Chapter Two: The Wedding of Bai Yue and Long Xingyu

Bai Nianxuan wore a flowing pink dress, a vibrant garland of flowers crowning her head. Joy sparkled in her lively eyes as she gazed toward the newlywed couple in the crowd. She could sense Bai Yue’s happiness as clearly as if it were her own. Bai Yue stood beside Long Xingyu, holding a golden bouquet, her face radiant with bliss. Countless eyes were drawn to them, and Bai Nianxuan knew, in this moment, that Bai Yue was truly happy.

The wedding ceremony was brief, ending within half an hour, and as their flower girl, Bai Nianxuan bore witness to Bai Yue’s joy. After Bai Yue and Long Xingyu departed, Bai Nianxuan found her parents at a table in a quiet corner. She pulled out a chair and joined them for the feast. The banquet featured simple, familiar dishes—sweet and sour squirrel fish, crispy pork in tangy sauce, and more. Because of their position, they could clearly hear the surrounding whispers and gossip.

“Long Xingyu has decent taste, but the bride’s status is far too low. I’ve heard that Bai Yue was just an orphan taken in by the Priest’s Sanctuary.”

“Even if Long Xingyu isn’t perfect, he’s still head of the Knight’s Sanctuary and a Divine Seal Knight. That orphaness has truly climbed the social ladder.”

“She’s nothing but a pretty face. What could Master Xingyu possibly see in her?”

Most of these biting, disdainful remarks came from members of the Knight’s Sanctuary, who looked down on Bai Yue and, by extension, held little regard for her. A woman without status or the ability to cultivate power naturally earned no respect from them. They attended the wedding only out of deference to Long Xingyu.

Hearing such words, Bai Heng gripped his wine cup tightly, anger blazing in his eyes.

“Father,” Bai Nianxuan asked in confusion, her dark eyes troubled, “why do they say such things about Sister?”

“It’s clearly Long Xingyu who isn’t worthy of her. So why do these people insist it’s the other way around?”

She spoke the truth as she saw it. Though only seven years old, Bai Nianxuan could sense that Long Xingyu was not an easy man to get along with. Without comparison, there is no resentment. In her eyes, gentle, kind, and tolerant Bai Yue outshone Long Xingyu by a thousandfold.

Her voice was not soft, and her words rang out clearly, drawing mocking glances and derisive comments from the others.

“What does a little girl know?”

“She must be bewitched by Bai Yue’s looks. Bai Yue is just a useless beauty, nothing more.”

“That’s because their minds are narrow, measuring everyone by their abilities alone—a bunch of worthless fools!” Bai Heng could no longer restrain himself; he slammed the table and spoke loudly. “Nianxuan, remember this: never become as weak and spineless as they are!”

Nianxuan nodded, deliberately raising her voice. “I understand, Father! They’re nothing but a bunch of fools!”

“What did you say?!”

Her childish declaration immediately provoked their ire. A man in silver armor stood up—one of the Mithril Knights of the Knight’s Sanctuary, a devoted follower of Long Xingyu. Seeing Bai Heng and Bai Nianxuan in their priestly robes, he sneered, “So, a couple of priests think they can say whatever they like here in the Knight’s Sanctuary? Is that it?”

“What, are you looking for a fight?” Bai Nianxuan met his gaze without hesitation. “So only the knights are allowed to gossip behind people’s backs, but no one is allowed to answer back? How arrogant of you!”

Hearing them insult Bai Yue ignited a blaze of anger in Nianxuan’s heart. Long Xingyu was not worthy of Bai Yue, and these people had no right to speak ill of her.

“What’s going on here?”

The commotion had drawn the attention of the entire hall. Dressed in white knight’s attire, with flowing white hair, Long Tianyin approached, anger written across his face.

“Today is my son’s wedding. If any of you do not wish to attend, you are free to leave. Bai Yue and Xingyu’s affairs are not yours to discuss.”

“Master Long!” The Mithril Knight turned pale. “It was these two from the Priest’s Sanctuary who spoke out of turn first.”

Long Tianyin merely cast him a cold glance, then turned his gaze to Bai Heng and Bai Nianxuan.

“Hello, Uncle Bai Yue,” he said. “I’ve heard Xingyu mention you.”

His words drained all color from the knight’s face—so, these two were Bai Yue’s family? But hadn’t it been said that Bai Yue was an orphan of the sanctuary? How could she have relatives?

“Master Long, you are too kind,” Bai Heng said, taking Bai Nianxuan by the hand and stepping forward. “We are here only to attend Bai Yue and Long Xingyu’s wedding. If our words were too heated before, I must apologize.”

Bai Nianxuan clenched her fists tightly, feeling her own insignificance.

Such an unpleasant feeling.

“It’s nothing—a trivial matter. They were the ones with loose tongues,” Long Tianyin said, giving the Mithril Knight a glance. “You, your pay is docked for three months.”

“Yes, sir.”

Bai Nianxuan bit her lip, her dark eyes simmering with anger. Was that all? Would this matter be so lightly brushed aside? She truly couldn’t understand Long Tianyin’s thinking. Long Xingyu was his son, Bai Yue his daughter-in-law! If these people disrespected Bai Yue, were they not also disrespecting Long Xingyu and Long Tianyin? Such a mild punishment was, in Nianxuan’s eyes, laughably insignificant.

The angrier she became, the more she felt Bai Yue was wronged. The Long family was so arrogant.

After the farce dispersed, Long Tianyin invited Bai Heng to drink with him, calling it an opportunity to strengthen the bond between their families.

“Mother…” Bai Nianxuan pouted, speaking softly to her mother, anxiety etched on her face. “They all look down on Sister Bai Yue.”

“Is it just because she can’t cultivate?”

Her mother sighed. “Yes. On the Sacred Demon Continent, weakness is a crime. That man is a seventh-rank Mithril Knight, one of the Sanctuary’s elite. Long Tianyin could not punish him severely for such a minor issue. We are not directly involved, so we cannot expect his attention.”

Bai Nianxuan’s heart sank. “But Sister Bai Yue hasn’t done anything wrong.”

Her mother gently stroked her head. “Nianxuan, there are few clear rights and wrongs in the world. Without a powerful background or strength to rely on, one is easily looked down upon. If that incident had not happened, she would have been the Priest’s Sanctuary’s favored daughter, not at all as she is now. Fate is sometimes cruel.”

Nianxuan was baffled. “I don’t understand.”

“Silly child,” her mother said with another sigh. “If your great-aunt were still alive, Long Xingyu would not be worthy of Bai Yue. But she is gone, and your father, because of her death, holds a grudge against Bai Yue…”

Nianxuan saw the complicated look on her mother’s face. The matters between adults were truly hard to fathom.

In her eyes, Long Xingyu was simply not good enough for her cousin Bai Yue.