Chapter 5 Escort the Bride

Cloudy City was the Tucame Empire's smallest city, so small that it was more appropriate to refer to it as a town. It was not only small in size and located on the outskirts, but it also had the least inhabitants, the poorest citizens, and the weakest arcane powers. As such, the people in Cloud City were often seen as the lowest rung in society, ridiculed and forgotten by the other cities in Tucame Empire. The Xiao family was one of the most affluent and prominent families in Cloud City, despite their average status in the Tucame Empire. Today was a bustling and joyous day in Cloud City due to Xiao Che and Qingyue's wedding. More so because the most beautiful and talented lady in the city was about to get married; nobody really cared about Xiao Che's existence. Aside from arcane training, the Xia family was also involved in business. Despite their family riches being incomparable to the other wealthy families in the Tucame Empire, they were among the richest in Cloud City. They could afford to hire skilled masters to protect their family assets. The head of the Xia family was Xiao Hongyi. His children, Xia Yuanba and Xia Qingyue, had no interest in the family business and would rather spend all their time on arcane training. He honored his children's wishes and never objected to them; his support grew stronger when he discovered Qingyue's talent in the arts. After all, she could reach the Earth Arcana stage, or even the Heavenly Arcana stage. The Xias would be not only the wealthiest but also the most powerful family in Cloud City by then. Nevertheless, the goddess like beauty was fated to marry a worthless fool. Some found it a pity, while others were jealous and envied the man's good fortunes. The event demanded a spectacular celebration worthy of the Xia family's stature. Red velvet carpet was laid from the door of the Xiao residence all the way to the Xia residence. The distance between the families was approximately ten miles. No one in Cloud City would splurge on such expensive ceremonial festivities, except for the Xia and Xiao families. Crowds started to gather on the streets as soon as the Xiao family's wedding entourage began to make their way to the Xia family. Xiao Che could hear snickers and chatters from the spectators. "Look! Isn't that the fifth grandmaster's grandson, Xiao Che? I heard his pressure points were damaged from birth, and he'll never ascend beyond the 1st level of the Nascent Arcana Stage." "Oh, really? It's my first time seeing him." "It's hardly surprising you've never seen him before. Wouldn't you be too humiliated to leave the house if your grandfather is such a wonderful man and you are such a useless fool? Why is Qingyue marrying such a man? It's such a shame." "I heard that his father, Xiao Ying, and Xia Hongyi were sworn brothers. Xia Qingyue almost died at birth, but Xiao Ying used his arcane energy to save her. As a result, Xia Hongyi vowed that Xia Qingyue would be Xiao Ying's daughter-in-law when she reached the age of sixteen. Unfortunately, Xiao Ying was slain soon after. He couldn't protect himself because he hadn't recovered from the loss of arcane energy. Feeling responsible for his good friend's death, Xia Hongyi vowed to honor his promise, even though Xiao Che was a disappointment. He's truly an honorable man. Xia Qingyue would never agree to marry Xiao Che if not for her father." "Xia Qingyun is the pride of our city. If Xiao Che isn't the fifth grandmaster's grandson, he'll be the lowest rung in society. I'm better than him in every aspect. Life is so unfair!" "My goddess is going to marry a good-for-nothing. I'm devastated!" Xiao Che looked charming while riding the horse, exuding confidence and poise in the saddle. He had a relaxed yet focused posture, with his head held high, and his eyes fixed on the horizon. Dressed in his red wedding robe, Xiao Che radiated confidence and charisma. He paraded down the streets as passersby looked on with a mixture of envy, contempt, hatred, and indifference. Xiao Che, who seemed oblivious to the chatter around him, had a confident and self-assured smile that grabbed the hearts of the female onlookers. Despite his limited arcane powers, he was well-groomed and had defined masculine features comparable to Yulong. Due to the constant avoidance of the sun, Xiao Che also had fair porcelain skin. As a result, despite their jealousy, many of the young men concluded that barring his arcane powers, Xiao Che radiated attractiveness and charisma comparable to Qingyue. "I thought Xiao Che would be sitting in the carriage today. Who would have expected him to ride a horse? Unlike the stories about him, he appears to be rather energetic." "Hmph! A blockhead like him got lucky and is about to marry Qingyue. Of course, he'd be arrogant." "I heard many of the city's wealthy young men, including those from the Yuwen family, were interested