Two fingerprints overlapped upon the bamboo slip, seemingly binding the destinies of these two individuals firmly together. The crisp sword intent flowing through the bamboo merged with their auras, transforming into a faint white radiance that lingered around the marriage contract... yet it lacked the chilling coldness typical of a Sword Immortal's moon-like aura, instead diffusing a gentle warmth into the surrounding space.

What inscribed this marriage contract was not merely her sword energy, but her sword heart and [Sword Soul]¹—it would brook no destruction or desecration from anyone!

She looked at the pair and spoke softly, "The Firmament above, the Earth Mother² below; Dream Weaver to the left, Heaven Breaker to the right; a father by the side, a mother watching from the heavens. The marriage contract is complete. Once the bows are performed, you shall be true husband and wife."

Hua Caili’s thoughts could never be hidden from Hua Qingying. This scene, which appeared utterly hasty and absurd to Hua Fuchen, was clearly something she had long understood and prepared for.

"Mm!"

Hua Caili answered crisply. This Heaven Breaker Divine Maiden, who had stunned the entire Abyss, was at this moment entirely a young girl filled with joy at having her heart's desire fulfilled.

She turned around to face Yun Che, gently placing her hands into his palms. A few strands of hair, brushed by the breeze, clung to her snow-jade cheeks. Her beautiful eyes seemed to have just melted their ice and snow, shimmering with starlight...

And with the hope of an eternity never to be parted from the person within her gaze.

Yun Che’s lips twitched slightly, and then a smile slowly spread, like a galaxy breaking into dawn. As his smile fully bloomed, all the deep-seated darkness and gloom faded from his eyes, leaving only the reflection of the young girl.

At least for this moment, at least for today...

Their gazes met, and in their world, there was nothing else but each other.

Without needing any external guidance, they leaned toward one another and bowed slowly. The first bow was to Heaven and Earth as witnesses; the second bow was to the elders at their side; the third bow was to each other, a vow to stay together for this lifetime. As they straightened their bodies, their gazes met again, and their respective worlds were now filled with each other's brilliant light.

The wind passed through the bamboo tips with a rustling sound, as if Heaven and Earth were celebrating together and the plants themselves held affection. The slight disputes and melancholy from before were quietly dissolved by this tender atmosphere.

"Thus, the ceremony is complete." Hua Qingying’s voice was even softer than before. "From this moment forth, you two are a true husband and wife. So long as you are unwilling, no one in this life shall ever again obstruct or sever your bond as husband and wife."

Hua Fuchen let out a soft sigh that only he could hear. He spoke no more, placing the hand that had just gently stroked his daughter’s head behind his back and turning away.

As he turned, his sleeves stirred a faint breeze, brushing a few fallen bamboo leaves into the air before they settled again—like a silent sigh, one that he did not wish for anyone to see, much less interpret.

His most beloved daughter, the most precious treasure of his life, the Heaven Breaker Divine Maiden who dazzled the Abyss, had completed the most important event of her life so suddenly, so simply... without any of the world-shaking spectacle or universal celebration he had once envisioned. Instead, it was so crude that even an ordinary woman might find it unbearable.

And yet, she was so radiant. The sword intent circulating through her body seemed to be dancing with joy; every wisp of her life breath seemed to be glowing.

That was truly a joy originating from the depths of the heart, one that could not be hidden.

Hua Fuchen closed his eyes and smiled faintly...

This, too, was fine.

Only...

From this moment on, her life was firmly tied to another man, to share the mornings, evenings, mountains, and rivers of the future with him. And he... every step he took now was a quiet departure from his daughter’s life.

Meng Kongchan reached out and patted his shoulder, everything left unsaid.

Amidst the mottled bamboo shadows, Hua Caili and Yun Che faced each other tenderly. For a long time, no words were spoken, as if all their longing, expectations, perseverance, and joy were merged into this gaze that could hold nothing else.

Suddenly, Hua Caili’s nose felt a bit sharp, and a shallow moisture welled in her eyes, yet a brighter smile bloomed on her face. Her lips moved slightly, and under Yun Che’s gaze, she softly uttered the title she had rehearsed countless times in her heart:

"Hus... band..."

The girl’s voice was as soft as a feather brushing against the heart, carrying a slight sob.

The two words were slow and gentle, like a whispered endearment, like a soft vow, hiding all the girl’s sincerity and joy, her lifelong obsession, and her hope for their future together. Her snow-jade cheeks flushed with a faint crimson that spread to her ears, like the colors of dawn—possessing both the ethereal purity of a Divine Maiden and the shyness of a young girl, a beauty that made it impossible to look away.

Yun Che’s throat moved slightly. He seemed to have a thousand words, but they ultimately transformed into a tender smile. He stepped forward, his forehead gently resting against hers. Their breaths intertwined, their auras merged, and his voice was deep and soft, like a lover's whisper, a vow, and a self-muttering: "Caili, I... to have you as my wife, how fortunate I am..."

