CHAPTER 457: CHAPTER 457: THE WEDDING DATE!_1

Ruan Tang pretended she didn’t hear Xu Lai’s teasing.

She was so busy she was at her wits’ end. Many of the visitors had even brought their children, turning the usually peaceful Haitang Court into something akin to a bustling market. Pour a cup of tea for this one. Hand a piece of candy to that child.

Ruan Tang felt like she was about to faint. After all, she hadn’t slept well the night before due to Xu Lai’s antics and had only gotten a few hours of sleep by the time she woke up.

But Xu Lai was no better off; he was just as overwhelmed.

By noon, the number of guests gradually dwindled. Everyone understood the customs of New Year’s visits. Nobody stayed for lunch, not even Luo Chu and Xu Yaoyao, who both went back to their own homes. They had guests at home, too. Although they didn’t need to cook since they were pregnant, they still had to show their faces, right?

Beibei chose to return to the Sea Clan.

In the words of the conch maiden, the most important nights for the Sea Demons were those from the first to the third day of the Lunar New Year. The souls of deceased members of the Demon Race would return home. But the living needed to light a brazier called ’Soul Summoning’ for the departed souls. The rising wisps of green smoke marked the path home for them; otherwise, they would get lost.

"I won’t be here for the next few days, so be careful when you go out," Beibei said, looking at Yiyi with immense concern.

"Mhm, you be careful too." Yiyi’s eyes were red as she reluctantly said goodbye to Beibei.

Xu Lai felt a headache coming on. Yiyi needs to be careful when she goes out? Forget others, even a Quasi-Emperor would have a tough time trying to attack her. Not to mention, Yiyi carried the blessing of Anna, the Twelve-winged Archangel, and bore Xu Lai’s Divine Sense imprint. Furthermore, her hairpin sealed the mightiest strike of Fairy Qing Yuan at her Quasi-Emperor peak.

Any Quasi-Emperor with a sane mind would choose to take a detour upon encountering Xu Yiyi. And throughout the world, how many Quasi-Emperors were there? A mere handful!

Simply put, even without Xu Lai as a bodyguard, Yiyi and Ruan Tang’s safety was still among the absolute best.

Carrying her conch shell on her back, Beibei jumped off the cliff, her tiny figure looking somewhat lonely.

"Sis, I’m going out to play," Ruan Lan announced. She changed her clothes, beautifully applied her makeup, grabbed her purse, and was ready to leave. For the past few years, Ruan Lan had spent every New Year’s Day afternoon with her two best friends, Yu Xiaoxiao and Li Li, usually hanging out on Sea Temple Island.

Ruan Tang already knew about this, so she didn’t stop her. "Go ahead."

Once her younger sister left, a bored Yiyi sat in the first-floor living room, hugging Xiao Hei and watching TV, while Xu Lai pulled Ruan Tang aside to discuss their wedding date.

"A wedding date!?" A blush surfaced on Ruan Tang’s face. "We do need to discuss it."

She had accepted Xu Lai’s proposal the day before, so it was time to start planning the wedding.

"I should have gone with Ruan Lan," Ruan Tang said regretfully. "There’s a master on Sea Temple Island known for choosing auspicious dates, and he has an excellent reputation."

Xu Lai: "..."

Honey, snap out of it! Sitting beside you is one of the top three Fate Masters of the Immortal Domain, and you’re thinking of asking someone else to choose the wedding date?

In the Immortal Domain, Alchemists, Artifact Refiners, and Fate Masters held incredibly high standing. Mastering any one of these skills was enough to be invited by ancient Tao Lineages or Holy Lands to serve as a Venerate. Alchemy and Artifact Refining were self-explanatory, involving the crafting of Elixirs and weapons. All the prodigies of the Great Sects and the Loose Cultivators dabbled in them, varying only in proficiency. But the threshold for becoming a Fate Master was infinitely higher.

