Chapter Ninety-Six: Human Wedding

Time flew. Before long, more than thirty years had passed since Fuxi had become the Human Emperor, and under his leadership, the human race had grown ever more prosperous.

By then, Houtu had long since come to his side and become an indispensable figure among the upper ranks of the human race.

With the awakening of memories from their former lives, their cultivation advanced swiftly, and within only a few decades, both had recovered to the peak of the Great Luo Golden Immortal realm.

On this day, after finishing the affairs of the human race, Fuxi was preparing to take Houtu out for some leisure. Yet just as they reached the riverbank, a sudden premonition struck him.

A human wedding?

A quick calculation left Fuxi momentarily stunned, and Houtu was likewise taken aback, clearly having realized the same thing.

By then, there were already heavenly weddings in the Primordial World, and among the human race, a few couples would also hold heavenly wedding ceremonies, though only those whose cultivation had reached the immortal level were qualified to do so.

Ordinary humans were not allowed to hold such rites. If they did, not only would they fail to receive the acknowledgement of heaven and earth, they might even invite misfortune upon themselves.

After all, a heavenly wedding meant a marriage consecrated before the heavens, one that required the witness of heaven and earth. But with so many humans in the world, how much effort would it take for the Dao of Heaven to witness each one individually?

......

In the Heavenly Court, Li Tian and Nuwa also felt the same stirring in their hearts.

"A human wedding, a wedding for the human race? I once thought there would only ever be heavenly weddings. I never expected a human wedding to appear as well. Does that mean there may one day be an earthly wedding too?" Nuwa gazed downward at the countless humans busily preparing for the Human Emperor's wedding and could not help but ask in astonishment.

"Yes, very likely," Li Tian said with a smile, his eyes lingering on Nuwa.

Compared with countless ages past, her appearance had not changed much, but her bearing was utterly transformed.

Thinking of the time when they had held their heavenly wedding, it felt almost as though it had happened yesterday. Yet in truth, uncounted tens of thousands of years had already slipped by.

"Should we go to Brother's wedding this time?" Nuwa asked softly, leaning against Li Tian's shoulder. Clearly, she too had remembered the scenes from their own heavenly wedding, and warmth filled her heart.

She very much wanted to attend Fuxi's wedding. But she also knew that, as a saint, her status was too exalted, and it would not be convenient for her to go, so she asked the question.

"Do you want to go?" Li Tian glanced at her, instantly understanding her thoughts. He smiled and said gently, "If you want to go, then we will go."

Nuwa had not expected him to agree so readily and hesitated. "Would it... be proper for us to go?"

"We'll go during the ceremony. We'll offer our gift and then return," Li Tian said with a smile.

"All right." After a moment's thought, Nuwa gave a slight nod.

At present, they were roughly in the position of an emperor and empress attending one of their ministers' weddings. The difference in status was simply too great; if they went, everyone would feel ill at ease, and the wedding itself would lose much of its joy.

......

Not long after, under the preparations of countless humans, the wedding of Fuxi and Houtu was soon ready.

Guests arrived from all directions. Aside from the human race, the people of the Heavenly Court, under the instructions of Li Tian and Nuwa, also prepared gifts and descended to the mortal world. In addition, disciples from the Human Teaching, the Interpretation Teaching, the Severance Teaching, and the Teaching of All Beings all hurried over in succession. Even many monks from the Western Teaching came as well.

After hearing that Fuxi was to hold a heavenly wedding, Suiren and the others from the sacred lands of the human race also emerged to bear witness to this marriage unique to the human race.

Time passed in a flash, and before long the moment of the ceremony arrived.

Fuxi wore a brilliant red groom's robe, a large crimson flower pinned upon his chest. Houtu likewise wore a scarlet bridal gown, her head covered by a red veil, as she linked her arm through Fuxi's and walked forward slowly.

At that very moment, a band of multicolored auspicious radiance swept across the sky. With the pressure of a saint accompanying it, Li Tian, together with Nuwa, arrived in the Nine-Dragon carriage and the Nine-Phoenix carriage, descending slowly to the ground under the gaze of countless eyes.

