Chapter 116

Chapter 116

Chen Shu leaped off the stage into the fervent throng. Many hailed her as a sworn sibling; others offered fees to teach their disciples or children. He Yu hurriedly pushed through the crowd to extricate her, rushing them both to where Yun Shen stood.

As they halted, both spoke almost simultaneously.

“Did you see that sword?” Yun Shen asked.

“I know who that woman is!” Chen Shu declared.

Both froze. Chen Shu blinked, uncomprehending. Yun Shen pursed his lips, expression unreadable. After a long silence, he asked:

“Which woman?”

“The one who just came out in wedding robes!” Chen Shu exclaimed, gesturing wildly at the stage as if Yun Shen had missed the Bride. She started elaborating, but He Yu’s elbow nudged her surreptitiously from behind.

She turned her head and caught He Yu’s knowing look. Then she looked back to study Yun Shen’s expression, indeed seeing that he could hardly contain himself. His face was unusually stiff, held rigid as a board.

Though unsure what had displeased Yun Shen, Chen Shu couldn’t help but instinctively offer an ingratiating smile upon reflecting that she had thrown herself heartily into duels all day, drawing much attention.

Seeing her smile, Yun Shen echoed her with a gentle, though not entirely genuine, smile.

“…Are you truly here for The Bride’s Blade Challenge?”

“No!” Chen Shu shook her head hastily, repeating urgently, “Of course not! I mean, just who did that Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance intend to lure here for—”

“—Then who this woman is shouldn’t matter at all, should it?” Yun Shen said softly, his gaze fixed intently on her. It made her freeze in place, the words inexplicably stuck in her throat. A bitter ache rose in her chest, leaving her unable to reply.

Luckily, He Yu, standing nearby, saw that the two were truly teetering toward an argument. He quickly intervened, saying, “True, true! Since we won this challenge, the sword will naturally be ours tonight after the marriage ceremony. As for finding that ‘Strategist’ the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance wanted to track down—it’s not that we wouldn’t help him search, but—”

“—Don’t you think it’s strange?” Yun Shen cut him off, countering. “These opponents, all one after another lacking real skill—doesn’t this seem like an intentionally set trap?”

“How can you say they lack skill?” Chen Shu retorted, slightly offended. “Just because they couldn’t beat me, that doesn’t mean they lacked skill! Plenty of people lost to me at the Sword Discussion Tournament too—does that mean they all lacked skill?”

Yun Shen paused, seeming to realize he had spoken poorly. After a moment of silence, likely gathering his thoughts anew, he replied, “That’s not what I meant. When I said they lacked skill, it wasn’t because they lost to you that made me say it. You certainly must know their capabilities. It’s just that they were completely outmatched by you, so you might not have noticed—looking at each one individually, not one could compare to the top disciples from the Sword Discussion Tournament sects. None could even manage more than a few exchanges against Li Chou.”

“That isn’t surprising,” He Yu responded seriously. “After all, this is just a Blade Competition in Ping Chao Kou, and it was hastily put together. Perhaps this ‘Strategist’ is naturally cautious and never showed himself.”

“If the ‘Strategist’ chose not to reveal himself, that’s one thing,” Yun Shen paused, then pressed, “But could the one seeking the ‘Strategist’ have truly not appeared either?”

“Are you saying…”

“This place is merely a few miles from Qin Xin Bluff. Just look at the disciples from Qin Xin Bluff—hailing from the realm’s foremost sect, all warm and helpful. Why else would the Leader of the Martial Arts Alliance specifically pick this bustling location, neither village nor inn, unless he meant to draw upon Qin Xin Bluff’s influence? Had they truly meant to trap that ‘Strategist,’ in my view, they would surely have arranged for several capable fighters to mingle in the group of duelists. If they spotted anyone suspicious, they’d seize the opportunity to take the stage and test him.” Yun Shen finally shifted his gaze to He Yu, continuing at a measured pace. “Brother He was just below the competition ring. You and I saw these duelists together—not the least scent of Qin Xin Bluff, hardly any regular masters among them, and certainly no one stepped forward to probe—”

“Because I took the probing role?” Chen Shu ventured uncertainly. She tilted her head, suddenly remembering something, and gasped. “Or… maybe there were one or two who came to test me? You don’t think they mistook me for the ‘Strategist,’ do you?!”

