The sound of fireworks drifted from afar. Although the symbolic meaning of the wedding night caused both of them, usually broad-minded, to have some unusual emotions, Ning Yi's stemmed from his appreciation of the girl and a series of complex feelings arising from it, not from love or an uncontrollable heartbeat. As Liu Xigua, she maintained a certain awareness of being a "Lord" in her heart, and she had to save face. Therefore, after a moment of silence, the two of them resumed their usual demeanor of outstanding individuals adept at social skills and began to make the atmosphere natural according to their habits.

At least initially, everything seemed quite natural, although… when combined with the atmosphere of a wedding night, it seemed a bit out of place.

Liu Xigua spoke first, "Did they make Liheng drink a lot of wine?"

"It's alright. Uncle Nan, Chen Fan, and Mr. Du all helped block it. He only took a few sips."

"I told them to prepare sobering soup. It's on the table."

Addressing him as Liheng, Xigua subtly carried the posture of someone in a superior position. She often had this feeling when interacting with Ning Yi, which was natural at first but later became somewhat deliberate. Since she had been incited by Ning Yi to initiate reforms such as fairness and freedom in the Tyrant Blade Camp, these feelings had gradually disappeared. At this moment, they seemed slightly forced.

Moreover, she usually wore a veil or discussed official matters with Ning Yi in a businesslike manner. Now, wearing a bride's dress and a phoenix coronet, with meticulous makeup, her features appeared delicate, and she looked younger, just like a straightforward and beautiful young woman. Considering her complex feelings in this situation, no matter what appearance she put on, Ning Yi felt like he was bullying her. In his words, he took the initiative to ease the atmosphere.

"Have you been sitting here for a long time since you came in?"

"Yeah, sitting here all the time... but it's okay, it's similar to meditating."

"As for the sobering soup…" Ning Yi picked up the sobering soup on the table, took a small sip, put it aside, and then pointed to some other things. "Then... these..."

"Ah..."

Xigua's eyes glazed over. What Ning Yi was pointing to were naturally the various items prepared in advance on the table, such as dumplings, nuptial wine, dates, longans, peanuts, and so on. These things were considered procedures before the wedding night, but their marriage was ostensibly fake. Whether or not to go through these procedures was something Xigua was embarrassed to ask. Just now, when she pointed to the bowl of sobering soup, her expression was a little complicated. When Ning Yi asked this way, she didn't know what to say, "What..."

"Anyway… let's just pretend to play house..."

With Xigua's personality, there was definitely no one who dared to eavesdrop on her wedding today. Ning Yi wasn't worried that his words would be overheard, so he said this. Before he could say anything more, the girl had nodded and walked over, looking like everyone didn't care.

"Oh, okay... what play house?"

"A game kids play, a group of boys and girls, like this and that..."

"Marrying a wife, we call it this... but I haven't played it before. There weren't many kids playing this at that time, people would laugh, who would dare to play with me? I'd probably chop him, ha... what should we eat first..."

"Whatever... peanuts?"

Each of them ate a peanut.

"There are a lot of them on the bed too, walnuts, dates, and so on, we have to find them later..."

"Yeah, they say you can't shake them out..."

When eating dumplings, each of them bit half. Xigua showed openness about this, saying "raw," and then, without looking at Ning Yi, chewed a few times and swallowed it. Obviously, she knew it was raw and knew that it was a lucky saying.

Being able to suppress the shyness in her heart to this extent, in many words, she was even deliberately comforting his, the man's, emotions. Looking at the girl's calm, fair side face, Ning Yi also felt a bit touched in his heart. Later, when drinking nuptial wine, she said, "How was Sister-in-law when you came over?"

"Nothing, I'll just have to apologize with thorns on my back when I go back, what else can I do."

"I'm the one who implicated you. But I don't care about this matter."

Their wrists were already linked together at this time. Xigua raised her glass, finished speaking, and laughed refreshingly. Then she tilted her head and drank the wine down with Ning Yi. Her fair neck was like a beautiful swan.

After all, there were still many things to do to pass the time. After eating and drinking, washing hands and face, they lay on the bed to find walnuts and other things in the quilt. During their slow and painstaking process, Xigua said, "Liheng, haven't you been married once before? Why aren't you clear about the order?"

