Beyond the Timescape

Chapter 1174: An Ancient Wedding Garment

“That’s not good enough,” Xu Qing said as he hovered in midair, looking down at Zhou Zhengli, who was still maintaining a humble bow.

Zhou Zhengli seemed harmless. But the reality was that harmlessness was a mere veneer. On the inside he was like a deadly viper. He had manipulated Sir Star Ring, and had certainly played a role in his ultimate downfall.[1]

Xu Qing didn’t want to fall into the same trap. Of course, his cautious nature would dictate his choices. Therefore, it didn’t matter that Zhou Zhengli claimed he wanted to be friends. Unless he provided an excellent reason, Xu Qing was not inclined to keep him around. And given how powerful Xu Qing was right now, if he didn’t want to keep him around, Zhou Zhengli would not stick around.

The wind was cold, so cold that not even the sunlight provided any warmth. As it blew, Zhou Zhengli looked up at Xu Qing.

“Exalted one, there are only four days left until the wedding. Someone needs to keep an eye on Zhong Chi’s poison, otherwise it could cause trouble in the four remaining days. Someone should also keep tabs on Li the Chosen to ensure he doesn’t get any ideas. Sir, you have a lot to keep track of. Well, I’m very familiar with Jiang Fan, so I can handle that.[2]

“Someone should also take time to record the details of the fox maiden identity to pass on to later generations. And, of course, the same goes for my identity. I’m the palace’s official historian. What’s more, sir, as the young lord, you need another study partner.

“All of those things can cause waves. There are many things I could help you with over the next four days, Young Lord. I can help you, not just to keep things going as they are, but to make even more waves. In addition, there are three people still in hiding. I’ve been keeping a close eye on everything, and I already uncovered their identities. You don’t need to waste your time on them, Young Lord. I can take care of one per day for you.

“That way, by the time we get to the wedding day, there won’t be any unknown factors to deal with. In the end, Young Lord, if you think the space-time waves aren’t sufficient, then just give the order, and I’ll die publicly to change history. Of course, every additional day that I live will benefit me.

“Sir, those are the reasons you should let me stay.” Zhou Zhengli once again bowed and waited for Xu Qing to make a decision.

Xu Qing looked coldly at Zhou Zhengli for a long moment. Then he waved his hand, and the shining marriage contract flew back into the fold of his robe. Then, another wave of his hand caused the immortal swords with Hordeslayer and Rampart in them to leap over to him and hover on either side, shining with immortal light and emitting immortal fluctuations.

Then Xu Qing ignored Zhou Zhengli as he walked over to the door leading away from the sword furnace. Just before leaving, he spoke over his shoulder to Zhou Zhengli.

“Have you ever eaten snake meat before? The more venomous the snake, the more tender the meat.” Xu Qing left.

Zhou Zhengli remained stock-still for a long moment. After everything was quiet for a time, he slowly straightened up and looked at the spot where Xu Qing had just departed. His expression became very serious.

He and Sir Star Ring have similarities and differences. He’s more cautious and more ruthless. He thinks of me as a venomous snake. But… to me, and probably to Sir Star Ring as well, isn’t he also a venomous snake…?

He sighed deeply. More than ever, he wanted to avoid making an enemy out of this person.

***

As the wedding day approached, and as the Aurora Epoch neared, the chaos in the workings of heaven grew more intense. The transitions between day and night grew more frequent, and there were constant changes in weather. And yet… nobody seemed to have been paying attention to the events of the previous night. It was as if the wind had blown everything away.

Fourth True Monarch appeared again, and this time, he got along perfectly with Xu Qing. Their initial meeting was one of chatting and laughter, and the familiar mannerisms and tone of voice resonated perfectly with the Fourth True Monarch from the memories of Xu Qing’s host. Apparently, his Elder Brother Fourth had no memories about what had played out the night before. And he also had no idea that he had been possessed by another consciousness.

That got Xu Qing thinking. After all, he had personally witnessed Fourth True Monarch disappear after the fight by the sword furnace.

Does it mean…?

Xu Qing’s eyes narrowed as he looked up at the sky. Then he bade farewell to Fourth True Monarch and headed back to Young Aurora Hall. He did not come out again.

The four days went by quickly.

Zhou Zhengli did exactly as he said he would, and worked very hard during the four days. He recorded all of the information about the fox maiden identity, not just her status as a disciple of Nineshores, but everything else as well. As a result, she became an established figure in history.

He monitored Li the Chosen as well. As a result, Li the Chosen felt hemmed in, and had no chances to cause trouble. Zhou Zhengli even urged him to just accept how things were. He helped Zhong Chi with his poison work, working hard to ensure that the Poison Department was fully established, and that the Poison of Mengtu became common in the immortal palace.

He even tapped into the power of the immortal palace to cause three successive waves in space-time, all of which were the result of him expelling other outsiders who had remained hidden the entire time. He accomplished that by means of beheadings. The result was that Xu Qing got even more space-time sand.

Zhou Zhengli did only those things and nothing else. After all, he didn’t want to do anything to cause a misunderstanding with Xu Qing. He was extremely respectful.

And thus, time passed during the final four days before the wedding. There were no setbacks. And at long last, the day came for Immortal Fairy Spirit Phoenix and Young Lord Aurora to be married.

