A month later, at the hour of the Mao (5–7 AM).
Chen Jinshu had risen early—today was the wedding of her Second Uncle, Chen Wentan, and Ning Lingwei.
Due to the recent turmoil within the Chen family, Jinshu and her immediate family had long since left the ancestral grounds. They were now staying in Guanghan Immortal City.
This place was far more spacious than the Vermilion market and much more suited for hosting a grand wedding ceremony. Without the interference of the Lin family and other clans, they could hold the wedding in peace and joy.
All the guests who were to attend had been invited well ahead of time. Only those relatives who had shown kindness to Jinshu's family or shared blood ties within two generations were invited.
Chen Qiaozhen was responsible for bringing these guests to Guanghan Immortal City on the day of the wedding. As for the other disciples of the Chen family, they might've originally had the chance to attend, but after what happened with Jinshu's father, a rift had formed—one that was unlikely to be mended.
Feeling indebted, Chen Qiaozhen had volunteered to handle the guest arrangements. Additionally, some of Chen Wentan's close friends were invited as well. All in all, about a hundred cultivators attended—a sizable crowd, doing justice to the prestige of the bride's family.
Chen Wentan had also prepared a generous dowry for Ning Lingwei, which he personally oversaw. Jinshu heard that Ning Lingwei's parents and older brother had flown into a rage when they learned she was marrying an outsider. They were clearly unhappy that she had arranged the marriage on her own.
There was a high chance no one from her natal family would attend. Still, that was a minor concern to Ning Lingwei—she was the one who wanted the marriage. Her parents' opinions had never mattered to her.
Even so, a sense of emptiness lingered in her heart. In a residence within the city, Chen Jinshu and her mother were helping Ning Lingwei dress and style her hair.
"You're about to become a bride, why the gloomy face?" Jinshu asked, noticing the subtle sadness in Ning Lingwei's eyes.
"No one from my family's coming. I say I don't care, but it still leaves an ache in my heart." She had lived with her parents for nearly twenty years. Now, on her wedding day, there wasn't a single companion from home. She had often heard stories of her mother setting aside a dowry for her. But now, she'd never see it.
"You can't have everything in life. Would you rather let your family choose a stranger for you—a man who doesn't love you?"
"Of course not. But people are greedy. The things we can't have are the ones we end up caring about the most."
"Relax. Once you make a name for yourself, your parents will come around." Jinshu reassured her and quickly pinned a phoenix crown into her hair with a beautiful ornamental hairpin.
Looking into the shimmering water mirror, with peach blossom eyes and three pearl decorations along her brow, Jinshu smiled and praised, "Look how beautiful you are! And who says a wedding can only happen once? Maybe when your parents come to their senses, they'll host another one for you."
"You're right," Ning Lingwei said with a much lighter heart, a genuine smile blooming on her face.
Madam Wen Shuya, helping quietly to the side, said nothing. She was listening closely to her daughter's thoughts. But throughout the morning, her daughter had barely spoken of marriage—only cultivation. It seemed the dowry she had painstakingly saved might go unused. She silently resolved to convert everything into cultivation resources for her daughter.
An hour passed quickly. The ceremony was about to begin.
Ning Lingwei was fully dressed and seated in her room, hands nervously gripping her red wedding robe as she waited for the groom, Chen Wentan.
"Relax! My second uncle is already outside."
No sooner had she spoken than the sound of joyful commotion erupted from the courtyard. The guests were clearly calling for the groom.
"The groom is here!"
"Come on out, bride!"
The calls overlapped in cheerful chorus, sending a wave of anticipation and anxiety through Ning Lingwei.
Chen Wentan, dressed in a red wedding robe, his sharp gaze scanning over the lively guests, finally fixed his eyes on the bridal chamber ahead.
Though they were cultivators, he and Ning Lingwei had decided to follow the customs of the mortal world, to keep things traditional and respectable—especially in front of so many guests. It was a way to honor the bride.
Chen Jinshu had no plans for marriage herself. Her path lay in cultivation and exploring the vast world beyond. Still, seeing her beloved second uncle moving toward happiness filled her heart with joy.
"My second uncle's here!"
"To pick up the bride, you have to hand over a red envelope!"
Jinshu tightly shut the door and held out her hand.
"Of course! Here you go!" She received a red pouch filled with spirit stones—likely over a dozen inside.
She'd heard from her mother that to ensure a prosperous future, her uncle had prepared several hundred of these red pouches for the wedding. One or two spirit stones might not seem like much, but for a cultivator's wedding, this was rather grand.
She weighed the pouch—yes, it was heavy enough.
"The bride is coming out!" Jinshu called out and gently helped Ning Lingwei to her feet, leading her out the door.
To fulfill the marriage tradition, they had rented two adjacent courtyards. The groom would "fetch" the bride from one and proceed to another for the ceremony itself.
…
Half an hour later.
The ceremony had progressed through several steps—crossing the fire basin, among other rituals—and now arrived at the bowing segment.
Instead of mortal traditions, they bowed to the Heavenly Dao, to their ancestors, and finally to each other. With this complete, the banquet would soon begin. In front of all the guests, Chen Wentan lifted the bride's red veil.
"Thank you, fellow cultivators and honored family, for attending our wedding. The banquet food and drink will be served in abundance—please enjoy!"
"Congratulations, Daoist Chen!"
"Congratulations!"
The crowd cheered, offering their heartfelt blessings. The final part of the celebration occurred during the banquet—gift-giving.
"On behalf of the Chen family, I offer my blessings to the couple. Here are three bottles of top-grade Tier One Spirit-Breath Pills and three high-grade Tier One spiritual tools..."
With Jinshu's nod, Chen Qiaozhen was the first to present a gift. Perhaps out of guilt, the Chen family had brought many offerings—worth more than two thousand spirit stones in total.
Then came representatives from the Lin family and other clans who had caught wind of the event. Their gifts were modest but still respectful, considering Ning Lingwei's powerful family background—even if they hadn't officially approved the marriage.
The remaining guests gave lighter gifts—worth around one or two hundred spirit stones.
Madam Wu Shuya offered two top-grade jade bangles with defensive properties and ninety-nine top-grade Tier One talismans. All together, her gift exceeded a thousand spirit stones.
Jinshu glanced at her mother in surprise—she hadn't expected her to be this wealthy or generous.
Madam Wu Shuya hadn't thought much of it herself. Her cultivation hadn't improved much over the years, but her talisman crafting had grown considerably. She had stockpiled plenty—worth far more than she'd realized.
"Niece Jinshu offers her congratulations to Second Uncle and Aunt! Here is a pair of Green Peacocks, both at the peak of Qi Refining. May you grow old together in harmony!"
With that, she released the birds she had prepared long in advance. These peacocks, well-trained under Jinshu and a fearsome Xiao Yin, dared not act out.
She had discovered they bore traces of the rare Five-Colored Peacock bloodline—an omen of power and auspiciousness.
As the peacocks flew around the couple in elegant arcs, their radiant feathers cast dazzling lights in every direction, as if celestial beings had descended into the mortal realm.
Ning Lingwei's eyes lit up with joy and awe at the sight. She had always loved avian spirit beasts, especially such beautiful ones. In that moment, her heart was overwhelmed with emotion—