"This stuff doesn't make you an expert just because you've been married once." Finding a walnut, he cracked it open and ate it. "Besides, I got beaten up the last time I got married. I got hit with a brick on the head and lost my memory later."

"Is there such a thing?"

Xigua stared with great curiosity.

"It was in Jiangning back then. I was originally a Son-in-Law. My wife at that time…" The red candles flickered slightly. On a large bed, the two occupied one side each, stopped thinking about finding things, and started talking about the past. "Like this and that... then I lost my memory, and became the way I am now."

"Lost your memory, can't you really remember anything?"

"Yeah, it seems like I suddenly became the current me."

"So, it seems like you and Sister-in-law weren't very good at the beginning."

"Everyone is reasonable, treat each other with respect. But she ran away on the wedding day, and then everyone had time to get along..."

"Then how did you two..."

"It's a long story..."

Anyway, there was nothing to do. He talked about things from the beginning in Jiangning, talked about the Imperial Merchants, and later about Su Tan'er burning the building, selectively continuing down the road. The two of them picked up everything on the quilt, and then sat down in the room. Ning Yi occasionally walked around, Xigua occasionally sat by the bed, and occasionally lay on the round table, very curious about these things. Then the peanuts, dates, longans, and so on on the table were all eaten, and even the wine was drunk, one cup after another. Xigua also occasionally talked about her own affairs.

"Let me tell you, my dad used to be very powerful..."

"Don't think you're great just because you're the Bloody Handed Butcher. If my dad was still here..."

"My dad was killed by the government, they used a war of attrition... if it wasn't for the ambush..."

"Actually, I miss my mother a little... but I can't remember what she looks like..."

Time passed minute by minute in this atmosphere. Both of them were actually still awake, but it was getting late after all. If they really had to rack their brains, they could talk until dawn. But finally, after a brief silence, Xigua smiled, "Okay, it's late, let's sleep."

"Or you sleep on the bed..."

"It's okay, I'll sleep inside. We're all people of the Jianghu, act according to circumstances." Xigua had also adapted to Ning Yi's style. She tilted her head, smiled, clasped her hands, and made a rather cute pose. She was also natural, first taking off her large red outer robe and taking off her embroidered shoes before getting into bed.

Perhaps because the weather was cold, or perhaps she had expected this moment, inside the girl's wedding dress was another layer of moon-white outer clothing embroidered with light lotus flowers. It wasn't a problem to wear it in front of someone slightly closer. When Ning Yi also got into bed, she naturally lay in the bed, with the quilt covering her shoulders, her hands folded in front of her, looking at the mosquito net on the top of the bed, thinking about things.

"Do you think we can win this battle?"

"Who knows..."

"If we win, the things we want to do will be much easier..."

"Even if we win, I'm afraid it won't be so easy."

"We're getting married anyway. Ning Liheng, can't you say something nice?"

"It will definitely work!"

"Heh..."

They chatted haphazardly. Not long after, Ning Yi blew out the candles. When the two of them were lying side by side on the bed, the girl seemed a little restrained. It was a strange night, Ning Yi thought. However, as a woman of this era, being able to be so natural was really amazing. Ning Yi couldn't help but admire her a little. At this time, the girl sleeping next to him, her naturalness didn't give people a casual feeling. In this situation, it just made people feel extraordinarily cute. Soon, in Liu Xigua's even and gentle breathing, Ning Yi also slowly fell asleep with such a feeling.

The situation occurred about an hour later.

Ning Yi woke up groggily, vaguely feeling that something was wrong next to him. This was just his subconscious feeling, so he asked softly, "What's wrong?"

Everything seemed like an illusion. He raised his body slightly and looked to the side. In the darkness, it was still the girl's natural sleeping posture, her hands folded in front of her, her breathing even and natural. After taking this look, Ning Yi lay down and fell asleep again.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Ning Yi woke up again. This time, there was some difficult breathing coming from the side. He took a look. The girl was still asleep like that, but her breathing was several times faster for some reason. Her hands were still folded in front of her, but her head seemed to be moving from side to side painfully. Ning Yi frowned, "What's wrong? Qianqian?"

