Dawnless Sovereign-Chapter 116 (1): Wedding Night

"You're still young, so you don't understand," Yin Shengong sighed. "These things have to be done young."

"Why?"

"After you turn fifty, even if you meet the right person, you'll no longer have the passion to pursue marriage. You'll be content just knowing that the other person is alive and well, and you'll no longer have the urge to pursue a life with them."

"I don't understand..."

"Of course you don't, you're still too young. As a young man, once you reach a certain age, you'll be driven by hormones to find a mate, and that's the best time to find a romantic partner. It's also the most wonderful time in one's life, a period of time that's full of longing, excitement, and anticipation for the future. That's the time when you have to get married and have children. Once you're past that window, your mental state will be completely different.

“Accomplished warriors can live for centuries, millennia, even tens of thousands of years, but those among them who are married later in life generally got married in their youth. Once you're over fifty, you're no longer spurred on by your hormones, and you're too jaded to pursue romance. Perhaps you'll have a casual fling here and there, but you won't want to start a family anymore."

This was something that Fang Che had never thought about.

In his past life, he recalled that he really wanted to find a wife when he was around twenty years of age, but that desire gradually faded over time as he dedicated himself more and more to the battlefield, and he eventually grew accustomed to being on his own.

Thinking back now, wasn't that exactly what Yin Shengong had just described?

"If you still don't understand, let me give you an example. If a super clan is to come into existence, then it must have an exceptionally talented ancestor. That's something you agree with, right?"

"Yes, of course."

"Such a talented warrior must have many women pining for his favor. Thus, the ancestor marries a few wives, with whom he has some children, and those are the first members of this super clan, right. Until what age do you think this ancestor's fertility will last?"

"There is no age limit. As long as he wants to, he can keep having children indefinitely."

"That's correct. However, it's generally the case that they only have a few children and no more. From there, his descendants will continue to reproduce generation after generation. This ancestor is still fertile, and there would be countless young women willing to bear his children, so why doesn't he give birth to more?"

The answer was obvious.

"Hence, marriage should come as early in one's life as possible. Once you lose your passion, it'll be too late to try and find a wife for you."

Fang Che felt like there was some truth to Yin Shengong's words, but it also felt a bit far-fetched.

In any case, he didn't want to argue.

Yin Shengong was clearly determined to arrange this marriage, so he had no choice but to accept.

Just like Ye Meng, he was trying to convince himself that he was making a sacrifice for the greater good, but in reality, he was beginning to look forward to the night ahead.

***

The three elders quickly returned, and they began setting up the Virtue Manor for the imminent wedding.

All the while, Ye Meng was made to stay in her boudoir, and she was still blushing furiously.

Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang were standing in for Ye Meng's seniors, while Yin Shengong and Mu Linyuan stood in for Fang Che's seniors, and Mu Linyuan was also assigned with the job of wedding emcee.

As was tradition, Fang Che changed into a red wedding suit, while Ye Meng put on a wedding gown of the same color.

All of the wedding attire and decorations were of the highest quality, and it was clear that the three elders had spared no expense.

"The time has arrived!" Mu Linyuan declared joyously.

"First, bow to heaven and earth!"

"Second, bow to the seniors!"

"Now, bow to each other!"

Yin Shengong was looking happier and more vibrant than he had in decades, and he had even prepared two red packets for the bride and groom, within each of which was a piece of paper.

Essentially, they were promissory notes guaranteeing a bunch of wedding presents to be delivered at a later date, and that was very amusing to the three elders.

"These are not just empty promises!" Yin Shengong insisted. "I will deliver every single item on the lists! Old Man Mu, read out the notes."

As soon as Mu Linyuan saw the first entry on Fang Che's note, his eyes instantly widened in shock.

"Go on," Yin Shengong prompted.

Mu Linyuan cleared his throat to compose himself, then read aloud, "The first present is the position of the pope of the One Heart Church. Once Night Demon reaches a sufficient level of cultivation base and influence, I, Yin Shengong, will retire for Night Demon to take my place. If I die of an unforeseen mishap, Night Demon will take over my position as pope with immediate effect!"

Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang were astonished to hear this, but Fang Che was the most astonished of all.

"Master! Please rescind this order!"

"How can I rescind it when it's already been put to paper? It's too late!" Yin Shengong declared with a hint of finality in his voice. "You have to grow up as quickly as possible, lest you be overtaken in the line of succession."

"This is too much responsibility for me to bear, Master!" Fang Che exclaimed as he kowtowed to the ground.

