Chapter 62: Hearts in Sync, Thriving and Prosperous – Fu Yu’s Second Wedding (or is it?)

Chapter 62: Hearts in Sync, Thriving and Prosperous – Fu Yu's Second Wedding (or is it?)

‘The Divine Court Saintess... so it’s an old friend?’

Fu Yu mused idly.

A traitor had surfaced within the Daoist Sect, just as she'd expected.

In this world, there were plenty of fickle people. Everyone's out for themselves, backing the winning horse—it wasn't strange.

She wasn't in a hurry to look at that face.

All she could see right now was her green dress.

This dress wasn't particularly special. That time, she and Jun Bu Du were passing through the mortal realm and discovered a malevolent spirit causing trouble.

That spirit was truly detestable.

Though it didn't harm people, it was utterly annoying—it would always crash the wedding banquets of newlywed couples, hopping about, cursing the young couple to have a short-lived happiness, to part ways like the swallow and the oriole, a complete fiasco.

Encountering such an ill-omened creature right after getting married was enough to infuriate anyone to death.

Fu Yu did a quick calculation and immediately pinpointed where the spirit was hiding.

But she kept it to herself.

She acted as if nothing was amiss, offhandedly suggesting that the two of them pretend to be a newlywed couple, hold a banquet, and lure it out.

Although Jun Bu Du thought it was a bit ridiculous, seeing her quite enthusiastic, he had no choice but to nod.

The local wedding custom was for the groom to wear red and the bride green.

Fu Yu dragged Jun Bu Du out for a stroll around the streets, simply picking out two sets of red and green attire.

Originally, it was just for fun, but she never expected that seeing him in red for the first time, so dashing and radiant, nearly dazzled her eyes.

All sorts of extravagant phrases like "peerlessly handsome, jade-like quality, matchless in the world..." crashed chaotically into her mind as she looked at his face.

Fu Yu calmly averted her gaze, telling him she really liked the green dress she was wearing—implying, of course, that her eyes had been shining because of the dress, and nothing else.

Then, wearing this green dress she had "fallen in love with at first sight," Fu Yu and Jun Bu Du went through another wedding ceremony in the mortal realm—they had already been married in the Daoist Sect before, strictly speaking, this had to count as a second marriage.

At this second wedding banquet, the malevolent spirit indeed jumped out to cause trouble.

Fu Yu didn't capture it. Instead, she deliberately played a trick, casting a blessing curse on it.

The spirit, unaware it had been cursed, immediately started spouting auspicious words: "May you live to a ripe old age together! May you live to a ripe old age together!"

It shrieked for a while, then suddenly froze.

Mistake! Mistake!

Its eyes darting around frantically, it snarled another curse: "Never part! Never part!"

It couldn't believe it. Using its two branch-like hands, it cupped its own face, trying to move its mouth, desperately wanting to say something malicious: "Death... death, death! 'Till death do us part! 'Till death do us part!"

The spirit: "???"

It jumped up and down, frantically cursing: "A match made in heaven! Deeply devoted! A harmonious union lasting a hundred years!"

It was shocked, it didn't understand, it was driven to tears by its own uncooperative mouth.

Overcome with despair, it threw itself to the ground, slapping the floorboards while banging its head against the tiles.

"Wah! Wah! I want you two... for all lifetimes! To follow each other in life and death! Hearts in sync! Thriving and prosperous! Thriving and prosperous thriving and prosperous thriving prosperous..."

It had been driven clean out of its mind with rage.

Fu Yu was howling with laughter.

"Look at this fool—"

She turned and found Jun Bu Du looking down at her, a smile playing at his lips.

Fu Yu felt her pupils tremble, her mind went blank with a roar. In that instant, it was truly like thunder striking fire, wild flames spreading across the sky.

"..."

Alright, she admitted it. She was utterly dazzled, completely smitten by her own groom.