"It's nothing." When Ning Yi reached out, the girl opened her eyes slightly, raised her hand to block his hand, and then turned over to the inside wrapped in the quilt. "I had a nightmare, go to sleep."

Ning Yi lay down again, half believing and half doubting. In the darkness, there were faint noises coming from outside, but he didn't have the mind to distinguish them right now. After a moment, he finally propped up his upper body again and reached out towards the girl. At this time, the girl was wrapped in the quilt with her back to this side. As soon as Ning Yi's hand reached out, it was grabbed in mid-air by one of her hands. This should have been subconscious. Because after his palm was grabbed, Ning Yi felt that Xigua's hand didn't have much strength, and upon closer touch, it was even cold and full of water stains. He was wondering, when that hand suddenly became scorching hot.

Ning Yi lowered his palm and covered her forehead. It was all sweat, and her body was even trembling slightly. This time, Ning Yi was really startled. He got up, got out of bed, and lit the candles. Liu Xigua had already sat up from the bed. Not only on her head and hands, but now it looked like she was sweating all over, and there was even a faint mist rising up. Her face was a little pale, her lips had probably been bitten by herself for a long time, pale with bright red, and her eyes were bloodshot. The girl looked at him with a look of humiliation and complexity, sat cross-legged, and looked like she was starting to practice her Kung Fu.

"What's wrong?" Ning Yi had no idea. He walked to the bed. Liu Xigua lowered her head and opened her eyes slightly again, "It's nothing." She turned her palm down. After a moment, a mouthful of blood was spat on the quilt. A term flashed in Ning Yi's mind. He wanted to reach out, but stopped halfway, "Qi Deviation? Internal energy Qi Deviation?"

The girl practiced superior internal Kung Fu, which was magically about controlling one's own Qi and blood circulation through long-term exercise. Qi Deviation was either caused by serious injuries or by mental disorders that caused Qi and blood to go awry. This injury was actually quite serious, but Ning Yi couldn't figure out what caused her Qi Deviation. Just as he was about to turn around and go out to find someone, his hand was pulled again, "I'm okay... don't go, don't call anyone..."

She was obviously trying to hold on. Ning Yi thought for a moment and could only say, "I understand, I won't alarm many people. I'll call Uncle Nan, Sister Qian'er, and Doctor Liu over..." Although he wasn't clear about the situation, Liu Tiannan in the Tyrant Blade Camp was among the best in internal strength, Ji Qian'er was a girl and could give Liu Xigua a massage to help her circulate her blood, and the old doctor naturally had to be called over. After he said these things, the girl still had something to say, but finally let Ning Yi go out.

As soon as he went out, Ning Yi felt something was wrong. In the distance, there was a buzzing sound in the night sky, which sounded like the sound of a large army attacking the city. When he found Liu Tiannan, he realized that the Tyrant Blade Camp had already been mobilized. Liu Tiannan thought he had been awakened by the noise of the attack and said immediately, "It's okay, Tong Guan is attacking the city at night, probably seeing that we are celebrating inside. But this time it's just for show. As long as we don't lose our vigilance, he won't really waste his troops tonight. It's just to keep us from sleeping. Why did you come out?"

Ning Yi whispered a few words in his ear. At this time, Ji Qian'er also came. Both of them were a little surprised, "Qi Deviation, how could it be..." They both looked at Ning Yi with strange eyes. Even if they were too excited in bed, when had they ever heard of a martial arts master having this kind of thing happen...

But now was naturally not the time to investigate. Soon, a few people who could help entered the new room. Ning Yi didn't go in to help and cause trouble. He climbed onto the roof next to the courtyard, blowing the night wind, listening and watching the movement on the distant city walls, thinking about these things. Why would this girl have Qi Deviation? After a while, a figure climbed up, it was indeed Lu Hongti. Ning Yi knew that her internal strength was the most exquisite and asked about it. Lu Hongti also frowned, "How is that possible, how did you two consummate the marriage?"

