The Pang mansion opened all four gates wide and brought out all their stored fine wines and delicacies to entertain the martial world guests who had come to witness the ceremony, but it was still far from enough. They urgently sent people throughout the city to gather from restaurants and wine shops, even hiring the cooks and the foreign serving girls who sold wine to help entertain the guests.
The rooms certainly couldn’t accommodate everyone, and even the courtyards were packed with people. However, having witnessed such a soul-stirring battle, the heroes were no longer interested in drinking—everyone was inquiring about information on the red-robed girl.
Who exactly was she? What was her relationship with the Setting Sun Seven Masters? Why did she wear Chen Shigu’s Fish Intestine Sword? Why had she practiced the military formation skills rarely seen in the martial world?
Many guessed she was the Setting Sun Academy’s new leader, but they absolutely refused to acknowledge this. Because of Chen Shigu’s decades of consistently evil and perverse behavior, his disciples had poor reputations outside, and martial world people had always regarded them as a bunch of unlucky evil heretics.
It was just that this red-robed girl was not only young and beautiful but also possessed abundant martial virtue. People felt favorable toward her at first sight, and with her as a foil and support, that bunch of ill-omened stars from the Setting Sun Academy looked much more pleasing to the eye.
Some people privately harbored doubts about that phrase “Overthrow Great Tang, bring chaos to the world,” but the previous sect that had publicly questioned them had already been completely annihilated. Even if their hearts itched unbearably, they didn’t dare approach and seek death.
Bao Zhu sat in the honored guest seats of the flower hall that Pang Liangji had prepared for his fellow disciples, with Huo Qi Lang on one side and Little Shisan on the other. Martial world travelers came in an endless stream to offer toasts, even more than those who had toasted Wei Xun on the wedding procession route. Especially some young heroes who, to catch a glimpse of her beauty, stood beside her with red faces and could barely move their legs.
Bao Zhu was still brooding over those treasonous words, but with so many people and mixed ears around, it wasn’t convenient to inquire. She could only patiently wait to return to the inn to ask Wei Xun.
Huo Qi Lang was busy helping her deflect drinks and chase people away; Shisan Lang had completed his sect’s orders and could finally return to Bao Zhu’s side, so happy his whole face glowed; Old Fourth Qiu Ren came out from the inner quarters, rubbing his arms and saying to everyone: “The bride has awakened and is fine. The two of them knelt together crying and laughing—it was too nauseating for me to watch.”
The Central Plains heroes had received invitations to attend Pang Liangji’s wedding and retirement ceremony. Now that the misunderstanding was resolved, they all brought out congratulatory gifts, which piled up like a small mountain of various items in the courtyard.
Tuoba Sanniang suddenly asked: “Did you all prepare gifts?”
The Setting Sun Academy members either looked down at their drinks or glanced around—no one spoke up. They had seen plenty of funerals but none had attended a joyous occasion. This harmonious and lively atmosphere made everyone somewhat uncomfortable.
Tuoba Sanniang pondered for a moment and said in an extremely low voice: “Why don’t we pool together and eliminate that family that buried the bride alive, to prevent future troubles? Consider it a congratulatory gift for Old Sixth.”
The others heard and had no objections, tacitly agreeing while continuing to drink with normal expressions. Any of them could handle this matter alone, but since they were pooling together, each person had to participate and couldn’t be lazy.
Bao Zhu was surrounded by a noisy crowd of people offering toasts and didn’t hear the exchange at the nearby table. Her alcohol tolerance was average, and after a few cups her face gradually flushed red—the rest were blocked by Huo Qi Lang’s help. Finally, fearing they would disturb this most important guest, the Pang family politely asked the other guests to leave and surrounded the flower hall with railings.
The wedding two days ago had been disrupted by the Rakshasa Birds, and the bowing ceremony hadn’t been completed. With time just reaching dusk, it was a perfect opportunity to make up for it. Pang Liangji took Xiao Ran’s hand, and the two performed the ceremony again before the Central Plains heroes, drinking the nuptial wine.
The ivory tablet filled with notes had long since been lost somewhere, and the wedding tent was also destroyed. This time there were no complex procedures like urging makeup or waving fans—they performed the simple and bold folk rites of the martial world. With guests filling the seats, they all drank together and celebrated boisterously.
The heroes offered wedding congratulations to the couple who had endured hardships: “Two daughters babbling in speech, five sons flying in formation like geese, honor connecting nine clans, fortune filling a thousand chests, kowtowing to gods and Buddhas, household prosperity and good fortune.” These five sons and two daughters represented wishes for their future progeny—numbers universally considered most auspicious.
None of the Setting Sun Academy members joined in, watching from afar with hands in sleeves. Regardless, watching people marry was more pleasant than watching funerals.
Returning to his seat, Shisan Lang suddenly said to Bao Zhu: “I know why Sixth Senior Brother was expelled from the sect by Master.”
Bao Zhu was startled, wondering how he knew about the recitation incident from years ago, and asked: “Why?”
Shisan Lang said: “Sixth Senior Brother is the most special in the Setting Sun Academy—he has family. Even if the rest of us were expelled from the sect, we’d have nowhere to go. None of us could hold such a lively wedding. Master… he probably just hated this about Sixth Senior Brother.”
Bao Zhu glanced at the Setting Sun Academy members and also felt their temperament was incompatible with such joyous occasions. But hearing that a junior brother who had long been expelled was getting married, though uninvited, they still came quietly to take a look—the feelings involved were truly complex. The little monk’s Buddha-heart was pure and perhaps touched on some truth.
Huo Qi Lang smiled and said to Bao Zhu: “Little Baldy is right—people like us who lick blood from blade edges can’t get married. Next time if you become a bride, remember to invite Old Seventh as an attendant. Male or female attendant, either works—I won’t charge money and guarantee you’ll marry smoothly.”
