Chapter 543: Wedding 3 (Two-in-One)

Amid the soothing Piano music, Ning Wei walked up to the woman.

"Hello, I'm Ning Wei."

Smiling, he offered her the flowers.

The woman accepted the bouquet and pursed her lips.

"Hello, my name is Xue Wan."

Xue Wan had seen a photo of Ning Wei before coming here, but it must have been from his childhood. He had looked gloomy and unkempt then. Seeing him now, the contrast was striking; he was actually quite handsome.

Moreover, the intel she'd received before her arrival claimed the Great Prison was on its last legs and could collapse at any moment. But now...

She looked at Yan Jing, and remembered Wen Xu from just a moment ago.

She felt the rumors might not be entirely true.

Who wouldn't want their husband's family to be powerful?

Thinking of it that way, the arrangement felt a bit more acceptable.

Although things had gotten off to a rocky start, she would be on her home turf once they returned. When that time came, she could easily make up for the grievances she'd suffered today.

On the other side of the venue, Weng Lingxiao had already begun hosting the ceremony.

First up was Ning Wei's speech.

A microphone was handed to him.

Countless pairs of eyes focused on the young master, waiting to see what he would say.

Holding the microphone and looking out at the crowd, Ning Wei suddenly felt a little nervous.

Even though they had run through the rehearsal just yesterday.

"...Hello everyone, I'm Ning Wei. Thank you all for coming to my wedding with Wan'er."

Clap, clap, clap.

A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted across the venue.

"I'm not afraid of you laughing at me for saying this, but today is actually the first time I've seen my bride, and I didn't expect her to be... so beautiful."

He looked at Xue Wan and cracked a joke.

Amid the audience's laughter, Ning Wei felt himself relax a bit.

Reaching out, he took Xue Wan's free hand and smiled.

"She really is beautiful. I've never seen anyone so stunning in my entire life. If someone had told me when I was a kid that I'd marry a gorgeous woman like her, I would've thought they were messing with me."

"No, 'gorgeous' doesn't even cut it. I should call her a fairy."

As he spoke, Ning Wei gazed into Xue Wan's eyes.

Xue Wan's cheeks flushed red.

Although she'd grown tired of people calling her beautiful since she was a child, being praised by her future husband in front of such a large crowd still made her a little shy.

"Stepping into marriage with Wan'er is my honor, and the honor of the Great Prison. I believe that whatever steps we skipped and whatever we missed before will be made up for bit by bit in the days to come. I also hope that our union will contribute to further establishing diplomatic relations between the Great Prison and the Pure Blood Heavenly Kingdom."

As his voice fell, thunderous applause echoed from below.

Weng Lingxiao picked up his microphone, ready to announce the next part of the ceremony.

Unexpectedly, Ning Wei continued speaking.

"Of course, besides thanking such a beautiful wife, I also want to thank my father."

Weng Lingxiao froze. He was pretty sure this part hadn't been in yesterday's rehearsal.

But Ning Wei kept going.

"To be exact, my two fathers."

Hearing the words "two fathers," Weng Lingxiao's heart tightened, and he shot a glance toward Mu Tian in the distant seats.

Fortunately, Mu Tian didn't seem to react.

"First is the father who raised me. I spent the first twenty-four years of my life growing up alongside him. He taught me a lot—how to live on my own, how to interact with others, and, of course, he also gave me a job."

"He took early retirement when I turned twenty-four, and I took over his position. Otherwise, I'd probably still be unemployed right now. As you all know, it hasn't been easy to find work these past few years, and twenty-four was far too young to take over my biological father's position."

This joke was funnier than his last one, but fewer people laughed, simply because it involved Mu Tian.

Yet Ning Wei seemed oblivious and carried on.

"So I truly want to thank you. Even though you aren't up on stage today, thank you. I have no way to repay you, but over the years, I managed to earn enough for half a house and a bag of gold. I left them under your bed along with the deed."

"Take the money, get married, and have a son who can take care of you in your old age."

With that, he faced a certain direction in the crowd and bowed deeply.

In the audience, a gray-haired man broke down in tears. Even though he had spent all these years carrying out the mission Mu Tian had given him, he had genuinely come to see Ning Wei as his own child long ago.

"And then there's... Warden Mu."

"I've spent very little time with Warden Mu."

"No, 'very little' isn't accurate. I should say I haven't spent as much time with him as you have, Deputy Warden Weng."

"He's a man who has lived for hundreds of years, while I'm only a few decades old. Speaking of which..."

The Piano suddenly hit half a note out of tune, but no one paid it any mind.

