The beastmen, upon hearing this, were indignant. "We were just afraid of hurting Yin Xiao and Da Sen. Don't you believe us? Let's fight for a while longer?"
Ba He laughed heartily. "Alright, if you hurt them, how will they hold the ceremony? That's enough. Eat more later, and then we'll all go to their cave and listen for the whole night!"
"Heh heh, we listen to the clan leader," the beastmen chuckled lewdly.
Miao Xiao Cui's face darkened further, and even Shu Yue's expression faltered for a moment. If anyone dared to eavesdrop, she would definitely have Went let them beat their parents to the point of not recognizing them!
The shaman shook his head helplessly and said, "Alright, the bride-snatching is over. Next is the worship of the Beast God."
Worshipping the Beast God was similar to worshipping heaven and earth. It involved kneeling and praying devoutly towards the moon. Legend had it that the Beast God lived on the moon, and by kneeling towards the moon, the Beast God would see them.
Went led Shu Yue, while the bruised and swollen Yin Xiao and Da Sen each held one of Miao Xiao Cui's hands. The five of them stood facing the moon. The shaman shouted, "Bow!"
They then knelt devoutly towards the moon, but there was no need to kowtow, only to kneel.
The shaman held a bowl of prepared holy water and sprinkled some on them, then fanned it with his hand. As long as their bodies were touched by the water, it was enough.
"Alright, the worship of the Beast God is complete. Next is the ceremony."
"Please wait a moment," Shu Yue turned around and stopped the shaman.
The shaman asked in confusion, "Hmm? What's wrong, Shu Yue?"
Shu Yue said seriously, "I want to pay respects to my parents, to let my parents see that I am getting married today."
"..."
The shaman frowned. "There is no tradition of paying respects to parents in the marriage ceremony. Doing so might disrupt the ritual."
Shu Yue remained unmoved and said firmly, "It won't disrupt anything. The Beast God will be merciful to every child who misses their parents."
"This..." The shaman was in a dilemma.
The clan members' feelings became much more complex. So, this child, Shu Yue...
Went looked at Shu Yue, who insisted on paying respects to her parents, and suddenly remembered her crying under the tree when they first met. His heart ached. How heartbroken she must have been when she lost her parents, even to the point of not wanting to live anymore. How could he refuse!
He then decided, "Shaman, Yueyue and I will pay respects to her parents together. If the ceremony is disrupted, we will bear the consequences ourselves."
The shaman looked at the two persistent individuals for a few seconds before shaking his head helplessly. "If you want to pay respects, then do so. I believe the Beast God will forgive you."
As soon as he finished speaking, Miao Xiao Cui said, "I also want to pay respects to my parents. In my hometown, it is mandatory to pay respects to parents!"
"Oh? Is that so? Tell me more about how you get married in your place," the shaman asked.
Miao Xiao Cui said, "First, bow to heaven and earth, second, bow to the esteemed elders, third, the couple bows to each other, and finally, they are sent to the bridal chamber."
Fearing they wouldn't understand, she explained, "Heaven and earth are the Beast God we just worshipped. Esteemed elders refer to parents, expressing gratitude for their upbringing. The couple bowing to each other is for the partners to be of one heart and one mind, to live a good life together." She had seen this many times in the village and could recite the matchmaker's words.
This left the shaman stunned. After careful consideration, he found it quite reasonable, but the rules set by the Beast God could not be broken.
He then said, "If you wish to pay respects to your parents, then do so. If the Beast God does not agree in the end, the ceremony will not be completed, and you may never be able to hold it again." He made his position clear beforehand.
Shu Yue held the beastman's hand tightly and said to the shaman, "I believe the Beast God will understand."
She tilted her head and said to the beastman, "Went, just follow what I do."
Went nodded, their hands never letting go.
Regardless of what Miao Xiao Cui did, Shu Yue pulled the beastman and knelt towards the moon again. She kowtowed three times firmly on the ground, silently thinking: Mom and Dad, your daughter is getting married today. I cannot fulfill my filial duties to you. Please forgive me.
When she looked up, her forehead was already red, and tears welled up in her eyes. She blinked and managed not to let them fall.
Went was stunned for a moment, then followed her example and kowtowed three times, the sound much louder than hers. The sad emotions were immediately replaced by worry, for fear that the beastman would knock himself silly again!
Went didn't stop at kowtowing; he even shouted towards the sky, "Father and Mother in heaven, please rest assured, I will definitely take good care of Yueyue for you!"
Shu Yue's tears instantly fell. Seeing this, the beastman, flustered, clumsily wiped her tears. "Don't cry, Yueyue. If I treat you badly in the future, may the Beast God punish me!"
Shu Yue smiled through her tears, "I believe you."
...
For some reason, Ba He felt a slight sting in his nose. Aisha and Emma beside him were already in tears, feeling sorry for Shu Yue, who had no parents...
Guo Guo and Ya Ya in the crowd were also crying more sadly than anyone else. They deeply regretted what they had done to Shu Yue before. They were so wicked; how could they have bullied Shu Yue, who had no parents?
With so many people watching, Shu Yue wiped away her tears and walked towards the shaman with Went. "Shaman, the final ritual can begin."
The shaman then looked at Miao Xiao Cui and the other two, his eyes asking if they wanted to kowtow.
Miao Xiao Cui's head ached just from hearing the sounds of the previous kowtows. Were these two couples foolish? Kowtowing so hard, weren't they stupid!
"Shaman, please wait for us a bit longer."
The shaman nodded. "Hurry up, don't delay the time."
"..." Miao Xiao Cui thought to herself, why was it a delay when they paid respects, but not for Shu Yue? Partiality!
Although she thought this, she quickly pulled Yin Xiao and Da Sen and kowtowed three times on the ground, just like Shu Yue and Went.
Yin Xiao and Da Sen thought they had to kowtow forcefully, so they kowtowed particularly loudly. Miao Xiao Cui, in the middle, felt like she was going to get a concussion from the commotion of the two. She was still a bit dazed when she got up.
Shu Yue looked at them and inexplicably wanted to laugh. She whispered to the beastman, "Actually, you don't need to kowtow so hard. Just touch your forehead to the ground."
This voice was very quiet to her, but the beastman could hear it clearly. Yin Xiao and Da Sen immediately blushed, and Miao Xiao Cui felt a bit embarrassed.
At this moment, Ba He had a question: why was Cui doing the same thing as Shu Yue? Clearly, no one noticed this at the time. The final ritual began.
The shaman started singing and dancing around them. The lyrics were unintelligible, seeming to be just a peculiar melody that made one feel sleepy. After turning clockwise three times, the song also reached its end.
The shaman turned to get two bowls of holy water, giving one to Went and the other to Yin Xiao.
Miao Xiao Cui watched, completely bewildered, not understanding what was happening.
Went took the bowl of water with one hand and extended his index finger to his tooth, cutting it. Blood immediately appeared and dripped into the bowl. After about two or three drops, he put his finger back into his mouth to suck on it, and the bleeding stopped.
Before Shu Yue could marvel at the magic, the other party grabbed her hand and cut it too. Before she could even feel the pain, her blood had already dripped into the bowl. Finally, the beastman sucked on her finger for a moment before taking it out, the entire action completed in one fluid motion.