"I need to pee!"
"Come home with me."
I need to pee!
"I'll take care of it when I get home."
"Go home and solve it?! Someone'll die—! Ah—!!"
Dressed in a green-patterned black robe, [Naga] Longjue scooped Ning Xian up and tucked him under his arm, striding towards the stables amidst Ning Xian's protests and cries of alarm. Behind them, the gloating laughter of Left Envoy Mu Yuan could still be heard—
Chapter 2 The Enchantress's Wedding
—Zhanzhou, Longcheng Qiu family, this seemingly respectable business family, probably no one would associate this place with the demonic cult. But unfortunately, the ancestors here have been high-ranking protectors of the Netherworld Heaven of the demonic cult for three generations, and even their two children still hold "high positions and great power" in the Netherworld Heaven.
Several years ago, the elderly couple felt increasingly frail and unable to keep up with their old age. They then absconded with a sum of money they had amassed over the years, leaving the cult behind. They returned to their hometown of Longcheng to build a mansion [for retirement], and with their spare time and money, they started a business. Unexpectedly, this venture turned out to be quite successful.
Thus, the world gained a merchant family surnamed Qiu, and the Demonic Cult lost a pair of old monsters who relied on their seniority.
Ning Xian was pinned down on the horse by Long Jue the whole way, so jolted that he felt like he was going to vomit. When he got home, before he could catch his breath, he was tied up in a chair and left to await his parents' judgment.
As the two elderly people approached with their sly smiles, Ning Xian felt a chill run down his spine. One of them, who was still two years shy of his forties, dressed himself up like an old tycoon, wearing a tacky yellow-brown brocade robe and hat with gold trim and patterns, and even sporting a goatee. The other, who was once a stunningly beautiful demonic woman who dominated the martial arts world, was now, at least in her prime and still had her charm intact, yet she adorned herself with jewels and gold jewelry from head to toe. She wore three gold and jade rings on one finger, looking like a glittering, portable jewelry stand.
She swallowed hard. "Dad, Mom... how come your taste has changed so much in just two years..."
"You brat, you know [it's been two years]?" Her fair, slender fingers, adorned with three gold rings that gleamed in the sunlight, poked Ning Xian's head. "Now you dare question your parents' taste? What do you know? This is the aura of a businessman! It's the mark of wealth!"
— Have these two old people gone mad with their business acumen?
She gave a dry laugh and made two insincere "uh-huhs" to indicate her agreement, hoping her mother's gleaming golden finger would leave her head alone. Only then did Mrs. Qiu withdraw her finger, fiddling with her long fingernails that had just poked a few little dents in her daughter's head.
Grandpa Qiu swaggered over, looking like a great-grandfather. He would have been perfect if he had just developed a round belly. Unfortunately, this was also Grandpa Qiu's regret. After several years of trying, he still hadn't managed to get that great-grandfather's belly.
“My daughter… your father has sent so many letters urging you to come back, but you still won’t. I had to have your older brother tie you up and bring you back. Don’t you even care about your parents?”
Looking up at the sky.
"You brat, how dare you disrespect your old man! Let me tell you, now that the parents' wishes and the matchmaker's words are all settled, and the betrothal has been accepted—the Bai family is one of the top families in the business world [the Zhou family is number one, and the Bai family is number two]. Marrying into that family will bring you a lifetime of wealth and glory!"
"What a good day! I think you've all gone mad from doing business, selling your daughter to curry favor with the Bai family! I've never even met that young master of the Bai family once! Marrying into a family that's all so proper all the time, I'd be bored to death! If they knew their daughter-in-law was a 'demon cult witch,' they'd be scared to death!"
"If you don't tell me, how will anyone know you're a witch from the Demonic Sect? You are a daughter of the Qiu family! In every family, marriages are arranged by parents and matchmakers. Others can marry, but you can't? The betrothal gifts have already been accepted. Do you want to go back on your word and deliberately make the Qiu family lose its footing in the business world?!"
“I have an older brother who is getting married. Why can’t he get married first? What kind of rule is this?” She ignored Long Jue’s glare and used him as a shield.
"We're people of the martial world, we don't follow so many rules—"
"He was a businessman just a moment ago, and now he's become a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the underworld)?"
"It's because the Bai family only has sons and no daughters. If they had a daughter, your eldest brother would have married her long ago!" Old Man Qiu bluntly spoke the truth. Long Jue, who was standing to the side, felt a chill and pretended not to hear it.
"You still say you're not selling your daughter?!"
Seeing that her husband was getting increasingly unreasonable, Madam Qiu pushed him aside and leaned close to her daughter, who was tied to a chair, tempting her, "Girl, the Bai family only has sons, no daughters, so that's your destiny. Not only will you be a pampered lady who enjoys a life of luxury after marrying into the family, but there's also the eldest son of the Bai family, Bai Mo..." She lowered her voice and whispered in Ning Xian's ear, "He's been featured on the [List of the Most Beautiful Women in the World]... How about it, consider it?"