"And yet bear it you must!" Yin Shengong insisted. "Warriors like us must constantly be prepared for the worst. I've already taken countless lives during my time in this world, so I can depart with no regrets whenever death decides to come knocking. This is really no different from writing a will. No one can predict what the future holds, but with this promise I make to you, you will always be the first in line to inherit my position as pope." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

"I think it's best that you continue as the pope of the One Heart Church, Master," Fang Che said with a smile. "I don't mean any disrespect to anyone, but I'm aiming to become the pope of the Church of the Self-Righteous!"

The four old men immediately erupted into laughter.

After that was a long list of other presents, all of which were rare natural treasures and high-end cultivation resources.

"Thank you, Master," Fang Che said as he kowtowed to the four old men. "I will be sure to serve you and my uncle-masters with the utmost loyalty and dedication."

The four old men nodded with gratified smiles.

After that came Sun Yuan's spirit tablet, which Fang Che and Ye Meng also knelt down and kowtowed to.

"Sun Yuan made a worthy sacrifice," Mu Linyuan sighed, and Qian Sanjiang and Hou Fang nodded in agreement with solemn expressions.

"It is now time for the newlywed couple to enter the bridal chamber!" Mu Linyuan declared.

There were no maidservants, so Fang Che had to personally escort his bride into the bridal chamber, which was just Fang Che's bedroom, but flower petals had been littered all over the bed, giving off a fragrant aroma.

The two of them still felt as if they were in a dream.

We're married? Just like that?

It felt like a farce, yet all of the official procedures had been observed, but to call it official would be a farcical claim.

Ye Meng's mind was still a muddled mess.

"You wait for me here. I have to go drink with my master and uncle-masters."

Ye Meng nodded in a daze, her head still enshrouded under a red wedding veil.

***

By the time Fang Che emerged from the bridal chamber, the four old men were already drinking and feasting to their hearts' content.

It had to be the smallest wedding ever, with only a single table, yet that didn't dampen their spirits in the slightest.

The four old men raised their cups to Fang Che in unison.

"Congratulations!"

The dishes on the table had barely been touched, but several jars of wine were already empty.

"Come and drink with us! This is your wedding day!" Yin Shengong yelled as he pressed a hand down onto Fang Che's shoulder to push him down onto a chair. "Don't say anything. Just eat and drink, then go to your bride.."

"Master, I want to thank..."

"Shush! You can thank me by drinking!"

After drinking two more jars of wine, Yin Shengong and the three elders began telling stories of their past in an animated fashion, reminiscing about the days of old.

Yin Shengong laid a hand on the shoulder of Fang Che's wedding suit as he asked, "Have any of the three of you ever gotten to wear this before?"

"I have," Mu Linyuan replied with a smile. "Twice, in fact."

"Zero times for me," Qian Sanjiang said, then downed half a jar of wine in one go to drown his sorrows.

He couldn't help but think of the woman that he had been utterly enamored with his entire life, only to kill herself by hanging right before his very eyes.

He had loved her his entire life, yet she would rather die than reciprocate his feelings...

"I did get to wear it once, but my bride from that occasion is already long dead," Hou Fang sighed.

"I almost got to put on these clothes once upon a time," Yin Shengong murmured to himself, his mind completely elsewhere.

"Let's not talk about that," Mu Linyuan said. "Today is a day for celebration. If you had gotten to put on these clothes back then, you would've never become the pope of the One Heart Church!"

Mu Linyuan's words immediately snapped Yin Shengong out of his reverie, and he turned to Fang Che as he asked, "What did you mean just now when you said that you didn't want to become the pope of the One Heart Church, but you want to become the pope of the Church of the Self-Righteous?"

"I meant exactly what I said, Master. I have... very lofty ambitions. In the beginning, I didn't have much ambition. All I wanted was to serve the One Heart Church to the best of my abilities. However, after taking part in the Parasite Ascension Project, my eyes were opened to new possibilities!

“I discovered that the so-called prodigies of the main church weren't anything special! I thought to myself, if we all came from the same background, I would be better than all of them! No matter what happens, I'm not going to become the pope of the One Heart Church. That position can only be yours, Master! Right now, all I want to do is advance my cultivation base and assist you to the best of my abilities.

“Even if someday, my cultivation base surpasses yours, I'm content to serve as your deputy or an enforcer for our One Heart Church. If anyone dares to offend or oppose you, I'll kill them all! If I can advance my cultivation base even further beyond that, then I'll go to the main church! I've been constantly reaffirming the loyalty of the people at the Unmatched Escort Agency to me precisely so I can make use of them in the future.

“I won't allow anyone else to claim the position of pope of the One Heart Church, including myself! If there comes a day when you wish to retire, then you can leave the One Heart Church on your own terms and come to stay with me, but under no other circumstance will it be acceptable to me for anyone to take your place!"