Chapter 253 - Starting Over
Luo Hongyi turned around, a mocking yet carefree smile on her beautiful face. "That golden cage? Haha... I've avenged myself. Guixu Sect is my home." Her gaze swept across Tie Niu, who lay on the bed, grinning innocently at her, then glanced at Chu Linyuan and Xie Zhao. She spoke firmly, "I'm a free man now. Soon I will resign from His Majesty, completely leaving the royal family and returning to the sect."
Hearing her words, Tie Niu's eyes burst into great surprise, and he almost couldn't help but want to sit up again.
Chu Linyuan nodded slightly: "Zongmen, you are welcome at any time."
Xie Zhao clapped his hands and laughed, "Great! Our Guixu Sect's Poison Elder has returned as a king! Perfect! Our sect is now so prosperous, and there are many places where we need you to take charge!"
A few days later, Luo Hongyi submitted her resignation to the emperor, citing her "pursuit of ultimate alchemy and no interest in worldly power." Though reluctant, the emperor, grateful for her vengeful spirit and Tie Niu's rescue, ultimately granted her request and granted her a large amount of cultivation resources as compensation.
Luo Hongyi took off her palace dress and put on a familiar, more exquisite and enchanting red dress. She officially returned to Guixu Sect and took charge of Baicao Dan Pavilion again.
The first thing she did when she returned was to use the resources she brought out from the palace and her own poison skills to upgrade the Baicao Dan Pavilion again. She developed several elixirs and poisons with more powerful effects and more bizarre uses, which greatly enhanced the sect's foundation.
Tie Niu's injuries healed quickly under Luo Hongyi's careful care. Moreover, it was a blessing in disguise. After being corroded by the poison and nourished by the elixir, his body became stronger than before.
He is still the honest Tie Niu, but his eyes are more steady and his cultivation is stable at the middle stage of Nascent Soul.
He no longer just followed Luo Hongyi foolishly like before, but began to take the initiative to share the sect's defense and disciple training work, integrating his experience gained outside into it, and became the sect's true "Guardian Vajra".
Everyone could feel that although the window paper between Tie Niu and Luo Hongyi had not been completely broken, the atmosphere was no longer the same as before.
Tie Niu is still honest and straightforward, but he has learned to care for others silently. For example, he always sends Luo Hongyi a carefully prepared midnight snack every day when she stays up late to study the Poison Sutra.
Luo Hongyi was still sharp-tongued, but she no longer truly disliked him. Occasionally, she would even straighten Tie Niu's collar in front of everyone, causing Su Tang and Bai Xiaolu to secretly cover their mouths and laugh.
The Guixu Sect finally welcomed the reunion of all its core members: Chu Linyuan, Xie Zhao, Luo Hongyi, Tie Niu, Su Tang, Bai Xiaolu, Chen Bo, a Moon-Eating Rabbit that was becoming more and more human-like, and Gungun, who only cared about eating and being cute.
That evening, the sect held a grand celebratory banquet. Bonfires were lit, delicious food wafted through the air, and spirit wine was plentiful. All the disciples gathered in the square, their laughter and joy reaching the sky.
Chu Linyuan and Xie Zhao sat in the main seats, looking at the happy scene below.
Xie Zhao leaned on Chu Linyuan's shoulder, playing with the wine glass in his hand, looking at Tie Niu who was being instigated by Su Tang to compete in drinking, and Luo Hongyi who took the wine bowl with a look of disgust, looking at Su Tang whispering with Bai Xiaolu and Yun Zhi, and looking at Chen Bo who was walking slowly among the disciples and occasionally pointing out their bottlenecks in cultivation. His heart was filled with unprecedented satisfaction and peace.
"Brother," Xie Zhao said softly, "our family is finally complete."
Chu Linyuan held his arm tightly and hummed in a low voice. His cold eyes melted into the gentlest spring water under the reflection of the jumping bonfire.
In the night sky, the stars are shining brightly, as if they are offering silent blessings to this paradise that is growing stronger on the edge of the abyss.
The story of the Guixu Sect has turned a turbulent page and ushered in an even more glorious future. And their legend will continue to be written by their own hands.
