Chapter 158: Shizun drinks the wedding wine

The wedding ceremony was held for three consecutive days. The first day was a welcoming banquet, held on the night before the wedding ceremony. As the name implies, it was meant to be a welcoming reception for all the guests. However, the most lively part of this evening was not the wine tables, but on the hunting grounds. According to the rules, that evening, before the sun sets, a respectable elder would place three spirit deer with red silk horns into the forest garden, and then the groom's father would select twenty-two unmarried men and women and send them out to the garden to chase the deer for the competition. With three spirit horned deer, if the guests were able to hunt one, they would receive tens of millions of gold coins. In the end, it was just a gimmick for the rich sects like the Rufeng Sect and Gu Yueye Sect. The Hall of Poetry and Music was condescending, with green glazed tiled roof. Looking down from the hall, the hunting forest not far away was shrouded in the afterglow of the setting sun. The guests arrived in succession to congratulate Nangong Liu. Regardless of whether the visitors were high or low, Nangong Liu politely returned their greetings and invited them to take their seats one by one. After half an hour of busy work, all the guests were finally seated. With a chime ringing in the hall, the night banquet officially began. “I also don't know which guests Sect Leader Nangong will send to the forest garden to chase after the deer.” “It's not about the lottery. Let me tell you, those who are chosen are all extremely lucky. Think about it. Those who will hunt the Spirit Deer, will receive a bounty of ten million. Others who have not hunted the Spirit Deer could also obtain other spirit beasts or immortal fruits. Where can there be better things in this world?” While the discussion was going on lively, the hall door suddenly opened, and Nangong Si and Song Qiutong walked up to the balcony simultaneously. They were handsome and beautiful, golden and red intertwined with each other, and the two came forward to the head of the sect. Nangong Liu stood up and smiled as he nodded, saying in a clear and loud voice: “Esteemed guests, you come from all over the world, from all the great immortal sects. It is truly a great fortune for you to visit the Rufeng Sect and attend my son's wedding ceremony in your busy schedule.” The following guests enthusiastically praised, “Sect Leader is really courteous.” “The young master and the young madam are a perfect match. Truly a rare pair.” “Yeah, yeah.” These flattering words were almost exactly the same as what his fans said to them when they were married in the previous life. Mo Ran was annoyed by what he heard a while ago. His gaze subconsciously patrolled the crowd and soon found Ye Wangxi, who was sitting beside Elder Shuanglin. Ye Wangxi had his eyes downcast and was still dressed in a simple attire and while he was busy eating the food in the bowl, he had not raised his head to look at Nangong Si at all. Regardless of his expressions and manners, everything was the same as usual, even calmer than usual. Perhaps because he had been having hard on himself all this time, such a person already knew that he was powerless to fight for his life. Mo Ran looked at him and suddenly thought back to when he was young, he once really liked a pagoda lantern on sale at the night market. [TL/N: Pagoda lanterns were first used as votive lights. They were introduced to Japan from China via Korea at some time during the 6th century as part of the arriving Buddhist tradition, with the light held in the lamp representing the teachings of the Buddha that help overcome the darkness of ignorance. For the pic reference:https://images.app.goo.gl/KGNAhMmwsP9RcDds7] The lantern was exquisitely made and every roof tile was outlined, but the prices for it were not low. So although the lantern was good, it had not been sold. Naturally, Mo Ran couldn't afford it, but almost every night, he would wait until the night market opened, before running to the stall to take a look. The lampshade of the pontoon lights flowed, and the magnificent glow was solemn, illuminating the black eyes of the child. Until one day, a pair of young men and women came. They were all dressed in silk and satin. The girl saw the pagoda lantern at a glance. She only said that she liked it in a coquettish expression, and the man next to her paid for it. The lantern was sold. The pagoda lantern was taken away. Mo Ran raised his head and watched as the old artist took it off the wooden shelf where it had been hung for a long time. He handed it over to the young girl with both hands, and the swaying