4: Wedding Night

After the phantom finished speaking, the golden light slowly dissipated, and the sky returned to clarity.

It was as if the world-destroying spectacle from a moment ago was just the swatting of a buzzing fly.

Only then did Chu Ye leisurely urge his horse forward, arriving before the collapsed, barely-breathing Lin Feng, looking down at him from his superior position.

Lin Feng struggled to lift his bloodied and mangled face, his eyes filled with despair and rage that defied belief, along with a lingering trace of bewilderment.

He had cultivated bitterly for decades, considering himself a Prodigy, so why... why couldn't he even withstand a mere phantom of his opponent's father?

Chu Ye bent down and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, said unhurriedly:

"Senior Brother Lin, is it?"

"You see, the storybooks are always full of childhood sweethearts and deep, devoted affection. But what about reality?"

He spread his hands, "Your decades of arduous cultivation, your Sword Qi honed until your hair turned white, might not withstand a mere snap of my Imperial Father's fingers."

"What else can I do besides relying on my father?"

Chu Ye smiled, a smile that seemed unbearably glaring in Lin Feng's eyes, "Sorry, but having a father to rely on is, in itself, a kind of ability. Why should your decades of bitter cultivation surpass my family's... accumulation of dozens of generations?"

He straightened up and clapped his hands, as if dusting something off.

"Take him away, throw him back at the Dao Xuan Sect's mountain gate. Don't let him delay the auspicious hour."

Chu Ye instructed the guards, his tone as casual as if dealing with a piece of trash.

The guards, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly stepped forward and dragged away the barely-breathing Lin Feng.

Chu Ye mounted his horse, adjusted the large red flower on his chest, and waved to the still-shaken band, "Keep playing, keep moving! Make it lively! Don't let a fly ruin This Prince's joyous day!"

Joyful music sounded once more, and the procession set off again, as if the heart-stopping roadblock incident was merely an insignificant interlude.

Inside the bridal sedan, Su Qingxue sat quietly. Beneath the red veil, her peerlessly beautiful face showed no discernible expression.

It was just that her slender hands, folded on her knees, tightened slightly.

Chu Ye rode his horse, enjoying the breeze from the canyon, his mood growing increasingly cheerful.

See? Having a father is good.

Childhood sweethearts? Deep, devoted affection?

In the face of absolute strength and the advantage of 'daddy power,' they are all just bubbles.

He hummed a little tune, continuing onward towards the imperial capital.

Good days were still ahead.

Tall red candles burned brightly, illuminating Su Qingxue's peerlessly beautiful yet aloof face.

She sat at the edge of the bed, her back as straight as a pine in the snow. Her fiery wedding dress could not melt the faint layer of detachment and a barely perceptible stiffness between her brows.

Those eyes that had once astonished Chu Ye were now lowered, their long lashes casting small shadows beneath them, as if isolating a world of ice and snow that belonged to her alone.

Chu Ye saw this clearly. He approached, but did not rush into action. Instead, he stopped a step in front of her, poured himself a cup of Wedding Wine, and took a sip.

"Imperial Consort."

He spoke, his voice clear in the quiet bridal chamber, "I know that being the Saintess of the Dao Xuan Sect was not your original wish. Being the Seventh Prince's Consort is also not what you sought."

Su Qingxue's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked up at him, her gaze clear and cool, filled with scrutiny.

Chu Ye met her gaze, his tone as ordinary as if discussing the weather, "Let's speak frankly. Marrying me, you won't lose out. Your cultivation, your Dao—I will absolutely not interfere in the slightest."

"Not only will I not interfere, but all the resources of Great Chu—treasury archives, Secret Realms, spirit springs, even the personal guidance and favors of the Emperor and... well, some Old Ancestors—are yours to use as you see fit, as long as it's appropriate."

He paused, set down his wine cup, and spoke even more bluntly, "What you need to do is perform the role of Imperial Consort well, maintaining the Imperial Family's dignity in public. And..."

His gaze fell on her flat abdomen, then quickly returned to her face, stating frankly, "...bear me offspring. The more, the better. The sooner, the better. That is the... contract between us."

No sweet words, no false affection, even carrying a hint of a nearly cold, transactional meaning.

