Chapter 2009: Cross-Dressing for a Moment of Fun

Zhang Zitong was startled and quickly lowered her head, averting her gaze. This demon lord's cultivation was truly formidable; he seemed to sense her presence after she had merely looked at him a few times.

She was well aware of her limitations; if the great demon lord discovered her, her cultivation would be completely insufficient to contend with him.

Fortunately, at that moment, Venerable Yin-Yang approached him with a beaming smile, engaging him in conversation. Lu Sanyuan then withdrew his gaze and began to converse and laugh with Venerable Yin-Yang.

Not long after, the wedding procession returned. The bridal palanquin stopped at the entrance, and a bride, her head adorned with a red veil, slowly entered the courtyard, supported by maids.

Upon seeing her slender figure, many in the hall gasped in admiration, their gazes towards Fang Long filled with envy. What incredible luck had this young man stumbled upon?

Even Zhang Zitong couldn't help but sigh. This Saintess was truly as beautiful as a celestial being; even with the red veil covering her face, the captivating allure naturally exuded by her walk was something Zhang Zitong couldn't emulate.

Pan Qiaoqiao of the Demonic Sect, whom she had met previously, also possessed a seductive charm, but it paled in comparison to the Saintess's natural allure.

Soon, the bride entered the main hall. At a glance from Venerable Yin-Yang, the officiant invited by the Yin-Yang Dao sect smiled and spoke, "Groom, quickly go and lead the bride here; the wedding is about to commence."

As if roused from a dream, Fang Long hurriedly ran forward.

At this moment, Venerable Yin-Yang bowed and invited Lu Sanyuan to take the seat of honor. Lu Sanyuan smiled and said, "Today, you are the host here. Later, the newlyweds will pay their respects to you as their elders. Why should I sit up there? I'll just sit..."

Venerable Yin-Yang, Fang Zhonghe, bowed and said, "Sect Master, you are the officiant, and moreover, you are the very heavens and earth of our Holy Cult. If you do not take the seat of honor, how could we possibly dare to sit?"

Hearing his words, several Venerables and Elders nearby cursed inwardly. This man's obsequious behavior was truly nauseating.

However, at this moment, no one dared to show it.

Some mid-level cult members, standing a bit further away, were startled upon hearing this. How had the Deputy Sect Master become the very heavens and earth of the Holy Cult? Where was Sect Master Yun?

Lu Sanyuan was clearly pleased with Venerable Yin-Yang's deferential gesture. He then nodded, saying, "Since Brother Fang has so graciously invited me, it would be impolite for me to refuse."

Elsewhere in the crowd, Li Feiqing watched Fang Long approach the Saintess. The wedding was about to begin, and his heart was filled with intense anxiety.

He had originally made arrangements with Fang Biao, but unfortunately, he couldn't find him today. He wondered if some unforeseen incident had occurred.

And what was Pan Qiaoqiao doing? Why had she not appeared yet? Surely, the two of them hadn't eloped together, had they?

Just then, Wang Cong of the Heaven and Earth Sect quietly approached him and whispered, "Brother Li, Pan Qiaoqiao is dead?"

"Dead?" Li Feiqing's body stiffened, and he quickly asked what had happened.

Wang Cong then roughly recounted the assassination attempt on the bridal palanquin earlier on the road. The Carefree Dao sect members were mostly free spirits, so their intelligence was naturally not as well-informed as that of the Heaven and Earth Sect.

Li Feiqing's face darkened. "What on earth was Pan Qiaoqiao playing at? Didn't we agree she would be swapped in the bridal chamber? Why did she swap herself in early and deliberately hide it from us?"

"It's meaningless to ask those questions now; she's already dead," Wang Cong sighed. "This incident is truly too bizarre. I, Wang Cong, am withdrawing. I hope Brother Li takes care of himself."

After saying this, he shook his head and left.

Li Feiqing stood frozen on the spot, clenching his fists, his fingers digging deeply into his flesh.

He knew everything was over. Fang Biao was missing, Pan Qiaoqiao had been assassinated, and Wang Cong had withdrawn. His meticulously planned scheme had fallen apart, and he absolutely could not complete it alone.

