140: Chapter 140 The land serves as a canopy, the stars as candles, the domineering sword lowers its brows, eliciting a delicate cry.

In the capital of the Yankang Kingdom, the night was like ink, and the stars filled the sky.

The entire magnificent imperial palace was now completely wrapped in red silk that filled the sky.

The bright yellow Dragon flags, which usually symbolized supreme imperial power, had all been torn down.

They were replaced with grand red wedding banners embroidered with the totem of the Heavenly Demon Sect and the auspicious imagery of the Dragon and Phoenix.

Deep within the forbidden palace lay the "Panlong Hall," where generations of Yankang emperors had rested.

But tonight, not even a single eunuch or palace maid dared to approach this, the most heavily guarded and sacred palace in the Yankang Kingdom.

Within a radius of a thousand zhang, the area was tightly sealed by a terrifying Sword Intent interwoven with pure Yang and Taiyi; let alone a person...

Even a fly, if it dared to approach this area by half a step, would be instantly shredded into nothingness.

As for the Old Emperor who had surrendered his empire, he could only aggrievedly huddle with a group of concubines and eunuchs.

Sitting on the cold benches in a side hall, listening to the wind whipping against the red silk outside, he dared not even breathe loudly.

This was the rule brought about by absolute power.

Inside the Panlong Hall, Dragon and Phoenix wedding candles as thick as a child's arm burned quietly, illuminating the spacious and luxurious palace in a hazy, amorous red.

On the massive Dragon bed, crafted from ten-thousand-year-old agarwood and covered in Nine Nether Ice Silkworm silk, sat a slender and stunningly beautiful figure.

Ling Yuxiu was draped in a complex and magnificent bright red cloud brocade wedding dress, wearing a Nine Phoenix gold hairpin weighing several pounds.

The bright red veil obscured her vision, but it could not hide her heaving chest and slightly trembling jade hands.

She had once been the most favored yet most helpless Seventh Princess in this imperial city, "Fat Seven," tormented to the point of agony by the backlash of the royal Cultivation Technique.

She had thought her fate in this life was either to die under that bizarre Cultivation Technique or to become a marriage tool for her father, the Old Emperor, to maintain his power.

Until that man carrying a wine gourd kicked away all the gloom in her life.

He cured her hidden ailment, shed her excess weight, and gave her the most perfect, celestial beauty in this world.

And today, he had even come alone, right in front of all the civil and military officials, and trampled the Yankang imperial power—which symbolized the highest authority in the world—under his feet.

Just to turn this imperial palace into a bridal chamber prepared for her, Ling Yuxiu, alone!

"Creak—"

The heavy palace doors were gently pushed open.

Accompanying a gust of night wind came the extremely mellow and pleasant aroma of Western Regions strong liquor, as well as that man's unhurried footsteps.

Ling Yuxiu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously tightened her grip on the silk handkerchief in her hand.

The footsteps stopped in front of the Dragon bed.

There was no chanting from a matchmaker, no tedious rituals with a measuring rod.

A long, slender hand with distinct knuckles, accustomed to holding a sword, gently pinched the edge of the bright red veil and lifted it with a flick.

The red veil slid off, revealing Ling Yuxiu's face, illuminated by the candlelight.

A peerless countenance beautiful enough to drive any man in the world mad.

Her brows were like distant mountains, her eyes like autumn waters, and her luscious red lips were slightly pursed.

Her skin, originally as white as mutton-fat jade, was now flushed with an alluring crimson hue.

Combined with that magnificent phoenix crown and rosy cape, at this moment, Ling Yuxiu was truly like a goddess from the Nine Heavens descending to the mortal realm, beautiful enough to topple cities.

"Hoo..."

Even Ye Xiu, who had seen countless beauties, felt his breath catch slightly at this moment.

He stood before the bed, his golden and silver heterochromatic eyes, which usually radiated arrogance and murderous intent.

Now seemed to have transformed into the gentlest spring water, gazing deeply at the beauty before him.

"Yuxiu, you are... truly beautiful today."

Ye Xiu's voice was slightly hoarse, carrying a seductive magnetism.

Hearing this call, Ling Yuxiu could no longer control the turmoil in her heart.

She raised her head, her watery, beautiful eyes instantly brimming with mist, and crystal-clear tears slid down her cheeks, dripping onto her bright red wedding dress.

"Husband..."

She threw herself into Ye Xiu's arms, hugging his lean and powerful waist tightly, as if she wanted to knead her entire being into his very bones and blood.

"Why are you crying? Today is our joyous day, and Sect Leader has even snatched this Old Emperor's Dragon bed to be our wedding bed; are you not satisfied?"

Ye Xiu chuckled, sat down on the edge of the bed, and pulled the beauty into his lap.

He extended his thumb, slightly calloused, and gently wiped the tears from the corners of Ling Yuxiu's eyes.

"No... that's not it..."

