Chapter 129
Three days before his marriage, Baek Mu-Gun was still strengthening the forces of the Baek Sword Sect and the Zhejiang Martial Alliance. It had been ten days since Namgung Hyun-Ah, the Great Namgung Family’s marriage delegation, and the Baek Sword Sect members departed for Wenzhou from Nanjing. If no particular issues surfaced, they would arrive in a day or two.
As the Baek Sword Sect prepared for the upcoming marriage, the Patriarchs of the Ten Clans of Zhejiang visited the Baek Sword Sect to congratulate them. The fact that the Patriarchs themselves would be personally attending Mu-Gun’s marriage—the Baek Sword Sect’s marriage—was proof that the Baek Sword Sect’s status had increased. With great hospitality, the Baek Sword Sect welcomed the Patriarchs and the other guests who came to celebrate the marriage.
The Baek Sword Sect spent quite a fortune to serve their guests, but they did not find it a waste at all. After all, their generosity impressed their guests and showed them the Baek Sword Sect’s status first-hand. In the midst of it all, they received news about the Great Namgung Family’s marriage delegation reaching Wenzhou Port. Mu-Gun personally went to Wenzhou Port to greet them.
Fifteen minutes after Mu-Gun arrived, the ship carrying Hyun-Ah and the Great Namgung Family’s marriage delegation entered Wenzhou Port. He greeted the delegation, which was led by Divine Wind Sword Saint Namgung Ho, as soon as they disembarked. Mu-Gun knew him quite well.
“Welcome. It must have been tough coming all this way.”
“Tough? Not at all! We came here to celebrate your auspicious event, after all. On that note, it is with my greatest delight that I welcome you as my niece’s husband, Young Patriarch Baek.”
Namgung Ho seemed really happy for Mu-Gun and Hyun-Ah.
“I am beyond elated to know that you see me in such good light. Let’s talk about the details later and allow me to guide you to our sect first.”
“Don’t pay us any attention and take care of the bride first.”
“Understood.”
Mu-Gun smiled at Namgung Ho’s consideration, then approached Hyun-Ah, who was waiting at the back. It had been quite some time since he last saw Hyun-Ah, but she was still as beautiful as ever. Mu-Gun couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you for coming. Was it hard?”
“Of course not. The thought of getting married to you has made me so happy that I cannot seem to feel tired at all, Young Master Baek.” Hyun-Ah smiled in return.
Her cheerful response made Mu-Gun even happier.
“Let’s head to our sect for now. I have prepared a bridal sedan chair[1] for you to ride.”
“I prefer to accompany you, Young Master Baek,” Hyun-Ah insisted.
“You are my precious bride, so isn’t it only proper for us to follow formalities? It’s a shame that we will have to be separated for a little while longer, but please get in the bridal sedan chair.”
“I understand.” Not wanting to act on her stubbornness, Hyun-Ah got in the bridal sedan chair.
Not long after, Mu-Gun and the Great Namgung Family’s marriage delegation headed to the Baek Sword Sect. When they arrived, Mu-Gun guided Hyun-Ah and the Great Namgung Family’s marriage delegation to an annex building that had been prepared for them.
“Though it’s shabby compared to your luxuries over at the Great Namgung Family, I hope it is comfortable enough for you all to get some rest. If you need anything, please let me know.”
“Thank you for your great hospitality. That being said, is it alright if I greet the Baek Sword Sect Patriarch first?” Namgung Ho asked.
“Of course. Let’s go see him together.”
Mu-Gun headed to the White Sword Pavilion with Namgung Ho and requested an audience with Baek Cheon-Sang. After greeting Cheon-Sang and exchanging basic formalities as in-laws, Namgung Ho got up from his seat.
The next day, Mu-Gun and Hyun-Ah’s marriage was held. With all the preparations completed and the guests seated, Mu-Gun and Hyun-Ah were dressed accordingly and guided to the ritual hall. After confirming that the bride and groom were ready, the host of the marriage proceeded with the wedding.
They first conducted the wedding bow ceremony, a ceremony in which the bride and groom met face-to-face for the first time during the wedding and exchanged bows.
“The groom is entering!” the host announced.
Mu-Gun stood on the east side of the wedding bow mat, following the host’s instruction.
“The bride is entering!”
After making sure that Mu-Gun was standing at the right spot, the host announced the bride’s arrival. Subsequently, Hyun-Ah, who was wearing an elegant wedding dress and a red veil, slowly walked into view with the help of a suimu[2]. Since Hyun-Ah could not see properly, the suimu had to lead her to the west side of the wedding bow mat.
“The bow will now bow twice!”
