Is She the Only One?

The ninety-nine flights of stairs symbolized lasting eternity for the newlyweds. By the time the crowd stepped onto the stairs, Ye Feng and the others were already thoroughly tipsy, while Gu Li had his hand clamped over his mouth, his throat bobbing slightly. Tang Ru glanced at him, his own stomach churning uncontrollably... His cheeks burning red, Gu Li mumbled, "Don't... don't look at me. I... I swallowed it." "Whoooo!" Clap, clap, clap, clap! Enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the surrounding crowd. Li Qingchan smiled and nodded as well, then reached out to guide everyone into the domain. Thus, the first trial was cleared. Yet only after Li Guanqi and his companions entered the Meng clan estate did they discover that aside from this first trial, there were no other tests awaiting them. Test the bond between the couple? They were childhood sweethearts. Test whether Li Guanqi possessed the martial strength to protect Meng Wanshu? With one Ascension realm expert plus five Tribulation Transcendence realm powerhouses, such a gesture was utterly superfluous. Meng Jiangchu, Li Guilan, and all the Meng clan elders stood before the main hall to welcome the arriving procession. Li Guanqi knew that Meng Wanshu was just behind the hall. His heart pounding with overwhelming excitement, Li Guanqi took a deep breath, stepped forward slowly, and bowed in greeting. "Junior Li Guanqi greets Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, and all respected elders." Meng Jiangchu's face was split into an ear-to-ear grin, his chin tilted up with undisguised pride. Li Guilan was beaming just as brightly, nodding gently. Meng Jiangchu laughed. "Up, up, quickly now! Enter the hall." From within the grand, imposing hall came the melodious music of pipes and strings, a bright, soaring, and thoroughly joyful tune. Li Guanqi and the others stepped up the stairs with smiles and walked into the hall. Once the wedding guests entered the hall, Li Guanqi moved to make his way straight toward the back mountain. Meng Jiangchu teased, "Where are you heading off to in such a rush?" Li Guanqi felt a brief flash of embarrassment upon hearing that, but it passed in an instant. Turning back around, he laughed and said, "To fetch my wife!!" The moment the words left his mouth, a chorus of younger Meng clan members chimed in at once. "No way! How could we let you take Sister Wanshu away so easily?" Li Qingchan joined in on the teasing as well. "Exactly! If the red envelopes aren't generous enough, we won't let you through!" Meng Jiangchu and the other elders watched the playful scene without intervening, perfectly happy to let it unfold. A wedding was meant to be boisterous and lively, after all. Li Guanqi's eyes flickered with amusement, and a smile tugged at his lips. Before the younger generation of the Meng clan could react, he raised a hand and tossed out tens of thousands of spirit stones. In an instant, everyone scrambled to snatch up the spirit stones, casting Li Guanqi entirely to the back of their minds. Li Guanqi laughed heartily and looked back at Ye Feng and the others, shouting, "Charge!!" Ye Feng and the brothers pushed through the crowd with booming laughter, scattering spirit stones and elixir pills as they shoved their way forward. Even the Meng clan elders in the hall joined the scramble. Under Gu Li and the others' deliberate aim, spirit stones were also flung toward the visiting sects and clans observing from outside the hall. Meng Jiangchu chuckled loudly and took Li Guilan by the hand, taking flight to glide toward Meng Wanshu's bridal chambers. Inside an elegant, antique boudoir, Meng Wanshu was nervously clutching her skirt, her fingers fidgeting endlessly with the fabric. Gathered in the room were not only Meng Wanshu's maidservants, but also numerous daughters of prominent lineages closely aligned with the Meng clan, all here to help block the bridal door. Seeing this, an exceptionally beautiful woman in a green dress couldn't help but stifle a giggle. "Even Sister Wanshu can get nervous! Don't worry, we'll definitely guard this door tight for you!" "That's right! Who cares if he's the Lord Sword Venerable? Hmph, if he wants to marry our Sister Wanshu easily, he'd better show some real sincerity!" "Still... I really envy Sister Wanshu. That's the Yanluo Sword Venerable!" "Exactly! An Ascension realm cultivator at such a young age! Unlike my father, who only introduces me to crooked, pathetic