Hua Caili closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of the man who now belonged exclusively and eternally to her. "To be able to marry my husband is my even greater fortune."

"Ahem..." Meng Kongchan turned halfway, his arm nudging Hua Fuchen. "Go for a drink?"

"Let’s go!" Hua Fuchen responded immediately and strode away. The single word carried a hint of hoarseness.

Meng Kongchan turned back, intending to say goodbye to Hua Qingying, only to find that the green shadow had quietly departed at some unknown point.

The bamboo shadows swayed and the breeze blew gently; in this space, only the two people remained, still clinging tightly to each other.

"Husband."

"Hmm?"

...

"Husband."

"What is it?"

"Nothing..." She rubbed her head against his chest and said in a soft, spoiled voice, "I just wanted to call you that."

Yun Che chuckled. He tightened his arms, holding the girl who had rushed toward him regardless of the cost... No, the marriage contract was set, the bows were completed; at this moment, she was his wife in the truest sense. "We are already husband and wife, with endless time to accompany and call upon each other. I’m only afraid that after several decades or centuries, you’ll grow tired of saying it."

"I won't." Hua Caili’s soft voice was exceptionally firm. "The word 'Husband' is not just a call to you; every time I say it, it tells me that you are already mine. Every time, I am so happy... I could never get tired of it in a lifetime."

"..." Yun Che slowly tilted his head back, an indescribable numbness and tremor spreading from the depths of his soul to the surface of his body.

At that moment, the girl in his arms moved. Subsequently, he felt a tightening at his waist. He subconsciously looked down and discovered that a jade-white sash had been tied around his waist by Hua Caili.

"This is..."

He grasped Hua Caili’s snowy hand and also touched the sash between her fingers.

Hua Caili’s eyes curved like crescents, her fingertips lightly hooking back onto his fingers. "Since I have become my husband’s wife, I must naturally look after my husband’s clothing and daily life. This is a sash I wove with my own hands for you a few days ago. It’s... my first time... it might not be that beautiful, but Husband is not allowed to dislike it."

Her intentions were plain and clear: by tying a sash she had woven herself around her husband's waist, it symbolized binding his body and soul firmly to her own. From now on, with every step he took, the sash—woven with her heart as the thread—would gently tug, as if she were softly pulling at the corner of his clothes at every moment.

Sword breath flowed within the sash; it was clear that Hua Caili had used her sword intent to guide the jade silk, weaving it bit by bit. Whether it was exquisite or not was entirely unimportant, for every thread and every line within it was the girl’s purest and most flawless heart.

Yun Che smiled and said, "A sash woven by Caili’s own hands is a unique treasure in this world. How could I possibly dislike it... Hmm?? There seem to be words embroidered on it?"

"Ah? You can't look yet... Ah!"

Amidst Hua Caili’s somewhat timid and flustered cry, Yun Che had already picked up and unfolded the sash. The words the girl had quietly hidden within it appeared in Yun Che’s sight:

Painting lingers with affection, gazing at the misty clouds. Intent condenses into feelings, longing for the Cloud Groom. Painting pulls at worldly dreams, bound to the Cloud Light year after year.

In the Sea of Mist, the painted tribulation's love is unending. The heart beats tenderly, loving the misty clouds. In the Pure Land, tears stain the painted chapter. Sharing joy with Cloud, accompanying Cloud in sorrow. Painting a promise of three lifetimes, sharing the Cloud Realm in life and death.

All the deep love of this world is given to the Painting. Never to be forsaken, only the Cloud Groom.³

"..." Every word touched his eyes and reflected in his heart, causing Yun Che’s vision to blur slightly.

In just a few dozen characters, every line spoke of "Hua" (Painting/Caili), and every line longed for "Yun" (Cloud/Che).

Hua Caili raised her hands to cover her face, her voice shy and timid. "I originally wanted Husband to discover it by accident... ugh..."

"Hahahaha!" Yun Che burst into laughter. He tied the sash back around his waist, binding it tightly. Then he raised his hand to lightly cover the back of Hua Caili’s hand, rubbing her rosy, delicate face through her snowy hand. "So my Caili actually knows how to write love poems in secret."

The faint morning glow instantly turned into an endless, shimmering sunset flush. She seemed to think of something, and her shyness turned into a mischievous smile. "All of this... I learned from Husband."

"Hmm?? Learned from me?" Yun Che was stunned.

Hua Caili’s eyes curved. She pulled back her left sleeve and took off a black cloth strip that she usually kept wrapped around her left arm.

Yun Che recognized it at a glance. It was the very black cloth strip he had left behind to "make her give up" after his "escape" when they first met in the Sea of Mist years ago... on it were the words he had imprinted with Light Profound Energy.

