Chapter 50

Xue Ming wanted to see the commotion, so she quickly dressed and cautiously opened the window a crack, peeking out with one eye. The sound was as close as if the suona was being played under the window.

When Xue Ming looked out, she saw a small creature holding a suona and energetically playing it. But what was surprising was that the player wasn’t a person, or at least not a complete person. It had a human body but grew a pair of deer antlers. It had human fingers but ended in deer hooves, and it didn’t have proper facial features, with a deer’s nose puffing its cheeks to play the suona.

Xue Ming was startled and quickly called Yan Yuhe, whispering, “Come and see, what is this thing under the window!”

Yan Yuhe, looking displeased, got out of bed silently, put on his outer clothes, and walked to the window. He pushed the window open and glanced down coldly. The little deerman seemed to be choked, immediately stopped playing, and turned to flee in terror, letting out a few frightened deer cries.

The cries interrupted the festive sounds of gongs and drums. Following the sound, Xue Ming saw a wedding procession not far away. However, whether it was the musicians or those carrying the sedan chair, none were human. They all had the same half-human, half-beast appearance as the little deerman. But the groom sitting high on the horse looked like a human. He wore a bright red wedding robe, a red and black groom’s hat, and a large red embroidered flower on his chest. He had a handsome appearance, looking to be in his twenties. At this moment, the wedding procession had stopped, and they were all looking at Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe, whispering among themselves.

Xue Ming never thought she would see such a scene one day. She looked up at the sky and saw the east was faintly white, indicating dawn was approaching. She couldn’t help but praise, “So diligent, going to fetch the bride so early before dawn?”

She had become accustomed to these half-human, half-demon creatures, thinking that there couldn’t be only ghosts in this world of strange tales; there must be all kinds of demons and monsters.

Perhaps because of her casual greeting, the groom dismounted, took a few steps forward, and bowed to Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe, saying, “Meeting you two on the way is a joyous fate. Would you be willing to attend my wedding banquet?”

Yan Yuhe raised his hand, bowed in return, and said, “My wife is not well enough to go out. Thank you for your kind invitation.”

Xue Ming glanced at Yan Yuhe, seeing his very polite demeanor, and guessed that the groom’s identity might not be simple and that he was not an ordinary demon. She had a thought and wanted to see more and join the fun, so she turned to look at the groom.

The groom said, “I will send a sedan chair to fetch you two and arrange for you to be guests indoors so the sunlight will not harm your wife.”

Since he had proposed a solution, it was more than just a polite remark. The groom looked eagerly at Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe, hoping they would attend.

Xue Ming turned to Yan Yuhe and whispered, “Can we attend? It shouldn’t be dangerous, right? They don’t look like bad people.”

Yan Yuhe nodded slightly and then thanked the groom. The groom smiled satisfactorily, remounted his horse, and instructed the little demons to bring a sedan chair to fetch them. The wedding procession then joyfully continued on its way.

Watching them disappear, Xue Ming curiously asked Yan Yuhe, who explained that the groom was not a demon but the local Earth God.

Xue Ming was amazed. She never thought she would encounter an Earth God getting married. Since he was a deity, the banquet might have some extraordinary delicacies, perhaps even something that could grant immortality. She eagerly waited by the window, full of anticipation.

Before long, a sedan chair pulled by two yellow-skinned tigers arrived. Xue Ming put on her veil and went out with Yan Yuhe, both getting into the sedan chair. On the way, she imagined how luxurious the divine banquet would be, but she was in for a surprise when they arrived.

It was just a small courtyard with two entrances. Inside, many half-human, half-beast demons were serving tea and water and bustling around. There were a few guests, but not many. The courtyard was paved with bricks, with flowers and plants on both sides and a few tables in the middle. Further inside was a slightly larger main hall with tables and chairs, where a few men and women were sitting and chatting. The tables only had drinks and appetizers, and the hall was decorated with red silk. Apart from that, there was nothing else, making it look quite simple.

Xue Ming observed through her veil and was astonished. This divine wedding banquet was even less lively than the previous gatherings of the ghost kings, not even half as festive. Judging by this, there wouldn’t be any treasures that could grant longevity on the table. Despite her thoughts, she smiled as they were there to share joy.

The people in the hall clearly didn’t know Yan Yuhe. When they saw him enter, they didn’t greet him but just nodded from a distance. Yan Yuhe responded indifferently, then took Xue Ming’s hand and led her to an empty table, where they sat down.

Soon, a person with a monkey tail brought drinks and appetizers, smiled, and said, “Please enjoy,” before retreating.

Xue Ming felt a bit uneasy, as she had come empty-handed and felt it was impolite to eat at someone else’s banquet without a gift. She rummaged through the brocade pouch at her waist, looking for something suitable to give as a gift. However, aside from the items left by Jiang Ruoming at the beginning, the pouch only contained some trinkets she had bought from the town’s streets during their journey, which were too trivial to be presented as a gift.

While she was pondering, someone suddenly stepped in from outside. At the same time, the people in the hall, who had been chatting and laughing, all stood up respectfully to greet the newcomer; even Yan Yuhe stood up.

Xue Ming was taken aback for a moment, then slowly stood up and looked towards the door. She saw a very young man in a lotus-colored robe, whose fair and handsome face had a touch of feminine delicacy.

