On the day of the marriage ceremony, the entire Liren Peak was bustling with unprecedented activity.
According to worldly customs, one of Shen Gurong and Mu Zhe should have gone to the front mountain to greet the distinguished guests. However, both of them possessed higher cultivation levels, and no one dared to ask them to greet the guests. Therefore, the two who should have been the busiest were leisurely peeling lotus seeds in Fanjiang Residence.
Xi Guxing and Wen Liubing were in charge of the marriage ceremony, so they didn't need to worry about anything.
Shen Gurong sat in the courtyard of Fanjiang Residence, still in his wedding attire. He lowered his eyes, peeled a lotus seed, and casually handed it to Mu Zhe.
Mu Zhe didn't take it with his hand. Instead, he leaned forward and caught it directly in his mouth, his tongue lightly brushing against Shen Gurong's fingertip before separating.
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong glared at him, muttering, "Mu Zhe, your skin is getting thicker and thicker." He was so shy and gentle in front of him before, but after being scolded, his eyes reddened and he almost cried.
Miss Mu is gone forever.
Shen Gurong felt a pang of nostalgia.
"You used to love to cry," Shen Gurong said casually, twirling a lotus seed on his tongue. "You'd cry when told to, and not cry when told not to. It was so much fun."
Mu Zhe grasped his hand, his eyes crinkling, and said, "Master can play games now too."
Shen Gurong looked at him in surprise, and Mu Zhe gave him a compliant smile.
Shen Gurong tried, "Then cry for Master to see."
The next instant, Mu Zhe blinked gently, and tears streamed down his face, looking at Shen Gurong with a pitiful and aggrieved expression.
Shen Gurong: "..."
The beauty's tears directly struck a chord with Shen Gurong's inexplicable tenderness. He reached out and wiped a tear from Mu Zhe's cheek, saying with heartache, "Cry louder."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe cried even harder.
Shen Gurong became interested, reaching out to lift Mu Zhe's chin condescendingly, his eyes filled with arrogant indifference: "Beg me."
Mu Zhe choked out, "Master, please, don't tighten it so much."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong used a chokehold, nearly breaking Mu Zhe's neck. He gritted his teeth and said, "Have you no shame? Saying such things in bed is enough, but saying them in broad daylight? Is this how I taught you?"
Mu Zhe looked at Shen Gurong with tears in his eyes.
Shen Gurong choked for a moment, reluctantly releasing his grip, his ears turning red. "If you spout any more nonsense, I'll..."
Before he could finish his threat, a familiar voice came from outside Fanjiang Residence.
"Mu Zhe, Your Majesty."
Shen Gurong turned his head and saw Qingyu and Xue Manzhuang waving from outside, seemingly having just arrived.
Mu Zhe immediately wiped away his tears, stood up, and expressionlessly welcomed the two in.
Qingyu was overjoyed, handing Mu Zhe a storage ring with a smile, saying, "This is a gift for your marriage, congratulations."
Mu Zhe accepted it and thanked him.
Xue Manzhuang, standing to the side, wore a gloomy expression that seemed to say, "I want to burn you two bastards alive!"
Shen Gurong invited the two to sit down, and Mu Zhe poured two cups of tea and pushed them towards them.
Qingyu casually asked, "What were you two talking about just now? I saw Mu Zhe crying, huh?"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Mu Zhe said expressionlessly, "Even tea can't shut you up."
Seeing Mu Zhe's displeasure, Qingyu had no choice but to shut up.
Mu Zhe took out the items from his storage ring and discovered that Qingyu had given him several maps of the Great Swamp's spiritual veins.
"What's this?"
Qingyu said "Oh," and then, "These are the spiritual veins I promised you before. Although they seem useless now, if you establish your own sect in the Great Swamp, people will definitely come to study under you. Perhaps before long, you'll have more disciples than Liren Peak."
Mu Zhe frowned and said, "I don't like crowds."
While the two were talking, Shen Gurong sat leisurely to the side, sipping tea, displaying a cold and aloof demeanor, like an elder not wanting to interfere with the younger generation. Xue Manzhuang, on the other hand, kept glancing at him with his eyes darting around.
Shen Gurong, thinking he had given up, raised an eyebrow and glanced at him, saying indifferently, "What's wrong?"
Xue Manzhuang looked at him resentfully for a long time before leaning forward and whispering, "Your Majesty, it's not too late for you to back out now."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Although his voice was extremely soft, Mu Zhe's cultivation was formidable, so he naturally heard it. His face turned cold, and he looked at Xue Manzhuang as if he were a pot of phoenix soup.
Xue Manzhuang had lost several pounds, showing no fear of death: "If you and I were to become related, I can, I can..."
