317: Chapter 317 On the Wedding Day, Let's Hold Back for Now

[Chu Sheng agreed to Wan Jiuer's cooperation, and Wan Jiuer seized the opportunity to set the wedding date for three days later.]

[When Chu Sheng heard this timeline, he almost spat out the mouthful of medicine he had just drunk.]

["Three days?"]

[He set down his teacup and looked at Wan Jiuer. "Aren't you being a bit too impatient?"]

[Wan Jiuer sat across from him, flipping through a scroll of bamboo slips without even raising her head.]

["This seat says three days, so three days it is. The Fox Race needs a pillar of support right now, they need to see hope. Your existence is that hope."]

[Her tone was very flat, as if she were giving an order, but Chu Sheng noticed her ears turned slightly red.]

[That pair of fluffy, light gray ears twitched slightly, as if betraying their owner's true inner emotions.]

[Chu Sheng fell silent for a moment, suddenly feeling somewhat... amused yet helpless.]

[He had been married several times in this life, so many that he could barely remember the exact number himself.]

[The first time was in the Northern Territory. Back then, he was still a minor Cultivator and married Qu Xiaohuan and the others, purely out of mutual affection.]

[Later it was Yue Jianli in the Wendao Palace, which involved a bit of a transaction but also some genuine feelings.]

[And then it was Yu Rumeng; that one felt more like a joke of fate.]

[But this time... he was actually being "coerced."]

[As a grand Daocheng Realm Cultivator, the successor of the Heavenly Demon Body, and the master of the zhu xian sword, he was actually being "coerced" into a grand wedding by a woman.]

[He sighed and shook his head.]

["What kind of face is that?"]

[Wan Jiuer finally raised her head to look at him, her brow furrowing slightly. "Does having a grand wedding with this seat wrong you that much?"]

[Chu Sheng said, "I wouldn't dare. I just feel..."]

["Feel what?"]

["I feel that you, a Demon King who plotted against me, threatened to seek revenge and wash away your humiliation, and actively requested Yin and Yang harmony, could actually feel shy."]

["*Cough, cough*... This seat did not!"]

[She stood up abruptly, the bamboo scroll dropping to the ground. "This seat only... only feels that this is more secure!"]

[Looking at her embarrassed and annoyed expression, Chu Sheng suddenly smiled.]

[At his smile, Wan Jiuer grew even more annoyed. She whipped her sleeve and turned to walk out.]

[Reaching the doorway, she stopped again and said without looking back, "Three days from now, don't be late."]

[Chu Sheng watched her disappearing figure and shook his head, though the smile on his face never faded.]

[He thought to himself: The affairs of this world are truly unpredictable.]

[As the news of the wedding spread through the Guanyue Abyss, it caused a massive uproar within the Fox Race.]

[Two of the oldest Daocheng Realm Elders requested an audience with Wan Jiuer together, urging her to think twice.]

[They were old foxes who had lived for thousands of years, with seniority even higher than Wan Jiuer's parents.]

[One Elder said, "Young Lord, you have only just returned, and your Foundation is not yet stable. Rushing into a grand wedding might invite unnecessary trouble."]

[The other Elder said, "Furthermore, that human's origins are unknown. Although his cultivation is not low, who knows if he is sincere or deceitful? What if he is a spy sent by another power..."]

[Wan Jiuer sat in the host's seat, holding a teacup. She took a slow sip and set it down.]

["Uncle Bai, Aunt Hu, you have watched this seat grow up since childhood. This seat knows you have the best interests of the Fox Race at heart."]

[Her voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable pressure.]

["But this seat has her own discretion regarding her own affairs. I know what kind of person he is better than you do."]

[The two Elders exchanged a glance and wanted to say more, but seeing Wan Jiuer's light gray eyes, they swallowed their words back down.]

[The trace of coldness in her eyes reminded them of how her father used to look.]

[The two of them did not urge her further, bowing as they withdrew.]

