Chapter 249: Chapter 41: Escaped, But Not Completely
 

By the time Xu Yinglian was pulled out the door, she realized that all the maids outside had disappeared, seemingly sent away in advance.

“Stop making a fuss!” she finally reacted, trying to break free from her senior brother’s grip, “Even our master is on the guest list this time, don’t act on impulse!”

“I am not acting on impulse,” Qiu Changtian said with a smile, “Don’t you think that, at least in this marriage, the family should give you a choice?”

“I did say that,” Xu Yinglian stiffened her face, reprimanding him coldly, “But that’s no reason for you to act recklessly now!”

“Act recklessly? I don’t think so,” Qiu Changtian said with a grin, “Tell me honestly, Junior Sister, if everything were to go according to the family’s arrangements this time, wouldn’t it be a lifelong regret for you?”

“So what if it is?” Xu Yinglian said angrily, “The reason I’m willing to endure this humiliation is because…”

Her words came to an abrupt end since Qiu Changtian had already reached out and gently wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes—she didn’t even realize when she had started crying.

“Junior Sister Xu,” Qiu Changtian said earnestly dropping his smile, “As long as you’re willing to call me Senior Brother, I won’t let you be humiliated anymore.”

“You!” Xu Yinglian started to panic, trying to retreat instinctively, but was embraced by Qiu Changtian.

Sensing Senior Brother was about to forcefully take her away, Xu Yinglian quickly tried to shout, but her mouth was sealed by him again.

The Yu Long Sword flew out of his sleeve, turning into a golden sword light, wrapping them both in an instant and soaring into the sky.

Only above the clouds did Qiu Changtian finally let go of his breathless Junior Sister and laughed out loud:

“Who do you think I am? I am Qiu Changtian, the Chief Disciple of Kunlun! If I can’t even protect my Junior Sister from being wronged, what kind of lousy Senior Brother would I be!”

“You bastard!” Xu Yinglian, frustrated, pounded his chest forcefully several times, but then wrapped her arms around her senior brother.

It wasn’t because she was moved by him, but because the Yu Long Sword was flying too high, and it seemed dangerous… she told herself silently, closing her eyes and resting her face against her senior brother’s chest.

About a quarter of an hour later, the Xu Family members, realizing the bride and groom were both missing, immediately became like ants on a hot pan, running about in confusion.

“What’s going on?” The patriarch of the Xu Family, along with the elders, came rushing in, looking at the deserted bridal chamber and the maids trembling on the ground, pounding his walking stick and asking furiously, “How could this happen? Could it be that Yinglian and the groom had a quarrel, and parted on bad terms?”

“Never mind that for now!” an elder said in panic, “The ceremonial items are all ready at the family grounds, and the clan members have all gathered, but what should we do next!”

“What to do, what to do…” the patriarch of the Xu Family gritted his teeth in anger, when suddenly Xu Changqing parted the crowd of elders and stepped forward.

“True Person Qing Yang, what should we do?” the elders buzzed with questions.

“Qiu Changtian had already spoken to me about this matter earlier,” True Person Qing Yang, Xu Changqing, said calmly without any panic.

“This…” the elders looked at each other in confusion.

“Qiu Changtian said,” True Person Qing Yang continued, “Yinglian does not dislike the marriage, what she doesn’t want is for the family to forcibly intervene in the marriage.”

The expressions on the elders’ faces were bewildered; so, you were willing at first, but if the family helps arrange it, you’re not willing—what kind of reasoning is this?

“Therefore, Qiu Changtian wanted to ask for her opinion first,” True Person Qing Yang said with a smile, “If Yinglian decides not to follow the family’s arrangement, then he will take her away directly. As a Kunlun Cultivator, one should pursue an unobstructed state of mind and realm, how can one bow to mere formalities for some vain reputation? Being clouded in thought is a minor issue, but affecting further cultivation is a major concern.”

The elders fell silent, while the patriarch of the Xu Family thought for a moment and then his face lit up with joy.

Indeed, with both the bride and groom gone, the wedding could not continue.

However, this precisely illustrated another point, “Similarly arranged in marriage, Qiu Changtian bore no dissatisfaction with the match.”

On the contrary, he valued Xu Yinglian’s feelings so much that he didn’t hesitate to elope with her prematurely just to spare her a bit of grievance.

(Here, the Xu Family Patriarch had already defined their actions as “leaving early,” rather than “eloping.”)

While failing to hold a wedding was certainly embarrassing, if it could be exchanged for a closely related son-in-law of the Xu Family who was also a genius with Daoist Heart Clarity, then losing face was truly worth the significant substance gained, making him more than satisfied.

“Then what should be done about the wedding?” An elder, not catching the implication, asked with a frown.

“No matter,” said Qing Yang True Person with a smile, “Let’s first gather the clan members in the inner residence and prevent them from going out, pretending that Junior Brother Qiu is inside participating in the ancestral rites.”

“I’ll go out to receive the guests, and after the feast is over, we’ll just say the wedding ceremony has been completed,” he continued.

“But what if someone asks why the bride and groom are not seen…” Another elder asked with concern.

“I’ll handle it,” said Qing Yang True Person.

Thus, there were no further objections from the crowd.

Meanwhile, Qiu Changtian had already brought Xu Yinglian back to Kunlun, landing at the entrance to her cave dwelling.

At this time, all the junior brothers and sisters were at the Xu Family of Southern Heaven’s clan territory attending the wedding banquet, so Golden Ridge was deserted with not a soul in sight, with only numerous white feathered immortal cranes resting there, leisurely preening their feathers.

“Let me go,” Xu Yinglian said, releasing the hand that had been holding her senior brother the moment they landed, and shyly jabbing him with her elbow.

Qiu Changtian loosened his grip around her waist, thinking Junior Sister Xu’s waist was indeed both slim and soft… no, should he now call her his virtuous wife?

He furrowed his brow slightly, troubled, and said,

“Junior Sister, since we have eloped, does it mean we are not yet Daoist Companions? If I refer to myself as ‘your husband,’ would it be improper and presumptuous?”

Upon hearing the term “your husband,” Xu Yinglian first appeared slightly dazed, then felt discomfort, and responded with a bitter smile,

“Let’s not. I’m used to calling you Senior Brother.”

“Is that so,” Qiu Changtian nodded.

“As for whether or not we’re Daoist Companions, does it matter?” Xu Yinglian blinked and suddenly laughed, “Everybody knows that I am already united with Senior Brother as Daoist Companions, and even the clan will surely not publicize the matter, declaring that the wedding was wholly conducted.”

“Whether I address you as my husband or as Senior Brother in the future, what difference does it make? As for the so-called ‘proper and appropriate,’ we no longer need a ceremony to prove it.”

Her smile was radiant and beautiful, less of the cold, ethereal charm she usually conveyed and more of an overflow of warmth and happiness, almost mesmerizing Qiu Changtian.

But he quickly regained his composure, teasing her deliberately,

“So Junior Sister also takes heed of public opinion. I thought such a detached and transcendent Phoenix Immortal as Junior Sister had long since triumphed over material concerns and did not care about how others viewed her.”

“Public opinion can kill, who wouldn’t fear it?” Xu Yinglian didn’t get angry, but merely continued to smile, “As for the title of ‘Phoenix Immortal,’ I do like it but also don’t mind it.”

“What then does Junior Sister care about?” Qiu Changtian pressed on.

The answer he received was a gentle kiss.