Translator : She.Wee

---

Chapter 94: The Grand Wedding

In the minds of the disciples of the Hehuan Sect, the concept of marriage still aligns with human customs.

They generally don’t view the Daoist Couple Ceremony as just an ordinary ritual. To them, it’s more like “giving away a daughter in marriage.”

The Hehuan Sect rarely holds such joyous events. After all, the cultivation world has long-held prejudices against them, viewing the women of the Hehuan Sect as mere ornaments, and associating any interaction with them with an inevitable scandal.

Even if someone were to partner with a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, they are typically regarded as a “fixed cultivation partner” rather than a spouse.

Few cultivators consider taking a disciple of the Hehuan Sect as their Daoist partner.

There have been only two instances in the past where a cultivator married a disciple from the Hehuan Sect, fully aware of their identity.

One of them ignored everyone’s opposition and secretly united with the disciple without holding a ceremony.

The other defied public opinion and insisted on hosting a grand Daoist Couple Ceremony. That was the first time the Hehuan Sect ever held such a celebration, and Chi Muyao was fortunate enough to attend.

Chi Muyao is now the third person in the Hehuan Sect to “get married,” making him a rather peculiar figure within the sect.

The Hehuan Sect is about to “marry off” a male disciple.

To prepare for the ceremony, Chi Muyao specifically sought out Si Ruoyu for advice and set the date after consulting with her.

After finalizing the date, the first thing he did was send a sound transmission talisman to inform Xi Huai of the arrangements.

He and Si Ruoyu agreed to hold the ceremony two months later.

However, Xi Huai was not pleased and quickly replied with a message, asking, “Can it be within three days?”

Chi Muyao could only console him, saying, “There’s so much to prepare for the ceremony! Plus, after we send out the invitations, it’ll take everyone a few days to arrive.”

Xi Huai quickly sent another sound transmission talisman: “I can’t wait that long. You should come back to Qingze Sect first.”

Chi Muyao replied, “I’ll need to handle things here for the preparations, and I’m in charge of most of the matters at the Hehuan Sect. When the time comes, you can come over.”

Chi Muyao, as a disciple of the Hehuan Sect’s Administrative Hall, usually manages such affairs. Now that it’s his own ceremony, he still prefers to take care of the details himself, not feeling comfortable leaving it to others.

Xi Huai, as the young sect master of Qingze Sect, could afford to be hands-off, but Chi Muyao could not.

Once the date was set, people from Qingze Sect frequently visited the Hehuan Sect to check if there was anything they needed, offering their assistance.

At other times, they came to inquire whether they were satisfied with the style of the flying artifacts to be used during the ceremony.

The people of the Hehuan Sect were also busy, arranging the sect’s decorations and preparing Chi Muyao’s “dowry.”

In the cultivation world, there’s no emphasis on extravagant dowries, as most things are stored in magical artifacts, making them easy targets for those with ill intentions. But for appearances, they still needed to prepare something impressive.

In the cultivation world, the display typically involves custom-made, intricately designed flying artifacts.

Next, they custom-made a batch of new ceremonial robes. These didn’t need to have exceptional attributes, just a decent appearance. Recently, the disciples of the Hehuan Sect had been rushing to complete the robes to ensure that Chi Muyao wouldn’t lose face.

Additionally, a high-level cultivator must be present to accompany the couple as they parade through the streets, demonstrating the strength of their backing.

Qingze Sect, wealthy as it was, had everything custom-made in large quantities. Every crafting workshop in the cultivation world was working overtime to meet their demands.

The last time the Demonic Sect held a Daoist Couple Ceremony of this magnitude was when Xi Lin and his Daoist partner got married.

This time, it was Xi Huai’s turn, and it seemed to be surpassing Xi Lin’s wedding.

Holding a Daoist Couple Ceremony with a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, and for two men no less, elevated to a top-tier event, inviting cultivators from across the world to gather at Qingze Sect—this was truly a rare sight.

It seemed the recent war hadn’t affected Qingze Sect at all. Once their buildings were repaired, they immediately began preparing to entertain guests.