"Mom, you're a hopeless romantic, but don't assume your daughter is just as hopeless... If you want beauties, there are plenty in the Netherworld and the Blissful Heaven. Take that Left Envoy Mu Yuan, for example, who's always idling around with nothing to do but have a belly full of wicked schemes. He's alluring and charming, and looks exactly like a thousand-year-old white fox spirit. She doesn't believe many people can surpass his beauty. However, in her experience, 'beauty' and 'pervert' are mostly associated."
Even this couldn't persuade her. Madam Qiu looked troubled and turned to Father Qiu—at this point, the marriage absolutely could not be called off! Father Qiu's forehead veins bulged, and he suddenly lost control. His nose twitched, and he rushed towards the ancestral tablet in the hall, wailing loudly—
"Father, Mother, look at your unfilial granddaughter! Your long-cherished wish has been to return to your hometown and settle down, and your son has finally made it happen. But your unfilial granddaughter is deliberately ruining this family and making it impossible for the Qiu family to survive here! You loved her so much, yet she is so unfilial!"
—It's over, the string has broken.
Ning Xian looked helplessly at her father, Qiu Jia, who was crying his eyes out and had basically lost his mind. When would he ever get over this mental lapse?
The wailing was deafening, a constant lament that could be heard throughout the entire Qiu mansion. Some servants, unaware of what was happening, were already pacing and peering out from outside. Madam Qiu's lips twitched; she really wanted to find a place to lock this disgraceful man up!
"Okay... I understand..."
An hour later, the crying had not subsided. Ning Xian, who was dizzy and had tinnitus from crying, finally responded listlessly.
People say that marriage is a woman's lifelong affair. She grew up in the Netherworld, hanging out with those demons and seeing the Garuda women change one after another, the Gandharvas men change one after another, and the Left Envoy Mu Yuan, that monstrous man, harming both men and women—she was just getting married. Although her dream was to marry a demonic hero and roam the world freely, given the current situation… at worst, if she was unhappy staying in the Bai family, she could just run away, stay in the Netherworld, find a lover, and live a carefree and happy life.
So, the Qiu family's daughter was to be married.
Chapter 3 The Enchantress's Marriage (Part 3)
A bright red sedan chair, a bright red wedding dress—the beautiful daughter of the Qiu family boarded the sedan chair.
Despite Ning Xian repeatedly telling herself that she would eventually get married anyway, the only difference being whether she married a江湖 (jianghu, a martial arts world) person or a respectable one, this "demon cult enchantress," who just a few days ago was fooling around with her fellow cult members in the Netherworld Heaven, was today bestowed with a plaque by her father—"Born Great, Married Gloriously!"
The Bai family has branches and businesses not only in Zhanzhou, but also throughout the entire Chi Nan region. Since the Zhu Nan Dynasty, they have been one of the most prominent business families in Zhu Nan. When Zhu Nan changed hands and the entire country was in turmoil, only the Zhou and Bai families remained standing and weathered the storm. Now that the country is somewhat stable and the new ruler is ruthless, the Bai family seems to be deliberately keeping a low profile and shifting their business focus to the south, far from the capital.
The Bai family has two sons: the eldest, Bai Mo, and the second, Bai Yan.
Today is the day that the eldest son, Bai Mo, will marry the daughter of the Qiu family. The bridal sedan chair entered the gate with great fanfare. Ning Xian had been jostled around all day, and was already dizzy and nauseous in the stuffy sedan chair. She thought to herself that getting married was definitely not a job for humans, and she would never marry again in this lifetime.
Led by the matchmaker, she listlessly bowed to heaven and earth, her parents, and her husband, all behind her half-veil. Despite her constant curiosity about the man she was bowing to, she didn't forget her parents' admonition—she was there to be a bride, and she shouldn't bring shame to the Qiu family. Suppressing her curiosity, she kept her head slightly lowered, looking at the ground. Once they were led to the bridal chamber, the noise around her suddenly ceased; everything was now shut out on the other side of the door.
Now that I'm married, I should try my best to be honest and obedient while I'm with the Bai family, and not forget my mother's instructions to bring shame to the Qiu family. Besides, being a good daughter-in-law will give me more opportunities to escape, and when I return to the martial world, no one will easily associate me with her. For the sake of a carefree and happy life in the future, a little sacrifice is necessary.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the phoenix crown was becoming increasingly heavy on her head. If it weren't for her martial arts background, she doubted she could have endured it. The noise outside gradually subsided, but the groom still hadn't appeared. Ning Xian raised an eyebrow. She was indeed quite naive, but it seemed this new "husband" was even less naive than her.
The two maids serving inside the room were also somewhat uneasy, glancing at the bride from time to time and then looking outside. However, they were clearly not entirely surprised that such a thing had happened.