Chapter 643: Wish Fulfilled
Yun Che turned back at full speed. When he returned to the Yaohuang Palace, Xiao Yaohou was no longer there, only a few imperial maids quietly cleaning. Seeing Yun Che enter, they quickly put down their tasks and knelt to him. The news that Xiao Yaohou would marry him had already been announced to the world, elevating Yun Che's status to something unprecedented.
"Where is Xiao Yaohou?" Yun Che asked as he stepped forward.
"Reporting to Young Master Yun, Xiao Yaohou returned to her bedchamber shortly after you left," the foremost maid replied respectfully.
Yun Che turned around, rose into the air, and flew straight toward Xiao Yaohou's bedchamber.
Xiao Yaohou's bedchamber was silent and still. She stood alone by the window, motionless like a lifeless jade porcelain doll. After returning from the Yaohuang Palace, she had been standing here, maintaining this posture for a very long time.
A presence approached from afar, rapidly nearing the bedchamber. As it drew close, it did not cautiously slow down or conceal its aura. Xiao Yaohou's brows furrowed, but immediately, she recognized the owner of the presence. The words that were about to leave her mouth were swallowed back. She did not turn around, remaining completely still, save for the crystal-like eyes that trembled for an instant.
Throughout the entire Illusory Demon Realm, only Yun Che would dare to barge into Xiao Yaohou's bedchamber like this... If anyone else dared, they would be burned to ashes by Xiao Yaohou before even getting close.
Yun Che did not deliberately soften his footsteps, walking straight in. This was the bedchamber of the Illusory Demon Emperor, yet it was incredibly simple—far from anything that could be called "luxury." It was even inferior to the boudoir of an ordinary wealthy woman. Amidst its simplicity was a deep, chilling coldness, making anyone who entered subconsciously hold their breath.
This was not the first time Yun Che had barged in without announcement, but before, it always ended in one of two outcomes: either he was blasted out before entering, or he was blasted out immediately after entering.
But this time, Xiao Yaohou, standing by the bamboo window, remained silent, leaving Yun Che only a frail and petite back view, as if she hadn't noticed his arrival at all.
Standing at the entrance of the bedchamber, Yun Che silently gazed at her silhouette, but she neither spoke nor turned around. In the air, he faintly sensed an aura of loneliness and sorrow, which stung his heart and soul. He stepped forward, slowly walking toward Xiao Yaohou...
Until he stood behind her, then opened his arms, encircling her waist, gently pulling her into his chest...
Xiao Yaohou's entire body trembled violently...
Her gray robe was quite loose, but her figure was exceedingly delicate. Especially her slender waist, like a fragile willow in the wind—not just his arms, even both his hands could easily encircle it.
But before Yun Che could savor the warmth of the young girl's body in his arms, a force of ten thousand jun smashed into his chest.
Bang!!
With a loud crash, Yun Che's body was sent flying like a cannonball, his back slamming heavily into the wall, shaking the entire bedchamber.
"Can... can you... not be so ruthless?!" Yun Che brushed off the dust and broken jade fragments from his clothes, shakily standing up, hissing in cold air.
Over these hundred years, Xiao Yaohou had developed a very strong instinct for self-defense. Shoving Yun Che away was purely a reflex... Although she regretted it the moment she blasted him away, she still forcibly maintained a cold face and said in a deep voice, "You asked for it! If it were anyone else daring to offend me like this, they would have died ten thousand times! Hmph!"
"Hey! How can I be the same as 'anyone else'? I'm about to become your husband—the one you personally announced you would marry! Can't I even hold you once?" Yun Che said indignantly.
Perhaps feeling a bit in the wrong, Xiao Yaohou turned her face away and said coldly, "Why have you come back again?"
After finally brushing off the dust, Yun Che said innocently, "I came back to tell you that I am willing to go along with your wishes and join your Yaohuang Clan after marriage."
Xiao Yaohou's gaze turned to him: "Are you... serious?"
"Of course I'm serious." Yun Che began to look somewhat aggrieved: "Earlier in the Yaohuang Palace, because of instinctive resistance, I didn't think it through too much. After I went back and calmed down, I realized that you are far more important to me than my so-called male pride. If I don't even have the courage to shoulder the burdens of your clan with you for the sake of my ridiculous self-esteem, then I don't deserve... to be your husband."
"...Xiao Yaohou looked at him, silent for a long time. After a moment, she turned her face away, looking out the window, her gaze misty: "Thank you."
If it were any other man in the Illusory Demon Realm who gained Xiao Yaohou's favor, not only would he be willing to join the Yaohuang Clan, but even his entire clan would be happy to change their surname to "Huan." They would be delighted and overjoyed... But she knew Yun Che was different. He was someone who showed no fear or retreat even in the face of the Golden Crow Soul Spirit, so how could he covet the title of the Illusory Demon Royal Clan?
His concession was far too precious.
