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007 - The Wedding Feast
🕑 Added 2024-07-03 17:43:55 +0000 UTCAs soon as Qin Yun entered the Hall, he knew that this wedding was by no means the main event. No one even bothered to acknowledge his presence despite being the supposed leading actor of this day. Furthermore, he could spy his bride relegated to a corner, with an empty seat beside her, while all the important people were on an elevated platform near the back.
All those at the back were in quite a heated conversation. While Qin Yun couldn't make out their facial features as a hazy film covered the area they were seated in, he noticed their exaggerated movement, clearly displaying their heightened emotional state. Still, no arguments were heard as that film also seemed to filter sounds.
Qin Yun observed for a while longer, yet nothing could be gleaned as their realms were too far apart. Although he was confident this partition was formed by a formation, and he could probably crack it, he couldn't do it without attracting attention to himself.
As for his bride, her whole head was hidden behind a red veil, yet Qin Yun seemed to have felt her gaze linger on him as he entered. Still, she quickly lost interest, and he hasn't felt it again since.
Qin Yun and his cousin stood in the middle of the entrance, waiting to be addressed. He had no idea how the ceremony was supposed to proceed. They had only told him to shut up and follow instructions, which he was glad to do.
Not long after they entered, a group of maids went to fetch them, bringing Qin Meihui toward the area reserved for the clan while escorting Qin Yun to his bride on the other side of the Hall.
As he took his seat, his bride turned her head toward him and then turned the other side just as suddenly. Qin Yun chuckled internally as her actions reminded him of a feisty wild tiger: independent and full of pride.
The whole Hall was deep in conversation, mostly ignoring the supposed married couple. From time to time, Qin Yun could feel the glances of the surrounding guests as they tried to examine the veracity of the rumours spreading within the city. Unbeknownst to him, Qin Yun was quite the celebrity.
Qin Yun spotted some acquaintances belonging to the various different groups holding sway over the city. While most were only from the younger generation and held no real power in this place, Qin Yun was still glad they would be here for his wedding. Unlike the rest, who had next to no contact with him, those people didn't view him as severely as the rumours stated and would remain open-minded.
While they were few in number, they couldn't be underestimated. Despite what his family thought, Qin Yun had made quite the connections outside his clan. So much so that he would have no problems if he fell out with the Qin Family.
While they were on good terms, Qin Yun didn't acknowledge them, and they did the same. Exposing their relationship at this moment would be ill-advised. Trump cards weren't to be used lightly.
Feeling slightly bored, Qin Yun opted to sample the various dishes available at this banquet. It would be a shame to let them go to waste. Most cultivators practised inedia, claiming that ingesting mortal food would only muddle their Qi, filling them with impurity.
While that was true, it would only be the case when the Qi was already impure to begin with. In Qin Yun’s case, his Qi was already so pure that nothing could taint it.
Still, as nobody ate anything, the food prepared by the clan was nothing more than a decoration. Except for the food served to the ones on the platform, which emitted an immortal aura, the rest was only plain mortal food, expertly cooked but nonetheless beneath most cultivators. Despite the scornful looks, full of derision, he received, Qin Yun waved to a maid to bring him a plate, which she did with reluctance.
In less than half an hour, the number of plates Qin Yun had finished reached a staggering amount. The maid, unable to cope with the pace at which Qin Yun ate, had no choice but to enlist two more for help. The food would disappear as if it had evaporated into thin air as soon as the plate was brought to him.
Of the massive amount of food prepared for the banquet, almost a third had vanished, eaten by Qin Yun alone. The guests looked at him as if he was a rare animal specimen, while the maid didn't know what to do anymore as Qin Yun's pace only seemed to grow faster. Now, at least five maids went back and forth without stopping, bringing him plate after plate. Even his indifferent bride couldn't help but look at him with skepticism. Despite her veil, Qin Yun seemed to know exactly how she felt, but he paid her no mind.
Despite the gargantuan amount of food Qin Yun ingested, not a single scrap marred his face or garments. He was civilized, after all. It wouldn't do to embarrass himself or his new wife at their own wedding. Still, to waste such good food would be sacrilegious. Seeing Qin Yun enjoy the food, some guests couldn't help but also try it, leading to the maids being further understaffed.
As for where all that food went, the answer was very simple. With Qin Yun’s body nearing perfection, an immense amount of energy was required to fuel his muscles and strengthen his bones. He could acquire most from his own pure innate Qi, but as a limited resource, Qin Yun wouldn't tap into it unless absolutely necessary.
Instead, food seemed to offer a more sustainable method, yet the amount required was much more than what the clan was willing to provide. From a young age, Qin Yun would often go into the forest surrounding the city and hunt beasts, subsisting on their flesh. Still, not all beasts were edible, yet such a thing was barely a nuisance to him.
