After Sheng Jun Chapter 76 (Part 2)
Translated by Sylver (ko-fi)
Chapter 76 The Bonding Ceremony (part 2)
After the contract came the gift-giving segment.
Guests came up one by one to present congratulatory gifts, while Zhu Yan and Zhu Xu reported the gift list on the side.
Lin He and the other two were first to step forward with gifts.
As Jiang Xingzhi's best friends, all three were very generous. Shuang Ling tapped the brocade box in his hand, speaking meaningfully, "This is the best tonic under heaven...... Xingzhi, you'll definitely need it."
Zhong Ming looked at him appreciatively.
Jiang Xingzhi stared at Shuang Ling, "Although I won't need it, thank you anyway."
Lin He's gift was relatively normal. After presenting his gift, he leaned close to Jiang Xingzhi to quietly ask, "Why are there so many unfamiliar faces among the guests you invited? Have you been making friends behind our backs? You didn't even introduce them, how inconsiderate."
Lord Huan Qi chimed in, "Exactly. You even have Buddhist friends, you never mentioned them before."
Buddhist? Jiang Xingzhi scanned around, then his gaze fell on Wu Jie's smooth bald head: ......Silence, unworthy disciple. That's your master, a bald Daoist.
"You still haven't met your master, have you?"
"What do you mean??"
"Nothing." Jiang Xingzhi decided to let him discover it himself. After a few words of small talk, the group quickly left the stage, and the following people successively presented congratulatory gifts.
Jiang Xingzhi was happily counting their future shared assets with Zhong Ming when a flash of snowy blue suddenly appeared before him. Then he heard Zhu Yan's loud voice beside him, "Former Demon Lord Su You, presents a congratulatory gift of one hundred volumes of books!"
As soon as the title of Former Demon Lord was called out, the lively and bustling scene instantly quieted down a bit. Lin He's gaze was shocked and uncertain: Jiang Xingzhi's...... new friend???
At the ceremonial platform.
Jiang Xingzhi looked at the person before him in surprise, "Su You, you changed clothes?"
"Hehe." Under Zhong Ming's gaze, Su You curled his lips, "After all, it's your joyous day, what would I be doing showing up in a full set of red, stealing the bride?"
Jiang Xingzhi, "......"
Zhong Ming's cold gaze softened a bit, casting a barely sensible look at Su You, then unceremoniously spoke, "Where's the congratulatory gift for our contract ceremony?"
"Tsk." Su You didn't want to deal with this person who was taking a mile when given an inch, turning toward Jiang Xingzhi, "Although I've already given beauty Xingzhi a gift before, it's not impossible to give another one today. Here~"
With those words, a small wooden box was tossed over.
"One hundred volumes of books?"
Jiang Xingzhi made to open it for a look, then was stopped by Su You, "This isn't convenient to open right now. This book box that I treasure stores over a hundred books, so I'll leave it for you two to study carefully~"
After Su You finished speaking, he flicked his robe and turned to leave.
Jiang Xingzhi and Zhong Ming held the book box and looked at each other for a moment, suddenly understanding! Both simultaneously turned away with reddened faces, and Jiang Xingzhi hurriedly stuffed the book box into Zhong Ming's robe pocket, as if handling a hot potato.
Demonic cultivators, demonic cultivators truly were bold and reckless!
But he had to admit, this was indeed a good thing.
...
After all the guests had presented their congratulatory gifts, Wu Jie leisurely walked up.
Jiang Xingzhi still remembered he said he had prepared a generous gift, so now he couldn't help but expectantly rub his hands together, his face full of joy, "What generous gift does the Master have?"
Wu Jie smiled slightly, speaking, "This poor Daoist wishes the two of you a million years of harmony."
After he finished speaking, the two looked at each other for a few breaths.
Jiang Xingzhi, "That's, that's it?"
Wu Jie, "That's it."
The joyful smile disappeared at once. Jiang Xingzhi stared at him darkly, "Master, I received this exact same 'generous gift' from you long ago."
Wu Jie's smile didn't change, "It's different."
Jiang Xingzhi: ???
What was this, the Master's last stand with him?
Zhu Yan on the side had already forced himself to naturally announce, "Master Wu Jie presents, presents a beautiful blessing!"
The lively crowd around them quieted again, "......"
Lord Huan Qi turned to whisper with Lin He and the other, "This monk sure has personality."
In the slightly frozen scene, Jiang Xingzhi was about to accept the blessing and break the awkwardness when a commotion suddenly came from the horizon ahead------two carriages drove on auspicious clouds straight toward them, faintly accompanied by clear sword chimes.
Everyone's attention was immediately drawn over, "What's that?"
Jiang Xingzhi's heart stirred, and he squeezed Zhong Ming's hand, "Xu Jian."
Zhong Ming's gaze fell on the two carriages rapidly approaching, "Mm."
The two carriages soon rode the pleasant chimes and hung in the air outside Yaochi Pool. The dropped curtains lifted in the wind, and two figures walked out: one with an elegant scholarly smile, full of nobility. The other wearing a mask, with a golden inverted sword on his forehead.
Lin He below was shocked when he saw that inverted sword: Holy shit......!
Jiang Xingzhi had already called out joyfully, "Family Head Shang, Pavilion Master You!"
Shang Luhang and You Suqing walked to Jiang Xingzhi and the other in a few steps. They first bowed in apology, "We're late, our apologies." Then they congratulated the two, "Congratulations on your contract!"
Jiang Xingzhi thanked them, "I thought you two couldn't make it."
