she encountered the best master, the best shixiong, the best fellow disciples and the best… Huan Zhong. So she was fearless.

##

In the main hall of Splendid Cloud Sect, the guests waited at the doors for the pair of lovers to appear.

The Harmonious Phoenix Carriage didn’t just have an auspicious name. The carriage was the possession of a certain elder of Radiance Sect who had already ascended. Supposedly, just sitting in the carriage would bring good luck to the person. They had all thought the Harmonious Phoenix Carriage had been taken by the elder as they ascended. No one had expected Radiance Sect to have hidden this for so long.

In order to have a good path union ceremony, Radiance Sect took out even such a good thing. It appeared that Jin Yue was very satisfied with this marriage.

Almost every time that Radiance Sect brought out something, they could stun the cultivation world. Splendid Cloud Sect also appeared to not want their disciple to be looked down on, and the things they placed in the hall were also rare things.

The two sects’ actions of getting face for their juniors greatly stimulated the guests present. They knew that Radiance Sect had many good things, but hadn’t expected the low-key Splendid Cloud Sect to have such wealth too. What made them ever think that Splendid Cloud Sect could only rank last among the ten major sects?

The Harmonious Phoenix Carriage finally landed amid everyone’s anticipatory gazes. The bride and groom came out of the carriage in their wedding attire.

What was called a match in heaven? They always praised others with these words but only today were the words true.

Zhong Xi, who usually wore white, looked cheerful with his red clothes. Many female cultivators could not resist a few more looks at his good-looking face. Kong Hou, who wore a phoenix crown and a floor-length dress, was more beautiful than flowers. The two were perfectly matching when they stood together.

Some attentive people found that elders of certain sects who usually did not appear were in the crowds, while the elders of Splendid Cloud Sect and Radiance Sect had disappeared.

“Bow to the heavenly path, receive the protection of the heavenly path. We wish for you two to ascend hand in hand to reach the celestial world.”

Kong Hou and Huan Zhong stood at the door and bowed deeply to the sky.

“Enter the doors, bow to the ancestors.”

The insignias representing Splendid Cloud Sect and Radiance Sect had been placed on the tribute table inside the hall. This bow was to thank the previous generations of elders for their efforts and teachings of their juniors.

“Husband and wife bow to each other. One kowtow to travel with heaven and earth. A second kowtow to be in conjugal love until your hair turns white. A third kowtow to keep each other company forever.”

After completing the kowtows, Kong Hou and Huan Zhong forced out a drop of blood from their fingertips. This was the most important part of the path union ceremony, to form a one-heart bond.

They could only be regarded as path companions accepted by the heavenly path if they formed this bond.

Their blood merged together, and then split into two to fly into their foreheads. Red clouds formed in the sky and spirit energy roiled. This was the heavenly path recognizing them as a couple.

“The ceremony is done.”

Bang!

Elder Shu Jiu of Splendid Cloud Sect climbed off the ground and patted off the dust. “The ceremony is finished?”

Everyone: “…”

Elder Shu Jiu coughed. “The evil cultivators finally attacked.” They had worked very hard to stop the evil cultivators from ruining the path union ceremony of their grand-disciples.

Everyone: “…”

Finally?

[^1] The word for long in Chinese is pronounced similarly to the word for nine.

Translator Ramblings: THEY ARE MARRIED! Finally.