When the day began, the heavenly daos were no longer in motion. The heavenly workings went still. Both sun and moon were visible in the dome of heaven, shining radiantly. When you looked up into the sky, everything seemed bright and auspicious.

Just as before, the immortal palace was full of bright lanterns and colorful decorations. Everyone was smiling, and the atmosphere was lively. There was a bustle of noise and excitement. Lively chatting and expressions of praise could be heard everywhere.

Xu Qing was flanked by a host of ceremonial officials as he walked out of Young Aurora Hall. Cheers filled the air.

Xu Qing was not wearing the same clothes he usually wore. He had a brightly-colored robe embroidered with nine golden dragons, all of which were so lifelike they seemed like they might fly up into the air at any moment. The collar and cuffs of the robe were decorated with exquisite immortal jade and spirit shells, all of which were befitting the son of an Immortal Lord. He wore a spirit crown inset with immortal jade that glittered in the light that shone down from the sky above.

Wherever he went, people offered cries of joy, approval, and blessing.

“Congratulations, Young Lord!”

“Hahaha! It’s the young lord’s wedding day! The young lord and young lady are really a match made in heaven!”

“Young Lord, after the wedding, you can’t go back to your old ways. I’ve watched you grow up, and now that you’re getting married, I can only hope to see the day you take up the position of Immortal Lord.”

“Good luck, Young Lord! I hope your journey of life is full of love and happiness. You’ll definitely grow old with the young lady, and be united for all eternity!”

Xu Qing heard wonderful words of blessing and anticipation coming from all sides. Although he had been expecting this to happen, he was a bit taken aback by it all.

Eventually, the sound of bells could be heard through the clamoring crowd. That was when he arrived at Aurora Grand Hall. A huge banquet had been laid out, though there were no guests from outside, only cultivators from the immortal palace. It was a bustling, luxurious event.

Xu Qing looked around and spotted Zhong Chi smiling, one-armed Li the Chosen sitting there with a wooden expression, and Zhou Zhengli looking modest and humble. He even spotted the fox maiden, who looked somewhat irritated.

At the highest spot in the banquet stood Immortal Lord Aurora. He normally had a grave expression on his face, but right now, he was smiling. That said, he was meticulously dressed in the most orthodox manner, and was obviously taking this day very seriously. When he caught sight of Xu Qing, he waved him to approach.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, settled his thoughts, and hurried over.

As soon as he reached the Immortal Lord, Aurora smiled kindly and helped Xu Qing to straighten his red wedding gown.

Immortal Lord Aurora sighed. “If your mother could see you right now, she would be so happy.”

Xu Qing looked like he was about to say something, but Immortal Lord Aurora tousled his hair and smiled kindly. “No need to go into all that. Look, your wife’s here.”

Off in the distance, red light shone boundlessly as Immortal Fairy Spirit Phoenix appeared, clad in her wedding gown, flanked by her handmaidens.

The wedding gown was exquisite. It was made of dark red silk, and was embroidered with golden phoenixes and clouds. It looked like the sunrise itself, and was a perfect indication that she would become the official wife of the young lord. Her hair was coiled into a bun, which surrounded her phoenix crown and then tumbled down her back filled with glistening spirit pearls. As she walked, her dress swayed back and forth, making her look like a blooming peony as she approached Xu Qing.

Xu Qing hesitated. The Immortal Lord then pushed him from behind, and he took a step forward.

Every step he took was accompanied by loud cheering. Every step he took brought auspicious signs.

Countless gazes were fixed on the two of them as they neared each other.

***

Outside of the space-time of the immortal palace, in the real world, not very far away from the Fallen Immortal Moors, was the God Blood River. The river water churned as a black boat glided across its surface.

No one knew exactly how many ferry boats operated on the God Blood River. But one thing was for sure. Those few people who ever took a ferry twice in their life would rarely see the same ferry pilot.

There was no passenger aboard the ferry boat. There was only the ferry pilot, clad in a woven rush raincoat, whose ancient and wrinkled hand guided the oar and kept the boat on a forward course. The pilot seemed used to time passing by, year after year, seemingly with no beginning or no end.

But today was different. As the wind blew across the river, the ripples it created seemed to tug desolately on the ferry pilot’s heartstrings….

The pilot slowly looked up. The aurora above rippled, shining down onto the boat. The face beneath the wide bamboo hat… was the wrinkled face of a very old woman. This ferry pilot was actually a woman! She was looking off in the direction of the Fallen Immortal Moors, and she seemed to be lost in memories. In the end, she sighed.

“You came back….”

The wind blew, stirring the woven rush raincoat. And beneath it, it was just possible to see… a very ancient red wedding dress.

1. The contrast between “harmless” and “viper” is better in Chinese, because harmless literally means “without poison/venom.” Meanwhile, the term I’m rendering as deadly viper literally is “hyper-venomous snake.” ☜

2. Jiang Fan was introduced in chapter 1136. Based on clues in chapters 1152 and 1167, we readers could have deduced that Jiang Fan was Li the Chosen. But there was never any ‘onscreen’ evidence of other characters figuring out who he was. In fact, in chapter 1149, Zhou Zhengli specifically said that he didn’t know who Jiang Fan was. I guess if he was playing Sir Star Ring the entire time, it would make sense that he withheld the information, or perhaps he found out later. ☜

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