Chapter 166 – The Grand Wedding Ceremony
Outside was full of joy and festivity. Jian Luo got into the carriage.
This wedding was quite grand. Or rather, Lu Shifeng had not initially planned for it to be so. Lanterns and decorations were everywhere, and even the Dragon Valley had posted large red “double happiness” symbols following human customs. The dragon clan favored black and red, which fortunately did not clash with human red.
When Jian Luo arrived at Dragon Valley, he almost didn’t recognize it from what he had seen before. It was a colorful world everywhere, dazzling to the eyes. The once empty Cloud Wilds were now filled with banquet tables, bustling with guests coming and going, creating a lively and festive atmosphere.
The most important ceremony for the dragon clan was to bond their partners under the sacred tree.
When Jian Luo arrived, many venerable elder dragons were already present. They looked at him with eyes full of affection. Most dragon elders were tens of thousands of years old. In their later years, they either traveled far and wide or slumbered in the depths of Dragon Valley, rarely appearing.
Only during significant events would these dragons emerge. One such event was the Dragon King’s wedding.
Standing in the center was an elder dragon with white horns. It appeared ancient with its snowy mane. It beckoned to Lu Shifeng and Jian Luo, “Come here, child.”
Jian Luo felt a bit nervous because Lu Shifeng had no living parents, so there was no need for an ugly daughter-in-law to meet her in-laws. Unexpectedly, facing several elders, he still felt uneasy, flustered, and fearful.
Lu Shifeng sensed Jian Luo’s nervousness. He squeezed Jian Luo’s hand, silently giving him strength, and whispered softly, “Let’s go.”
Looking at him, Jian Luo felt less nervous and nodded gently. “Okay.”
The two walked forward together. The grass in Dragon Valley was soft, the air fresh. With slow steps, amidst the attention of the crowd, they finally stood before the elder. Jian Luo’s palms were sweating.
The elder raised his head slowly, placed his hand on Jian Luo’s head, murmuring something like a low dragon chant or a whisper of a spell. Listening to it unwittingly calmed the mind. A cool sensation seemed to flow from his brow. When Jian Luo came back to his senses, the elder had already withdrawn his hand.
Lu Shifeng bowed with him.
The elder clasped his hands together slowly and said, “Go.”
Jian Luo, still dazed, was pulled by Lu Shifeng to the next elder. Before this, he knew there would be some blessing ceremony, but no one had told him it would be this detailed. Fortunately, Lu Shifeng was reliable, guiding him all along and not letting him embarrass himself. Overall, it went smoothly.
Finally, under the gaze of everyone, the blessing ceremony concluded.
Jian Luo obediently stood aside, waiting for the final, most solemn, and most important offering. The winds around them involuntarily quickened. In almost the blink of an eye, several elders who had been standing on the ground disappeared suddenly, replaced by dragons leaping in the sky. Giant dragons. Several dragons churned in the sea of clouds, their dragon chants echoing from afar, resonating throughout the land of Dragon Valley, even reverberating over the Sky City.
Not just these few.
Many dragon clans also transformed into their original forms and flew into the sky. The symphony of dragon chants, the green light orbs around the sacred tree began to increase, gradually surrounding the surroundings. The overflowing spiritual energy seemed to baptize the entire body, and the mother tree awakened. Its branches began to swell, and the towering giant tree began to creak.
Jian Luo involuntarily widened his eyes.
The deep and majestic dragon chants of the dragon clan shook the heart. They seemed like kings of the sky, and the sacred tree responded to their calls. As the branches swelled, half of the sky was filled with green light. The green light orbs returned to the body of the mother tree. Suddenly, before Jian Luo’s eyes —
The branches began to bloom.
In bright red, with dark centers, red and black intertwined, these majestic and charming flowers blossomed among the greenery, covering the branches that seemed to reach the sky. Gradually, half of the sky was dyed with the color of flowers. A graceful fragrance filled the air, carried by the wind, and petals fluttered down, a shower of blossoms, a sight beyond description.
On the day of the Dragon King’s wedding, the sacred tree of the dragon clan bloomed, its fragrance spanning three thousand miles, lingering for a long time.
The guests below erupted into a clamor, a rare scene in a hundred years. Many would only witness such an occasion once in their lifetime. Cheers and jubilant voices echoed through Dragon Valley. Amidst this celebration, the sacred tree slowly lowered a branch. Atop this branch was a flower, distinct from the others. It was a pure black flower, beautiful in its cold solitude and boldness.
Lu Shifeng said to Jian Luo, “This is my soul flower.”
Jian Luo widened his eyes, looking at the small flower in disbelief.
Secretary Jin approached with a vessel from nearby and smiled, saying, “Drip your blood into the flower to merge it with the Dragon King’s soul flower, then the ritual will be complete.”
Jian Luo nodded gently. “Alright.”
