Reborn As The Short-Lived White Moonlight of the Tragic, Powerful Male Lead - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It seems the Immortal Lord is not only thick-skinned but also stubborn to a fault.

Xie Lanting felt that this walk was exceptionally long.

Fortunately, with so many eyes watching, Gu Yunqi didn’t say anything more to him. After a brief period of internal turmoil, Xie Lanting forced the waves of shock down one by one.

He took a slow, deep breath: Adjust your mindset. You’re a professional.

So what if he lost his disguise? So what if his “ideal type” turned out to be the protagonist? No big deal!

Since no one could read his inner thoughts, Immortal Lord Lanyue appeared perfectly calm on the surface as he stepped into the venue for the wedding ceremony.

Gu Bo, the head of the Gu family, treated Gu Yunqi poorly behind closed doors, but when welcoming guests, he spared no expense. The ceremony was held at the Yuhua Terrace: white jade tables, gilded cups—every step was paved with gold. The luxury of the setting made the ceremony feel incredibly solemn and grand.

Those without invitations couldn’t step onto the Yuhua Terrace, yet it was still packed. Surprisingly, Chen Zhushu and Ge Wen were qualified to witness the ceremony; one couldn’t help but wonder who their masters were.

Gu Bo and Liu Qifeng greeted the guests with beaming smiles. Their faces were nearly stiff from grinning. Gu Bo nudged his son: “Don’t just stand there, help out!”

However, Gu Jingping didn’t spare him a single glance. His eyes were glued to Xie Lanting, unable to look away. He muttered in a daze, “If I’d known he was truly this beautiful, I should have taken him for myself… Ow! Dad, what was that for?”

Gu Bo slapped him across the back and snorted coldly. “Shut up. That’s not something you should say.”

Gu Jingping looked indignant. Seeing his expression, Gu Bo felt a wave of frustration. “You are the Young Master of the Gu family. You will inherit the Nanlin Gu family. Not just anyone can be your Daoist companion. Xie Lanting is a cripple now—a mere Golden Core. He is not worthy of you.”

“True. I should find someone of equal status.” Gu Jingping cast a lingering look at Xie Lanting’s retreating back. “If he were still at the Transformation Stage, he would have been a match for me.”

When Gu Jingping said this, he completely ignored the fact that he himself was only at the Golden Core stage, with no certainty of future progress.

…

The auspicious hour arrived. Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi signed their names on the marriage contract. An attendant brought a tray holding two red strings. According to the ritual, they were to tie red knots around each other’s wrists.

The attendant announced: “Will the newlyweds please speak their vows.”

This was the equivalent of modern wedding vows or “I do.” But what could he say? Xie Lanting toyed with the red string. There was no real romantic feeling between them; sweet nothings felt inappropriate.

After all that effort to run away, he ended up marrying Gu Yunqi anyway. When Xie Lanting told Mu Ci that they could always divorce, he wasn’t just being comforting—he was serious.

Having fully recovered from the embarrassment of the identity reveal, Xie Lanting was no longer stiff as a board. He was thick-skinned; so what if he had to face Gu Yunqi? He picked up the red string composedly and met Gu Yunqi’s eyes—only for a second, before he quickly looked away.

It seems the Immortal Lord is not only thick-skinned but also stubborn to a fault.

If it weren’t for the fact that you’re the protagonist… if your face and personality didn’t suit my tastes so much, I would definitely— He sighed internally. Forget it. I can’t really do anything to you anyway.

Ultimately, both had been wearing disguises. He had simply been careless. Thinking of Gu Yunqi’s tragic childhood and the loss of his parents, Xie Lanting realized that even if the youth was a “protagonist,” he had to walk through tribulations one step at a time. In this forced marriage, they were both victims.

Xie Lanting felt a surge of sympathy as he tied the knot on Gu Yunqi’s wrist. “I wish you years without sorrow, a smooth path ahead, and that all your heart’s desires come true.”

