Chapter 5 Three Questions from the Mirror of Unity: The Wedding Banquet at the Zhu Family Mansion

As dawn broke, the Zhu family mansion was bustling with people, filled with joyous noise. Large red palace lanterns hung from the eaves, stretching from the gate to the main hall. The wedding of Young Master Zhu and Miss Chen was a joyous and peaceful affair, except for one person who lurked furtively in the shadows.

"This is comparable to the wedding of the eldest daughter of the Jin family back then."

Feng Yi, holding a tree branch, squatted at the doorway and muttered to himself.

He peeked into the mansion. He had put up some talismans at the Zhu residence yesterday, but there had been no reaction. A child, biting his finger and being held by his mother, noticed the talisman on the pillar and curiously tugged at it. When he couldn't tear it off, he became playful and kicked his legs, trying to forcefully peel it off.

Feng Yi: "..."

Miss Ming was truly prescient, so she specially added a binding spell to the talisman. These mortals were not afraid of the troublesome magical artifact at all, and three children were playing house in the courtyard.

The tall girl said in a high-pitched voice, "I am the Mirror of Unity, three words to distinguish truth from falsehood."

The boy waved his hand: "I, I'll play the spirit weapon, and you play the groom."

The other girl spoke softly but firmly: "I'm the only one who has seen the Mirror of Love, so I should be the one to play it."

Feng Yi sighed, straightened his robes, and sat down under the tree.

There was no need to carry a sword to deal with a magical weapon. Mingyan finished setting up the array around the wedding hall and stood warily behind the screen, waiting for the newlyweds to enter. The Zhu family had many guests coming and going, which shattered the array.

Mingyan: "..."

She was exasperated and sighed, rubbing her forehead. For the safety of mortals, she had always used methods that didn't harm people; dealing with such magical artifacts was definitely not her forte.

Xiao Jingze leaned silently against the wall, his figure hidden in the shadows, his expression unreadable, the ring on his finger striking the bracelet with a crisp sound.

Fruit was scattered on a golden plate, flowers were watered with silver candles, and Mingying gathered with the newly acquainted girls, eating melon seeds and listening to Lu Ye gossip.

Miss Lu is incredibly skilled at cracking sunflower seeds. She bites them with her teeth, curls her tongue, and the whole process is fluid and graceful, all while talking non-stop. Mingying, on the other hand, can't seem to learn that. She has to painstakingly peel the shells with her hands after each bite, and nods along as she listens.

"If you ask me, that young master Zhu only owes a debt of gratitude. Otherwise, why would Miss Chen marry him? That prefect, you see, the one in the blue robe who is the most handsome in that circle, I heard that he also has feelings for Miss Chen. That young master Zhu is no match for him."

Mingying was hearing about this for the first time. She raised her head slightly, and a round-faced girl in pink walked in through the door. She immediately spotted Mingying peeking out from the crowd, patted her on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Miss Ming, you look radiant today."

Miss Lu raised her eyebrows: "I don't know how many times I've heard that sentence today."

The girl in pink examined it carefully: "This must be Miss Chen's handiwork. I didn't see it when I went there a few days ago, but today it's on Miss Ming. How can you be so biased?"

"Miss Chen hung her clothes in the sky and waited for the fairy Chang'e to come and wear them, so naturally you couldn't see them."

Upon hearing this, the girls burst into laughter.

"The groom is back from fetching his bride!"

"They're here, they're here."

Miss Lu tossed the melon seeds aside, pulled Mingying up, and Mingying brushed the crumbs off her hands as she walked, looking towards the door.

The newlyweds emerged from the sedan chair. Chen Li wore a kingfisher feather phoenix crown, pearl tassels cascading down her sides, a wide-sleeved red robe, and a wedding shawl that fell from her shoulders. Her lips were red, her eyebrows delicate, and she possessed a dignified and beautiful air. She held a red silk ribbon in one hand, the other end of which was held by Young Master Zhu, also dressed in a red wedding gown. Young Master Zhu looked much more serious than usual, but…

Miss Lu looked disgusted: "Why are you grinning like an idiot? You're so dull-witted, I don't know what Miss Chen saw in him."

The bystanders chuckled and said, "You don't understand, Miss Chen just likes this kind of silly, goofy look."

The newlyweds walked through the wedding ceremony and arrived at the center of the hall. The noise subsided, and everyone was waiting for something.

