“Sit down and relax!”
Many delicacies had already been laid on a worn and old table, courtesy of Chu Qingcheng’s cooking. She was still hiding her face behind the veil, but her every gesture and elegant demeanor made her seem like the perfect wife. Her tone was neither haughty nor overbearing. She acted just like any ordinary young wife receiving faraway guests.
The trio stiffly took seats. They had Chu Qingcheng’s invitation, but this does not mean that their heart was at ease.
On the contrary, Zhuo Fan was feeling right at home after having spent time with Chu Qingcheng the past few days. His movements were casual and frank. He spoke normally – like a simple family.
Dong Tianba began to envy him. [Lil’ bro must have had quite the heavenly fortune for Chu Qingcheng to look at him.]
Xiao Dandan and Dong Xiaowan were staring at him all this time, but Chu Qingcheng’s presence left them sour inside.
They felt inadequate in front of such a world-class beauty that they lowered their heads.
They passed the day in a peaceful and cheerful manner. Once dusk was setting in, Chu Qingcheng sighed, “It’s getting late and we should part ways!”
“What parting do you speak of when tomorrow’s the Hundred Pill Meeting?” Zhuo Fan raised an eyebrow.
Shaking her head in sorrow, Chu Qingcheng pulled his hand and said to the rest, “Come with me.”
She walked ahead, with others rushing to catch up. They soon turned to a lonely road where a worn-out carriage stood.
That carriage belonged to none other than the Song clan Zhuo Fan reappropriated.
There were also six people standing close to it. Dong Tianba’s four elders and the Peony and Iris Overseers standing at the front of the group.
This caught them by surprise, not understanding what was going on.
“Go.”
Chu Qingcheng pointed at the carriage, “Leave by night and make haste in hiding your clans. You may still have a chance to survive!”
“W-what’s going on? Edifice Lord Chuchu, why are you driving us away? Did we offend you?” Dong Tianba cried, so scared his legs were quaking.
Chu Qingcheng shook her head, “Forgive me. It is not your fault, but mine. I didn’t want to drag you into this, but Huangpu Qingyun is petty. I fear he will strike you out of spite.”
“Huangpu… The Regent Estate?” Dong Tianba was alarmed, on the verge of tears, “Why would Regent Estate be involved with us? We did nothing to them!”
“Your Dong clan has not been destroyed so why are you crying?”
Zhuo Fan snorted and turned to Chu Qingcheng, “What are you planning? Don’t do anything stupid, there’s still room to turn this around!”
Chu Qingcheng shook her head and caressed his cheek, “I know what I’m doing. Just that I need your help with something.”
Zhuo Fan eyed her suspiciously.
She pulled Xiao Dandan, who was still in shock, and rested her hand in Zhuo Fan’s, “Please watch over Dandan. She may very well be the last member of our Drifting Flowers Edifice house!”
“Edifice Lord!”
Xiao Dandan was panicking and Zhuo Fan paled. But before he could speak, Chu Qingcheng stopped them, “This is my last wish. You have to do this for me.”
Chu Qingcheng took her storage ring and gave it to Xiao Dandan, “Dandan, take this with you on your journey with Song Yu to his clan. But you can only look inside once you arrive! Take care of your husband and don’t be so willful, alright?”
Xiao Dandan nodded in tears.
Peony Overseer found it unbearable as she shouted, “It’s late, leave quickly! If they find you, you won’t get another chance!”
Dong Tianba didn’t understand, but was clear to the danger, rushing inside the carriage with his sister.
Zhuo Fan knew Chu Qingcheng wanted to give Drifting Flowers Edifice a chance at revival. He had a plan in mind but wasn’t sure it was foolproof. So he followed Chu Qingcheng’s wishes and pulled Xiao Dandan into the carriage.
At worst, he’d come back once they were far enough.
His firm actions made Peony Overseer filled with anger, “Song Yu, look after my disciple, or I will never let you off!”
“Humph, your disciple is big now. She can take care of herself.” Zhuo Fan shirked all responsibility and whipped the horses.
Peony Overseer stomped her foot in anger, watching the carriage drifting further away, “Humph, I told you men aren’t reliable. Once he gets wind of trouble, he flees! He jumped in with no hesitation!”
“Chuchu, was it worth entrusting everything to that man?” Iris Overseer frowned.
Shaking her head, Chu Qingcheng said, “Aren’t all our hopes resting on them leaving safely? What more is there to say?”
Yet, she couldn’t fight back the tears, feeling disappointed by Zhuo Fan’s last act.
[We will never see each other again. Can’t you at least show some reluctance for the sake of all the precious little time we spent together?]
But they were unaware what Zhuo Fan was thinking. Their thoughts were completely worlds apart from each other. They took this as a final parting while Zhuo Fan took it as making a delivery. He’d be dropping off Xiao Dandan to a safe place before running straight back.
[I’m only a delivery boy, and soon will come back running. What final? What parting?]
“Let us return, tomorrow we have a bitter fight on our hands!”
Chu Qingcheng took a deep breath to reign in her emotions then flew back. The overseers were right behind her.
Night came, and soon darkness gave way to the sun’s rays. Chu Qingcheng stood alone in her room, watching the grandiose building outside. It was the place where the Hundred Pill Meeting was held, and their final battle.
“Chuchu!
Iris Overseer flashed next to her and nodded, “Everything’s ready. All that’s left is for that old dog to come.”
“Good!”
