149. People of the Same Surname Do Not Marry Each Other

It was Mo Yuhua’s grand wedding day, and virtually everyone of any standing in Yizhou—whether they had received an invitation or not—came eagerly bearing congratulatory gifts. After all, the close ties between the lesser Mo family of Yizhou and the prominent Mo family of Greater Jing were obvious to any discerning observer, and such a gesture was certainly worth currying favor for.

Gu Fei came over from the courtyard, picked a quiet corner in the front yard, and watched as Mo Yuhua greeted the guests with a faint smile. Her own heart remained calm and still, her mind entirely consumed by a repeated recollection of Mo Yan’s earlier words.

She waved her hand casually. "Mother Ku, in your past days wandering the pugilist world, have you ever heard of a ruthless man holding a broken blade with a scar on his face?"

Mother Ku thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Miss, a man like that is definitely not a martial artist. Furthermore, people of the pugilist world rarely involve themselves in such disputes. Therefore, this old servant believes that man is most likely a death-sworn retainer raised by some aristocratic family."

Upon hearing this, Gu Fei’s dark pupils constricted. Given the influence of the Greater Jing Mo family, cultivating a few death-sworn retainers was indeed a trivial matter.

At that moment, she suddenly felt that perhaps she had always underestimated the Mo family. Everything she had seen and heard during those ten years was only what the Mo family had wanted her to see, while far more remained hidden from her knowledge.

However, this realization did not cow Gu Fei. Instead, a fighting spirit surged within her heart, burning like roaring flames, filled with an indomitable momentum to press forward regardless of what lay ahead.

The Gu family members saw Gu Fei, but they did not approach; only Gu Min nodded to her from a distance.

Gu Fei nodded back. The Gu family now possessed only two ink-stone shops and had lost even their ink kiln; all their raw ink materials were sourced from the lesser Mo family. Moreover, the Gu family's reputation in Yizhou was now utterly notorious, so the silver earned by those two shops could barely sustain their livelihood. Coupled with the fact that Gu Min’s body had been ruined by the barbarian Duo Gula and required ongoing recuperation, had it not been for the generous assistance of the lesser Mo family, they might not have been able to keep those two shops open much longer.

The entire Gu family felt an inexpressible depth of gratitude toward Mo Yuhua. At the family's lowest ebb, Mo Yuhua had not only refused to break off the engagement but had resolutely proceeded to marry Gu Wanting as scheduled. On the night before Gu Wanting’s departure, the Gu family members had given her countless injunctions, urging her to rein in her usual temper, to treat her husband as her heaven, and if she proved barren, to proactively take concubines for Mo Yuhua, strictly forbidding any jealousy or resentment.

Gu Wanting, naturally unwilling in a hundred ways, had still had no choice but to nod in compliance.

As for how she would fare after marrying into the lesser Mo family, Gu Fei judged that it was truly hard to say.

As for the barbarian Duo Gula, who had caused the Gu family's humiliation, Gu Fei had previously heard You Hu mention that once the Gu family matters were settled, You Hu had cured the poison in Duo Gula’s body and advised him to return to the deep north of Southern Qi, strictly forbidding him from ever setting foot in Great Yin again.

Unexpectedly, upon hearing these words, Duo Gula had quietly slipped away from the Gu family the very next day, leaving no trace of his destination.

The Gu family members were naturally exceedingly thrilled by Duo Gula’s departure. Gu Min, in particular, was said to have wept on the spot—a strapping man of seven feet, utterly unable to control his loss of composure before so many people.

Gu Fei could understand Gu Min’s state of mind to some extent. When she had previously seen Gu Min, she had sensed a profound, death-like despair radiating from him. She estimated that had Duo Gula not departed, there might have come a day when someone opened their eyes only to find Gu Min a lifeless corpse drawing no breath.

A Gu family without Gu Min would have meant total and utter ruin.

The newlywed couple was paying respects to the elders, the master of ceremonies shouting loudly, and the previously gentle music of strings and flutes instantly ceased. The entire hall fell into absolute silence.

Gu Fei glanced over and saw that upon the seats of honor, Gu Chong and Lady Cui sat on one side, while Mo Yuhua’s mother sat on the other. Mo Yan, true to form, had not made an appearance.

