Chapter 36 It's as if, tonight, they truly...

"Alas! My good daughter-in-law... what a miserable life... Heavens, why did you do this to our Lin family..."

Yu Ke burst into tears, sobbing uncontrollably until she finally collapsed onto the shoulder of "Lin's father," played by Tang Che.

Tang Che also imitated Yu Ke's sobbing voice, "My son, and my daughter-in-law, they are both people with bitter fates..."

Si Yao felt a chill run down her spine.

Several old women helped Si Yao up. She looked up at Yu Ke and found that Yu Ke was also secretly looking at her.

Si Yao also saw that Yu Ke's lips curled up, revealing a mischievous smile.

Si Yao steeled herself and transmitted her voice to her: "You enjoyed it, didn't you!"

Yu Ke wiped the tears from her face, slightly raised her chin, and began to look at people with her conspicuous nostrils again.

The leader of the wedding procession called out again, "The bride is officially entering the traditional household registration system—"

Si Yao turned around and found Li Ye, dressed in wedding attire, standing beside the sedan chair. He held a red veil and took a few steps toward Si Yao.

Finally, he lifted the red veil and gently placed it on Si Yao's phoenix crown.

She looked up, and her gaze met his.

She wanted to look at him one more time, to see what was hidden in his eyes.

But in just a moment, the red veil was pulled down.

Si Yao was helped into the bridal sedan chair by Li Ye.

It was already afternoon, and the air was filled with the joyous sound of suona horns. Li Ye, disguised as Lin Xuan, mounted his horse, and under his guidance, the bright red sedan chair was carried out of the Lin family's gate.

The grand wedding procession stretched like a long dragon, attracting many people from Yunshui County to come and watch.

Si Yao, sitting in the sedan chair, listened to the bustling sounds of people outside.

"This Mrs. Lin is going to have a good life from now on."

"What Lin family? She's about to become the River God's woman, so don't mention the Lin family again."

"Marrying the River God will definitely make my life better than living in the Lin family. What is the River God? He is a god. Not only will I have no worries about food and clothing, but whoever marries the River God will receive all kinds of blessings and graces, and will even live forever."

Upon hearing this, Si Yao couldn't help but shake her head.

If he were truly a god, how could he commit such a thing as forcibly taking a woman from the people?

These ordinary people only blindly pray to gods and Buddhas, and are filled with endless awe for the gods. How could they possibly doubt the identity of the river god?

However, there were also dissenting voices among the crowd.

"Is marrying the River God really a good thing? None of the women who have married him over the years have ever appeared in Yunshui County."

Someone immediately replied, "Those women married the River God. The River God is a god, and he has long since led them to live in a new celestial abode. Why would they need to come back to the mortal realm?"

"But I also hear from time to time that those brides are actually..."

"Shut up! Don't say things carelessly, you know that loose lips sink ships."

The voices faded into the distance and were soon drowned out by the sounds of suona horns and firecrackers.

I don't know how much time passed, but there was no sound of people outside the sedan chair anymore.

Knowing that the bridal sedan chair had stopped, Si Yao lifted the curtain and saw that the wedding procession had already arrived at the Yunshui River.

The Yunshui River is serene and flows from east to west.

Si Yao looked around and felt that it was very quiet.

Strange, why didn't the onlookers follow?

After taking a closer look, she realized that the area around Yunshui River had been cleared out by Xue Qing's men.

The wedding procession stopped, and the suona music abruptly ceased.

But several old women reminded Si Yao, "The time has not come yet, the bride cannot come out."

Si Yao, inside the sedan chair, asked in confusion, "When will we have to wait?"

"Tonight at midnight."

"It's going to take this long?"

The old woman said, "The bride should just wait patiently."

Wait patiently.

Si Yao didn't have much patience. She couldn't wait to see the river god's true face and find out what kind of lives all those brides were living after marrying him.

As the sun began to set, the old women outside the sedan chair started to clamor.

"The Lin family should prepare a banquet quickly."

Si Yao lifted the curtain of the sedan chair. On the bank of the Yunshui River, Yu Ke and Tang Che, who played the Lin family parents, had already prepared a banquet.

In addition to the delicious food, an incense burner was also placed on the table.

A short while later, Lin Xuan, or rather Li Ye, dressed in wedding attire, walked to the banquet table and, following the directions of several old women, held a stick of incense in his hand.

"Young Master Lin, worship Heaven, Earth, and the River God."

Li Ye stood there, unmoved, his gaze cold.

Do you want him to worship the river god?

How could Li Ye possibly agree to this?

Si Yao looked at him from inside the sedan chair, then glanced at the expressions of the old women around her, and immediately transmitted her voice to Li Ye: "Little Ye, those old women want you to offer incense."

Li Ye did not respond.

The old woman urged from the side, "Young Master Lin, I know you are unwilling, but things have come to this point, and I hope you will consider the bigger picture."

Another old woman chimed in, "Yes, if the river god gets angry later, we'll all suffer the consequences."

Li Ye turned around and looked at the noisy old women with icy eyes.

At that moment, Si Yao saw murderous intent in his eyes, as if he would kill these people in the next second.