Could he truly only watch as the woman he loved married another?

Seeing Fang Long smilingly reach out to take the embroidered ball held by the Saintess, his eyes turned bloodshot.

The noisy surroundings did not register in his ears at all; all his attention was focused solely on the new couple.

Finally, he took a deep breath and roared, "Stop!"

Fang Long was startled, and his hand instinctively recoiled.

The entire hall fell silent, and everyone looked towards Li Feiqing.

People around Li Feiqing scattered to the sides, seemingly worried about being implicated.

Venerable Yin-Yang glanced at Venerable Carefree beside him, his expression turning grim. "Brother Hua, what exactly is going on?"

Venerable Carefree chuckled apologetically, "Brother Fang, please don't take offense. I will properly discipline that unruly disciple of mine."

Having said that, he immediately sternly admonished, "Unruly disciple, this is a joyous day for the Yin-Yang Dao sect. What kind of trouble are you causing here? Hurry up and withdraw!"

At this point, Li Feiqing had thrown caution to the wind. He directly stated, "I believe there's something wrong with this wedding! The Saintess cannot possibly marry Fang Long!"

Immediately, a group of people in the hall began to stir. Clearly, Qiu Honglei had no shortage of admirers, and none of them wanted her to truly marry Fang Long.

Fang Long's face turned ashen upon hearing this. "You, Li, I kindly invited you to attend the ceremony, yet you insist on coming here to cause trouble. Don't blame me then if I don't act as a gracious host!"

He immediately gave a signal, and his trusted lieutenants, like hungry wolves, fiercely surrounded him, intent on driving him away.

Just then, Wang Cong coincidentally stepped forward and blocked them. "Brother Li, your words are without any basis or proof. Speaking them might cause some ill will, don't you think?"

A flicker of gratitude appeared in Li Feiqing's eyes. Although Wang Cong was verbally admonishing him, his position at that moment perfectly blocked the others, giving him a chance to continue. "For all these years, the Saintess has always shown Fang Long no affection. Everyone has witnessed this and knows she dislikes him. How could she suddenly agree to marry him?"

Many of those present nodded in agreement. This was indeed the very doubt in their own hearts; everything was far too abnormal.

Many even felt that their relationship with the Saintess was better than Fang Long's. She had always kept herself pure and detested the lecherous members of the Yin-Yang Dao.

Fang Long's face turned ashen. "Who can truly explain matters of the heart? It's true the Saintess has been cold towards me normally, but this is a manifestation of her true feelings. The more deeply she cares, the more she will avoid suspicion by not openly displaying it."

"Pfft!" A chorus of sneers and jeers immediately erupted in the hall, clearly disapproving of his answer.

Fang Long's eyelids twitched. He secretly glanced towards the seats of honor, seeing Lu Sanyuan and others calmly drinking tea, clearly assessing his ability to handle crises.

He gritted his teeth. "You, Li, I know you've always admired the Saintess and cannot accept the fact that she's marrying me. Therefore, I can overlook your rashness today. However, you still need to face the facts and not be consumed by your emotions."

Some people who were normally friendly with him also chimed in, beginning to rebuke Li Feiqing, claiming he was merely causing trouble deliberately because he was blinded by jealousy over his admiration for the Saintess.

Upon hearing these words, some who had previously spoken up for Li Feiqing grew hesitant. Everyone knew that Li Feiqing was an ardent suitor of the Saintess, so it might indeed be that he was intentionally causing a disturbance.

Seeing the people around him gradually fall silent, Li Feiqing immediately grew anxious. "The Saintess is Sect Master Yun's beloved disciple! How could her esteemed elder not attend on such an important day? Saintess, have you been deceived by someone?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Sanyuan, seated at the head, narrowed his eyes slightly. Several people around him immediately felt a chill.

Just then, Venerable Carefree, Hua Feihua, hastily reprimanded him, "Unruly disciple, what nonsense are you spouting? Sect Master Yun is currently in crucial secluded cultivation and cannot appear for now. He has already sent someone to convey his blessings."

"Indeed," Elder Xi of the Demonic Sect stood up at this point. "I was entrusted by Sect Master Yun to attend my niece Qiu's wedding and convey his blessings to her."

