Qi Buyan gently twirled He Sui’an’s long hair near the edge of the bed with his fingers. “On the night of our wedding, can you show me again?”
He Sui’an felt it was somewhat bothersome that Qi Buyan always asked for her opinion before doing anything. Some questions, when asked directly, put people in a position where answering or not answering both felt awkward.
She had felt this way before.
Now she felt it even more.
She shifted the topic. “What is it like when the people of Tianshui Village in Miaojiang get married?”
He Sui’an was genuinely curious.
“Miaojiang Tianshui Village?”
Qi Buyan murmured.
He had seldom seen marriages in Tianshui Village but had witnessed one or two, leaving him with an impression: On the wedding day, the bride would wear a dress adorned with silver pieces and intricate embroidery, made by the village elders.
Not only were their dresses decorated with silver, but they also wore various silver ornaments from head to toe—silver crowns, silver necklaces, silver earrings, and more. They wore far more than usual, forming a complete set of silver accessories.
In the eyes of the people of Tianshui Village, silver ornaments were believed to ward off evil spirits and symbolize happiness.
If a person from Tianshui Village gave someone a silver ornament engraved with their name, it meant they wanted to be with that person. Accepting it meant one couldn’t go back on their word; breaking the promise required paying with their life.
Qi Buyan playfully pinched her small hand. “Would you like Tianshui Village?”
“I would.”
He Sui’an thought she would like it.
Although she had only heard about Tianshui Village from others, she could vaguely imagine such a place: stilt houses made of bamboo and wood, standing in a picturesque and orderly manner.
The stilt houses nestled among the mountains, surrounded by clear streams winding their way. The moss-covered cobblestone paths might have occasional chirps from the grass on either side.
When mist enveloped the village, it seemed to vanish within it, disappearing from sight.
When the mist dispersed, it reappeared.
Full of mystery.
The villagers wore indigo clothes with different patterns but similar colors, adorned with silver ornaments. Their movements produced jingling sounds that echoed through the mountains and rivers.
This was the Miaojiang Tianshui Village she imagined.
During the few days He Sui’an stayed with Aunt Cui, she had shared some stories about Tianshui Village, which He Sui’an remembered.
The people of Tianshui Village were known for their strong sense of protection for their own.
If an outsider broke the heart of someone from Tianshui Village, it was deemed the outsider’s fault and they deserved to die. If an outsider killed a villager, it was assumed they had provoked or harbored malicious intent, and they also deserved to die.
Tianshui Village upheld a strict rule against harming fellow tribespeople. With respected elders overseeing the village, it remained harmonious, and internal conflicts were unheard of.
Aunt Cui, who had roamed the martial world for many years, still fondly remembered her days in Tianshui Village.
Unfortunately, she could never return.
She was a traitor who had stolen a sacred artifact from Miaojiang.
He Sui’an had also heard Aunt Cui recount some stories from Qi Buyan’s childhood. He was not yet ten when he was brought back to Tianshui Village.
Upon learning that Qi Buyan was a descendant of Qi Shu, the villagers gathered along the mountain path to see him on the day of his return. His appearance made them think he was a very beautiful little girl.
He Sui’an recalled Aunt Cui’s description.
Qi Buyan wore small indigo clothes and a delicate silver forehead ornament. Underneath it, his bright eyes seemed to see through people’s hearts and nature, with his red lips and high nose, looking as if he was carved from jade.
The villagers’ first impression of Qi Buyan was his strikingly good looks, and they were further impressed when this young boy could control the snakes others had raised.
The snakes raised by the villagers of Tianshui Village had a certain level of aggression towards outsiders.
One snake attacked him.
For the poison guardians of Tianshui Village, Qi Buyan, entering the village for the first time, was an outsider.
Just as the villagers were about to stop the venomous snake, Qi Buyan controlled it instead. Although he was young and not yet skilled at manipulating poisonous creatures, his brief control shocked everyone.
The elders of Tianshui Village immediately concluded that Qi Buyan would become an excellent gu poison master.
Gu poison masters were rare.
They were in great need of gu poison masters.
Tianshui Village revered and respected gu poison masters, as they were essential for protecting the village from external threats.
Over the years, despite frequent wars outside, Tianshui Village had never been affected, primarily because they used gu poison. They did not interfere with the outside world but also did not allow external interference.
Violators were killed without mercy.
Gu poison masters were exceptional in creating, controlling, deploying, neutralizing, and eliminating gu poison, unmatched by ordinary villagers. They were delighted that Qi Buyan had such potential.
Aunt Cui didn’t even need to request the villagers to let Qi Buyan stay; they agreed readily.
Qi Buyan settled in.
They met his every need.
Initially, Qi Buyan didn’t live alone on the solitary mountain of Tianshui Village; he stayed with the villagers. Unexpectedly, the next day, he nearly killed a child his age.
The reason was that the child had stepped on his gu poison creature, and Qi Buyan retaliated by pushing the child into the water.
Everyone was shocked.
They held a disciplinary meeting.
There was no choice. Qi Buyan’s actions involved harming a fellow tribe member, and according to the rules of Tianshui Village, a disciplinary meeting was necessary, and he had to face punishment.
The disciplinary meeting was held immediately after the incident. All the elders of Tianshui Village attended. The soaking wet child hid in his mother’s arms, crying, while Qi Buyan squatted alone in a corner, staring at the dead gu in his palm.
In the end, they didn’t punish Qi Buyan. They simply made him move to live on the solitary mountain.
He stayed there for over ten years.