[After walking out of the great hall, Uncle Bai sighed and whispered, "Young and impetuous."]

[Aunt Hu shook her head. "It's not being young and impetuous, it's... she needs someone to accompany her."]

[The two spoke no further, their figures disappearing at the end of the corridor.]

[On the day of the grand wedding, the Guanyue Abyss was decorated with lanterns and colored banners.]

[Though it was not as grand as Qingqiu, in the eyes of these last members of the Fox Race, this was a festive occasion they had not experienced in a long time.]

[Chu Sheng changed into a bright red wedding robe. It had been made overnight by Matron Tu; the fabric was of good quality and the stitching was very fine.]

[Looking at his red-robed self in the mirror, he suddenly felt a bit unfamiliar.]

[He had seen himself in Daoist robes, armor, and night-traveling clothes, but wearing this kind of wedding robe... it was a first.]

[Matron Tu stood behind him, helping him adjust his collar while naggingly reminding him of some ceremonial details.]

[Chu Sheng listened, nodding occasionally, but in his heart, he wondered: What is Wan Jiuer doing right now?]

[Wan Jiuer was also dressing and doing her makeup.]

[She sat before the Copper Mirror while Matron Tu stood behind her, carefully combing through her long hair.]

[Matron Tu couldn't help but smile. "Lord, are you nervous?"]

[Wan Jiuer glared at her. "This seat is not."]

[Matron Tu's smile deepened. "This old servant watched you grow up. How could I not know what you are like?"]

[Wan Jiuer did not speak, only lowering her head to let Matron Tu place the Phoenix crown on her.]

[The Phoenix crown was heavy, inlaid with nine light purple gems that symbolized her status as a Nine-Tailed Fox.]

[Looking at herself in the mirror, she suddenly felt a bit dazed.]

[She thought of her deceased clansmen, of the destroyed Qingqiu, and of the suffering she had endured over these thousand years.]

[She had thought she had long outgrown weakness.]

[But at this moment, she suddenly felt somewhat... afraid.]

[Afraid that she was unworthy of this joy, afraid that she could not protect this hope.]

[Matron Tu seemed to see through her thoughts and gently patted her shoulder.]

["Little Lord, you have already done very well. For the rest of the road, someone will walk with you."]

[Wan Jiuer fell silent for a moment, then nodded gently.]

[The wedding was held in the central plaza of the Guanyue Abyss.]

[There weren't many guests, only the last few hundred members of the Fox Race, along with a few allies who had rushed over upon hearing the news.]

[Chu Sheng and Wan Jiuer stood side by side on the high platform. Before their clansmen and under the moonlight, they bowed to Heaven and Earth.]

[Wan Jiuer's hands were trembling slightly, but her back was held very straight, like an unbending sword.]

[Chu Sheng held her hand and felt her trembling.]

[He did not speak, only squeezing her hand a bit tighter.]

[Not long after the wedding concluded, an uninvited guest arrived.]

[The one who came was a bear.]

[He was pitch black all over, two Zhangs tall, with a body of thick flesh that looked like cast iron. He wore crude beast-hide armor and had a giant axe hanging from his waist.]

[With a cultivation at the Early Stage of the Yun Shen Realm, his aura was tyrannical, with no intention of holding back.]

[He behind him followed several attendants, all of the Bear Clan, with cultivations ranging from Spirit Sea to Sea Opening.]

[The Big Dumb Bear stood at the entrance of the Guanyue Abyss, his voice as loud as thunder: "I heard the Fox Race has a new master? Old Bear here has specially come to offer congratulations!"]

[His tone sounded like offering congratulations, but his expression and posture both exuded a high-and-mighty arrogance.]

[Matron Tu quickly walked to Chu Sheng's side and whispered in a low voice.]

["Young Master, this is the messenger of the Bear Clan, who resides year-round in the Black Wind Cave to the east of the Guanyue Abyss. Behind them is the King Peng, and they have always extorted us under the guise of protection."]

