A leisurely life in the world of cultivation

Chapter 103 The night of flowers and candles in the bridal chamber

The commotion at Beidaying naturally drew the attention and vigilance of various parties in the south. At this moment, in front of the gate of the tallest villa in the center of the horse market, a tall eunuch carrying a royal decree from the Prince of Chu's Mansion urgently requested an audience with Huang Daotian, who was stationed in Sili.

The Prince of Chu's residence was the seat of the royal family at this horse market fair, so the prince's decree naturally passed through smoothly all the way to the main hall of the Imperial Punishment Office.

After the official in charge of copper entered and reported, he was soon led into the hall.

The cold wind whipped up snow and pebbles, battering against the heavy wooden doors. Inside the main hall, supported by three rammed earth steps, six thick pillars supported the hall.

Dozens of tallow candles illuminated the main hall, where a thin old man dressed in a single-layered Taoist robe sat on the main seat, flipping through a scroll.

After the copper-bearing officer led the person in, he withdrew. Everyone in the Imperial Punishment Department knew that the copper-bearing officer in front of them was the most disciplined and dared not provoke him.

The eunuch who arrived knelt down upon entering, holding a brocade box about a foot long above his head. His voice trembled slightly as he said, "Master Huang, His Highness the Heir Apparent instructed me to bring this. It was sent by the Prince with the utmost urgency; it belongs to Master Huang's grandson..."

Huang Daotian is the eldest disciple of the current Grand Master of the Imperial Punishment Bureau, and in addition, he is a Martial Saint with extraordinary strength, so his status is lofty.

They are among the most outstanding people in the world today.

Huang Daotian ranks among the top three in strength among the eight chief officials in charge of gold and silver, and his actions are generally fair.

However, when it comes to his grandson Huang Chengzhu, he makes no attempt to hide his favoritism.

His son, daughter-in-law, and other family members had all died in battles against the demonic cult, leaving behind only a grandson.

Therefore, he prefers to be self-righteous.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so determined to marry Huang Chengzhu a woman of extraordinary martial prowess.

After failing, he felt that Huang Chengzhu had been wronged and often looked for opportunities to make things difficult for the ungrateful Situ Qingyue.

It's not too outrageous, but it's disgusting.

So when he heard that it was related to Huang Chengzhu, Huang Daotian put away his detached demeanor, got up and walked down, and asked leisurely, "What did Zu'er send? It's rare that he is so filial, thinking of his grandfather from so far away."

He wasn't worried about any accidents. Out of personal motives, he arranged for two martial arts masters to protect Huang Chengzhu. There weren't many people in the world who could harm Huang Chengzhu under the protection of two martial arts masters.

Because when necessary, both martial masters are willing to sacrifice their lives to block the enemy and protect them.

As for the uproar outside, Huang Daotian didn't care much.

He believed that the shamans in the shamanic temple would control the situation, otherwise they would be the ones to suffer.

He walked down the platform step by step to the eunuch's side, his brows furrowing slightly. From the eunuch's timidity, he felt a vague unease.

Huang Daotian took the brocade box and slowly opened it. The moment he opened it, his eyes widened in shock, as if struck by lightning!
He swayed slightly, staring in disbelief at the human head inside the brocade box.

It was the head of his most beloved only grandson...

At that moment, the previously timid and hesitant eunuch suddenly clenched his fists, holding the brocade box high, and unleashed a powerful attack on Huang Daotian's dantian!
While Huang Daotian was distracted, he was completely unprepared for this heavy blow that was so close at hand.

Moreover, he was already consumed by anger and frustration, and now, having suffered a severe injury, he coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his aura instantly weakened.

The eunuch, not one to back down, struck again without pause, and with the Vajrabhairava mudra in his hand, he struck Huang Daotian once more, causing Huang Daotian to cough up another mouthful of blood.

However, he was, after all, a seasoned martial saint with profound martial arts experience. Although he was injured by the first blow, he quickly regained his senses. However, he still did not let go of the brocade box. His movements were unpredictable and strange. After taking two punches, he finally dodged and stared at the eunuch with a sinister look in his eyes. He said, word by word, "Heavenly Fiend King Fist! Heavenly Fiend King, you are courting death!!"

The eunuch looked at Huang Daotian with immense satisfaction, his admiration for the Holy Sect's leader growing even stronger. "As expected of the leader," he thought, "he seized Huang Daotian's fatal weakness with a single move." He roared, "Old dog Huang, today is your death day!"

