270: Chapter 270 Red Silk Ice Qi

Within the Shuangyue Sect.

This place was covered in a layer of thin snow year-round, with cold mist lingering amidst the overlapping peaks.

The palace halls were all built from white jade, crystal clear yet exuding a chilling indifference that kept people at a distance.

Inside the Cold Moon Hall of the main peak, sandalwood incense curled upward but could not dispel the biting cold within. Yue Xi stood quietly in the hall, clad in a moon-white long dress. Her waist was slender, her skin fairer than snow, and her ink-black hair was tied back with only a single ice-jade hairpin. Her exquisite and pretty face was truly city-toppling.

On the main seat, Gui Suer, the Sect Master of the Shuangyue Sect, sat regally in black robes. Her gaze fell upon the Disciple below, carrying a hint of scrutiny.

"Yue Xi, do you truly agree to this matter?"

Gui Suer spoke, her voice cold and clear like shattering jade. "Although that Ye Tianhao is a direct Disciple of the Qingyun Sect, the Ye family is ultimately just a small secular clan dependent on the Qingyun Sect. You are my personal Disciple, the pearl of our Sect. To condescend and marry down like this is a grievance to you."

Had the Qingyun Sect not insisted on a direct Disciple for their cooperation, she wouldn't have wanted to sacrifice her own Disciple.

Yue Xi lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting a cold shadow. Her tone was flat and rippleless, devoid of any tender affection.

Instead, it sounded like she was discussing a Sect transaction: "This Disciple has no grievances to speak of.

The Qingyun Sect is weak but has a solid Foundation. As for Ye Tianhao, I met him in the Minghai Realm; he has a steady Heart-Nature and exceptional Aptitude. He is by no means mediocre and is worthy of this political marriage."

She paused, then looked up directly at the Sect Master, her eyes clear yet sharp. "Furthermore, the Lingxiao and Ganglei Sects are pressing closer step by step. Our Shuangyue Sect has been content with being a corner of West Ridge for too long. If we do not use the Qingyun Sect's hand to gain a foothold in the Tiangong Market, we will eventually be devoured by those two Sects.

This marriage is a path I am paving for the Sect."

To the side of the hall, several Elders exchanged glances upon hearing this, all nodding secretly.

The Shuangyue Sect had always prioritized Sect interests over personal emotions. Seeing Yue Xi so level-headed actually relieved some of their concerns.

Only one white-haired Elder frowned slightly and offered a reminder: "That may be so, but the Ye family has a fierce temperament. Their previous message explicitly refused the idea of him joining our Sect as a son-in-law. If we put on too many airs, I fear it will aggravate the conflict and instead ruin the alliance between our two Sects."

Gui Suer gave a faint smile. "The Ye family has some backbone; I actually appreciate that. If they were a spineless clan, there would be no use in them clinging to us."

She looked at Yue Xi, her tone softening slightly. "You and Ye Tianhao are both Cultivators. Love is but an illusion; you only need to be each other's support. There is no need to invest true feelings, lest you become entangled in karma and delay your progress on the Great Dao."

"This Disciple will keep the Sect Master's teachings in mind."

Yue Xi bowed in salute, her posture as upright as a winter pine. She lacked any of the shyness of a bride-to-be, possessing instead the steadiness of someone heading for a new post.

"Once the wedding date is set, I can depart for the Qingyun Sect's territory to marry Ye Tianhao.

During my absence, I will entrust Sect affairs to my Senior Sister. I will never let personal matters delay the Sect's grand plans."

Gui Suer nodded with satisfaction and waved her hand for Yue Xi to withdraw. "Go then. Prepare your dowry; it need not be extravagant, but it must showcase the dignity of our Shuangyue Sect. I will dispatch two Foundation Establishment Elders to accompany you and ensure your safety."

Yue Xi withdrew as ordered, her steps steady as she walked out of the Cold Moon Hall.

Outside the hall, the wind and snow rose suddenly, blowing against her moon-white dress, but they could not dispel the indifference in her eyes.

She stood atop the cold peak, looking toward the east where the Qingyun Sect was located, her fingertips tightening slightly.

Others might say she was a pawn of the Sect, forced into marriage, but only she knew that her choice of Ye Tianhao held a sliver of selfishness beyond Sect interests.

The Ice Soul Art she cultivated required Yang Qi to harmonize it. Ye Tianhao was a Sword Cultivator who focused solely on cultivation and had never broken his Primal Yang for a woman.

Compared to those other scions of noble families, he was her best choice. He was perfect for helping her Cultivate the Ice Soul Art through this union.

One month later.

The entire Ye family was fluttering with red silk, draped from the bluestone steps at the entrance all the way to the main hall.

