Chapter 5: The Grand Wedding
Supported by two bridesmaids, Xia Qingyue finally appeared before Xiao Che. On her head was a large red phoenix crown, and the dense veil of beads hanging from it completely covered her face, making it impossible to see her expression or mood. Her jet-black hair was softly tied behind her, and she wore a straight-cut red wedding robe made from silk brocade with patterns of four joys and auspicious clouds. Her waist was cinched, accentuating her slender willow-like figure. At her waist hung an exquisite jade belt, from which dangled a fine pearl tassel. She stepped in gold-threaded shoes. Her gorgeous attire made her appear even more dazzling.
Supported by the bridesmaids, Xia Qingyue slowly walked toward Xiao Che, who stood beside the bridal sedan chair. Each step was light and graceful, as if she were treading on clouds. Walking is the same for ordinary women, but for her, it seemed like a fairy touching the clouds—even this most common posture was incredibly beautiful, a sight that delighted Xiao Che's eyes.
Xia Qingyue finally arrived in front of the bridal sedan. The two bridesmaids released their hands and stepped back. According to the wedding customs of the Cang Feng Empire, the groom is to help the bride into the sedan chair. Xiao Che stepped forward and extended his hand, and Xia Qingyue gently raised her hand... However, just as her hand was about to rest in his palm, a bone-piercing cold suddenly shot through Xiao Che's hand, causing his entire right hand and arm to stiffen in pain, completely immobile. Xia Qingyue's hand hovered over Xiao Che's palm, and her body gracefully entered the sedan chair... To onlookers, it appeared as if her hand had rested on his and he had helped her in.
The coldness on his hand slowly faded. Xiao Che lowered his arm, his expression calm, without a word. Aside from a slight frown at the moment the cold struck, he showed no other reaction and made no sound.
If someone had lifted the fine bead veil on Xia Qingyue's head at that moment, they would have seen a trace of surprise flicker in her beautiful eyes. But it quickly returned to coldness.
Xiao Che mounted his horse, and the wedding procession grandly returned. The escort from the Xia family followed closely behind, heading straight for the Xiao Sect.
After another hour and a half, the procession arrived back at the Xiao Sect entrance. The round trip had taken a long time but went smoothly without incident. The much-anticipated bride-snatching drama that many had hoped for never materialized, disappointing many who harbored jealousy.
Xiao Lie was already standing at the entrance, welcoming the arriving guests. Of course, those who came for Xiao Che could be counted on one hand; most came for Xiao Lie and the Xia family. Given Xiao Lie's reputation in Liu Yun City and the Xia family's extensive connections, there were quite a number of guests. Outside the Xiao Sect gate, countless onlookers had gathered, clogging the road. Clearly, all were there to witness the marriage of the number one beauty of Liu Yun City.
Xia Qingyue's bridal sedan slowly came to a stop. Amid the clamor, a corner of the curtain was lifted, and her maid, Xia Dongling, said softly, "Miss, we have arrived."
Then, a hand extended out, and supported by Xia Dongling, she slowly stepped down. The moment she left the sedan, the previously deafening noise around them instantly fell silent, replaced by one gasp after another.
It was nearly noon. The sunlight was exceptionally bright and gentle. The shimmering rays reflected off her phoenix crown and cape, making her appear enchanting and brilliant, dazzling the eyes. She wore a four-panel phoenix crown, her high-coiled cloud bun adorned with exquisitely crafted gold hairpins, from which hung several carved phoenix gold hairpins. She wore a large red wedding dress of auspicious cloud pattern silk, with a matching broad silk belt, and gold-threaded shoes. The large red gold-thread phoenix crown was covered in long, fine pearl tassels. As the tassels swayed, her dark eyebrows, snow-white skin, bright eyes, and jade-like lips were faintly visible, flawless. Though her face was not fully revealed, she seemed like a heavenly maiden descending to earth, beauty beyond the mortal realm.
Suppressed gasps layered over each other. Many stared blankly, unable to come back to their senses. Such was Xia Qingyue's charm—without even showing her face, her transcendent aura and figure alone made her like a fairy stepping out of a painting, so breathtakingly beautiful one couldn't look away...
A red silk ribbon was tied around Xia Qingyue's hand by Xia Dongling, while the other end was naturally tied to Xiao Che's hand. Xiao Che walked ahead with a smile, leading Xia Qingyue as they stepped over a fire pan, over a saddle, through the Xia family threshold, and headed straight for the main hall.
Upon entering the Xiao Sect gate, the noise around them did not diminish. Xiao Che's expression remained unchanged, his steps uninterrupted. He certainly hoped the wedding ceremony would end soon.
This was the central meeting hall of the Xiao Sect. Only the Sect Master or the elders' lineage had the right to use this hall as a wedding venue. For this wedding, it had been decorated on a large scale. As far as the eye could see, carved beams were inlaid with yellow crystals, and the walls were painted with two dragons playing with a pearl, with several rare pearls embedded above. A red carpet ran through the center of the hall, straight to the golden steps at the front. A faint golden light made the already splendidly decorated hall shine even more brilliantly. Of course, the Xiao Sect would not spend so much effort for Xiao Che's sake; all this came from the Xia family. For his daughter's wedding, Xia Hongyi spared no expense.