He sincerely wished for the protagonist’s revenge to be successful and for him to live a good life afterward.

The sentiment was lovely, but the guests’ eyes twitched. A wedding vow? This sounds like an elder giving a blessing to a child while patting them on the head.

Is this what we came for? We want eternal oaths! Heart-wrenching devotion! Something to move us to tears!

Even so, someone actually clapped: “Well said!”

Someone nearby turned to argue with the “idiot” who clapped, but immediately shrunk back. The person clapping was none other than Bai Qianye, the head of the Bai family in Jiangnan—one of the nine living Transformation Stage masters. Arguing with him was a suicide mission.

Xie Lanting actually responded to Bai Qianye: “You flatter me.”

Many guests wondered: Do you have to have a unique brain structure to reach the Transformation Stage?

After all, before his cultivation was damaged, Xie Lanting was the leader among the ten great masters. Rumor had it he was actually the strongest. Of course, that was all in the past.

The crowd also noticed something else: when Xie Lanting didn’t speak, he looked exactly like the “high-altitude flower”—cold as snow, just like the rumors. But once he opened his mouth, he became a different person entirely.

Still… the Immortal Lord was truly beautiful when he smiled.

…

The guests knew of Xie Lanting, but they knew nothing of Gu Yunqi. It was only through snippets of gossip at the ceremony that they learned he was the son of the deceased former head, kept around only because his uncle, Gu Bo, was a “kind and sentimental” man.

The rumor was that Gu Bo had taken Gu Yunqi to the Royal Sword Sect once, where Gu Yunqi saw Xie Lanting and it was love at first sight. It was a lie full of holes, but people believed it. Gu Bo and the Sect had clearly worked hard on the PR.

Gu Yunqi reached out to tie the string on Xie Lanting’s wrist. He lowered his eyes and followed Xie Lanting’s lead: “I wish the Immortal Lord health and peace, a life without bonds, and a heart without worries.”

Bai Qianye added: “That is also a wonderful blessing!”

If he weren’t a Transformation Stage master, someone probably would have told him to shut up.

Xie Lanting felt a stir in his heart. He looked at the red knot on his wrist. He was currently in a cage; the wish for a life “without bonds” was something he truly appreciated. He accepted the blessing.

Regardless of whether the guests enjoyed the vows, the ceremony was complete. The couple took their seats. Xie Lanting tasted the food, which was high-quality but tasted terrible—a torture for a foodie. Only the wine was passable.

Xie Lanting had no real social network here. Some guests believed the “love story,” while others saw through the act. Most crowded around Liu Qifeng and Gu Bo, ignoring the couple. To them, the two were just pawns—one crippled, one useless, dressed in fine clothes.

Xie Lanting stayed only because he was waiting for Xiao Qingfeng.

The Sect and the Gu family wouldn’t have invited him, as no one knew where he was. Xie Lanting hoped he would sneak in, but it didn’t look like that was happening. He didn’t put all his eggs in one basket, though. If Xiao Qingfeng didn’t show, he still had a few days before the poison took hold to find another way.

He would never give up as long as there was a shred of hope.

Xie Lanting set down his cup. He had no desire to stay. Not wanting to leave Gu Yunqi behind, he turned to him: “It’s getting late. Let’s head back to our room.”

Everyone at the ceremony had sharp hearing. Xie Lanting hadn’t lowered his voice. “Back to the room?” On a wedding day? In broad daylight?

The guests looked up at the blazing sun. Is the Immortal Lord really that impatient?

Mu Ci opened his mouth but couldn’t find words. One guest let out a suggestive laugh: “The Immortal Lord is certainly in a hurry.”

If it had been a harmless joke, Xie Lanting would have ignored it, but he heard the underlying malice. He looked toward the source: “Jealous?”