Everyone was watching Ning Wei. The tall, upright man spoke on and on, until it seemed he didn't know what else to say. He turned and bowed toward Mu Tian.

"In the end, without you, there would be no me."

"I have no way to repay you, so... I will go through with this marriage."

"Whatever happens to me after this, I won't bother you anymore. Take care of your health. That's all."

Among the crowd below, those who knew the inside story were somewhat moved by his speech.

Ning Wei had left a house and gold for the adoptive father who raised him.

But when it came to Mu Tian, he only said he was getting married for him.

Indeed, strictly speaking, this marriage truly was for Mu Tian.

The incident where Ning Wei was thrown into solitary confinement had caused a massive uproar. Everyone knew he had been forced into it.

But later, when Yan Jing stepped into power, many people who knew that Ning Wei and Yan Jing were on good terms guessed that the political marriage would likely be called off.

Now, it seemed Ning Wei was going through with it willingly.

Everyone knew that Ning Wei's life in Pure Blood City would be absolutely miserable.

After Ning Wei finished speaking, the wedding ceremony continued.

The Piano music played on.

But no one noticed that the pianist had already left their seat.

Inside the Fortress.

Yan Jing walked up to Mu Tian's door and knocked.

No one answered.

"You're really not going?"

Yan Jing stared at the tightly shut door and said, "Go. They're about to serve the tea. This is probably the only chance you'll ever get in your life to hear him call you 'father.'"

"Are you cursing me to die?"

Mu Tian's voice drifted out from the room.

"Both you and I are fully aware of your condition."

Yan Jing's eyes were calm.

"You want to prepare more, but the reality is that you will only continue to worsen."

"Even if that woman really agreed to your terms, your chances of success right now wouldn't even reach twenty percent."

"But at least it's not going out there right now."

Mu Tian said coldly, "At least it's not going out to throw my life away right now."

"I'll step in. They won't be able to touch you."

"I don't trust you."

"Are you that afraid of dying?"

Hearing Yan Jing's taunt, Mu Tian let out a cold laugh.

"Heh, if I were afraid of dying, I wouldn't have taken that step back then, and I wouldn't be in this state now."

"As long as I can bring Zhuoran back, nothing else matters. Do you understand?"

"Ning Zhuoran is already dead."

"That's only temporary!!!"

Yan Jing's words seemed to strike a nerve, and a hysterical roar exploded from behind the door.

But Yan Jing acted as if he hadn't heard a thing and continued.

"But Ning Wei is still alive."

"The dead are dead, but the living still have to live on."

"Heh, save your grand speeches. You're someone who stepped into the River five times. What right do you have to lecture me?"

This time, Mu Tian wasn't sidetracked by Yan Jing's words. He stated coldly, "I've already handed the Great Prison over to you anyway. I don't care what you do."

"I'm going to wait until the right moment to step out. Anyone who disturbs me now will bear the full brunt of my dying wrath."

Yan Jing didn't try to persuade him any further.

He turned his back to the door and murmured softly, "I went after Wen Qiao because, at the time, there was no one else left by my side who I cared about."

"You think you're the one suffering the most in the world, and you think Ning Zhuoran is the most tragic, but the truth is, Ning Wei is the one who has it worst."

"The father who raised him was arranged by you, his marriage was arranged by you, his mother's fate was arranged by you—even his own fate was arranged by everyone around him."

"He was completely oblivious to everything. He saw a single painting and was so overjoyed, thinking his father genuinely loved his mother. To him, it made the family in his memories actually feel like a real home."

"That's why he accepted this political marriage, even knowing he might spend the rest of his life in agony."

"What do you think he would do if he knew that you were the one who killed his mother?"

"Don't you dare!!!" Mu Tian roared. Surging weird energy smashed against the door, rattling it violently.

"This is more than likely the last chance you'll ever have to speak with him."

Yan Jing delivered his final piece.

"From now on, any news about you will be something he only hears while waiting and fantasizing in Pure Blood City."

With that, Yan Jing left the Fortress.

He didn't head straight back to the wedding venue. By now, the vows had been read, the rings had been exchanged, and the tea ceremony was about to begin.

He couldn't accept Ning Wei's bow, nor did he have any intention of acting as Ning Wei's father.

He found Wen Qiao, who was intently watching the wedding from afar.

"Why are you here?"

Wen Qiao, who was lying on her stomach on the bed, looked up. Tear streaks still marked her cheeks.

"Just hiding out for a bit."

Yan Jing leaned back against the railing.

"How was my Piano playing?"

"It sounded beautiful!!!"

"Is that all?"

"Are you still refusing to say it first?" Yan Jing sighed.

"I told you last time not to wait anymore."