in Xia Qingyue. Do you think they will cause a scene today?" "Certainly not! They are not terrified of Xiao Che, but they are wary of his grandfather, Xiao Lie. After all, he's the best cultivator in Cloud City; even the prefect has to respect him. His grandson is all that he has left after his son's demise. So, whoever dares to hurt Xiao Che is courting death; Xiao Lie is sure to avenge his grandson. Moreover, this isn't a forced marriage; whoever stirs up strife will also upset the Xias. I'm certain all the young lads will be forced to stay in their house." The wedding entourage finally arrived at the Xia residence after an hour and a half of parading. Once they reached the entrance, a man with a well-proportioned and athletic physique called out, "Brother-in-law!" Xiao Che swallowed hard as he saw the 6.5-foot young man run toward him. His eyes widened in surprise as he replied, "Hello, Yuanba! I haven't seen you in a month, but you look like you have grown taller!" This man was Xia Qingyue's brother, Xia Yuanba. Judging from his height and strong build, no one would guess he was fifteen years old. When Xiao Che was riding the horse, he could almost see him at eye level. Despite weighing a hefty 350 pounds, Yuanba was entirely made up of muscles and no body fat. He had a tanned and fit body, as well as an incredible amount of strength. At present, he's at the 4th level of the Nascent Arcana Stage. Although he was not very gifted as an arcane practitioner, he possessed superhuman strength, allowing him to compete with someone in the 6th level of the Nascent Arcana Stage. Yuanba and Xiao Che grew up together and were the best of friends. Since young, the former had been calling the latter his brother-in-law. Yuanba was a scrawny dark-skinned youngster who was bullied by many until he was eight. Since then, he could not stop growing; his strength and appetite had also increased drastically. Now that he was fifteen, his youthful-looking face was a mismatch to his burly physique. Yuanba rubbed his head and replied sheepishly, "Well… I can't help that I'm growing every single day. My dad has been forcing me to go on a diet, but my starvation is killing me." Xiao Che was speechless by Yuanba's complaint. I can't imagine what he'll look like when he grows older. He's fortunate to be born into the Xia family because no other normal family in the city can afford his enormous appetite. "It's great that you're going to be my official brother-in-law after today!" Yuanba said delightfully, as he had been looking forward to the day of their marriage. He was certain that no one would dare look down on Xiao Che once he had a capable wife. "Hurry up! My sister has finished with the preparations." Yuanba smacked his forehead and continued, "Oh yes, I need to open the door." He then ran toward the Xia residence's main gate like a bull charging to strike its target. Once they entered the Xia residence, Xiao Che spotted Hongyi grinning. He immediately got off his horse and said respectfully, "Greetings, Uncle Xia." "Haha! Why are you still calling me 'Uncle,' Xiao Che?" Hongyi said warmly. Despite his short and slightly plump stature, no one in Cloud City dared offend him. Taking Hongyi's cue, Xiao Che greeted him once more. "Hello, Father-in-law." Xiao Che respected Hongyi because he was his father's sworn brother. Moreover, unlike the others who despised him for his lackluster abilities, the middle-aged man had been kind and protective of him. He was even willing to honor his words and asked his daughter to marry Xiao Che. "Haha! Great!" Hongyi nodded in satisfaction as he patted Xiao Che on the shoulder. "Che Er, from today on, I'm entrusting Qingyue in your care. It doesn't matter if you aren't powerful or rich. I'm willing to let my daughter marry you just because you're Xiao Ying's son. Your father is a courageous, talented, and loyal man. The best decision I made in life was to be his sworn brother. As his son, I'm sure you won't be an ordinary man, even though your pressure points are damaged. Now, ignore the naysayers and be good to my daughter." Xiao Che's eyes glistened as he nodded his head confidently. "Don't worry, Father-in-law. Although I've not accomplished anything, I'm certain my time will come. I'll prove to those who looked down on me and mocked the Xia family for adopting a useless fool as a son-in-law that they were wrong." Hongyi was taken aback by Xiao Che's sudden conviction. The man he knew was polite and pleasant, but he tended to wallow in self-pity. It was a drastic change in attitude; he was now well-articulated, his eyes blazed with confidence, and his expression determined. "Great!" Hongyi nodded his head in satisfaction. He patted Xiao Che on the shoulder as he spoke, "I believe Xiao Ying's son will be an extraordinary man. I await the day when you prove everyone wrong. All right, Qingyue is waiting there. Go on!"