Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’ Chapter 728: Passing Three Trials, The Boomerang
Previously on Investing in the Reborn Empress, She Actually Calls Me ‘Husband’...
As the sound of the ice block rustling through her clothes reached his ears, Li Mo couldn’t help but visualize the scene.
Separated by a mere door, she had discarded her simple attire to don vibrant crimson robes, appearing like a fiery blossom radiant under the sun’s glow...
His desire to enter and catch a glimpse intensified.
However, it was a futile hope. Old Li, acting as a security guard, stood as firm as a mountain. He was as stubborn as a protective future father-in-law, refusing to grant him even a single opening.
“Patience is a virtue, boy. Do you understand? Seeing her shouldn’t be this effortless for you.”
“Dad, I was only joking when I said I might have been swapped at birth, but now I’m truly starting to wonder.”
Li Mo let out a heavy sigh, his eyes fixed longingly on the ice block’s room.
Li Dalong dismissed him with a wave of his hand. “Beat it. You’ll see her tomorrow, right? Can’t you hold out for one more day?”
After successfully driving Li Mo away, Li Dalong let out a snort and a quiet chuckle, grumbling to himself that he hadn't been allowed a preview back in his day either.
...The engagement banquet commenced officially, accompanied by a refreshing autumn breeze that carried the festive atmosphere.
The Qingyuan Sect, despite its vastness, felt somewhat congested for this specific celebration. Guests who had arrived for the Promotion Ceremony were still present, while those invited for the wedding festivities were already arriving in droves. Ultimately, they were forced to arrange an open-air, continuous banquet, with rows of tables stretching from the central hall all the way down to the mountain gate.
Li Mo departed through the mountain gate, mounted on his horse.
It had to be said that the attire Old Li had used to claim his own bride years ago fit him to perfection. Combined with the aura of the top genius on the Hidden Dragon List, he looked every bit the gallant Young Master, his spirit soaring as his horse galloped forward.
“Today, the Qingyuan Sect seems even more vibrant than it did during the Promotion Ceremony,” Elder Xu noted with a hint of emotion.
“Naturally. The Prince of Zhennan has arrived personally, and he even brought gifts on behalf of His Majesty.”
Qian Bufan, who was stationed at the entrance to manage the gifts, reached out his hand toward the newcomers.
“Is this not just an engagement? Are gifts expected for engagements as well?”
The Elder from the Sword Manor was startled, yet he still reached into his robes to produce a red envelope.
“I’ve heard it’s actually a wedding. Rumor has it that Fairy Han has already begun addressing Young Master Li’s mother as ‘mother’.”
“This arrangement certainly doesn’t look like a mere engagement.”
“Indeed. When I walked past, I noticed the bridal chamber was fully prepared. Since when do you need a bridal chamber for an engagement?”
All along the path, various martial artists traded gossip, with some claiming it was an engagement and others adamant it was a wedding.
In the midst of the crowd, Shang Qinqing’s lips twitched, as if she were desperately suppressing a fit of laughter.
However, a quick look at a newly arrived group of riders at the mountain gate made her restrain herself.
“So, a bridal chamber is meant for a wedding, and not an engagement?” a voice suddenly inquired from the group of new arrivals.
The person being asked looked over with the pity one shows a fool, only to realize he was speaking to Mo Chaozong, the famous Sect Master of the Lingxi Sect. He nodded awkwardly in response.
“That is correct. A bridal chamber is unnecessary for an engagement.”
“Then today is undoubtedly a wedding.”
The members of the Demon Sect, hidden in disguise among the Lingxi Sect group, nodded to themselves in relief.
That gave us a scare. For a moment, we feared there was a flaw in our intelligence.
“Sect Master Mo, your Lingxi Sect is currently at the height of its influence. Surely you haven’t arrived with empty hands...”
Qian Bufan extended his hand once more, rubbing his thick fingers together suggestively.
“......”
Mo Chaozong fell silent. He had come to incite chaos; it had never occurred to him that he would have to pay an entrance fee.
Reluctantly, he pulled out a silver ingot and handed it over.
“Gift from the Lingxi Sect: eight taels of silver! Seating is outside the mountain gate!” Elder Qian’s voice thundered.
