Zi Xia tossed away her veil, then stepped into the sky and fled.
The crowd instantly burst into uproar, and the city lord’s expression was so taught and unsightly, he seemed on the verge of bursting.
Zi Xia’s brother was frowning tightly. He flashed the city lord an apologetic grin, then called out to the other Zi Family members who’d accompanied him from Violet City. “Don’t just stand around. Stop her!”
Several sky supreme experts stepped into the sky in hot pursuit. Zi Xia’s brother stamped hard, and his right hand reached up and made a grasping motion. Zi Xia, who’d barely taken a few hundred steps, froze in mid-air, as if an invisible hand had grabbed her. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t break free.
Before long, the Zi clansmen sized her and carried her back to the platform.
“Catching me is of no use. If I don’t want to get married, I won’t. Even if you force me to tie the knot, so long as you give me the slightest chance, I’ll just run later. If you’re really determined, just watch me day and night without pause. Whatever you do, don’t let up!” Zi Xia glowered and shouted. The guests watched on in a daze.
“Zi Xia!” The youth barked.
“Zi Yun, so this is the product of your Zi Family’s upbringing?” The head of Violet City, Hui Liu, had completely lost his temper. He glared viciously at Zi Xia’s brother. “You did this on purpose to bring shame upon me and my family, didn’t you?”
“City lord, please, calm your fury. It’s Zi Xia, she…” Zi Yun started to explain, but before he could, the son of the city lord interrupted them.
He took a step towards Zi Xia and asked, “Zi Xia, why do you say that? Are you worried that I’m like other young noblemen, and that I’ll take multiple wives and concubines, or that I’ll mistreat you? I swear that I, Hui Huo, will marry you and only you, and that I’ll do everything in my power to be good to you.”
“It’s not because of you or anything you did,” said Zi Xia. She turned to look at him, then continued, “I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with you. My words aren’t even directed at you specifically. It’s just that I’ve always had someone in my heart. He said long ago that one day, he’d come riding in on his magic cloud, sweep me off my feet, and marry me. From that day on, my heart has belonged to him. I can’t possibly love anyone else.”
The entire venue was in uproar.
Zi Xia’s words weren’t just a simple matter of not giving the city lord respect; they were a blatant slap in the face. Hui Liu was so angry, veins bulged on his neck and arms, and his eyes were bloodshot. His aura expanded and surged, and he seemed on the verge of bursting.
At the same time, in the skies above Violet City, Zi Xia’s words stunned Ye Zichen too.
For her to say all that, with so many experts present, and under such circ_u_mstances…. How much courage did that take?
Those words were clear proof of the depth of her feelings for the Great Sage.
He was wiping away his tears….
But he still wasn’t moving.
This wedding had turned into a farce, and was proceeding in a direction that no one would have anticipated. The city lord was furious, his son was at a loss, and Zi Xia was resolute.
Someone had to take a stand and get this under control.
Otherwise, this wedding would make Violet City the laughingstock of the Yao Realm….. But then, it was already too late for that. It already was.
“Zi Xia, shut your mouth!” Zi Yun shouted.
“Who are you to tell me to shut up? If I like someone, I like them. If I don’t, I don’t. Who are you to force me to do something I don’t want? What gives you the right?”
“I told you to shut up!” With a loud crack, Zi Yun slapped her right across the face. He didn’t hold back in the slightest, and before long, blood dripped from Zi Xia’s lips.
The guests were stunned. Zi Xia was stunned, too, and for a few seconds, she froze, but before long, her shock gave way to a bleak grin. “Go ahead and hit me. Even if you beat me to death….I won’t go through with this wedding.”
But this was different. This wasn’t their family home; this was Violet City, the city lord’s manor.
Furthermore, important guests had come from all over the Northern Kingdom to watch the wedding!
Zi Yun forcefully repressed his heartache and worry, then steeled himself, forcing himself to act as if he didn’t care.
“We’re going to complete this wedding, whether you like it or not,” said Zi Yun. “Help the young miss complete her ritual! Where were we? The three ceremonial bows, right? Continue!”
Just as he ordered, someone grabbed her by the head and forced her to bow. “Even if you force me to complete the ritual, there is no way I’ll love the city lord’s son. The one I love is Supreme Treasure, and he’s going to swoop in on his seven-colored magic cloud and marry me. He’s my husband, my one and only…. Forcing me to bow is useless, useless!”
“Don’t just stand there! Keep going!” roared Zi Yun. He returned to his position on the podium, face ashen, as he pushed the wedding forward.
The city lord’s son hesitated, then lowered his head too.
The ritual was over. When the officiant saw this, he hurriedly called out, “The ceremony is over! Enter the bridal chamber!”
Ye Zichen glanced at the Great Sage and saw his fists were tightly clenched, but he was still enduring.
“You can’t keep me here. You can’t! Supreme Treasure will definitely come for me. Until he does, I’ll wait, no matter how long it takes!” Even bound and helpless, Zi Xia gnashed her teeth and shouted at Zi Yun.
The guests couldn’t help but shake their heads. Meanwhile, City Lord Hui Liu saw her ceremonial bow, then waved and turned to leave.
He was too ashamed to drink with his guests. He had no dignity left.
Suddenly, heaven and earth went dark.
From atop his cloud, the Great Sage gazed into the distance, and Ye Zichen knit his brows. When he stretched out his divine sense, he discovered at least a dozen ruler-level auras had appeared in the wedding venue.
The guests, the city lord, Zi Yun, everyone present…
Stopped what they were doing and gazed solemnly ahead.
Around a dozen horned figures slowly emerged from the dark mists blotting out the sun. They had dark purple skin, and their leader wore a dark cloak.
“Demons!” The guests were astonished.
“Don’t say that. I’m here, so I’m your guest. Isn’t this some grand wedding? Why chase me away?” the hooded demon laughed. “I even brought your dog of a son a wedding present. Chasing me off so quickly is rather unkind, don’t you think?”