Those who divined the future paid with their lifespan for a glimpse into destiny—such was a Fate Master. On Earth, Fate Masters had a more common name: the ’old man who tells fortunes’ on the street corner. However, while some destinies could be divined, some secrets of heaven must remain undisclosed.

"Honey, give me your hand," Xu Lai said.

Ruan Tang raised an eyebrow. "Why?" Despite her curiosity, she did as he asked.

Through her palm, Xu Lai saw Ruan Tang’s birth details and compared them with his own... Hmm. They were off by exactly 100,000 years.

Xu Lai’s expression grew complex. It was one thing for an old bull to graze on tender grass, but what did that make him?

Seeing Xu Lai’s strange expression, Ruan Tang grew anxious. "Hey, what’s wrong? You can actually tell fortunes? Are you any good at it?"

"...You lied to me yesterday." Xu Lai suddenly looked at Ruan Tang, who blinked. "Huh?"

"You weren’t on your period at all."

With a dark expression, Xu Lai said, "It’s still five days away!"

"I’ve been under a lot of pressure recently, so it... it came early," Ruan Tang said guiltily. "Just pick an auspicious date! Why are you checking on trivial things like that?"

"..." Xu Lai was speechless.

Okay. That was a sound and convincing argument.

Xu Lai closed his eyes, rapidly performing the calculation dozens of times in his mind, and finally said, "I’ve calculated it. The twenty-ninth of next month is the most suitable day to get married."

Ruan Tang was momentarily stunned. "The twenty-ninth of February?" A common year has twenty-eight days in February, while a leap year has twenty-nine. If we really get married on that day, our anniversary would only be once every four years!

Ruan Tang pinched Xu Lai. "You sure know how to make things easy for yourself. An anniversary every four years... what a cunning little plan."

"Honey, I absolutely didn’t mean that. It’s just the most suitable day for a wedding."

"Can I believe you?"

"If I’m lying, may lightning strike me down!"

"Alright then." Ruan Tang mused, "February 29th it is, then."

And just like that, the wedding date was set. Next came the preparations for the venue and the guest list, all of which Ruan Tang left in Xu Lai’s hands. Or rather, Xu Lai had insisted on taking charge of everything.

...

A new year brought a fresh start. Throughout Hua Country, an atmosphere of peace and festivity prevailed. The first thing strangers on the street said to each other was "Happy New Year."

However, for some, there was not the slightest hint of happiness on their faces, but rather a pervading sense of endless despair.

「Far above, on the Moon.」

The Crown Prince of the Moon Clan was on the brink of a mental collapse.

The entire Lower Crescent Three Moon Clan had been annihilated. Shang Sikong, leader of the Upper Crescent Two Moon Clan, and his son Shang Er were dead. Even Ji Wuming, their pawn hidden on Earth for four hundred years, had recently lost contact.

The Moon Clan was now completely in the dark regarding Earth, with no source of intelligence whatsoever.

For the first time, Crown Prince Ji Gui began to doubt whether the decisions he had made recently were right or wrong. Ji Gui was a proud and arrogant man who had always looked down on his father for having lost his ambition, firmly believing that he alone was the divine moon capable of leading the Moon Clan to glory.

But lately, Ji Gui had become disheartened. He hid in the palace of the Upper Crescent Two Moon Clan, drinking all day to numb himself, his temper growing increasingly volatile. In just three days, he had tortured seven maids to death for minor mistakes. Only their desperate pleas for mercy and agonizing screams could bring Ji Gui a sliver of peace.

"Crown Prince, someone requests an audience," a maid’s respectful voice called from outside the hall.

BANG!

A wine cup smashed against the floor. Ji Gui responded irritably, "Tell them to get lost. I don’t want to see anyone right now."

"Yes." The maid’s voice held a trace of fear, and she didn’t dare to linger, terrified the Crown Prince would flay her alive as well.

"My dear brother, do you really not want to see your big sister?" As the charming voice spoke, the main doors of the hall were pushed open.