You Suqing said shamefully, "I was truly in closed-door cultivation for so long, it wasn't until today when Brother Shang came to say Brother Jiang was getting bonded that I learned this news. I didn't quite believe it at first, but upon coming out of seclusion I saw the invitation card Brother Jiang sent, so we two hurried over."
"Please don't mind, you two." Shang Luhang said, looking toward Zhong Ming, "Brother Bai has changed quite a bit."
Zhong Ming raised his eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised that he recognized him. Jiang Xingzhi praised, "Indeed nothing can escape Family Head Shang's eyes."
"Hahahaha...!"
Two congratulatory gifts were presented. When reporting the gift list, Zhu Yan got stuck for a moment—there were no names for these two people in the previous guest registry. He cast an inquiring look at Jiang Xingzhi: Who are these two?
Jiang Xingzhi introduced, "This is the founding ancestor of Xuantian Sword Sect, and this is......"
Shang Luhang's identity had changed, so he proactively said, "Bingdeng Merchant Association, Shang."
A series of light gasps rose around them: Xuantian Sword Sect's founding ancestor! The world's number one merchant association president!
Two thunderous names transmitted into the venue, and the originally boiling and clamorous atmosphere seemed to be suppressed. Shang Luhang smiled amiably, "Everyone please be at ease."
Jiang Xingzhi pointed toward Lin He sitting properly over there for You Suqing, "That's your grand-disciple. He was just complaining that I didn't introduce him to new friends. Go on, Brother You."
Go be your grand-disciple's new friend.
You Suqing nodded readily, flicking his folding fan, walking toward the shocked Lin He, "Come, have a chat with this lord."
Lin He, "......!"
****
Everyone in the venue had their own joys and sorrows, but the overall atmosphere was still joyful.
Jiang Xingzhi stood on the platform. Before him were numerous friends and relatives from a thousand years ago and a thousand years hence. The Kunlun he had built up with his own hands was at this moment more lively than ever before.
Immense satisfaction suddenly surged through his heart.
Zhong Ming turned his head to see Jiang Xingzhi's eyes shining brightly and couldn't help but curve the corners of his lips as well.
Most of those who came today were Jiang Xingzhi's friends. Although he also knew them all, their relationships weren't deep. He had never been very interested in socializing, having focused almost entirely on the way of the sword for several hundred years.
The only one who could draw his gaze away from the way of the sword was Jiang Xingzhi alone.
And now, Jiang Xingzhi was standing beside him, having become his dao companion.
Zhong Ming tightened their interlocked fingers, asking in a low voice, "Very happy today?"
Jiang Xingzhi turned his head toward him, "Especially happy!"
Zhong Ming asked, "Satisfied?"
Jiang Xingzhi, "Super satisfied!"
Zhong Ming laughed softly, "Then shouldn't the rest of the time be left for me?"
Jiang Xingzhi met his gaze, understanding the hidden meaning in those words, his face immediately reddening. The tension and shyness that had been diluted by joy surged back to his heart.
He feigned composure and hummed in agreement, "Then let's go back."
…..
The two left the noisy Yaochi Pool.
Zhong Ming held Jiang Xingzhi's hand, sweeping past the palace halls at the mountain peak, going straight through that forest toward the hot spring pool.
Being pulled along by him, Jiang Xingzhi's heart pounded, "Are we really going to do it in the water?"
"Of course, I specially arranged everything."
"Arranged what??"
Answering him was Zhong Ming's figure accelerating forward.
After sweeping forward a stretch, layers of forest leaves parted before their eyes with a whoosh, and the immortal mist-wreathed hot spring pool came into view.
The pool's edge was still paved with large stretches of pebbles, warm to the touch when stepped on. Incense and golden-red small lanterns were also placed on both sides of the hot spring pool, looking quite atmospheric.
But none of these counted as Zhong Ming's proud work.
Zhong Ming turned sideways to show Jiang Xingzhi the hot spring pool divided into hot and cold halves, "Look, this half is cold, this half is hot. When you get hot, we'll go to the cold water side, and when you get cold, we'll go to the hot water side."
Jiang Xingzhi, "......"
After Zhong Ming finished, he asked him as if seeking credit, "Do you like it?"
"I love it." Jiang Xingzhi praised him, "It's very much like the mandarin duck hotpot for cooking meat in the mortal realm."
Zhong Ming, "......"
He waved away this atmosphere-destroying sense of déjà vu, raising his hand to pull at the love knot hanging at Jiang Xingzhi's waist, "The surprise I gave you, do you still like it?"
Eternally united in heart. Jiang Xingzhi was sweet, "Of course I like it~"
Zhong Ming then looked straight at him, eyes holding warm expectation, "What about mine?"
Jiang Xingzhi fell silent.
His silence fell in Zhong Ming's eyes, as if he'd been stood up. Zhong Ming's gaze tightened, asking again, "......What about mine? Deng Deng."
Bathed in the expectant, anxious, speculating, nervous, confused complex gaze from across, Jiang Xingzhi's entire person became extremely embarrassed. Clearly nothing had started yet, but he was already red from the corners of his eyes to the base of his neck.
Zhong Ming watched him stay silent, disappointedly lowering his lashes, "It's fine, even if there isn't......"
Jiang Xingzhi really couldn't take it anymore, "There is, there is!"
Zhong Ming suddenly looked up, his eyes recovering their expectant brightness, "What is it?"
Jiang Xingzhi steeled his heart, spreading his arms wide toward Zhong Ming, closing his eyes and calling out loudly, "Come unwrap it yourself!"