Chapter 357: The Grand Wedding

Chapter 357: The Big Day

Today was truly a momentous occasion.

Early in the morning, the sound of firecrackers outside the Ziyang Escort Agency never stopped—constant crackling and booming without pause.

The neighbors were roused by the noise, while members of the Fallen Phoenix Alliance had already lined the streets with feast tables.

Starting from the Ziyang Escort Agency, the celebration spread across all of Sunset City.

On this day, stepping outside meant finding feasts everywhere you went.

No matter where you went, there was food and drink aplenty.

Even those who didn’t know that Su Mo was getting married that day would, upon entering Sunset City, be treated as an invited guest and could help themselves to the festivities.

Because of this, the entire city was more lively than New Year’s.

No matter your status—a gang leader, a sect master, or even a beggar on the street—you could feast to your heart’s content.

While the whole city celebrated, some who often went hungry quietly blessed Su Mo for getting married, bringing about such a huge celebration. In their hearts, they secretly wished he would marry every day, so they’d never go without a meal again.

Su Mo himself had been decked out in colorful wedding finery since dawn.

Clad in his wedding attire, they’d pinned a large red flower to his chest.

Even before he stepped out of his room, Uncle Fu could be heard listing off all the traditional blessings, each one meant to bring good fortune and joy.

Don't let Su Mo's prowess in the martial world fool you; no matter what treacherous schemes or earth-shattering mysteries he faces, they never stump him.

But ever since he woke up this morning, he has been like a wooden puppet.

Completely at the mercy of Uncle Fu’s ‘strings’, doing whatever he is told.

After leaving his room, he went to the front hall for breakfast.

There, a crowd had gathered.

Besides Liu Mo, Fu Hanyuan, Hu Sandao, and others from the escort agency, many other martial friends had joined the wedding procession.

Especially those whom Su Mo had saved within Jade Willow Villa that day.

The likes of Little Hercules Chu Xiong, Northern Wind, Great Hero Guo Chong, the eldest son of the Broken Jade Sect, and the young master of the Lingxiao Pavilion were all present.

They owed their lives to Su Mo, and when Su Mo was besieged by the martial community over the Star Sea Relic Iron, they immediately spread out in all directions. Any who dared to covet the Star Sea Relic Iron faced a united front and a beating.

They saved countless lives in the martial world, preventing many from falling off the cliff, sparing them from being beaten to death by Su Mo...

These people had arrived days ago, helping out with various tasks at the escort agency every day.

At this moment, after exchanging pleasantries with them, Su Mo hurriedly finished his meal. Regardless of whether Su Mo was full or if everyone else had eaten well, Uncle Fu urged him to set off as soon as the time came.

As soon as they stepped out of the Ziyang Escort Agency’s gate, Su Mo nearly burst into laughter.

When others get married, they ride horses.

In his case, even Baihu couldn’t escape Uncle Fu’s clutches.

Decked out in overwhelmingly festive garb, its massive head was crowned with an oversized red flower that obscured its majestic "king" marking entirely.

For all its imposing might, it cut a ridiculous figure.

It stood slump-shouldered, its normally fierce eyes lacking their usual fire, radiating palpable resentment.

Su Mo walked up and gave its flank a nudge with his foot:

"Quit your moping. Let's go bride-fetching!"

Behind the white tiger stood a palanquin carried by eight bearers.

The bearers were no slouches either—they were top fighters from the southwestern martial world.

As Uncle Fu bellowed:

"The groom mounts the tiger to fetch the bride!!"

Su Mo immediately leapt onto the tiger's back and saluted the crowd with clasped fists:

"Let's go!!"

With those words, the street erupted with celebratory music.

The procession set off from Ziyang Escort Agency. At full speed, they could have reached Ironblood Escort Agency in a flash.

But Uncle Fu was a stickler for auspicious timing, making them not just avoid rushing but move at a snail’s pace.

Arriving too early would mean waiting outside Ironblood Escort Agency until the proper hour—just standing around would make them look foolish.

So instead of rushing, they dragged their feet, timing it so that when they finally arrived, it would be exactly the right moment.

Then amid fresh rounds of celebration, they could usher the bride into the palanquin and return to Ziyang Escort Agency—right on schedule.