What happened afterward, Fu Yu's memories were hazy. She remembered she definitely hadn't drunk any wine, yet she was intoxicated, her cheeks flushed a rosy red, completely lost.

She even forgot to capture the spirit.

Later on...

After returning home, Jun Bu Du refined this green dress she had "fallen in love with at first sight" into an Artifact that would never fade.

"Tsk—"

A sharp hiss of breath.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was gobsmacked: "The Saintess? She's the Saintess? How can she be the Saintess!"

Li Xueke's pupils also trembled: "Ah, this... why does the Saintess look like this!"

Wu He simply couldn't stand these two.

If he stayed with them any longer, he was genuinely worried foolishness might be contagious.

He glanced wearily up at the sky: "Well, what else? What are you trying to say?"

The man and the grass turned their heads in unison: "You don't understand!"

Wu He: "?"

Wu He scoffed: "Indeed, a normal person doesn't need to understand the thoughts of fools."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit mustered a shred of patience to explain to him: "You didn't go to the Fish-Dragon City secret realm. You know nothing."

Li Xueke deeply agreed: "Right, you don't understand. Shut up."

The Saintess on this jade-colored lotus throne actually had a face strikingly similar to the Divine Shaman's from back then—the Foxtail Grass Spirit had also seen Fu Yu's appearance from that time in the secret realm's visions.

Wu He shot back sarcastically: "If two brainless things can understand, what is there for me not to understand."

Li Xueke jumped at the slightest poke: "I have no brains? You eunuch don't even have a [censored]!"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was slow on the uptake but finally realized, "Wu He, when I said you didn't have that *thing* in the Human Emperor's tomb secret realm, I wasn't actually talking about that thing, but..."

Wu He had had enough.

The two humans and one grass spirit started brawling.

"Fellow Daoist, Fellow Daoist?" Lord Chiming, the red-haired cultivator, twitched the corner of his mouth. "Why are your puppets fighting each other in the back?"

Fu Yu didn't mind: "Doesn't your hair tangle itself up?"

Lord Chiming: "...Fair point."

With his interruption, Fu Yu finally tore her eyes away from her green dress.

Before the lotus-pink curtains above the lotus platform dropped, she caught a glimpse of the Holy Maiden's face.

Hah.

Her face had been stolen too.

Fu Yu lazily withdrew her gaze.

This Holy Maiden was an avatar—no one could naturally grow to look like her; it had to be artificially sculpted.

When molding the incense ash base, they modeled it after her former appearance.

It really was an old acquaintance.

"Master, master!" The Foxtail Grass Spirit sneakily crept closer. "Is this Holy Maiden your relative? She looks so much like you!"

"No," Fu Yu waved her hand dismissively. "She's an avatar, with bones made of incense ash."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit blurted out without thinking: "Master, they didn't use your ashes, did you?!"

Fu Yu: "..."

What an auspicious little mouth.

Li Xueke did not hesitate to use the utmost malice in speculating about the enemy: "This Holy Maiden is deliberately pretending to be Nine Crossroads Dust's master! She wants to deceive it! Hurt it! Make it think its master has also defected to the enemy! Vicious! Treacherous! Malicious!"

Wu He also walked over listlessly, his hair bun askew: "Are they really going to open the seal?"

It doesn't make sense, completely illogical.

Ten Thousand Immortals Alliance.

Qitian Dao Master and Pingtian Dao Master arrived at the Shangqing Treasure Hall.

"Ah! What are you two doing here, ah!" Lesser Shangqing wore a worried frown. "With things so tense and critical, we shouldn't be gathering! Ah, we shouldn't! Go back, go back!"

Qitian Dao Master was a man with clean, upright features. He straightened his posture and cupped his hands respectfully: "Master, I am truly uneasy at heart."

Pingtian Dao Master grinned and fished out the roast goose their master had hastily hidden under the shrine: "This old man was eating alone, no wonder he's trying to shoo us away!"

Qitian Dao Master cleared his throat into his fist: "Ahem! Put it back. What kind of behavior is this?"

