Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Although he knew that Aunt Donglu was trying to find a solution for him, Chu Mingkong still smiled bitterly:

"Aunt Donglu, I can't bear the thought of having any female relatives not around!"

Zuo Donglu was stunned and lost in thought when Chu Mingkong took the hairpin from her hand and slowly put it back on her.

Of course, he deliberately left that loose strand of hair.

"Why is that? Mingkong, this might not be good for your spiritual practice."

"It's hard to explain why, but my cultivation, whether it's practicing techniques or cultivating my mind, is always inseparable from the shackles that bind me."

Chu Mingkong scratched his head in frustration, worried about his own speaking ability. He really wanted to ask Aunt Donglu if she felt lonely or something, but he didn't know where to begin.

He gave up and changed his words:

"Aunt Donglu, have you figured out your path? What is it?"

"My path may be to remain still... Getting too close to others will harm them."

Perhaps, that's just not the case yet.

Chu Mingkong was quite scared. His aunt's path had been clearly defined as this, so wouldn't that be corrupting her Dao heart?

Chu Mingkong didn't plan to let her leave alone in the future; he was somewhat worried about her, even if she was just his master's sister.

"It's alright, with someone as powerful as me around, let them cause trouble for me first!"

Chu Mingkong changed the subject, "My master has been coming to chat with you quite a bit lately, hasn't he? How are you doing here? Is it more comfortable than on Wufeng Cliff?"

"..."

Zuo Donglu met Chu Mingkong's gaze but couldn't answer.

Since I became a monk at a young age, I haven't experienced such a lively day in a long time.

She had witnessed the lively atmosphere of sword cultivators at events like the Sword Emperor Dynasty's grand ceremony before, but those events were always far removed from her own experience; the moment the sounds of excitement began, they seemed to distance themselves from her...

"I don't know," the woman shook her head.

Chu Mingkong then gave up for the time being and shrugged:

"In a few days, there's going to be a small but exciting event, and you won't be able to miss it!"

----------

As soon as he left the room, Chu Mingkong quickly turned a corner and quietly asked Bai Niang:

"Bai Niang, do you sense that Aunt Donglu's fate has some major problems?"

Bai Niang said she was powerless to help:

"I don't know much about this, and to me there's not much difference."

The words of a powerful person were indeed extraordinary, and Chu Mingkong had no choice but to accept it.

It seems the only option is to talk to Master and see how Aunt Donglu will handle it.

This guy is at least a fiancé, so it would be a bit strange if he dragged Zuo Qiuchi up there to get married, while Zuo Donglu watched from below...

Chu Mingkong could only hurry to his master's precious room.

Surprisingly, Zuo Qiuchi didn't continue to be a lazy bum this time. He took out a token and fiddled with it, seemingly lost in thought.

"Master, what are you doing?"

"It's nothing, I was just wondering whether I should take the initiative to contact the Sword Dynasty, but I'm afraid of getting into trouble and causing some problems, sigh!"

Zuo Qiuchi was naturally referring to his sister's matter. Chu Mingkong was able to bring Donglu to Jiuxiang Town in an instant, which largely relieved him of the worry about pursuers. If he made contact, things might go wrong.

"What do you want with me?"

Chu Mingkong directly took out a set of red wedding dresses and placed them next to Zuo Qiuchi, saying frankly:

"Let's discuss our wedding. But it would be a bit strange if you, who was supposed to be the one welcoming the bride, stood on top and exchanged cups with me, while Aunt Donglu, who was supposed to be my fiancé, sat at a table with Maomao and the others below?"

Zuo Qiuchi had initially felt a bit of tension, but the situation mentioned in the second half of the sentence completely erased it.

I can hardly imagine what that scene was like, or what Donglu was thinking!

Chapter Twenty: Preparations for the Wedding?

As the old saying goes, the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed.

There are indeed no ancestral laws now, but there are marriage agreements left by our ancestors. Although time has passed and many things have happened, making these marriage agreements less important.

However, that agreement still carried some weight, as evidenced by Zuo Qiuchi's reluctance to travel thousands of miles to the Tianji Empire, a foreign land.

Zuo Qiuchi agreed to his traitor's overstepping request because he considered that even if he brought Chu Mingkong back, the final result would most likely be the termination of the contract.

Dong Lu's decision to leave home to cultivate, coupled with her solitary and unlucky destiny, made the outcome somewhat inevitable.

No matter how much Donglu has become a nun, Zuo Qiuchi still considers her his younger sister and feels a sense of guilt. Furthermore, if they were to actually get married, and a scene unfolds where "Donglu is watching from below"...

Zuo Qiuchi truly couldn't accept it and felt guilty.

"You traitor, think of something quick! Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to sit at the same table as Donglu!"

"No, I've waited so long for this..."

Chu Mingkong could understand his master's feelings; just imagining it himself gave him a chill down his spine.

Zuo Qiuchi knew he was in a difficult position, so she softened her tone and comforted him:

"How about I sit at the same table with Donglu this time? We can make up for it another time in the future. I actually feel quite sorry for this little sister."

