Chapter 148 Contract Ceremony "Your Highness, it's time to tie the contract."...

The Cinnamon Ceremony was held at dusk.

Not long after the excitement of the Immortal Spirit Festival in Xidu City subsided, another joyous event occurred.

The princess who passed away many years ago has returned. Not only that, she also facilitated a marriage alliance between the Great Zhou and the Immortal Sect. Everyone in the Western Capital knows that a hundred years ago, when the country was on the verge of collapse, it was the Immortal's Heaven-Splitting Sword that saved the Great Zhou, allowing it to survive in the Western Capital to this day.

Now that the Yong traitors are eyeing the Zhou dynasty with covetous intent, the Great Zhou has once again received the protection of the immortal sects. Everyone is overjoyed by this, and some even weep with joy, saying that Heaven's mandate is on the Zhou dynasty, and Heaven will not forsake the Great Zhou.

Inside the Western Capital, the streets leading from the palace to the temple were crowded with people on both sides.

According to the rituals of the Great Zhou Dynasty, in marriage, both parties must worship the Four Gods and their ancestors before entering into the marriage contract under the witness of the gods and ancestors.

The Four Gods Temple and the Imperial Ancestral Temple of Xidu City are located on Miyang Mountain in the eastern suburbs of the city. The main street leading out of the East Gate is the only way for the wedding procession, so people wait here in droves, hoping to witness the grand wedding ceremony and catch a glimpse of the immortals.

As the sun gradually set, red clouds spread across the entire sky, like a blazing fire.

The royal procession drove through the streets, carrying relatives and important officials to Miryang Mountain, but the people's attention was already focused on nothing else.

For amidst this golden-red expanse, a cloud chariot appeared in the sky.

A spirit bird pulled the chariot, with celestial messengers standing on either side. Inside sat Princess Ji, who had formed a pact with the immortal sect, and the young master of the Li family.

The cloud chariot flew low, slowly traversing the sky, allowing the people below to glimpse two shadowy red figures through the brocade curtains. One sat upright, the other clung softly to him; the man was steady and reliable, the woman gentle and tender. The sight was delightful; with such methods, the Princess would surely hold the young master of the Li family firmly, and the alliance would be unbreakable.

It wasn't until the wind stirred the curtains that everyone saw that the supposedly composed and reliable person was none other than their princess, while the gentle, submissive one leaning against them was clearly a man. For a moment, it was almost impossible to tell who was actually begging whom in this arranged marriage.

Inside the cloud carriage.

Jiang Yuhuo sat upright as instructed by the palace servants, looking straight ahead. She knew very well that this engagement ceremony was less for her and Li Mengbai and more for the people of the Great Zhou. Her job was to play the role of Ji Hongyu well and reassure the people of the Great Zhou.

But ever since Li Mengbai got on the cloud carriage, he has been moving around. One moment he wanted to tie the jade butterfly to her waist, and the next he felt it was inappropriate and let her hide it in her bosom. Now his nose is restlessly rubbing against her neck.

"It smells wonderful. What perfume are you wearing today?"

Jiang Yuhuo pushed his head away, "I don't know, it's the same one you used."

Li Mengbai didn't ask any more questions, but stared at her lips, slowly leaned closer, and said in a hoarse voice, "We've already left the city."

Once they left the city, there were no more commoners watching the ceremony. They no longer needed to worry about being seen doing whatever they wanted.

Jiang Yuhuo understood what he meant. Just as he was about to get close, she turned her face away and said in a low voice, "Your makeup will smudge."

Li Mengbai looked at the beautiful face of the person in front of her and smiled softly. She had applied lipstick today, and her face had been fussed over by the palace servants for a long time, so she was extremely impatient and obviously didn't want to touch up her makeup anymore.

"Alright, I'll owe you for now."

He gazed at her quietly for a long time before finally kissing her neck and giving up.

Inside the Four Temples.

"Your Highness, it's time to tie the knot."

The priest spoke very softly, but even in such a tall and spacious hall, his voice still carried. He wouldn't have spoken if the princess hadn't been distracted and remained motionless for so long.

Jiang Yuhuo snapped out of her daze, her gaze shifting from the towering statue of the Mermaid God. She then saw that the temple was filled with members of the Great Zhou royal family and important officials of the court.

Everyone was watching her and the tray in front of her, waiting for her to pick up one of the wedges from the tray.

Li Mengbai was also waiting for her.

Everyone's gaze was clearly calm, yet it seemed to weigh heavily on her, urging her on.

She wasn't actually familiar with these people; she only recognized a handful of their faces.

For a moment, she didn't even understand how she had gotten to this point. Did she really want to be tied to this person?

