My Senior Sister Says She Will Marry No One But Me - Chapter 5

Getting back to the main point, no matter how diligent and dedicated Feng Chengchun was, she couldn’t quite grasp what was going through her sect leader’s mind. After much thought, she could only attribute it to the fact that the sect leader was about to be married, which made her particularly sentimental and melancholic. She gently stroked Du Yunge’s long hair, which had yet to be styled, and said softly:

“If there’s anything troubling you, Sect Leader, please don’t keep it to yourself. Talk to us more.”

“Even if we can’t come up with a good solution, at least we can listen and help you feel a little better.”

Truth be told, Du Yunge did have something weighing on her mind. After confirming that she had truly been reborn and that it wasn’t just a dream or another cruel trick played by that scoundrel He Zhenzhen, her first priority was to invalidate the outcome of this martial arts contest for marriage.

No matter what, He Zhenzhen must not win today’s contest. Even if she were to win, just as she had in her previous life, the result had to be overturned!

Otherwise, given He Zhenzhen’s ruthless and cunning nature, even if Du Yunge were to be reborn a hundred times, she would still be no match for her in a direct confrontation. In that case, it was better to avoid her altogether, and the farther, the better!

But the martial arts contest for marriage had already been announced to the world. Everyone knew that whoever stood victorious on the arena tonight would be able to marry Du Yunge, the leader of the Miaoyin Sect. This was practically a settled matter, how could it be overturned on a mere whim?

Just as she was agonizing over this, Xue Shuyan suddenly spoke up, cutting straight to the point:

“Yunge, do you not want to get married?”

Du Yunge felt as though Xue Shuyan’s words had struck the heart of the matter. She wanted nothing more than to grab Xue Shuyan’s shoulders and nod vigorously like a chick pecking at rice. But before she could act on this impulse, Feng Chengchun shot her a rather peculiar glance. The look was so complex and subtle that Du Yunge could only vaguely discern something along the lines of, “How did you two become so close? A grown child no longer heeds her mother’s advice.” Then Feng Chengchun spoke:

“Don’t be afraid, Sect Leader.”

She clapped her hands, summoning the maids outside to bring in clothes, hairpins, and cosmetics to dress Du Yunge up. As she personally helped style Du Yunge’s hair, she said nonchalantly:

“If you don’t want to get married, we have our ways. Everything is up to you to decide.”

Through the bronze mirror, Du Yunge could vaguely make out Feng Chengchun behind her and Xue Shuyan standing not far away. Although the mirror didn’t allow her to clearly see Xue Shuyan’s expression, she somehow knew Xue Shuyan was watching her.

The thought that “Senior Sister Xue has been watching me” inexplicably made Du Yunge blush. Logically, there was no reason for her to blush over such a trivial matter. Xue Shuyan had known her for years; if not for the fact that they were both women, they could almost be considered childhood sweethearts. A gaze like this was hardly anything significant, especially since Xue Shuyan had always been straightforward and decisive, seemingly having nothing to do with matters of romance.

So, why was she blushing just because “Xue Shuyan was watching her from behind”?

Du Yunge’s blush lingered a bit too long, to the point that even Feng Chengchun, who was standing behind her combing her hair, noticed something amiss. As she inserted a pair of orchid-patterned white jade bracelets inlaid with coral into the freshly styled double-ring “Gazing at Immortals” bun, she asked doubtfully:

“What are you blushing for?”

Startled by the sudden question, Du Yunge immediately averted her gaze from Xue Shuyan, whom she had been secretly watching, and stubbornly retorted:

“Which eye of Vice Captain Feng saw me blushing? I wasn’t.”

Feng Chengchun fell silent for a moment. “Both eyes saw it.”

To lend weight to her words, Feng Chengchun reached out and pinched Du Yunge’s ear, chattering away like a mother both reluctant and overjoyed to see her daughter marry, eager to fuss over every possible detail on this day:

“Sect Leader, your ears are burning hot. What’s wrong? Are you cold or frightened? Why is your face so warm too? If you’re really unwell, you must tell me, don’t force yourself.”

Du Yunge smiled. “I’m truly fine, really.”

