The Long Journey to Immortality

Xiao Ran was a little puzzled. "Huh? I was in a hurry to send the invitations to Zhengyi Gate. Han Lu, how did you know about this in the Wilderness?"

Seeing that Xiao Ran was serious, Han Lu continued to joke, "Isn't this what the divination said? It said something big was going to happen, so I rushed back in a hurry."

Xiao Ran knew a bit about the skills Han Lu was proficient in, so he still took Han Lu's jokes seriously.

"I see. It's not too late to come back now. I'm sure the bride and groom will be very happy to see you here."

Seeing Xiao Ran suddenly become so slow-witted, Han Lu couldn't help but think of a sentence.

"Men and women in love are all idiots."

Han Lu chuckled for a while before continuing, "I was just kidding. Although I did find several famous masters to teach me divination skills during my years in the wilderness, it wasn't because I divined about the wedding that I returned to the Central Plains."

"Actually, I came back because of a friend who gave up his practice halfway through."

"It was just a coincidence that my disciple gave me the invitation, and that's how I found out about the wedding."

“By the way…” Han Lu sat up straight, her gaze fixed on Xiao Ran’s face, “When I returned to the sect, I also heard some rumors.”

Han Lu's gaze intensified Xiao Ran's guilty conscience.

“What rumors?” Xiao Ran forced a smile. “I don’t recall hearing any strange rumors when I was at Zhengyi Sect.”

“Yes, I also found it quite strange when I first heard it,” Han Lu said, no longer pretending to be mysterious. “I was thinking, how could a drunkard like you possibly catch my senior sister’s eye? There must be some mistake.”

"It seems that, judging from your appearance, the rumors were indeed wrong, and were nothing but baseless rumors."

Hearing this, Xiao Ran became anxious and defended himself, "Han Lu, I quit drinking a long time ago. Now I only drink one glass every two weeks. Don't look at me with your old-fashioned perspective."

Han Lu smiled, reading the subtext of Xiao Ran's attempt to use this point as a defense: "So... you really did hook up with Er Ya?"

Upon hearing Han Lu use the word "flirting," Xiao Ran said confidently, "Han Lu, how can it be flirting? Er Ya and I are mutually attracted and in love."

“Tsk tsk, you’ve even started calling it Erya,” Han Lu nodded repeatedly, her movements exaggerated. “Since it’s so legitimate, why do I feel like you were being a little evasive when you talked to me about this, as if you had a guilty conscience?”

These words hit the nail on the head, leaving Xiao Ran speechless for a moment. He stammered, "I don't know either. Anyway... anyway, the fact is that although Er Ya and I haven't reached the point of discussing marriage, we are indeed in a relationship."

"What, Han Lu, are you going to object?"

This question left Han Lu completely bewildered. "Oppose? Why would I object?"

"My senior sister isn't just mine alone."

"I really hope that my senior sister can find a wonderful partner."

"Someone like you, while not the most perfect, is suitable."

Han Lu's evaluation of Xiao Ran wasn't bad, but Xiao Ran still felt a little uncomfortable hearing it.

However, unable to find any obvious fault, and with the lingering feeling of guilt still present, Xiao Ran decided not to dwell on this minor detail any further.

Having planned to bring this matter up sooner or later, Xiao Ran decided to be frank and said directly, "Han Lu, feel free to ask me anything you want to know, and I will answer everything I know."

Han Lu was somewhat surprised by Xiao Ran's frankness.

Although she was eager to know the reason behind it, as she had previously told the Slaughtering Venerable and the Coffin Master, she now only wanted to focus on the wedding of her two friends.

Other matters will be discussed later.

So Han Lu simply said, "Okay, I'll remember what you said. Next time I ask you, you can't be hesitant or try to brush me off."

"Today is Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi's wedding, so I won't question you for now."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran had the illusion that he had been given a suspended sentence.

"By the way, you seemed to be in a hurry earlier, what happened?" Han Lu asked curiously, wondering what role Xiao Ran, this "new friend," would play at the wedding.

Xiao Ran explained, "I was assigned to help out at the banquet."

"They say I like to drink, so I must have a way of dealing with drunkards."

Xiao Ran felt quite helpless when the job was assigned, but in order to leave a good impression on Wen Erya and actively participate in Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi's wedding, he still accepted this rather difficult job.

"I was just busy with these miscellaneous and trivial matters."

"Finally, I got a little free time."

"I just slipped over here, thinking I'd have a cup of tea to calm down."

Xiao Ran sighed and said, "Han Lu, you have no idea how difficult those drunkards are to deal with."

“No, no, no,” Han Lu retorted, “I know very well how difficult a drunkard named Xiao Ran can be to deal with.”

After another moment of silence, Xiao Ran realized that Han Lu, whom he hadn't seen for over a decade, had become much more shrewd than before.

Xiao Ran readily agreed, "How about you come and help me maintain order at the banquet since you're free anyway?"

"I'll help out for another 15 minutes at most, then I'll come back when the banquet starts. It won't delay anything."

Han Lu leaned back in her chair, picked up her white jade teacup, and said slowly, "I'm a guest, how can you ask a guest to help maintain order at a wedding?"

"You're the best person to do this job."

Han Lu was unwilling to accompany Xiao Ran in doing something offensive during this leisurely time.