Therefore, when the white tiger roared and looked poised to bolt, Su Mo quickly patted it:

"Slow down."

The tiger's brief moment of enthusiasm evaporated as it slumped again.

Shuffling along in tiny steps, it made its way from Ziyang Escort Agency to Ironblood Escort Agency.

Fortunately, Su Mo had plenty to keep him busy along the way.

Cupping his fists, he greeted the crowds in all directions:

"Thank you, thank you."

"You're too kind."

"Have a few more drinks later."

"Thanks for coming."

"Hahaha..."

He recycled the same handful of greetings over and over.

He spoke whatever came to mind, and no one around could understand him.

This short stretch was stretched out on purpose, taking nearly over an hour before they finally arrived at the gates of Ironblood Escort Agency.

Ironblood Escort Agency was naturally adorned with bright red silk decorations today.

As soon as Su Mo and his party arrived, firecrackers immediately crackled to life.

By the time Su Mo’s group halted at the gates, the firecrackers had just died down.

Su Mo raised his arm in a sweeping motion, motioning for silence.

He then slid off the white tiger’s back and approached the main gate.

The gates of Ironblood Escort Agency were tightly shut. Before Su Mo could reach them, a swarm of kids materialized out of nowhere, babbling and swarming around him, blocking his path.

Uncle Fu, sharp as ever, saw this coming.

At the sight, Hu Sandao, Liu Mo, and others darted forward.

They took out pastries, candies, and copper coins they had prepared in advance, tossing them into the air. The kids dove to grab them, and within moments, the crowd scattered like startled birds.

With the path clear, Su Mo reached the gates of Ironblood Escort Agency and knocked.

Technically, this wasn’t his job.

It was the matchmaker’s role—after knocking, the bride’s family would ask who had come and why.

The matchmaker would then say they had come to escort the bride.

The family would play hard to get, waiting for three knocks before finally yielding.

But Su Mo had no matchmaker, so he simply stepped up and shouted:

"Hey! Open up!"

His voice, booming as it was, instantly reverberated throughout the entire Ironblood Escort Agency.

Inside, in the bridal chamber, Yang Xiaoyun was already dressed in her wedding attire, her head covered with a red veil. The moment she heard Su Mo’s voice, she shot to her feet:

"Xiao Mo is here!"

"Stay put!"

An older woman by the door swiftly blocked her path.

This "matron" was none other than Ling Hongxia in disguise.

Among Yang Yizhi’s group, most were men.

Only Ling Hongxia and Yu Lingxin were women.

Of course, the men weren’t allowed to wait inside Yang Xiaoyun’s bridal chamber, so they gathered at the front gate, waiting for Su Mo’s arrival.

As for Yang Yizhi, he lingered unseen, secretly watching his daughter’s wedding.

His feelings, though, were another story entirely.

Ling Hongxia and Yu Lingxin, now in disguise, played their parts as the bride’s family.

Also present were Wei Ziyi, the Second Palace Master, the Third Palace Master, Xuanyuan Xiaoshan, and others.

Seeing Yang Xiaoyun’s impatience, Wei Ziyi couldn’t help but laugh:

“Yun-jie, don’t be so anxious. Su will soon brave all obstacles to come marry you.”

“…”

Yang Xiaoyun blushed beneath her red veil and asked:

“Who’s at the door?”

“Zhen Xiaoxiao.”

“…”

She paused in disbelief: “She’s a bit naïve—what if she stubbornly refuses to open up?”

“He ought to work for it a little. That way, he’ll treasure you all the more.”

Ling Hongxia smiled and said, “Don’t worry. Who could possibly stand in his way? Not even ten Zhen Xiaoxiaos could stop him.”

Just then, voices from the doorway interrupted them:

“What—the gate’s open?!”

“So fast?!”

Yu Lingxin was surprised too: “Tiny Zhen’s got brute strength, but on such a happy day, surely Su wouldn’t actually fight his way in. How did they get through so quickly?”

“But it’s too early! If he just whisks her off now, we’ll still have to wait until the lucky hour anyway. What’s going on?”

From outside, Escort Zhang sighed loudly:

“Zhen folded like paper the moment she answered the door. Su hit her with threats *and* bribes.”

