The Dragon-Qilin carried them to a small town ahead. Grandpa Blind immediately began bustling about—he bought a phoenix crown and red bridal robes, prepared several outfits and a big red flower for Quinn Shepherd, and invited a few old women to help Quinn, Lynn Ling, Serena Yunxiang, and Lina the Spirit Fox change into their new clothes.
"Emperor Evan has lost his daughter and may come looking for her. To avoid trouble, it's best to hold the wedding right away—no point in letting dreams fester overnight!"
Grandpa Blind fished some Everpeace Coins out of Lina the Spirit Fox’s pouch, rented a large mansion, bought some maids, and busied himself with all the arrangements—today, they would bow before the altar and marry.
Quinn Shepherd was securely bound, but his cultivation remained. He quietly blew his golden flute, trying to command a few flood-dragons to ambush Grandpa Blind and tie him up.
But the golden flute had barely sounded, not yet linking to those flood-dragons, when Grandpa Blind immediately sensed it. He tapped Quinn’s brow with his bamboo cane, and Quinn instantly heard a series of thuds within—his Six Directions Treasury, Five Luminaries Treasury, and Spirit Embryo Treasury were all forcibly closed and sealed by Grandpa Blind.
Worried Quinn might try any more tricks, Grandpa Blind sealed Lynn Ling’s and Serena Yunxiang’s treasuries as well.
Seeing him walk toward her, Lina the Spirit Fox bounced excitedly, "Don’t worry, Grandpa Blind! Lina won’t run!"
Grandpa Blind untied the golden rope from Lina and said, "I’ll let you loose. You help me watch them while I go reserve a few banquet tables and hire an opera troupe."
"You got it!" Lina the Spirit Fox replied cheerfully.
"Traitor!" Lynn Ling and Serena Yunxiang glared at her in unison.
Grandpa Blind waved his hand and said, "Come again tomorrow! We'll hold another wedding! The groom stays the same, but the bride will be different!"
"This groom sure is lucky!" The crowd exclaimed in admiration as they gradually dispersed.
Lina the Spirit Fox leapt onto the banquet table, clutching a wine jar bigger than herself. Drunk, she slurred, "Grandpa Blind, tomorrow I want to be the bride!"
"Alright, alright," Grandpa Blind nodded repeatedly.
Inside the bridal chamber, Quinn and Lynn Ling sat side by side on the bed, listening as the noise outside slowly faded. Both felt anxious and uneasy. After a while, Lynn lifted a corner of her red bridal veil and secretly peeked at Quinn, who sat beside her with a huge red flower on his chest, nervously twisting it. The sight made her laugh out loud.
Quinn glared at her, "You can still laugh? If your father finds out, he’ll definitely want my head!"
Lynn Ling started to lift her veil, her eyes twinkling mischievously. She teased, "They say it's unlucky for the bride to lift her own veil in the bridal chamber—the groom has to do it."
"There's really such a rule?"
Quinn, surprised, lifted the veil from her head—and was momentarily stunned. Under the candlelight, the girl's crimson makeup was dazzlingly beautiful. Lynn Ling, shy and coy, glanced at him, "What are you staring at?"
"You're beautiful."
Quinn stood up and tried the door, but couldn’t open it. "Grandpa Blind locked it. I’ll check the window."
He opened the window, about to jump out, when a bamboo cane tapped up from below and Grandpa Blind’s voice sounded: "Go to sleep. Don’t even think about running."
Quinn jumped in fright and snapped, "Grandpa Blind, why are you squatting under the window?"
"Proper form," Grandpa Blind replied.
Grandpa Blind added, "Relax, I’m blind—I can’t see anything."
"Yeah, right!"
Quinn slammed the window shut and sat back down on the bed, muttering, "With Grandpa Blind guarding out there, we’ll never escape."
They sat on the bed, Lynn Ling tugging at her sleeve, Quinn twisting the big red flower on his chest. After a long while, Grandpa Blind’s cough sounded from outside. "There’s cross-cup wine on the table—drink it and go to sleep!"
Quinn grabbed the wine pot and hurled it at the window. Grandpa Blind stormed off, and soon the sound of him scolding a rooster came from outside. "If the little rooster won’t crow, what’s the use of it? If it still won’t crow, I’ll break its leg!"
"Is Grandpa Blind yelling at the rooster, or at me?"
Quinn was puzzled. After a while, the window opened, and a bamboo cane poked in a rooster with a broken leg.
Quinn closed the window and sat back down on the bed, mumbling, "We haven’t seen each other in a long time."
Lynn Ling giggled, "You still don’t know how to talk. I’m a bit tired, I’ll sleep first."
"Oh."
Quinn watched her slip under the quilt, leaving only her head poking out from beneath the red blanket. Lynn Ling blinked at him, "I’m going to sleep."
"Oh."
Lynn Ling gave a little humph and turned away.