With the bride and groom now standing in front of each other, the host proceeded with the ceremony. Hyun-Ah bowed with the help of the suimu, which signified the start of the wedding bow ceremony. Once done, the Hejin ceremony[3] began. With the help of the suimu and an attendant, who was tasked with helping the bride and groom, the couple exchanged a nuptial cup of wine, signifying their pledge of eternal love, to end the ceremony.
After the ceremony, Hyun-Ah headed to the bridal chamber with the help of the suimu, whereas Mu-Gun headed to the banquet hall to greet and thank the family members, relatives, and guests who came to celebrate their marriage. By the time he was done, it was already late at night. At the pestering of the guests, Mu-Gun left the banquet hall and headed to the bridal chamber.
Mu-Gun drank quite a lot because he downed all the congratulatory liquor that the guests poured for him. However, he still walked straight on his way to the bridal chamber. He did not even look drunk in the slightest. Although the alcohol they drank was strong, Mu-Gun remained sober since he intermittently circulated his qi to expel the alcohol in his body. He usually didn’t do this since there would have been no point in drinking otherwise, but today was different. He did not want to go to the bridal chamber while drunk.
“Ehem.”
Before he knew it, Mu-Gun had already arrived at the bridal chamber. He lightly coughed in front of the door to inform Hyun-Ah, who was inside, of his presence.
After a moment’s delay, he asked, “May I come in?”
“Come in,” Hyun-Ah immediately responded.
Mu-Gun opened the door and went inside, finding Hyun-Ah sitting modestly in front of a table of drinks and snacks with a red veil still covering her face. Lit wedding candles were on the table and near the bed. The dim light illuminated Hyun-Ah’s face, making her look quite seductive. Mu-Gun softly took a deep breath as he sat opposite her. His heart was pounding.
“Sorry for being late. Did you have a hard time waiting for me?”
“It’s okay. This is nothing compared to martial arts training.”
“I think it’s better to take off that veil covering your beautiful face.”
Mu-Gun stood up and lifted the red veil over her head, revealing Hyun-Ah’s face. She had lovely makeup on her oval-shaped face and delicate features, making her even more beautiful. Stunned and mesmerized, Mu-Gun couldn’t help but stare at her for a moment.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Hyun-Ah asked shyly.
“I was wondering if you were always this pretty.”
“Tch, does that mean you did not think I was pretty until now?”
“Of course not. I always thought you were pretty, but you are even prettier now.”
“I guess it was worth the effort getting makeup for almost two hours.”
“It took two hours to put on makeup?” Mu-Gun asked in shock.
“It takes a lot of time for a woman to dress up.”
“Hmm, this is a big problem, then.”
“Why?”
“If it takes that much time, won’t it be hard to see this pretty side of you after today?” Mu-Gun joked.
“Come again?!” Hyun-Ah glared at Mu-Gun.
“Haha, it’s a joke, a joke. You are pretty enough even without makeup.”
“Whatever.”
“Would you like a drink?” Mu-Gun asked.
“Yes, please. Let me pour you a drink.” Hyun-Ah quickly picked up the bottle of alcohol and poured Mu-Gun a glass.
“You should have a glass as well.”
Mu-Gun filled Hyun-Ah’s glass with alcohol.
“Thank you very much for marrying me.”
“I think I should be the one saying that. You sent an official marriage proposal to the Great Namgung Family for my sake. I really appreciate it.”
“It’s nothing compared to my wife cutting off her relationship with the Great Namgung Family for me.”
“Your wife?” Hyun-Ah blushed.
“Why? Is it strange to call you my wife?”
“No, I like it. It feels like we have really become husband and wife, Young Master—no, I mean, dear.”
“Ehem, it feels great to hear the word ‘dear’ too. Now! Let’s have a drink.”
“Alright.”
Mu-Gun and Hyun-Ah clinked their glasses and emptied them in a gulp.
“Would you like another drink?”
“I don’t see why not.”
Hyun-Ah decided to have another drink because she was nervous about their first night as a married couple. Afterward, they stared into each other’s eyes.
“I can’t hold it in anymore.”
“What do you mean?” Hyun-Ah looked at Mu-Gun with a puzzled expression.
Instead of responding, Mu-Gun stood and held her in his arms.
“What are you doing?”
“What we’re supposed to do on our first night together as husband and wife.” Mu-Gun smiled, then lifted her up and laid her on the bed. When he looked at Hyun-Ah warmly, Hyun-Ah gulped. She had already spent a night with Mu-Gun before in Wuchang. However, she still felt nervous for some reason. Perhaps it was because this was their first night together as a married couple.
“Are you ready?”
