When the group reached Kunpeng Sacred Hall, a few beastmasters leapt off their mounts. The three patriarchs, Li Xuanyi, Li Yansheng, and Li Yunting were in formal attire, but they weren't just here to receive the bride—they were here to forcefully take her.
Behind them were the youths of the three bloodlines. After they descended, they cast their burning gazes toward the only person standing in front of the hall: Tianming. The doors of the hall were currently shut. Right behind Li Xuanyi were two youths, one of which was Li Jincan in his red groom attire. While he had been given some proper grooming, it couldn't really cover up his bloated face and figure, nor his insidious smile.
Li Xuanchen, standing beside him, was dressed in a long light gold robe that matched his golden eyes. His gaze met Tianming's intensely. This foe was bound to be more troublesome than Yuwen Shengcheng.
"Li Tianming, we are here to receive the bride. Please open the doors to the hall and have Qingyu board the palanquin," Li Xuanyi said, smiling slightly.
"Brother-in-law, where's Qingyu? Has she finished dressing up yet?" Li Jincan poked his neck out to look impatiently.
The reason they came with so many people was so that they could take Qingyu by force if they had to. With the marriage contract in hand, they were fully in the right to do so.
Seeing Tianming keep silent, Li Xuanyi said, "It seems that we have to do this the traditional way. Jincan, have some of your fellow brothers here ram the hall doors open. That’ll make for a merry occasion."
"Alright, Dad! Guys, come with me! Have your red packets ready and stuff it in!"
Those red packets were filled with precious spirit gems.
"What are these?"
Tianming saw a few grandly decorated chests in front of him.
"Brother-in-law, this is the wedding gift. Come to think of it, is the dowry from your side ready yet?" Li Jincan asked.
"Oh." Tianming nodded, walked to the chets, and kicked them flying one after another. They flew off the cliff and crashed into the boulder, breaking into smithereens and causing the spirit gems within to spill all over.
That action greatly enraged the youths.
"Brother-in-law, have you gone mad?" Li Jincan snapped. How humiliating it was for their wedding gifts to be treated like that! Li Xuanyi, Li Yansheng, and Li Yunting merely looked at one another. What Tianming had done was within their expectations.
"Xuanchen, take him down so your little brother can wed his bride," Li Xuanyi instructed.
"Yes, Father!" Li Xuanchen stepped forward gallantly, followed by the other youths from the three bloodlines.
At that moment, the Kunpeng Sacred Hall's doors opened, revealing Jingyu and Qingyu. Qingyu was dressed in a long white robe and wielded Fullmoon Blade, walking out radiating full killing intent. Jingyu wore a cold expression and held a dragon-head walking stick. When she thrust the stick on the ground, the hall shook.
"Li Xuanyi, an old crone like me doesn't care about your marriage contract. If you want to take my granddaughter away today, you'll have to kill me first. If you can't, I'll make sure the Metal Bloodline ends with your generation. I'll make sure to kill your two sons!" Jingyu's words completely shocked Li Xuanchen and the others, forcing them to retreat back to where they were.
However, there was no way Li Xuanyi hadn't predicted Jingyu's dedication. They had come today, knowing full well that there would be conflict. There was no way they were going to be able to take Qingyu away without a struggle. Either way, they were still in the right because of the agreement.
"Matriarch, you're already old, so please don't push yourself. Putting aside Brother Xuanyi, if you don't obey the marriage contract as it was signed, like a madwoman, I'll have to take you down to save face for the Li Saint Clan," the fourth patriarch, Li Yunting politely said.
"That's right, Matriarch. Please don't be hasty and fight. I worry that I’ll accidentally shatter your old bones. I won't want to be held responsible for that," Li Yansheng said.
"Thanks for trying to talk sense on my behalf. However, today is an auspicious day. You two are my honored guests, so how could I trouble you like that? I can handle this myself," Li Xuanyi said.
"Brother Xuanyi is a saint, while the matriarch is already expiring. It would be overkill to have you fight," Li Yunting said.
Their banter was a mere attempt at scaring Jingyu, who couldn’t possibly fight those three at her age. Li Xuanyi was already a saint, so he alone would be enough to take her on. He definitely wouldn't give her a chance to lash out, and stepped toward the hall domineeringly.
Li Jincan straightened himself and said, "Matriarch, don't worry. I’ll treat Qingyu well."
To the oblivious fool, the cold expression Qingyu wore made her look as beautiful as a fairy. The thought of taking her as his wife made his mouth water. He had built up a lot of pent-up frustration from being refused by too many girls over the years, all of which he had to somehow vent.
"Matriarch, cease this vain effort!" Li Xuanyi said, stepping forward with his domineering saintly aura. He was nothing but a bully! Little did he expect, however, that the person standing up to him wouldn't be Jingyu, but rather the white-haired Tianming, who still managed to glare at him despite being suppressed by the aura. What kind of willpower would that require?
"Li Tianming, do you want a taste of what it means to be a saint?" Li Xuanyi asked.
Tianming's gaze shot past him without much heed. The threat was nothing short of embarrassing, coming from someone of Li Xuanyi's age and status. Instead, Tianming's gaze settled on Li Xuanchen. Despite the pressure, he cracked a sudden, sinister smile.
"Li Xuanchen, today, I will give you a chance to take the Kunpeng Sacred Seal for yourself so that you can become junior sect master."
Those words immediately silenced everyone there.
"Forget it. Qingyu, come with me," Li Xuanyi said. He didn't pay attention to Tianming at all. Instead, his guard was up against Jingyu, the only one who could cause trouble for him.
"What do you mean, Li Tianming?" Li Xuanchen replied with a burning gaze, much to the surprise of Li Xuanyi. He had been planning for Tianming and Yuwen Shengcheng's relationship to worsen to the point Yuwen Shendu would step in to kill him. That was the only way he would be able to get the Kunpeng Sacred Seal back from a pentabane like Li Tianming, which would allow him access into the mausoleum, though that wasn't Li Xuanchen's main goal. What he wanted was to become the head of the Li Saint Clan so that the Metal Bloodline would rule over the clan! The Kunpeng Sacred Seal was the key to his plan. He had planned to wait long to get it, but Tianming was giving him a chance to skip all that.
"It's simple. I will give you a chance to fight me. If you win and kill me, you'll get your seal. If you lose, the marriage contract will be void and all of you have to leave Fatepath Peak. Do you have the balls to take me up on that challenge?"