The Glory of the Tribe

Chapter 25

The matter of such great importance was easily settled between the two, and neither showed any sign of excitement.

It wasn't until Jiang Qinghong finished tidying up the meal containers and stood up to leave that her face gradually flushed, her beautiful eyes glistening with a subtle charm, a hint of shyness. She had spoken with Grandma Jinhua the previous night, who had kindly offered her some advice on such matters...

"Hurry! Faster! Faster!"

After Jiang Qinghong left, Jiang Xuan immediately went into a fervent state of practice with his sword, growing more and more obsessed as if he had endless energy to expend.

It was unclear how much time passed.

Finally, Jiang Xuan suddenly reclined backwards, falling onto the grass. His body sprawled out in a large shape, his chest heaving violently, breathing heavily, his bright eyes staring at the sky. He seemed to have finally calmed down, though it might also have been that he was simply too exhausted to move.

"Father, are you still alive?"

"Mother, I will save you."

"I’m getting married."

Jiang Xuan stared blankly at the sky.

"You’re getting married?" The ethereal voice suddenly came through.

"Senior." Jiang Xuan immediately sat up, turned his head toward the transmission stone, "This morning I spoke with Qinghong Jie, and we decided to get married tonight."

"Congratulations, you've grown up." The voice from the stone seemed to carry a tone of sentimentality. Indeed, it was a sentiment. She had known Jiang Xuan for eight years now, and when they first met, he was just a seven-year-old child, his voice still full of childishness. Now, he had become a man.

"Senior, uh..." Jiang Xuan suddenly stood up, cleared his throat, and walked over to the transmission stone, his hand resting on it. He hesitated for a moment, "There’s one thing..."

"What is it?" The ethereal voice asked.

"About the wedding... the wedding night... um... how should I... I mean... how can I... get Qinghong Jie pregnant... you understand, right?" Jiang Xuan stammered out. He truly had no one else to ask.

His father was absent, his mother could not return, and there were no other men in the Jiang tribe except for him. Asking his aunts or even his grandmother was far too embarrassing; it was much easier to ask the Mysterious Stone Senior.

There was a long pause on the other end.

Far away, at Xianlu Palace.

The figure in the phoenix crown and ceremonial robe, lying on a long couch, one hand propped under her head, the other holding a fruit that resembled a miniature star, was eating... When the strange question came through the transmission stone, she froze for a moment, her movements stopping entirely.

This was an unquestionably inappropriate question, especially given the difference in gender between her and Jiang Xuan. However, she clearly couldn’t fault anyone for this, as the world had already reduced her to a symbol.

Jiang Xuan didn’t know her true identity.

"Senior?" The transmission stone’s voice sounded again, as the Qian Emperor had been silent for a while.

"Hmm..." After a brief pause, the Qian Emperor sat up, glancing at the purple-robed maid, Rong’er, who was standing in the corner.

Rong’er felt the gaze of the Qian Emperor, raised her head, and then shook it.

She had accompanied the Qian Emperor for thousands of years, but even she didn’t understand such matters.

"Hmm... I’ve never been married, so you shouldn’t be asking me for advice."

After some contemplation, the ethereal voice finally spoke again, "But don’t worry, although you are the last man of your tribe, the experienced women may not be able to teach you, but they will certainly teach your Qinghong Jie. So, there’s no need to worry. You don’t need to know anything in advance, just be ready to be the groom."

He just wanted to ease the tension, make Jiang Qinghong relax. He needed to relax too. Both of them were nervous. Jiang Xuan moved his hand from the windowsill, gently placing it on the back of Jiang Qinghong's hand. She flinched slightly, then allowed him to hold her hand.

"How about... we chat first?" Jiang Xuan suggested.

"Hmm, Xiao Xuan, you..."

"What did you call me? Still calling me Xiao Xuan?"

"Are you copying me?" Jiang Qinghong shot him a playful glance before adopting a softer tone, "Husband! My dear husband!"

"Let’s be normal, alright?" Jiang Xuan said, feeling goosebumps rise.

"You look so funny in this outfit."

"What’s funny about it? Doesn’t it fit?"

"No, I mean, I’ve never seen you wear this before, and now it’s on you, it just feels... How about me, how do I look in my wedding dress?"

"It’s fine."

"What do you mean by 'fine'? Are you saying I don’t look good?"

"No, I’m saying you look good. Your dress looks good too."

"Xiao Xuan, you’ve grown taller than me now. I remember you used to be much shorter than me."

"I’m a few years younger than you, so of course, I was shorter. You grew up first."

"So you think I’m old now? You think I’m too old?"

"...Qinghong Jie, let’s not do this."

"Qinghong Jie, will you leave after this?"

"No, I won’t leave. If you lose, I’ll stay with you."

"That table... it seems a bit uneven."

"Is it? Hmm... it does seem like it is a bit."

From casual chatter to silence, as the night deepened, the noise outside finally faded, and even the most dedicated drinkers had left.

The world seemed to quiet down.

"How about... I fix it?" Jiang Xuan suggested, pointing to the table before standing up.

Jiang Qinghong grabbed Jiang Xuan’s hand and pulled him back down. He turned to look at her, and she shook her head. He slowly sat back down beside her, moving closer, gazing into her eyes.

"Qinghong Jie..."

"Huh!"

Suddenly, Jiang Qinghong raised her hand, releasing a burst of energy that blew out the candles, leaving the room in darkness. She pushed Jiang Xuan down onto the bed.

The two consummated their marriage.