(Family, I thought I could continue writing sequels after clicking "End." I have a lot of them now. The characters' past, future... and subsequent developments. But I didn't know I couldn't write sequels after clicking "End." I don't have enough permissions! I'll put a picture below to see if you can see it.)
Extra - Tie Niu's confession and past love for you is not just because of your beauty~
The afterglow of the setting sun is like melted gold, gently spreading over the backyard of Baicao Dan Pavilion.
Tie Niu's body, as big as a hill, was now half-crouching in front of a row of exquisite jade basins in an almost pious posture.
His giant hands, powerful enough to split mountains and rocks, were now holding a small jade shovel, and his movements were so gentle that it seemed as if he was touching the skin of a newborn baby.
He was transplanting the last of the "Star Orchids." This flower was a treasure that Luo Hongyi had recently cultivated with great effort. According to her, its petals would naturally emit a brilliant radiance like a galaxy on a full moon night. It was an indispensable ingredient in her refining of a high-level tranquilizing elixir.
The flower stems are slender and the leaves are delicate, as if they would break with the slightest touch.
Tie Niu even slowed down his breathing, and his thick fingers moved clumsily but extremely steadily, carefully placing the roots with original soil into a jade basin filled with special spiritual soil. He then used his fingertips to compact the surrounding soil bit by bit, ensuring that every inch of the roots fit tightly with the spiritual soil without damaging them in the slightest.
After doing all this, he slowly straightened up, and a layer of fine sweat beads appeared on his bronze forehead, as if he had just experienced a battle.
He raised his hand and casually wiped the sweat with his sleeve, looking at the star orchid swaying slightly in the evening breeze and twinkling with faint star points, with a simple and satisfied smile on his face, just like an old farmer watching the seedlings he had carefully cared for finally ear.
His gaze, involuntarily, as if drawn by an invisible thread, drifted towards the familiar carved wooden window on the second floor of Dan Pavilion.
On the windowsill, several pots of poisonous weeds with strange shapes and colorful colors were shining strangely in the sunset. Some of the leaves had serrated cold light on the edges, and some of the flowers were an ominous bright purple. They were Luo Hongyi's treasures and the symbol of her power.
Without any warning, these two words exploded in his heart again, stirring up huge waves.
Even though a long time had passed since the day Luo Hongyi nodded in agreement, this surging torrent of ecstasy, disbelief, and immense happiness could still instantly overwhelm him, making him feel light under his feet, as if he was stepping on soft and unsubstantial clouds.
He, Tie Niu, this homeless child who once struggled to survive in the mud, this honest man who could only swing a hammer, was actually... really going to become a Taoist couple with Senior Sister Luo, whom he had admired and pursued for so many years, the woman who was as dazzling as the blazing sun.
This ultimate sense of happiness is like a key that easily opens the long-closed door deep in memory, a mixture of bitterness and sweetness.
His thoughts broke free from the constraints of time and space, and suddenly fell back to an afternoon long, long ago, when the first strong color was suddenly splashed on the gloomy canvas of his life.
It was not a rich and powerful country, but a small country called Shiyan located in a corner of the continent.
He was the most inconspicuous seventh prince in the country, and his mother was just a humble palace maid who was occasionally favored by the emperor.
Perhaps it was because of his mother's malnutrition during pregnancy, or perhaps it was for some other reason, but he was born smaller than other princes of the same age. He was honest and dull in character, did not know how to please others, and would not fight for anything. In this cannibalistic palace, he was like a transparent shadow, the best object for his brothers to amuse themselves and vent their anger.
That day, like many times before, he was blocked by the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince along with a few young eunuchs who were trying to curry favor with the powerful, among the ruins of an abandoned palace.
"You motherless bastard! You don't even know how to greet this prince?"
"Look at him, he's such a fool! I feel like I'm dirty even if I hit him!"
"Beat him! Let him learn his lesson!"
Insults and blows, like cold raindrops, fell densely on his bony body.
He bit his lower lip hard, curled up in the cold corner, buried his head in his knees, and tried to shrink himself smaller.
The pain had long since numbed him, leaving only boundless despair and a resigned silence in his heart. This world had never shown him the slightest tenderness.
"Hey, you guys, do you feel a sense of accomplishment bullying a little kid?"
