Chapter 1011: Chu and Jiang - Invitation (Side Story)

The night was dark, and the wind howled through the forest.

In the shadowy woods, where the air felt cold and heavy, two figures darted in from opposite sides. One came from the east, the other from the west.

The man coming from the east wore a black robe with the hood drawn low, hiding all but a sharp, glinting pair of eyes.

He studied the figure standing across from him, a man in a ghost face mask, and said in a low, deliberate voice, "When the east fails to shine, the west lights up."

The masked man gave a slight bow. "Whatever your father was like, that’s what I am."

"The Great Dao of Years Leaves No Regrets?" the man in black asked.

"And you are Deep Waters Run Silent?" the man opposite him asked in return.

The two exchanged a nod, then finally stepped closer.

The man in black formed a seal with his hands and stomped the ground. A glowing circle rose around them, and a silver ring enclosed the space, cutting off all sound and sight from the outside world.

Only then did he fully let down his guard. "Apologies, brother. You know how things have been. It's been tight lately, too much attention on stuff like this. I had to be careful."

"I understand," the masked man replied with a nod. "As long as it's real, I don’t mind a little trouble."

"It’s the real deal," said the man in black.

The masked man asked, "Mind if I ask where it came from?"

"Shh." The man in black raised a finger to his lips, then pointed lightly toward the sky. "Best not to speak of it."

The masked man looked up and smiled. "Then I’m reassured. If this didn’t come from someone within the Divine Nine, there’s no way you’d have access to it."

The man in black reached into his robes and took out a small jade box. He opened it to reveal a palm-sized jade slip resting inside. The character "囍[1]" had been etched onto its surface in bold, elegant strokes.

The masked man took the jade slip, ran his fingers across it, and nodded. "One look is enough. It’s real."

"Of course it is. You think I’d sell you a fake?" The man in black let out a quiet chuckle. "If my superior weren’t truly strapped for cash and too embarrassed to ask friends for a loan, this never would’ve hit the market."

"I understand." The masked man handed over a storage jade slip.

The man in black took it and inspected it carefully. After confirming its contents, he smiled in satisfaction.

With the restriction removed, the two turned and disappeared into the night, each going their separate way.

As the Circle of Immortal Friends Token grew more popular, trades conducted through it became increasingly common. Buying goods from Red Cotton Peak was as easy as placing an order for home delivery. However, private transactions still lacked a proper platform. Deals were discussed on the Circle of Immortal Friends, but they had to be carried out in person.

Since valuable items and spirit stones were often involved, cultivators naturally took precautions. Many adopted countermeasures, such as using aliases solely for their dealings on the Circle of Immortal Friends.

Popular aliases for men included names like "The Great Dao of Years Leaves No Regrets" and "Deep Waters Run Silent." Women, on the other hand, often chose names such as "Moonlight over the Lotus Pond" and "One Smile to Topple a City."

The Circle of Immortal Friends Token became even more widespread after Chu Liang initiated a major core upgrade following his ascension to the ninth realm. A Nightmare Demon King from the demon race was hired to maintain the system, while Li Guanlong[2]of Fog-Hidden Mountain of Immortals was put in charge of its operations.

Now, this pair, one human and one demon, slept atop Red Cotton Peak. Unlike before, when their rest was often disturbed, they could now earn money simply by sleeping and dreaming. It was the perfect job for their talents.

Thanks to the Nightmare Demon King's upkeep, the immense flow of information on the Circle of Immortal Friends ran smoothly, allowing any ordinary cultivator to send private messages anytime and anywhere.

That night, the figure in the ghost-faced mask raced through the darkness and came to a stop beside a quiet lake. Bowing respectfully, he called out, "Esteemed teacher, I’ve returned!"

In response to the call, a red pavilion suddenly rumbled up from the depths of the lake. The masked figure stepped inside and saw a woman in scarlet robes combing her hair before a mirror.

"Esteemed teacher." The masked figure removed her mask, revealing a charming face—it was a woman. She was none other than Yi Qiushui, the Enchantress of the Scarlet-Robe Hall under the now-defunct Dark King Sect.

Her esteemed teacher was, of course, the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall, but the Dark King Sect had already been destroyed. Even their sect leader, Lin Poyun, had been slain by Hallowed Chu not long ago. The two women had long since left those identities behind.

"You got it?" the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall asked.

"Yes," Yi Qiushui replied, handing over the jade slip. "But for Chu Liang’s... Hallowed Chu’s wedding, only a handful of guests were invited. Are you sure it won’t be a problem if you show up?"

"Heh, I want to see it with my own eyes..." the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall said as she stood up suddenly. "Let’s see if Jiang Tiankuo will let his son-in-law kill me."

...

Three months ago, news of Hallowed Chu’s upcoming wedding stirred the entire immortal realm.