Many in the hall secretly nodded. Elder Xi held a very high position in the Demonic Sect, almost considered its second-in-command. Since he had stated it as such, it was indeed Sect Master Yun's will.

Seeing this situation, Li Feiqing couldn't help but despair. Of course, he had no idea what changes had occurred among the high-ranking figures; he simply assumed that Sect Master Yun had truly agreed to this marriage.

At this moment, Venerable Yin-Yang smilingly stood up and said, "I know some of you may harbor doubts, but this matter is indeed the result of discussions between Sect Master Yun and us. Furthermore, we have Sect Master Lu as a witness. If you still don't believe it, you can ask the Saintess directly and let her tell you herself whether she is willing."

He knew the overall situation was decided, but after such a farce, it was inevitable that people would gossip. It was best to dispel everyone's doubts to prevent any wild speculation.

Lu Sanyuan secretly nodded. Fang Zhonghe was indeed experienced and prudent; they couldn't allow these people to plant seeds of doubt.

As for Qiu Honglei, he wasn't worried that she would say anything untoward, as she still cared about her master's safety.

Hearing Fang Zhonghe's words, Li Feiqing despairingly gazed at the bride in the center. "Saintess, are you truly willing to marry Fang Long?"

Others in the hall also stared at her, though everyone knew in their hearts that since the Saintess had come here dressed in a wedding gown, how could she possibly refuse?

A sneer played on Fang Long's lips. Watching the powerless rage of his love rivals was truly the ultimate pleasure.

This was precisely why conquering stunning beauties, especially those of high status, brought such a profound sense of accomplishment.

Just then, Qiu Honglei tore off the red veil from her head and cast it aside, declaring loudly and clearly, "No, I am not willing!"

The smiles on Fang Long and his father's faces instantly froze. Even Lu Sanyuan, who had been drinking tea, paused, his hand still.

Venerable Carefree and Venerable Heaven-Earth exchanged glances, both seeing schadenfreude in the other's eyes.

Venerable Guaiyin looked puzzled and couldn't help but glance at Lu Sanyuan.

First, silence fell upon the hall, followed by an uproar. The news was simply too shocking!

The Saintess was actually unwilling? Then why had she come here?

Was she forced?

But they had claimed earlier that Sect Master Yun had approved this marriage, yet Sect Master Yun hadn't appeared for a long time...

In an instant, various conjectures arose in everyone's minds, and many people's expressions immediately turned grave.

Li Feiqing trembled with excitement; he hadn't even imagined such an answer was possible.

Of course! How could the woman I love be so lacking in judgment as to fall for that scoundrel Fang Long?

At this moment, Elder Xi stood up and said with a forced smile, "Honglei, don't be childish. Are you going to defy your master's orders?"

He deliberately mentioned Yun Jianyue to remind her not to speak carelessly.

At the same time, he moved closer to her, ready to subdue her at any moment.

"My master gave no such order; you are merely falsely conveying her will," Qiu Honglei said coldly, her gaze fixed on Lu Sanyuan on the platform as she committed each of them to memory.

"Nonsense! When your master conveyed the message, some elders from the sect were still present. If you don't believe me, ask them." Elder Xi finished speaking with a chuckle, "What, with my reputation, would I deceive everyone?"

At this moment, many people secretly nodded. Elder Xi was indeed a highly respected figure in the Demonic Sect; there was truly no reason for him to lie about this.

Just then, a cold voice rang out, "You are indeed deceiving everyone. When did this venerable one ever agree to this marriage?!"

Immediately, a figure flew in from outside the courtyard. Upon seeing the person, Lu Sanyuan instantly shot to his feet. How could it be her?!

Many people in the hall were even more incredibly shocked, excitedly calling out, "Sect Master Yun! Sect Master Yun!"

The woman's expression was cold, and her body exuded a murderous aura. Who else could it be but Yun Jianyue?

Only Qiu Honglei's expression was the strangest, for she knew this was not her master.

When A-Zu had spoken to her about this plan earlier, she had thought it somewhat fanciful.

But she never would have expected that A-Zu's disguise technique would be so incredibly flawless!