The man looked Xie Lanting and Gu Yunqi up and down with a lecherous gaze, licking his lips. “Naturally…”

“You should be jealous,” Xie Lanting scoffed. “After all, you look like someone nobody would ever want. Then again, it makes sense; everyone has eyes.”

The man’s expression darkened as he stood up abruptly. “You—!”

Gu Yunqi also stood up, cutting off the man’s momentum. He ignored the man and looked calmly at Xie Lanting: “Immortal Lord, let’s go.”

Xie Lanting nodded, acknowledging only Mu Ci and ignoring Liu Qifeng as he left. As they passed the insulted man, the man suddenly reached out to grab them. Gu Yunqi’s face went cold, and he moved to shield Xie Lanting.

But the man’s hand never reached him. A cup flew through the air, striking his hand away. The man hissed in pain. Bai Qianye sneered: “Is this how Mount Cangxing manages its disciples?”

Mount Cangxing was a sacred site for cultivation. Its master, Venerable Cangxing, was a stubborn old man, and his youngest disciple was a notorious lecher. They were close with Gu Bo, which was why they felt comfortable disrespecting the couple.

Venerable Cangxing slowly looked up: “Does Master Bai wish to discipline him for me?”

“I don’t have that kind of free time,” Bai Qianye said, resting his chin on his hand. “But if he ends up dead in a ditch somewhere one day, it will be due to your lack of discipline.”

Venerable Cangxing pressed his hand onto the table, sending a wave of spiritual pressure toward Bai Qianye. Bai Qianye sneered and pushed back. When two Transformation Stage masters clash, the surrounding people suffer. Even though they kept their pressure focused on each other, the air became heavy, and people struggled to breathe.

Xie Lanting had already pulled Gu Yunqi to the side. So the man who clapped was Bai Qianye. They were of the same generation and both geniuses, often compared to each other, but this was their first meeting.

In the original story, Bai Qianye provides much help to Gu Yunqi—mostly because he wanted to foster a worthy opponent for himself. He was firmly in the protagonist’s camp.

It seemed the seeds of that relationship were being sown right now.

Before the tension escalated, Gu Bo spoke up: “Gentlemen, today is my nephew’s wedding. Please, give me some face.”

Venerable Cangxing frowned but withdrew his pressure. Bai Qianye followed suit; he loved a fight, but starting a brawl at a wedding was indeed poor form.

The lower-level cultivators exhaled in relief, wiping cold sweat from their brows.

Gu Bo turned toward his nephew: “Yunqi, you—”

Before he could finish, Xie Lanting grabbed Gu Yunqi’s wrist and led him straight to Bai Qianye’s table. “Thank you, Daoist. I think we get along quite well. Shall we be friends?”

Bai Qianye was straightforward: “Happy to. I am Bai Qianye. I have heard much of the Immortal Lord’s name. Shall we exchange communication seals?”

“Naturally.”

Xie Lanting produced his communication jade, but instead of moving closer, he urged Gu Yunqi: “Quick, take out your jade too.”

Is Xie Lanting… helping me network? Gu Yunqi was amused. He didn’t think a Transformation Stage family head would care about a “weak” Foundation Establishment kid, but he wouldn’t refuse Xie Lanting’s kindness. He took out his jade, preparing to withdraw it quickly if Bai Qianye ignored him so as not to embarrass Xie Lanting.

To his surprise, Bai Qianye didn’t seem to find it odd at all. He actively exchanged seals with Gu Yunqi first, then with Xie Lanting.

Unexpected… Gu Yunqi held the jade in silence. Are the minds of Transformation Stage masters truly that different from normal people?

Xie Lanting was satisfied. He pocketed the jade and prepared to leave, feigning temporary deafness as Gu Bo tried to call Gu Yunqi again. He bowed to Bai Qianye: “Let’s talk more when we have time. I’m quite busy today, so I won’t stay to host.”

“Ah,” Bai Qianye said with a knowing smile. “A moment of the wedding night is worth a thousand gold. A beautiful thing indeed. Go on, then.”