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Chapter 135 - Extra: Invitation Card

When the elder of the Fields Sect walked into the sect leader’s yard, he found the sect leader staring at an invitation card with a complex, confused expression.

Seeing him enter, the sect leader placed the invitation card on the table. “You received it too?”

The elder had a profound expression. Fishing out an invitation card, he placed it in front of the sect leader. “Sect leader, are we going?”

Two years ago during spring, a strange phenomenon occurred at Hunxi Mountain. When the major sects rushed over, they just happened to see Fu Li daoyou dispersing his cultivation and suppressing the formation with his body before eventually vanishing in the heart of the formation.

Countless specks of light had flown out from the formation, resembling fireflies in the summer night. It was a beautiful sight. In the dark night, they became the sparks that ignited the flame of hope.

They gazed at these fireflies in a daze, momentarily speechless. A disciple with a relatively livelier personality stared foolishly for a long time before muttering, “What are they?”

“They’re souls, most likely...” The elder of the Fields Sect looked down at the ground. “Most likely the souls of the yao cultivators used to activate the formation. They’ve been released.”

He didn’t tell the junior that the souls trapped in the formation should have been swallowed by the magic of the formation, vanishing without a trace, and not enter the reincarnation cycle after the formation was stopped.

He couldn’t fathom how Fu Li had accomplished it, nor was he willing to think too hard about it. Someone who had lived till his age no longer had much curiosity.

“Sect leader, Fu Li daoyou...”

He shook his head silently. Everything had a cause and effect; for many things, a price had to be paid. Fu Li daoyou...

Used his body to repel the yao, resulting in the death of his physical body and the dissipation of his Dao.

The abnormal phenomenon at Hunxi Mountain was clearly resolved, yet they couldn’t muster any happiness.

Chief Zhuang was soaked in blood, his expression vacant.

Fu daoyou’s few elders were also standing there dazedly. Their gaze was one which the cultivators were extremely familiar with – it was that of an elder who had lost their child all of a sudden and forgotten how to even cry.

That night, the sect leader of the Fields Sect stood at Hunxi Mountain for an entire night. Only when the morning sun rose and the world was once again bathed in light did he move his somewhat stiff legs and turn to look at Chief Zhuang, who was kneeling on the ground motionlessly.

As he looked at Zhuang Qing’s back, he suddenly felt that despite Zhuang Qing still being alive, there was not a trace of spirit in him, as if he had already died.

In that instant, he even felt like Zhuang Qing would leave with Fu Li daoyou. But just when this thought surfaced in his mind, Zhuang Qing’s phone alarm rang.

“Zhuang little dragon is the most handsome, Zhuang little dragon is the most obedient. Get up early, Fu ge will give you a kiss.”

There was a hint of teasing and glee in this merry voice. But at this time, this joy couldn’t be more ill-timed.

Then, he saw Zhuang Qing, the habitually silent Dragon Emperor who never revealed any emotion in front of others, hug his phone and cry himself hoarse as he knelt on the ground.

He had no way of describing just how sorrowful this crying was. He merely felt that the mountains and rivers had dulled, the mountain wind was but a whistle, and his heart was excruciatingly cold.

The morning sun illuminated all of the world, but failed to illuminate the kneeling Zhuang Qing.

The image of Zhuang Qing’s silent cries of sorrow was the only thing that remained in his memory, along with the long shadow behind him and the brilliant sunlight at the mountain.

The too-bright sunlight made that long, long shadow appear particularly dark.

Zhuang Qing and Fu Li’s romance created a huge stir in both the cultivation and human world, yet it ended abruptly in such a manner. For a long while, Zhuang Qing didn’t appear in public. After a long, long time, when Zhuang Qing once more appeared, he seemed to once again be the Chief Zhuang who could hold up half the sky.

But no one dared to mention the yao cultivator Fu Li again, nor did anyone ever see Zhuang Qing reveal a pained, angry, or happy expression.