Inside the courtyard, Feng Yi drew a chick symbol on the ground with a twig, and three children squatted beside him.

Mingyan completed the formation, then tossed the stone in her hand with satisfaction. "Now it's all right, no one can get out."

Xiao Jingze straightened up, and the golden ring floated in mid-air.

Mingying and the guests stood together, waiting for the upcoming appearance of the Mirror of Love.

The master of ceremonies looked even more nervous than the newlyweds: "First bow to Heaven and Earth—"

"Buzz—"

An ancient mirror covered in verdigris emerged from the wall, circled three times, and hovered steadily in the center of the wedding hall. The mirror slowly revealed two blurry faces, dressed in wedding gowns, who were the newlyweds on the scene.

My name is Tongxinjing.

Feng Yi threw down the branch and jumped up: "How did it get in! My talismans were all properly affixed, why didn't it react at all!"

Xiao Jingze stepped out of the shadows and quickly threw the golden ring out of the cauldron, forming a hand seal: "All things return to nothingness, collect."

The hall was filled with golden light. Mingying raised her hand to shield her eyes, but the Mirror of Harmony seemed to have no effect. Her cold tone was unhurried: "Three words to distinguish truth from falsehood."

Mingyan rushed in from outside the door, lightly stepping on the table with her toes, and landed in the center in the blink of an eye. She turned around and reached out to grab the magical weapon, but the Heart-to-Heart Mirror was faster than her, slicing past her ear. Mingyan missed her target, touched her earlobe, and found her fingertips stained with blood.

The guests quickly stepped back, and upon seeing this, exclaimed in admiration, "What excellent footwork!"

The mirror, reflecting the couple's love, asked in a tone neither sad nor happy: "Who is the one you love?"

Without hesitation, Young Master Zhu replied, "The person before me."

Chen Li's palms were sweating: "Young Master Zhu."

Xiao Jingze reached down and flicked his long whip at his waist, which lashed out like a rainbow. The Mirror of Unity spun around and struck it back, neither angry nor displeased: "What is it that you feel ashamed of?"

Young Master Zhu shielded Chen Li behind him, speaking earnestly: "I... I am ashamed of my arrogant and foolish behavior when we first met, which caused my wife to suffer a lot of grievances in the Zhu family. Also, my wife is very busy, but I often bothered her because I missed her so much..."

He talked on and on, but Chen Li, pale-faced, clenched her sleeves and remained silent.

Mingying found a stone on the ground, quietly picked it up, took out her slingshot, squinted her left eye, released the string, and the stone bounced off the mirror and fell to the ground.

She looked at the slingshot in her hand in surprise. Xiao Jingze glanced at her. "A magical artifact can't recognize attacks from mortals?"

Mingyan wiped away the blood and noticed the matter. She took out a snow-white longsword from her bracelet. The Bixiao Sword itself was very sturdy, and even without using spiritual power, she did not believe that she could not break this broken mirror.

Mingying was squeezed against the wall by the panicked crowd, her brow twitching: "Mingyan, wait a minute!"

Mingyan stopped abruptly, looked around, saw that Young Master Zhu looked terrified, burped, and finished speaking.

The room fell silent, and everyone looked at the silent bride.

Miss Lu twisted her handkerchief, looking puzzled. "What's wrong, Miss Chen?"

Young Master Zhu also turned to look at Chen Li, and seeing that her face was as white as paper, he worriedly helped her up, saying, "It's alright, I'm here."

The Mirror of Unity circled them slowly twice before suddenly lunging at Chen Li!

Xiao Jingze's eyes flickered slightly, and he threw out all ten golden rings from his palm, blocking its path. Feng Yi rushed over and placed a talisman on Chen Li's back: "Soul Protector!"

After a brief standoff between the golden ring and the magical artifact, Mingying stared at the restless Mirror of Unity and turned to ask Xiao Jingze, "If we cannot subdue the magical artifact for the time being, could we isolate Miss Chen?"

She then turned to Chen Li: "Is it okay?"

Chen Li's expression was complicated. She removed Young Master Zhu's hand from her shoulder and stopped looking at him: "Fine."

For once, Young Master Zhu didn't say much, but just quietly looked at her. Xiao Jingze opened the Myriad Manifestations Return to the Void, and ten thousand golden rays burst forth from the cauldron, splitting open a deep gate with golden flames flowing at its edges. Chen Li stepped into the void without hesitation.