Pingtian Dao Master had no intention of putting it back. She tore off a goose leg and took a big, greasy bite.

Lesser Shangqing glared at her, huffing angrily.

Pingtian Dao Master wasn't bothered in the slightest: "Mmm, so delicious. It was the Rising Sun Way that offended the Divine Court, what does that have to do with us? Come on, let's have a drink!"

She casually pulled out Lesser Shangqing's wine, popped the wooden stopper, and took a large gulp.

Lesser Shangqing said angrily: "You two, one 'Heavenly Equal' and one 'Pingtian,' being seen gathered here with me, others will easily think of the 'Double Heaven,' ah!"

Pingtian Dao Master widened her eyes: "That's just a coincidence."

Lesser Shangqing spread his hands: "Ah, the problem is, it's exactly that coincidental, ah!"

He slumped his shoulders dejectedly, his whole body curling into a short, round ball. He twisted his torso, smoothly turning towards Qitian Dao Master.

Lesser Shangqing said: "Your unease is not wrong. Ah, the Divine Court, they are being blatant about their scheme, ah!"

Qitian Dao Master's expression turned stern, his back stiffening: "Master, please enlighten us."

Lesser Shangqing looked up at the sky, sighing and lamenting.

After receiving the news, he sent his Yang Spirit avatar to investigate the Divine-Demon Great Burial. He discovered the Divine Court was preparing to use the divine artifact, the World Wish Candle, to deal with Nine Crossroads Dust.

"All the common people under heaven are helping the Divine Court pray, ah! If we want to intervene and stop it, we would have to mobilize our organization on a large scale to persuade the people. That way, our entire membership would be exposed, cards on the table, ah!"

The goose leg in Pingtian Dao Master's hand suddenly lost its flavor: "We're already suppressed like this. If we get exposed again, the game is completely over!"

Qitian Dao Master furrowed his brow slightly: "Even if we were willing to pay such a high price, it might not be effective. The myriad people of the world do not trust us. Master, is the Divine Court's move solely to lure us out? If we don't act, would the Divine Court truly open the seal of the Evil Spirits realm?"

He truly couldn't understand. "What benefit would that bring them?"

Lesser Shangqing chuckled dryly: "Don't worry about the benefits for now. Just tell me, what are the *harms*?"

Qitian Dao Master grew even more puzzled: "Evil Spirits running rampant, people suffering, the world plunged into fire and water... Do I need to list the harms, Master?"

Lesser Shangqing let out a long sigh and shook his head: "Ah! When the Evil Spirits come, who will bear the brunt and suffer casualties first?"

Qitian Dao Master answered without hesitation: "The common people."

Lesser Shangqing sighed again: "And who cannot bear to see the common people suffer?"

Qitian Dao Master was stunned for a moment, his expression changing slightly: "..."

"Ah!" Lesser Shangqing told him, "The Divine-Demon Great Burial was originally ruins left from an ancient divine war. Later on, ah, countless High-level Cultivators of the Daoist Sect were buried there, ah!"

When the Evil Spirits swarm over, someone has to hold the front line, meeting force with force, using flesh and blood to hold them back.

"Heh!" Pingtian Dao Master tilted her head and laughed. "No matter when, those who step up to shoulder responsibility are always the ones with backbone, not the spineless ones!"

Lesser Shangqing sighed and lamented: "Right."

To quell the demonic calamity, the Daoist Sect suffered heavy casualties and a lack of new talent. Otherwise, how could those turtles hiding in their shells have snatched the peach?

"Master, I understand," Pingtian Dao Master said, having finished half the goose and wiping her greasy hands on Lesser Shangqing's shrine cloth. "When the Evil Spirits come, there are hundreds of millions of common people as meat shields, and us holding the front line as cannon fodder. At worst, there are even the Divine Court's own lower ranks—in short, the harm, no matter what, won't reach those noble, dignified people sitting high above."