He gritted his teeth, as if he were going all out, and shouted, "I can make you the one on top!"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Mu Zhe crushed the porcelain cup he had personally burned paper money for with a "crack."
Qingyu was startled and quickly comforted Mu Zhe: "Calm down, calm down! Today is a joyous occasion; it's not auspicious to draw swords!"
Shen Gurong stared expressionlessly at Xue Manzhuang, his heart in turmoil.
'They must have heard it!!!'
'Fanjiang Residence didn't have a protective barrier today, they must have heard Mu Zhe's words!!' Shen Gurong... Shen Gurong wanted to erect a tombstone and bury himself on the spot.
He was devastated, but to onlookers, he still maintained his aloof and serene demeanor, seemingly unconcerned about such offensive words.
Xue Manzhuang was still determined and incredibly stubborn. Qingyu, having known Mu Zhe for so long, realized he truly intended to kill Xue Manzhuang, and quickly pulled him up, hastily taking his leave.
"The gifts have been delivered, so we... we'll be leaving now. We won't be drinking the wedding wine."
Xue Manzhuang was still raging: "Damn it, why?! Mu Zhe has such a good life!"
Qingyu almost bit him: "Shut up!"
He immediately transformed into his original form, grabbed Xue Manzhuang, and leaped into the sky, running away quickly, fearing being caught by the enraged Mu Zhe.
Mu Zhe struggled to suppress the urge to kill Xue Manzhuang. He took several deep breaths to calm his anger, then turned around, his expression one of utter grievance.
"Master," Mu Zhe walked to Shen Gurong, gently crouching down to hug Shen Gurong's waist, murmuring, "Am I really that rebellious?"
Shen Gurong glanced at him and said, "Yes, you only realize it now?"
Mu Zhe stiffened, looking genuinely on the verge of tears.
Shen Gurong's heart softened again. He awkwardly stroked Mu Zhe's neatly combed hair, mumbling, "But... I like it."
He would like it even more if Mu Zhe didn't always demand so much from him every night without restraint.
But Mu Zhe was a strong and vigorous young man, at the age when his heart was restless with desire. With his beloved by his side, how could he resist?
Shen Gurong knew this, so he rarely refused; after all, he had his own pleasure.
It wasn't a loss.
Just then, Li Suo arrived, informing them that the marriage ceremony was about to begin.
Shen Gurong then changed into his bright red wedding attire with Mu Zhe.
The marriage ceremony was held at Changying Mountain. The path from Jiuchun Mountain was paved with layers upon layers of spirit stones; stepping on them, spiritual energy enveloped the body, providing indescribable comfort.
It was only after much pleading from the flamboyant Jing Zhuchen and Xi Guxing that the stingy sect leader finally relented and provided countless spirit stones to pave the path.
Countless spirit butterflies fluttered around the two, guiding their way.
At Shen Gurong's level of cultivation, he no longer needed to worry about the opinions or gazes of those around him. With an aura of cool indifference, he crossed the suspension bridge without looking to the side, heading towards Changying Mountain.
His face was ashen, as if everything was under his control.
As they turned the corner, Mu Zhe transmitted his voice, "Master, go to the left."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong's toes, which were about to step onto the right path, paused, and he abruptly turned left. Apart from Mu Zhe, no one noticed his change.
Mu Zhe chuckled softly. Shen Gurong subtly transmitted his voice, "Are you laughing again?"
Mu Zhe had no choice but to stop laughing and respectfully led his master to the place of kinship at Changying Mountain.
The hall was full of guests. Shen Gurong didn't recognize many people, but a quick glance at each person was enough to show proper courtesy, and no one dared to utter a word of dissent.
Both Shen Gurong and Mu Zhe were of mortal origin, and the kinship ceremony cleverly incorporated some mortal etiquette. However, since neither of them had any elders to greet during the three bows, they had to change their greetings to those of their elder brothers and senior uncles.
Xi Guxing and Lin Shuhe had a fight with the others over who should sit in the main seat. In the end, Xi Guxing boldly took his place, legs crossed, waiting for Shen Gurong to bow to him.
Shen Gurong was completely unaware of this. Only when he arrived at the wedding hall and saw Xi Guxing in the main seat did he realize his senior brothers were playing a trick on him.
'I'm so angry,' Shen Gurong said, trying to maintain a smile, 'but on such a joyous occasion, I can't lose my temper.'
Mu Zhe: "..."
The guests offered their congratulations to the couple with feigned sincerity, but Shen Gurong didn't listen. He only wanted to fight Xi Guxing and the others after they were officially registered as a couple.