The space of Wanxiang Guixu is located outside the boundary. At this moment, the bride suddenly disappeared from the wedding banquet. The Tongxin Mirror flashed and was about to merge into the wall.

Mingyan had been waiting for a long time, holding her sword. But as soon as she unleashed her sword, the bronze mirror turned into a fog mirror, rendering the formation invisible and disappearing into the mist.

Tables and chairs were overturned, and cups and plates were scattered everywhere. Young Master Zhu stood there, looking lost and dejected, and did not respond when others spoke to him.

The wedding banquet at the Zhu family ended in this way, and the guests whispered among themselves, while the elders of the Zhu family looked grim.

Mingying looked at Mingyan again, who sheathed her sword and crossed her arms. Xiao Jingze's eyes were dark, a gold ring swirling around his wrist, as if he were deep in thought. Feng Yi, seeing the silence, rubbed his hands together: "So, what are we now...?"

Mingying suddenly asked, "The Myriad Manifestations Return to Nothingness is a magical artifact. Can't a magical artifact subdue a spiritual artifact?"

Seeing that even a living person like Chen Li could be taken in, a spiritual artifact should be able to as well. Xiao Jingze put the golden ring at his waist and answered her: "Yes, it can, but the Heart-to-Heart Mirror is overflowing with spiritual power and has absorbed the souls of several people before. It needs to be sealed first before it can be subdued."

Young Master Zhu's eyelashes fluttered, and he suddenly looked up at the four men and said, "May I ask you all to have a talk?"

No longer wearing his usual expression of pure emotion, Young Master Zhu's face seemed to have become much smarter, and Xiao Jingze nodded indifferently.

The formation had been broken, the wedding banquet had ended, and the crowd had dispersed, leaving only five people in the hall. Young Master Zhu, dressed in red, placed the red ribbon on the table, turned around, and bowed deeply to the four people.

Feng Yi helped him up: "Young Master Zhu, why are you like this?"

Young Master Zhu bowed again: "The Heart-to-Heart Mirror will not give up until it achieves its goal. If my wife leaves the magic artifact, her life will be in danger. I implore all cultivators to help me subdue the Heart-to-Heart Mirror."

"Young Master Zhu, there's no need for further explanation. We've come here specifically for this matter."

Young Master Zhu smiled bitterly, "I know my wife has many worries on her mind. I thought I could share her burdens with my own efforts, but I've been useless all this time..."

Feng Yi quickly waved his hand: "Young Master Zhu, there is no need to belittle yourself. It is we who have not fulfilled Miss Chen's request."

Xiao Jingze tapped his fingers lightly and raised an eyebrow: "Young Master Zhu doesn't seem curious about what Miss Chen is hiding?"

Young Master Zhu said solemnly, "You don't understand what kind of person she is. I have always believed in her."

Mingyan pondered, "Miss Chen truly treats you sincerely."

Mingying blinked. Young Master Zhu's love is "the person in front of him", Miss Chen's love is "Young Master Zhu", and she only heard Miss Lu say today that the prefect seems to also be surnamed Zhu.

But she saw that Miss Chen didn't pay much attention to the prefect, but often teased Young Master Zhu. Since the two were truly in love, and Miss Chen was kind and generous with an excellent reputation, what unspeakable guilt could she possibly have?

Miss Chen told her that they were complete strangers, but her actions betrayed this. Mingying rummaged through the nooks and crannies of her memory; someone like Miss Chen, she shouldn't have forgotten her if she had met her before.

She tugged at Xiao Jingze's sleeve: "Please take me into the Void of All Things too. I want to talk to Miss Chen for a while."

Xiao Jingze said expressionlessly, "The Void of All Things is not a toy; it cannot be opened today."

"All right."

Mingying looked at Young Master Zhu: "Have there been any weddings recently?"

Young Master Zhu shook his head: "With the magical artifacts causing chaos, I haven't heard of any wedding banquets in the city even in the last three months."

Mingyan gritted her teeth: "If it's a wedding banquet, guests should be banned from entering to avoid harming innocent people."

Feng Yi, with his hands tucked in his sleeves, looked at Ming Ying, then at Xiao Jingze, and said thoughtfully, "I do have an idea."