excuses for men..." "Sigh, tell me about it! The one introduced to me a few days ago looked decent enough on the surface, but he was over eight hundred years old... and I'm only thirty-two!" As they chattered on, the women fell into lively gossip, their words brimming with envy over the match between Meng Wanshu and Li Guanqi. Hearing their banter, Meng Wanshu felt some of the tension in her chest ease. She playfully replied, "As long as two people truly love each other, even a wider age gap doesn't matter." Her lovely eyes danced, and she offered a knowing smile. "Among the group coming shortly, aside from the blond sword cultivator and that pretty-boy dandy spear cultivator, there are three eligible bachelors." At those words, the female cultivators in the room all had their eyes light up! Watching them roll up their sleeves with eager anticipation, Meng Wanshu almost regretted saying it. By the looks of it, their minds were no longer on blocking the door at all. Just then, the clamor outside drew closer, and a woman hurriedly cried out, "Oh goodness, they're here! Quick, shut the door!" Though the woman in the pink dress called for the door to be shut, she still craned her neck to peek outside. Her gaze swept across the courtyard, taking in Cao Yan, Ye Feng, and the rest of the group. Bang! The heavy door slammed shut just as Li Guanqi and his grand entourage arrived outside the courtyard gate of the bridal chambers. Meng Jiangchu and Lu Kangnian stood side by side, their eyes filled with deep gratification. Day after day they had wished, night after night they had longed, and now that day had finally arrived. "Brother Lu, you have no idea how many times over the years I've pictured this very scene." With hands clasped behind his back, Lu Kangnian turned his head with a warm smile. "Brother Meng, haven't I done the exact same?" Li Guanqi stood at the entrance and raised a hand to knock on the gate. Thump, thump, thump! "Open up, please!" Female voices drifted out from within the courtyard. These were the maidservants of Meng Wanshu's chambers, who had cared for her since childhood. Their bond with Meng Wanshu was more akin to sisters. On such a special day, they had gathered the courage to stand in the way of an Ascension realm cultivator. "Future Son-in-law, we're taking our lives in our hands to bar your way today, so please don't take offense!" Li Guanqi laughed out loud. "If you're going to bar me, you still have to let me in eventually, don't you?" The four or five maidservants blocking the door hastily answered, "Young Master... of course we'll let you in, but... Miss has a question she wants us to ask you." "You have to answer before we do!" Li Guanqi smiled upon hearing this. "All right, ask away." Plucking up her courage, a young maid put her hands on her hips and shouted toward the outside, "Well, before you hear the question, shouldn't you give us a big red envelope first?" Li Guanqi promptly called Tang Ru over. Tang Ru offered no complaints; reaching out, he tossed five storage rings straight over the gate. Each storage ring held one hundred high-grade spirit stones and an Infant-Breaking talisman hand-drawn by Gu Li himself. Compared to an Infant-Breaking Pill, the talisman's efficacy was even more potent. When the maidservants caught the storage rings, their ecstatic shrieks carried far into the distance. Stamping their feet in giddy excitement, they nearly swung the doors wide open right then and there. After composing themselves for a moment, the senior maid was the first to speak. "Young Master, Miss asked us to inquire..." "In your heart, is she truly the only one?" Outside the gate, Li Guanqi's heart gave a sudden jolt. He looked up toward the inner palace. Inside, Meng Wanshu also raised her gaze toward the courtyard gate. Li Guanqi understood. Meng Wanshu was asking... between her and her, who was truly the only one? Li Guanqi took a deep breath. Countless thoughts flickered through his mind, but his gaze remained resolute as he said in a deep voice, "Of course it's Wanshu!" Creeeak! The gate swung open. The maidservants, bouncing on their heels in excitement, looked toward Li Guanqi and his companions. "Young Master, please come in! Just don't make things difficult for us later!" Li Guanqi smiled faintly. Naturally, he would not be so petty. "Fifth Brother, give them a few more spirit stones." Behind him, wiping sweat from his brow, Xiao Chen remarked, "We really are clearing one hurdle after another..."