The curtains immediately fell to the ground, revealing a wedding hall behind. Long Wanqing stood in a corner in a red wedding dress, with two lines of sorrowful tears flowing down her face.
The hall turned deadly silent.
Ensnaring Performance appeared confused as he stood at the side.
Huangfu Chaoge, Venerable Liu Nian, and Mu Chenfeng looked at Gu Hai angrily.
“Gu Hai, am I, Long Wanqing, really unworthy of you?” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai while tears flowed down her cheeks.
Gu Hai saw Long Wanqing’s sorrowful appearance and felt incredibly upset. The past one year or so he had known Long Wanqing had been a transformative process. He had slowly discovered that underneath Long Wanqing’s stubborn and tough exterior hid a fragile heart. Without realizing it, he had gotten used to being by Long Wanqing’s side.
Venerable Liu Nian said that once Long Wanqing gave her heart to someone, she would love that person with unswerving devotion. Gu Hai believed that this was the case. However, that was also why he did not dare to accept this love lightly.
Gu Hai knew that he had started to fall for Long Wanqing, and this feeling grew stronger with each passing day. However, that was just instinct. Rationally, he did not want to get involved with Long Wanqing.
Now, Long Wanqing even got Venerable Liu Nian to play matchmaker.
For a woman to go that far showed the depth of her love. Shamelessly asking someone to play matchmaker for her?
[TL Note: In ancient China, it is the males or their families that initiate any proposal with matchmakers.]
At the sight of Long Wanqing’s tears, Gu Hai’s heart softened, and he nearly went over to hug her.
However, the past flashed before his eyes. He did not want Long Wanqing to become a second Chen Xianer, so he resisted.
Gu Hai showed a faint bitter smile and said, “Sorry. Hall Master, perhaps…I only feel…grateful to you.”
Gu Hai spoke very slowly, pausing periodically. He could not figure how it had come out like that.
“Grateful? Hahahahaha! Only grateful? I understand now. I understand now. It was my own wishful thinking. You only feel grateful to me, grateful for bringing you into the cultivation world. It is just gratitude!” Long Wanqing said bleakly.
“Hah!”
Mu Chenfeng turned his head. Then, he opened the doors and walked out. He felt very upset. He did not know what to say and could not bring himself to keep watching.
Venerable Liu Nian looked at Long Wanqing. Then, he said gently, “Hall Master, never mind. Don’t keep persisting. Division Master Gu has his difficulties.”
“Gu Hai, what is holding you back? Do you think you can protect Long Wanqing like this? One day, you will know that you made a great mistake!” Huangfu Chaoge looked at Gu Hai with anger on his face.
Ensnaring Performance stood at the side, not saying anything.
Gu Hai felt upset. Eventually, he gritted his teeth and nodded. “Right, it’s gratitude. Hall Master, thank you for your favor. Gu Hai is not worthy of you.”
“Ha! Haha! Hahaha!” Long Wanqing laughed bleakly as she stared at Gu Hai for a while, as though wanting to carve Gu Hai’s image deep in her heart.
Gu Hai pretended to be calm, but he did not dare look Long Wanqing in the eye.
Long Wanqing laughed bitterly for a while. Then, she bit on her lips as hatred flashed in her eyes. “Gu Hai, I have another question for you. Would you be as emotionless as you are now if you were to meet another woman who could make you like her, aside from me?”
Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing and remained silent for a while. Then, he said bitterly, “Yes, exactly the same way.”
“Then, aren’t you like Venerable Liu Nian, cutting yourself off from mundane emotions? Since you have already cut off mundane emotions, then what is the point of keeping your hair? Why don’t you just shave off your hair like Venerable Liu Nian did?” Long Wanqing stared at Gu Hai.
[TL Note: A Buddhist monk shaves off their hair as a symbol of cutting themself from the mundane matters of the world.]
Huangfu Chaoge looked at Venerable Liu Nian. Venerable Liu Han had shaved his hair and sworn off romantic relationships because of Long Xiaoyue, becoming a monk.
Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing, feeling upset.
“Never mind. Never mind. You only feel grateful to me. Haha! I know now! I understand now! Gu Hai, today was just my wishful thinking. I was the shameless one. I will not force you. Since you want to cut off this passion, then go on. I will not force you. I only have one last request. I hope you will agree.” Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai.
Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing in pain.
“I want all your hair. Take it as an offering for my blindness, an offering for my naivety. I want all your hair, all of it!” Long Wanqing said with a hateful tone as she stared at Gu Hai.
“Master?” Ensnaring Performance looked at Gu Hai with a complicated expression.
Venerable Liu Nian and Huangfu Chaoge looked at Gu Hai, then at Long Wanqing.
“Hah…!”
“Hah…!”
The two sighed and walked out of the wedding hall. This scene was too sorrowful.
“Give it all to me!” Long Wanqing stared at Gu Hai.
As Gu Hai looked at Long Wanqing, he slightly narrowed his eyes. After some silence, he eventually showed a bitter expression.
Then, he raised his hand to his head, touching every part of it. His Veritable Essence moved along his scalp, cutting off all his hair.
Long Wanqing looked at Gu Hai with bloodshot eyes as she carefully put away Gu Hai’s hair. She did so extremely carefully, collecting all of it into a box.
From the start to end, Gu Hai and Long Wanqing did not say anything.
Soon, Gu Hai’s head turned shiny and bald, and Long Wanqing collected all the hair.
After shaving his head, Gu Hai turned around and left the wedding hall. As he walked out, his eyes also turned red, and tears flowed out uncontrollably.