With each step he took on the path of perfecting his body, Qin Yun found that almost no toxins were effective on him. Without repercussions, he could eat as many poisonous and highly deadly creatures as he wanted. His body was like a giant furnace; processing and purifying such an enormous amount of food was child's play.
Still, even that was barely enough for his needs. He had no choice but to reduce his expenditure as much as possible while diverting everything he could toward cultivation. He figured that such requirements would be lifted as long as he achieved perfection. Until then, Qin Yun had no choice but to move the least amount possible, hence all the time he spent asleep.
Qin Yun couldn't let such a heaven's gift of a banquet slip from his grasp. He figured this was enough food to last a few weeks without hunting.
Unbeknownst to him, Qin Yun was now the focal point of this gathering. All eyes turned to him, wondering how such a slim body could accommodate that amount of food. Still, Qin Yun’s pace never slowed down; soon, not much remained of the feast the clan had prepared.
As for how to store all that energy, Qin Yun simply compressed it all within something akin to an artificial Qi centre. Usually, when a cultivator reached the Qi Refining Realm, his Innate Qi would be transformed into a receptacle located just below the navel that would be used to store the Spiritual Qi one could absorb from the atmosphere.
In Qin Yun's case, he simply had to do the same thing or something close to it. By separating a portion of his Innate Qi and making it revolve at high speed, he could create a makeshift vortex that would further crush and compact all that energy. Then, he only had to allow a single opening to draw that energy out and use it, making that vortex something akin to a battery.
The only problem with that process was that it required that vortex to always be in motion as if it were to stop, but for a moment, it would burst outward and probably rip Qin Yun apart. As such, it took him a long time to be able to rotate his Qi even as he slept. By now, it was second nature and it did a wonder for his control over Qi. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say Qin Yun had the best Qi mastery of anyone within Jin City.
As Qin Yun’s meal drew to a close—not by choice, there was simply no more food to eat— he thanked the servants for their fabulous service before once again becoming silent and waiting for the banquet to end. Seeing Qin Yun's indifferent expression, most guests sported complicated looks as this situation was far removed from what they had expected. Only the few familiar with Qin Yun's eccentricities smiled slightly, expectantly waiting for what was to come next.
Unfortunately, their wait would remain unrewarded as the banquet seemed to come to a close. Qin Yun was disappointed to find that no ceremony would take place on this day. It appeared that his marriage was nothing but an excuse for these bigshots to convene their meeting. Still, Qin Yun wondered if they had reached a consensus.
Probably not, as when the hazy film disappeared, the man in purple, who was part of the bride's retinue, was seen storming out with a grim expression on his face. Qin Yun could see traces of sadness as the man glanced at his bride. Unlike what he expected, the man seemed to care greatly about her.
The man’s gaze lingered on Qin Yun for a while, yet, despite the pressure, Qin Yun returned his gaze calmly, which seemed to draw a look of interest from his bride. The man stopped halfway down the Hall and then turned to address Qin Yun.
“Young man, how do you view this marriage?" he asked, his voice deep and clear, yet Qin Yun could feel the pressure on his body rising. He had no doubts about his fate if he failed this test. Qin Yun rose and bowed slightly to the man without seeming too subservient.
“While I may not have arranged this marriage, Jingfei is my wife," Qin Yun replied calmly. "I chose this path and, as such, will be responsible for my own choices. As a husband, I will fulfill my duties as best as I can.”
The man in purple’s gaze seemed to ease somewhat hearing this, yet it was fleeting at best. His gaze soon became even sterner.
“What if she were to ask something of you?” the man added.
Qin Yun smiled slightly; they were finally getting to the crux of the matter. Qin Yun very much doubted he would get a wife for free; this must be the price.
"After this wedding, everything I own is already hers. She only has to ask," Qin Yun replied confidently, which drew a somewhat evil smile from the people on the platform as if he was now prey within their net. Qin Yun couldn't care less and ignored them.
"Then I will hold you to it," the man said as he started walking out of the Hall. "Take care of my niece."
Qin Yun's eyebrow rose slightly. He hadn't expected this sacrifice of a wife to have an uncle with such strength. He wondered why she was chosen but didn't voice his doubts. Not yet, anyway; he would know soon enough.
"I will," Qin Yun replied as he bowed slightly while clasping his hand in respect. "Uncle can rest assured."
The man stopped and looked at Qin Yun with narrowed eyes but then ignored him and left. A tense silence still hung in the air after the man's departure, but soon, conversations renewed, discussing what had just happened.
Qin Yun sat back down, unconcerned, yet he could feel his bride's gaze on him as if she tried to bore a hole through him. Qin Yun chuckled slightly, then looked at the veiled woman beside him.
“Honey, I didn’t know you were this smitten with me,” he said. “I can feel your gaze all over me.”
The woman harrumph slightly, then turned away, ignoring him. Qin Yun wished to tease her some more, but a horrible headache assaulted him as soon as he opened his mouth. His clear gaze became dull, and he lost all sense of time. Soon, he even lost consciousness.