A girl's voice, which was a bit lazy, a bit nonchalant, yet clear and cold, was like jade beads falling on a plate, abruptly breaking the suppressed noise.
Little Tieniu subconsciously raised his head, and against the dazzling sunlight that came through the broken window frame, he saw a girl in a fiery red dress.
She looked young, about twelve or thirteen years old. She had not yet fully grown, but she already had a bright and beautiful figure that was hard to look away from.
Her face was as white as jade, and her eyebrows and eyes were as delicate as a fairy in a painting. However, her slightly upturned phoenix eyes did not have the slightest innocence that a girl should have. Instead, there was a kind of indifference and alienation that he had never seen before, as if she was standing aside and looking down on everyone.
Her slender fingertips were casually playing with a wisp of dark green mist that was wriggling like a living thing and emitting an ominous aura, and she glanced at the group of abusers with a half-smile.
That was the first time he met Luo Hongyi.
Like a blazing lightning that tore through the thick haze, or like a blazing fire that suddenly broke into an ice field, it suddenly and inexplicably crashed into his stagnant and gloomy world with unparalleled light and heat.
The arrogant princes turned pale as they saw who it was, as if they had seen a ghost. They clearly recognized this young woman, who was treated as a distinguished guest by their father, came from a mysterious sect, and was said to have a treacherous and unpredictable way of using poison.
"Luo...Fairy Luo..." The third prince stammered, his voice filled with undisguised fear.
"Let's...let's go now! Let's go now!" The fifth prince was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly and almost tripped over his own feet.
The group of people fled in a panic like ants being poured into boiling water, not daring to say a single harsh word.
The abandoned palace instantly returned to silence, leaving only dust flying in the sunlight, and him and the girl in red.
The girl then turned her gaze towards him and walked slowly towards him. The hem of her red skirt embroidered with intricate dark patterns brushed against the dusty ground, but it was spotless.
She squatted down in front of him who was curled up. The closer she was, the clearer she could see her flawless face and those eyes that seemed to be able to see through people's hearts.
She wrinkled her upturned nose and said with a hint of disgust: "Tsk, you're so useless. You don't even know how to fight back when you're beaten?"
Little Tieniu tilted his head back and stared at her blankly, forgetting the pain in his body. He only felt his heart beating wildly in his chest, making his eardrums buzz.
He wanted to say thank you, wanted to ask who she was, wanted to tell her that it wasn't that he didn't want to fight back, but that if he did, he would be beaten even worse...
But thousands of words were stuck in his throat, and in the end he just opened his mouth and uttered a meaningless monosyllable, his face flushed red.
The girl looked at him with such a silly and dazed look that he couldn't even speak clearly, and seemed a little bored, and curled her lips.
She casually took out a small, soft white jade bottle from her waist and threw it into his arms, as casually as if she was throwing away a piece of garbage.
"Here, it's for dissolving blood stasis.
Apply externally once a day." Her voice was still cold, "Be smarter next time. If you can't win, just run away. It's not shameful.
Your life is your own. If you die stupidly, no one will collect your body."
After she finished speaking, she stood up without even glancing at him again. Her red figure swayed gracefully, just as abruptly as when she came, and soon disappeared outside the dilapidated palace gate, leaving behind only a faint scent of herbs with a strange sweet fragrance.
Little Tieniu still maintained the posture of looking up. After a long while, he seemed to come alive suddenly, lowered his head suddenly, and tightly grasped the white jade bottle in his arms, which still retained the faint warmth of the other's fingertips.
The bottle was cold, yet it seemed to be scorching hot, burning his palms.
He raised his head and stared blankly in the direction where the red color disappeared. Her cold voice seemed to still echo in the empty palace.
For the first time, he felt that there was such a color in the world, so vivid, so blazing, so... warm. It was like a spark that fell on his long-frozen heart.
However, this brief warmth failed to dispel the heavy haze in his life.
Not long after that, Shiyan Kingdom underwent a shocking change.
His father, the emperor, the king from whom he did not even have the chance to feel much fatherly love, was assassinated by a powerful official during a palace banquet and died of poisoning.
The palace was instantly in chaos, with bloody purges and power struggles taking place in every corner.
His mother, who was of low status and had always lived cautiously, held him tightly in her arms, tears streaming down her face, just before the rebels rushed into their remote palace.