Secretary Jin added, “Dragon clan’s soul flowers are managed by the sacred tree. Each flower that blooms today represents countless ancestors of ours. When the Dragon King weds, all dragon clans are invited to witness this momentous occasion, including our ancestors.”
Jian Luo looked at Lu Shifeng in astonishment. After hearing this, he dared not look directly at these flowers anymore. He had previously thought them beautiful, but now realized that when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss may also be gazing into you.
Lu Shifeng told Jian Luo, “A dragon clan’s soul flower can only form one contract in its lifetime—immutable and irreplaceable.”
Jian Luo’s hand holding the vessel trembled slightly. “That’s strict.”
“Yes.”
Lu Shifeng seemed to remind him, “The contract cannot be undone.”
At first, Jian Luo didn’t grasp the meaning. He initially sympathized with the dragons—wasn’t it said they could only have one partner in their lifetime? He had heard that dragons were a loyal race, remaining faithful to their partners until death, thinking it was voluntary. Little did he know, their emotions were monitored by the mother tree!
Secretary Jin smiled and said, “It’s time, we can proceed.”
Jian Luo responded and, fearing any mistake in the sacrificial process, had rehearsed it countless times before coming. He let a drop of his blood mix with the black soul flower. To his amazement, the purely black flower began to change color and emit light once it absorbed his blood. Finally, it gently fell into a small flower tinged with pink, losing its former dominance.
Jian Luo chuckled wryly, “It even changes color. Now I’m inside you.”
Lu Shifeng looked down at him, his gaze gradually deepening, and said, “Yes, now I’m inside you.”
…
For a moment, silence hung in the air.
Jian Luo turned his head away, not only unwilling to speak but even contemplating giving Lu Shifeng a kick. Secretary Jin pretended not to notice.
With the ceremony reaching this stage, it was basically over. Next came various toasts and social interactions. Lu Shifeng thought Jian Luo would cling to him, or with his shy nature, perhaps even hide behind him. Many people had come today, and fearing he might be overwhelmed, Lu Shifeng had even prepared comforting words. However, what he never expected was—
“Hello, I’m Jian Luo.”
“Oh, you’re from Yunxing. I’ve heard your oceans there are beautiful. Yes, yes, cultivation must be quite an issue. Actually, over here…”
“No problem, let’s keep in touch.”
“Please, you’re too kind. I’ll visit another day. You’re really too kind.”
For the sake of business, Lu Shifeng saw the boy in Jian Luo’s eyes grow up. Since taking on responsibilities, Jian Luo had either voluntarily or inadvertently grown visibly capable. Previously averse to socializing, he now selected his targets and approached them actively.
On a planet 80% covered by oceans, with the most developed per capita financial resources for tech chips, it was no problem—Earth provided vegetation and vegetables, reaching cooperation. On a global glacier world where residents lived in underground cities and vegetables weren’t needed, though their happiness index wasn’t high, it was no problem—Earth opened resorts for tourism.
Jian Luo never stopped for a whole day.
He spun like a top, seizing every opportunity for collaboration, negotiating one deal after another, drinking one glass after another. Lu Shifeng didn’t realize Jian Luo could hold his liquor so well.
“Uhh…”
After sunset, the guests dispersed.
Jian Luo’s first action upon returning to his room was rushing to the toilet to vomit. He felt like he might turn into a pile of mud. Behind him, Lu Shifeng frowned. “You shouldn’t have drunk.”
Lu Shifeng had tried to stop Jian Luo from drinking, but he darted around, talking to everyone. Marshal Lu couldn’t keep up with Jian Luo’s pace and wasn’t sure how much he’d drunk without realizing.
Jian Luo was still conscious. He stood up and said, “It’s okay, I handle alcohol well.”
Lu Shifeng handed him a glass of warm water. “Where did you learn that?”
“In college. My roommates and I used to sneak out to drink. We were broke, so it was just cheap liquor.”
He seemed a bit excited as he continued, “Later, when I started working in sales, I had to entertain clients, so I trained myself to handle more. No one can outdrink me. Impressive, right?”
Lu Shifeng gazed at him, his blood-red eyes calm as still water. Finally, he murmured softly, “Hmm.”
Jian Luo got drunk and began to ramble, “I used to be a broadcaster. Actually, I don’t really like cooking. I used to cook at home when I was young, and even after growing up, I had to cook. But I want to save money to buy a house. The housing prices in the city are too high for me to afford. I’m from the countryside, so I want to save enough to build a house back there and marry a wife to live a good life.”
—
There was a moment of quiet indoors.
Lu Shifeng’s expression wasn’t as amiable as before; he narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Marry someone?”
Jian Luo was completely unaware of the seriousness of the situation and continued chatting enthusiastically, very animated. He said, “Marry a wife, have chubby children. I really like kids. One boy and one girl would be nice. I won’t favor one over the other. When we get old…”
T/N: Hope you’re having a good day! Drink water and make sure to sleep early! (>w<)/
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If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield
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How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection
What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love
How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep
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