Ye Tian remembered that today's wedding banquet did indeed include an invitation to the Li family.
But he hadn't known that Li Jiuchuan would come.
Seeing the affectionate gaze in Li Jiuchuan's eyes, he immediately felt that something was off.
Ye Tian instinctively turned his head to look at Chen Jian.
Chen Jian, however, was busy chatting with Thirteen, heads close together, discussing something unknown.
"Who would've thought? Old Chen sure knows how to stir things up," Ye Tian muttered, clicking his tongue.
Then, he straightened his expression, regained his usual smile, and stepped forward confidently.
He reached out his hand and greeted the person in front of him warmly.
"Ah, Jiuchuan, how nice of you to come to my wedding. A bit sudden, though, no?"
Today, Li Jiuchuan was dressed in an elegant turquoise layered gown with a butterfly bow tied at her waist.
She forced a smile and stared at Ye Tian. "Congratulations, Brother Ye Tian. Wishing you a happy marriage."
"Thank you, dear sister," Ye Tian replied with a beaming smile.
"So, what's the second challenge?" he asked.
Li Jiuchuan's heart raced, but it didn't affect the steadiness in her voice:
"Courage and willpower."
"You need to get past me."
As she spoke, Li Jiuchuan used her toe to draw a virtual line on the ground between herself and Ye Tian.
"Step over this line, and I will attack," she declared.
Six spirit rings glimmered in succession around her body.
"I won't hold back," she said seriously.
Hearing this, Ye Tian instinctively turned to look at Chen Jian.
He wanted to ask the old man if this was some kind of joke.
Relying on his own abilities to get through?
This was going to be tough.
It wasn't that he lacked weapons capable of dealing with a Spirit Emperor.
For instance, the Jiao Pearl gifted to him by Bo Saixi could easily obliterate a Spirit Emperor.
But this was a wedding, after all—there was no way he could use such a powerful weapon here.
He couldn't injure Li Jiuchuan, yet he had to defeat her. This was a tricky situation!
Seeing Ye Tian's bewildered expression, Chen Jian waved his hand and laughed:
"Young master, I believe in your ability to figure this out."
"Will the young master really be able to manage?" Thirteen, standing nearby, asked worriedly.
After all, the young girl in front of them was a six-ring Spirit Emperor.
And the young master wasn't even a Spirit Master.
Given such a disparity, even if Li Jiuchuan refrained from using spirit skills and only competed in raw strength, the young master would still likely lose.
"Come on, Old Chen, isn't this a bit much?"
Qin Xuan stepped out from the crowd, equally concerned.
The power of a Spirit Master was no joke.
If something went wrong, no matter how skilled Ye Tian was in medicine, he wouldn't be able to perform surgery on himself.
"Don't you all want to see the young master's potential?"
"I have the utmost faith in him," Chen Jian said with a cheerful smile, though he secretly hoped the challenge would indeed test Ye Tian.
Li Jiuchuan wasn't an outsider, and Chen Jian trusted her to exercise restraint and not harm Ye Tian.
"I don't even believe in myself," Ye Tian said, throwing up his hands in resignation after hearing everyone's remarks.
To be honest, this second challenge of courage and willpower was indeed a bit tricky for him.
Should he just force his way through?
His physique, though better than the average person's, was still utterly insignificant compared to a Spirit Emperor.
And judging by Li Jiuchuan's serious demeanor, she clearly wouldn't hold back.
"Can I use a weapon?" Ye Tian asked with a helpless expression, standing outside the virtual line.
"You can," Li Jiuchuan said, holding her Xuan Turtle Shield spirit and nodding solemnly.
"What if I hurt you?" Ye Tian asked, fixing her with a stare.
"It doesn't matter," Li Jiuchuan replied earnestly, her face remaining expressionless.
Hearing this, Ye Tian took a deep breath.
What's gotten into Li Jiuchuan?
This was supposed to be a simple pre-wedding game—there was no need to take it so seriously!
Then it struck him—his wedding must have affected Li Jiuchuan deeply.
This young girl seemed to harbor feelings for him.
Realizing this, Ye Tian's mind lit up.
Since he couldn't make himself stronger in such a short time,
he could instead undermine her fighting spirit!
With courage and willpower being a dynamic interplay, he could seize the upper hand through psychological tactics.
Ye Tian leaned forward slightly, though his feet stayed outside the virtual line.
"Even leaning forward counts. If you don't pull back, I'll attack," Li Jiuchuan said, raising her Xuan Turtle Shield, her eyes full of determination.
"Jiuchuan, look at this," Ye Tian said, extending his right wrist for her to see.
Li Jiuchuan's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief when she saw the colorful seashell bracelet on his wrist.
Wasn't that the bracelet she had given him earlier?
She hadn't expected Ye Tian to still be wearing it, even on his wedding day.
"I like you, Jiuchuan," Ye Tian said with a bright smile, his tone gentle.
Li Jiuchuan's mind instantly went blank, her thoughts grinding to a halt.
In the vast expanse of her consciousness, only one sentence echoed.
Ye Tian likes me...
Seeing her freeze completely, Ye Tian hadn't expected his words to have such a devastating impact.
But he knew he had to seize this opportunity.
Without hesitation, he sidestepped past her and headed toward the flower-adorned room.
Waving to his groomsmen, he called out, "Come on, the second challenge was a breeze!"
"Hey, hey, hey! Young master, you're cheating!" Thirteen shouted.
Though he hadn't caught what Ye Tian said to convince Li Jiuchuan, it was clear she had let him pass without a fight.
Ye Tian tapped his temple and replied with a calm smile, "Wisdom is also a form of strength."
Chen Jian was taken aback, approaching the still-dazed Li Jiuchuan in confusion.
"Jiuchuan, what happened? What exactly did the young master say to you?"
Only then did Li Jiuchuan snap out of her trance.
Her expression grew complicated as she looked at the ever-smiling Ye Tian.
By now, she understood that Ye Tian's words had merely been a joke.
For some reason, her eyes turned red, and tears welled up uncontrollably.
Forcing a smile, she told Chen Jian:
"Nothing much. Brother Ye Tian said he loves Sister Nana very much."
"A man like him—I suppose I shouldn't stand in his way."
"Sigh, another easy pass for the young master," Chen Jian said with a soft sigh before joining the groomsmen.
The surrounding crowd, seeing Ye Tian clear the second challenge, swarmed forward eagerly, all wanting a glimpse of the bride and to bask in the festive atmosphere.
Standing still, Li Jiuchuan had already withdrawn her shield.
But as the crowd jostled around her, her tears finally broke free.
She knew she couldn't cry here—not at Ye Tian's wedding.
So she quietly walked away in the opposite direction of the crowd.
Noticing her red-rimmed eyes, the observant Qin Xuan approached and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"Little sister, if you want to cry, just cry. But after you're done, you need to understand—someone as exceptional as the young master isn't someone just anyone can have."
Hearing this, Li Jiuchuan buried her face in Qin Xuan's embrace and sobbed loudly.
"I know, but I just can't stop my tears."
(End of Chapter)
Advance 100 Chapters are up on my Patreon!
pat reon.com/ReidAstrea