Hyun-Ah nodded.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Mu-Gun leaned closer, making Hyun-Ah close her eyes meekly. She was so nervous that her eyelids trembled. Finding her behavior strangely exciting, he kissed her without hesitation. The two initially only pressed their lips against each other, but they soon began to covet each other’s tongues. As their breathing turned ragged, Mu-Gun’s hands began to wander Hyun-Ah’s body.
With each touch, Hyun-Ah trembled. Still not satisfied, Mu-Gun took off her cumbersome wedding dress, revealing Hyun-Ah’s white, bare skin. Mu-Gun gently caressed her while kissing her, causing her breathing to become rougher. After a while, Mu-Gun left her lips to focus on her body. Feeling an unknown sense of pleasure, Hyun-Ah twisted and turned as she moaned. Caressing her affectionately with one hand, he stripped himself with the other. With both of them now in the nude, they succumbed to their carnal instincts.
The next day after their hot first night, Mu-Gun and Hyun-Ah formally greeted their respective parents-in-law with deep bows and gifts. They also did the same for their relatives. After eating together, they returned to the residence where they would spend their newlywed life.
“You’ve done well.”
“It’s nothing.”
“I have something to tell you, dear,” Mu-Gun said.
“What is it?”
“I hate to bring this up the next day after our marriage, but I prefer to clear problems like this as soon as possible.”
“Is it about the two women whom you have already given your heart to?” Hyun-Ah asked, seemingly knowing what was going on.
“That’s right. One of them left my side because she couldn’t bear the thought of sharing me with another woman. Hence, I have decided to forget about her. However, the other woman chose to stay with me despite my relationship with you, dear wife. I feel the same about her and intend to take her as my second wife soon.”
Hyun-Ah already knew that Mu-Gun had two other women aside from her, and she also did not expect him to give up on them just because he married her. She was well aware that Mu-Gun would eventually marry them. She naturally did not welcome the fact that Mu-Gun had other women in mind that he wanted to marry. However, Mu-Gun had already told her about this before, and she still chose to accept him into her life. She found it great that one of the two women had decided to give up, at least.
“Do as you please. To be honest, I’m already satisfied with the fact that you put them aside and married me first. Who is this woman that are you going to marry?” Hyun-Ah asked.
“She is a gisaeng at the Flower Honor Manor here in Wenzhou.”
“A gisaeng?” Hyun-Ah asked with a flustered expression. She did not expect that the woman Mu-Gun had in mind would be a gisaeng.
“On the surface, at least.”
“Does that mean she has another identity that is kept hidden from the public?”
“Yes. Her true identity is the Vice Leader of an intelligence syndicate called the Heavenly Secret Hall.”
“The Heavenly Secret Hall?” Hyun-Ah had never heard of them before.
“Aside from its members, only a few people in the world know of its existence. That’s how secretive that organization is.”
“How good is their information network?”
“While I was at Wuchang, the Heavenly Secret Hall was the one that kept me informed about the movements of the Seventy-Two Strongholds of Lulin, the Changjiang Waterway Alliance, and the Four Seas Gang.”
“That means their information network is spread throughout the Central Plains.”
“Yes. As far as I know, the Heavenly Secret Hall is unmatched in aspects related to information networks,” Mu-Gun said confidently.
“I’m surprised such a great organization has managed to remain in the shadows to this day. What is the Heavenly Secret Hall’s relationship with the Baek Sword Sect, then?”
“The Baek Sword Sect receives information from the Heavenly Secret Hall. In return, the Baek Sword Sect protects them from any external threats.”
“That’s amazing. That being said, are you sure you should be telling me such confidential information?”
“I’m telling you all this because I believe that you are no longer a lady of the Great Namgung Family but rather my wife.”
“Thank you for trusting me. As you said, the moment we got married, I became yours and a member of the Baek Sword Sect. I will never do anything that can harm the Baek Sword Sect, so you don’t have to worry,” Hyun-Ah reassured Mu-Gun.
“I'm not worried at all.”
“You should do as you wish with your marriage with the Heavenly Secret Hall’s Vice-Leader, dear,” Hyun-Ah said.
“Thank you for understanding.”
After making Hyun-Ah understand, Mu-Gun decided to marry Dan Seol-Young as soon as possible.
1. The sedan chair is one of the main vehicles of ancient times and is often featured in movies about old China. However, its function is not limited to transportation. The sedan is linked with one of the important ceremonies in life—marriage. ?
2. Refers to a respectable old woman who helps with the bride's grooming and other affairs at a traditional Chinese wedding. ?
3. Refers to a traditional Chinese nuptial ceremonial rite where newlywed couples, while in front of their guests, interlink, cross their arms, and sip wine from two separate cups in honor of their future marital happiness, their promise of lifelong love, and their vows of no separation. ?
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