Mo Yuhua possessed a tall, slender physique, straight and upright as a pine. He wore a scarlet wedding robe adorned with dark golden patterns, with a red silk flower tied across his chest, and even the hairpin in his topknot was coral-red. It set off his handsome, jade-like countenance, living up entirely to his reputation as the Jade Youth.

Seeing Gu Wanting, veiled in red, being led in by the matchmaker with graceful, swaying steps, Mo Yuhua hurried forward a few paces, usurped the matchmaker’s place, and personally escorted Gu Wanting to the main hall.

At this sight, a ripple of noisy amusement broke out among the crowd.

Gu Fei watched the soft, unbroken smile on his face, unable for a moment to tell whether he was acting out of genuine sincerity or mere pretense.

In a trance, she recalled how they had interacted in their childhood. Back then, because Mo Yuhua was older and understood more than she did, he loved to tutor her. For a time, in her eyes, he was an older cousin even more admirable and lovable than her own brother Mo Xuan.

She had even made the uninhibited childish remark that when she grew up, she would be his bride.

At the time, Mo Yuhua’s handsome features were already apparent. Hearing this, he had merely ruffled her hair buns and said with a smile, "That won't do. Those of the same surname do not marry; Ah Fei cannot be Older Brother's bride."

Noticing her disappointment upon hearing this, he had finally promised, "However, Older Brother will certainly let Ah Fei vet his future bride. Only when you like her will Older Brother marry."

She looked at the glaring expanse of red before her. When it came time for the bride and groom to bow to one another, Mo Yuhua first straightened Gu Wanting’s posture before taking a step back himself and bowing deeply. In the eyes of everyone present, Mo Yuhua’s devotion to Gu Wanting was profound and unflagging.

Even she found herself unable to make sense of it now.

As the master of ceremonies called out for them to be escorted to the bridal chamber, she turned to Mother Ku and said, "Find a chance shortly and take me back."

With a decade-long chasm between them and things thoroughly changed, their former innocence and purity no longer existed, and she had no desire to watch any longer.

Just as she finished speaking, she felt a gaze land upon her, laden with meaningful heat that demanded attention.

Looking up, she saw Mo Yuhua leading Gu Wanting toward the bridal chamber. As he turned, his deep, burning gaze swept over her.

She met his gaze expressionlessly, revealing not a trace of her inner thoughts.

Seeing the newlyweds depart, the guests busied themselves taking their seats. Mother Ku pushed the wheelchair discreetly around a corner, and within a few paces, they had left the clamoring guests far behind, fading out of sight.

Once outside the lesser Mo family's estate, Mother Ku noted Gu Fei’s less-than-ideal complexion and suggested, "Does the miss still wish to go to the Feng family residence to see the old master today?"

Gu Fei nodded. "Yes."

Then she added, "I heard that the Dragon and Phoenix Pavilion has a fine dish of crystal shredded duck. Let's go buy some to take to Grandfather."

She reined in her thoughts, dismissing Mo Yuhua’s affairs from her mind. His choices were ultimately none of her business. On the other hand, regarding Feng Puyu, Gu Fei knew he had long been harboring melancholy and unhappiness in his heart. A few days ago, he had merely caught a slight chill and a cough, yet it still lingered today, showing an increasing tendency to worsen.

She felt like raging against incompetent physicians, though she knew it had nothing to do with the doctors; it was all Old Master Feng's own chronic heartache. Even if You Hu were here, without a cure for the heart, he would be powerless.

Mother Ku understood Gu Fei’s thoughts, patted her shoulder, and comforted her, "Do not worry, Miss, there is no need to fret. The old master is a man who has weathered many storms; in a few days, he will come around."

Gu Fei sighed and rubbed her brow. "I hope so."

In truth, she knew very well that Old Master Feng’s heartache stemmed from his worry that Feng Lizhi might step onto the battlefield and die anonymously in some distant place, leaving not even a corpse to be recovered. Now that she had also learned the Feng family's hammering techniques, Old Master Feng could only pass on minor experiences and tricks to her. With nothing left weighing heavily on his mind, he felt he had nothing left to care about.

(Ah Gui: Wishing everyone a Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!)