Newly Married

Amid the swaying shadows of blossoms, whispered words mingled with heady fragrance. A barrier enveloped the courtyard, preventing even the faintest sound from escaping. This had allowed Meng Wanshu to cast off all restraint, trying many acts she had once been far too bashful to attempt on their wedding night. Early the next morning, Li Guanqi rose at daybreak and laid out a brand-new robe he had long prepared beside the bed. The young woman rolled over lazily, her eyes misty and half-closed. "Don't be lazy now. We still have to pay our morning respects to Father and Mother." Sitting by the bedside, Li Guanqi spoke gently in a soothing tone. Her delicate brows knitted slightly at his words, and she pouted, pulling the quilt over her head. "Just a quarter of an hour more..." "My whole body feels limp... I don't want to get up." Li Guanqi could only shake his head with an amused, helpless smile. He glanced at the bedsheet strewn across the floor, the torn bed curtains... The disarranged teapot on the table, the folding screen toppled beside the bathtub, the open window... The night had certainly been wild enough. "Alright, sleep a little longer, then." The moment the words left his mouth, Meng Wanshu was about to agree, only for rustling sounds to reach her ears. A warm arm slipped around her waist. Startled, Meng Wanshu poked her head out from under the quilt, her face flushing crimson as she chided softly, "What are you doing! First thing in the morning..." Before she could finish, she felt something behind her, and her voice cut short. She shot him an embarrassed, reproving glare, her right hand reaching slowly behind her... Two hours later. The newlyweds arrived at the sect's main hall to pay their respects to their elders. Meng Jiangchu and Li Guilan were naturally all smiles, beaming with joy. Once they took their seats, Lu Kangnian said with a smile, "Guanqi, your grandfather asked me to pass along word that they've already headed back early." "However, quite a few people from the various factions who came to offer congratulations have yet to leave." Li Guanqi nodded. He had little interest in dealing with these sects and clans. "Yes, I understand." "It was already no easy feat for Grandfather and the others to leave the Seventh Domain." Meng Jiangchu nodded with a grave expression as well. "Indeed. I'm also preparing to head back today." Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. At this moment, he dared not explain too many things openly. After all, the destruction of the Immortal Gate was an issue of monumental consequence; he had not even told Ye Feng or Meng Wanshu. "Take your time. As for you two, you could look around and travel a bit in the outside world." Meng Wanshu chuckled softly. "There isn't much to see. We might as well return to the Seven Domains together." Li Guanqi nodded as well and said softly, "In that case, we'll set off for the Seventh Domain sometime this afternoon." Hearing this, Lu Kangnian nodded, making no move to detain them. The man then stood, took out dozens of storage rings, and tossed them to Li Guanqi. "These are all wedding gifts from the various factions. Take them." Li Guanqi turned to look at Meng Wanshu. "Wanshu, do you think I should accept them?" Meng Wanshu started slightly. She had not expected Li Guanqi to ask her what to do. A warm feeling welled up in her heart. After pondering for a moment, she said softly, "Let's take a portion, and leave the rest with Uncle Lu." "After all, we spend very little time in the outside world." "Since they sent gifts, we will inevitably have to return the courtesy in the future. It would be better to have Uncle Lu help handle these social obligations." "What do you think?" Li Guanqi smiled and nodded. "As expected of my wife. You've balanced it wonderfully. We'll do just that." Sweeping his divine sense across them, he organized the items he could use. Li Guanqi took only a single storage ring and returned all the remaining rings to Lu Kangnian. The man was caught off guard. "Guanqi, these are all your gifts. Why give them back to me?" Li Guanqi exchanged a smile with the woman beside him. "Sect Master, please keep them." "The sect incurred enormous expenses for this grand occasion, and the betrothal gifts all but depleted the sect's finest treasures." "Wanshu and I are rarely in the outside world. When reciprocal courtesies arise later, we'll still need the sect to represent us." "We can't just let the sect spend without taking anything in. Think of it as a deposit the two of us are keeping with the sect." Meng Jiangchu twitched his lips from the side and said, "You two certainly are generous." Hearing this, everyone burst into hearty laughter. After all, many of the guests had come out of respect for Meng Jiangchu. Li Guanqi's move was essentially taking the goodwill owed to Meng Jiangchu and handing it all to Lu Kangnian. In this exchange, the Great Xia Sword Sect had not lost out at all, but rather gained quite a bounty. Yet Meng Jiangchu was a free-spirited man at heart and knew Li Guanqi harbored no improper motives. Waving a broad hand, he rose and said, "Fine, I won't meddle with you two. You're a family now, so decide for yourselves." "I'm going to see some friends myself." Li Guanqi smiled as he saw the two elders off. Lu Kangnian sighed with feeling, looking up with a smile. "In that case, I'll hold onto them for you. If you ever find yourself short of anything later, just let me know." Li Guanqi waved his hand. "We lack for nothing in the Seven Domains. But you, Sect Master... your cultivation advancement is a bit slow." Li Guanqi then sent a low divine transmission: "In about forty to fifty years, the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier will cease to exist!" Lu Kangnian's mind shook violently. His pupils contracted to pinpricks, and he stared at Li Guanqi in disbelief. "Is that truly so?" Li Guanqi nodded, his transmission deep and solemn. "If you wish to ascend, Sect Master, it is best to raise your cultivation to the Tribulation Transcendence realm first." "Furthermore... once the sect is stable, you can come to the Seventh Domain to find me." "Within the Seven Domains, there is a Heavenly King Pagoda with accelerated time flow, which offers tremendous benefits for cultivation." Lu Kangnian's eyes flickered with intense thought. After a long silence, he finally replied, "Good! Once I take care of the sect's affairs over this period, I'll go find you!" Lu Kangnian lowered his head and rubbed his hands together unconsciously, unable to conceal the excitement in his eyes. Seeing this, Meng Wanshu turned to Li Guanqi and said with a smile, "Did you tell Uncle Lu about the Human-Immortal Realm Barrier?" Li Guanqi gave a slight nod. "Yes. It's best to let the Sect Master know about this." "If he intends to ascend, he needs to make advance preparations for the sect." Meng Wanshu also knew of Li Guanqi's deep affection for the Great Xia Sword Sect, and she let out a soft laugh. "By the way, last night Ye Feng and the others went peak by peak across the Great Xia Sword Sect's grounds, laying down barriers and seals." "Was that your idea?" Li Guanqi blinked in surprise. No wonder he hadn't seen Ye Feng and the others during the latter half of last night. So after all that, those drunks had actually gone out last night to carry out what he had mentioned earlier? Sitting across from them, Lu Kangnian chimed in with amusement, "Those drunks actually went and left ten sword qi traces right inside the Spirit Fish Clan's territory last night." "Ye Feng even grabbed hold of Yu Bo and babbled words of gratitude for ages." Hearing this, Li Guanqi shook his head with a wry smile. "Where are they now?" Lu Kangnian chuckled. "They're all in the Purple Spirit Grotto-Heaven. They spent half the night drinking with the chiefs of the Fire-Eyed Demon Foxes and the Spirit Fish Clan." Taking Meng Wanshu with him, Li Guanqi bid farewell to Lu Kangnian, and together they made their way to the Purple Spirit Grotto-Heaven.