Little Shen Wanglan, dressed extremely festively, looked like a generous benefactor, his face beaming with joy as he watched them. Shen Xiwu was somewhat unhappy, but seeing Shen Gurong's smile, she could only smile along.
Su Xiyan, unusually dressed in men's clothing, stood to the side reciting the congratulatory words.
"First bow to Heaven and Earth." Shen Gurong was too lazy to bow to the Heavenly Dao, merely nodding to show he was giving them ample face.
Mu Zhe, on the other hand, bowed respectfully; since they were overjoyed, he was open to anything.
"Second bow to the elders." Shen Gurong was too lazy to bow to the sect leader, hastily nodding, implying that they would see what happened after the marriage ceremony.
Mu Zhe respectfully bowed to Xi Guxing, and then to his senior uncle.
The guests whispered amongst themselves at the Holy Lord's aloof demeanor; after all, no marriage ceremony had ever turned out like this.
Su Xiyan shook her head helplessly.
"The couple bows to each other, a vow of lifelong commitment, a pledge of eternal love, a union of winged birds, the ceremony is complete." This time, Shen Gurong didn't cause any trouble, bowing respectfully to Mu Zhe. The Daoist bonds fluttering around them suddenly intertwined wildly, then exploded in the air like a crimson flower bud.
The petals fell in a flurry, like mimosa blossoms.
After the ceremony, the guests filled the hall with toasts and laughter, creating a lively atmosphere.
Shen Gurong, dressed in heavy wedding attire, casually lifted the cup of wine from the table where his senior brothers sat. With a forced smile, he raised his cup, his voice seemingly coming from between gritted teeth: "You dare to scheme against me?"
The others laughed back, "Not at all."
Shen Gurong glared at them one by one: "Just you wait."
Xi Guxing, having gained the upper hand, was in high spirits. He raised his cup to Shen Gurong and said, "Waiting will take forever. Let's have a contest now."
Shen Gurong sneered: "You want to compete with me in drinking?"
Xi Guxing knew Shen Gurong's low alcohol tolerance, and raised an eyebrow: "Yes."
The others around them joined in the jeering.
Chao Jiuxiao: "Drink! Drink until you drop! Oh, right, why do I always try to surpass you in cultivation? If I had just challenged you to a drinking contest, I would have won eight hundred times! Ahhh, I hate it so much!"
Jing Zhuchen held his wine cup, lazily took a sip, and held up a finger's length, saying, "After all these years, Eleven's drinking capacity isn't still that low, is it?"
Xi Guxing chimed in sarcastically, "No way, no way? Eleven, you wouldn't, would you?"
Shen Gurong: "..."
Tch, infuriating!
Su Xiyan smiled gently to the side, not joining in her junior brothers' banter. Lin Shuhe, too weak, sat to the side draped in a cloak, holding a cup of hot tea, watching them bicker, his smile never fading.
Lou Bugui, however, was stunned for a long time before suddenly exclaiming, "Ah! I... I want to give Eleven a gift!"
He only remembered this gift after so much time had passed.
Provoked, Shen Gurong flared up, slamming his hand on the table. Just as everyone thought he was about to recklessly challenge them to a drinking contest, he flicked the spirit butterfly beside him and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Mu Zhe, come in."
The people from Liren Peak were in the innermost private room, separated from the guests outside, to avoid others seeing these powerful figures behaving so improperly.
Soon, Mu Zhe, who had been being forced to drink by his fellow Liren Peak disciples outside, walked in without changing his expression: "Master."
Shen Gurong, resting his chin on his hand, lazily said, "Come and drink for Master."
Mu Zhe raised an eyebrow, glancing at him, seemingly understanding something, but didn't ask further, saying, "Alright."
Xi Guxing's face turned green: "You actually called for reinforcements?"
"Anyway, we're registered together," Shen Gurong said calmly, "He is me, and I am him, so what?"
Mu Zhe blushed.
The others around him, however, got goosebumps at this statement.
Shen Gurong waved his hand and said, "Mu Zhe, get them drunk."
Mu Zhe obeyed and began drinking with his senior uncles one by one.
After nightfall and the guests had all left, Mu Zhe finally managed to get the usually invincible Jing Zhuchen drunk. He looked at his master with a somewhat smug expression; if he had a tail, he would have wagged it long ago.
Shen Gurong, who had also drunk half a cup, was now pulling Xi Guxing along, laughing uncontrollably with glazed eyes. He slurred, "Look! Look! My disciple... he drank you all under the table! That means I drank you all under the table, hahaha!"
The group had agreed before drinking not to use their cultivation to dispel the alcohol. Xi Guxing was also quite drunk, staring blankly at Shen Gurong, slurring, "Nonsense! You're you, your disciple is your disciple... it doesn't count! Come on, you drink with me!"