"Hahaha," Yun Che laughed loudly. "You personally announced to the world that I'm about to be your husband, so there's no need for thanks between us... But when facing your future husband, you still strike as hard as before... I could bear the physical pain, but it hurts my heart too, sss..."
"...Xiao Yaohou's lips moved. Although she knew that Yun Che's tone, expression, and the action of sucking in cold air were all an act, it was true that she had blasted him away hard, and a trace of guilt rose in her heart.
"I'm really hurt now, so... if you want me to join your Yaohuang Clan, you have to promise me an additional condition!"
"...What condition?"
Yun Che narrowed his eyes and said with extreme seriousness: "Simple... let me hold you properly for a while—right now."
"...Under normal circumstances, if Yun Che said something like that, he would definitely be blasted away by Xiao Yaohou. But now, as she personally announced that they would marry in seven days, the once subtle relationship between them had undergone a qualitative change with this step she had taken with all her courage and willpower. If they were husband and wife, holding each other was the most ordinary thing, let alone...
"I... am not used to being touched by others." Xiao Yaohou's gaze wavered, and even her voice was no longer cold or hard.
"That's for others... but I am not 'others.'" Yun Che walked toward her. With each step closer, he could feel her breathing becoming increasingly disordered. "I know that over these many years, you have endured immense pressure every single day, and every moment, you have been on guard against crises that could strike at any time. So your self-defense instinct has long become almost a reflex. When you blasted me away just now... I knew it wasn't intentional."
Yun Che's understanding was not just empty words; he truly comprehended it. Because during those years in the Cang Yun Continent, his situation had been far more dangerous than Xiao Yaohou's by countless times. He had the same defensive instinct, and to some extent, even stronger than Xiao Yaohou's... Even now, even in the safest Yun Clan, he only ever slept with seventy percent of his awareness.
"But I am about to become your husband. From now on, I am your... Huan Caiyi's other half of life. I am willing to face everything with you, bear everything together. I will always treat you well, and I will strive to enter your world. I am the one you never need to guard against... and the only person in this world who can hold you."
"Just like in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley... back then, we faced the Ming Wang together. I held you, and we fell into the Sea of Death together. At that time, you nestled tightly against me, without rejection, without trying to break free... because at that moment, our fates were bound together—to live together or die together. This binding of our fates is not just for that one month in the Sea of Death; it will be forever... from now on."
Unconsciously, Yun Che's voice was already right by her ear, and his arms, amid his gentle words, slowly wrapped around her slender waist. Her back pressed against a warm chest... This time, Xiao Yaohou did not struggle at all, not even a momentary stiffness of her body. Her thoughts, following Yun Che's words, returned to the month they had held each other tightly in the Sea of Death... Gradually, she realized that Yun Che was holding her gently, but her body did not release its instinctive rejection. Her heart felt nothing but... a sense of warmth that softened both her body and soul.
In his arms, it felt like the body of a young girl—almost even smaller than Mo Li. From her came not the bone-chilling coldness, but a softness mixed with a slightly flustered girlish aura.
Although in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley back then, they had indulged in intimacy countless times, simply holding her like this... until today, his wish was finally fulfilled.
Yun Che closed his eyes, smiling contentedly: "Your sudden announcement today that you would marry me truly surprised me, but even more so, it delighted me. It seems my 'scolding' of you that day was really worthwhile... Otherwise, if you insisted on keeping me at arm's length, and I lacked the power to forcibly take you away, I might have regretted it for the rest of my life."
Xiao Yaohou: "..."
"From now on, you will no longer be alone. I will face everything with you." Yun Che said softly: "Back in the Jinwu Thunder Flame Valley, I risked my life to save you for the sake of my clan and my grandfather's legacy, but from now on... it will only be because you are my wife. I may still be too weak now, but I will strive to grow strong, strong enough for you to lean on securely, never having to endure any more pressure or danger... Trust me, okay?"
"Here... he... goes... again... There are always so many stupid women falling for this lecher's tricks!" Mo Li muttered hatefully in Yun Che's mind, then snorted and simply blocked her hearing.
Xiao Yaohou had never heard such words in her life. An extremely unfamiliar, indescribable feeling spread through her heart and soul, and her entire body... It felt as if both her heart and body were melting. Gradually, she felt her body grow softer and softer, until it seemed to lose all strength, fully leaning on the man behind her. From her lips escaped a faint, almost inaudible murmur: "Mm..."
"After you become my wife, I will call you Caiyi, okay?"
"...Mm..."
Yun Che tightened his arms, pressing the girl in his arms closer to him: "Will you let me hold you like this every day from now on, okay?"
"...Mm..."
"Don't worry. From now on, your life is my life. That three-year lifespan of yours... even if it's the decree of a god, I will break it at all costs. So, in these three years, you must never believe that you truly have only three years left. Instead, believe that I will surely find a miracle to break that so-called three-year limit... just like how we escaped alive from the Sea of Death, okay..."