Chu Qingcheng’s eyes flashed with resolve, “Drifting Flowers Edifice may fall, but that old dog will go down with it. Blood for blood. Let’s go!”
…
Meanwhile, Zhuo Fan rode the carriage all night and was now a hundred miles out of Drifting Flowers City. He thought it was enough, loosened the reins, and jumped down.
“Alright, you guys leave. I’m going back!”
“Darling, wait!” Xiao Dandan cried out from inside, “You can’t go back! Won’t you make sister Qingcheng’s sacrifice in vain?”
“Who’s your Darling?! Don’t shout without thinking! Isn’t Chu Qingcheng your Edifice Lord? What a cheeky disciple, calling her sister.”
Reddening, Xiao Dandan replied coyly, “Isn’t it because you are my husband? Edifice Lord has given my hand to you personally. So, you are my husband in every sense of the word. And Edifice Lord is your wife as well. What else can I do but call her sister?”
“What?! When did Chu Qingcheng become my wife?” Zhuo Fan was floored.
Scratching his head, Dong Tianba stuck out of the carriage and sighed, “Bro, how are you so slow in the head? Both of you were so close in that broken house that even a blind man could see you two are married. How could you not? What she said should’ve been an obvious enough hint. Yesterday, you visited her family, today she visited your friends. What else could it be if not to show everyone that you two were married?”
“Uh, that can’t be… I always thought she saw me as her younger brother to relive her old warm memories, how…” Zhuo Fan was dumbfounded. He, a demon through and through, with his nose always deep plotting against others, was clueless in matters between a man and a woman.
Even if he were to engage in such acts, it would only be a stepping stone for a greater purpose, faking through it all. He had never ever truly experienced romantic love.
Xiao Dandan watched Zhuo Fan cautiously as she muttered, “Then Darling, let me ask you. Did you see her face?”
“Don’t call me that!”
Zhuo Fan shook away her approaching hand in loathing then thought about it, “I have, twice!”
“Then it is indeed so. Edifice Lord has never married before. If a man were to see her face, she would either kill him off or resign her duty as Edifice lord and marry him.”
Xiao Dandan raised an eyebrow, “Since husband is safe and sound, it speaks of sister Chuchu’s decision of recognizing you as a husband.”
Zhuo Fan suddenly recalled the moment he made a sneak attack on Chuchu for her Bodhi Jade Sap, only to take her face cover. She was deeply conflicted then.
[She was hesitating whether to kill me or to marry me?]
[That was way too dangerous. If not for my boyish charm and dashing good looks that no woman on this wide green earth can resist, Chu Qingcheng would’ve killed me by now!]
[He-he-he, what can I say, I’m too much of a dashing rogue, only matched by my luck!]
[Wait, aren’t I Song Yu now?]
Zhuo Fan’s confidence hit rock bottom, [At least the kid’s pretty face had some use and saved my life. Or maybe it was my wonderful personality that won her over?]
Zhuo Fan sank in delusions. But what he didn’t take into consideration was where exactly did the ‘wonderful’ part fit a demon like him.
“Darling, if you still don’t believe me… the ring sister Chuchu gave has to be holding that item.”
His constant hesitation led Xiao Dandan to defy the task entrusted to her by Chu Qingcheng. She took out the item in the ring, all to justify her position as his wife.
After the light dimmed, three things appeared in front of everyone’s eyes.
One was the black cloak Zhuo Fan already saw and the second a small bottle. He also knew this contained the Bodhi Jade Sap. He immediately snatched it, overcome with joy.
[I’ve run all over the place for this, only to fall so easily in my lap. Ha-ha-ha…]
Xiao Dandan said, “The Bodhi Jade Sap is sister Qingcheng’s dowry. If you take it, then you are accepting sister Qingcheng and… me!”
Xiao Dandan blushed at the last part. Zhuo Fan was in a daze. After he heard what she said, all smiles were wiped from his face.
He was a Demonic Emperor that had no scruples, but never ever owed favors. It would’ve been better if he had stolen it. Yet, the fact remained that it was given to him by someone, along with a ‘free gift’ attached. If he took it, then he had to accept the ‘gift’.
But accepting Xiao Dandan…
[Ha-ha-ha, sorry… but the first impression I have of you already ruined it for me. I won’t be taking you!]
Now he turned to the third item, a wooden piece of wood with the words ‘Beloved wife Chu Qingcheng’s memorial tablet’ written on it!
Zhuo Fan’s eyes squinted and cried, “What is this?”
Xiao Dandan sighed, “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but I once heard master mention that they were ready to fall with the Vicious Pill King…”
“Damnation! You think they’ll succeed to drag that old geezer down when they couldn’t even keep this plan hidden from a mere disciple? Humph, a bunch of foolish women going to their doom.”
Zhuo Fan rained curses. Then he looked at the Bodhi Jade Sap and snickered, “He-he-he, yours truly does not and will not owe favors!”
He took the items into his ring and ran towards Drifting Flowers City, disappearing from sight.
Dong Tianba and the rest were restless. He was a loafer, but not a fool. If the overseers and the lord were in a bitter fight, didn’t that mean Drifting Flowers Edifice was the worst place to be right now?
Would Zhuo Fan get out alive if he returned?
“Damn it, Darling won’t be able to come back if he goes. We need to go after him!” Xiao Dandan cried.
Dong Xiaowan was also anxiously watching her brother, pleading. Dong Tianba gnashed his teeth and ordered, “Let’s go, I can not allow my brother to face dangers alone again!”