"Greetings to the Heavenly Emperor and Heavenly Empress!"

"Greetings to the two saints!"

Seeing Li Tian and Nuwa descend, everyone present could not help but freeze for a moment. Once they recovered, they hurried to bow together at once.

"Today is the great day of the Human Emperor. No need for such formalities," Li Tian said, sweeping his gaze over the crowd with a smile. He lifted everyone up with a wave of his hand, then led Nuwa straight to Fuxi and Houtu.

"Heavenly Emperor, Heavenly Empress."

Fuxi and Houtu smiled and gave a slight clasp of the hands in greeting.

"Human Emperor, this is the gift Nuwa and I have prepared for the two of you," Nuwa said with a smile, looking at Fuxi and Houtu. She no longer addressed Fuxi as Brother, for he was now the Human Emperor of the human race, not the Emperor of Xi of the Heavenly Court.

"Many thanks," Fuxi and Houtu said, bowing once before accepting it.

The gift Nuwa brought out was a pair of matched swords, one male and one female, both top-grade innate spiritual treasures. One sword each for Fuxi and Houtu was more than fitting.

"Very well, let us be on our way," Li Tian said with a smile after Nuwa had presented the gift, taking her hand.

Nuwa nodded. She also knew that her identity made it improper for her to remain here for long, so she followed Li Tian onto the Nine-Phoenix carriage, which slowly rose back toward the Heavenly Court.

Seeing this, the others all breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the presence of a saint exerted immense pressure upon them. Many even dared not breathe too loudly, fearing that they might somehow offend a saint and bring disaster upon themselves.

At the same time, many could not help but grumble inwardly: what merit or virtue could the Human Emperor possibly possess, that a wedding of his should draw the personal arrival of the two most exalted saints in the Primordial World, and even earn two spiritual treasures as gifts?

......

On the way back, Nuwa suddenly felt an inexplicable sadness and turned her head to ask, "Do you think Brother will return to the Heavenly Court?"

"Whether he returns or not, what difference does it make?" Li Tian looked at her and smiled. "Now that Fuxi is the Human Emperor among the human race, he is no worse off than when he was Emperor of Xi in the Heavenly Court. Why force the matter?"

"That is true."

After a moment's thought, Nuwa gave a slight nod. For a saint, was any corner of the Primordial World truly any different from another?

After returning to the Heavenly Court, Li Tian and Nuwa continued to watch the situation below.

Fuxi's wedding proceeded very smoothly as well. Bowing to heaven and earth, bowing to the elders, husband and wife bowing to each other, entering the bridal chamber... there was no need to say more.

Once the ceremony was complete, as expected, a mass of merit soon descended from the sky and landed upon Fuxi and Houtu, no less than what Li Tian and Nuwa had once received from their heavenly wedding.

"Merit?"

The countless onlookers were stunned by the sight. Then, recalling the heavenly wedding from countless years ago, they quickly understood.

But many people also began to entertain new thoughts.

Heavenly weddings, human weddings... could there also be an earthly wedding?

Even the saints began to calculate in secret. However, since the time for the marriage of the dead had not yet arrived, naturally they could not divine anything useful.

......

At the same time, above the Heavenly Court.

Nuwa watched with her own eyes as Fuxi and Houtu walked side by side into the bridal chamber, and naturally guessed what would happen next. Her cheeks immediately flushed crimson. Raising her head, she saw that Li Tian was still staring intently with wide eyes, and she ground her silver teeth together. With a sweep of her jade hand, she cast a spell to block his view.

"You're not allowed to watch any more from here on!"

Li Tian looked at her and could not help but smile helplessly. "All right, all right, I won't look anymore..."

Then he studied Nuwa from head to toe and, with a grin, leaned closer. "But today, I need to have a good look at you, my great saint..."

"You... no!"

Nuwa reacted at once and instinctively tried to dodge, but by then Li Tian had already torn at her garments with a wicked smile, pulling them loose!

...