Qitian Dao Master's expression turned grave: "So they only consider whether there is any benefit to be gained." He found it hard to believe, shaking his head slightly. "But doing this, how short-sighted, how foolish! Even if there were immense benefits..."

Pingtian Dao Master interjected with a grin: "What if there truly are immense benefits?"

Qitian Dao Master's expression stiffened, falling into silent contemplation.

Lesser Shangqing knocked on the shrine with the back of his hand: "Ah, Little Yuqing's Yang Spirit isn't here. I suspect he's probably involved in this matter too. You two take advantage of the chaos to investigate his dojo, see if there are any clues."

Qitian Dao Master, Ping, and the other man nodded. "Yes!"

Before leaving, Qitian Dao Master couldn't help but look back. "Master, about that World Wish Candle business..."

Lesser Shangqing sighed. "Ah, what needs doing must still be done, ah! We do our best and leave the rest to fate, ah!"

The Burial Ground of Gods and Demons stretched as far as the eye could see.

Coming here put Fu Yu in a foul mood.

She was even a bit pissed off.

Too many people from the Daoist Sect had died here. For some reason, the people she and Jun Bu Du brought out were utterly fearless.

She could smash a table and shout "preserve your lives" ten thousand times in their ears, and it would be useless.

When trouble arose, they'd roar and charge forward again.

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit stole a glance at her expression. "But Master, didn't you die too?"

Fu Yu said, "That was... that's different!"

A breath caught in her throat.

If she had known cursing the god of the Evil Spirits would kill her, she wouldn't have done it.

Yes, definitely not.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit boldly declared, "I know! Master and him, together in life and death! He died, so Master wouldn't live on alone! Wow! It's a love suicide!"

Fu Yu, flustered and angry, said, "...Shut your foxtail mouth."

Going further in, they gradually encountered monsters formed from condensed resentment and baleful energy. They were drawn by the aura of the living, like sharks smelling blood in the sea.

The seven High-level Cultivators spread out, each slaying monsters and protecting the three thousand ordinary people.

Lord Mei, who was leading the group, had recovered somewhat. Having forgotten the shame of the Sword Gate, he resumed a righteous and awe-inspiring demeanor. "Our Divine Court is compassionate and benevolent, we will not allow a single casualty! You may all rest assured and sing our praises!"

He darted back and forth, sword energy sweeping out like crescent moons, single-handedly holding up half the sky.

Wu He was speechless. "He's not embarrassed at all."

Li Xueke said, "Has he convinced himself it's true?"

Foxtail Grass Spirit said, "So hypocritical it borders on foolishness."

Lord Chiming and his lot were vastly different from him. Knowing these people were brought here to die, they couldn't be bothered to put on an act, their protective movements careless and perfunctory.

Fu Yu occasionally glanced at the lotus platform.

After traveling for nearly half a day, the World Wish Candle in the Saintess's avatar's hand emitted an even stronger divine aura—the power of wishes had increased by nearly ten percent, almost reaching the halfway point.

Fu Yu narrowed her eyes and smiled faintly.

Time to stir things up.

She beckoned the Foxtail Grass Spirit over and asked calmly, "Do you know why I brought you here?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit immediately felt guilty. "Master, even though I'm not very useful, I promise not to hold you back!" After a thought, it cautiously added, "At least I can perform a bit better than those two."

Fu Yu waved her hand. "A bit better isn't enough."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit blinked innocently.

It would love to outshine those two good-for-nothings, but it was just an ordinary Grass Spirit.

Fu Yu asked idly, "Do you know what cultivation realm one must reach to cultivate an avatar?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit shook its head honestly.

That question was way beyond its league; not just it, but no one in the entire Qingyun Sect could answer.

"Demi-god." Fu Yu tilted her head and smiled. "So, in your previous life, you must have been at least a Demi-god."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit nodded honestly at first. "Oh—" Then it suddenly jumped nine feet high. "Huh?!"