However, Han Lu's answer was exactly what Xiao Ran wanted to hear.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ran, who temporarily regarded Han Lu as a monstrous threat, quickly said, "Then, I'll go by myself."

After saying that, he gulped down the remaining tea in his cup, used his lightness technique, and disappeared in a flash.

Chapter 1033 The Wedding Begins

After Xiao Ran left, Han Lu sat down on her seat, looking around and patiently waiting for the last bit of time to pass before the wedding began.

The wedding was held in the East China Sea, and the vast majority of the invited guests were cultivators who frequented the East China Sea.

People like Venerable Slaughter and Venerable Coffin were invited to the wedding to cultivate relationships because they had many exchanges of spirit stones with the Immortal Pavilion and possessed profound cultivation.

Besides the cultivators from the East China Sea, several True Spirits like Han Lu also came to the wedding.

Among the guests in the hall, Han Lu noticed three true spirits and magical beasts.

It's not just human cultivators who do business with the Immortal Pavilion; many true spirits and magical beasts that are not hostile to humans are also customers of the Immortal Pavilion.

Within the Immortal Pavilion, there are also nearly twenty employees who are True Spirits and Demonic Beasts. They operate two relatively small branches of the Immortal Pavilion in the east of the East Sea, striving to expand the influence of the Immortal Pavilion as much as possible.

Of course, this is also in order to be able to collect many resources that are only produced in the East China Sea at a lower price.

Only in this way can Xiange become synonymous with high quality and low price, and continue to occupy a leading position in the East China Sea's business circles.

Of the three guests present, two were major clients of Xiange, and one was the person in charge of Xiange in the East China Sea.

Because it was at a wedding, all three of them had completely transformed into human form, and Han Lu judged that they were not human based solely on their aura.

As for what the true form is, it is not appropriate to use divine sense in such a situation, and Han Lu could not tell at a glance.

As the start of the wedding banquet drew near, the other three guests at Han Lu's table also arrived one after another.

They were all Lu Zhi's close friends from the past.

Han Lu was not acquainted with them, but that did not prevent them from taking the initiative to greet her and chat with her during this festive occasion, fulfilling their courtesy.

It has to be said that there was a reason why Lü Zhi, who used to have nearly twenty cronies around him, only invited these three "bad friends" to his wedding.

These three "bad friends" are all playful types, not very serious, and their minds are not on spiritual practice or business, but they are not inherently bad.

Not only that, but he also behaved very politely in front of Han Lu, at least so that Han Lu did not feel any aversion towards him.

The four of them sat around the table, chatting idly, which somehow made time seem to pass a little faster.

Han Lu is a cultivator from the Central Plains and a True Spirit, while the other three are cultivators from the East Sea. Their differences and distinctions filled the empty dining table with topics that could be discussed at length.

Over time, Han Lu became acquainted with these three influential friends of Lü Zhi, and managed to establish a relatively simple network of connections on the Dragon Head Islands.

When the conversation was going well, Xiao Ran finally finished his duties at the banquet and returned to his seat, feeling a little tired.

Upon seeing Xiao Ran arrive and hearing the hall doors close, Han Lu knew that the wedding was about to begin.

The best man and maid of honor went through a side door in the corner of the hall to meet the bride and groom.

After a cheerful piece of music, as the auspicious hour arrived, the five monks who formed the band began to play the most traditional tunes for wedding banquets in the East China Sea.

A solemn yet uplifting piece of music began, captivating the audience and setting the stage for the wedding.

They stood up from their seats along with the other guests.

Han Lu looked at the fountain stage in the center of the hall not far away, wondering how her two friends would make their entrance.

The mystery was soon solved.

Suddenly, the fountain in the center of the hall erupted violently, and the thick white mist that was already emanating outwards transformed the hall into a world of sky.

At the same time, a short-distance teleportation array was activated.

The bride, groom, best man, and maid of honor were transported together to a platform atop the fountain.

All four were Golden Core cultivators, so the short-distance teleportation had no effect on them whatsoever.

She instantly regained her senses, and Yi Qiyan, who was holding hands with her bridesmaid Wen Erya, saw Han Lu, who had unexpectedly arrived not far away, almost immediately.

Her joy deepened, and Yi Qiyan gave Han Lu a wink.

Han Lu understood immediately, her smile widening as she waved to Yi Qiyan and then joined the guests in applauding to welcome the perfect couple.

The wedding officiant was the most famous female auctioneer in the Fairy Pavilion.

Although he was only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, he was quick-witted and had a handsome face.

With the help of the best man and maid of honor, Yi Qiyan and Lü Zhi shared a kiss in public.

Next came the traditional part of the Donghai wedding banquet.

The best man and maid of honor each received a jade pendant with their name written on it from the bride and groom.

Wen Erya and Kong Qiaosheng took out three three-colored boxes that they had prepared in advance, and hid the jade pendant inside them, behind the bride and groom's backs.

After this simple treasure-hiding ceremony, the bride and groom then try to select a rhinoceros horn jade pendant containing each other's names from the treasure boxes hidden by the best man and maid of honor.

This is done to bring good luck, as it suggests a connection between two people or a destiny.

Of course, all of this had already been arranged and discussed behind closed doors.

Wen Erya and Kong Qiaosheng had already revealed the truth to Lü Zhi and Wen Erya.

Without much effort, the two people accurately selected the two jade pendants from the box and, intending to use them as pendants, hung them around their necks.