It wasn’t that they forbade Qi Buyan from coming down the mountain; he chose not to. On the contrary, they would go up the mountain periodically to ask him to create gu poison and even handled his business dealings with the outside world.
He Sui’an learned all this through Aunt Cui, as the original text did not mention it.
At this moment, the breeze coming through the ventilation shaft caused the candle flames in the room to flicker, but the warmth from the charcoal fire kept the room cozy. He Sui’an gently tugged at the end of Qi Buyan’s slightly curled hair.
He looked at her hand touching his hair.
He Sui’an seemed to speak to herself, “Tianshui Village in Miaojiang must be very beautiful.”
“You haven’t even been there yet,” the young man laughed.
He Sui’an lifted the quilt for Qi Buyan to get in, not wanting him to hug her through the quilt anymore. “As the saying goes, the environment shapes the people. Seeing you, I know Tianshui Village is beautiful.”
As soon as she finished speaking, He Sui’an realized she was indirectly complimenting Qi Buyan on his looks. She buried her head in the soft pillow, feeling a bit embarrassed as it was the first time she had said something like that.
Qi Buyan’s eyes lifted slightly, “Are you saying… I look beautiful?”
He Sui’an didn’t respond.
She faced the pillow, not looking at him.
Qi Buyan turned her face towards him. When their eyes met, she turned away again. He patiently turned her face back until she finally stopped, her neck almost breaking from the effort.
He Sui’an barely whispered a “mm” and then covered his eyes that were staring at her. “You… you mustn’t look at me.”
His eyelashes fluttered under her palm.
“Why?”
“It’s getting late. We should rest now,” He Sui’an evaded, not answering directly. Perhaps Qi Buyan didn’t realize the strong presence he had when he stared at someone, making it impossible to ignore.
But Qi Buyan said, “I want to look at you. Please don’t cover my eyes anymore.” With that, he closed his eyes. He Sui’an’s hand was still on them, feeling him open and close his eyes.
He Sui’an’s heart skipped a beat.
She withdrew her hand and closed her eyes as well.
They fell asleep together, with Qi Buyan’s left wrist casually resting on the soft pillow, touching He Sui’an’s raised right wrist. Between their wrists was a red thread, born from the love gu, identical in shape and length. The only difference was the depth of color: Qi Buyan’s red thread was very dark, while He Sui’an’s was very faint, almost imperceptible.
He Sui’an moved her hand slightly.
The bed curtains had long since fallen, concealing their figures, and the world was silent.
*
Five days later.
Today was their wedding day, with snow falling like feathers and silver frost covering the ground.
The Princess’s residence was bustling with activity, red silk ribbons strung up, red carpets laid out, and double happiness symbols pasted everywhere. Inside the room, He Sui’an sat before the mirror, with Su Yang behind her, helping her with her makeup and hair.
Initially, they had planned to get married elsewhere, but Princess Luoyan insisted on keeping them. She felt that the Princess’s residence had been quiet for so long, and before her own marriage, organizing a joyful event was a good idea.
He Sui’an had no particular preference for where the wedding took place, especially since her parents were not present.
Su Yang finished styling He Sui’an’s hair and looked at the complete set of silver jewelry on the table, feeling a bit at a loss. Normally, weddings featured gold jewelry, but hers was all silver, with unique designs.
Generally, gold was more valuable than silver, but this set of silver jewelry was so exquisite that even a lot of gold couldn’t buy it. Each piece was intricately crafted, with a small “Sui” character engraved on the surface, producing a clear sound when touched.
Su Yang placed the silver crown on He Sui’an’s head and inserted a silver hairpin.
He Sui’an looked at the mirror.
Her face was made up, looking pale yet radiant, her skin adorned with just the right amount of bright rouge. A touch of red graced her brow, with a forehead ornament, and her small earlobes adorned with silver earrings, their tassels swaying gently.
While others’ wedding dresses were embroidered with animals like phoenixes and mandarin ducks, He Sui’an’s wedding dress featured butterflies and intricate patterns, with wide sleeves and a narrow waist, and a long skirt.
She gazed at herself for a long time.
It was impossible not to be nervous.
He Sui’an was very nervous, feeling a sense of surrealism as if she wasn’t fully grounded in reality.
Su Yang continued to adorn He Sui’an with silver jewelry. When she heard about their wedding today, she was surprised, both by their decision to marry and by the timing.
Although she had noticed their unusual relationship early on, she hadn’t expected them to marry so soon, especially with the unresolved matter of Liu Yan, making the timing quite sensitive.
If calculated carefully, Liu Yan was set to act on the third day after their wedding.
That day was also the day Princess Luoyan was to marry into the Nanliang Kingdom, with not much time in between, naturally causing concern.
At that time, they would be newlyweds, and encountering bloodshed was considered inauspicious.
Su Yang had been staying in the palace for the past few days but came out today specifically to attend He Sui’an’s wedding. She even volunteered to do He Sui’an’s bridal makeup, despite not having much experience, relying purely on her instincts.
Seeing Su Yang’s dilemma in the mirror, He Sui’an smiled and said, “Sister Su, just do whatever you feel like.”
Su Yang, with her typically expressionless face, replied, “This is a wedding. It can’t be done casually.”
She continued pondering how to put on the silver jewelry.
He Sui’an said, “Sister Su…”
Su Yang fiddled with the unique silver jewelry, different from the usual accessories. “It’s not yet the auspicious time. I can finish dressing you in time.”
He Sui’an pointed out the reversed silver necklace. “I was trying to say that you put it on backward.”
She paused briefly. “Sorry.”
Su Yang readjusted the necklace.