But her dazed state lasted only a moment; she still picked up a binding thread. The thread possessed spiritual power, and as soon as it came close, it automatically tied to Li Mengbai's left middle finger. At the same time, the same binding thread was tied to her finger as well.

She heard her own voice and Li Mengbai's voice.

"The four gods hear this, the ancestors witness this; this marriage is made, the celestial bond is formed; the sun and moon are allied, the mountains and seas are in accord; heaven and earth walk together, life and death will never abandon each other."

As the last word fell, the binding thread on their clasped hands lit up, the red thread tightly wrapped around their fingers, and then melted into the flesh between their fingers, leaving only a faint red mark.

Seeing the bright lines on their middle fingers, Li Mengbai finally released his breath. The moment Jiang Yuhu hesitated, his heart had leaped into his throat. He had been staring intently at her, his hand at his side almost forming a hand seal, in case she dared to escape…

But she didn't, so he suppressed his surging anger, smiled contentedly, took her hand, and gently kissed the mark.

He whispered in her ear, in a voice only she could hear, "Jiang Yuhuo, we are engaged."

Jiang Yuhu stared at his fingers, lost in thought.

Many years ago, she had also made a similar pact, and there was a similar mark on her body.

The contract was not a marriage agreement, but it did stipulate that they would stay together for life.

*

The night was illuminated by fireworks, and the western capital was bustling with activity.

Fireworks lit up the sky above the palace, illuminating the glazed roof and vermilion walls. Inside the brightly lit palace, people were clinking glasses and raising their cups in celebration. Their faces were beaming with joy, making one feel as if they were glimpsing the last rays of the dynasty's former glory.

On the banks of the Qingshui River, the figures of people are few and far between.

The fairy festival has ended, and there are no longer any tourists floating lanterns on the riverbank. The river surface is dark and quiet.

The lantern stalls on the shore were doing little business, so the vendors sat to the side watching the fireworks in the night sky, completely forgetting about the lanterns on their stalls.

A slender, fair hand picked up a river lantern from the stall and put a gold coin into the vendor's money box.

The vendor, who had been dozing off, suddenly woke up with a start. "Miss, I can't make change for this."

"No need to look anymore."

The other person was dressed in bright colors, but spoke in a cold tone.

The vendor was overjoyed at the customer's generosity and immediately offered, "Would you like some writing brush and ink to write down your prayers? Today is an auspicious day. Our princess is marrying into a celestial family, and from now on we will be protected by the immortals. This day is no less special than a celestial festival."

The guest continued to shake his head, but then, as if remembering something, suddenly asked, "Are you all happy to see the princess marrying into the immortal sect?"

The vendor was baffled. "Of course. Otherwise, we wouldn't be citizens of the Great Zhou for long. Who wants to suffer the taste of being a subjugated slave?"

"knew."

After hearing his reply, the guest remained silent for a while, then left with those words.

The vendor shook his head, thinking to himself that this was truly a strange person. After a while, he remembered that when the customer had taken the lamp, there seemed to be a red thread tied around his finger.

That's something only cultivators from immortal sects use when forming a pact; mortals can't use it.

Jiang Yuhuo walked a long way along the riverbank, passing through winding and narrow waterways, until the riverbank became straight and wide before stopping.

She took out a brocade pouch from her storage bag and poured its contents into her hand. There were three lustrous white pearls, the tears that the mermaid had once shed on her collar.

It's strange, but when I rolled off her back that day, my hand felt so cold, but now it's warm, just like a normal person's body temperature.

She had seen mermaids' tears turn into pearls before. But whether out of curiosity or something else, she didn't throw them away that night. She sealed them in a brocade pouch, never looking at them herself, nor showing them to anyone.

But she felt it was time to get rid of them.

She placed the lustrous white pearls into the river lantern, then drew upon a wisp of spiritual energy to protect them, ensuring they floated downstream without getting wet or capsizing.

Once the river lantern enters the water, it is pushed away by the current, gradually becoming a tiny dot of light until it disappears completely.

Qingshui is a tributary of Moyu River. Flowing downstream, it will join the river. The river carries the lanterns all the way north, and if all goes well, it may even flow into the sea.

When she first met that merman, she shamelessly promised to take him back to the sea.

Now, nobody goes there anymore.

She could smell his scent on the beads, and she guessed that perhaps it was because of these beads that he could always find her so accurately. That time in the Moyu River was one example, as were the many nights in the imperial palace.

Rivers flow into the sea, so perhaps releasing them back into the ocean is the best way to deal with them.

Just like her and that mermaid, they gathered because of the flowing water, and dispersed with the flowing water.