Since it was the wedding of the Ye family's eldest grandson and an alliance with the Shuangyue Sect, the wedding was incredibly lively.

The manor was decorated with lanterns and streamers, and servants bustled about. Ye Xuan, dressed in a dark red brocade robe, felt the worry in his brow dissipate slightly, yet his mind remained tense. He stood with his wife Wu Guiyun to receive the Sect Elders and surrounding families who came to offer their congratulations.

This was the first time so many families had come to congratulate them since the Ye family began widely recruiting Retainers. Even Ye Yi did not dare to relax in the slightest, working with his wife Liu Xianglan to handle the wedding arrangements.

Inside a guest room in the inner courtyard.

Ye Tianhao, who had finally returned home, was dressed in a bright red wedding robe with his ink-black hair tied up, making his face look even more handsome and sharp.

Wu Guiyun watched her twenty-two-year-old son getting married today, her eyes welling with tears.

"Tian Hao, Mother knows your heart is set on the Dao and you've never cared for these secular marriages. Although this alliance is a grand plan for both Sects, you must not wrong yourself."

She paused, looking at her son's handsome but joyless face, and sighed softly. "The Shuangyue Sect is far away in West Ridge, where it snows all year round. Their Sect style has always been cold and hard, and Miss Yue is the Sect Master's personal Disciple with a noble status.

You have a straightforward personality. When you interact with her in the future, if you get along, then treat her well. If it's truly difficult, you don't need to force yourself. The Ye family will always be your support."

Ye Tianhao looked down at his mother's reddened eyes and said warmly, "Mother, don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

Seeing this, Wu Guiyun still felt concerned, but she didn't say more. She pulled over the two boys in red clothes beside her; they both had the same face.

They were the twins Liu Xianglan had given birth to, Ye Tianchi and Ye Tianfeng. For the sake of auspiciousness, the two youngest twins in the family were acting as page boys to accompany Ye Tianhao in welcoming Yue Xi.

It was just a pity that Ye Jing was currently in secluded cultivation, and even Tianyao was said to be absent because she was pushing for Foundation Establishment. They were the ones closest to Ye Tianhao.

Thinking of this, Wu Guiyun sighed helplessly.

The respectful voice of a servant came from outside: "Young Master, Madam, the Shuangyue Sect's welcoming party has arrived."

At the same time, from the direction of West Ridge, a group of Shuangyue Sect Disciples dressed in moon-white ice-patterned robes escorted a wedding carriage carved entirely from cold ice jade, slowly entering the Qingyun Sect's territory.

Icy mist swirled around the wedding carriage. Even under the bright sun, it didn't melt in the slightest. The curtains were tightly closed, obscuring the person inside, but it drew the attention of passing Cultivators who stopped to watch, their expressions filled with awe.

Yue Xi sat inside the carriage, her aura as cold as ever. She had simply changed into a bright red wedding dress embroidered with ice lotus patterns, and her ice-jade hairpin was replaced with a phoenix hairpin adorned with pearls, yet it still failed to hide the biting cold around her.

She closed her eyes to regulate her breathing, her mind not on the wedding but on carefully sensing the direction of Ye Tianhao's aura.

"Yue Xi, the Qingyun Sect's mountain gate is just ahead. The Ye family's welcoming party is already waiting."

The accompanying Foundation Establishment Elder reported softly, her tone carrying a hint of respect.

Although Yue Xi was a Disciple, she was the Sect Master's personal Disciple and the key figure in this alliance. No one in the Shuangyue Sect dared to be negligent.

Yue Xi slowly opened her eyes, an icy blue spiritual light flashing through them as she gave a faint response: "Understood."

She lifted a corner of the curtain and looked at the tall figure standing under the red silk not far away. The man was in a wedding robe but had a cold expression, his entire being exuding a sword intent that warned others not to approach. It was indeed Ye Tianhao.

In the moment their eyes met, there was no flutter of romantic affection, only the mutual scrutiny of two Cultivators, as if sizing up an evenly matched bargaining chip or confirming each other's trump cards.

Ye Tianhao stood at the front, followed by his siblings Tianhui, Tianyao, Tianxue, Tianchi, and Tianfeng, who were particularly eye-catching.

Each sibling possessed such an elegant bearing that it was hard for people to look away.

Ye Tianhao stepped forward, his posture upright. He reached out to signal her to step down from the carriage, his voice steady and rippleless: "Miss Yue, you've had a long journey."

There was no intimate address, no unnecessary pleasantries, only the distance appropriate for Sect etiquette.

Yue Xi nodded slightly and responded through the curtain: "Young Master Ye is too kind."

Just four short words, cold as ice, just like her personality.

The wedding procession moved forward slowly. Red silk intertwined with icy mist, and festivity collided with the biting cold, creating a scene that was both strange and harmonious.