Upon hearing this, both Yun and He looked at Chen Shu. They were silent for quite some moments, faces equally astonished. No one spoke as Chen Shu grew visibly more anxious. When He Yu finally snapped back to attention, he hurriedly said, “It might not be certain! Anyway, this confounded ‘Strategist’ can be caught later—why fret now? The sword is finally ours, after all. You’ve searched for it for two whole months—you ought to be happier!”

Hearing this, Chen Shu was swept along by his encouragement. Responding with a cheerful “Oh yes!” she stopped discussing any matters of the Martial World Alliance or Valley of Villains. Instead, she turned towards Xu Yuan and the woman, who had already withdrawn into the pavilion, and a constable pushing his way towards them through the crowd. Her face glowed with the sunset’s colours, even her glossy black eyes seeming to shimmer with light.

The constable in the crowd likely saw her too. He stretched out his arm, waving towards Chen Shu, beckoning for her to come inside.

“And I didn’t even properly see my sword earlier, too busy watching that woman…” Chen Shu muttered regretfully to herself. Yet when she turned back to them, her voice was already brimming with joy. “So I’ll go ahead now! Seems like I need to complete vows… something about the ceremony… before they hand over all the treasures!”

Yun Shen made no reply. He Yu waved his hand repeatedly, urging her onward. But she seemed to sense Yun Shen’s unusual silence today and turned to look at him specifically, her expression puzzled, expecting a response.

“…I’ll accompany you,” Yun Shen suddenly offered. He took a breath and quickly added, as if fearing their protests, “I still have some disguise materials. Just wait half a moment—I’ll ensure they don’t recognize me.”

The Challenge was over. Most spectators who had gathered to watch masters spar had dispersed. Only some martial artists hoping to befriend Chen Shu and a few commoners drawn by the marriage celebration remained around the competition ring. Their numbers were sparse, especially around the outer area where they stood, nowhere near as large as before.

Seeing the Martial World Alliance representative emerging from the thinning crowd, He Yu also shot Yun Shen a disapproving look. But Chen Shu simply gazed at Yun Shen with wide-eyed naiveté. Her eyes held only him now, shutting out the clamor of the strangers behind her. She seemed faintly aware that, though Yun Shen’s words sounded casual, immense gravity lay beneath that simple request.

“Alright!” she suddenly beamed, winking at him. “I’ll wait! Hurry back!”

—

The union was conducted that very night. After sunset, as lanterns began to glow, people from the Martial World Alliance escorted Chen Shu into the pavilion and helped her change into festive red robes. Though petite, she radiated spirit. Laughter lit her face, saving the solemn, heavy wedding attire from stiffness, making it seem more like some vibrant, lively martial robe— as alive and brilliantly beautiful as its wearer.

Yun Shen claimed status as her attendant and waited outside her door. When she changed, she poked her head out to ask him; he stared for a moment, a smile unintentionally showing before he reined it in. “…It looks good.”

“I got to be the bridegroom!” Chen Shu declared ebulliently before pressing, “Did you find out? When will we finish the vows? And when do I get my sword back?”

“No rush. Asking now makes you seem too eager,” Yun Shen replied. He extended a hand, seemingly to adjust her collar, then caught himself and withdrew it back into his sleeve. Smiling warmly, he advised, “Nothing’s happening right now. Go back in and sort things out before the mirror.”