She didn't bother to elaborate on the nuances of her feelings, as Zuo Qiuchi admitted to being poor at expressing herself. However, Chu Mingkong had had some contact with Donglu and should be able to understand what she meant.

Seeing Donglu like this, it's really hard to feel at ease.

Alone on the deserted Sword Peak, he had no one to help him in case of trouble, just like this time. If Chu Mingkong hadn't been so confused and directly crossed from the Abyss to the Sword Dynasty...

The best outcome for Zuo Donglu would most likely be that she disappears in the Abyss, while the worst outcome would be that she is captured and forced to do something unknown.

Chu Mingkong was still somewhat disappointed:

"Then, Master, could you wear it for me to see in private later?"

Zuo Qiuchi pulled him closer, cupped Chu Mingkong's chin, and touched foreheads with him. She felt guilty about her traitor's disappointment.

Okay~

"Then come up here and lie down with me. Get some rest, and I'll help you prepare."

Zuo Qiuchi lifted Chu Mingkong's body and pulled him into the quilt, wanting to relax with him for a while after a long time.

Perhaps it was because of her stunning beauty and languid charm, but after a long absence from her hometown, she was overcome with nostalgia and sentimentality. She hadn't had so many random thoughts when they were just lazing around together before.

She left home at a young age and was still young. When she traveled to a foreign land, she took in a little apprentice. The little girl from back then has grown into a big, muscular man in the blink of an eye.

Of course, the relationship has also changed a lot. What was originally just playful banter has unknowingly turned into a real relationship.

When we left Kunlun, it was the turn of spring and summer, and in the blink of an eye, the bumpy journey was coming to an end.

“Mingkong, I remember when I used to go to other people’s banquets… ugh, wedding banquets, the procedures were so many and complicated. Without a matchmaker, it would be impossible to manage those procedures properly. At most, I could only help move some chairs, set out a few bottles of wine, and then just wait to eat.”

Chu Mingkong smiled.

"That is indeed a lot of procedures, such as betrothal and asking the bride's name. These can only be omitted. After all, there is no need for a wedding procession or any guests. It's just family members having fun, so it's best to keep it simple."

"Simple? How simple?" Zuo Qiuchi tilted her head and looked at the man next to her.

"Is it just about dressing up in festive clothes, having a meal together, and then paying respects to Aunt Gu and the others?"

"That's too simple. There should be some ceremony, like carrying her out of the room to the dining room. That would at least count as picking up the bride."

Upon hearing this, Chu Mingkong realized that even if things were kept simple, there were still many details that could be preserved. However, simply changing clothes and having a meal was indeed not enough.

“That makes sense! Now that I think about it, we’ll have to put on another full event to make it up to you in the future! Let’s just consider this one as a deposit.”

As they chatted, their gazes inexplicably fell upon the red dress. The festive, bright red dress with dragon and phoenix patterns lay quietly to the side, somewhat dazzling.

In the silence, Chu Mingkong wrapped his arms around Zuo Qiuchi's slender waist and gently lifted her onto the red dress, which could be considered as if she were wearing it.

They lay back down, their eyes met, and their parched lips gradually pressed together.

Silent all night.

......

During her rest, Qingse secretly completed many preparations. All Chu Mingkong needed to do was announce "start," and she could immediately decorate the Xianzhen Pavilion in bright red, and even the banquet hall was quietly arranged.

"I've got everything ready on my end. The maids have prepared the ingredients for the dishes in advance. They're basically the same old dishes from the wedding banquet. Your Highness, you'll have to take some time to prepare a few dishes yourself."

Chu Mingkong clasped his hands together in gratitude.

"Thank you, Miss Qingse!"

"You're getting married now, so you're starting to hint that I'm an old maid, huh? How heartless!" Qingse said with a laugh.

"I didn't mean that, don't misunderstand me!" Chu Mingkong smiled back. "Then I'll go tell the ladies to change their clothes now, so they can be ready today for the wedding banquet tonight."

"No problem, Your Highness, you can rest assured that I will handle it!"

Qingse went to instruct her maids to make quiet and hurried arrangements. Chu Mingkong first exchanged for several tables of dishes, and then, carrying a large pile of red dresses, went door to door to inform people of the news.

The notification was indeed quite sudden; apart from Jin Yu and a few others, no one else was aware of it.

Even Yongzhen, who had just won the lottery, was kept in the dark. This could be considered a small surprise, which somewhat made up for the simplicity of the ceremony.

As for the elders, Chu Mingkong's plan was to finish drinking with the younger generation, and then have another round of wedding reception afterwards, ostensibly as an "experience".

This point is also being kept secret for the time being, and is being treated as a surprise.

Soon, the maids knocked on the doors of each of the women's rooms, and one by one, red dresses and dressing cases were brought into their rooms.

This naturally elicited a series of bewildered "Huh?" responses, a mix of confusion and delight.

What's going on...?

Rong'er lives alone, unlike Yongzhen and the others who can at least talk to Madam Zhen. When Rong'er encounters this situation, she naturally goes to Chu Mingkong immediately.

"Mingkong, come here!"

After watching the maid go inside, Chu Mingkong waited in the corridor to explain to them. This time, when he saw Rong'er opening the door and peeking out to find him, he naturally rushed over.