light finally illuminated the face of Mo Ran full of longing, and then disappeared at the end of the night market street, following the pair. At that time, Mo Ran felt very uncomfortable, but he was also very obedient and calm. He was the same as the current Ye Wangxi. In fact, the moment he saw the pagoda lantern, he knew that such a luxurious thing was destined not to belong to him. Every night when he was illuminated by the pagoda lantern, the scene of him losing this ray of light had already been rehearsed countless times in his heart. It's not about letting go but to feel at ease with it. But from the beginning, he knew very clearly about what the outcome would be like, so he had never dared to pick it up. “Come, come, come, draw lots, draw your lots—” The old servant of the Rufeng Sect held onto a large bronze twined branch and walked to the throne with a face full of smiles. He held it above his head and presented it to Nangong Liu, “Sect Leader, the auspicious time has come, please draw your lot, Sect Leader!” “Okay! Come! Sect Leader Nangong Liu has come to capture one!” Nangong Liu smiled and said, “It's better to be respectful and follow our fate, draw twenty-two lots. The young heroes that have been selected will have to show their respect and participate in the night deer hunting. If anyone is unwilling to go, I'll have to trouble you to inform me in advance. Thank you!” After waiting for a while, a few girls from some small cultivation sects who had low cultivation bases and were too timid, asked their parents to go up and tell them their names, and have Sect Leader Nangong Liu take their names away in advance. Xu Shuanglin glanced at Ye Wangxi, then lazily smiled and asked, “Little Yezi, do you want to go play? If you want to go, I'll do something for you and open a secret door.” “I'm not going anymore.” Ye Wangxi said, “Foster father, may I trouble you to inform the Sect Leader to remove my name?” “How can we do that? What if we get lucky and get ten million gold?” Ye Wangxi: “...” Xu Shuanglin's temperament was far more rebellious than his adopted son. He thought for a while, his lips curling into a wry smile at the corner of his mouth, and said, “Then if you don't want to go, I'll go.” “Foster father... You are almost forty this year…” “What's the matter, I look young. When I go fight and get all three deer back, I'll have thirty million gold in my hand. If we do not take the windfall, we shall destroy the heavens and the earth.” Xu Shuanglin insisted on going his own way, without noticing his son's depression at all, pulled on his shoes, smiled and looked for Nangong Liu. He whispered a few words beside Nangong Liu. The others would have thought that he was going to take away Ye Wangxi's lot. Who knew that he loved money so much as if it was life that he wanted to go in and play himself? Nangong Liu quickly selected the guests for the competition. “Shen Feng, Lin Sheng, Qu Yanran…” Elder Shuanglin stood by the side, took a handful of lots from the Sect Leader, and reported them one by one in a slow and unhurried manner, “Oh? This is a bit powerful, the proud son of heaven, Xue Meng.” Soon, all twenty-one people had been selected, leaving only one remaining. Elder Shuanglin was extremely thick-skinned and smiled as he raised his hand, “There is another person who is me, a handful of old bones. Please advise me.” Nangong Liu knew his elder's temperament and did not stop him, only smiled helplessly and gave everyone a fuze firework. “For the deer chasers, the fuze is the evidence. After three messages, it means that the three horned deer have been captured and the hunt will be over.” Nangong Liu said, “I will welcome you back at the Xiaoyue Courtyard by then. The winner will receive a reward of ten million gold.” The crowd applauded, all cheering for their acquaintances. Nangong Liu smiled and said, “In addition, under the instruction of my son, I will add another one. The person who gets first place will be rewarded with ten Demonic Wolves. Make a blood contract and take it home!” Demonic Wolf! Even on the black market, such precious spirit beasts are hard to find, imagine ten of them! The main hall was in an uproar, someone couldn't help but stand up and shout at the selected fellow sect members: “Senior Brother, it's up to you! If you take first place, I'll brush your boots for you for a year!” The crowd burst into laughter. Some female cultivators were not convinced and shouted, “Senior brother, let's beat them all. If you win, I will agree to dual cultivate with you!” “Waa— This is good. This is amazing. Hahaha, whose cultivator is so spicy?” For a moment, the entire Hall of Poetry and Music burst into cheers and