Jiang Yuhu patted non-existent dust off her hands, stood up, and turned to walk towards the palace.

*

When Li Mengbai returned to the princess's bedchamber, the doors were wide open and the candlelight inside was bright. But he immediately spotted the person sitting on the roof, leaning against a wing on one side of the roof. She had removed her hairpins and ornaments, her red skirt fluttering and her black hair flying.

She always liked to sit in a high place, like a bird that was passing by and taking a break, as if she might leave at any moment.

In Shannan County, when she learned that he had poisoned the woman named Jinzhi, she was so angry she wanted to kill him. That night, she sat on the rooftop, so he could only watch from below all night.

But now, he no longer has to watch her from a dark corner, afraid to get close yet also afraid that she will leave.

Now, he is the man she is legally married to, her future husband.

Thinking of this, Li Mengbai couldn't help but smile.

The palace was built on a high ground in the western capital. Jiang Yuhuo sat on the rooftop, overlooking the myriad lights of the city. A faint scent of wine and fragrance wafted on the wind, and she knew who had come without turning around.

Soon, the smell of alcohol and fragrance wafted into her arms.

"They made me drink a lot of alcohol while you were gone."

Li Mengbai leaned against her and complained softly, as if he had really been bullied at the banquet.

Jiang Yuhuo disliked socializing, and since she didn't know anyone except Xiao Jing and a few others, she didn't attend the banquet. But she also knew very well that if Li Mengbai didn't want to drink, no one could force him.

"You don't have to drink it."

"Hmm...no, they said so many sweet things." Li Mengbai chuckled against her, his eyes gleaming with intoxication. "They said we're a match made in heaven, a divine couple, and that our love will last forever..."

"It's just some platitudes, don't take it seriously."

Li Mengbai bit her neck angrily, "Can't you say something nice too?"

He could tell the difference between platitudes and truth; he was simply happy. So whenever someone congratulated him, he would laugh and drink a hearty toast.

Li Mengbai's bite didn't hurt much; he barely held a small piece of her flesh in his mouth, but Jiang Yuhuo still silently shut her mouth.

Li Mengbai took advantage of the situation and adjusted his position, almost pressing himself against Jiang Yuhuo, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her neck to take a deep sniff.

With each breath, her scent entered his mind through his nose and then silently seeped into his limbs and bones. He felt he must be drunk, otherwise why would his head be spinning in waves? But at this moment, he felt light and expansive, from his head to his heart, completely full and stuffed.

He had never felt this way before, but he had often felt it these past few days while he was with Jiang Yuhuo, and tonight it was even more overwhelming. He vaguely felt that this might be the feeling of happiness. So this was what happiness was: his head was spinning, his heart was throbbing, and he was so confused that he couldn't utter a complete sentence. He threw himself into Jiang Yuhuo's arms and could only utter broken, short sentences.

"I like you so much... I like you."

"Jiang Yuhuo... likes you."

"Do you like me?"

"..."

He spoke unclearly, and Jiang Yuhuo didn't listen carefully, only occasionally responding. After responding to something, Li Mengbai suddenly raised his flushed face, his cheeks red, his eyes hazy, and a foolish smile on his lips. He stared at the lips he had been longing for since the day, the lip rouge still on them, red and vibrant, like blooming petals.

"I told you I wanted to kiss you, and you said yes."

Jiang Yuhuo was taken aback, and then her soft lips fell, leaving a kiss with a faint scent of wine.

Li Mengbai covered her eyes with his hand.

At first, it was just light kisses, one after another. He was satisfied for a while, but then he felt it wasn't enough. He cupped her face in one hand and covered it with his own again. This time, he opened his teeth and gently placed his tongue and teeth on her lips, sucking and rubbing until he was panting.

Even so, he wouldn't let go of her lips. After a moment of panting, he pressed them together again and continued.

Even though Jiang Yuhu kept his teeth clenched, he ate with great relish until he was completely out of breath and his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Only then did he reluctantly let go.

He lowered the hand that had been covering Jiang Yuhuo's eyes and then took her hand in his.

Li Mengbai kissed and pecked her face while adjusting his breathing. Jiang Yuhuo's lips were always close to his, within reach of him, close enough for him to fall on her again at any moment.

They were too close, so he didn't see Jiang Yuhuo's gaze. If he had looked up even slightly, he would have seen that Jiang Yuhuo's eyes were fixed on a spot not far behind him.

On the opposite rooftop, there stood another person.

A person dressed in white, whiter than snow, stands in the desolate moonlight.

-----------------------

Author's Note: Waaaaah, I was suddenly dragged off on a business trip, and I have to ask for leave tomorrow and the day after. My poor weekend! [crying emoji]