155: A predestined marriage spanning three lifetimes

“This…” The old artisan wiped his sweat, looking at the two beautiful but strangely demanding women.

He could only brace himself and agree, “This old man… will try, will try.”

A moment later, three lifelike sugar figurines were handed to them.

One was Su Lin, standing with his hands behind his back, exuding a transcendent Aura.

One was Luo Ximei, clinging to Su Lin like a koala.

And one was Chu Weiwei, kneeling on the ground, holding a cup of tea with a look of infatuation.

“Hmm, not bad, it captures a bit of my true essence.”

Luo Ximei held the sugar figurine representing herself, nodded in satisfaction, then took a big bite,

biting off the head of the “Su Lin” sugar figurine.

“Crunch.”

Su Lin felt a chill on his neck.

“What are you doing?!” Chu Weiwei exclaimed, “How can you eat Revered Master’s head?!”

“I want to,” Luo Ximei mumbled, chewing on the candy.

“If I eat him, Revered Master will be all mine.”

“Pervert…” Chu Weiwei cursed, then carefully held the sugar figurine representing Su Lin,

and extended her delicate pink tongue to lightly lick the figurine’s face.

The action was extremely suggestive.

“…” Su Lin felt it was a mistake to bring these two out.

He shook his head and turned to walk forward.

“Hey! Revered Master, wait for me!”

The two quickly followed, one on each side, once again forming a pincer attack.

Along the way, various snack stalls became their battlefield.

“Revered Master, eat this! Osmanthus cake, it’s very sweet!”

Chu Weiwei bought a pastry and stood on her tiptoes to feed it to Su Lin.

“Revered Master, eat meat! The roasted lamb leg from this place smells so good!”

Luo Ximei directly carried a roasted lamb leg, not caring if Su Lin could eat it, and forcefully pushed it towards his mouth.

“I don’t eat sweets.”

“I don’t eat greasy food.”

Su Lin dodged left and right, eventually having no choice but to buy a string of the most ordinary candied hawthorns by the roadside.

“One for each of you, don’t fight.”

He handed over the candied hawthorns.

“I want the first one!” Luo Ximei was quick, biting into the largest hawthorn at the top, even including Su Lin’s finger in her mouth for a moment.

“I want one too!” Chu Weiwei refused to be outdone, leaning in to bite the same spot, attempting to create an “indirect kiss.”

But Luo Ximei bit down with force, directly pulling off the entire hawthorn, chewing it with a loud crunch, and even raising an eyebrow at Chu Weiwei.

Chu Weiwei stomped her foot in anger, only able to reluctantly bite the second one.

Su Lin looked at the bare bamboo stick left in his hand and shook his head helplessly.

Not far ahead, in front of a tall, colorful building named “Wenyuan Pavilion,” people were bustling, almost completely surrounded.

The colorful building was adorned with various lanterns, but at the highest and most prominent position, what hung was not a lantern, but a large red Chinese knot, intricately woven and trailing long tassels.

The Chinese knot was not made of ordinary silk threads, but glowed with a faint pink luminescence in the moonlight. In its center, two warm mandarin duck jade buckles were embedded, gently clinking together in the wind, producing a melodious crisp sound like jade pendants.

“Everyone! Look at this prize!”

The old scholar in charge of the lantern riddle festival was beaming, pointing at the red knot and shouting:

“This is the Three Lives Concentric Marriage Knot!”

“It is a unique item obtained by my ancestors from the Matchmaker Temple, woven from the threads of a ten-thousand-year-old intertwined tree.”

“Legend has it that as long as a man and a woman each hold one end of this knot, it can lock their fate for three lives and three worlds, never to be separated, no matter in the Yellow Springs or the azure depths, they will love each other until old age!”

“Never to be separated,” “love each other until old age,” “lock their fate.”

As these words came out, Luo Ximei and Chu Weiwei, who were previously glaring at each other by the roadside, both stiffened simultaneously.

