# Chapter 1277: Marriage Contract
Jin Yue was by no means an ordinary maidservant. She came from the Yue Shen Realm and served beside the future Divine Empress, holding a status far higher than most Xuan practitioners of the Yue Shen Realm. She definitely wasn't someone who was timid or easily flustered.
Yet in front of Yun Che, she always felt nervous and uneasy, especially not daring to meet his gaze.
"Jin Yue takes her leave." Whether she had remembered Yun Che's instructions or not, Jin Yue hurried away.
Huo Rulie and the others exchanged glances. Mu Huanzhi couldn't help but ask, "Our Yin Xue Realm has a favor owed to the Divine Empress? What's this about?"
But neither Yun Che nor Mu Bingyun answered.
Mu Huanzhi stroked his beard to somewhat ease the awkwardness.
Yun Che and Mu Bingyun understood the connection between Xia Qingyue and Yin Xue Realm all too well. After arriving in the Shen Realm, Xia Qingyue would naturally come to learn that the Ice God Divine Art she had cultivated at the Bing Yun Fairy Palace was actually the Ice Phoenix God-Sealing Canon of Yin Xue Realm.
"What did you give her?" Mu Bingyun asked, her eyes full of concern.
"Our marriage contract." Yun Che said indifferently.
Pfft...
The wine Huo Rulie had just put in his mouth sprayed all over himself and the table. He hurriedly wiped himself in a fluster, stammering, "I... I... I didn't hear anything just now..."
As if afraid that Huo Poyun might ask too many questions, he ignored his own disheveled state and grabbed Huo Poyun: "Poyun, your master still has many important things to discuss with you. After you enter the Zhou Tian Pearl... blah blah blah..."
Our marriage contract...
The marriage contract between Yun Che and the Yue Shen Realm's Divine Empress!?
This was no clear sky thunderbolt; Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and Mu Huanzhi — three Divine Sovereigns — were all struck dumb on the spot. The amount of information was so overwhelming that they felt as if they had been submerged by an endless ocean wave.
"I... I'm going to look after my disciples." Mu Huanzhi was sweating profusely and even stumbled over a chair as he stood up.
"Ahem... I'll go too." The normally steady-as-a-mountain Yan Juehai practically fled.
"It seems you don't believe what that maidservant said?" Mu Bingyun looked at Yun Che.
"No, I believe her." Yun Che's expression was blank. "She should indeed not have watched the Xuan God Assembly's Mysterious Shadows, and she doesn't know I'm still alive."
"Why?"
"Because I know her." Recalling something, Yun Che gently closed his eyes. "She is a person with an extremely indifferent temperament, always has been. The Xuan path has always been her only pursuit; everything else, she couldn't care less about."
Mu Bingyun: "..."
"Although she hasn't watched the Xuan God Assembly's Mysterious Shadows, she must have heard my name. It's just..." Yun Che smiled self-deprecatingly. "There's no way she could connect the 'Yun Che' she heard with me."
Just like when he first heard Yue Shen Di call out the name "Qingyue," he never imagined she would be Xia Qingyue — not even a little.
He couldn't possibly connect Xia Qingyue with the "Divine Empress of the Yue Shen Realm."
And Xia Qingyue could never connect the "first in the God-Sealing Tournament" with him... let alone when he was already a dead man.
"..." Mu Bingyun silently watched Yun Che. His words told her that in Xia Qingyue's world, "Yun Che" was a deceased husband from years ago. Who she chose to marry was entirely her own freedom.
Whether he was saying these words for Mu Bingyun to hear, or to comfort himself.
"Since she is a person of indifferent temperament, she wouldn't covet the title of 'Yue Shen Divine Empress.' Perhaps she is being forced, or has some difficulty," Mu Bingyun consoled. "After all, if the Yue Shen Di wants someone to become his Divine Empress, no one can refuse."
"No," Yun Che shook his head. "She truly isn't the type to covet the name 'Divine Empress,' but neither would she be coerced by anyone."
Mu Bingyun: "...?"
"Palace Master Bingyun, twelve years ago when she and I got married, she was already admired by countless people and was already a formal disciple of the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. At that time, I had a frail body and a crippled Xuan meridian. Even the servants in my clan secretly mocked me."
"The gap between us back then was beyond words. But she still married me, not out of coercion or any difficulty, but entirely of her own will."
"..." Mu Bingyun was slightly stunned.
"Back then, I was grateful to her, and I also loved her. On the first day of our marriage, I had already decided in my heart that no matter who she was, I would make her truly fall in love with me... Perhaps, it was also to satisfy my somewhat ridiculous pride."
Thinking back to those few days after the wedding, Yun Che smiled faintly.
"Later, I had many confidantes. As I got along with them, they gradually integrated me into their lives and wills. Even Cai Zhi, who was the Little Demon Empress, was like this. But... only Xia Qingyue..."
"We had worshipped heaven and earth, shared hardships, and even experienced life and death together. So many times, I thought I had completely melted her icy heart... Especially once, when we were both swallowed by a giant beast in the Heavenly Lake. She gave all her power to me to save me, almost losing her own life..."
"But every time I thought I had fully entered her heart, she would... almost without hesitation, leave me and return to the Bing Yun Fairy Palace. When we met again, she still kept the same distance that never seemed to have narrowed."