Since ascending to the Profound Realm, Chu Liang hadn’t reshaped the human world with drastic reforms. Instead, he focused on refining what was already there, steadily improving daily life across the land. With the Great Dao of Creation enhancing his abilities, many of his ideas took form with ease.

As a result, Chu Liang’s reputation among mortals had grown indistinguishable from that of a true god. He had countless followers. But ever since becoming a Hallowed One, he had slowly withdrawn from public life. Even when he appeared in the world, he concealed his identity so no one would recognize him.

Whether by choice or not, he was gradually becoming a true Hallowed One.

That was why news of his wedding drew so much attention.

Even so, Chu Liang made his stance clear. To prevent unrest, invitations would be sent only to close friends and allies from the major immortal sects of the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten. Very few people would be allowed to attend.

Those who could would be able to meet Hallowed Chu in person, and with all the top leaders of the immortal sects expected to attend, they might find themselves catapulted to success just by rubbing shoulders with someone sitting quietly in a corner. These invitations quickly became hot commodities, and everyone was trying to get their hands on one by any means necessary.

Those who received invitations now had the opportunity to resell them at exorbitant prices. Recently, the "tickets" to Hallowed Chu’s wedding had been surfacing in the Circle of Immortal Friends Token at ever-higher prices, all traded in secret, for fear of being found out.

It was under these circumstances that the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall secretly sent her disciple to buy one at an outrageous price.

However, she wasn’t going for Chu Liang. She was going to see the man who had never left her thoughts after all these years. Lately, Jiang Tiankuo had reunited with his wife and daughter and had kept a low profile, rarely showing himself in public. Still, since this was his daughter’s wedding, he was certain to attend.

Even if it was risky, the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall was willing to give it a try.

Lately, Chu Liang had begun purging the diabolical and heretical forces within the human realm. Such purges were inevitable whenever a cultivator reached the ninth realm. If the one who rose was righteous, evildoers would suffer. If it was a demonic or monstrous cultivator, then the human world would bear the cost.

Even so, Chu Liang's campaign had been among the least bloody in history. For remnants of diabolical sects like the Scarlet-Robe Hall, who had once crossed paths with him, he showed restraint. As long as they caused no further trouble, he rarely pursued them to the bitter end.

However, if she appeared at the wedding and her identity was revealed in front of the righteous sects, no one would be able to protect her.

Still, the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall went anyway.

On the day of Chu Liang’s wedding, she had taken every precaution. Her appearance was altered through layers of disguise and illusion, and she carried with her a full set of enchanted tools and life-saving items for escape.

But the moment she arrived at the venue, only three words filled her mind:

All. For. Nothing!

Staring at the sea of heads drifting among the clouds, she realized there were likely hundreds of thousands of others just as stunned as she was.

The crowd erupted into loud, heated chatter.

"Why are there so many people? Wasn’t this supposed to be invitation-only for bigshots from the immortal sects? I paid several thousand spirit-stone coins for my ticket!"

"You bought yours in secret too? And only a few thousand? Mine cost over ten thousand!"

"I got mine last minute this morning for... only a few hundred spirit-stone coins..."

"Oh no, we’ve been swindled!"

"..."

The murmurs and complaints grew louder, but no one dared to curse out loud. Hallowed Chu’s name still carried too much weight.

Everyone here had believed they had gotten their hands on an exceptionally rare invitation. Afraid someone might try to steal it, they had kept quiet and told no one.

They had assumed they would be dining with the great leaders of the immortal sects, exchanging toasts and witnessing the wedding of Hallowed Chu and Jiang Yuebai up close.

Who would’ve thought there would be hundreds of thousands of others in the same situation?

Mount Shu was completely surrounded.

The master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall no longer feared her identity being exposed. What worried her now was being squeezed so tightly by the crowd that she couldn’t even move.

Thinking of the outrageous price she had paid for her ticket, she clenched her teeth and cursed under her breath.

Those resellers are truly despicable!

But then, a thought struck her.

If the organizers weren’t involved, how could the wedding invitations have been scalped so smoothly and so uniformly?

The image of Jiang Tiankuo’s oh-so-perfect son-in-law appeared in her mind.

You’ve already become the Hallowed One, yet you still can’t resist using the wedding to make a fortune. What exactly are you trying to do?

the master of the Scarlet-Robe Hall shouted in her heart.

1. 囍 (pronounced xǐ) is a decorative Chinese character known as "double happiness." It’s a ligature formed by placing two copies of the character 喜 (xǐ, meaning "joy" or "happiness") side by side. It's most commonly used during weddings to symbolize marital bliss, harmony, and good fortune for the couple. It indicates celebration and is especially related to joyous unions. ☜

2. It was first mentioned in this CHAPTER. that Li Guanlong accidentally swallowed an ancient Curse Insect of Dreams when he was young. That is why he is in charge of this operation as well. ☜