To have met is already the best of fortunes; why let lovesickness boil the remaining years?

"Uh..." This time it was Yun Che’s turn for his old face to turn red, his expression sheepish. "This... you actually still kept it..."

Hua Caili’s delicate body shrank back, as if she were afraid he would suddenly snatch it away. She wrapped the cloth strip back around her arm, smiling with endless charm. "This is the first 'gift' Husband gave me; of course I have to keep it well. In the future, if Husband makes me angry, I’ll take it out and constantly read the words on it to Husband... and to our future children, heehee."

"..." Yun Che raised a hand to his forehead. "I promise, in the future, I will absolutely... absolutely not make my Caili angry."

The girl’s light laughter echoed in the bamboo forest, crisp and melodious, carried far, far away by the gentle breeze.

…………

Hua Fuchen drank cup after cup. He did not suppress his drunkenness in the slightest, until his face was flushed and his divine eyes were misty. The divine pressure around him gradually dissipated, losing his usual majesty and gaining the melancholy and vulnerability of an ordinary father.

Meng Kongchan did not try to persuade him otherwise, drinking with him cup for cup. "I knew it wouldn't be that easy for you to accept and let go."

Hua Fuchen shook his head and looked at Meng Kongchan. "On the contrary, you are surprisingly calm. After all, what was written on that marriage contract was not 'Meng Jianyuan,' but 'Yun Che'... You didn't say a single word from beginning to end. That is very unlike you."

Meng Kongchan smiled faintly. "If it were a hundred years ago, I would not have allowed it no matter what."

"But, I have lost, and I have been heartbroken for an entire century."

He refilled the wine for Hua Fuchen. The nightmare was gone, but the soul wound remained. "That Yuan'er could return safe and sound is something for which I am already infinitely grateful to the heavens. As for the rest... as long as he is Yuan'er, what does it matter what he wants to be called?"

"Besides..." His smile held no trace of reluctance or bitterness, only deep gratitude and joy. "Yuan'er’s growth and achievements are truly surprises I wouldn't have dared to hope for even in my dreams. These were bestowed by his master and won by himself. The one who met Caili and fell in love was Yun Che, not Meng Jianyuan."

"So, what is wrong or improper about writing the name 'Yun Che' on the marriage contract?"

Hua Fuchen stared at Meng Kongchan for a long while, then picked up his wine cup and clinked it heavily against his. "Brother Meng, well said. We both suffered loss, yet I became filled with gains and losses, hesitant and over-cautious, terrified that a similar tragedy would repeat. In this regard, I am ashamed to be inferior to you."

Meng Kongchan clinked cups with him... He wanted to say that Hua Fuchen didn't need to negate himself, because loss and regaining what was lost created entirely different soul traumas. But the words reached his lips and he feared touching his friend's scars, so he only clinked cups heavily and drained it in one gulp.

As the wine cup landed with a soft clatter, Hua Fuchen suddenly asked, "Regarding the Old Hall⁴, what do you plan to do?"

Meng Kongchan’s expression tightened slightly. The drunkenness in his eyes seemed to dissipate a bit as he said slowly, "This time, I intend to head to the Senluo Divine Kingdom to have a face-to-face talk with the Old Hall."

Hua Fuchen’s movements froze. After several breaths, he said slowly, "It has been less than three months since we returned from the Pure Land. Isn't it... a bit too rushed?"

Meng Kongchan sighed softly. "Previously, we thought the same, always wanting enough of a buffer, always waiting for the so-called best timing... but the result, you saw it."

"..." Hua Fuchen remained silent.

"We are most familiar with the Old Hall." Recalling the past, a deep melancholy appeared on Meng Kongchan’s face. "He has the fiercest temper, but he is also the most straightforward. Perhaps, even though he has become the Jieluo Divine Regent, he is still the same as when he was young... letting him vent his anger thoroughly might just fix things."

The space fell into silence; the two were speechless for a time. After a long while, Hua Fuchen seemed to reach a decision. "I will go with you."

Meng Kongchan shook his head. "If we go together, in the eyes of the Old Hall, it will be no different from joining hands to pressure him. It would be counterproductive, too much of a good thing."

"..." Hua Fuchen did not argue.

Meng Kongchan continued, "Your helplessness, your guilt and self-blame toward him—I will express them all to him one by one. Or... give me a token sufficient to move him. Thus, one person and one object may be the optimal choice."

Hua Fuchen thought briefly. In a moment, he took out a sword tassel from his sleeve that was surrounded by a faint purple glow.

The tassel was of coarse texture, seemingly made haphazardly, yet it had been preserved perfectly. As the purple light circulated, it carried a faint profound aura and the traces of time.

