荒墟牧神 - 第381章 紅燭新婚夜 - 錦書坊

The dragon qilin carried them to the small town ahead, and the blind elder immediately set to work. He bought a phoenix crown and rosy bridal robes, then prepared several garments and a big red flower for Shen Mu, and hired a few old women to dress Shen Mu, Ling Yuxiu, Si Yunxiang, and Snow Fox. "Emperor Yanfeng has lost his daughter and may come looking for her. Better to avoid trouble down the road—best to hold the wedding night at once!" The blind elder took some Great Feng coins from the little fox's pocket, bought a large estate, purchased a few maidservants, and bustled about front and back; today they would perform the bows and be married. Shen Mu was bound tightly, but his cultivation remained, so he quietly blew his golden flute, sending several flood dragons to ambush the blind elder and tie him up. Yet scarcely had the golden flute sounded, before he had even established contact with the flood dragons, the blind elder sensed it and tapped Shen Mu's brow with his bamboo staff. At once Shen Mu heard pops echoing within his body—his three great spirit repositories, the Six Harmonies, the Five Luminaries, and the Spirit Fetus, were all forcibly sealed shut by the blind elder. Fearing some trick, the blind elder also sealed the spirit repositories of Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang. Seeing him walk toward her, Snow Fox leaped up excitedly and said, "Don't worry, Blind Grandpa—Ling'er won't run!" The blind elder untied the golden rope on Snow Fox and said, "I'll loosen your bonds. You keep an eye on them for me while I go order a few tables of wine and hire an opera troupe." "You bet!" the little fox said cheerfully. "Traitor!" Ling Yuxiu and Si Yunxiang glared at her together. Snow Fox looked smug, hopped onto a chair, and swung her braids. "Blind Grandpa really is an old hand..." Shen Mu marveled inwardly, filled with admiration. The blind elder's divine ability to seal cultivation came as easily as plucking a flower—he had sealed all three of them, so that no matter what tricks they had, they could not use them. "Fat Dragon, come here." Shen Mu's eyes flickered as he summoned the dragon qilin and said, "Carry us and run!" The dragon qilin shook its head. "Can't outrun him. Better not to run at all." With that, it swished its tail and went to the door to stand guard. Shen Mu stared blankly, thinking the dragon qilin really did need to go on a strict diet. When night fell, Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu were held up by several old women and forced through the wedding bows. The blind elder had invited nearly everyone in the town, taking no gift money, to witness the ceremony. The opera troupe was an ordinary one—suona horns and trumpets, very rustic. The wedding was naturally extremely boisterous, and in the end, Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu were escorted by the rowdy townsfolk into the bridal chamber. When Snow Fox saw that the bride was not herself, she was very unhappy and drank herself dead drunk at the banquet, spouting nonsense. The blind elder waved his hand and said, "Come again tomorrow—tomorrow we'll hold another one! The groom will still be this groom, but the bride will be swapped for another!" "This groom really has good fortune!" the crowd praised, dispersing one after another. Snow Fox jumped onto the wine table, lugging a wine jar bigger than herself, and said drunkenly, "Blind Grandpa, tomorrow I want to be the bride!" "Good, good," the blind elder nodded repeatedly. In the bridal chamber, Shen Mu and Ling Yuxiu sat on the edge of the bed, listening to the clamor outside gradually fade, both feeling somewhat frightened and anxious. After a moment, Ling Yuxiu lifted a corner of her bridal veil and secretly peeked at Shen Mu sitting beside her with the big red flower on his chest. Shen Mu was anxiously plucking at the red flower, and she suddenly burst into laughter. Shen Mu glared at her. "You can still laugh! If your father finds out, he'll surely have my head!" Ling Yuxiu wanted to lift her veil, rolled her eyes, and said