“First, he threatened to starve her for three days—her spine turned to jelly.”

“Then he promised a whole lamb leg per meal for three days if she opened up.”

“No sooner said than done—she yanked that door wide open!”

Everyone fell silent. So much for barricading the door—it hadn’t even started properly before Zhen Xiaoxiao switched sides.

Only Yang Xiaoyun cackled with laughter:

“Su Mo is clever *and* brave!”

But while Su Mo came out shining, those around Yang Xiaoyun were left scrambling.

Leaving now would be bad form.

Besides, the lucky hour hadn’t come yet.

Making the groom wait in the main hall looked just wrong.

They’d known weddings bring chaos—but no one expected this much of a disaster.

The groom didn't follow convention.

Finally, after gritting his teeth and stomping his foot, he summoned the bride from her chamber. Escorted by two attendants, she was led to the main hall.

This couple, forcibly separated for several days, had finally reunited.

However, Yang Xiaoyun's head was covered with a veil, and dressed in full wedding attire, she couldn’t see Su Mo.

Su Mo, emotionally stirred, extended the red silk ribbon in his hand toward Yang Xiaoyun.

Afterward, they ate a little more before bowing to their elders.

Yang Yizhi couldn’t appear openly, so he stood behind a wall and quietly received their homage.

After eating the eggs, they proceeded through a series of rituals according to tradition.

Soon, Yang Xiaoyun began to understand Su Mo’s earlier ordeal.

Throughout the process, she felt like a marionette on strings, being pulled along.

At last, as they stepped out of the house, firecrackers burst to life once more.

Su Mo then guided Yang Xiaoyun into the palanquin.

According to custom, the bride was expected to weep a little before boarding—a practice known as "auspicious weeping."

But Yang Xiaoyun just couldn’t muster tears.

Marrying Su Mo was something she had yearned for over and over—how could she possibly cry now?

Instead of weeping, she burst into laughter.

The onlookers were dumbfounded yet again, urging Su Mo to quickly escort his bride into the palanquin.

Otherwise, after today, the story of Yang Xiaoyun laughing before entering the bridal chair would become the talk of the town.

Who knew how many would poke fun at her for it?

Once Yang Xiaoyun was settled into the palanquin, the Iron Blood Escort Agency swiftly closed its doors.

It was another tradition.

But now, regardless of such customs, the agency had already been emptied out.

With Yang Xiaoyun claimed by Su Mo, Zhang Biaotou, Li Biaotou, and all the other escorts who had worked at the Iron Blood Escort Agency left en masse.

Amidst the desolate courtyard, Yang Yizhi stepped into view.

Beside him stood the swordsman, Ji Feiyang, and Bei Changzhi.

"How do you feel?"

The swordsman smirked at Yang Yizhi.

"After working so hard all these years, that Su kid finally got what he wanted."

Yang Yizhi glanced at him but ignored him outright.

He turned and walked toward the inner quarters.

The swordsman was unfazed and, along with Ji Feiyang and Bei Zhangzhi, headed out to grab food and drinks.

As for the former Iron Blood Escort, the group set back out to return to the Ziyang Escort.

However, they absolutely could not retrace their original path.

Returning the same way was considered unlucky, so the biggest hurdle in mapping their route lay here.

In this era, there was no such thing as filming outdoors, so they had to loop around Sunset City a few times.

They had set out early in the morning but didn’t make it back to Ziyang Escort until noon.

They’d burned most of the day on the road.

Amid drumbeats, lively music, and crackling firecrackers,

Su Mo finally escorted Yang Xiaoyun home.

As he helped her from the sedan chair, she whispered in his ear:

"My back’s killing me..."

She was used to riding horses and seldom sat in sedan chairs,

much less for hours on end.

Su Mo thought for a moment and replied softly:

"Want me to rub your shoulders tonight?"

Yang Xiaoyun, without hesitation, pinched him on the arm.

In her mind, no matter how Su Mo spun it, this was still teasing.

Before stepping inside, there was the traditional ritual of crossing over a fire basin,

symbolizing that their future life would be bright and prosperous.

After all the crowd's dawdling, the appointed hour finally arrived.

They entered the hall, where today’s seat of honor was occupied by none other than Li Zhengyuan.