"This was from back then, when the Old Hall first successfully hunted a Divine Extinction Abyss Beast by his own strength. He took its Abyssal Crystal and residual bones to make this sword tassel for me to show off, haha. It is truly crude beyond measure; it’s a wonder I’ve kept it until today."

Meng Kongchan reached out to take the tassel, smiling. "It is ugly, but at least it's a complete tassel. What he gave me back then was half a fly-whisk, saying that most of the beast's bones were corroded and he couldn't put together a whole one, so I could take it or leave it."

The two looked at each other and laughed, then sighed together.

Unknowingly, more than ten thousand years had already passed.

………

"Husband, is the 'Long Life Bead' I gave you still there?"

This was already the countless time Hua Caili had called out "Husband" today.

"Of course, that is something more important than my life."

Yun Che’s answer made Hua Caili pull a long face, "warning" him with a serious expression: "No, in this world, nothing is more important than Husband’s life."

"Fine, fine, fine." Yun Che made a gesture of surrender. "My safety is the most important thing in the world; no one shall even think of harming a single hair on my head."

"Heehee, that’s my good husband."

Arriving at Hua Caili’s bedchamber, she turned halfway, a smile that was both mysterious and expectant blooming on her peerless face. "During this time, Lianzhi and Biyi prepared many beautiful and magnificent outer robes for me, but I haven't worn any of them. Because I want to wear them for my husband to see first."

"I’ll go change for Husband now."

Yun Che propped his chin on his hand and said with a straight face, "Since we are husband and wife, I should naturally assist you in changing."

"No... Lianzhi and Biyi are still here!" Hua Caili gave a light huff and ran off giggling. The skirt flowing with sword radiance drew a light, soft arc of light behind her, the hem fluttering and stirring a faint breeze wrapped in sword aura and fragrance.

Yun Che watched her back, lost in thought for a long time.

In the silence, he suddenly spoke, "Li Suo, don't you want to say something?"

Li Suo’s voice rang out: "Your state of mind is too chaotic; it is not suitable for me to speak."

"..." Yun Che exhaled slowly, letting out a somewhat drained voice. "Just say anything."

In the bamboo forest, those few moments of dangerous thoughts had pricked his nerves and continued to surface afterward until just now... he needed to distract his mind.

"What did you do to Meng Kongchan?" Li Suo suddenly asked. "Did you trigger the 'suggestion' you left in his soul sea back then?"

"Yes," Yun Che replied.

"Such a precious opportunity, which vanishes eternally once used and can never be recreated—I imagine you must have used it to its absolute limit."

Li Suo had clearly been pondering this question. "You... surely you didn't make him fight to the death with some Divine Regent to trigger a war between two Divine Kingdoms?"

Yun Che gave a helpless smile. "If I could truly do that, why would I need to go to such great lengths?"

"That was, after all, only a 'suggestion,' not absolute control."

"And Meng Kongchan is, after all, the Unseeing Divine Regent, the person with the strongest divine soul among the six Divine Kingdoms. The cognitive tampering caused by the instantaneous backlash of the Nirvana Devil Soul was already the limit of that wisp of the Devil Emperor's soul power. The suggestion left by the residual power is a blank space in the divine soul that I can quietly 'write' upon, but the content I can 'write' is extremely limited."

"At the very least, it cannot be a major matter that requires careful deliberation or easily touches the strings of the soul, nor can it be excessively contradictory to his existing cognition. Otherwise, it would easily trigger his alertness, causing the whole plan to fail."

"Cannot be excessively 'contradictory' to existing cognition?" Li Suo’s voice carried surprise. "Then... what use is it?"

"Of course it’s useful." Yun Che’s eyes once again condensed with dark devilish light. "For example, making him 'remember' some things he should go and do."

"...What do you mean?" Li Suo seemed even more puzzled.

Yun Che thought for a moment and explained to her, "If the one who was given the suggestion was you... if at this moment, the thought of killing me suddenly popped into your mind, you would instantly realize there was a problem with your heart and soul, because in your normal cognition, you and I are dependent on each other for survival; it is impossible for you to want to kill me."

"But, if the thought appearing in your mind right now was to urge me to continue trying to comprehend the Heaven Punishing Sword Script, you would certainly not groundlessly suspect that this thought was an external 'suggestion' from the depths of your soul."

"Then, an additional 'suggestion' built upon this successful 'suggestion' will naturally follow as a matter of course."

Li Suo seemed to understand somewhat. She asked, "Then, what was the suggestion you gave to Meng Kongchan? Can such a seemingly low-level suggestion truly work as you wish?"

"It will." Yun Che turned his gaze toward the distant horizon. "After he leaves the Heaven Breaker Divine Kingdom, he will not return to the Dream Weaver Divine Kingdom, but will instead head alone to the Senluo Divine Kingdom."

"Carrying the token given by the Painting Heart Divine Regent."