WJ Chapter 77

Jiang Youxi (2)

At the hour of sunrise, the rising sun remained hidden behind dark clouds.

Wen Feng arrived outside Ye Ru’s Warm Pavilion.

The originally elegant small pavilion had been hung with red silk decorations, and the bright red bridal sedan chair that had come to receive the new person also stood waiting at the base of the steps. Though this scene should have been festive, the entrance was utterly silent and desolate.

The white-robed attendant’s face was dark as he asked the maidservants waiting at the entrance to the Warm Pavilion alongside the bridal sedan, “Where is the new consort? Why hasn’t he come out yet at this hour?”

The maidservant stammered, only saying that someone had already gone in to urge him, but the new consort seemed not yet finished dressing, and wouldn’t allow anyone to serve him personally. They could only wait.

Wen Feng had already been in a gloomy mood, and hearing this made his anger flare even more. These past few days, Yun Changliu had either been entangled with affairs or entangled with poison. Last night he had finally dealt with Lin Wanxia, and after being escorted back to Yangxin Hall by the Protector, he had collapsed in exhausted sleep with no energy left to visit this nominal new consort. The attendant assumed Ye Ru was throwing a tantrum from being slighted, and with a cold flick of his sleeve, he barged inside.

Though Wen Feng had no real power, he held the status of the Sect Leader’s close attendant, while Ye Ru was after all not yet a consort, merely a dependent medicine person. Therefore, though Yun Changliu had long ago assigned servants to Ye Ru, at this moment as Attendant Wen stormed in fuming with anger, not one dared truly block his way.

He walked straight in and pushed open the door to the inner chamber—

By the window under the heavy clouds, Ye Ru in his green robes knelt quietly, looking up at the sky. Beside him lay the newly tailored wedding garment, red as a ball of fire.

Hearing the door, Ye Ru gave a start. He turned back trembling and cautiously lowered his head in greeting. “Attendant Wen.”

Wen Feng asked, “The hour is nearly upon us, why haven’t you changed clothes?”

“Attendant Wen.” Ye Ru called again, drooping his eyelids and pulling his lips into a bitter smile. “If I said I don’t want to go through with this marriage, would you believe me?”

Wen Feng’s expression shifted slightly. Before him, this young medicine person in thin green robes had a bewildered voice and a bewildered expression on his face as he muttered to himself:

“The Sect Leader wants to marry me to save my life, or rather to save Ah Ku’s life. But I… how can I truly go through with this marriage? I’m clearly not Ah Ku.”

Wen Feng sneered coldly, “Are you regretting being this ‘Ah Ku’ now? It’s not up to you anymore.”

Ye Ru hastily shook his head repeatedly. “I don’t regret it. I became Ah Ku to repay the Sect Leader’s kindness—”

As he spoke, he himself seemed stunned.

After a long while, a bit of clarity seemed to appear in Ye Ru’s eyes. He murmured to himself, “Yes, thinking about it now, I originally… originally came to repay a debt of gratitude.”

But at some point, greed had arisen, and he had truly taken himself to be Ah Ku, attempting to deceive the Sect Leader into giving him a bit of genuine affection.

Only later did he gradually understand that he could steal the Protector’s name, steal the Protector’s past, but he alone could never steal the Protector’s Sect Leader.

Never mind stealing—he couldn’t even borrow the tiniest bit.

Things were already like this. If one day Yun Changliu learned the truth, how heartbroken would he be?

He knew the Sect Leader could never love him, but at least he didn’t want the Sect Leader to hate him…

If only he hadn’t harbored such delusions.

If only from the very beginning he had hidden away that shameful infatuation and stuck to his original intention of merely repaying kindness.

Then he wouldn’t feel so desolate when the dream ended.

Ye Ru suddenly asked Wen Feng very seriously, “Are we right to deceive the Sect Leader like this?”

Wen Feng said, “Right now I don’t know either. No one can give me the answer. Guan Wujue is singlemindedly focused on keeping the Sect Leader alive… He says a person’s life path is ever-changing, that staying alive brings variables, and variables bring hope, but once dead there’s nothing left.”