The sect’s cultivators busied themselves with the wedding preparations, even sending invitations to Nuan Yan Pavilion. They made a grand gesture by personally inviting Xian Yue Tianzun, with Xi Lin going so far as to strike a bolt of purple lightning at the entrance of Xian Yue Tianzun’s seclusion cave, sending it straight into the pavilion’s barrier as if declaring that they could attack anytime if they wished.

Xian Yue Tianzun was in seclusion, healing, but was startled by the purple lightning. Upon learning its purpose, he was so furious that he spat out a mouthful of blood.

Yi Qianxi had been troubled by all the commotion recently and finally took out a broom, waving it at Mu Ren as she said, “How many times do I have to tell you? No! Xi Huai has moved on! Stop pestering our Yu Chong Sect. It’s annoying!”

Mu Ren persisted, “Is that Hehuan Sect disciple Chi Muyao? Just let me see his life lamp.”

“I’ve already told you, my junior brother’s life lamp was buried in his grave long ago!”

“You’re not convincing me.”

“Why does convincing you even matter? Get lost!”

During the recent war between the two realms, Chi Muyao appeared to save people. Even with his peach blossom mask, he still aroused suspicion from many.

Those who had previously trained with Chi Muyao or participated in the Xianghuang Pavilion mission knew how obsessed Xi Huai was with him.

Now that Xi Huai was holding a Daoist Couple Ceremony with a disciple of the Hehuan Sect, it naturally led people to speculate that the disciple might be Chi Muyao.

With Chi Muyao’s looks, it made sense that he could be a disciple of the Hehuan Sect.

To verify this, many from Yu Chong Sect came to investigate, with Mu Ren being the most persistent of them all.

He was determined to confirm whether Chi Muyao was the Hehuan Sect disciple, pestering Yi Qianxi to see his life lamp and constantly asking if they knew about this matter.

But what did they know?

Nothing!

They were just as surprised when they found out!

The most absurd part was that some people even suspected that they were spies for the Demonic Sect, colluding with the Hehuan Sect. Otherwise, why would a Hehuan Sect disciple come to Yu Chong Sect?

Yi Qianxi roared, “Get your facts straight! We didn’t want to get involved in the first place. We were forced into it by Nuan Yan Pavilion! And Yu Chong Sect rarely leaves the mountain. What could we possibly do? Incite spirit beasts to rebel?”

Mu Ren reluctantly left.

Yi Qianxi had just sighed in relief when Yu Yanshu arrived. She immediately put her hands on her hips and glared at Yu Yanshu, prepared to kick him out if he dared to ask about it.

Yu Yanshu, however, didn’t seem to mind. He handed her an invitation and said, “Xi Huai and the Hehuan Sect disciple’s Daoist Couple Ceremony will be held in a month and a half. If you plan to attend, you can come with us. My master will also be going. After all, Qingze Sect helped us with the formation, so others won’t say anything.”

Yu Chong Sect was somewhat isolated from news, and upon hearing this, Yi Qianxi quickly stepped forward to examine the invitation. At first, she was delighted, but her expression soon turned somber.

Nearly four months had passed since the war between the two realms, and during that time, Chi Muyao had not returned to Yu Chong Sect. Now, they only learned about his Daoist Couple Ceremony through someone else.

She suddenly felt a pang of sadness, as if she had lost something precious.

She wasn’t sure if she had overestimated their place in Chi Muyao’s heart.

Yu Yanshu, seeing her expression, seemed to understand but didn’t ask further. Instead, he brought up another topic: “Is there anything the sect needs help with recently?”

“No.”

“Alright, then I’ll take my leave.”

“Okay.”

Yi Qianxi watched Yu Yanshu leave. After staring blankly at the invitation in her hand for a moment, she casually tossed it aside and went back to work.

As she approached the barrier, she noticed the abandoned medicinal herb field and suddenly burst into tears. “What is this? We promised to take care of the little deer together, but now the medicinal herbs are dead! The little deer’s feed is running low, and the heartless one still hasn’t returned! He’s using the big deer’s powers to save others but won’t even come to check on the little one!”