“Master! Master!” Ensnaring Performance followed.
However, Gu Hai ignored Ensnaring Performance, walking quickly to another hall at the other end of the valley.
Creak!
Gu Hai closed himself inside and leaned against the doors. Long Wanqing’s tears of despair filled his mind, upsetting him incredibly.
Ensnaring Performance stood outside and knocked for a while before stopping.
“Hah,” Ensnaring Performance sighed and left.
——
In the wedding hall:
Long Wanqing closed the doors and carefully took out Gu Hai’s hair. Then, she took out a large conical bamboo hat and pasted Gu Hai’s hair to the hat. As she looked at the hair on the bamboo hat, she showed a smile of release. However, tears continued to flow down.
Then, she extremely carefully shaved off her hair as well, completely shaving everything before placing it in the now empty box.
Long Wanqing placed her hair on the table in the wedding hall. As she looked at her hair, she wiped her tears and showed a sorrowful smile.
Then, she changed out of her red dress quickly and put on a set of black clothes similar to what Gu Hai wore.
After that, she donned the conical bamboo hat that had Gu Hai’s hair pasted on the inside.
The conical bamboo hat covered her face, preventing anyone from making out her features.
“Ensnaring Performance, come over,” Long Wanqing suddenly said.
Outside, the depressed Ensnaring Performance heard Long Wanqing’s voice. This startled him, but he headed back to the wedding hall, feeling puzzled.
Long Wanqing opened the doors.
“Hall Master, what’s wrong?” Ensnaring Performance looked at Long Wanqing blankly.
“Pass this letter to Gu Hai fifteen minutes later. Please,” Long Wanqing said extremely gravely.
“Ah? For my master? Alright. Hall Master, don’t worry. Master went overboard this time. I will help you.” Ensnaring Performance nodded as he spoke.
After Long Wanqing handed over the letter, she exited the wedding hall and closed its doors.
“I’m going for a walk. If anyone asks, just say that I went on a walk to cool down and will be back in two days,” Long Wanqing instructed again.
Whoosh!
Long Wanqing took out her flying ship with a flip of her hand, then immediately boarded.
Boom!
The flying ship charged into the sky and broke out of the ritual array, shooting into the distance.
The loud commotion immediately drew over Venerable Liu Nian and the others.
“The hall master said that she’d take a walk,” Ensnaring Performance said.
Venerable Liu Nian, Mu Chenfeng, and Huangfu Chaoge exchanged looks before sighing. After all, a woman was not that thick-skinned. After being rejected like that, she would feel upset.
Taking a walk. Taking a walk was good.
——
Boom!
Long Wanqing rode on the flying ship and flew towards the horizon.
——
At a nearby valley:
The Unborn Man was checking the box containing Long Xiaoyue’s mortal soul in the ritual array when he suddenly raised his head.
“Huh?” Gu Hai, are you trying to flee? Humph!” The Unborn Man suddenly stepped forward.
Whoosh!
The Unborn Man also took out a flying ship with a flip of his hand. Then, he boarded and quickly pursued Long Wanqing’s flying ship.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Two flying ships sped through the sky, one in front and the other behind, and soon disappeared over the horizon.
——
Back at the valley, Ensnaring Performance held on to Long Wanqing’s letter and kept track of the time after Venerable Liu Nian and the others left. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes will pass very fast, right?
“Huh?” Ensnaring Performance’s expression changed. What’s that sound?
Why was there another sonic boom nearby? It sounded like a flying ship?
Ensnaring Performance frowned as he made his way to the hall where Gu Hai was. As he held the letter, he kept track of the time.
Far away, Venerable Liu Nian and Huangfu Chaoge had not left for long when their expressions suddenly changed. “Something’s wrong!”
Creak!
The doors to the hall where Gu Hai was suddenly opened.
“Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong!” Gu Hai’s expression changed to a frown as he stepped out.
Ensnaring Performance was shocked when he saw Gu Hai. He came to a sudden stop and said, “Master, the hall master just left. Before she left, she told me to hand this letter to you fifteen minutes after she left.”
“A letter? Something’s wrong!” Gu Hai snatched the letter over.
“That… The fifteen minutes are not up yet!” Ensnaring Performance said, feeling put in a spot.
Gu Hai did not care about Ensnaring Performance at all. Instead, he tore the letter open with a flustered expression.
When Gu Hai opened the letter and saw the first line, his expression changed drastically.
“Gu Hai, quickly flee. Duke Lu Yang commanded the Unborn Man to kill you. He is here to kill you. He can find you using your hair. Hurry, run! Hurry, run! Hurry!”
Gu Hai could not be bothered to read the rest.
“Venerable! Venerable! Lend me your flying ship! Hurry! Hurry! Wanqing is in danger!” Gu Hai shouted with a dramatic change in expression.
Whoosh!
Venerable Liu Nian, Huangfu Chaoge, and Mu Chenfeng rushed over.
Whoosh! Venerable Liu Nian did not hesitate to take out a flying ship with a flip of his hand.
Everyone boarded quickly.
“What’s going on?” Mu Chenfeng asked, feeling confused.
“Ensnaring Performance, listen for her voice. Search for her! Quickly search for her! Where did Wanqing go? Hurry! Hurry! Hurry!” Gu Hai seemed to go mad with anxiety.
“That way. Head that way!” Ensnaring Performance pointed to a direction in the distance.
Gu Hai dashed to the helm of the flying ship and operated it.
Whoosh!
The flying ship sped through the sky, giving chase.
“Wanqing is in danger? What danger? Gu Hai, what’s going on?!” Venerable Liu Nian shouted in anger.