laughter. Those who were initially uninterested had looks of anticipation in their eyes as they watched the grand excitement with glasses in their hands. Mo Ran left his table amidst laughter and said to Chu Wanning, “Shizun, I'll accompany Xue Meng to the hunting grounds first. You sit down and eat and drink well, and wait for me to come back.” Chu Wanning said, “Go ahead, pay attention to Xue Meng, he is too reckless.” “Alright.” Mo Ran walked down the brightly lit grand hall with the other twenty people. Chu Wanning watched the tall and upright stature of the young men and women disappear into the night, gulping down the red wine in his cup. He felt that once he reached Sisheng Peak, he would have the money to build a spiritual stone path for the lower cultivation world. He was confident in his disciple's abilities. Thirty million gold was at his fingertips. After entering the forest, before Mo Ran could even send Xue Meng back, the first bright red firework exploded in the sky. Nangong Liu clicked his tongue in wonder and sighed, “Amazing, someone is hunting the first deer before I even finish my cup of tea. Who knows which disciple is it? Such bravery is truly admirable!” Li Wuxin from Jade Lake Villa sat beside Nangong Liu, and upon hearing that, he twirled his beard smiling, and said, "If everyone here is interested, why don't we make a bet? These twenty-two young talents, just who will lose and who will win the prize money with 50,000 credits?” As everyone seconded him, twenty-two wooden sticks with names written on them were placed on the long table and red silk was placed below them. Those who wanted to place a bet came forward and quickly wrote down their chips and signatures. Xue Zhengyong turned around and whispered to Chu Wanning, “Why is the Jadepool Manor giving out 50,000 credits? So little money, is the old man surnamed Li very poor?” Chu Wanning said: “Small gambling is happy to do, but big gambling hurts the body.” Xue Zhengyong smiled and asked Chu Wanning, “Then we should be happy too?” Chu Wanning looked at him sharply without saying a word. Xue Zhengyong felt goosebumps all over his body. He pulled back his neck and said, “Okay, okay, okay, if you don't like it, then—” “What are you doing?” Elder Yuheng took off his money pouch and slammed it on the table, and said expressionlessly, “If you want to do it, then go on and harm your body.” “...” Xue Zhengyong stared at him for a while as if he had seen a ghost, and then asked, “How much to bet?” “Three hundred thousand.” “...So many? What should I do if I lose?” “We can't.” Chu Wanning said, “Don't you want to build a spiritual stone path? If you gather more money, you can build a few more in the villages with especially heavy poverty-stricken people.” Xue Zhengyong: “You're really going to do this? What if Xue Meng loses?” “He won't lose, he is your son. You should know this better than me.” “...” Seeing that Xue Zhengyong was still anxious, Chu Wanning said very straightforwardly, “If you lose, so be it. If you win, so be it. Go ahead.” The names were all written down one after the other, and the small sects who didn't want to bet felt their hearts itchy. They couldn't help but spend a little bit of money to try their luck. Nangong Si looked at him and found it fun. He stood up and was about to go gamble when Song Qiutong called out to him: “Husband, why are you going as well?” “I'll buy you some jewelry if I can win some money.” Song Qiutong stopped talking. She lowered her head with her glossy face and a strand of black hair fell down on her forehead, and she looked especially embarrassed and pitiful. Chu Wanning glanced in that direction and felt awkward seeing the newlywed couple's sweetness. He quickly turned his head back, so he didn't notice the faint trace of unease on Song Qiutong's face. Nangong Si smiled and took the pen and walked before the long table. He was about to pick a personal choice and write it on a bargaining chip. Suddenly, he heard a sharp sound behind him. In a split-second, his reaction was as quick as a lightning bolt, and he suddenly leaned his body sideways, dodging the attack. A snow-white light flashed past his cheeks, and then, “Bang!” with a loud sound, it struck the main pillar of the hall made of golden nanmu. [TL/N: Nanmu is a wood of the tree Phoebe nanmu (or several other similar) that was once used for boat building, architectural woodworking and wood art in China.] Powder and crumbs scattered in all the four directions, penetrating into the wood three inches! “Who is it?!” “There are assassins!” “Stand by! Blow the emergency whistle!” [TL/N: The whistle blown during the emergency of war.] A sharp whistle sounded throughout all