Quinn lay down as well, pulling the quilt over himself. The two of them shared a pillow, lying face to face. Quinn hardly dared to breathe. Lynn Ling suddenly burst out laughing, her breath brushing his face, making him blush. Under the covers, she quickly pecked him on the lips.
"You taste nice."
Quinn blinked and said, "Kiss me again."
Lynn Ling kissed him again, then burst out in laughter.
"What’s the point of kissing anyway?"
From outside came Grandpa Blind’s irritable voice, slowly fading: "If the little rooster won’t crow, might as well stew it... Hm? Is Emperor Evan chasing after me? Since the emperor is now in-law, I must treat him properly—invite him for the wedding feast. This useless rooster will be served to the in-law!"
(This section is a webnovel navigation note and not part of the story. Skipping translation.)
Once Grandpa Blind’s footsteps faded, Quinn quietly slipped out of bed, went to the window, and gently opened it. He peered outside and waved to Lynn Ling, but she didn’t follow immediately.
Quinn turned back to see the girl seemed to be asleep.
Quinn clumsily crawled out and whispered, "Stop pretending to sleep, hurry up and get up."
Lynn Ling’s face flushed red. She quickly climbed out of bed, put on her shoes, and crawled out the window. Quinn caught her on the other side and lifted her down. Together, they sneaked along the wall towards Serena Yunxiang’s room. Under her window, Quinn whispered, "Sister Serena, are you asleep?"
"Not yet."
A voice sounded behind them—Serena Yunxiang had already slipped out and was quietly following. Quinn jumped and turned around to see Serena tiptoeing behind them.
"When did you come out?" Quinn asked in surprise.
Serena Yunxiang smirked, "I came out ages ago—wanted to eavesdrop, but all I heard was a little female cat in heat, calling and calling but failing to draw in the tomcat."
Lynn Ling retorted coldly, "Some little female cats aren’t even qualified to call the tomcat. Quinn, let’s go find the little fox."
"Lina’s betrayed us!"
Quinn shook his head, "Let’s leave now. Everyone keep quiet."
"Where’s the Cult Master going?" The Dragon-Qilin suddenly appeared behind them, scaring all three.
"Traitor!"
Quinn gritted his teeth, "If you want to keep eating, don’t make a sound—or you’ll be the main dish at New Year’s dragon feast!"
The Dragon-Qilin shivered and obediently followed them out. "Grandpa Blind went out to invite Emperor Evan for the wedding feast, so we can slip away."
Quinn glanced at his hindquarters and saw a dozen flood-dragons tiptoeing along behind, making him laugh and cry at the same time. "Leaving Lina alone might not be safe. Where is she?"
The Dragon-Qilin looked down and saw a snow-white fox sprawled out, fast asleep on his forehead.
"Hurry, hurry! If the emperor catches up, we’re really dead!"
Quinn grabbed the girls and leapt onto the Dragon-Qilin’s back. "Don’t use Firecloud—Grandpa Blind will spot us, his eyesight’s sharp! We sneak out of town without alerting anyone."
The Dragon-Qilin carried them out of town, heading south at speed. After a hundred miles, Quinn relaxed. "Now we can run full speed!"
The Dragon-Qilin sped up, running all night and covering three or four thousand miles. Quinn laughed, "Grandpa Blind’s eyes can’t see this far. Fat Dragon, you can stop and rest… Up ahead is Yong River. Let’s head for the riverbank, follow it to the East Sea, then circle around to the capital. Is Lina awake yet? Tie up the little traitor!"
"She’s still drunk."
At the riverbank, just as they were looking for a boat, a vessel drifted toward them. On the bow stood an old blind man with a cane.
Quinn’s face went pale.
"I tricked Emperor Evan away—he’s chasing after me at Thunder Sound Temple now."
Grandpa Blind stood calmly. "Quinn, I waited an hour for you. You only made it this far? I’m disappointed."
Quinn slumped. The Dragon-Qilin piped up, "Grandpa Blind, I knew you’d be here! That’s why we hurried this way!"
They had no choice but to board the boat, which immediately turned toward the Great Ruins.
"It’s not too late to hold the other two weddings once we’re back in the village."
Grandpa Blind grinned, "Last night I treated Emperor Evan to chicken. He’s probably agreed to the marriage by now."
Quinn could already picture himself being marched to the chopping block in the marketplace.
Suddenly, the river surged, the current turning wild. Quinn blinked and rushed to the side of the boat. The water abruptly calmed, but the surface where their boat floated kept rising, higher than the trees and the hills along the banks.
Lynn Ling and Serena Yunxiang ran to opposite ends of the boat, looking upstream and downstream. They froze—Yong River was floating up into the air, like a long jade ribbon.
More and more water floated in the sky, like a dragon made of river.
Everyone on the boat stared in awe. Their little vessel sailed along this airborne river, dwarfed by the vastness.