The crowd greeted him with respect, calling him “Qing Chao Emperor.”

Xue Ming listened carefully and knew from the title that this person was not simple. She observed him quietly and saw the young man chatting and laughing with the others, exchanging pleasantries about not having seen each other for a long time. Then he turned and sat at the table where Xue Ming and Yan Yuhe were seated. He seemed very at ease, acting like he was familiar with everyone. He patted Yan Yuhe on the shoulder and laughed, “You, boy, look more and more like a deity. This time, you have made a great contribution. The Nine Heavens are already preparing your reward, and it won’t be long before we see you up there.”

Yan Yuhe bowed slightly, “You flatter me, Emperor.”

Qing Chao Emperor invited them to sit down, his smiling eyes glancing over Xue Ming’s veil, and said gently, “Take it off; it’s inconvenient to see through it.”

Although this person looked young, he gave off the feeling of an elder, making Xue Ming feel a bit restrained. She immediately removed the veil and moved her chair closer to Yan Yuhe.

“I was planning to visit Tai Xu Sect to find you, but I didn’t expect to meet you here,” the Qing Chao Emperor said, pouring himself a cup of wine and raising it towards Yan Yuhe. “I must thank you for sparing my disciple’s life. I, Qing Chao, owe you a favor. If you ever need my help in the future, just let me know.”

Yan Yuhe also raised his cup and replied, “You are too kind, Emperor. I was just following orders.”

With these few words, Xue Ming suddenly understood who Qing Chao was. He was the celestial official who could summon a heavenly thunderbolt and conspired with the underworld to eliminate the evil spirits wandering between the two realms. He was also Hundred Crow’s master. Previously, Black and White Impermanence had referred to him as an elder, and Xue Ming had imagined him as an old deity with a long white beard, but she didn’t expect him to look so young.

He glanced at Xue Ming and said, “The problem with this girl isn’t severe. Once the yin and yang in her body are balanced, she’ll return to normal. But is your sword damaged?

Yan Yuhe took a sip of wine and calmly replied, “Just a few small nicks, nothing serious.”

“Isn’t that sword a relic left by your mother before she passed away? The blade is made of profound iron from the depths of the East Sea, a rare material in this world. Are you planning to patch it up with just anything?”

Qing Chao said slowly. “Coincidentally, I plan to go to the East Sea to get some profound iron for chains. Give me your sword, and I’ll find someone to repair it for you.”

Xue Ming suddenly understood why Yan Yuhe had been taking out his sword and cleaning it repeatedly over the past few days, looking somewhat downcast. It turned out that the sword was a precious relic made of valuable material left by his mother before she died. He must have cherished it greatly, and the damage it sustained during the fight with Hundred Crow had upset him. A master cleaning up after his disciple’s mess seemed reasonable to Xue Ming. She nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Qing Chao smiled and said, “Look, the little girl agrees. Don’t refuse anymore. This is a small matter, and I won’t count it as a favor.”

Yan Yuhe glanced at Xue Ming and, without further refusal, summoned his sword and handed it to Qing Chao, saying, “Then I’ll trouble you, Qing Chao Emperor.”

“Not at all,” Qing Chao replied casually, taking the sword.

As they spoke, gongs, drums, and suona blared outside again. Everyone turned to look, knowing that the bride had arrived, and they all stood up and walked outside. The hall was filled with laughter and congratulations; firecrackers crackled at the door, and red confetti floated in the air, creating a lively atmosphere.

Xue Ming didn’t go outside but stood in the hall with Yan Yuhe, watching. She suddenly noticed that the people who had been busy in the courtyard, with their beast-like features, had all turned into human forms. The antlers and monkey tails were gone, and now looked like ordinary people at a wedding.

Qing Chao Emperor suddenly raised his hand and lightly tapped Xue Ming’s forehead. Instantly, her eyes returned to their normal black color, her ghostly teeth disappeared, and her face returned to normal.

With a loud shout from the matchmaker, the groom carried the bride over the threshold and into the hall amidst cheers and applause. Holding one end of a red embroidered ribbon, the two newlyweds slowly walked into the hall to perform the wedding ceremony.

Xue Ming stood to the side, watching the bride with a red veil pass by. Her eyes reflected the red decorations in the hall. She couldn’t help but smile and clap along with everyone, offering her congratulations.

After the three bows, the bride was escorted to the bridal chamber in the back courtyard while the groom stayed to toast the guests. Qing Chao stepped forward and said with a smile, “Congratulations on getting married again.”

This sounded strange to Xue Ming. She glanced at the groom, seeing the young man’s face flush with a shy smile. He raised his cup to thank everyone, not getting angry at their teasing, and seemed very close to Qing Chao.

“Why is it like this?” Xue Ming muttered to herself.

Yan Yuhe, hearing her question easily and noticing her curious glances, whispered, “The bride is an ordinary mortal.”

At first, Xue Ming didn’t understand, but she quickly realized. The groom was the Earth God, a deity with an endless lifespan, while the bride was a mortal with only a hundred years of life.

So, the Qing Chao Emperor’s words meant that this wasn’t the first time the Earth God had married this mortal woman.