The next instant, two chilling gleams burst forth from their eyes almost at the same time, locking firmly onto the red knot swaying in the wind.

Luo Ximei’s platinum right eye suddenly constricted, as if black flames were burning deep within her pupil.

“Lock… three lives and three worlds?”

She extended her bright red tongue, licking her somewhat dry lips, her voice low, hoarse, and excited, “This thing… is good.

If I tie it around Revered Master’s neck and the other end to my wrist, wouldn’t Revered Master never be able to run away?”

Beside her, Chu Weiwei’s breathing became rapid, and a morbid craving instantly erupted in her misty eyes.

“Love each other until old age… certified by the Matchmaker…”

She twiddled her fingers, her cheeks flushed, muttering to herself, “This isn’t just a knot, this is clearly a ‘marriage certificate’ recognized by heaven and earth!

As long as I get it, Revered Master will be my legitimate… husband?”

“Revered Master!”

The two turned their heads in unison, grabbing Su Lin’s arms tightly, one on each side.

“I want that!” Luo Ximei pointed at the marriage knot, radiating dominance.

“No matter what method, whether by snatching or buying, that is my dowry!”

“Revered Master…” Chu Weiwei’s eyes welled up with tears, she pleaded softly,

“Weiwei has been without a father or mother since childhood, and has no token of love… Weiwei just wants that knot, please…”

Su Lin felt his scalp tingle.

He looked at the craft item, which was clearly meant to fool young couples, and said helplessly, “That’s a story made up by merchants to attract business, it’s not true.

And this thing…”

“I don’t care!” Luo Ximei interrupted him, looking at the old scholar with dangerous eyes.

“Old man, how much is this knot? Is ten thousand Spirit Stones enough? If not, I’ll buy this whole building!”

“No, no, absolutely not!” The old scholar was startled by her Aura and quickly waved his hands, “Young lady, this marriage knot is only given to the destined! The rule is to guess lantern riddles; whoever can answer three consecutive questions correctly, and whose interpretation best fits the character ‘love,’ will get this knot!”

“Guessing riddles?” Luo Ximei sneered, rolling up her sleeves, “Simple, I’m best at solving riddles in this life.”

“Hmph, Fifth Junior Sister only knows how to fight and kill, what does she know about romance?” Chu Weiwei squeezed forward, unwilling to be outdone, “Such an elegant test of talent, naturally I, Senior Sister, will be superior.”

“Red Guan Yu, white Liu Bei, black Zhang Fei, three sworn brothers. Guess a fruit.”

This was originally a simple riddle, the answer being “lychee.”

But in the eyes of these two women, whose minds were entirely focused on “possessing Revered Master,” everything took on a different meaning.

“I know!”

Luo Ximei spoke first, staring at the marriage knot, her voice sinister:

“It’s the human heart!”

The entire venue fell silent.

The old scholar wiped his sweat: “Y-young lady, why do you say that?”

“Look,” Luo Ximei pointed to Su Lin’s chest, her expression completely matter-of-fact,

“The heart is red, and when cut open, it’s tender flesh, but if someone dares to snatch my person, my heart will turn black.

Then, dig out that person’s heart, and put it together with mine and Revered Master’s heart, wouldn’t that be three sworn brothers?”

After speaking, she even winked at Su Lin: “Revered Master, this is called eternal concentricity, isn’t it?”

“…” Su Lin painfully covered his face.

The surrounding audience silently backed away by a full zhang.

“No, no!” Chu Weiwei immediately retorted, “Fifth Junior Sister is too bloody, this is clearly a Concentric Gu!”

She explained gently, “Its exterior is as bright red as blood, and once planted, it allows two people to grow old together (white Liu Bei).

If one’s heart changes, their intestines will rot and turn into black water (black Zhang Fei).

This is the true sworn brotherhood, to follow each other in life and death.”

The old scholar rolled his eyes, almost dying on the spot.