Yet, strangely, Su Qingxue's taut heartstrings relaxed slightly upon hearing these words.

Compared to hypocritical love, this kind of straightforward exchange of benefits actually made her feel... safe.

At least she knew what he wanted and what she could gain in return.

The complete Awakening of her Ice Soul Spirit Body required a vast amount of resources. While the Dao Xuan Sect was good, it might not be able to supply her alone without limit.

And the Great Chu Imperial Dynasty... a behemoth that had just produced an Emperor at the Saint Realm and was clearly flourishing in Luck—its reserves might far exceed outsiders' imaginations.

She was silent for a moment before her cool voice rang out, asking a very practical question, "Offspring... how many are needed?"

Chu Ye seemed not to have expected this question. He was taken aback for a moment, then laughed. That smile held a bit more genuine mischief. Recalling a vague allusion from another world, he blurted out:

"Naturally—the more, the merrier, like Han Xin commanding troops."

Looking at Su Qingxue's momentarily blank, exquisite face, he added maliciously, holding up a finger, "Best case? One a year? We need to get our business moving."

Su Qingxue: "..."

Even with her cool Heart-Nature, she was nearly shaken out of her composure by this absurd 'one a year' KPI.

She took a deep breath, trying to maintain her final aloof posture, but the tips of her ears involuntarily flushed with an extremely faint rosy hue.

This man... simply... Before she could figure out how to respond, Chu Ye had already decided not to give her time to think.

"Alright, it's settled then. Pleasure doing business, Imperial Sister-in-Law! A wedding night is worth a thousand pieces of gold; we can't waste it!"

His smile vanished as he suddenly took a step forward.

"Ah!" Su Qingxue let out a low exclamation as she was swept up into his arms.

The intricate ties of her wedding dress seemed to have a mind of their own under his fingertips, coming undone with ease.

The fiery red wedding dress slipped away like falling petals, layer by layer, revealing jade-like skin and a graceful figure beneath.

A red candle sputtered with a popping sound. The bed curtains fell, concealing the rising storm within the room and also muffling Su Qingxue's choked, soft hum—indistinguishable between shame and annoyance.

The deal was struck. Party A and Party B had to pay some 'deposit' first.

The night was long, a perfect time to implement the 'annual production plan.'

The red candles burned down to their stubs, and the first light of dawn appeared.

Chu Ye looked at Su Qingxue, already fast asleep in his arms. In the hazy morning light, her peerlessly beautiful face seemed less aloof than usual, carrying a touch more of the delicate softness of a spring-sleeping begonia.

He recalled certain moments last night, when he had deliberately whispered that 'Imperial Sister-in-Law' in her ear, and the instant tremor and flustered annoyance of the jade beauty in his arms... Indeed, it held a unique kind of thrill.

He smiled silently, carefully shifting away, putting on his robe, and getting off the bed.

Almost simultaneously, a series of clear, pleasant System notification sounds rang out in his mind:

"Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully consummating with a target (Su Qingxue) with a rating ≥90!"

"First-time consummation reward being distributed..."

"Reward One: host's cultivation raised to Qi Refining Realm Perfection!"

A warm yet mighty force, vast as a rushing river, materialized out of nowhere, pouring in from the crown of his head and instantly reaching every limb and bone!

Ten years as a spirit-deprived waste! His Dantian and Qi Sea rapidly expanded and filled. Pure spiritual power automatically circulated through his meridians. Every movement was filled with an unprecedented sense of power.

Qi Refining Perfection, and the kind with an incredibly solid Foundation, utterly free of any instability!

"Reward Two: Special Medicinal Pill, 'qiankun breakthrough pill' ×1!"

The System explanation was simple and crude: Can ignore Bottlenecks and unconditionally help a Cultivator below the Emperor Realm (including Emperor Realm) break through one major Realm!

"Reward Three: Peerless Emperor Weapon, 'Moon-Embracing Sword' ×1!"

"All rewards have been placed into the System space and can be retrieved at the host's will."

Chu Ye took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

These rewards were too generous!

Fully dressed, he glanced back at the graceful figure still sleeping behind the gauze curtains, the corner of his mouth hooking up slightly as he gently pulled open the door.