Just like a walking corpse, albeit a living one. On the surface, he appeared beautiful and without flaws, but in reality, an empty shell was all that remained. What was on the inside had long since disappeared.

Despite this, after two years passed and everyone thought that Zhuang Qing would never again fall in love, he sent out a fiery red invitation card with celebratory words the color of scalding gold. It was so dazzling that it didn’t feel real.

When they opened the card, the contents rendered them even more apprehensive.

Bridegrooms Zhuang Qing and Fu Li?

But wasn’t Fu Li daoyou dead?

[We transcended time, mountains, rivers, and finally met. Never will we be apart, forever and ever.]

The sect leader of the Fields Sect read this string of words on the invitation card over and over again. Finally, he had no choice but to concede – Zhuang Qing had gone crazy. Fu Li’s physical self had died and his Dao had dissipated. Not even a wisp of his soul could be found, so how was it possible for them to never be apart, forever and ever?

And the wedding date was even the eighteenth of this month. In other words, eight days later. Two years ago, Zhuang Qing and Fu Li’s wedding date had also been this date.

How could a wedding that lacked one of the grooms be perfect? Had Zhuang Qing... decided to be with Fu Li daoyou through such a method?

“Sect leader, has Chief Zhuang...” The elder of the Fields Sect wanted to ask if Zhuang Qing had gone mad but couldn’t bring himself to voice it. He wasn’t the only one, the other yao and human cultivators who received the invitation card couldn’t do so either.

During the disaster two years ago, Fu Li daoyou had paid a price with his life, and he and Zhuang Qing had been deeply in love. The current state of peace that the cultivation and human world was in was practically built on Fu Li’s skeleton. They couldn’t utter such words.

“Go, prepare generous gifts,” The sect leader of the Fields Sect closed the invitation card. “When we go, everyone must be aware of what should and should not be said.”

If it was a ghost marriage, then ghost marriage it was. In any case, there was freedom to love in the cultivation world.

The members of the dragon clan who received Zhuang Qing’s invitation card were in an even more complex mood than the human cultivators. Given Zhuang Qing’s relationship with the dragon clan, they were already overjoyed that they were invited to participate in his Dao Bonding Ceremony. But when they saw that the other groom was Fu Li, their delight turned to alarm and helplessness.

They wouldn’t dare to say much even if the Dragon Emperor wanted to have an ordinary human as his Dao companion, but wasn’t Fu Li dead?

Wedding a dead yao and even having it on the same date of their unsuccessful marriage two years ago, what did this mean?

A ghost marriage?

Moreover, ghost marriages were corrupt practices in the human world. Fu Li’s physical body had died and his Dao had dispersed, leaving not even his soul, so what use was there in having a ghost marriage? Had His Majesty gone insane from missing him?

But after the dragon clan gathered and discussed at length, not a single dragon opposed it.

The days after losing one’s true love were too painful.

If this would make His Majesty just a bit happier, then their dragon race wouldn’t say anything untoward, nor did they have any right to do so.

The entire human and cultivation world owed Fu Li this karma. Since he had passed on, this karma would be considered a legacy given to his fiancé Zhuang Qing.

Nobody could bear to say anything inappropriate about this matter.

Not only were the aquatic yao cultivators going to attend this Dao Bonding Ceremony, they would even prepare gifts according to the highest standards of the Dragon Emperor’s wedding. Due to the short time, they didn’t have the time to search for treasures, thus they simply opened up the treasuries of their respective dragon palaces and started taking inventory of the valuable items.

“Elder Qing Yan, this is the list of gifts we prepared, please review it,” Gui Xiang handed the list to Qing Yan, who looked it over and then shook his head. “Too little, add more.”

“But this is already the list of gifts with the highest standards in our azure dragon clan’s record of ceremonial gifts,” Gui Xiang was a little worried. The richer families also didn’t have surplus grain now, so to send out so many things, even the azure dragon clan had to hollow the treasury out quite a bit.