Ye Ru fell silent. He lifted the bright red wedding garment from the box and contemplated it for a long time.

His slender fingers stroked back and forth over the luxurious soft silk, as if caressing a peerless treasure.

“This garment…”

Ye Ru’s eyes were moist as he murmured, “How am I worthy of wearing it?”

“You… need not be like this.” Wen Feng suddenly felt some compassion, then snorted resentfully, “It’s all sins created by Guan Wujue anyway.”

Ye Ru was made to laugh. He lifted his delicate face, looking somewhat embarrassed as his lips curved up obediently:

“I’m sorry, Attendant Wen… This, this silk must be very expensive, right? Ye Ru will work hard to repay it slowly…”

Wen Feng hadn’t yet understood what he meant. He only saw Ye Ru suddenly exert force, pulling in both directions.

Riiip!

“You…!”

Wen Feng drew in a sharp breath. His eyes widened, his face full of disbelief. “You…”

Ye Ru stood up.

He released his grip, and the wedding garment slowly slid to the floor.

Ye Ru was not a martial artist, and his wrist had been injured by Guan Wujue. Even using all his strength, he ultimately couldn’t dramatically tear the wedding garment into two pieces—he only ripped the fabric, ugly threads jumping out from the edges.

But… like this, it could no longer be worn.

The auspicious hour was approaching, and there was no way to rush a new wedding garment.

Ye Ru’s eyes flashed with envious and yearning light as he said softly, “Protector Daren looks so good in red robes…”

“But I…”

“Yes, the green robes of a medicine person suit me better after all.”

With that, Ye Ru nodded, then tried hard to straighten his chest. In his green shirt, he brushed past Wen Feng and walked openly and uprightly toward the bridal sedan outside.

…..

Powder on the face, rouge on the lips.

Guan Wujue languidly set down the bronze mirror, curving his freshly rouged thin lips, and asked softly, “Do I look good?”

The Four Directions Protector was naturally well-formed, his features beautiful and delicate enough, yet not lacking in imposing masculine spirit. However, having suffered too many hardships, especially since returning to the sect this time, his complexion always lacked some color.

Now with light makeup covering that sickly appearance, he naturally looked extremely handsome.

But no one responded to his words.

The Left and Right Envoys of Zhuyin Sect were both at his side, yet both wore lifeless expressions.

Hua Wan didn’t understand the full situation. She only assumed that with the Sect Leader’s wedding approaching, Guan Wujue was putting on a brave face despite his sadness, and seeing the Protector’s haggard appearance, she had been trembling the entire time while applying his makeup.

As for Xiao Donghe, who had seen the truth and knew of the Protector’s background and his death wish, his heart ached even more unbearably, and he had even less mood to respond to such remarks.

Guan Wujue could only shake his head and sigh with a smile, “…Really giving me no face. I’ll ask the Sect Leader then.”

With that, he walked out on his own, leaving through the door.

Suddenly the wind rose, and the dark red robe embroidered with scattered ink plum blossoms billowed and flew, igniting a splash of bright color in this gloomy gray world.

The Left and Right Envoys exchanged a dark glance, silently rose to follow, leaving the Punishment Hall and accompanying the Protector toward Yangxin Hall.

This wedding hall was set up in the Sect Leader’s Yangxin Hall, with Yun Changliu’s bedchamber serving directly as the bridal chamber.

To outsiders, this was a symbol of the Zhuyin Sect Leader’s great favor toward his new consort. Only the few who knew the truth understood that Yun Changliu simply lacked the energy or inclination to carefully prepare this wedding—everything was done in the simplest manner possible.

Guan Wujue walked to the entrance of the great hall. Before he could ascend the long steps newly covered with red silk, he saw the bridal sedan below and let out an “Ah.”

He curled his finger against his lips, somewhat vexed, muttering to himself, “In such haste, I didn’t have time to prepare gifts for the Sect Leader and the new consort…”

“Forget it, the Sect Leader probably wouldn’t want them anyway.”