Then, as if she had made up her mind, she trembled and took out a gray stone rune made of special material and engraved with ancient runes from a secret compartment. It looked inconspicuous. It was the only token of his identity as a prince, and it was also something passed down from his mother's family and was said to be able to save his life.
"My child..." The mother's voice was hoarse and broken, filled with endless grief and reluctance, "Live... No matter what... You must live well..."
She shoved the stone talisman into his arms, then used all her strength, even burning her own remaining life essence, to activate the ancient teleportation talisman.
The blinding white light instantly enveloped him, and he felt a huge, irresistible force tearing at his body.
"Mother—!" He cried out in terror, reaching out to grab his mother, but all he saw was her tear-stained face, and the last trace of a sad yet gentle smile, which quickly dimmed and dissipated in the bright light like a candle in the wind...
He was thrown into the endless darkness and chaotic space turbulence and lost all consciousness.
When he woke up again, he was already in a completely unfamiliar, desolate and dilapidated place.
His father was dead, his mother was gone, his home was gone... He became a homeless and penniless vagrant.
Hunger, cold, and displacement became his life's entire existence. He struggled at the bottom of society like a stray dog, fighting with others for half a piece of moldy dry bread until his head was bloodied. Because of his thinness and dull appearance, he was looked down upon, bullied, and driven away.
On every bitterly cold night, every time he felt dizzy and dazed from hunger, every time he was beaten black and blue and curled up in a dirty corner waiting to die, he would always use all his strength to take out the white jade bottle that was empty but wiped clean by him, and hold it tightly in his palm.
In his mind, he would uncontrollably recall that afternoon, the red figure as brilliant as a flame, and the bottle of blood-dissolving powder with a strange fragrance that quickly dissipated the bruises on his body.
That was the only light and the only hope in his boundless dark world, which supported him to crawl back from the edge of the abyss of despair time and time again, gritting his teeth and living.
Later, his fate took a turn for the worse. During a fight over food, he was spotted by the Guixu Sect's old leader who was traveling by.
The old sect leader was perhaps moved by the beast-like desire to survive in his eyes, or perhaps he saw some hidden qualities in his bones, so he picked him up from the mud and brought him back to Guixu Sect, which was located on the edge of the Burial God Abyss and was known as a barren land.
Arriving at the sect, he was finally able to eat his fill. He seemed to want to make up for all the losses of the past decade or so, eating and practicing desperately. The old sect leader told him that only by becoming strong enough and possessing sufficient power could he protect the people he wanted to protect.
Who did he want to protect? He was confused at the time, with only a vague red shadow in his mind.
But he remembered this sentence and took it as his guiding principle. He worked harder than anyone else, devoting all his energy to tempering his body and wielding the heavy Guixu Dragon Spine Hammer.
Sweat, blood, and even tears all turned into his increasingly strong body and growing strength.
He looked at himself in the mirror as he saw his figure gradually becoming as big as a mountain with muscular torso, and his skin being tanned into a healthy bronze color. He secretly hoped that if... if he could see her again, would she... not recognize him?
When he finally saw Luo Hongyi again, she turned out to be his senior sister, famous for her mysterious poison skills.
She became more and more beautiful, like a mandala in full bloom, beautiful but also carrying deadly danger.
Her temperament also became colder, and she always looked at people with a condescending aloofness and undisguised sarcasm, as if nothing in the world was worth her even a second glance.
At that moment, Tie Niu's massive body trembled uncontrollably with extreme excitement, even his breathing quickened. It was her! It was truly her! Time seemed to have been especially kind to her, making her even more dazzling without leaving much of a mark.
A huge impulse surged in his heart. He wanted to rush forward immediately and tell her that he was the little boy back then. He wanted to return to her the empty jade bottle that he had treasured for many years and had rubbed it until it was extremely smooth. He wanted to tell her loudly that he had become very strong now and would never be bullied again!
But as soon as he took a step, he felt like he was nailed to the spot. He looked at Luo Hongyi's cold and stunning profile, listened to the surrounding disciples whispering about her with a mixture of respect and fear, and felt the icy aura surrounding her that kept strangers away... A deep-seated feeling of inferiority and timidity washed over him like ice water, extinguishing all his courage.