the seventy-two manors in an instant, and the Hall of Poetry and Music that was filled with music suddenly became chaotic, and the swords were pulled out in all directions. Nangong Si's gaze was dark and was faintly flowing with a fierce light. He suddenly wiped the blood off his cheek, strode to the pillar, and looked up. It was just an ordinary feather arrow, yet it actually pierced into the depths of the hard nanmu. There was a small bamboo tube on the feather arrow. Nangong Si took off the bamboo tube with a calm face. His fangs were fierce, biting the sealing wax, and a piece of it fell out. A letter came out. Nangong Si unfolded the letter, read the first paragraph with a straight face, suddenly his complexion changed drastically. His fingers clenched into a fist and he looked at the letter again in disbelief. As he read the letter again this time very carefully, his entire body was trembling, and his shaking fingertips had even pierced the letter. “Si'er, what's the matter?” Nangong Si raised his head, his nose was wrinkled, and his face was ferocious, as if he had transformed into a leopard. “This is simply a rumor!” As he spoke, he was preparing to destroy the letter. But Nangong Liu was a step faster than him. He raised his hand and used his spiritual power to trap his son, and said in a low voice, “What's the matter? Give me the letter.” “Father, you don't need to look at it. It's just a piece of ridiculous words!” However, Nangong Liu did not listen. Waving his hand left and right, he got the letter from Nangong Si's hands who was unable to move. He took the letter and looked down, glancing at Song Qiutong very quickly. The color of his face turned extremely ugly in an instant. Before anyone could react, he brought the letter into the fire and instantly burnt it into black, then said with a dry smile, “My son is right. It is really very ridiculous. I don't know who made such a bad joke. This is really…” “What is it really?” Suddenly, a low and hoarse voice came from the corner of the eaves. Everyone's expressions turned pale. Ye Wangxi drew his sword and stood in front of Nangong Si. Chu Wanning also stood up, staring at the place where the voice came from. One had to know that the Rufeng Sect hosted such a grand event, the disciples responsible for the emergency were all senior disciples of their sect, yet this person had stealthily arrived at the top of the Hall of Poetry and Music without anyone noticing, and no one noticed him when he spoke. Obviously he was not a general but an enemy should never be underestimated. “Sect Leader Nangong Liu, I kindly remind you not to let your son marry a woman with a lustful nature for no reason. Not only did you not listen, you even said that I am a fool with ridiculous words. You truly opened my eyes.” Before he finished speaking, a black shadow flashed past, and before the others could see it clearly, he was already standing with his hands behind his back in the middle of the hall, standing in the middle of the huge crowd. “What—” “Run, run away!” The people who were nearby instantly turned pale with fright. They fell down like the tide, scattering out in a circle around him in an instant. The seniors guarded the junior brothers and sisters, the Sect Leader guarded the disciples, and the middle-aged guarded the younger ones. The black clothed man was wearing a ferocious bronze mask and an ink-black cloak, and said lightly: “What are you running away from? If I wanted to hurt someone, this hall would have long been filled with blood. Just stand there.” ************ A message from the translator: Hello everyone!! I hope you all are doing well. I'm sorry for the late release of this chapter. I'm working on my mental health as many are just giving out negative reviews. As a translator, I accept every positive and negative reviews. Not to bring any personal issues but my depression level right now is already 39 out of 40. You don't know what a person on the other side of the screen is going through, so it's a request from my side that please be kind with your words. Also, I'm not a native Chinese speaker so during translations, I just roughly translate each character at first and then I sort everything out so there might be a very few typos. I'm a human too. And the positive reviews and support and love are really helping me not to reach the 40th depression level. I'm really very very grateful for those who are supporting me. I'll try giving 3-4 chapters per week and sometimes more than that as I really need to work on my mental health and I'm a student. Thank you so much for reading this. I love you all so much. Take care of yourself. May you have a great day ahead! And keep loving RanWan~