[Chu Sheng nodded and did not speak.]

[The Big Dumb Bear walked into the plaza, his gaze sweeping across the members of the Fox Race, undisguisedly revealing Greed.]

[He walked to the front of the high platform, not even bowing, and spoke directly.]

["New Lord, our Bear Clan is willing to protect you. However..."]

[He chuckled, "A protection fee still needs to be collected. From now on, your Fox Race must hand over seventy percent of your resources every year. In addition, I hear the Fox Race has many beauties. If our Bear Clan warriors take a fancy to any in the future, you'll have to part with your treasures."]

[As soon as his words fell, the plaza instantly fell silent.]

[The faces of the Fox Race members turned very unsightly, but not a single person dared to speak.]

[Elder Bai and Elder Hu's faces also darkened, but they looked at Wan Jiuer and did not lash out.]

[Standing on the high platform, Chu Sheng looked at the Big Dumb Bear, the corner of his mouth slowly curling up.]

[He thought to himself: Does this bear have any idea who he is talking to?]

[His fingers twitched slightly, and the spiritual energy in his Dantian began to circulate.]

[With just a single look from Wan Jiuer, he would rip this bear's head off.]

[But he turned his head to look at Wan Jiuer, only to find her shaking her head slightly.]

[That movement was very subtle; almost no one noticed it except for Chu Sheng.]

[Her gaze was very calm, without anger or fear, containing only a deep, long-awaited light.]

[Chu Sheng understood what she meant.]

[She was saying: Don't move.]

[Chu Sheng withdrew his spiritual energy, his finger lightly tapping the railing, and said nothing.]

[Wan Jiuer looked at the Big Dumb Bear and spoke, her voice not loud but very clear.]

["This seat appreciates Bear Messenger's kind intentions. However..."]

[She paused, the corners of her mouth curling slightly with a trace of fox-like cunning. "As for the matter of protection, this seat has her own plans. Today is a day of great joy, and I do not wish to discuss these mundane matters. If Bear Messenger does not mind, stay and have a cup of wedding wine before leaving."]

[The Big Dumb Bear froze for a moment, seemingly not expecting her to refuse so flatly.]

[He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but seeing Wan Jiuer's calm eyes, for some reason, a sudden chill welled up in his heart.]

[He muttered a few words, then left with his attendants.]

[As he walked out of the Guanyue Abyss, he looked back at the valley shrouded in purple mist, a trace of wariness in his eyes.]

[He patted the transmission Jade Slip in his breast and muttered in a low voice, "I must report this to the King quickly."]

[After the Big Dumb Bear left, Chu Sheng walked to Wan Jiuer's side and asked in a low voice, "Why didn't you let me make a move?"]

[Wan Jiuer picked up her wine cup, took a sip, and gazed at the distant purple mist.]

["It's just a bear, not worth it. Behind the Bear Clan is the King Peng, and behind the King Peng is the Demon Venerable."]

[Her voice was very soft. "If we act now, we would only be alerting the enemy."]

[Chu Sheng looked at her: "So you have a grand plan?"]

[Wan Jiuer glanced at him, the corner of her mouth slowly curling up.]

["Of course. Otherwise, why do you think this seat was in such a hurry to have a grand wedding?"]

[She set down her wine cup, her voice carrying a trace of seriousness.]

["This seat needs a status, a reason to let the entire Western Territory know—the Fox Race is not fighting alone. You standing by my side is the best deterrent."]

[Chu Sheng fell silent for a moment, then nodded.]

[He had to admit that her scheming ran deeper than he had thought.]

["Then what do we do next?" he asked.]

[Wan Jiuer reached out and gently grasped his fingers.]

["First, let your reputation spread."]

[She paused. "The Western Territory is different from the Northern Territory; here, they recognize strength, but they also recognize identity. Whether you are in the Daocheng Realm or possess the Heavenly Demon Body, we must first let those fellows know who you are."]}],