She sniffed and continued complaining, “He won’t even come to see us…”

They had been forced to join the battle, and the disciples of the sect didn’t know enough about the medicinal herbs. Moreover, their cultivation level couldn’t adjust the temperature within the protective array, leading to a large-scale die-off of the herbs. Only a small portion survived.

This was nowhere near enough for the little deer. It could only nibble on a bit every once in a while to satisfy its cravings.

Yi Qianxi entered the array to tend to the remaining herbs when she heard the sound of a bell ringing in the courtyard. She rolled her eyes.

The bell would only ring when someone knocked on the door, and no one answered, so they resorted to pulling the bell rope. It seemed someone from the sect had arrived again, but no one else was going to answer the door, so she had to go out once more.

She opened the door and poked her head out to ask, “Are you here to deliver goods?”

The person replied, “No.”

“Here to sell something?”

“No.”

“Then you’re not welcome.”

The person quickly asked, “What about delivering an invitation?”

Yi Qianxi was about to close the door, but upon hearing this, she opened it a bit wider and looked at the visitor.

It was a handsome young man, his features delicate and fair, speaking in a gentle tone that didn’t resemble someone from the demonic sect.

Even so, she opened the door and asked nonchalantly, “Did Qingze Sect send you?”

After entering the courtyard, the young man glanced around before helping himself to a cup of water at the stone table.

Yi Qianxi frowned at his actions and urged, “I asked you a question!”

“Why are you crying? Did your master scold you again?”

“I wasn’t crying!” she instinctively responded, but soon realized something was off in what he had said. She looked him up and down.

The young man smiled at her, took out an invitation from his Thousand Treasures Bell, and placed it on the stone table. “There’s a banquet that day. If you’re willing to attend, you’ll be seated among the elders.”

“Junior brother?!”

“Who else? Didn’t I tell you the Mirage Mist Jade was useful?”

Yi Qianxi opened her mouth, then burst into tears again, wailing loudly.

She had always cried like this, leaving Chi Muyao and Duan Yiwei no choice but to soothe her in soft tones. “Alright, alright, don’t cry anymore.”

“Why did it take you so long to come back!”

“I drained my spiritual energy saving someone a while back and only just recovered.”

“Then…then you’ve already planned the Daoist partner ceremony.”

Chi Muyao sat at the stone table and calmly explained to her, “The Hehuan Sect is similar to the Yu Chong Sect in that I have to handle everything myself. First, I had to recover physically, then I had to take care of the ceremony arrangements. Once I had some time, I came here as quickly as I could. Every other place was notified by others or through transmission talismans, but I had to deliver the invitation to the Yu Chong Sect personally.”

Yi Qianxi finally calmed down and sat beside him, asking, “What did you go through in the Heavenly Punishment Array? How did you escape? Oh…was it the Qingze Sect’s teleportation array? Was it dangerous inside? Were you injured—”

“One question at a time.”

Yi Qianxi bombarded Chi Muyao with questions, and he answered each one earnestly.

When she heard about the life-and-death dangers Chi Muyao faced in the Heavenly Punishment Array, Yi Qianxi felt a pang of sorrow and distress.

Just then, a lazy blue fox approached. Yi Qianxi casually scooped it up into her arms.

“Look, I brought Azure Huahua back to the Yu Chong Sect,” Yi Qianxi said, holding up the blue fox for Chi Muyao to see.

“What’s its name?!” Chi Muyao was stunned.

“Qing Huahua.”

Chi Muyao tried to hold back but couldn’t stop himself from bursting into laughter.

At that moment, the ancestor of the blue fox transmitted a voice into Chi Muyao’s mind: “Laugh again, and I’ll kill you!”

Chi Muyao calmly replied through his divine sense, “Is this how you treat your savior?”

“The debt has been repaid. I can kill you now.”

“Yes, Qing Huahua is indeed very formidable.”

The blue fox ancestor angrily scratched at Chi Muyao’s clothes with its claws, but Yi Qianxi quickly tapped its paw. “Huahua, don’t do that.”

Watching this, Chi Muyao tried to drink his water calmly, but after swallowing, he couldn’t help laughing again.