"This test is meant for the brave, and the person you're waiting for hasn't learned how to answer it yet."

"The person I'm waiting for is the bravest person in the world," Wen Qiao said with absolute certainty after a few seconds of silence.

Yan Jing smiled.

Unfortunately, he wasn't.

If there was even a one-in-a-hundred-million chance that this was the River, and he had found the wrong person, everything would be ruined. It was a gamble he couldn't afford to take.

Both he and Wen Qiao were waiting for the other to speak first.

But the one who spoke first might end up losing.

The topic naturally faded away, and Yan Jing casually brought up something else.

"I once met some people from a distant era who wanted to venture into the River of Time to retrieve their lost kin. What would happen if they actually succeeded? If those people were brought back to the exact point in time when they vanished, thousands of years would have passed by now. Wouldn't they just be dead anyway?" "No, they wouldn't."

Wen Qiao hugged her knees, feeling the warmth radiating from Yan Jing's body.

"Those who are retrieved are brought to the present point in time in the exact state they were in when they died. That's how the River tempts people to step into it, and it's also its restriction. If the retrieved person were sent back to the time they originally vanished, the gap between then and now would create thousands of unpredictable possibilities. It would throw everything into chaos."

"Furthermore, if it worked like that, many powerful experts wouldn't bother stepping in to retrieve anyone. For instance, if someone lost their true love at the Seventh Rank and spent a hundred years reaching the Summit, even if they stepped into the River and brought their love back, that person might still die over the course of those hundred years." "I see..."

Yan Jing's eyes flickered. He had finally confirmed the last piece of the puzzle.

By the time Yan Jing returned to the venue, the tea ceremony was over.

The wedding was drawing to a close.

It was time for the final event.

The tossing of the bouquet.

The crowd below was eager to try their luck, but Weng Lingxiao noticed something strange as he looked at the small viewing platforms. Picking up his microphone, he announced, "All Great Prison staff, retreat to the observation deck immediately."

At his words, everyone filed out in an orderly manner, just as they had rehearsed yesterday, heading toward the stairs that connected the Fortress to the heights. There was a custom-built observation deck there, surrounded and protected by the semi-transparent Little Wandering Anomaly No. 1, designated specifically as a safe haven for the crowd.

Weng Lingxiao nervously watched the Ninth Tier Criminals across from him, worried they might seize the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on the ordinary citizens.

Weird energy surged in his palms, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Fortunately, the other side knew full well that ambushing these ordinary people would accomplish nothing. The key... lay in the two figures sitting on chairs at the far edge of their vision.

Zhou Mian, Song Huien, Zhan Cangtian, Bai Chen, and Bai Yue—all of them wanted to test Mu Tian's condition, yet none of them wanted to stick their necks out first. They needed a very delicate opening.

Exchanging a glance, Bai Yue stepped forward and smiled.

"I'm quite interested in this bouquet. I wonder if I can grab it."

Beside Bai Yue, Zhou Mian also smiled.

"Lady Song seems to care a lot about this bouquet. I'd like to see if I can borrow these flowers to present to her."

Zhan Cangtian didn't speak, simply drawing his weapon in silence.

A multi-meter-long Black Iron Great Halberd materialized. The mere act of summoning it into his grip caused a series of fissures to tear through the surrounding space. Rumor had it that this weapon alone weighed tens of thousands of tons, to say nothing of the weird energy and divinity infused within it. It was a true divine armament.

Weng Lingxiao's palms broke out in a sweat.

They were testing the waters.

Suppose Mu Tian didn't rise to the challenge and simply let them take the bouquet.

Then the next wave of probing would likely be far more brazen and immediate.

But if Mu Tian did step up... and showed any sign of weakness—

The Great Prison would be completely finished.

He looked at Yan Jing and took a deep breath.

Yan Jing had said earlier that he would take full responsibility for any fighting.

But... this wasn't exactly a brilliant strategy either.

If Yan Jing struggled against this test, their opponents would realize that Mu Tian was powerless to fight and could only rely on Yan Jing to handle them.

Which meant there was only one way to break this deadlock.

Yan Jing had to display overwhelming dominance and take on all five of them at once!

At least all five...

Wen Xu and Merkel across the way didn't seem to be making any moves yet.

But... was that even possible?

Just then, a soft chuckle rang out.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Yan Jing walked over to the Piano and sat down once more.

"As it happens, I'm quite interested in this bouquet too."

"But this is my home turf after all, and you are all guests. Tell you what, everyone, I'll give you a handicap—I'll only use one hand."

With that, Yan Jing dropped his left hand from the keys, leaving only his right hand resting on the Piano, and offered the crowd a faint smile.