Si Yao took a deep breath. Although these old women were indeed hateful, they were just following orders and didn't deserve to be killed immediately.

At this moment, Li Ye's murderous intent made Si Yao momentarily dazed. She realized that she had never truly understood this disciple before her.

It's as if the Xiao Yezi of the past has become a different person.

Regardless of what it was, Si Yao still felt a chill run down her spine.

Fortunately, not long after, Li Ye withdrew his gaze, bowed slightly, made a symbolic offering, and then placed the incense in his hand on the incense ash burner.

Immediately, gongs and drums sounded, suonas began to play, and joyful music filled the air once again.

On the banks of the Yunshui River, that table of delicacies seemed to be a sacrifice to the air itself.

Do the so-called river gods really exist?

Si Yao didn't expect that the people outside the sedan chair would play joyful music until night, and those old women would stay up all night as well.

Si Yao was so sleepy that she yawned several times in the bridal sedan chair.

She couldn't help but send a telepathic message to Li Ye again, "Disciple, it should still be a while before Li Shi arrives. I'll take a nap first. Remember to wake me if anything urgent comes up."

“Master,” Li Ye’s voice came, “With such a formidable enemy at hand, you can still sleep. It seems you have a very good mindset.”

Si Yao chuckled, "My butt is sore from sitting since I left the Lin family. Who cares about any enemy? I'll take a nap first, otherwise this time will be too hard to pass."

Li Ye: "..."

Si Yao: "Unless there's some kind of erotic novel, then I can pass the time."

Li Ye: "Then you should go to sleep."

Si Yao raised the corners of her mouth, propped her face up with one hand, and slowly closed her eyes.

She was half asleep and didn't know how much time had passed when a gust of wind suddenly woke her up.

It was quiet outside the sedan chair.

"Bride, bride, it's almost midnight, get ready to leave the sedan chair."

The old woman's voice came from outside the sedan chair.

Si Yao covered her head with the red veil, coughed lightly, and said, "I understand."

Joyful sounds rang out again.

At this moment, Li Ye, dressed in wedding attire, lifted the sedan curtain and said in a deep voice, "My wife, come out."

Si Yao was slightly taken aback when she heard this address.

For a moment, he sat there motionless.

She only reached out her hand after Li Ye repeated himself.

Soon, her hand was taken by Li Ye, and then she stepped out of the bridal sedan chair.

As midnight approached, the wind along the Yunshui River became chilly, and even the air was filled with an eerie atmosphere.

Si Yao let Li Ye lead her, feeling a little confused. She then began to send him a telepathic message: "According to their customs, do you still have to see me off at the last step?"

"Are you still half asleep?" Li Ye replied telepathically. "That's how the steps are written on the scroll."

Si Yao was about to say something in her voice when Li Ye's voice rang in her ear, "Wife, be careful, there's a brazier ahead. I'll help you step over it slowly."

Following Li Ye's instructions, Si Yao lifted her skirt, took a light step, and slammed her legs towards the brazier.

A warm sensation came from beneath my feet, which was then extinguished by a cold wind.

But her body felt inexplicably warm.

Especially feeling the warmth emanating from Li Ye's palm beside her, she couldn't help but smile.

It feels unreal.

Even though she knew perfectly well that Li Ye and she were just pretending to be someone else, a strange feeling still rose in Si Yao's heart.

It was as if, tonight, by this unfamiliar Yunshui River, they had truly gotten married.

"My wife, let's keep going."

Li Ye's voice echoed softly, and Si Yao simply nodded.

"Oh, Mr. Lin, it's best not to call her 'wife' right now. Master Xue is waiting for you at the end, so don't let him hear that."

The old woman started reminding him again, but Li Ye scoffed, "She's my wife, can't I call her that?"

Hearing this, the old woman wanted to rush over and cover her mouth. She waved her hands incessantly, saying, "It's best to be careful, for your own sake and for the sake of your Lin family."

Li Ye said, "What does it matter to me what happens to the Lin family? I can't even protect my own woman now, so what does it matter whether I live or die?"

Si Yao, standing to the side, trembled and almost cried out. Involuntarily, she gripped Li Ye's hand tightly and whispered to him, "Alright, alright, don't get too caught up in the role. That's enough."

Li Ye was still at odds with the old woman.

Si Yao tugged at his sleeve, "Disciple, listen to me. If you keep doing this, I'll really think you're taking this for real."

These words finally made Li Ye withdraw his cold gaze, and he pulled Si Yao to continue walking forward.

A moment later, a voice transmission came through: "Turning a fake act into a real one? What does Master want to say?"

Si Yao: "Of course, it will make me misunderstand that you really like me, so you're taking this opportunity to indirectly express your feelings."

Upon hearing this, Li Ye almost shook off Si Yao's hand.

He took a cold breath. "You said it was a misunderstanding, so of course it can't be taken seriously."

"Haha... I was just saying it casually, you don't need to deny it so nervously."

"I'm just stating the facts. Sometimes, Master, don't overthink things, or you'll just be too narcissistic."

Si Yao: "...Alright, alright, you've grown up, your wings have hardened, and you dare to talk back to your teacher now."