A few days later, an auspicious date arrived.
Two ornate sedan chairs carried two lovely brides, departing separately from Silver Creek’s White Cloud Alley and from the inner district, converging at the Ginger Tavern. Words of blessing plastered every inch of the tavern, and festive lanterns hung in rows, turning dusk as bright as day. The streets were decked out more lavishly than on any holiday.
Today, the Ginger Tavern was closed to regular customers, hosting only the wedding festivities. A bright red carpet stretched from the entrance across the threshold and all the way inside.
When the sedan chairs stopped and the brides, their faces veiled in red, shyly stepped to the ground, fireworks burst skyward, painting momentary blooms of color against the twilight sky. Drums thundered, firecrackers echoed, and crowds of onlookers filled the roadsides.
Dressed in ceremonial finery, Li Yuan moved forward to take each bride’s hand. Together, they stepped over a fire basin, over a saddle, and into the great hall to perform their bows to Heaven and Earth, and to the elders. Since his parents were absent, Senior Li received the tribute. Tradition said both sides needed parents or elders present, but in such turbulent times, few clung to every detail of ceremony.
Once they finished paying their respects, Li Yuan lifted each bride’s veil, and a handmaid passed him two cups for the cross-cupped wine. He drank both. Then he offered tea to Senior Li.
Sipping the tea, he nodded with satisfaction. He then looked at Li Yuan and said, “Send them to the bridal chamber!”
The groom led his two brides upstairs. Downstairs, the banquet began in earnest. It was raucous and merry, with no shortage of revelers raising their cups.
Meanwhile, at the entrance to Silver Creek, a few of the Ginger Tavern’s maids and guards had set up a porridge stall in the frigid wind. Steam billowed from the big pot, and behind it, more pots bubbled in rotation.
A burly, disheveled man with hollow eyes stood in line, clutching the hand of a small girl. When they reached the front, he held out a large bowl and bowed politely, murmuring, “Thank you.”
A maid ladled a generous scoop of thick porridge into his bowl. He sniffed it and blinked in surprise when he saw chunks of red-tinted meat floating to the surface.
“There’s...meat in the porridge?” he asked, startled.
The maid beamed. “It’s the boss’s wedding day, so they added meat to the porridge!”
Then she leaned in and whispered, “Does your little girl have a bowl? She can get her own portion, too.”
The man froze. He’d only expected to receive one serving. Hastily, he pulled out another bowl. The maid filled it to the brim as well. “Come back again tomorrow,” she said softly, “we’ll still have plenty.”
“Thank you,” the man replied, a trace of a smile appearing on his weathered face. His eyes reddened as he added, “May your boss and his wife be forever blessed.”
He gave another small bow, then guided the child by the hand. “Nian Nian, we’ve got meat porridge now.”
Sniffling, the little girl’s eyes glowed with excitement. She held her bowl carefully, blowing on each spoonful to cool it before eating. The man, however, didn’t touch his share. He just watched her eat. Suddenly overcome by emotion, he turned away to wipe his tears.
He thought, If I leave Nian Nian here, sold her to this place...she wouldn’t starve anymore. Maybe then I could go finish what I must before I die.
It was his first day in town; he’d have to watch and see how things turned out. A weight of caution flickered in his gaze.
“Daddy, aren’t you going to eat?” the girl asked, lifting her face, innocent as ever.
He patted her head with a gentle smile. “Once you’re full, I’ll eat.” He closed his eyes for a moment, then said softly, “Nian Nian, starting today, there are some things I want you to memorize...and you have to remember them well.”
Within the Blood Fury Hall, Tie Sha, dressed in his white robes, sat in a courtyard under the moon, brow creased in thought. A dark figure suddenly appeared behind him.
“Old Ding,” Tie Sha greeted.
The moonlight revealed a blue-robed old man with silver hair and youthful features..
“No sign of them this year either?” Tie Sha asked, looking up.
“No.” Old Ding shook his head.
Tie Sha exhaled a weary sigh. “The world’s grown too chaotic for them to come. It’s been three years since my last glimpse of the life chronicle. I suppose they haven’t shown up for the same three years.”
“Indeed, it’s messy out there. Otherwise, I’d hardly be hiding away in a place ,” Old Ding replied.
Tie Sha fell silent, then changed the subject. “I heard one of the inner disciples got married today, with Li Yu officiating. He’s just a kid but they say he’s broken through to the eighth rank. Quite impressive for someone so young.”
Old Ding paused to recall who Tie Sha meant. “Didn’t he only start practicing Li Yu’s technique a year ago?”
“Yes, that’s him. Now he’s already at eighth rank. For this county, I’d call that genius-level,” Tie Sha remarked, intrigued. He crossed one leg over the other, stroking his chin as if pondering something deeply. “Old Ding, what if that same young man was the one who assassinated Ren a while back?”
Old Ding chuckled, wagging a finger. “You and your leaps of imagination.”
Tie Sha shrugged. “I do like to speculate. If he really was behind it, he must’ve reached eighth rank half a year ago. But according to Li Yu, he only started practicing the technique a year ago. Let me ask you this, could someone master a new shadow blood technique and break into the eighth rank in just half a year, plus be strong enough to kill another eighth rank in a single strike?”
“Such monstrous talent does exist in the Central Plains, but you’re reaching a bit, don’t you think?” Old Ding shook his head. “Besides, if we’re talking about new rising stars in the Blood Blade Sect, we should be looking at the Fang brothers. Fang Jianlong is nearly at seventh rank, while Fang Chengbao has already entered eighth rank. Those two are the ones you should be focusing on.”
Tie Sha sighed dramatically. “I’m just musing. Truth is, I wish we had even more talent in the Blood Blade Sect. The pushback from the Sun Family and Wei remnants is stronger than I expected.”
“That’s normal,” Old Ding said. “No major family goes down without a fight. But we’ve captured their meat fields, so we’ll have more resources. We only need to hold out a few more years. Eventually, they’ll be the ones who run out of steam, and once they show weakness, they’ll collapse like a broken dam.
“Still, how do you plan to deal with all those rogue hires we’ve brought on? They’re unpredictable, with no real loyalty to the sect, and that can only mean trouble.”
Tie Sha spread his hands. “We have no choice. The Sun Family is also hiring mercenaries and ruffians. If they do it and we don’t, we’ll get crushed. These feral enforcers come for money and resources. They have no loyalty, yes, but we need them nonetheless.”