As she gazed at her reflection in the bronze mirror her hair adorned with hairpins and ornaments, she felt a moment of disorientation. After all, ever since she married into the He Manor in her previous life, she had rarely had such leisure to carefully examine herself in the mirror. And by the time she finally had a moment to spare, she had already become a prisoner, deprived of even a mirror to groom herself with.

Once Feng Chengchun finished styling her hair, a personal maid brought over the wedding dress. It was then that Du Yunge became certain: this couldn’t possibly be a cruel trick orchestrated by He Zhenzhen, who had suddenly taken pity on her, revived her, and gathered a crowd to mock her. At the very least, this wedding dress was something He Zhenzhen could never replicate.

Because this one-of-a-kind wedding dress, unparalleled in all the world, was embroidered stitch by stitch by Du Yunge herself.

Over the past decade or so, she hadn’t accomplished many significant feats, but the dress she had poured her heart and soul into embroidering was truly exquisite. There had even been sect leaders and masters from other factions who brought their young daughters specifically to see it, a testament to its rarity and craftsmanship.

The fabric used for the wedding dress was the finest imperial-grade Yun brocade, produced by the most renowned workshop in all of Nanjing. Dyed with yanzhi flowers from the northern regions and roses from the south of the Yangtze River, its colors grew more vibrant with time, becoming even more radiant the longer it was stored. Each year, less than five zhang of this brocade was produced. Coincidentally, the year it was made, the shipment of Nanjing Yun brocade was hijacked while being transported to the capital. The former sect leader of the Miaoyin Sect happened to be traveling and, witnessing the injustice, intervened to recover all the brocade.

The Emperor, overjoyed, asked what reward she desired. Knowing full well that the affairs of the martial world and the imperial court should never intertwine, the former Miaoyin Sect leader requested more than half of that year’s red Yun brocade, saying she wanted to prepare it for her daughter’s wedding dress. Even if her daughter grew to be seven chi tall, the full three zhang of brocade would be more than enough and if luck allowed, there might even be some left for her younger sister.

Du Yunge’s embroidery teacher was a renowned veteran Suzhou embroidery master who had long been celebrated in the textile craft. Seeing Du Yunge’s nimble hands and her willingness to put in hard work, the master was delighted that within just a few months, Du Yunge progressed from being unable to embroider anything recognizable to being able to create intricate screens. In her joy, the master passed on her unique skill of double-sided embroidery.

As the name suggests, double-sided embroidery allows one pattern to be embroidered on one side, while a different design, following the same outline, appears on the reverse. Du Yunge mastered this technique perfectly. Thus, her wedding gown was embroidered on the outside with a scene of a hundred flowers in full bloom and a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix, while the inside featured motifs of a hundred children symbolizing abundant blessings and the harmonious union of two immortals.

The gold and silver threads used in the embroidery were made of genuine precious metals. The phoenix’s eyes were crafted from extremely rare black cat’s eye gems, and the dewdrops on the peony leaves were carved from priceless chalcedony. The hem of the gown was adorned with exquisite pearls from the South Sea, each one radiant and smooth, and remarkably, all of uniform size. The sheer opulence of these details was beyond description.

Yet, this priceless wedding gown was dismantled and sold off after He Zhenzhen and Du Yunge’s marriage.

He Zhenzhen’s exact words were, “The He Manor has been facing financial difficulties lately. Why not take apart this useless extravagance for now? When we have the means in the future, I’ll have it remade for you.” At the time, Du Yunge was utterly devoted to her and, upon hearing this, without a second thought, personally dismantled the exquisitely crafted gown that could have been a family heirloom for He Zhenzhen:

“Take it all!”

“Bring it all here!” Feng Chengchun slipped the invaluable wedding gown onto Du Yunge and called out loudly for the maids to bring forth the cosmetics that had been prepared in advance. An array of red shades, each contained in small white jade boxes, was laid out in a row: Pomegranate Charm, Little Red Spring, Tender Wu Xiang, Ten Thousand Gold Red, Heavenly Palace Artistry, Little Vermilion Dragon, Twin Tang Grace presenting a splendid and festive palette:

“Sect Leader, which one do you prefer?”

