Chapter 115: The Ancestor's Belated Rebellion (42)

Ling Qiong had no objections.

Given the gravity of the situation, representatives from every major sect on the continent had to be present, so everyone busied themselves with sending out invitations. Little did they know, they had all arrived with the intention of doing battle with the "Demon Lord." Instead, they had been subjected to a five-thousand-word lecture from said Demon Lord, and now, against all logic, they were actually discussing reconciliation.

Ling Qiong climbed down from the city walls and wiped her face with a casual flick of her hand. Not a trace of her former "aggrieved" expression remained.

"Little Ancestor, you sure can talk." Jiang He gave her a thumbs-up, though it was hard to tell if he was complimenting her or simply rendered speechless.

Ling Qiong lifted her chin. "Obviously."

Who didn't know how to play the innocent white lotus? She was a professional!

{...} Shanshan felt that Ling Qiong was truly a master of being manipulative.

"Little Ancestor, what would you have done if they hadn't agreed earlier?" That crowd wasn't exactly easy to fool.

"Sigh," Ling Qiong sighed. "Then I would've had to bring out the big guns."

"The big guns?"

Ling Qiong pointed toward the sky.

Jiang He looked up. Besides the clouds, there was nothing there. Wait—there seemed to be something moving within the cloud layer.

A flash of realization struck Jiang He: "A dragon?"

Ling Qiong’s eyes curved into crescents. "Still think they wouldn't have been crushed by that?" Was a dragon bought with hard-earned money just for show?

"..." Why did Lord Lou—no, the City Lord now—let his dragon stay with her all the time? Who was the real master here? Compared to Lou Xingluo, the Ink Serpent actually preferred staying with Ling Qiong. While both were equally treacherous, Ling Qiong was usually decent to it, and she always had plenty of good things for it to eat. Unlike Lou Xingluo, who either pinched it or threw it around.

The people of the Tianqing Sect probably never expected that the message they received wasn't a call to surround and annihilate the Demon Lord, but an invitation to sign a peace treaty. Yan Weishan was not at the sect, so the others reached out to ask how they should handle it. Yan Weishan told them to go, and if they found nothing suspicious, they should sign.

The treaty was binding. If the Yue clan truly dared to sign it, then perhaps they really were as they claimed to be. The members of the Yue clan were clearly surprised that their Little Ancestor had gone to such lengths. Still, being able to walk back into the light and reclaim their own names without a war was a good outcome. Besides, they were standing quite high now...

The Little Ancestor was right: it didn't matter how you got to the top, only that you made it there.

The matter dragged on for nearly a month before all parties finally reached a consensus. With all terms settled, the signing of the treaty went smoothly.

"If everyone could please stay a moment."

As people prepared to leave, representatives from Fankong City suddenly appeared. "You are all welcome to stay a few more days to attend the wedding of the City Lord and Miss Yue."

The crowd: "???"

What on earth? A wedding?

Ling Qiong was a bit dazed herself. "What wedding?" She hadn't even drawn the marriage card yet!

"The City Lord will explain everything to you personally, Miss Yue," the messenger said respectfully.

Lou Xingluo was waiting outside; Ling Qiong saw him the moment she stepped out. She walked straight over and got to the point: "You’re marrying me?"

"Are you unwilling?" Lou Xingluo asked earnestly.

"..." This wasn't a question of whether she was willing, but a question of her not having drawn the card! Could this marriage actually happen?

"I thought you liked me." Seeing her silence, Lou Xingluo’s expression dimmed slightly. "I suppose I assumed too much. I will have them—"

"We're getting married!"

Lou Xingluo’s brows slowly smoothed out, and he pulled her into a gentle embrace. "I will give you a grand wedding."

"..." Ling Qiong wanted to see if the marriage could be successfully concluded without drawing the card. She kept waiting for something to go wrong. But by the day of the ceremony, everything from the procession to the bridal chamber went perfectly. *Hmm,* she thought, *maybe there will be an ambush during the wedding night! That's how it always happens on TV!*

She kept waiting. She waited until Lou Xingluo finished entertaining the guests and returned to the room. She waited until they finished the wedding wine. She waited until Lou Xingluo leaned in to kiss her and the candlelight flickered out.

Ling Qiong woke up the next day and began to question reality. It worked without a card? She opened her collection, confirming there were still two cards she hadn't drawn. Why did it...

She turned to look at the person still lying in bed. He seemed to sense her gaze, raising a hand to his forehead as he opened his eyes halfway to look at her.

"Why are you up?" Lou Xingluo sat up, the quilt sliding down to reveal ambiguous marks on his skin.

Ling Qiong was dazed. "It's dawn."

Lou Xingluo glanced outside and smiled, stroking her head. "It's still early."

"It is still early..." Ling Qiong’s eyes darted around, and she suddenly pushed him back down.

Lou Xingluo lay there, looking at the person who had suddenly leaned in. "What’s wrong?"

"Last night was a poor experience. I want to try again."

Lou Xingluo: "???"

Lou Xingluo, afraid of hurting her, politely declined. Although he didn't refuse firmly, his meaning was clear: no matter what Ling Qiong did, he wouldn't budge.

Ling Qiong pondered for a while, and an idea gradually formed in her mind. Desire. Lou Xingluo's desire. As long as he was willing, it could continue! Just like before—even if she hadn't drawn a special card, if her "dear" took the initiative to kiss her, it was possible...

But she had to spend money. If she didn't draw it, it wouldn't happen.

Damn it! This was so unfair to the players! Why did the cardboard characters get the initiative?!

{My dear, if the player had the initiative, the world would be in chaos,} Shanshan said, its voice slightly exaggerated.

Ling Qiong: "..."

{Although the dear has the initiative, you still have to draw the cards, dear. Otherwise...}

Shanshan didn't finish the sentence, but Ling Qiong already understood what it meant. If only the "dear" had the initiative, she had no choice.

Profiteers! This broken game would go bankrupt sooner or later!

Lou Xingluo and Ling Qiong’s marriage was a topic of conversation for a long time. The Demon Lord hadn't just turned over a new leaf; she had gotten married! What kind of magical ending was this?

The people at the City Lord's residence didn't find it magical at all. After all, they were already used to the City Lord showing up every day at the same time. He was skilled at everything, from fanning her to serving tea and water. Whatever the Lady of the City wanted, she got; even a mythical beast could be used as a footstool for her. A wedding was nothing to be surprised about.

After the wedding, Ling Qiong didn't pay much attention to the Qibao Tower, only remembering it when she needed money. The elders felt like they had been played. Was the Little Ancestor just making them do all this to earn money for her?

Ling Qiong sat cross-legged on a soft couch, boredly drawing cards. She had to; her "dear" wouldn't let her touch him otherwise! But the last two cards were incredibly difficult to get. Sometimes she couldn't pull them for an entire year, getting nothing but common cards.

"What are you thinking about?"

Ling Qiong snapped out of it to see Lou Xingluo standing before her, holding a plate of fruit.

"Thinking about you," she said casually.

Lou Xingluo: "..." He coughed lightly. "I just picked these. I thought you might like to try some."

Ling Qiong asked Lou Xingluo to carry her outside. Lou Xingluo sighed helplessly, letting her hold the plate while he carried her out to the rocking chair on the porch.

Jiang He and the others had found calling her "Little Ancestor" awkward at first. Now, he found himself wanting to call her "Little Ancestor" too.