At the highest point of the hall, Xiao Lie and Xia Hongyi were already seated, both smiling as they watched Xiao Che and Xia Qingyue enter. Purple sandalwood tables lined both sides of the red carpet, three rows on each side, all filled with guests. The Xiao Sect Master, Xiao Yunhai, was notably present, along with the other four elders of the Xiao Sect. When Xiao Che walked in with a radiant smile, their expressions remained unchanged, but deep in their eyes, contempt flickered in unison.
As a family of profound cultivation, having Xiao Che, who possessed a direct bloodline but was born with a crippled profound vein, was simply a disgrace to the Xiao Sect. If it weren't for the fact that he was the grandson of the Fifth Elder, Xiao Lie, he would have long been banished to the Xiao family's businesses and not allowed to stay in the Sect... And if he hadn't married the most prominent daughter of the Xia family in Liu Yun City, they wouldn't have bothered to attend, let alone ask about it.
When it came to Xiao Che, the only word that came to mind when mentioning or hearing his name was "waste." They didn't even bother to remember what he looked like. On the Tian Xuan Continent, without strength, there is no dignity—even within one's own family. Such is reality.
The expressions of the younger generation of the Xiao family were strikingly consistent. When their gaze fell on Xia Qingyue, they showed uncontrollable infatuation; when it shifted to Xiao Che, the jealousy in their eyes almost burst forth... This lifelong cripple, whom even the outer disciples of the Xiao family looked down on, had married the brightest pearl of Liu Yun City, the one they wouldn't even dare to dream about. Watching the two enter the marriage hall holding the red silk together was more unbearable than swallowing a dead fly raw.
The wedding officiant was Xiao De, the general steward of Xiao family logistics. The ceremony officially began with his shouts.
The officiant started by introducing the bride and groom, then reading out the list of honored guests... Xiao Che's expression remained unchanged, his heart calm as still water. As for the officiant's subsequent words, he stopped listening, his mind repeatedly pondering a question that bothered him...
At the Xia family, when Xia Qingyue was about to touch his hand, what was that sudden coldness that came from his hand? Could it be some kind of profound art? But in Liu Yun City, no such profound art had ever been heard of. Xia Qingyue reaching the tenth level of the Initial Xuan Realm at sixteen was undoubtedly astonishing genius talent... But in terms of rank, she was still at the most basic Initial Xuan Realm. How could she release such bone-chilling cold so silently, making his entire arm immobile? What kind of profound art could unleash such astonishing power at such a low level?
Or... could Xia Qingyue, reaching the tenth level of the Initial Xuan Realm at sixteen, still be hiding her true strength?
The officiant's chanting stopped at this moment. After a brief pause, his voice, an octave higher, rang out again:
"First bow to Heaven and Earth!"
Xiao Che quickly gathered his thoughts. He glanced sideways at Xia Qingyue beside him, and together they bent down, bowing to Heaven and Earth.
"Second bow to the elders!"
They turned around and respectfully bowed in the direction of Xiao Lie and Xia Hongyi. Xiao Lie nodded with a smile, looking affectionately at Xiao Che and his granddaughter-in-law who had finally entered the family. Xia Hongyi also smiled broadly, showing no trace of dissatisfaction or reluctance toward this marriage.
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
Xiao Che turned toward Xia Qingyue. Almost simultaneously, Xia Qingyue turned toward him... without any hesitation or delay. This made many of the younger Xiao Sect members gnash their teeth inwardly. In their minds, Xia Qingyue absolutely could not be willing to marry Xiao Che, a complete cripple. Reaching this point must have been forced by the Xia family. But to their great disappointment, up to this moment, Xia Qingyue had behaved entirely properly, not a single person detecting any sign of resistance from her.
They bowed to each other. As their bodies bent, through the slightly parted bead veil, Xiao Che caught a glimpse of a cold gaze... so cold it seemed devoid of any emotion.
At this moment, there should have been enthusiastic clapping, laughter, and cheers. But the hall only heard a few scattered claps, extremely awkward.
"Heh heh, Fifth Elder, and Brother Xia, truly congratulations." Xiao Yunhai stood up and spoke. He was just over forty years old, with a gentle demeanor.
"Indeed, we must extend our great congratulations to Fifth Elder." The First Elder, Xiao Li, who was beside Xiao Yunhai, interjected lightly. Anyone could hear the insincerity in his tone.
The Second Elder, Xiao Bo, laughed oddly twice and slowly said, "Fifth Elder has gained such a granddaughter-in-law; our entire Xiao Sect feels honored. The Xia family has been merchants for generations, finding such a son-in-law, heh heh, is also quite good. Congratulations, congratulations."
The atmosphere in the hall chilled a few degrees. They said "congratulations," but the mockery in their words was clear to anyone who wasn't a fool.