Two, escorting the bride

Sangmo slowly sat up.

The formation diagram Su Jinyi had drawn with blood on the ground had not yet dried.

She rolled up her sleeves, and two hideous knife scars on her arm leapt into view.

These two scars represented two wishes, and if Sangmo failed to fulfill them on time, the wounds would gradually fester and rot until her death.

She picked up the blood oath again, "To avenge my mother, to save my beloved Gu Chao..."

Sangmo paused while reading, a trace of malice flashing in her eyes. She hooked the corner of her lip with interest and whispered softly, "I promise."

She casually threw aside the blood oath and looked out the window, "It should be about time..."

After a moment, the same voice from her previous life sounded outside the door.

"Su Jinyi! The guests have all arrived, why aren't you coming out yet? All you ever do is laze around."

Sangmo straightened her clothes in front of the bronze mirror before walking out.

The carved wooden door squeaked open. The old maid outside continued to curse, "Really think you're some precious lady, don't you? Just like your mother, born a servant despite being a miss, just a lowly fate..."

Spittle flying, the maid was about to continue cursing when she suddenly saw Sangmo, half-closing her eyes, looking at her like a hawk poised to attack.

She got a fright and abruptly shut her mouth.

Sangmo gave her a glance and headed straight for the main hall.

Today was the day Sangmo's half-sister was getting married.

When Sangmo arrived, Su Qianqian was dressed in a bright red wedding gown, ready to bid farewell to her parents.

The middle-aged man seated in the high position coldly huffed at the sight of Sangmo, "Today is your sister's wedding day; you are not to cause trouble."

"After today, you'll go to the villa, spending your days in quiet meditation as atonement."

Sangmo looked up at him and obediently said, "Daughter will obey."

The middle-aged man was taken aback by his eldest daughter's compliance today. "Hmph, don't feel wronged, not only did you try to steal your sister's marriage, but you also killed your own mother. You're getting off light."

Sangmo clenched her fists secretly; it was actually Su Qianqian who had stolen Su Jinyi's intended match, and it was Su Qianqian's mother, the second madam, who had killed her mother.

This father's heart had truly gone all the way to the pits.

She lowered her head and obediently said again, "Yes."

Everyone in the hall lifted the corners of their mouths, looking at Sangmo with disdain and scorn in their eyes.

This Su Jinyi naturally had a sickly spirit root, and now, the only mother who could protect her was also dead. How would her pretty face be of any use? Even when trying to marry it off, no family would accept her; she would probably just die old in a farmstead.

The middle-aged man waved his hand with a look of disgust, "Alright, go down, don't dampen everyone's spirits here."

Sangmo bowed slightly, "Father, my mother had previously embroidered a wedding gown. I'm afraid I will never use it in this lifetime, and I would like to bestow it upon my sister, to fulfill my mother's wishes."

You see, Su Jinyi's wedding gown was prepared by her mother when she was just seven years old, with the world's finest embroideress stitching it personally, and the jewels on it were collected by Su Jinyi's mother over more than a decade, bought at a great expense for the best quality.

Su Qianqian immediately lifted her veil, "Do you really want to give me that wedding gown?"

Sangmo lowered her head and spoke softly, "Consider it compensation for the wrongs I've done to my sister."

A look of joy spread across Su Qianqian's face, "You know what's good for you. In light of the wedding gown, I will ask father to give you some more money."

Sangmo too displayed a look of joy, "Sister, come with me."

The middle-aged man looked at his two daughters with satisfaction, without any suspicion. He asserted his authority as the family head and said in a deep voice, "Make it quick."

Sangmo took her to Su Jinyi's room and brought out that incomparably gorgeous wedding gown, "Let me dress you in it."

As soon as Su Qianqian saw the wedding gown, her eyes almost popped out. Her maid rushed forward, snatching the box with the gown from Sangmo's hand, "You're all thumbs, don't injure our miss."

Sangmo watched coldly as the maid and her mistresses joyously took off their old clothes. She bit her middle finger and drew a puppet charm in the air with her fresh blood.

Their joyful expressions suddenly froze, and the clothes in their hands slowly slipped to the floor.

Sangmo pointed at Su Qianqian, "Put on my ordinary clothes and lie down on the bed." She then pointed to the young maid, "You, come here and help me into the wedding gown."