Yun Che whispered softly in Xiao Yaohou's ear. Though gentle, every word was resolute. Feeling her body grow softer and softer in his arms, his hands slowly moved upward, simultaneously covering her slightly swelling breasts. In his palms was a mass of softness, and though two layers of thin clothing separated them, it was still as smooth as if coated with cool, clear spring water. Two tiny buds timidly pressed against his palms, making him unable to resist closing his hands and gently kneading them.
Boom!!!
Three maids from Xiao Yaohou's bedchamber were walking toward it, chatting and laughing, naturally discussing the marriage between Xiao Yaohou and Yun Che. As the closest people to Xiao Yaohou, they had long sensed and speculated about the subtle feelings between her and Yun Che. But before they could even get close to the bedchamber, they suddenly heard a thunderous crash from ahead. A figure flew out with the loud noise and landed heavily right before them, startling them into simultaneous exclamations.
When they saw the person who had landed before them, all three maids burst out laughing. The red-clad maid in front stepped forward and said with a smile, "Young Master Yun, how did you get thrown out by Xiao Yaohou again?"
"Heehee..." The other two maids covered their mouths and giggled. Although they were only maids, Yun Che had never put on any airs with them and even addressed them as "sisters," earning their goodwill and respect, so they never had to be overly cautious around him.
Yun Che stood up from the ground, wiped the dust from his face, and said seriously, "Dear sisters, have you noticed that Xiao Yaohou's strikes are getting lighter and lighter?"
"That's true! Before, Young Master Yun would be blasted more than ten miles away, but this time..." The red-clad maid's beautiful eyes wandered, struggling to suppress her laughter. "It seems only half a mile."
"That's because Young Master Yun is about to become Xiao Yaohou's husband. Naturally, she won't bear to strike hard anymore," the blue-clad maid said with a light laugh.
"Ahem... I am a man of seven feet, too proud to argue with a woman. Once she becomes my wife, if she dares to be disobedient again, even if she is Xiao Yaohou... I'll enforce family law!" Yun Che declared with bravado, but after finishing, he nervously glanced toward the bedchamber and then waved his hand. "Dear sisters, I have matters to attend to at home, so I'll take my leave now... Oh, Sister Yuyi, it seems your chest has gotten bigger again!"
"Swoosh..."
Yun Che left a lecherous laugh and then scurried away without a trace.
"Hmph... annoying!" The red-clad girl instinctively covered her chest with her arm, blushing as she let out a soft scold. The other two maids burst into laughter... Clearly, they had long been used to Yun Che's teasing during this time.
——————————————
The news that Xiao Yaohou would marry Yun Che, the young master of the Yun Clan, spread throughout the entire Illusory Demon Realm in just one day through countless sound transmission talismans. Faced with such earth-shattering news, even the precious thousand-mile and ten-thousand-mile sound transmission talismans were used as if they cost nothing. It was estimated that the number of sound transmission talismans consumed that day exceeded the total used in the past decade.
Of course, under Yun Che's urging, accompanying this shocking news was the claim that Yun Che had been bestowed with pure Golden Crow bloodline by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit, and their union was for the continuation of the pure Golden Crow bloodline and the Yaohuang Clan... and was even the will of the Golden Crow Divine Spirit!
Thus, the expected noise, disputes, and doubts did not arise. Only praises and exclamations of awe filled the entire Illusory Demon Realm.
However, for those regional powers, this news was like a fire burning under their backsides.
"What... seven... seven days!! Are you kidding me? Hurry... go confirm with a sound transmission talisman! Maybe you misheard!"
"What... it really is seven days later? Damn it!!"
"City Lord, what should we do now?"
"What do you mean, what should we do? Immediately prepare the finest mystic ark and the best mystic crystals... Set off in one hour... No!! Set off in half an hour! Go now!! Xiao Yaohou's marriage—and a holy marriage bestowed by the Golden Crow Divine Spirit! If I miss it, I might as well never show my face in the Illusory Demon Realm again!"
"Um... what about preparing the congratulatory gifts?"
"There's no time for that! Go to the treasure vault immediately and bring all the finest treasures and medicinal herbs... Take as many as you can! Go!"
............
The same scene played out repeatedly across the Illusory Demon Realm, especially in places far from Yaohuang City. As the news spread rapidly, the entire Illusory Demon Realm practically boiled over. Mystic arks, rarely seen in ordinary times, continuously roared overhead. Even the stingiest and most reluctant to part with energy crystals were willing to stuff all their savings into their mystic arks to make them fly faster.
Inside Yaohuang City, it was bustling day and night. The Twelve Guardian Clans and the hundreds of princely mansions were all busy running around, with hardly a moment's rest.
Unbeknownst to all, seven days had passed quietly. Yaohuang City grew livelier by the day, and even its appearance had undergone a huge transformation. The entire city was decorated with lanterns and colorful banners, red carpets stretched everywhere, and the brilliant gold symbolizing the Golden Crow's flame filled every corner. Viewed from the distant sky, the once pale-white, massive Yaohuang City had become a dazzling expanse of gold.