Instinctively, Du Yunge avoided Ten Thousand Gold Red, the shade Feng Chengchun used. Not only to avoid matching colors, but also because that hue was too pure and intense, almost no one but a bold and straightforward woman from Liaodong like Feng Chengchun could carry off such a vibrant tone.

Even without martial training, Feng Chengchun, who spent years poring over account books, had sharp eyes. Noticing the direction of Du Yunge’s gaze, she laughed and said:

“Then how about Heavenly Palace Artistry? It’s both delicate and pure, and it can balance out all this red, a perfect match.”

Du Yunge sat obediently on the Huanghuali wood spring stool and, following Feng Chengchun’s suggestion, picked out the small white jade box containing Heavenly Palace Artistry. She dipped her little finger into the color and applied it to her lips. It was indeed exceptionally charming and fragrant, enhancing her already lovely and delicate features to a level of such elegant beauty that even “peerless beauty” would be an understatement.

Once she was fully adorned, Feng Chengchun took Du Yunge by the hand and gently led the young Mistress of the Miaoyin Sect out, so she could see for herself the talented individuals gathered at the martial arts competition.

As soon as Du Yunge stepped out, she caught sight of the large ruby cluster flower hanging high above the main gate of the Miaoyin Sect in the distance. The flower was composed of thousands of petals, yet not a single one shared the same hue. From afar, however, they blended together in perfect harmony. When no direct light shone upon it, only a touch of crimson adorned the gate. But with even the slightest illumination, the enormous flower would refract that light thousands of times, creating a dazzling, kaleidoscopic display of colors, a breathtaking sight.

From the moment the news spread that “the leader of the Miaoyin Sect is holding a martial arts contest to choose a spouse,” the entire martial world was set abuzz. Even though everyone knew Du Yunge was a simple-minded girl, it wasn’t the kind of foolishness that implied a lack of sanity. Rather, it was an innocent, childlike purity that was far from undesirable. Moreover, it was common knowledge that the Miaoyin Sect possessed a treasure map, rumored to lead to riches so vast that anyone who found it could instantly rise from poverty to immeasurable wealth. Thirdly, Du Yunge was still the leader of the Miaoyin Sect. Whether she married out or the lucky winner joined her family, the sect would undoubtedly continue to protect and support her. And fourthly, Du Yunge was truly beautiful, exceptionally so. Even without the first three reasons, pursuing her would hardly be a loss.

Thus, within just a few months, young heroes and heroines from all corners of the land crowded into the small town at the foot of Mount Wangyou. Prices in the town skyrocketed, with a single steamed bun costing fifty copper coins.

By the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day Du Yunge descended Mount Wangyou with He Zhenzhen, the foot of the mountain had grown even more bustling. Everyone wanted to catch a glimpse of the renowned number one beauty of the martial world. The roads were sprinkled with clean water, the streets were strewn with fragrant flowers, and even the paths up the mountain were lined with long curtains and canopies made of fine brocade and silk. In stark contrast to this lively, clamorous scene, the Miaoyin Sect, standing tall atop Mount Wangyou and maintaining unwavering vigilance, appeared all the more desolate and lonely. Only the ruby cluster flower hanging high on the gate hinted at the grand events that had once taken place there.

And in her previous life, this very ruby cluster flower had hung here as well, becoming one of the most compelling pieces of evidence of the Miaoyin Sect’s immense wealth. Everyone said that if the sect could display such treasures for something as trivial as their leader’s martial arts contest to choose a spouse, then how extravagant and magnificent must the actual wedding ceremony be!

As Du Yunge, clad in her wedding dress, passed by the ruby cluster flower, the clamor at the mountain gate fell into an abrupt silence, struck by the sheer, unparalleled luxury and beauty before them.

Amid the gaze of the crowd, Du Yunge, who should have been sitting gloriously on the high platform, calmly watching the contenders below fight tooth and nail for her hand, suddenly halted and turned to Feng Chengchun behind her, asking:

“Where is Senior Sister Xue?”

Unnoticed by anyone, Xue Shuyan, who should have been following them, had long since vanished.

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