Chapter Text
Luo Binghe was concentrating on the paperwork piled on his desk. He didn't even look up when he felt one his wives quickly approach the imperial office. He wasn't further disturbed when he herd the sound of Sha Hualing's discinctive bells.
"Husband, you absolutely have to hear this."
To the emperor's surprise, his wife was not alone but accompanied by his general.
"What do I owe the pleasure of having my most faithful friend in the southern palace?" a surprising fact considering that the ice demon hated the heat of the region and the presence of his wives.
The demon glanced at Sha Hualing, who was practically jumping up and down, before looking Luo Binghe directly in the eyes (Mobei was one of the few people who dared to do so). This must have been a really interesting piece of news...
"This one has come to invite his lord to his wedding, it would be an honor for this king to have him as a guest."
After so many years of reigning and facing all the most unlikely creatures, Luo Binghe no longer thought he could be surprised by anything. But now...
"He hasn't told me who he's with yet, but that poor woman is unlucky to have caught the attention of a boring man like him," Sha Hualing teased.
"Tell us more, Mobei, you don't introduce us or even tell us about your future wife before inviting us to your wedding? Does she even know that she's your fiancée?" Luo Binghe chimed in, yes, it was better to hide his surprise with humor.
Mobei Jun's eyes narrowed, as if he didn't understand what his colleagues were talking about and why they seemed so surprised. Was him getting married really that strange?
"Already married, you are invited to the official ceremony." He answered clearly and simply, as if the whole situation was obvious.
"Excuse me?" The other two demons exclaim.
"But, I've never seen you with anyone by your side? There aren't even any rumors about you. You're the most prominent bachelor in Mobei!" Sha Hualing reasoned. Mobei Jun simply looked at her.
"This ceremony will be held for our thirtieth secret wedding anniversary," he tries to clear the minds of his comrades.
"Thirty years?! Wow, Mobei, I didn't think my general and friend would hide such a huge thing from me." bye formalities, Luo Binghe couldn't believe it.
"Hmm," the ice demon didn't explain further before handing the emperor an invitation letter from his pocket. Luo Binghe looked at the envelope, simply decorated with the Northern Kingdom's coat of arms. Sha Hualing leaned over his shoulder to look as well and urged him to open it. Inside was practical information about the ceremony and the names of the bride and groom...
''SHANG QINGHUA ???!!'' They exclaim together.
Mobei Jun looked at them, his expression perhaps showing some annoyance at the conversation. Sha Hualing continued:
"I mean, it's not that surprising considering you were courting him so long ago, but since you stopped and helped our emperor to destroy his sect..."
"Wait, Mobei Jun courted that rat???"
"Yeah, in a demonic way, like what fifty years ago?"
Mobei Jun nodded
"That's right, I was still young and stupid, I didn't realize how fragile human bodies are. I had to make a lot of changes to deserve him."
There was silence in the emperor's study. Mobei had said a lot at once and didn't think he had anything to add. Meanwhile, Sha Hualing wondered if the flirting styles between humans and demons were so different. And Luo Binghe was digesting the fact that a pitiful man like Shang Qinghua could be loved.
"So, huh, where did the idea for this second marriage come from?" he asked.
"The first one was fine, just us and three witnesses, but Qinghua deserves a grand ceremony, majestic enough for our children to hear about it in history books. We've been busy for the past few decades, but we think it's time now," Mobei Jun replied clearly and much more elaborately than usual.
"Are you already talking about children?" Sha Hualing asked excitedly.
The ice demon nodded rigidly.
"Well, Mobei Jun, it would be a pleasure for this emperor to attend your wedding. I will come accompanied by my principal wives," Luo Binghe declared. At this, the general bowed deeply and skillfully opened a portal to his kingdom.
The emperor found himself alone with his wife.
"Imperial Husband, this wedding will be a grand event... It's so rare for there to be festivities in the Northern Kingdom. It's absolutely essential that your first wives have new dresses for the occasion," Sha Hualing said coquettishly.
Luo Binghe groaned to confirm the idea and asked her to inform YingYing, Mingyan and Haitang.
Shen Jiu was in pain.
It was not a new sensation.
He had always suffered.
When he was a slave and was beaten or... abused in other ways.
As a demonic cultivator under Wu Yanzi while his own qi ate his flesh and vital energy.
Then as a virtuous cultivator, where in addition to his poorly healed wounds, his desastrously treatd and always cracked bones, to his physical pain was added his tight and empty heart which sucked out his moments of joy.
Yes, he had always suffered.
What was surprising this time was that he only had pain in his feet and hands. And it wasn't that painful, just a slight tingling, as if the blood was slowly returning to its vessels...
However, his limbs had disappeared years ago, torn off by the little beast.
He remembered the years of torture in the water prison vividly, and he knew he shouldn't be able to run his tongue over his teeth, blink his eyes, or clench his fists.
Firstly because he no longer had those parts of his body and secondly because he was dead.
And yet, he felt the cold around him quite clearly, not the same as in his cell, no, here the air was dry and it filled his healthy lungs.
He was about to put his hands to his mouth to cough when the stone slab above him shifted, letting in enough light to see a face.
Shen Jiu understood three things.
He was in a coffin.
He had been brought back from the dead.
And, even more surprisingly, someone wanted him in this world.