Chapter 83: Guarding Heaven's Pass pt. 4

"This is Jiang Lang-jun who was sent by Xi Da-Niang," the child attendant replied with his head bowed. "Do you find him suitable? If not, there are five more waiting outside."(1)

"What's the rush?" Ming Zhu still maintained his ‘living high and looking down’ demeanour. "Let this one come over first."

The child attendant hesitated, "But, Ruyi Lang, he hasn't drunk the Water of Illumination yet, his body is still full of worldly impurities. If he approaches rashly, I’m afraid he might dirty you..."

Before he could finish his sentence, the 'bride' beside him had already moved. Luo Xu stepped forward to the altar, raised his hand, and lifted the light gauze curtains for Ming Zhuo. The surrounding silver lanterns, floating like fireflies, scattered in fright at his bold move. 

The child attendant was shocked and hurriedly propped himself up, scolding in a sharp voice, "So unruly! I just told you, without permission, you must not approach Master Ruyi! Do you know, doing so will—"

Ignoring the child attendant behind him, Luo Xu addressed Ming Zhu, "Now that I'm this close, how do I look?"

Ming Zhuo, sitting on the lotus pedestal and slightly elevated above him, examined him, "A person is a person, and clothes are clothes, they look unrelated."

Luo Xu asked, "What do you mean by 'unrelated'?"

"When others wear this attire, it's for a wedding," Ming Zhuo said. "When you wear it, it looks like you're here to disrupt the wedding."

"That's not far off," Luo Xu glanced upwards, noticing the blood curse beneath the jewellery on Ming Zhuo's chest. His tone remained unchanged, "When I heard this little attendant say there were five more grooms waiting outside, I indeed felt a bit vicious in my heart."

"Jealousy is a major flaw," Ming Zhuo’s finger pointed vaguely at his chest, "The river god's brides' number in the hundreds and thousands, how many times can your wicked heart endure?"

Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu entered the formation together. As soon as Ming Zhuo opened his eyes, he found himself on the lotus platform. Fortunately, the boy was serving beside him, and being somewhat foolish and talkative, he quickly explained the identity of "Ruyi Lang" and the matter of marriage.

It turned out this place was called Wuyou Cheng,(2) and Ruyi Lang was its deity. No one knew his origins, only that he was promiscuous by nature and was addicted to forced marriages. To please him, the local people often offered brides to him. Previously, he only wanted brides, but recently, for some unknown reason, he suddenly changed his preference and started marrying men. The boy was sent by him to scour the city for portraits of young men. The Ruyi Lang observed celestial phenomena and calculated birthdates, choosing six young men from those portraits, with Luo Xu, disguised as this "Jiang Lang-jun," being one of them.

Ming Zhuo did not know Luo Xu's situation on the road, so he used this conversation to remind Luo Xu that this river god was very sinister. He had married so many brides, yet none could be seen in the temple. It was unclear whether he hid them or ate them.

"When urging me into the bridal sedan chair, it was so hurried. Now that we should be paying respects, you blame me for being jealous," Luo Xu said. "Is one of me not enough?"

"Not enough," Ming Zhuo's golden arm bracelets jingled lightly as he pretended to lift Luo Xu's chin with three fingers. "What are your strengths?"

The silver lamps, frightened, scattered and fell behind the offering platform, twinkling faintly, unable to fully illuminate the lotus platform. The golden leaf on Ming Zhuo's forehead faintly glowed, resembling a crescent moon. This pattern was common in Peidu because the people of the Six Prefectures also called the crescent moon "silver tooth," a symbol of the moon god's dim light. However, the "Ruyi Lang" that Ming Zhuo was playing here was clearly a river god. Why did he have a silver tooth on his forehead?

Luo Xu said, "My strengths..."

"Ruyi Lang!" The boy, seeing that Ming Zhuo was about to touch Luo Xu, couldn't care about anything else and hurriedly grabbed Luo Xu's sleeve. "He hasn't drunk the Water of Illumination yet, you absolutely mustn't touch him, you absolutely mustn't!"

It was hard for him, a little turnip, to even let go of the jade ruyi. He practically used all his strength to drag Luo Xu backwards: “The Water of Illumination is just outside; I’ll immediately call someone to bring it in!”

Luo Xu, thinking that “Jiang Lang-jun” didn’t know either, asked, “What is the Water of Illumination?”

“Xi Da-Niang didn’t explain it to you?” The boy’s face was flushed red. “The Water of Illumination is the river water below because it has been blessed by Ruyi Lang, it is also called the Water of Illumination. You must drink that water to enter the bridal chamber with Ruyi Lang!”

Ming Zhuo said, “What happens if he doesn’t drink it?”

The boy was sweating profusely in his anxiety: “If one doesn’t drink it, things will go wrong! Don’t you remember? You are a divine being, and if you are tainted by worldly filth, you can no longer be a god!”

Strange, strange!

Ming Zhuo had read many myths about deities in Peidu and had never heard of any deity who couldn’t touch mortals. This Ruyi Lang was truly bizarre. Was this the self-image Lin Changming imagined, or was it an identity he fabricated without basis?

Just then, another boy in colorful clothes ran in from outside the hall. This boy looked exactly like the one in front of them and knelt to the ground, saying crisply: “Ruyi Lang, a bride has broken in!”

Ming Zhuo said, “Broken in?”

The boy said, “Yes! He’s carrying a sword and has fought his way in!”

A blur appeared at the hall’s entrance, and the “bride” had already entered. Ming Zhuo and Luo Xu both looked over and saw that this “bride” was also a man. Not only was he a man, but he was also a handsome man.

Luo Xu frowned slightly and called out the intruder’s name, “Lin Changming.”

The one who entered was none other than Lin Changming, who had led them into the sealing formation. However, this version was a younger, more dashing Lin Changming!

This Lin Changming held a sword adorned with golden fish ornaments on its tassel. He scanned the hall and his gaze fell on Luo Xu as he called out, “Shifu.”

This address of “Shifu” stunned the two people in the hall.

—Strange, strange, strange!

Ruyi Lang wasn’t Ruyi Lang, Jiang Lang-jun wasn’t Jiang Lang-jun, and now even Lin Changming wasn’t Lin Changming. How could the world in this formation be so chaotic‽

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Foot Notes

1. It’s like calling someone “Auntie” or “Madame”, he’s referring to the Matchmaker from the last chapter.

2. 无忧城 (Wú yōu chéng) is “No worries city”.