Having said that, he launched a frenzied attack on Huang Daotian, disregarding his own defense.

As Huang Daotian dodged to the left and right, he closed the brocade box in his hand. It contained his grandson's head and could not be damaged. He casually tossed the box onto the high table, intending to use his remaining strength to fight this fiend to the death, or wait for reinforcements to come and wipe out this wicked beast. He vowed to personally skin this remnant of the demonic sect alive, piece by piece.

To his bewilderment, the most hidden Tian Sha Ming Wang of the Demonic Sect suddenly stopped, gave him a strange smile, and then turned and fled from the main hall.

Huang Daotian hesitated for a moment, and as his mind, which had been filled with fear and anger, cleared up, his expression changed drastically. He shouted, "Not good!" However, before he could do anything, the commotion outside, which had been gradually subsiding, suddenly erupted again, followed by a sharp shout: "By order of Lord Huang Daotian, kill the Eastern Hu Prince Huyan's army!"

"you wanna die!!"

"Lord Dao, save me!!"

Almost instantly, the Heavenly Fiend King, who had just escaped, turned back, bypassed the heavily injured Huang Daotian without stopping, and fled.

Following behind was the enraged and crazed Shaman Murong Li, the Black Shaman of the Shaman Temple.

If Huang Daotian hadn't been seriously injured, he could have used his overwhelming strength to fight for a chance to explain himself, but now...

Murong Li, like a raging bear, saw the murderer escape far away, but the "mastermind" was still there, and without hesitation, he charged towards Huang Daotian.

Huang Daotian trembled, parrying the attacks while sternly explaining, "That's the work of demonic cultists!"

However, Murong Li, who was already bad at Mandarin, couldn't understand or want to listen at all. He fought with a desperate style, forcing the already seriously injured Huang Daotian to retreat repeatedly.

Huang Daotian was filled with anger and hatred, vowing to thoroughly search the martial world, find the Demonic Cult's Ming King, and have his entire family executed and their bones reduced to ashes.
Even the shaman before us will have to pay the price...

Just as Huang Daotian was about to retreat to seek help from the Chu King's mansion, the Heavenly Fiend King, who had just escaped past him, suddenly reappeared like a ghost and delivered a heavy blow to him from behind.

"puff!"

Huang Daotian coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Murong Li was unaware of what had happened, but how could he let this opportunity slip by? He suddenly struck Huang Daotian in the chest with a palm strike, and Tian Sha Ming Wang threw another punch, hitting Huang Daotian in the neck. With a "crack," Huang Daotian's movements froze.

All of this happened so suddenly.

Huang Daotian's excessive love for his grandson created a fatal weakness.

He never expected that a member of the demonic sect would dare to break into the Imperial Punishment Bureau's courtyard alone to kill someone.

So much so that upon seeing the severed head, they completely lost their vigilance, leading to one mistake after another.

If that weren't the case, how could a mere half-crippled Heavenly Fiend King have managed to launch a sneak attack on him?
I'm so regretful...

He was exceptionally gifted from a young age. Although he came from a poor family, he was fortunate to have the help of his mentor, and he has risen step by step to where he is today, in charge of the Imperial Execution Department, and his power is known throughout the land.

But don't want to...

Before he could even fully experience the events of his life, he was plunged into complete darkness.

Thus, a hero of his generation died with deep resentment.

But at this moment, Murong Li realized that he had been tricked and used. Enraged, he struck out with a palm. Tian Sha Ming Wang could not dodge in time and avoided a vital spot, but a sound of bone breaking came from his shoulder. However, he was extremely happy and even used the force to retreat and turn to escape.

If a Martial Saint of the Eighth Rank wants to escape, it will be very difficult to stop him.

At this moment, the chaotic noise outside subsided again for some reason, and several figures walked in. Leading them were the Prince of Jin, the Crown Prince of Chu, the old steward of the Chu Prince's mansion, Princess Tuoba Tuya of the Green Fox Royal Tent, and other nobles from the royal tents.

Although the fire was difficult to extinguish, for these highly skilled martial artists, as long as someone stepped forward and quickly cleared a firebreak, the fire could be stopped from spreading further.

Tuoba Tuya brought the fire and the chaos under control and quickly discovered that someone had taken advantage of the situation to start the fire and cause trouble.

Fortunately, the casualties were not serious; only some lowly herders were burned to death... However, it was too chaotic just now, and there was no time to search for those despicable thieves. Although an order was given to seal off the horse market, it was probably not very effective.