Surprisingly, Chen Shu showed no wariness even at such an hour. Upon hearing him, she pulled the door wider open and suggested, “But why not do it yourself? I’m not skilled with this stuff anyway—”

Saying this, she scanned the corridor outside confirming it was empty of Martial World Alliance folk. Then she grabbed Yun Shen and pulled him into the room. Ignoring stiffening inexplicably upon stepping inside, Chen Shu plopped onto a small stool by the bed, puffing her chest out and baring her slim neck to him. She waited, trusting he’d fuss about it but eventually, with his usual indulgence, get everything right for her.

This time, Yun Shen indeed reflexively reached out, like a marionette. Though his lips were pursed, his expression inscrutable, he steadily crouched down. His fingers gently lifted the stray wisps that had escaped Chen Shu’s hastily tied hair crown, then smoothed her collar, tucking it in properly.

At this moment, both wore illusion spells: one transformed into a strikingly handsome man, the very picture of a dashing young master; the other had reshaped her features into an unremarkable, dusty plainness, resembling the most ordinary, humble old servant. To an outsider, nothing seemed amiss.

But when he finished straightening Chen Shu’s clothes, he couldn’t suppress the urge to grasp her neck. Though the movement was fleeting, it seemed somewhat inappropriate.

Moreover, his fingers were naturally cool. This sudden, unexpected touch startled her with a tingling sensation. Chen Shu flinched away with a giggle, saying, “Ooh, ticklish! Don’t pull my hair loose; it took me forever to tie it up!”

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a knock. Someone spoke deferentially, “The auspicious time draws near. When it comes, please follow us to the main hall for the ceremony, great heroes.”

“Coming!” Chen Shu stretched her neck towards the door to answer, then turned back to Yun Shen with a smile. “See? It’s almost time. If it gets loose now, it’d be a pain to fix—”

“It won’t come loose at this very moment,” Yun Shen said slowly. “But what if, upon your arrival in the hall, during the wedding rite itself, your crown unravels? Wouldn’t that be far more troublesome?”

Chen Shu was momentarily stunned by his reasoning. She frowned, pondered it seriously for a moment, then piped up brightly, “Oh, right!”

As she spoke, the very strands Yun Shen had just tucked up escaped again, falling softly by her ears. Bathed in the candlelight of the room, they seemed wispy yet stubbornly unruly. Chen Shu casually tried to smooth them back, failing utterly. Watching her fumble, her awkward movements like a wild child crammed into unfamiliar finery, Yun Shen’s expression softened involuntarily.

“How about I re-tie it for you right now,” he offered.

Chen Shu was delighted. She readily agreed with a joyful “Yes!” repeated twice, eagerly tilting her head to the side. She waited as Yun Shen stood up, walked over, and with his slender fingers, gently worked through her hair. He meticulously loosened the haphazardly tied crown and carefully began smoothing the strands.

“This mortal world marriage is truly quite troublesome,” Chen Shu remarked idly, twiddling her fingers now that she was free. “I hear it’s even worse for the bride. You could see the hairpins and jade ornaments beneath her veil! It’s the first time I’ve thought having so much hair was a nuisance!”

“It’s more than that,” Yun Shen murmured softly as he gathered her hair. “In such ceremonies, the hair is of foremost importance. Since ancient times, people’s hair has been revered as one of this mundane world’s most treasured possessions. It’s a gift from Heaven and one’s parents, representing a person’s very roots. Newlyweds, for good fortune, often have their hair intertwined, knotted together, a section cut off, and kept as a memento. This is the ‘hair-tying ritual.’ After tonight’s ceremonial bows, you’ll likely need to…”

“How is it twisted?” Chen Shu asked, her curiosity piqued. She abruptly turned her head. Yun Shen had to quickly release her hair to avoid pulling painfully on her dark tresses, undoing all his careful work. She paid no mind, simply grabbing a strand and offering it to him, looking at him brightly. “I truly haven’t seen it before—have you? Show me! How do you wind them?”

Yun Shen looked at the lock of hair she offered, then chuckled softly. “How can you tie a knot with just the hair of one?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached back to his own head and retrieved a similar lock. “For united locks,” he said gently, “it naturally requires the locks of two.”