He looked down at his rough, calloused hands, then considered his clumsy tongue. A clear realization dawned on him: He was still the same clumsy, unlikable Iron Ox, even more vulgar than before. How could he, like this, be worthy of a woman as ethereal as the Nine Heavens Mysterious Lady? If he approached her to acknowledge her, he'd probably only draw her disgust and ridicule.
In the end, he suppressed all his excitement, joy, and the admiration he had buried deep in his heart, refusing to express it out loud. He could only transform this emotion into an even more frantic drive for cultivation and... a cautious, silent attention that no one knew about.
Until Luo Hongyi decided to go to the capital of Dayan Dynasty to carry out her long-planned revenge.
Tie Niu knew what that meant. The imperial palace was the most magnificent yet most brutal prison in the world, filled with deception and invisible swords. How could he be at ease if she went alone, deep into the tiger's den?
But he was tongue-tied and couldn't think of anything to convince her to stay. Moreover, he knew that revenge had been her obsession for many years and one of her motivations for living. He couldn't stop her, nor did he have the right to stop her.
So, shortly after Luo Hongyi left Guixu Sect, Tie Niu also gave instructions to Su Tang and Bai Xiaolu, who were temporarily in charge of the sect's affairs, and quietly descended the mountain. He did not immediately head to Kyoto, but instead turned in another direction - his homeland, Shiyan, which he had been away from for decades.
Decades had passed, and the Shiyan Kingdom was no longer the same. The powerful family that had murdered the king and usurped the throne controlled the government, levying heavy taxes and living in extravagance. The people of the country were in dire straits, and there was widespread resentment.
Tie Niu did not make a big fuss. Relying on his powerful cultivation that had reached the Nascent Soul stage and the stone talisman left by his mother, which represented the orthodox royal bloodline, he secretly contacted his old subordinates who still had feelings for their former master and were struggling to survive under oppression.
His revenge is simple, direct, bloody and full of powerful aesthetics.
He did not have as many sophisticated calculations and interlocking layouts as Luo Hongyi. What he believed in was absolute power and the dominance that crushed everything.
He was like a god of war from ancient times, holding the Guixu Dragon Spine hammer as heavy as a door panel, alone, starting from the border, and crushing all the way to the imperial city.
All the armies and monks who dared to stop him were like chickens and dogs, vulnerable in front of his unparalleled strength and the hammer intent that was further condensed after being honed in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords.
He personally pulled the core members of that powerful family out of their luxurious mansions and sturdy fortresses one by one, and in front of the phantom of his parents' tomb, he smashed them into meat paste along with their ambitions and sins with a sledgehammer!
He found several old ministers who had participated in the assassination of his father and had long since retired but were still enjoying wealth and glory. He forced all the dirty truths and details out of them in the most direct way, and then sent them away without mercy to confess to his father.
When he finally stood in the dilapidated and bloodstained palace hall, with the broken corpse of his enemy at his feet and the air filled with the strong smell of blood, he strangely did not feel much pleasure after revenge in his heart, but only a heavy sense of relief, like a huge rock falling to the ground.
He fulfilled the responsibilities that he had to bear as a son, and personally severed the last trace of cause and effect with the land that gave birth to him but never gave him much warmth.
Faced with the excited request of his former subordinates kneeling down to ask him, the only surviving legitimate prince, to ascend the throne as emperor, Tie Niu refused without hesitation.
He designated a young man from his mother's side branch who was well-known for his virtue and had no ambition for the throne, and handed him the seal representing the imperial power. He also buried the stone talisman that his mother had exchanged for her life deep in front of his parents' joint tomb, which was overgrown with weeds and had not been worshipped for a long time.
"Dad, Mom, this unfilial son... has avenged you." He knelt in front of the cold tombstone, his huge body like a silent mountain. He kowtowed three times heavily and firmly, and his forehead touched the cold ground with a dull sound.
Then, he resolutely stood up, turned around and left, without even glancing back at this land that held so many painful memories for him. His home was no longer here.
After leaving Shiyan Kingdom, he didn't even stop for a moment, and immediately rushed to the capital of Dayan Dynasty.
He knew that Luo Hongyi's plan had reached the most critical moment, the storm was coming, and he had to be by her side!