The Protector furrowed then smoothed his brow, ultimately shaking his head with a smile and stepping lightly up the jade steps outside Yangxin Hall.

Reaching the last section of steps.

Blazing red suddenly flooded his vision.

Guan Wujue’s footsteps halted.

He blinked lightly, stunned.

Originally, according to the Protector’s plan, he had prepared to beg forgiveness from outside the hall. If the Sect Leader softened and allowed him to stay, he would stay; if he saw the Sect Leader was extremely angry, he would leave.

But in this moment, the usually calm Four Directions Protector completely lost his composure.

His eyes could see only one person.

Inside the wedding hall, a sandalwood offering table had long been set up, with memorial tablets placed and incense candles lit. A pair of longevity lamps hung on the walls, red satin and gold powder reflecting in the brilliance, light flowing and turning.

Yun Changliu sat on the precious chair beside the wedding hall, seated amid this expanse of crimson and golden light. He wore layers of deep red robes, his hair bound with a dark jade crown, his cheeks like snow, eyes lowered and head bowed, his expression cold and weary.

The Fengchun Sheng poison was weakening him far too rapidly.

Even compared to just five days ago, he had grown so thin he seemed like a different person. The elaborate, elegant, and noble bright red wedding garment, upon first being worn, immediately made the robes appear more brilliantly red while making his skin even more ghastly pale.

It was like raging wildfire about to melt the last remnants of white snow—heartbreakingly beautiful and stunning, yet painful beyond words.

That was his Sect Leader…

The person he had valued as his very life since childhood.

Guan Wujue was dazed and confused. For a moment he couldn’t move or speak, only standing from afar gazing at Yun Changliu.

Instead, the Sect Leader turned his face slightly first. Seeing the Protector, he showed neither surprise nor anger, only lowering his eyes and murmuring very softly, “…I knew it, still so disobedient.”

Guan Wujue was completely bewildered. His eyes hazy, he walked step by step inside, having no idea where he was walking, only vaguely feeling that something was very wrong, yet unable to say what.

And Yun Changliu also gazed at him silently, his eyes betraying neither joy nor sorrow, yet with utmost clarity reflecting only the red-robed Protector’s image.

From the moment their gazes met, they could no longer part.

Until Guan Wujue truly walked before the wedding hall, walked to Yun Changliu’s side. Only then did the Sect Leader reveal a very faint, very faint smile. “…I’ve really spoiled you—has disobeying orders become a habit?”

For that moment, a ridiculous illusion suddenly arose in the Protector’s heart.

He felt…

As if the Sect Leader had been waiting specifically for him.

But how could that be possible?

Guan Wujue lowered his head, secretly casting away those unrealistic thoughts. He knew Yun Changliu had no intention of reproaching him, yet still blurted out, “Wujue deserves ten thousand deaths.”

After the Protector paused, he looked up again at the red-robed Sect Leader.

The more he looked, the more his heart melted. He felt as if drunk on wine, dazed and murmuring, “To witness with my own eyes the Sect Leader’s joyous day, Wujue would die without regret…”

Yun Changliu ignored this nonsense and turned to Wen Feng, saying, “We can begin.”

—Only then did Protector Guan realize with a start that Attendant Wen had been standing behind the Sect Leader the whole time, and he hadn’t even noticed.

Wait, that’s right.

Speaking of which…

Where was the one marrying the Sect Leader?

Where was Ye Ru!?

Finally regaining some clarity, the Four Directions Protector looked around and was stunned once again.

Ye Ru was still wearing his usual green robes. He hadn’t put on the bright red wedding garment that should have matched Yun Changliu’s, and stood very obediently far away from Yun Changliu.

Even more, when he saw the Protector’s gaze turn toward him, he actually nodded and smiled timidly, looking exactly like a servant attending to someone—where was there even half the appearance of a new consort?

“…”

In that moment, the Protector suddenly understood where that feeling of “wrongness” that had been clamoring since he entered the wedding hall came from.

At this wedding banquet—

He and the Sect Leader were the only ones wearing red!