As the newlyweds arrived, the hall broke into cheers.

The sound of gongs and drums filled the air, and once the noise settled, Uncle Fu’s voice rang out:

"The auspicious hour has arrived!!"

With that, he led Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun to the center of the hall and positioned them properly.

"First bow to heaven and earth!"

The two turned and knelt, bowing toward the entrance.

"Second bow to the parents!"

They turned again. The parents’ chairs stood empty, but Li Zhengyuan was more than enough to stand in.

They immediately bowed twice.

*“Husband and wife bow to each other!”*

Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun exchanged bows.

*“Lead the newlyweds to their chamber!”*

With that, the two were formally wed.

Guided by the maids, Su Mo and Yang Xiaoyun stepped into the backyard of Purple Sun Escort Agency, accompanied by a burst of celebratory firecrackers unlike any before.

At the same moment, when the sound of firecrackers rang out,

Yang Yizhi sat within a pavilion at Ironblood Escort Agency, opening a jar of wine. He cracked the seal, and the rich aroma instantly perfumed the air.

Before him lay two cups.

First, he poured one for the person across from him, then filled his own.

He raised his cup in a toast and sighed deeply:

"Since childhood, this lifelong matter of these two children has finally come to pass.

May your spirit now rest easy in heaven.

Mo'er has transcended the ordinary, standing head and shoulders above his peers—rare to find in all the world.

Upon reflection, it seems my Yun'er has married up.

But these are just wine-talk—said in passing, gone with the wine. If, in the future, I pass to the netherworld and meet you again, and you dare tease me about this, beware my Azure Dragon Eight Wilds Cloud-Touching Spear will show no mercy."

Having spoken, he drank his cup, then poured the other onto the ground.

Refilling both, Yang Yizhi paused in thought before continuing:

"All our former plans came to naught.

Now, thinking back, it brings me a relief beyond words.

Carefully considered, neither you nor I ever wished to walk the roads others mapped for us.

Mo'er is a true dragon among mortals—naturally, he would refuse even more.

Now he has carved his own path—the Eastern Wilderness Escort Alliance! What formidable momentum.

Truly, he has conceived what none before dared dream, blazing a new trail in history.

The future brims with even greater promise."

After drinking another cup and pouring the other out, he continued:

"Alas, I cannot remain here to witness it.

How I long for the day when I might bounce grandchildren on my knee.

But now that this great matter is settled, I must journey westward to seek..."

"I truly want to see who those formidable figures were that once drove you to the brink of death.

"Su Tianyang, if your spirit watches from above, I pray you grant me strength to uncover the truth and locate the lair of the Startling Dragon Society."

While Yang Yizhi drank cup after cup, Su Mo, at the joyous banquet, couldn’t simply stay by Yang Xiaoyun’s side the entire time.

With guests filling the hall, the groom naturally had to step out and personally receive them.

Among these martial heroes, liquor flowed freely.

A sip here, a toast there—even with Su Mo’s formidable skills, he eventually grew thoroughly drunk.

The grand feast went off without a hitch.

Nothing went wrong that day.

After all, with the Fallen Phoenix Alliance, the Heavenly Blade Sect, and Wusheng Hall keeping watch, not a single drunkard caused trouble throughout Sunset City.

In the end, a boisterous crowd escorted the drunk Su Mo to the door of the bridal chamber.

Someone opened the door, pushed him in, and then everyone dispersed.

Only Uncle Fu had arranged for a few maids to wait by the wall, eager to eavesdrop.

---

Su Mo shook his head slightly, channeling his qi to clear his mind.

Red candles cast flickering light inside the bridal chamber, where Yang Xiaoyun had been sitting at the bedside, waiting all afternoon.

Su Mo smiled, stepped forward, and casually picked up the jade ruyi hanging above the bed.

With a gentle flick, the bridal veil lifted.

Yang Xiaoyun’s face flushed like peach blossoms, her gaze meeting Su Mo’s—breathtakingly beautiful.

Her beauty was already rare, but under the glow of the red candles, it took on a dreamy glow.

Su Mo stood transfixed, about to speak, when Yang Xiaoyun, with a shy blush, said softly:

"Husband, you’re back."