Relying on his powerful concealment ability and his almost instinctive familiarity with Luo Hongyi's aura, he sneaked into the heavily guarded and heavily-formed Dayan Palace like a real ghost.
He avoided all the sentries and found the Changle Palace where Luo Hongyi lived. He chose a place under the eaves that overlooked the palace gate and was extremely hidden. Like the most loyal guardian stone statue, he lurked there day and night.
He watched her maneuver effortlessly among various princes, nobles, and concubines in the harem, watched her lay invisible but deadly nets while chatting and laughing, watched her lead enemies into traps without making a sound... She danced gracefully in the center of the vortex of the palace, calm, powerful, and cautious.
But Tie Niu could also see that in those moments when the night was quiet and the palace lights were dim, when she was leaning on the railing alone, the fleeting deep fatigue that would occasionally appear between her beautiful eyebrows, and the loneliness and coldness that was difficult to dissolve in her eyes when she looked at the bright moon.
He felt so distressed that it was like being tightly grasped by an invisible hand, and he could hardly breathe. He wanted to show up and tell her that she didn't have to work so hard, that he could use his hammer to smash all those who annoyed her!
But he couldn't. He didn't understand the intricacies of the plot, and his rude intervention would only disrupt her carefully laid chess game and might even put her in greater danger.
The feeling of helplessness of watching her struggling alone in the raging waves, with all his strength but unable to truly share her burden or protect her from the wind and rain, was a thousand times more painful than having his soul repeatedly cut by thousands of sharp swords in the Tomb of Ten Thousand Swords.
Therefore, on the day of the final judgment, when Prince Su was desperate in the court, holding a dagger tempered with the highly poisonous "tarsal maggot", and pounced on the defenseless Luo Hongyi like a madman, all the rationality, thinking, and consideration in Tie Niu's body completely evaporated at that moment!
He didn't even have time to form a complete thought. His body's instincts and the most primitive desire to protect deep in his soul had already driven him to pounce out from the shadows like a cheetah that had been accumulating strength for a long time!
He used his broadest and strongest back to stand firmly and resolutely in front of her!
“Puff!”
The poisoned dagger, carrying a chilling murderous intent and biting coldness, fiercely and unhinderedly pierced his vest until the handle was gone!
Severe pain instantly swept through his limbs like a tide, and the poison madly eroded his meridians and internal organs.
However, the second before his consciousness was overwhelmed by pain and poison, the only thought that flashed through his mind was a hint of relief: Fortunately... she was not hurt.
When he slowly turned around due to the severe pain and exhaustion, he saw Luo Hongyi's usually cold face, for the first time showing an expression of "astonishment," "panic," and even... "fear"; when he heard her sharp scolding with unprecedented trembling and tears; when he felt her fingers, which always steadily prepared poison, but now trembled slightly as she desperately stuffed various precious antidote pills into his mouth...
Tie Niu felt that the heart-wrenching pain in his back, the rapidly spreading numbness, and even the maggot-like poison in his tarsal bones had become insignificant.
This blow was totally worth it!
He even felt a sense of absurd gratitude towards the unconscious Prince Su. It was this knife that gave him a chance, allowing him to finally stop being the big, stupid shadow who could only hide in the shadows, helplessly watching her, and lacking the courage to even approach her.
But it was about being able to truly protect her with his body for once, like now, allowing her... to express such real and intense emotions for him, allowing his figure to be clearly reflected in her beautiful eyes.
The long and complicated memories slowly receded like the tide, bringing Tie Niu's thoughts back to reality, back to the backyard of Baicao Dan Pavilion filled with the faint fragrance of herbs and the warmth of the sunset.
"Stupid cow! What are you daydreaming about? The food is getting cold!"
Luo Hongyi's voice, which was so familiar to him, with a hint of impatience and "ferocity", came clearly from the door of Dan Pavilion like the most penetrating note, completely interrupting all his memories.
Tie Niu suddenly came to his senses, shook his dizzy head, and looked in the direction of the sound.
Luo Hongyi was leaning against the door frame, her arms folded across her chest, her red dress blazing like a flame in the setting sun. Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her phoenix eyes glared at him fiercely, as if he had committed some unforgivable crime.
