The morning sun rose behind a veil of peach-tinted clouds, casting the entire Li Clan estate in a warm, ethereal glow.
Crimson lanterns fluttered in the summer wind, suspended from intricately carved wooden beams and bronze chains.
Silk banners unfurled from the eaves, embroidered with auspicious dragons and phoenixes.
The courtyard had been swept thrice already.
Rows of servants and maids bustled about like ants before a storm, laying out red satin carpets across the stone pathways.
Musicians from the imperial city arrived before dawn, tuning their zithers and flutes with practiced hands.
The air was heady with the scent of sandalwood and peach blossoms, the latter scattered in baskets to be strewn before the bridal procession.
Inside the bride's quarters, red silk draped the walls like bloodied waterfalls. The bridal bed was cloaked in a phoenix-patterned canopy, its wooden pillars tied with tassels dyed in crimson and gold.
A pair of silver candlesticks stood by the altar, each lit with a long wick, the flames steady and vigilant.
Li Xue sat before a bronze mirror, staring at her image a bit too much. No one knows what's going on in her head.
A pair of maids carefully applied rouge to her cheeks, and another combed her long black hair, coiling it into an intricate bun adorned with golden pins shaped like twin dragons.
As a final touch, a phoenix crown was set atop her head.
"Ahh, Lady Xue looked like a celestial maiden descended from heaven in her wedding robes," said a maid.
"Why does she look sad, though?" whispered another maid.
"Don't you know that no one likes this marriage apart from the Patriarch?" Another maid scolded her in a hushed tone.
Meanwhile, Li Xue's fingers curled slightly in her lap as she stared at her reflection. "So this is what it means to become someone's wife," she murmured under her breath.
Down in the outer courtyards, the clan grounds grew crowded as important guests began to arrive.
The ministers of nearby cities, envoys from prestigious clans, and cultivators from neighboring sects passed through the gates under fluttering banners.
The atmosphere brimmed with pride and political undertones due to the fact that it was an alliance sanctioned by the Emperor himself. So, especially those from the capital city ought to arrive.
And then came the guests from the groom's side, the Qin Clan of Yongzhou, arguably one of the top three most powerful clans in the Empire of Great Liang.
Their entourage was distinct from the others. Tall men in cloud-gray robes, embroidered with silver thunder motifs, descended from sleek spiritual beasts and jade carriages. At their head was a man who emanated the silent authority of a mountain. The grandmaster swordsman who fought beside the emperor and married his only sister.
Qin Zhenhai, the Patriarch of the Qin Clan, walked with a dignified step. His long beard was neatly combed, and his eyes gleamed with profound qi. Rumors say that he is on the doorstep to becoming a half-deity.
To his left was Elder Qin Jian, the Second Elder, stoic and scholarly, known for sealing entire rivers with his brush techniques, a grand sorcerer. He was Qin Zhenhai's first cousin.
On his right stood Elder Qin Mo, the Third Elder, short-tempered but fiercely loyal, clad in tiger-hide armor and exuding martial ferocity. Just as the other two, he too was a grandmaster Martial Artist.
As the Qin Clan greeted the Li family with perfunctory bows and customary gifts, the guests watched with silent awe. The Li Clan had money, the Qin Clan had might. It's a dangerous alliance, someone whispered.
But just as the final preparation call rang through the estate and the procession prepared to escort the groom to the ancestral shrine, a maid stumbled into the courtyard, face pale as parchment.
"Y-Young Master Qin is missing!"
At first, no one moved. The flute players faltered; the dancers froze. Patriarch Li Yujin slowly turned his head, brows twitching as if he hadn't heard correctly.
"What did you say?" he asked with quiet danger.
"The young master is not in his room! And not in the bath! We… we've searched the entire inner hall! He is gone, my lord!"
A ripple of murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. The wedding bells had yet to chime, and what he feared the most just happened.
"Fools!" Li Yujin roared, his voice like a whip cracking through glass. "Mobilize the entire household! I want every corner, every rooftop, every shadow searched! If this is a prank, someone will lose a limb!"
Maids scrambled. Guards dashed off in every direction at once. The bridal music was silenced, and the estate plunged into chaotic tension.
Qin Zhenhai's face remained composed, but the faint flicker of qi at his fingertips betrayed his irritation. "Li Yujin," he said slowly, "your household allowed my son, your future son-in-law, to vanish under your nose?"
"We will find him!" Li Yujin growled. "I swear on the ancestors of the Li Clan, whoever is behind this will be punished severely!"
"No need," Qin Zhenhai said calmly, reaching into his sleeve. "If I'm right, that infilial brat of mine would have escaped on seeing an opportunity."
He withdrew a soul crystal, clear as spring water and etched with crimson runes. A moment later, his fingers glowed with gentle light as he poured his qi into the crystal. The gem pulsed once… twice… then shimmered with an internal glow. Within its depths, a tiny dot began to flicker, a moving light along a trail.
Qin Zhenhai's eyes narrowed. "That's odd. He is moving at high speed. That foolish son of mine doesn't have the strength to move at such speed even on a flat road, much less in a mountainous region."
He pressed deeper into the crystal's energy, reading its faint spiritual link. "He's at Mount Wudang. Heading down the trails."
Li Yujin's jaw clenched. "Mount Wudang? That's almost 800 li west! I'll kill whoever dared to abduct him and bring him back."
Li Yujin then turned to his captain of guards. "Prepare a flying treasure! I want my best warriors on this! Elders, assemble a tracking unit! Bring him back safely or don't come back at all!"
The elders bowed and vanished in streaks of light.
Qin Zhenhai held the crystal, still glowing softly in his palm. "I'll leave it to you, Patriarch Li," he said quietly.
"You have my word," Li Yujin replied.
Back in the bride's chamber, Li Xue stood at the window, her phoenix crown tilted slightly forward from leaning.
She had heard the news.
The groom was missing.
She didn't know whether to feel relieved or betrayed. However, she couldn't help but wonder where her fiancé had gone.
Meanwhile, on Mt Wudang, a lone figure could be seen descending the rugged path at high speed.
Qin Wei trudged forward at a steady pace, his boots scuffing against gravel and damp earth. His robes, though still clean, were loosely tied, giving him the look of someone who had left in a hurry or someone who had ceased caring about appearances entirely.
A translucent holographic screen hovered silently before him, its ghostly light dancing in his eyes, Xielun Yan spinning faintly in his irises.
The screen displayed an Emergency Mission in bold, golden characters:
EMERGENCY MISSION: ESCAPE THE MARRIAGE
Time Remaining: 00:53:18
Objective: Exit Li Clan territory and descend Mount Wudang.
Reward: +10 Talent Points, Wood Element Affinity
Qin Wei let out a long sigh, dragging a hand through his disheveled hair. "Tch. If only it had mentioned ten talent points, I wouldn't have taken this risk to run away, but the wood element… C'mon, for that, forget about Li Clan, I would offend even the damn Emperor. With the wood element and Xielun Yan, I would be able to earn the qualifications to awaken Lunhui Yan, the Samsara Eye. Who would dare to punish me then?"