Chapter 195: First Night
By the time the wedding ceremony finally ended, the entire Sky City had fallen into celebration.
Clan leaders who had spent the afternoon maintaining dignified expressions were now drinking together.
Elders who had nearly started arguments over alliance terms were discussing old stories from decades ago. Even members of the Sky Family and Clark Family who clearly disliked one another were temporarily acting friendly for the sake of appearances.
The marriage was complete... The alliance was complete. Most importantly, the disaster everyone feared had been avoided.
Tony hadn’t run away... That fact alone seemed worthy of celebration.
Several young masters raised wine cups toward him while laughing.
"Young Master Clark, you nearly gave half the city a heart attack today."
"You should thank your ancestors for surviving this wedding."
"If I arrived that late, my father would’ve broken both my legs."
Tony laughed and accepted the teasing.
For some reason, the atmosphere felt refreshing. Perhaps because nobody here knew he wasn’t truly the Tony they remembered.
The Clark Family Patriarch sat at the highest table while repeatedly drinking with the Sky Family elders. Although the old man maintained a calm appearance, Tony noticed the occasional look of relief crossing his face.
The old man had been worried. Genuinely worried.
Eventually Tony stood and walked toward the elders’ table. The moment he arrived, countless eyes turned toward him. Several people immediately became curious. The groom approaching the elders during the wedding banquet wasn’t unusual.
The problem was that this groom had already developed a reputation for doing unusual things.
To everyone’s surprise, Tony suddenly bowed.
The entire table became silent. Even the musicians nearly missed a beat. Several elders looked as though they had seen a ghost.
Tony straightened and smiled.
"Thank you, elders."
Silence.
Complete silence.
Then an elderly man from the Sky Family nearly spat out his wine. "Who are you and what have you done with the real Tony?"
The entire hall erupted into laughter. Even the Clark Family Patriarch couldn’t suppress a smile.
Another elder shook his head dramatically. "This boy disappeared for one day and returned as a different person."
"Impossible. I refuse to believe it."
"The fake one is actually more polite."
More laughter spread through the hall.
Tony simply smiled.
The Dream Realm memories told him that the original owner had rarely shown respect toward anyone outside his grandfather.
The elders clearly weren’t accustomed to this behavior.
The Clark Family Patriarch finally waved his hand. "Enough. Let him leave before he returns to normal."
That sentence triggered another wave of laughter. Even Tony couldn’t help laughing.
After exchanging several more words with the elders, he finally escaped the banquet and headed toward the residence prepared for the newly married couple.
The celebration continued behind him.
Eventually he arrived before a beautifully decorated courtyard. Red lanterns hung from every corner. Flower petals covered the stone pathways. Ancient formations glowed softly beneath the walls. The entire place screamed wedding night.
Tony pushed open the door and entered.
The room was empty.
After taking several steps forward, he noticed the figure resting upon the large bed positioned at the center of the room.
The bride... She was already asleep... Or at least pretending to be.
The elaborate red ceremonial veil that tradition required him to remove had already been discarded somewhere in the room. Her heavy wedding robes had also been replaced by far more comfortable clothing.
Tony stared for several seconds. Then sighed. "So much for tradition."
According to the memories he received, the groom was supposed to remove the veil personally.
Apparently his new wife didn’t care.
Tony walked toward a nearby chair and sat down. The room became quiet.
Tony leaned back and opened the system interface. A familiar translucent screen appeared before him. The spirit materialized in translucent form. She looked considerably more relaxed than usual.
Tony immediately asked the question that had been bothering him since arriving in this strange ancient world.
"What exactly is the purpose of this Dream Realm?"
The spirit floated lazily through the air. "Nothing complicated. This is one of the World Tree’s defensive measures. Many people believe opportunities should simply be handed to them. The World Tree disagrees."
Tony frowned. "So this is a test?"
"A test... A defense mechanism... An opportunity... All three."
The spirit crossed her arms. "The World Tree Seeds are valuable enough that ancient powers spent countless generations creating protections around them. The Dream Realm is one of those protections."
Tony considered her words. "Then why place us inside different lives?"
The spirit smiled. "Fate."
"Every participant receives a different identity based on fate. Some become nobles. Some become commoners. Some become powerful figures. Some become insignificant people."
Then she laughed. "You should consider yourself lucky."
Tony became interested. "How lucky?"
The spirit pointed toward the luxurious room. "You were born into a powerful clan. Other participants might awaken as farmers. Others might awaken as servants. Some may have become pigs... Actual pigs."
"Animals. Grass. Beggars. Merchants. Princes. Generals. Every fate receives a different starting point."
Tony suddenly felt slightly better about his situation. A difficult wedding seemed preferable to becoming livestock. "What should I do here?"
"Enjoy it... This realm preserves fragments of an ancient era. You can’t bring treasures out. You can’t bring resources out. You can’t bring artifacts out."
Tony frowned. "Then what’s the reward?"
The spirit smiled. "Knowledge."
The spirit pointed toward the city outside. "The people living in this era possess techniques long forgotten in the modern world. Cultivation methods. Movement arts. Forbidden skills. Ancient understandings."
Tony finally understood. The Dream Realm wasn’t about resources. It was about learning.
The spirit gradually faded. Before disappearing completely, she spoke one final sentence. "Try not to waste the opportunity."
Then she vanished. The room became quiet once again.
Tony sat thoughtfully for several minutes while considering everything he had learned.
Eventually he noticed something. The room wasn’t as silent as before. Someone was awake.
Tony slowly turned his head toward the bed. The bride had opened her eyes. Apparently she had been awake for quite some time.
The woman looked at him calmly. "What are you staring at?"
Tony smiled. "Definitely not your chest."
The bride immediately narrowed her eyes. "You were staring directly in this direction."
Tony nodded. "That doesn’t mean I was staring there."
The woman looked unconvinced. Then she sat upright. "Do you intend to escape halfway through the night and run back to Madam Lan’s residence again?"
Tony laughed.
The question sounded completely serious. Apparently his predecessor had created quite the reputation.
The bride folded her arms. "I’m asking because it would save everyone time if you informed me beforehand."
Tony stood and walked closer.
The woman immediately became alert.
Tony sat at the edge of the bed. The bride watched him carefully.
Then Tony smiled. "Actually, my eyes are set on someone else now. I feel sorry for her already." Tony pointed directly at her. "Tell me honestly. What exactly would I need to do before you willingly shared a bed with me?"
The woman genuinely looked speechless.