Bao Zhu was momentarily speechless. After a moment she said: “I will never marry. I plan to become a nun in the future.”
When she dropped this statement, Huo Qi Lang went “Huh?” and the nearby table immediately fell silent, everyone pricking up their ears. Huo Qi pointed at Shisan Lang’s bald head: “Like this?!”
Bao Zhu shook her head in distaste: “Of course my hair can’t be touched at all. I want to become a female Daoist priest.”
Huo Qi Lang touched his nose. Seeing Shisan Lang showed no surprise and someone else was also stunned speechless, it seemed they had already heard her express similar views.
“No… you’re such a heaven-gifted beauty, deciding so young to cut off love and desire?”
Bao Zhu had drunk several more cups and been praised to the skies by the heroes, making her quite giddy. She cheerfully explained: “I didn’t say I’d cut off love and desire. When Miss Xiao disappeared, I said I was seventy to eighty percent certain her former husband’s family was responsible—that was a figure provided by years of old cases from the Supreme Court. Actually, examining the causes of death for young women, murder is only an extremely small portion.
Based on household registration cancellation data from the Ministry of Revenue, death in childbirth is the primary cause of death for women of childbearing age—one in twenty dies from difficult labor or puerperal complications. You heard everyone’s congratulations to the newlyweds just now, wishing them ‘five sons and two daughters.’ If this ‘auspicious’ prophecy were to come true, Xiao Ran would have to roll the dice of life and death seven times in the future. All combined, this risk is much higher than dying at her husband’s family’s hands.
Moreover, this danger doesn’t distinguish between imperial relatives and commoners—the King of Hell treats all equally. Even Empress Zhangsun, Princess Yongtai, Princess Huaiyang, Princess Tang’an, and Princess Hezheng all died from such causes. My mother she…”
Bao Zhu paused and ultimately swallowed those words. Having personally witnessed her most beloved person bleed to death, that shadow far exceeded any fear brought by ghosts or demons. She could never let go of that inner demon, which is why she had the Supreme Court and Ministry of Revenue calculate various statistics for her, just to convince herself it was merely the most common accident in the world.
“In contrast, whether Buddhist nuns or female Daoist priests, unmarried religious women live much longer than married women—on average nearly twice as long. It’s hard to say this is the result of divine protection from countless gods and Buddhas. In any case, I will never marry and risk childbirth. Becoming a female Daoist priest, I can still maintain contact with relatives and friends while avoiding life-threatening dangers from husband’s families—carefree and long-lived.”
Not only that, taking the examples of Princesses Jinxian and Yuzhen during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, after becoming nuns they maintained good relationships with the emperor, receiving fiefs and enjoying tax revenues with more stable positions. They built monasteries in the capital with halls full of distinguished guests, having two or three male confidants and four or five devoted followers—this was imperial privilege. Of course, this reason couldn’t be spoken publicly.
Bao Zhu finished explaining her reasoning in one breath, feeling she was logical and extremely clever, proudly drinking a cup by herself.
Those around who had been listening intently were all trying to digest the massive amount of information in her speech. Huo Qi Lang was silent for a long while, then suddenly said: “Well then, I also know some religious friends, the kind that goes beyond friendship…”
Xu Baozhen’s face darkened as he snorted, wanting to backhand another slap across her face.
Huo Qi Lang continued without changing expression: “Anyway, if religious people don’t cut off love and desire, they still can’t avoid… cough cough… ending up in the birthing bed.”
Bao Zhu was stunned and said: “How could that happen? Having offspring necessarily requires marriage contracts. Even concubines and mistresses are all considered contracted relationships in the law. Otherwise why would Pang Liangji go to such great effort to get married?”
Hearing her talk extensively about this, Huo Qi Lang finally detected something off and immediately seized on it, asking: “So you think that without formal marriage contracts, lovers won’t have children?”
Bao Zhu nodded confidently: “Of course—no book has ever described such strange occurrences.”
With one sentence the outcome was decided. Huo Qi Lang’s mouth curved upward greatly as he turned to extend his hand toward his fellow disciples who had been eavesdropping, palm open demanding money, laughing: “A bet’s a bet—is this evidence convincing enough for everyone?”
Everyone understood now. This little girl’s elaborate reasoning was all armchair theory—she actually had no idea what the intimate relations between men and women that led to reproduction actually were. Since she was so innocent and ignorant, that boy’s virginity was surely stable as Mount Tai.
Qiu Ren, who won the bet, grinned widely. Xu Baozhen and Tuoba Sanniang, who lost money, kept straight faces. Only Luo Tuotuo remained uninvolved, thinking fortunately the wager was secret—that person was hiding nearby but didn’t know what they were betting on.
Tuoba Sanniang felt nothing had gone right all day. Feeling stifled and holding back anger, she drank gloomily for a while, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Putting on a brilliant smile, she pinched her voice and said to Bao Zhu: “Hey, have you ever kept a cat?”
Bao Zhu was startled, not understanding what she meant by this question.
Tuoba Sanniang smiled meaningfully: “Cats are wild by nature. Even if you give them treats and lock them in a room, if you leave even a crack in the window, they can escape to run wild.”
Bao Zhu’s wine-induced euphoria gradually faded as she said hesitantly: “You mean…”
Recalling that when Pang Liangji brought the bride to toast in the flower hall, he hadn’t even asked where Wei Xun, with whom he had the deepest relationship, was—this was already suspicious. Tuoba Sanniang’s hint was crystal clear. Bao Zhu stood up full of suspicion.
Accompanying her realization, everyone saw in their peripheral vision a blue figure hurriedly leaping over the wall.