Back then, he had agreed to join the Bing Yun Fairy Palace, becoming its first male disciple. Subconsciously, one important reason was to be able to stay close to Xia Qingyue for a long time.
"She appears cold and delicate, but her will is incredibly strong and independent. Once she decides something, no one can shake her. Perhaps it's because she possesses a crystal heart, but she subconsciously views everyone and everything in this world from a condescending perspective. No one can force her to do anything — only whether she is willing."
"You mean, her desire to marry Yue Shen Di is something she wants willingly?"
"Yes." Yun Che nodded, his face neither happy nor sad.
Eight years can change many things, but it can't change a person's nature and will.
When Xia Qingyue appeared, her eyes were just as he remembered — like a pool of autumn water without ripples.
"In her case, she did nothing wrong. On the contrary, she made a choice that any woman in the world would consider correct. The Yue Shen Realm King... Compared to him, I am nothing more than a crawling insect that has just learned to crawl. The Divine Empress of a King Realm — for a woman, there is no more honorable position in this world. Perhaps this is also a blessing granted by the 'crystal heart.'"
"If there's any mistake, it's that I'm still alive."
Yun Che's words were clear and natural, his expression extremely calm... a calmness that was unsettling.
"Then why... did you still give her the marriage contract?" Mu Bingyun asked.
"Of course, to let her know of this mistake's existence, and then personally erase it." Yun Che smiled faintly.
Yun Che seemed to have completely regained his rationality, frighteningly so. But Mu Bingyun couldn't relax at all: "Yun Che, are you really..."
"Don't worry." Yun Che looked ahead. "This wedding ceremony is so grand. It is not just a wedding; it also bears the face and dignity of Yue Shen Di and the entire Yue Shen Realm."
"This is the Yue Shen Realm. With my meager power, even if I throw my life away here and spill all my blood here, I couldn't change a single thing. Instead, I would only cause Yin Xue Realm and Yan Shen Realm to suffer because of me."
Even if Xia Qingyue herself backed out, it would no longer be possible.
"I still have so many things to do. I just made a promise with her. How could I... let something like this bury me here."
"That's how it is."
He picked up another jade cup and drained it in one gulp.
As the jade cup landed, it instantly shattered.
"..." Mu Bingyun gently grasped Yun Che's arm but said nothing more to console him.
Yun Che, when you handed the marriage contract to her, was it really for such a simple purpose?
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Above the clouds, Qianye Ying'er's attention was mostly on Yun Che, and she had naturally noticed Jin Yue.
Far away and not releasing Xuan force, she couldn't fully hear their conversation, but she had vaguely caught "Divine Empress's maidservant."
"The Divine Empress's maidservant? Why would she go to Yun Che?" Qianye Ying'er's gaze fell on the jade box in Jin Yue's hands. "Old Gu, what did Yun Che put inside?"
Gu Bo's body didn't move, but a strange light flickered in his eyes. After a moment, he said slowly, "It's a marriage contract."
"Marriage contract? Bring it over and let me see."
Gu Bo didn't reply. At that moment, his withered old hand lifted. Without any visible motion, a strange vortex suddenly appeared in the space before him.
His bony, dry fingers curled, slowly sinking into the vortex. After a few breaths, Old Gu's hand withdrew, the vortex silently disappeared, and in his hand was a folded paper scroll.
Below, Jin Yue walked hurriedly, completely unaware. The jade box in her hands remained intact, showing no abnormality.
Qianye Ying'er took the paper scroll, opened it, and swept her divine sense over it. The phoenix eyes behind her mask narrowed.
Cang Feng Kingdom... Liu Yun City...
Xiao Che... Xia Qingyue...
Qingyue...
She folded the marriage contract, very, very slowly. When it was completely closed, the corner of her mouth curled into a dangerously subtle smile...
"The world actually holds such an interesting thing."
"Should I put it back?" Gu Zhu asked.
"No," Qianye Ying'er put the marriage contract away. "Such a heavy gift naturally deserves to be used to its fullest potential."
"I didn't bring any decent wedding gift to the Yue Shen Realm this time. I'll just borrow this flower to offer to the Buddha and give Yue Wuyai a huge surprise!"
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Inside the Dun Yue Immortal Palace, Xia Qingyue stood before a mirror, her fingers lightly stroking its surface. Her beautiful eyes were dreamy and distant, lost in thought.
The internal space of the Dun Yue Immortal Palace was enormous, with countless bright lights flickering. These lights seemed drawn by an invisible force, all gathering toward Xia Qingyue's immortal silhouette.
The wedding ceremony was about to begin in the final quarter-hour.
Jin Yue held the jade box, approached with light steps, and then gracefully bowed behind Xia Qingyue: "Divine Empress, as per your instructions from a month ago, I have bestowed a Moon God Pill upon Yin Xue Realm, delivered to the Yin Xue disciple named 'Yun Che.'"
"Good." She replied indifferently.
"There is one more matter," Jin Yue said. "Young Master Yun Che asked this servant to bring a return gift to Your Highness, and requested that Your Highness open it personally."
"No need," she said faintly. "Take it away."
Her response did not surprise Jin Yue at all. After a moment's thought, she finally said, "Young Master Yun Che also asked this servant to relay a message to Your Highness..."
"'This is the wedding gift from Xiao Che of Liu Yun City to the Divine Empress.'"