Ling Yuxiu shook her head, but the tears only flowed more as he wiped them.

She tilted up her tear-stained, pretty face, looking at Ye Xiu's sharp and handsome face, her voice choked with sobs:

"I just... I just feel like I'm dreaming. Husband, do you know how afraid I was when I heard in The Great Ruins that for my sake, you wanted my father to surrender the empire and wanted to marry me in Canlao Village..."

"I was afraid that for me, you would bear eternal infamy; I was afraid that the world would call you a traitor who coveted beauty and plotted against the empire. I am just a woman, I only want to be your wife peacefully and securely; I don't want you to go against the whole world for my sake..."

Listening to Ling Yuxiu's incoherent, passionate confession, Ye Xiu's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something.

This world-renowned Wine Sword Immortal, who killed without blinking, lowered his arrogant brows at this moment.

He did not use any high-sounding words to refute her, but instead cupped Ling Yuxiu's cheeks in his hands and planted a gentle kiss on her soft, warm red lips.

"Silly girl."

Ye Xiu's forehead rested against hers, his golden and silver heterochromatic eyes filled with unquestionable dominance and deep affection:

"What is this empire worth? Is it even worthy of me, Ye Xiu, to covet?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the landscape outside the window covered by red silk, and the brilliant galaxy hanging high above the Nine Heavens.

"In the eyes of the world, this is the vast Yankang empire, the supreme imperial power. But in my, Ye Xiu's, eyes, this broken empire isn't even fit to serve as a tent for your bridal chamber!"

"I crushed the Crown Prince and forced your father to submit, not to steal his broken chair. I want the whole world to open their eyes and see that my, Ye Xiu's, woman does not need to suffer any grievances!"

"You don't want to be a political bargaining chip, so I will just flip this chessboard over!"

"I don't want this empire; what I want is for you to be my, Ye Xiu's, wife in a legitimate and grand way. I want to turn the vast territory of the Yankang Kingdom into your back garden; I want all the civil and military officials to bow down and pay homage at your feet!"

Ye Xiu's voice was not loud, but every word felt like a heavy hammer, striking hard at the tip of Ling Yuxiu's heart.

"The empire as a canopy, the stars as candles..."

Ye Xiu waved his hand casually, and with a "boom," the heavy carved wooden window of the Panlong Hall swung wide open.

The clear light of the stars filling the sky intertwined with the bright red candlelight, spilling onto the two of them.

"Yuxiu, remember this. As long as I, Ye Xiu, am here for one day, the rules of this world will be set by us. If you like quiet, we will return to Canlao Village in The Great Ruins to drink and watch the moon; if you like liveliness, I will accompany you in this imperial palace to light lamps and burn oil."

"As long as you are happy, even if you poke a hole in the sky, your husband will hold it up for you."

Hearing these words of love, which were arrogant to the extreme yet doting to the extreme, Ling Yuxiu's psychological defenses completely collapsed.

What woman could resist such a promise from a man who possessed peerless martial power yet treated only her with such gentleness?

"Husband..."

Ling Yuxiu broke into a smile through her tears, a smile like a spring flower blooming, beautiful enough to take one's breath away.

She took the initiative to stretch out her arms, hooking them around Ye Xiu's neck, and pressed her warm, soft, delicate body into his embrace without reservation.

"With these words from Husband, Yuxiu has no regrets in this life, even in death."

"On a joyous day, don't talk about life and death; it's bad luck."

Ye Xiu chuckled, his gaze sweeping across the spacious Dragon bed.

He waved his hand casually, and with a burst of hidden energy, more than half of the dozens of thick Dragon and Phoenix wedding candles in the Panlong Hall were instantly extinguished.

Only two red candles swaying at the head of the bed remained, making the atmosphere even more amorous.

"Earlier, I was putting on a show outside with that group of old trash; I didn't even get to drink properly. Now, it's time for our nuptial wine."

Ye Xiu's mind moved, and two crystal-clear jade cups appeared out of thin air on the tabletop.

He unplugged the purple-red wine gourd, and the rich aroma of thousand-year-old demon brew instantly filled the entire bedchamber.

He poured two cups of wine and handed one to Ling Yuxiu.

The two intertwined their arms, their gazes lingering and affectionate.

Ling Yuxiu shyly lowered her head, and under the cover of the wine cup, she drank the strong liquor in one gulp.

The strong liquor entered her throat, turning into a ball of heat that not only flushed her cheeks red but also burned away the last shred of her reserve as a princess.

"Bang."

The wine cup hit the floor with a crisp, muffled sound.

Ye Xiu didn't bother with the wine cup anymore.

He reached out and, with extreme patience, removed the incredibly heavy phoenix crown and hairpins from Ling Yuxiu's head one by one.

He completely freed her waterfall-like black hair.

Afterward, those hot, large hands followed her slender waist and slowly untied the sash of her bright red wedding dress.

"Husband..."