Encountering Three Great Demons, the Hem of the Snow-Reflecting Skirt Slightly Soiled

"Sir, do I look good?"

"Very beautiful."

At the wedding banquet, faced with the princess's sudden question, Xu Xi nodded in affirmation.

The red-and-white martial robe.

The plain yet elegant light green dress.

These two outfits didn’t appear stunning because of their own merits, but rather because Wu Yingxue herself was extraordinary.

Her beauty was beyond question.

Then, Wu Yingxue asked a second question.

"Sir, am I strong?"

"Of course you are."

Xu Xi affirmed once again.

If someone who had reached the pinnacle of cultivation couldn’t be considered strong, then every other being in the Multiverse Sea might as well perish from shame.

Altering causality, reversing time, words manifesting as law, standing unrivaled across eternity—

These transcendent qualities ensured Wu Yingxue’s supremacy across all realms.

Having received two confirmations in a row, Wu Yingxue’s face blossomed into a smile, her joyful eyes reflecting Xu Xi’s face—and the bright red wedding decorations behind him.

She asked one final question.

"Sir, what about my character?"

"Exceptional."

Xu Xi answered without hesitation.

In the third simulated martial world, he had witnessed the girl’s growth firsthand—bleeding, weeping, yet persevering step by step until the very end.

She grieved for the starving and cold.

She strived to overcome her own weaknesses.

Long ago, Wu Yingxue had already earned Xu Xi’s approval in matters of character.

And so, amidst the jubilant wedding feast, the two sat facing each other across the red-laden table. The light in the girl’s eyes had reached an unprecedented brilliance.

She was nervous, swallowing lightly.

Her fingertips fidgeted together.

She couldn’t bring herself to meet Xu Xi’s gaze.

Hesitating, her voice barely a whisper, her cheeks flushed from the festive decorations, she murmured:

"Sir, since I’m this good... wouldn’t it be possible to consider—"

"Greetings, Great Master Xu! Greetings, Little Master Wu!"

At the most critical moment, a loud greeting rang out, cutting off the princess’s words.

The newcomers were refugees from the Survival Army—a family of three.

A parent and child approached to express their gratitude, inquiring about Xu Xi and Wu Yingxue’s well-being before eagerly pressing a bag of fruit into their hands.

"These are from our own harvest! Great Master Xu and Little Master Wu must take them!"

The refugees’ faces beamed with warmth, insisting that Xu Xi accept.

Only after some time had passed did the family finally bid farewell and depart.

"Yingxue, what were you about to say earlier?" Xu Xi waved his hand, storing the gifted fruit into his spatial ring before turning to Wu Yingxue in puzzlement.

The girl steadied her breath, patting her cheeks.

She mentally rehearsed the words she had prepared.

Then, with solemnity, she met Xu Xi’s eyes and spoke again:

"Sir, what I actually wanted to say was—"

"Xi’er! We’ve come to see you!"

Another voice arrived at the perfect moment to interrupt.

This time, it was a group of villagers—several elders, their faces etched with wrinkles forged by time and sun, calling out cheerfully to toast Xu Xi.

Others carried roasted chicken and fruit, which they pressed into Wu Yingxue’s hands.

"We remember Little Master Wu loves these!"

"Don’t be shy, don’t be shy—take as much as you’d like!"

"I..." Wu Yingxue desperately wanted to speak.

But faced with their simple, earnest smiles, every word lodged in her throat, impossible to voice.

In the end, she could only accept the gifts, engulfed by their enthusiastic greetings.

After a long stretch of warm chatter, the crowd’s fervor gradually subsided, and they returned to their seats.

Something was off.

Very off.

The wedding banquet was warm and lively, brimming with joy—but as Wu Yingxue caught her breath, she sensed something amiss in this scene.

"Rather than coincidental, this feels like deliberate interference."

It was normal for guests to approach.

It was normal for them to bring gifts.

But the timing was far too precise.

"Sir—"

Wu Yingxue lifted her gaze to the sky. The azure expanse was clear, empty—but under the scrutiny of a supreme being, faint traces of an enemy began to materialize.

This time, Wu Yingxue abandoned her attempt to voice what mattered most.

Instead, she bid Xu Xi a temporary farewell.

"Sir, I just remembered—there are some demons I haven’t dealt with yet. Could you wait here for me?"

The princess rose.

Stepped away from the wedding table.

She claimed there was an exceptionally powerful demon awaiting her, one she must vanquish.

Wu Yingxue assured Xu Xi not to worry—her strength eclipsed all petty foes. Once she finished, she would return and say what remained unspoken.

"Sir, I’ll be back soon."

With that, Wu Yingxue vanished from the wedding hall.

She shattered the void, her destination unknown.

"That girl... will she really be alright?" Xu Xi couldn’t help but worry.

Not about her strength—but her impulsive nature left much to be desired.

Sunlight spilled across the wedding hall, creeping slowly along the beams adorned with double-happiness characters as time passed.

The scent of wine.

Of roasted meat.

Of incense.

A medley of aromas mingled in the air above the banquet.

Wu Yingxue had spoken true—she returned swiftly.

The red candles flickered in the breeze.

Molten wax dripped down their stands, hardening in the wind. From the moment she left to her return, the candles had barely shortened.

"Sir, I’m back."

She reassured Xu Xi.

Her dress glowed under the candlelight, accentuating her delicate features.

But Xu Xi noticed the smudges of dust on her face, the slight disarray of her light green robe—clear signs of a fierce battle.

"Yingxue, are you hurt?"

Xu Xi stepped forward, straightening her attire and brushing the dust from her cheeks.

For a rare moment, the princess fell silent.

"It’s nothing, Sir. Just... the demons were a bit stronger than expected," Wu Yingxue took a deep breath, as though suppressing something, forcing a smile for Xu Xi.

"That strong?"

"Mhm. Three of them. But still no match for me."

"Then why the mess?"

"Ahem—just a bit of dirt on my dress. Pay it no mind, Sir."

With that, the princess sat beside Xu Xi.

She tore a glistening drumstick from the roasted chicken on the table and, with exaggerated cheer, took an aggressive bite.

She didn’t revisit their earlier conversation, her eyes half-lidded as if she’d forgotten entirely.

Her cheeks puffed out, focused solely on devouring the meat.

Damn demons.

So annoying!

...

By dusk, Niu and his bride emerged from the inner chamber, returning to the hall to toast their guests.

They exchanged blessings, cup after cup.

"Brother Xu!"

"Congratulations, Niu."

Xu Xi, who rarely drank, raised his cup high today, downing a full glass of wedding wine in Niu’s honor.

Niu’s alcohol tolerance was poor.

After clinking glasses with Xu Xi, he burst into tears, clinging to him like a child.

"Brother Xu, I—I’ll stay happy forever!" he bawled, making his vow between sobs.

"I believe you, Niu." Xu Xi, feeling the wine’s weight himself, tilted his head back, gazing silently at the tangerine sunset.