Of course, she also pointed out that since this incident was caused by the Han people of Daqian causing trouble, Daqian should be responsible for all losses and compensation.

Fortunately, the existence of superhuman strength enabled them to control the situation amidst such chaos; otherwise, the place would have been a complete mess, which would have been a huge joke.

The King of Chu was heartbroken...

However, when everyone entered the hall and saw Huang Daotian's corpse on the ground, they were all shocked.

Huang Daotian is one of the most outstanding masters in the world!
He is also the undisputed number one expert in the world today, and the eldest disciple of the Grand Master!

He just died like that?
Murong Li, filled with rage, pointed at the corpses on the ground and muttered something to Tuoba Tuya. Tuoba Tuya nodded and said to the Prince of Jin and the Crown Prince of Chu, "Murong Li said that Huang Daotian was killed by your Great Qian Demonic Sect, and so was the Prince of Huyan. He asked you, 'We trusted you so much, even setting up a horse market within Great Qian territory without bringing any troops, yet you couldn't even protect the prince's safety, allowing your Great Qian Demonic Sect to kill the Prince of Huyan?'"
Prince Huyanjun was not only the Donghu King's most beloved youngest son, but also a favorite disciple of the Great Shaman. You must provide an explanation.”

The Prince of Jin was in a state of utter confusion, unable to understand why, despite all being from the same family with eight princes and eight clans, things were always peaceful when other families were overseeing the horse market. The Donghu people even roasted meat for the people of Daqian. The two sides, who traded with each other year after year, were sometimes as close as relatives, exchanging gifts when they met each year and always reluctant to part when they left.

Why is it that when it comes to the Jin Kingdom, so many strange things happen?!

They didn't make any money off the cheap goods, and the family business that their ancestors left them over hundreds of years is almost wiped out!

Eight mere cult members have caused such a commotion, utterly disgracing the Prince of Jin's residence, the Prince of Chu's residence, and the Imperial Prison!

He was older than the Crown Prince of Chu, so only he could respond, saying, "Rest assured, everyone, rest assured, we will definitely give you an explanation for this matter. The demonic cultists are truly despicable; they not only committed arson but also murder. Not only has your prince been killed, but look at our side—Huang Daotian, the Grand Master of Ceremonies' eldest disciple, is also dead! Isn't that right? Oh, and our Jin Prince's old retainer, a Martial Saint who had broken through to the eighth level, was also harmed by the demonic cultists!"
Fortunately, the Imperial Execution Bureau and the Forest Envoy are currently planning to hunt down the demonic cult members; they're desperate. Don't worry, the Imperial Execution Bureau's Minister of Justice, Si Li, will return in a few days with good news. We'll make arrangements for those of you whose tents were burned. Everyone, please clear out some rooms so we can all squeeze in together.

Oh dear, don't be angry, don't be angry. If we make a scene, wouldn't we be falling right into the trap of those evil cultists?

"Oh, by the way, Prince Chu, you should thoroughly investigate what's going on in your household. Is there really a heretic from the Demonic Cult hiding there?"

The Crown Prince of Chu cursed inwardly: Old dog!

……

More than twenty people gradually gathered on the hillside thirty miles south of Ma City. When they discovered that although most of them were injured, they had all survived, they were overjoyed and could hardly believe it.

When Zhou Zhixian arrived on horseback, everyone finally couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Zhou Zhi quickly told everyone to be quiet, as it wasn't time to be happy yet.

One of the镖局 (bodyguard agency) members asked, "Ming Wang...镖头 (head镖师, a term referring to a镖局 leader), I've never felt so comfortable before! What should we do next?"

Zhou Zhixian was also overjoyed, saying, "What should we do? Of course, we'll wait until dawn, go to the horse market camp to pick up the goods from the Wu Prince's Mansion. We also brought two cartloads of silk, intending to trade with the Hu people and earn some food to exchange for some ginseng and immortal herbs. From now on, we are truly the head镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) of the Golden Knife Escort Agency!"

This was promised to him by the leader of the Demonic Cult, the one who calls himself the Lord of All Laws!
If he is still alive after killing Huang Daotian and instigating chaos in the horse market, he will be allowed to truly retire from his criminal life.