“Only eight taels? Could Sect Master Mo be here to cause a scene?”
“The Lingxi Sect was the frontrunner to become the Provincial Sect, after all. Perhaps they are bitter about being passed over?”
“Or maybe the Lingxi Sect is just broke, which explains the stinginess?”
Hearing the whispers, Mo Chaozong clenched his fists. As a prestigious Sect Master, when had he ever been the subject of such mockery?
“Patience is vital for the great plan. Do not jeopardize everything now,” Situ Ding’s voice reached him via a secret transmission.
Being seated outside the gate would make it difficult to carry out their mission later.
“Hmph.”
Mo Chaozong snorted and produced two stacks of silver notes. “Is this enough now?”
He handed over the money and moved inside, only to find that his followers had been blocked.
Qian Bufan had stopped them as well.
“Didn’t our Sect Master just pay the gift money?” the disguised Situ Ding asked in a low tone.
“He only paid for himself.”
“You little...”
“Hmm?”
“...cutie.”
Thus, the Demon Sect members were forced to line up and pay, their already limited funds taking a significant hit.
Of course, it wasn’t a total loss. They each received a return gift—a pair of dolls representing Young Master Li and Fairy Han.
Riding his horse, the young Li Mo remained completely oblivious to Elder Qian’s success in squeezing money even out of the Demon Sect.
Li Mo entered Ziyang Prefecture City. The citizens looked upon him with awe and respect, unaware that the ‘Little Overlord of Wife-Prospering’ had essentially lost the ability to think straight.
The path felt both incredibly long and strangely short.
His limbs felt heavy, yet he felt as though he were walking on air.
...
At the same time.
The bride-to-be sat at her dressing table while Gu Xueqin styled her hair. She gazed blankly at her reflection, her eyes shimmering with soft emotions.
She never expected the images from her dreams to manifest so vividly in reality.
She recalled how it started: the Li family had been kind to her, so she entered the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths intending to protect that immature boy.
After all, she was the older sister figure and had the experience of two lives.
But as she looked after him, this ‘older sister’ found her debts to him growing larger and larger.
It seemed that, perhaps...
The only thing she had left to offer him was herself.
Just then.
“This red envelope seems to be packed with silver notes...”
Lan Tian entered, holding a red envelope in her hand.
“Hmm? Is that brat giving out red envelopes?”
Shang Wu had accompanied Lan Tian to serve as a bridesmaid. Li Mo had initially been against the idea.
As is tradition, the groom must pass various tests to enter the room, with the bridesmaids creating obstacles. Having Shang Wu as a hurdle would be a nightmare.
However, the ice block had few friends. Aside from Lan Tian, the only other person in Ziyang Prefecture was the ‘Fighting Queen’ of the Qingyuan Sect.
“Mhm. Do people give red envelopes for engagements as well?” Lan Tian asked with a nod.
“I suppose... they should.”
Shang Wu crossed her arms. Surprisingly, she didn’t run out to rob her disciple. Instead, she narrowed her eyes with an unusually calm demeanor.
“......”
Ying Bing bit her lip, knowing full well that red envelopes were reserved for weddings.
But since she had already been outsmarted by that immature boy so many times, one more instance didn’t matter. She would simply act as if she didn’t know.
“Sister Bing is so stunning.”
Lan Tian forgot about the money, staring at Ying Bing. With her hair elegantly pinned and wearing her phoenix-patterned red robes, Lan Tian couldn't help but wipe a bit of drool from her mouth.
Gu Xueqin had intended to offer a compliment, but as she saw the reflection in the mirror, she felt that words were inadequate.
She opened her mouth, but the emotions in her heart made her voice catch and her eyes turn red.
She had raised this girl since she was a child; she was no different from her own flesh and blood.
“That brat is getting her far too easily.”
“Mother, what time is it?”
“Don’t be in such a hurry. We won’t let him take you away without a fight.”
Madam Gu, Li Mo’s mother, spoke with the tone of someone guarding a precious treasure as she walked toward the door.
She searched for a moment before finally locating the door bolt.
Strange, doesn’t Little Bing’er usually keep her door locked?