# 1759
Chapter 1759: Under the Red Veil
As Lin Qiye's voice fell, wooden chairs materialized凭空显现 in the hall, and countless figures sat upon them.
On the left side of the great hall were all deities of Great Xia—Yuanshi Tianzun, Lord of Dao and Virtue, Yang Jian, Queen Mother of the West, Sun Wukong, Nezha, Emperor Fengdu…
On the right side were family and friends from the mortal world—Zhou Ping, Wu "Old Dog", Master Chen, Ye Fan, Zuo Qing, Lu Wuwei, Wang Mian, Hongying, Wen Qimo, Zhao Kongcheng, Lu Baoyou, Fang Mo… These figures appeared in the hall, yet remained as motionless as stone statues.
In this causal chain that had never existed, Lin Qiye could conjure all the figures from his memories… even though they were merely empty-bodied spectators.
Shen Qingzhu, Baili Pangpang, An Qingyu, Jiang Er, Cao Yuan, and others sat in the front row, smiling as they watched the hall.
At this time, Baili Pangpang had not yet awakened into a Celestial Lord,
An Qingyu had not betrayed Great Xia,
Jiang Er had not had her soul scattered,
Cao Yuan had not died at An Qingyu's hands,
Shen Qingzhu was still that aloof Shen Qingzhu.
Lin Qiye's crimson eyes swept across these former companions… and smiled.
From them, he seemed to glimpse the Jialan and himself of old—that was the happiest and most beautiful time in his memory.
In this dead-silent, oppressive wedding venue, two figures slowly stepped forward.
Huo Qubing and Gongyang Wan's gazes swept across this grand crimson festive underworld hall, across the lifeless audience seats, their expressions complicated beyond measure.
Their causal fate had long been entangled by Lin Qiye; they were also the only living beings in this venue besides Lin Qiye…
"Lin Qiye…"
Looking at the Lin Qiye on the platform who seemed caught between tears and laughter, Gongyang Wan seemed about to offer some words of comfort. Seeing Huo Qubing gently shake his head at her, she could only hold back.
"Two seniors, please be seated." Lin Qiye bowed with a "please" gesture.
Huo Qubing and Gongyang Wan exchanged a glance, then sat in the empty seats of the first row, waiting for the ceremony to begin.
The guests were seated, the candles flickered.
Lin Qiye, dressed in that grand crimson Zhuangyuan robe, faced the palace doors and announced loudly:
"Bring the sedan chair!"
Dong—!!
The heavy underworld palace doors slowly opened.
Mysterious gray mist drifted in from outside, lifting the crimson curtains throughout the room, causing the candlelight to sway gently. Applause thundered forth.
A magnificent crimson wedding sedan, painted with exquisite mandarin ducks, floated down from the gray mist. Behind the thin curtains, a graceful feminine silhouette could be vaguely seen, jeweled light swaying.
Lin Qiye gazed at that crimson wedding sedan. His Zhuangyuan robe fluttered in the wind. He smiled, eyes glistening with tears—like a groom about to welcome his beloved bride, weeping with joy.
"Marquis… is that really Jialan in the sedan?"
Gongyang Wan couldn't help but whisper, looking at the wedding sedan.
Huo Qubing sighed and shook his head slightly. "Although Lin Qiye drew her causal fate into this place, Jialan is already dead. What sits in that sedan is naturally just a soulless shell, just like all the guests here."
"If it's merely a soulless shell, why does Lin Qiye insist on marrying her?"
"He's holding this wedding to complete a causal thread, to fulfill a promise… Once the ceremony concludes, they will be legitimate husband and wife, even though they are separated by death."
Gongyang Wan nodded. She looked at the figure slowly walking toward the sedan, her eyes full of compassion and pity.
The groom stood before the wedding sedan. He lifted a corner of the curtain with one hand, extending the other forward, speaking gently:
"Come out, let me help you."
A fair jade hand reached out from the sedan, clasping his. In the next moment, a beautiful bride adorned in a phoenix crown and bridal attire stepped out from the sedan.
The underworld wind outside the hall brushed past the venue, gently swaying the bride's large crimson veil, revealing a sliver of her slender neck and jade-like pearl earrings adorning her earlobes. Yet no one could see her face.
Lin Qiye took her hand and led her toward the grand crimson wedding hall.
The bride kept her head lowered, like a puppet on strings, mechanically following behind him…
The two stood in the center of the hall. Behind their grand crimson wedding attire stood two coffins—one black and one red. The curtains throughout the hall fluttered, creating an indescribable mingling of joy and sorrow.
"Marquis, both Jialan and I have no parents, nor do we have a matchmaker… You witnessed our meeting and our love. Would you please be our matchmaker and officiate our wedding?" Lin Qiye, with Jialan, bowed deeply toward Huo Qubing in the audience.
Huo Qubing would naturally not refuse. He slowly rose to his feet:
"This marquis has never officiated a wedding before, only witnessing a few as a child… Is it to be like in ancient times?"
"Jialan and I have suffered a difficult fate, and heaven and earth have shown us no mercy, so first—we do not bow to heaven and earth. The two of us have no parents, so second—we do not bow to our elders… She and I only bow to each other."
Huo Qubing nodded. "Very well."
Lin Qiye turned to look at Jialan beside him. Under his will, the veiled beauty also mechanically turned, facing him.
Huo Qubing took a deep breath. His loud, majestic voice echoed through the hall:
"Let the couple… bow."
The two crimson-clad figures stood before the pair of coffins and bowed deeply to each other…
At this moment, outside the hall, gongs and drums thundered while suona horns blared.
Yet who could say—was this joy or sorrow?
"…Second bow!"
Lin Qiye gazed at the crimson-adorned figure before him, tears once again brimming in his eyes. His upper body gradually bent forward until he was nearly head-to-head with Jialan.
Through the crimson veil, he could even catch the fragrance of Jialan's hair.
He knew that the Jialan before him was merely a shell wrapped in causal fate… Yet this time, his heart still stirred.
As he slowly straightened his body, he gazed at Jialan before him once more. In that instant, he couldn't help but want to lift that crimson veil and see Jialan's face one more time… But he held back. He was afraid that seeing those empty, lifeless eyes would completely shatter the last remnants of fantasy and joy he had in this moment.
"…Third bow!!"
Lin Qiye closed his eyes, bowing deeply until his head nearly touched the ground.
Why…
If only all of this were real…
The lower he bowed, the more intense the bitterness and unwillingness in Lin Qiye's heart grew. His fists clenched tightly.
Unloving couples smile at each other in grand weddings,
While pure, burning love weeps before cold coffins…
"The ceremony is complete." Huo Qubing's voice sounded once more.
Thunderous applause rang out from below. Lin Qiye straightened up and took Jialan's hand.
Crimson curtains drifted through the sky, the suona horns resounded beyond the hall. He murmured passionately:
"From this day forward… you are my wife."
The causal fate was sealed, the marriage bond was set.
This chapter of history that had never existed began to gradually fade away… One by one, the guests vanished into the darkness. The flickering candles finally stilled. The sedan chair turned to dust, the crimson curtains dissolved into wind.
Beneath that drifting crimson veil,
She was already in tears.