But Tie Niu could now clearly discern that deep in her seemingly fierce eyes, there was a hint of gentleness and...worldliness that she would only reveal in front of him, and that she herself might not even be aware of.
"I'm here! Senior Sister Luo!" Tie Niu responded quickly, his voice loud and clear with obvious joy.
His huge body seemed extremely flexible at this moment. He carefully avoided the precious poisonous plants that Luo Hongyi regarded as his life. Like a large dog that was summoned by its master, extremely obedient and impatient, he rushed to the door in a few steps.
Several simple home-cooked dishes were already placed on the dining table. They didn't look very exquisite, but they were fragrant and were all his favorite flavors.
This was made by Luo Hongyi herself. Although she always stressed with a stern face, "I'm just tired of researching poisonous weeds, so I'm just changing my mind and stretching my hands. Don't overthink it!"
During the meal, Su Tang and Bai Xiaolu ran over chirping like two happy little sparrows, gathered around the table, and excitedly discussed the details of the upcoming wedding.
"Brother Tie Niu! Do you think it would be better for us to hold the ceremony in the sect square or in the newly built Xinghui Hall? The square is bustling, and the Xinghui Hall is magnificent!"
"And there are dresses! Senior Sister Luo will look stunning in her phoenix coronet and robe! How about you, Senior Brother Tie Niu? Would you like to try our newly designed battle armor-style dress? It's guaranteed to look stunning!"
"The guest list also needs to be decided! Besides our own people, which friendly sects should we invite? Senior Mo Chen will definitely be invited, right?"
Tie Niu just sat there, holding a rice bowl bigger than his palm, smiling innocently as he listened to the lively discussion of his two junior sisters. From time to time, he nodded his huge head vigorously and responded in a muffled voice: "Okay! All good! I will listen to Senior Sister Luo!"
His eyes gently swept over the incredibly heartwarming scene before him: his fiancée, who was harsh in her words but cooked for him, his lively and lovely junior sisters who were busy with his wedding arrangements, the sect outside the window, its outlines becoming clearer and stronger in the setting sun, full of vitality and hope, and the faint aura of his senior brother Chu Linyuan and his second senior brother Xie Zhao, which came from the main hall not far away and gave him great peace of mind...
An unprecedented sense of happiness, so immense it threatened to overflow, enveloped him from head to toe, from the outside in, like the warmest spring water, tightly and densely enveloping him. Warmth, grounding, and filled with hope.
He went from being a transparent prince who was bullied and lived in fear of his future in the deep palace, to a homeless child who had lost everything and was struggling to survive in the mud, and now... he possessed a powerful strength that could surpass his peers, a Taoist partner who was willing to walk with him for life and loved him as if his life were his life, brothers and sisters who were not family but were better than family, and this home that gave him a new life and was full of warmth and strength...
All these turning points in fate, the starting point of all this happiness, all originated from that gloomy afternoon many years ago, when that red figure, like the blazing flame of nirvana, broke into his life domineeringly and dazzlingly and never left.
He was thankful. Extremely thankful.
I am thankful that I survived thanks to my mother’s sacrifice;
Fortunately, he met the old sect leader and was brought back to Guixu Sect;
I am even more fortunate... that I was able to stay by her side in such a clumsy but persistent way, rain or shine, and finally... I was lucky enough to win her heart and will spend the rest of my life with her.
"What are you grinning about? The corners of your mouth are almost reaching your ears! Eat quickly! Otherwise it will get cold and I will have to heat it up!" Seeing that he was still grinning and not moving his chopsticks, Luo Hongyi couldn't help but urge him "fiercely". At the same time, she very naturally picked up a large piece of stewed and fragrant spirit beast meat and put it on the top of his bowl of rice piled like a mountain.
Tie Niu collected his wandering thoughts and focused his gaze on the delicate face of the woman in front of him, who was clearly concerned but pretending to be impatient. He smiled a smile that was brighter than the sunset outside the window, full of sincerity and immense satisfaction. He nodded heavily and said in a loud voice:
He picked up the specially made, extra-long and thick chopsticks, lowered his head, and began to eat with big mouthfuls. The food was the perfect temperature, and the flavor was his favorite salty and savory, full of the taste of "home."
Tie Niu is extremely confident that every day with her by his side in the future will be more fragrant and sweeter.
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