Chapter 355 - 200: Nuptial Chamber, Wedding Candles

Chapter 355: Chapter 200: Nuptial Chamber, Wedding Candles

"Greetings, Master’s Wife!"

In the language of the Great Desert Tribes, gender was not distinguished solely by appearance. The first day they met Xie Luohe, they had learned the Central Plains honorific and called her "Lord Xie." Now that news of their wedding had spread, the children, in the blink of an eye, had bestowed upon Zheng Xiu a formal title of his own—Master’s Wife.

Zheng Xiu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but he couldn’t bring himself to curse them. He could only accept it, crying on the inside.

’Who the hell is the groom here?’

’Who’s marrying who, anyway?’

Xie Luohe set the wedding date for a month later, on the fifteenth of the eighth month. She said everything was exceptionally full and round on that day, which sounded auspicious.

In the traditions of the Great Desert Tribe, red was not their preferred color for major events. To them, red was the color of blood, used for sacrifices to Heaven.

But at Xie Luohe’s insistence, the Grand Elder ordered the Tribe’s most skilled women to begin harvesting the finest hemp a month in advance. It had to go through numerous processes like stripping, sun-drying, shredding, soaking, boiling, and spinning. They then gathered the unique Red Blood Fruit of the Great Desert as a dye, mixing in the special Bamboo Silk from the Western Regions to create the bride’s wedding gown.

In town, lanterns and streamers were hung. The red lanterns were made early, and as the wedding day approached, they were gradually added to the streets of Richan Town, one by one.

"Do you know why I like it here?"

One day, Xie Luohe, busy with her bridal preparations, suddenly asked Zheng Xiu.

Zheng Xiu, naturally, did not know.

Xie Luohe pointed to her ears.

"I grew tired of hearing their endless scheming. I hate hearing the daggers hidden in their smiles. I loathe their cold scorn and sarcasm. And most of all, I can’t stand hearing their fear and wariness of me."

Xie Luohe was smiling brightly as she spoke. Under Zheng Xiu’s astonished gaze, she told him that she hadn’t slept well in many years. Yet, during her year with the Sunset Tribe, she had slept soundly every night.

Xie Luohe told Zheng Xiu this in an exceptionally tranquil and placid tone.

"Here, I ’hear’ their joy, and I hear the heartache and compassion beating in your heart. I can sleep peacefully."

Amidst Zheng Xiu’s complicated feelings, the day of the wedding drew ever closer.

The ninth of the eighth month.

Six days before their wedding.

On a windless night, when the sky was full of stars.

An unexpected guest, wrapped in a torn cloak and barefoot, arrived in Richan Valley after crossing the Great Desert.

The tribesman on duty at the valley entrance happened to be Zheng Xiu’s good neighbor, Brother Ridi. He let fly a volley of curving arrows at the visitor’s feet with a WHOOSH.

"Wait a minute!"

Up on the valley ridge, poised to shoot again, Brother Ridi instinctively relaxed his bowstring. He scratched his head, dazed, and muttered to himself, "How bizarre!"

The visitor, far from being startled, was delighted. He spread his arms and shouted Xie Luohe’s name toward Richan Valley.

「That night.」

"Little sis!!!"

Xie Yunliu’s bald head and his face seemed like two different worlds.

There wasn’t a single scar on his bald head, but his face was covered in scratches, deep and shallow, left by the wind and sand. Xie Yunliu’s face was no longer handsome, but it had a new air of iron-willed fortitude. Paired with his shiny bald head, it made him look menacing.

Zheng Xiu’s Mohe Pavilion held a late-night session.

Xie Yunliu threw off his cloak, tossed it casually on the ground, and sat down at the central table with a commanding presence. He raised his hand and shouted with a laugh, "Waiter, a jar of your finest old yellow wine!"

Zheng Xiu narrowed his eyes and asked tentatively, "Monk?"

Xie Yunliu shot back, "I’m a general now! Don’t spout nonsense!"

As he spoke, he placed a tightly wrapped curved saber on the table. The hilt was clearly stamped with the character for "Martial." Zheng Xiu recognized it—this was undoubtedly the saber of the Daqian Divine Martial Army.

"Never mind."

Zheng Xiu sighed softly. ’This Monk is even crazier than Feng Bei.’

"Hurry up with the wine! I’m gonna drink you all under the table tonight!"

Xie Yunliu really seemed to be treating Zheng Xiu like a waiter.

Zheng Xiu was about to refuse, but he glanced back at Xie Luohe.

Xie Luohe smiled and nodded.

Zheng Xiu said, "Alright!"

The wine produced in Richan Valley, in Zheng Xiu’s opinion, could hardly even be considered real wine. It was just goat’s milk mixed with some dregs, casually fermented in a jar, leaving it gamey and astringent. Sure enough, as soon as Xie Yunliu took a sip, his face turned pale and he spat, "Wait a minute! What is this stuff?"

Zheng Xiu froze at his words, the hand pouring the wine halting mid-air. He looked at Xie Yunliu in surprise. "What... did you just say?"

Xie Yunliu smacked his lips. "I said, what is this stuff you gave me to drink?"

"No, the line before that."

"Wait a minute!"

A jolt went through Zheng Xiu. He hesitantly resumed pouring wine into Xie Yunliu’s cup.

"Wait a minute!"

Xie Yunliu snapped.

Zheng Xiu froze again.

Zheng Xiu’s pupils contracted violently. In that instant, he understood.

Xie Yunliu... was Master Dengdeng!

"How is this possible!"

Zheng Xiu slammed the table and shot to his feet, shocked and furious.

But Xie Luohe just patted Zheng Xiu’s head and said softly, "Let it go. It was fated."

Zheng Xiu suddenly calmed down and sat back down in silence.

In the end, Xie Yunliu endured the taste and kept drinking until it went to his head.

He rambled on about his experiences over the past year.

Ever since Xie Luohe and Gongsun Mo had left without a word after the incident at Nie Gong’s Treasure Vault, Yunhe Village had lost its backbone. It became like scattered sand, its members drifting away. By a twist of fate, Xie Yunliu enlisted in the army and went north to fight the barbarians. He proved himself valiant and fierce on the battlefield, earning the admiration of General Zheng and joining the ranks of the Zheng Family Army. Now, he had received a special promotion to Deputy General.

As for Chu Chengfeng, Wen Shishan, and the others, they were unwilling to associate with the Court. They gathered the remnants of Yunhe Village and struck out on their own. They were now wanted fugitives, branded as roving bandits and rebels.

And as for Xiaotao, before Xie Yunliu left, he had used his connection with Bai Xiaosheng to find a wealthy merchant in the Imperial City. The merchant and his wife were old and had no children, and they came to treat Xiaotao as their own daughter.