Shen Gurong laughed for a long time before finally saying, "My disciple is my Daoist partner, and your disciple is still your disciple, hahaha!" He was truly devastated.
Xi Guxing was so angry that he collapsed under the table, motionless.
Shen Gurong went to find someone else to show off, determined to let all his senior brothers who had mocked his poor drinking capacity know that he now had a disciple with a high alcohol tolerance, indirectly increasing his own.
“Fifth Senior Brother, Chao Jiuxiao, did you see him? Huh?”
Chao Jiuxiao: “Awoo!”
Mu Zhe: “…”
Seeing that he was so drunk he was completely out of his mind, Mu Zhe quickly helped him up, saying helplessly, “Master, let’s go back first.”
Shen Gurong stared blankly at him for a long time before thrashing about, stammering, “I…I won’t go back with you, you’ll definitely bully me.”
Mu Zhe gently coaxed him, “I won’t bully you.”
Shen Gurong’s mind was completely blank. After a long while, he finally managed to say with a glimmer of hope, “Really?”
“Yes.”
Shen Gurong finally entrusted himself to him with peace of mind: “Then…okay, I’ll go back with you.”
Mu Zhe smiled, picked Shen Gurong up in his arms, nodded to the emotional Su Xiyan and Lin Shuhe, and then turned and left.
Li Suo and Yu Xinghe were also extremely drunk. Mu Zhe almost stepped on Yu Xinghe on the steps when he went out.
Mu Zhe sighed. Seeing Wen Liubing methodically cleaning the wedding hall, he didn't ask any more questions and carried Shen Gurong back.
The two went to the hot spring behind Fanjiang Residence. Shen Gurong was already drunk after only half a cup of wine, and now, steamed by the heat, he was so dizzy he didn't even know who he was.
Mu Zhe held him and washed him. Shen Gurong felt itchy all over and snuggled into his arms with a smile.
Mu Zhe, seeing how drunk he was, intended to do nothing, but Shen Gurong kept clinging to him. Before the bath was even finished, he had inadvertently aroused Mu Zhe's desire.
Mu Zhe took a deep breath and slowly channeled a stream of spiritual energy into Shen Gurong's body, gradually dispelling the effects of the alcohol from his meridians.
Soon, Shen Gurong groaned, and his drunken eyes slowly cleared.
He looked around dazedly, then realized he was bathing.
Shen Gurong and Mu Zhe's skin was pressed together. Shen Gurong felt a strange hardness on his leg, which was uncomfortable. He shifted uncomfortably, then nestled against Mu Zhe's neck, intending to sleep.
Mu Zhe's voice was hoarse as he said, "Master."
Shen Gurong was too lazy to even open his eyes, and hummed through his nose, "Hmm?"
Mu Zhe sounded a little aggrieved: "Today is our wedding day."
Shen Gurong mumbled, "Hmm."
Seeing that hints weren't working, Mu Zhe had no choice but to get straight to the point, stammering, "Master, don't you want to cultivate together?"
Shen Gurong slowly opened his eyes, glancing at Mu Zhe through the rising steam. He caught a glimpse of the barely suppressed desire in Mu Zhe's eyes, and after a long pause, he hugged his neck and whispered, "Cultivate, okay? Didn't I tell you I'm yours alone? We're already united. You can do whatever you want to me."
Mu Zhe's eyes lit up, and he eagerly took the glass bottle he had been clutching in his palm.
"Come out, show it to Shen Gurong."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong said expressionlessly, "I take back what I just said."
He only asked Mu Zhe to give him the box, but who knew that Mu Zhe had already taken the contents out of the box and only given him an empty one.
Mu Zhe pretended not to hear him, looking at him expectantly.
Finally, Shen Gurong gave in, saying irritably, "Do whatever you want, but first tell me what kind of spiritual energy is in here?"
Mu Zhe blinked innocently and said, "...the demon fox."
Shen Gurong: "..."
Shen Gurong was silent for a long time before saying with a heavy heart, "If you ever collect any more random things from your fourth senior uncle, don't come to see me again."
Mu Zhe immediately said, "Yes."
Shen Gurong put his arm around his neck and absorbed the spiritual energy into his meridians. Soon, two fox ears grew from his white hair, and this time, a fluffy fox tail even grew from his tailbone.
Shen Gurong's body went limp. Clinging to Mu Zhe's shoulder, his eyes red-rimmed, he said with difficulty, "This hot spring is too hot. If you don't want to eat fox meat boiled in hot water, let's go somewhere else."
Mu Zhe: "..."
Mu Zhe chuckled softly, "Yes."
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