The blue fox ancestor was so infuriated that it turned around in circles before finally ignoring both of them and leaping away.

Only then did Yi Qianxi ask, “If we go to Qingze Sect, won’t people suspect your identity?”

“I’ve been struggling with that. I really want you to attend my Daoist partner ceremony. It would make me very happy to have you there. But if you go, you might attract unnecessary trouble due to your association with me. I’ve been thinking for a long time and haven’t come up with a foolproof plan.”

Yi Qianxi picked up the invitation and firmly declared, “We must go. We have to witness your Daoist partner ceremony in person. As for the doubts, they’ve probably already guessed most of it. But what can they do to us? The worst they can do is stop trading with us!”

“Having ties with demonic cultivators is never a good thing—”

“Guannan Tianzun’s Daoist partner is also a demonic cultivator. If they want to make things difficult for us, they’ll have to start with him. Besides, I’ve heard Guannan Tianzun will attend the banquet too. Since Qingze Sect once borrowed the teleportation array, we can follow him there.”

“That works…”

Chi Muyao’s return to Yu Chong Sect this time was very discreet; no one made a fuss, and even the younger disciples didn’t know he had come back.

When Yi Lan and Hao Xia returned from the mountain, the four of them went to the main hall together.

Hao Xia, even more emotional than Yi Qianxi, clung to Chi Muyao, crying for a long time until Chi Muyao had to push him away. “Master, my Daoist partner is very jealous.”

“But I’m your master!”

“Master or not, it’s still not okay…” The master-disciple relationship was a high-risk one in novels.

Chi Muyao couldn’t stay overnight in Yu Chong Sect. With the current sensitivity between the two worlds, if he stayed too long, the people of Nuan Yan Pavilion might capture him to use as leverage against Qingze Sect.

He spent the entire afternoon at Yu Chong Sect and left only at night.

When Chi Muyao arrived in the forest, he quickly saw Xi Huai leaping down from a tree.

Xi Huai had been worried about him coming here but was too recognizable to come along. Since he couldn’t use illusion spells, he waited on the outskirts of Puluo to meet Chi Muyao.

Seeing that he finally came out, Xi Huai walked up to him, embraced him, and complained, “I haven’t seen you for four whole hours…”

“Alright, alright, let’s head back together.”

“Don’t go back to Hehuan Sect…”

“Be good, I still have a lot of things to handle.” Chi Muyao patted Xi Huai’s head.Xi Huai hugged him even tighter, refusing to let go.

Chi Muyao had no choice but to stand on his tiptoes and kiss Xi Huai. However, Xi Huai quickly pinned him against a tree, kissing him fiercely for a long time before they finally got onto the flying artifact and returned to the demonic sect.

They purposely chose a slow-flying, dual-seat artifact. Along the way, Xi Huai continued to cling to him, like a wilted flower draped over him.

Honestly, it was quite heavy.

Xi Huai escorted him to the entrance of Hehuan Sect, looking at him with a mournful gaze as he walked inside.

As he entered the sect, his steps were heavy. Not because he didn’t want to leave, but because Xi Huai was using his spiritual sense to control him, making it difficult for him to walk under the pressure of a Nascent Soul cultivator’s aura.

When he looked down, he saw the colorful Daoist bond wrapped around him, seemingly trying to tie him up and take him back to Qingze Sect.

He looked at Xi Huai and suddenly thought of a dog abandoned by its owner.

So this is what it feels like to have a giant dog as a Daoist partner.

“Well, I’m heading back now,” Chi Muyao said, pointing towards the sect.

“Mm.”

“I’ll watch you walk away.”

“I’ll watch you go inside,” Xi Huai insisted stubbornly.

“Then… can you let me go inside?”

Only then did Xi Huai release him, allowing him to step into Hehuan Sect.

---

Author’s Note: A sentence using the phrase “asking the obvious”:

What do Xi Huai and Chi Muyao do when they’re together? That’s clearly asking the obvious!

Translator’s Note: As you might already know I have already posted all the chapters on my patreon so you can read all the remaining chapters there! Their side stories were so cuteee. <333