A quarter of an hour later, the door to Su Jinyi's room was pushed open by the young maid from the inside. The bride, clothed in the splendid wedding gown and covered by a red bridal veil, was helped out.

The wedding matron looked into the room with confusion and asked, "Where is the eldest daughter?"

The young maidservant pursed her lips, "She said she was tired and wanted to sleep."

Upon hearing this, the wedding matron uttered disdainfully, "What a lazy bone indeed!"

Underneath the red wedding veil, Sangmo let out a cold laugh, supported by two others as she walked to the front hall.

As she crossed the threshold to bid farewell to her parents once more, and was about to be escorted out of the house, the previously lively front hall suddenly became quiet. A pair of feet in white male shoes came into view.

She stared blankly for a moment, then slowly looked up, only to see the person clad in a wide-sleeved moon-white robe, with cloud patterns embroidered in silver thread on the lapel.

Above that, Sangmo could see no more.

Suddenly, the sycophantic voice of Old Master Su rang out from behind, "Elder Jiang Xiao graces my humble abode. I apologize for not having greeted you from afar, for not having greeted you from afar."

Elder Jiang Xiao?!

Sangmo shuddered and froze on the spot.

Shen Yanqing?!

Why had he come?

"I heard that the Su Family is marrying off a daughter and came specially for a celebratory drink. However, it seems I am a bit late." It was the height of summer, yet this voice was like a thin layer of frost and snow, carrying a bone-chilling coldness.

Sangmo couldn't help but shiver.

Without waiting for Old Master Su to speak, that voice spoke again, "Perhaps I should escort the bride myself and share in the joy."

Upon hearing this, Sangmo's heart quivered. How could Shen Yanqing, the esteemed master of a peak on Changli Mountain, deign to escort the daughter of a minor family?

Old Master Su was puzzled, but this was the most prestigious elder of Changli Mountain. Having him escort the bride was indeed a tremendous honor.

His eyes darted about, and he whispered hopefully, "Wouldn't that inconvenience the Elder?"

"Not at all," Shen Yanqing said as he snatched the red silk from the Su Family cousin's hands.

Sangmo paused for a moment, feeling a chill spreading from the red silk all over her body.

Stiffly, she was led out of the house by Shen Yanqing and placed into the bridal sedan chair.

The wedding procession, with all its music and fanfare, carried the sedan chair to the Gu Residence. Sangmo, aided by the wedding matron, stepped out of the sedan chair as the red silk was once again placed in her hands.

Sangmo saw that the other end of the red silk was held leisurely by a pair of slender and bony hands.

He led Sangmo all the way into the Gu Residence.

The man Su Qianqian was to marry was the head of the Gu Family—Gu Chao.

It was the man who had schemed in a past life to have Sangmo kill Shen Yanqing, and who ultimately ended her life with a single sword thrust.

He was also the person Su Jinyi had pleaded with Sangmo to save from within the confines of a prohibition.

To save her own life, Sangmo had to fulfill Su Jinyi's wish to save him, but now with Shen Yanqing's arrival, Sangmo felt her mind thrown into disarray.

The Gu Residence became highly tense with Shen Yanqing's arrival, and everyone was afraid to speak loudly.

Gu Chao hurried forward, flattering Shen Yanqing for a few moments before bowing to take the red silk from his hands.

Sangmo saw Shen Yanqing's grip on the red silk tighten, deftly avoiding Gu Chao's reaching hand.

An eerie silence fell upon the scene, with everyone too afraid to even breathe, fixated on the tense stand-off between the three of them.

Gu Chao called softly, "Grandmaster?"

Shen Yanqing didn't respond, still clutching the red silk tightly.

Sangmo's eyelids twitched, knowing she couldn't continue to be passive. She released the red silk from her hands and reached towards Gu Chao's aimlessly hovering hand.

Everyone watched as the red silk swiftly fell to the ground, the hand holding it stiffening suddenly and then clenching fiercely, veins bulging on the back of the hand.

Sangmo didn't understand why he was angry. Was he blaming her for not giving him face?

But she wasn't Su Qianqian, and she still had important things to do that day. She couldn't let him ruin the wedding.