“If not for Fu Li daojun, we wouldn’t be sitting here discussing the standard of our gifts,” Qing Yan’s expression was calm. Ever since the lightning rendered him handicapped, Zhuang Qing became the Dragon Emperor, and Fu Li willingly met death for the human world, his entire dragon person had become much more mild.

In the past, he had been unresigned at not becoming the dragon of national fate. But when he saw Zhuang Qing and Fu Li’s actions, he understood that he who was incapable of doing so much for the human world would never be able to become the dragon of national fate.

Its fate was tied to the rise and fall of the nation – he could not bear such great responsibility, so he was destined to never obtain this honor.

“I understand,” Seeing that Qing Yan was set on this decision, Gui Xiang knew there was no need for further discussion. He retrieved the gift list. “I’ll go prepare it again right this moment.”

He’d better do another sweep of the treasury and see if there was anything else they could take out.

March eighteenth was a suitable date for marriage, relocation, and starting a new business; everything was suitable on this date.

The flying palace that had never welcomed guests before had its main gates wide open. Countless attendants refined from magic devices shuttled about. All kinds of flowers were in full bloom within the flying palace and heavenly music drifted in the air. If an ordinary human were to enter by mistake, they would certainly think of it as the legendary Heavenly Palace.

The morning sun’s radiance illuminated the flying palace. The flying palace gave off a splendid golden glow that dazzled the eyes.

The guests who came to offer their congratulations caught sight of the palace in the distance from the clouds and couldn’t help exclaiming in admiration inwardly. The refined palace and the unprecedented defense formation inside was truly worthy of magic devices refined by ancient great yao.

After learning that Fu Li’s elders were actually famous auspicious beasts the likes of the Fenghuang, Baize, Dangkang, and Vermilion Bird, the entire cultivation world was of the firm opinion that Fu Li was an auspicious beast, otherwise how could he have performed such a noble act?

Despite not seeing the groom at the main gates, the guests didn’t take offense at all. All of them offered their heavy congratulatory gifts and then exchanged looks with one another. Should their expressions be happier or more solemn?

It was inappropriate to be too happy, but being too solemn didn’t seem very good either.

Fortunately, someone welcomed them with a face full of smiles very soon after. This person was someone they all recognized – it was the management bureau’s Captain Chu Yu. The other party had a bald head and a glittering smile, as if it was truly a good day that would come by only once every ten thousand years. Everyone heaved a sigh of relief.

This Chu Yu had been by Zhuang Qing’s side for many years. Since he was smiling so jubilantly, then it was probably alright for them to put on slightly happier expressions.

Upon walking through the inner doors, they saw Zhuang Qing dressed in magnificent celebratory clothes standing there. On his perpetually unchanging face was a warm smile. “Welcome to this Zhuang’s Dao Bonding Ceremony, please enter.”

Everyone thought in their hearts that Chief Zhuang smiled like he had lost all his faculties and forgot the fact that Fu Li daojun was no longer in this world.

Nobody dared to reveal anything peculiar and squeezed out a smile, congratulating Zhuang Qing on the great joy that was his Dao Bonding Ceremony. As for the phrase ‘never to be apart, forever and ever’, they really couldn’t bring themselves to say it out loud. This wouldn’t be a blessing but plunging a knife into Zhuang Qing’s heart.

Just as the atmosphere was turning somewhat awkward, someone yelled from the winding corridor, “Zhuang little dragon, there are already guests so early?”

En en en?

Everyone once again had the thought that the human world’s synthetic voice technology was quite developed. To their ears, this voice sounded like it came from Fu Li daojun himself.

The warm and tender smile on Zhuang Qing’s face when the voice sounded sent a wave of apprehension through their hearts.

It seemed he really had gone crazy.

They sighed with sorrow in their hearts and felt upset. For a moment, they didn’t know what sort of expression they should have, so they could only turn towards the corridor to prevent Zhuang Qing from discovering their awkward expressions.

However...

Was Fu Li daojun’s figure standing along the corridor also the result of high-tech projection?

Why did it look like the real thing?

Even they thought that it was Fu Li daojun in the flesh, let alone Zhuang Qing daojun.