C35 The Wedding

Ethan and Li Fei finished decorating the hut. Everything was ready for their wedding. No guests, no fanfare—just the two of them.

Ethan tossed the two inner garments he’d taken from the secret chamber onto the bed.

“Let me see those clothes you brought up!” Li Fei suddenly said, curious.

“Relax, they’re just underwear. Later I’ll buy you hundreds of fancy sets,” Ethan joked. He thought she was overreacting.

But Li Fei’s eyes lit up. “These are heavenly garments!”

“Heavenly? What’s so special about them?”

“Look closely. Can you see any stitches?”

Ethan stared. “No… so they’re machine-made?”

Li Fei rolled her eyes. “Think! The idiom—heavenly garment, no seams. These are sacred. They’re waterproof, fireproof, shockproof, and block magnetic energy. They protect against evil forces and prevent inner energy from backfiring.”

Ethan’s jaw dropped. “Seriously? I thought that was just TV advertising!”

He pulled on his garment. It fit perfectly, light as air.

Li Fei blushed as she put on hers. Ethan stared, captivated. Her figure was stunning, and her shy expression made his heart race.

“Okay. Let’s begin the ceremony,” Ethan said softly. He placed a purple veil over her head—all they could find as a substitute for the traditional red one.

In the quiet bamboo forest, inside the simple thatched hut, two Taoists in red robes held a wedding. It looked absurd to outsiders, but to Ethan and Li Fei, every step was solemn, every ritual meaningful.

“We’re almost done. Just the wedding cup and the bridal chamber left!” Ethan laughed, his eyes bright with joy. “I, Ethan, have married the most beautiful woman in the world. Nothing else matters.”

“You’re still calling me old monster?” Li Fei smiled, her face glowing under the red robe.

“Sorry, sorry! My bride!” Ethan laughed. He raised a jar of wine left by his master. “Let’s drink. Life is short—we must enjoy it while we can!”

Li Fei’s smile suddenly faded.

“I almost forgot! You need to reverse your dantian energy and exhale purple qi. That will break the Dragon Clan’s tracking mark. They won’t find you anymore.”

Ethan’s eyes lit up. “Finally free of those old men? Great!”

He gathered his energy and exhaled a thin wisp of purple gas.

But Li Fei was already staring at the bamboo forest outside, her face cold.

“Too late. Our guests are here.”

“What guests? We didn’t invite anyone!” Ethan frowned. He heard nothing.

“They’re all here,” Li Fei whispered hollowly.

Ethan’s expression turned hard. No one would ruin his wedding.

He stepped outside, raising his voice. “If you’re here to celebrate, come in! If you’re here to ruin my wedding… you’ll regret it.”

Leaves rustled. Dragon Five stepped out, leading more than thirty Dragon Clan warriors. Howard and Han Tao were among them, their faces twisted with guilt.

“Ethan. I never thought you’d hide the Dragon Pearl and betray us,” Dragon Five said sadly. “Dragon One is still bedridden because of you.”

A pockmarked old man stepped forward—Dragon Nine.

“Saintess! You shame the Dragon Clan! Abandoning your title for this beast?”

Li Fei stepped beside Ethan, her voice clear and calm.

“My name is Li Fei now. I am not the Saintess. I am Ethan’s wife.”

Dragon Nine’s face turned purple with rage.

Ethan laughed loudly. “Come in, then. I have wine. We can drink before you try to kill me. My wedding deserves a good show!”

Dragon Five’s eyes filled with tears. “I will drink to your wedding… even if I must kill you afterward.”

Ethan looked at Howard and Han Tao. The two brothers stepped forward, heads down.

“Boss… congratulations. You finally have a family,” Howard whispered.

“We don’t blame you,” Ethan said quietly. He took a jar and drank deeply, then smashed it. “We shared life and death. That is enough.”

He turned to Dragon Five, holding out another jar.

“Master. I thank you for teaching me. But I will not kneel—not anymore. I knelt too much when I was mad. Now I kneel only for the woman I love.”

He drank half the jar and handed it to Dragon Five.

“This ends today.”

Dragon Five drank, his face full of conflict.

Ethan turned to the Dragon Clan warriors. “Where is your number-one fighter? The one who avoided me at the tournament? Come fight me!”

A tall, fierce man stepped forward. “I am Kuang Biao. I will crush you.”

Wind swirled around Kuang Biao, gathering power.

Ethan stood relaxed, his red robe fluttering.

“All show, no substance. Just like your master.”

Kuang Biao snapped. He roared and charged, unleashing a tornado of wind.

Ethan vanished.

His speed was now inhuman.

The tornado spiraled toward Dragon Nine. Kuang Biao panicked, cutting off his power too late. The energy rebounded, tearing through his own body.

He was defenseless.

Ethan appeared behind him, grabbed his hair, and slammed his fist into Kuang Biao’s face. Bone cracked. He lifted the crippled warrior and kneed him repeatedly in the ribs.

More cracks.

Ethan threw him aside like trash.

Kuang Biao was completely destroyed—face shattered, bones splintered, disabled for life.

“Anyone else?” Ethan laughed, wild and proud.

Dragon Nine stared in horror.

Li Fei stepped beside Ethan, raising a jar of wine.

“We drink to you. After this, we are no longer part of the Dragon Clan.”

They drank together, then Ethan smashed all the wine jars.

The clan tensed. Battle was imminent.

Then Ethan suddenly dropped to one knee before Li Fei.

“Li Fei… I beg you. Leave.”

Tears filled her eyes. “No! We live together, die together!”

“Listen to me. I have never protected a woman in my life. They all died or were hurt because of me. Let me be a man for once. If you love me, run. They won’t kill the former Saintess.”

Blood trickled from Ethan’s lips. He was ready to self-destruct his meridians if she refused.

“I’ll go… I’ll go,” Li Fei sobbed, tears of blood falling. “I’ll survive to avenge you.”

No one stopped her. The Dragon Clan feared her power and wanted no unnecessary casualties.

Ethan stood, roaring at the sky.

“COME FOR ME! ALL OF YOU! WHO WANTS MY LIFE?!”

Dragon Nine stepped forward, his own wine jar still in hand.

“I despised your cheap tricks. But I respect you now. You sacrifice yourself for love. You are a man.”

He raised the jar.

Ethan kicked it out of his hand.

“You insulted my wife. You don’t deserve to drink with me.”

Laughing wildly, Ethan charged.

He knew he could not win. The Dragon Clan had ruled for thousands of years. They had hundreds of warriors hidden in the bamboo.

But his wife was safe.

For the first time in his life, Ethan was dying with dignity.

He would die as a man who had protected the one he loved.