"We didn't..." Ning Yi roughly explained the matter between him and Xigua. She slept on the inside and he slept on the outside, and he didn't touch her at all. As he spoke, Ning Yi thought of something and gradually stopped. Lu Hongti probably also thought of it, her expression changed complexly, and finally she glanced at him, smiled and walked away, "This kind of thing also happens... I'm really impressed by you..."

Ning Yi was a little dumbfounded. At this point, he could almost reconstruct the seemingly open-minded girl's thoughts. Although she had acted naturally from the beginning, Xigua herself was a girl who liked to overthink things. After all, this was a wedding. After going to bed, she slept inside and probably overthought things all night. These overthinking included "What should I do if he comes over and does something?", "What if he doesn't sleep?", "What if he knows I'm not asleep?", "Is this thing real or fake?", "What should I do?", "Should I reject him or half push and half accept?" Although some things were too much, she probably thought about them.

In order to cover up her complicated thoughts, she had to make a very natural sleeping posture. So she didn't dare to move all night, dimly circulating Kung Fu throughout her body, and finally causing herself to have Qi Deviation...

He had really encountered this kind of thing for the first time. It was unheard of. It was really... too cute...

Thinking of these things, Ning Yi couldn't help but sit on the roof and laugh.

Meeting such a girl, these things, even for him, were indeed very wonderful.

Far and near, the troops in the city had also been mobilized. The lights on the city walls stretched continuously. Outside the walls, countless troops were launching an attack, perhaps a feigned attack for show. But the formation it caused was also amazing. Tong Guan was also quite interesting. Seeing the liveliness in the city, he simply launched such an attack in the early morning after the liveliness, preventing everyone from sleeping. Of course, as long as he didn't lose his vigilance, Tong Guan couldn't really bring his troops up in this kind of weather. There shouldn't be any problems tonight.

Lights flickered in the courtyard below. Some people who knew something was wrong were blocked outside the courtyard. Liu Tiannan came out of the new room and made a gesture to Ning Yi that everything was fine, but Ning Yi knew that if he went in now, the girl would only be more embarrassed. He could only sit on the roof.

Thinking of this war, thinking of this marriage, and thinking of those things that were said when chatting with Liu Xigua in the new room, everything that had happened since he came to this era. Qin SiYuan should be working hard in Bianjing. The north was at war, and countless people were charging together, Jin, Liao, and Wu, victories and defeats. This city was also fighting, and thousands of troops were rushing towards this square city wall. The soldiers and generals in the city were rushing towards that side, killing each other. And he was also experiencing these many wonderful things, good people, bad people, beliefs, persistence, killing Xi Junyu, killing Gou Zheng, killing that soldier on the run, killing Lou Jinlin, killing Lou Shuwang. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Sometimes he really felt that these thousands of worlds and people were indeed making up the beginning or part of some history.

"...Taking the mountain as the hull, carrying a thousand years to sea..."

When he opened his eyes, Ning Yi raised his head to look at the starlight in the sky and hummed softly on the roof. Chen Fan came up from below, "What's wrong? Not going down?"

"It's okay, just sitting for a while." Ning Yi raised his head and gestured towards the distant city wall.

Chen Fan didn't care and sat down next to him, "What were you saying just now?"

"Singing."

"Oh? What song, did you write it?"

Ning Yi smiled. Not long after, Chen Fan heard him humming softly. The people below could also vaguely hear that strange song, including Liu Tiannan, Liu Xigua, and others who were in the new room. Due to their deep internal strength, they could also hear the faint sound coming from outside the window of the bridal chamber, coming from the silhouettes of the two men on the roof.

"...Taking the mountain as the hull, carrying a thousand years to sea, burning the human fireworks of that time, with the time of a flower blooming..."

Liu Xigua opened her eyes, her gaze was quiet, and then she closed them again. Outside the city, soldiers shouted and came like a tide. On the city walls, bows and crossbows were ready to fire. Countless people and lives gathered on this land, and the starlight spread across the Milky Way...

"...Taking the sea as the spring, establishing heaven and earth as the courtyard, looking at the poems on the walls, with the light of a thousand rivers and moons..."

The strange song was sung on the roof at night. Looking back many years later, it seemed like the beginning of an era...

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