Fu Yu smiled. "And you have a karmic connection with me."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit was nearly scared to death. "M-m-marriage fate? N-n-no way? D-d-did I, did I cheat on you, or cheat on him?"

Fu Yu: "..."

Fu Yu said expressionlessly, "You cheated on the foxtail on your head."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit clutched its pounding heart, realizing belatedly. "No, wait, Master, Demi-god avatar, what does that have to do with me?"

Fu Yu glanced at it. "Isn't this grass spirit of yours an avatar?"

Although it had been an unspoken understanding between them, Fu Yu finally spelled it out. "Xie Fuyu, you cultivated an avatar at the Foundation Establishment Stage. Didn't you find that strange yourself?"

The Foxtail Grass Spirit scratched its head. "I didn't know either..."

One day when she was little, she sat on the doorstep waiting for her grandfather to come home, staring blankly at a foxtail, imagining it swinging back and forth, back and forth in her mind...

Unconsciously, the foxtail actually started moving according to her thoughts.

She was overjoyed and played with this grass whenever she had time, even watering it with plenty of elixir juice, nurturing it into a big, fluffy clump.

It gradually grew limbs, becoming another body for her.

Only this body was clumsy. She controlled "herself" in her mind to learn to walk and talk, neglecting her proper cultivation, but she never regretted it.

After all, others didn't have such a fun thing; it was her little secret.

When she was alive, she couldn't spare much mental effort to control this grass spirit, so it could only walk and talk woodenly and clumsily.

After she died, this body became very agile!

"Master, you mean..." The Foxtail Grass Spirit snapped back to reality, blinking its eyes dazedly. "In my previous life, I was a Demi-god. After reincarnation, I didn't forget completely and accidentally created an avatar?"

Fu Yu nodded. "Not too stupid." She told it, "My people most likely died here. I'll try a soul-summoning blessing on you for luck—who knows which one you were in your past life."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit gulped. "If a ghost really gets summoned, is that good luck or bad luck?"

Fu Yu blinked slowly. "...Hard to say."

The Foxtail Grass Spirit hugged itself, trembling.

Fu Yu smirked to herself.

She was only trying to scare it. After reincarnation, how could there still be ghosts? At most, lingering resentment or baleful energy might be trapped within this Divine-Demon Burial Ground, transforming into monsters.

“Souls with no place to return, heed my command—manifest anew.”

An invisible summoning charm rippled across the wilderness, calling to the souls—complete or incomplete—that had wandered the Divine-Demon Burial Ground for millennia.

Before long, the earth rumbled with a deep, muffled tremor, a sign that something massive was approaching.

Lord Mei, who had been darting about slaying enemies, jolted in alarm.

He raised his sword to meet the threat and soon encountered a colossal monster formed from evil baleful energy in the distance. He engaged the creature in fierce combat, churning up baleful energy that darkened the sky and obscured the earth.

Gradually, more monsters emerged from the burial ground.

Some resembled giant earthworms, burrowing up from beneath the ground and heaving up moldy, decayed soil. Others were spider-like, with enormous, grayish-white, lifeless, elongated human faces, shrieking at the crowd while thick, grayish-white silk oozed from their mouthparts.

The Foxtail Grass Spirit didn’t know which deity to pray to: “Please don’t let this one be me… that one isn’t me either… and please don’t let that one be me either…”

Suddenly, the whole party felt an inexplicable chill in their hearts, their body hair standing on end as if electrified.

Instinct screamed a frantic warning.

Something… terrifyingly powerful… had set its sights on them.

The foxtail on the grass spirit’s head abruptly shot upright!

Intuition surged wildly.

Before it could cry out, an inexplicable scene flashed into its mind—one so daunting it dared not move or breathe.

A cold moon shone like frost.

A detached and cold figure, both celestial and demonic, gazed down upon all creation.

His glance swept down, carrying a smile that felt inhuman.

“Little evil creature, you speak quite well.”

“My wife is pleased. I shall grant you a boon.”