An old brother looked at Zhou Zhixian with admiration and said, "Captain, you're even better at planning than that... that guy. He only told us to set the fire and then lead the charge to kill the Eight Kings and Eight Clans' disciples. Once the killing started, he would completely lose control of the situation. Even if we charged at the front, we would surely die. But you, Captain, told us to hide most of the people after setting the fire, to create chaos without killing them. Sure enough, when we were running away, not a single one of those Eight Kings and Eight Clans' disciples was willing to come out and intercept us. Even the Eastern Hu King's camp didn't actually have such a deep grudge. It's all thanks to you, Captain!"

Zhou Zhixian chuckled and said, "That guy also told me to kill Huang Daotian all by myself. If that were the case, I wouldn't have survived either. If I hadn't survived, I wouldn't have survived, as long as I could get revenge. But since I can live, I should live. I'm still waiting to hold my grandson. Alright, everyone get ready. The brothers who showed up and made a move today will return to Qingzhou City after dawn. Just say that I sent them back to guard the house for the young master and young lady."

One of them cried out urgently, "Head镖师 (镖师 is a term for镖师, meaning镖师, or镖师), I still want to travel the world with you as镖师! I don't want to do it anymore!"

Zhou Zhi laughed and scolded, "What's your hurry! We'll pick you up when we go back. You've all burned a lot of your hair and shown your faces, so people will easily remember you, just in case. Remember, don't leave during the day, wait until night to avoid people. Don't rush back, be careful. The rest of you, heal your wounds, and don't show yourselves tomorrow."

He then instructed the six men to take action, saying, "There's no bloodshed here in the horse market, but it will be ten times more dangerous over there. When you get back, you must protect Yue Niang and Wei Zhou."

Having said that, he said no more.

Although the wise king was easy to talk to, once he made a decision, no one could change it.

Everyone sat cross-legged, channeling their energy to dispel stagnant blood and expel any abnormal forces.

Zhou Zhi first corrected the broken bones in his shoulder, then used a piece of cloth to fix it slightly, and that was it. As a martial saint, his body had extremely strong recovery ability.

His real injury was internal, affecting his lungs and viscera, and it was unknown when it would heal...

Although a full recovery is difficult, it is more than enough to maintain the martial arts skills required to be a镖头 (bodyguard/escort).

He gazed southward, wondering how his son-in-law and daughter were doing in Qingzhou City...

But just thinking about it made my heart clench. My precious daughter, whom I raised, had been ruined by that brat… I decided to stop thinking about it…

Think of something happy.

Yunlan, your great revenge has finally been achieved today!!

In addition...

My Lord, although I failed to provoke a war between the Han and the Hu peoples as you wished, I did kill a martial saint and a prince of the Donghu people, which is an explanation.

The original plan was for them to cover their faces and bodies with fire oil, to provoke a fight as if their bodies were being burned by holy fire, and to offer their lives to the Holy God of Great Light...

But now...

May the Great God of Light bless us, and may our leader... return to heaven soon to serve the Great God of Light!

But he also knew that this possibility was extremely slim, unless the Grand Master, who hadn't shown his face for many years, also appeared...

……

Qingzhou City, the Li family.

Although Zhou Yueniang had traveled all over the country with her father in her early years and had gained a lot of experience, she was still an inexperienced young woman when it came to such matters.

Yesterday we were still close in spirit, but after one night, we became inseparable, like honey and oil, with each other in the other's presence, body and soul as one.

It wasn't until dawn that the two reluctantly called a truce and hurriedly got up to change their clothes, realizing it was getting late.

When their eyes occasionally met, their gazes were so thick and sticky, it was as if they could be drawn into threads...

Zhou Yueniang remembered to put the bridal handkerchief that she had kept under her pillow the night before into her sleeve pocket, so that when she met her aunt and the others in private, she could show it to the elders. This was very important.

After getting dressed, Li Weizhou and Zhou Yueniang looked each other over and laughed.

That's the magic of marriage; in just one night, couples can become inseparable.

Li Weizhou smiled and said, "Let's go, let's serve tea to Uncle and Aunt."

Zhou Yueniang nodded and replied, "Okay."

The two went out and headed towards the upper room of the courtyard in the middle of the road.

After leaving the house, Zhou Yueniang glanced northwards, her feelings a mix of emotions. She wondered how her father was doing...

I hope everything will be alright.

……

P.S.: I have an upset stomach with vomiting and diarrhea, and a fever of 38.5 degrees Celsius. I feel like I'm already picturing a wedding night, so I'm posting this early...

(End of this chapter)