Having been prepared for it, Liu Buli was not overly surprised when he heard the voice. He merely glanced back in the direction of the sound, saw Li Qingcheng standing there, and offered her a friendly smile and a nod. Liu Buli said, "It's such a vast secret realm, it would be a shame not to come and see. But I am a bit surprised to see you here. This place is so close to Fengdu Ghost City; are you alright?"
They all knew each other well, and Li Qingcheng had such a free-spirited personality that Liu Buli didn't mind speaking frankly. Hearing his question, Li Qingcheng showed no signs of anger. Instead, she smiled at Liu Buli and shook her head, saying, "If it were before, I certainly wouldn't have come here. In every sense, this place filled me with dread and disgust. But it's different now. Someone truly accepted me for everything I am. Liu Buli, he's even better than you. He spent years making me believe him and promised to be with me alone from now on. I have the kind of love you two share, so I don't need to envy you anymore."
As she spoke, Li Qingcheng paused and then waved towards the side. A man with a rather effeminate appearance, standing not far away, saw her gesture. He immediately abandoned his pleasantries with the others and walked towards her. When he reached them, Liu Buli took a look. The man was tall, but his build appeared somewhat slender, giving him a light, ethereal air, as if he were not in robust health.
"This is my husband, Tan Wu. He's the grandson of the elder I told you about who saved me," Li Qingcheng introduced them. She then introduced the others to Tan Wu in turn. The man listened as she spoke, nodding and greeting everyone. He seemed to have a very gentle disposition, standing quietly, and he indeed made a perfect match for Li Qingcheng.
Seeing the two of them like this, Liu Buli quickly apologized for not attending their wedding. Tan Wu waved his hand, a hint of helplessness in his smile. "It was indeed our fault. The wedding preparations were too sudden. If we hadn't asked Daoist Master Liu to clear his schedule, it would have been difficult to attend."
The other man's understanding made Liu Buli feel even more embarrassed. He shook his head, his face flushing, and wondered if he should explain. But before he could speak, Li Qingcheng, as if she had understood everything, smiled and said, "Liu Buli, you don't need to explain anything to us. Did you perhaps not receive the wedding invitation? Otherwise, given your personality, no matter how busy you were, you would have come to see."
It had to be said that Li Qingcheng was very astute when it came to observing Liu Buli. Liu Buli's embarrassment deepened, but he nodded earnestly. "Ultimately, this is my fault. I'll make it up to you with a wedding gift another day; consider it my apology. You must accept it."
"How can we do that?" This time, it was Tan Wu who seemed anxious. He shook his head vigorously. "If you didn't receive the invitation at all, then the problem lies with us! It must have been that errand boy who was supposed to deliver it who was disobedient. How can Daoist Master Liu bear the consequences?"
As Tan Wu spoke, he intended to add a few more words. But Li Qingcheng tugged at him, silencing him. She then smiled at Liu Buli and said, "Alright, I'll accept the wedding gift. But you don't need to dwell on this matter. It was supposed to be a joyous occasion, and there's no need to make everyone unhappy."
Li Qingcheng's personality was still the same as before, grand and uninhibited. Since she, as the person involved, had said so, Liu Buli naturally couldn't dwell on it any longer. Clearing his throat, he proactively changed the subject. "Li Qingcheng, since you're quite familiar with the ghost clan, you probably don't need me to tell you much. You know in your heart that this place is very dangerous, so..."
"I understand what you mean. I don't have much interest in the things within the secret realm," Li Qingcheng said with a smile. "If I had to say, I'm more interested in simply experiencing what those monsters I once feared are like. That's all. Once I've experienced it, I'll leave. I want to live a good life and don't want to stake my entire existence here."
Listening to her words, Liu Buli couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation. However, this was indeed a decision Li Qingcheng would make. After all, in her view, those past events would only truly disappear from her consciousness and cease to be a burden if she overcame them herself. Everyone had their own habits, and Liu Buli wouldn't comment too much on that. He subconsciously glanced at Tan Wu. Li Qingcheng immediately understood his meaning and smiled gently. "You don't need to worry about my husband. He's been in poor health since he was young, so he's almost never left the area where he lived. His health has improved considerably in recent years, so he's come out to accompany me. Like me, he doesn't have many ulterior motives."
Li Qingcheng paused and then looked at Shen Muzhi on the other side. "Besides, coming here this time has also allowed us to meet Physician Shen. He examined my husband's health and gave us some advice on recuperation. Just for that alone, this trip was worthwhile. One should know contentment. We certainly won't be asking for anything more."
Seeing her happy, the man beside her couldn't help but smile along. Liu Buli, having a partner himself, knew very well that the love and affection between the two of them could not be displayed through mere pretense. They truly loved each other deeply. That was enough.
After a moment of silence, Liu Buli chuckled softly and said, "Li Qingcheng, you've changed a lot."
"People change, it's normal," Li Qingcheng said with a bright smile. "But the things I promised you before are still permanently valid. You can rest assured about that. I'm a person of my word; that won't change."