The days were set by both races. Vampires and humans had different customs, and Xing Yuan insisted on the earliest possible date. Who would have thought that this rare auspicious day was also the day Xing Yuan planned to hold her succession ceremony!
There was no other choice but to hold both events together. By the time Xing Yuan completed her succession ceremony, Yuan Wen Yue would have almost arrived. The wedding followed ancient rituals.
Yuan Wen Yue emerged from the fiery red sedan chair, dressed in a form-fitting robe of pink rose-scented silk, with a jade green skirt adorned with scattered flowers. A large bow of golden silk was tied around her waist. Her hair, adorned with a jade hairpin shaped like a phoenix, cascaded down, accentuating her slender figure and captivating beauty.
Xing Yuan saw her elder sister dressed like this for the first time. In her memory, her sister had always been aloof and detached, dismissing any suitor with a cold demeanor.
Xing Yuan clutched her chest, feeling a strange sensation. Her heart was pounding, and an indescribable longing surged within her. She wanted to kill everyone who saw Yuan Wen Yue, to hide her sister away for herself alone.
But this was wrong. This was her elder sister, the most important person in her life. How could she harbor such thoughts? Xing Yuan silently condemned herself.
Yuan Wen Yue felt like a puppet today, dressed and brought here by a group of people.
"Where is my father?" Yuan Wen Yue asked Xing Yuan, who sat at the head of the high platform.
Xing Yuan glanced at Fanzhuo Ma Ge, who immediately stepped forward and said, "Your father is still at the mansion changing clothes and will be out shortly!"
Yuan Wen Yue nodded, wondering if her father had suffered. She had never felt a strong sense of belonging to the empire since childhood, but she deeply respected her father.
Meanwhile, Yuan Shi Lin, his meridians sealed, allowed the blood slaves to dress him. He showed no joy at leaving, only regret. He wished he had died there, so as not to burden his daughter.
After the vampires removed the items needed for the succession ceremony, the entire palace was decorated in vibrant red, bringing a rare vitality to the somber vampire realm.
The vampires accepted the fact that their king, a female, was marrying another female. However, Xing Yuan was conflicted. Should she reveal her true appearance this time?
Encouraged by the vampires, Xing Yuan shed her black robes, added some height, and changed into a neutral red outfit.
At this moment, Yuan Shi Lin was also brought out. Yuan Wen Yue, who hadn't seen her father in a while, fussed over him with concern. Yuan Shi Lin, filled with guilt, maintained a cold expression, hoping his daughter would reconsider the marriage.
Xing Yuan, now in her true form, emerged. She was already stunningly beautiful, and her unhidden blue hair and blue eyes created a unique spectacle.
Yuan Shi Lin and Yuan Wen Yue wore identical expressions of shock. Yuan Shi Lin was surprised that the legendary vampire king was a woman, while Yuan Wen Yue was astonished that the cute little sister she knew was the vampire king.
Seeing her sister's reaction, Xing Yuan realized she had been recognized. Guilt flickered across her face. Her sister must be very angry.
The wedding concluded with one party feeling guilty and the other shocked. Xing Yuan dared not look at her sister throughout the ceremony, merely following the officiant's instructions. This led Yuan Wen Yue to see Xing Yuan constantly shrinking like a quail whenever she looked at her.
As the ceremony neared its end, Yuan Shi Lin could no longer contain himself. "Your Highness, since you are a woman, why must you drag my daughter into this?"
Xing Yuan cautiously glanced at her sister before boldly retorting, "There's no rule that two women can't get married!"
Yuan Shi Lin was speechless. While it was true there was no such rule, it went against tradition.
Before Yuan Shi Lin could argue further, Yuan Wen Yue spoke, "Father, this marriage was my own accord. You always taught me to be a person of my word. Are you asking me to break my promise now?"
"I... I didn't..." Yuan Shi Lin stammered, flustered.
"Please arrange for my father to be safely escorted back," Yuan Wen Yue said politely to Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan looked at her sister with a hint of grievance. Seeing Yuan Wen Yue ignore her, she turned to the guards and said, "Didn't you hear? Escort this Duke safely back to the empire."
"Yes!" several people below responded immediately. A carriage was brought, and Yuan Shi Lin was seated in it. Soon, it receded into the distance.
"The ceremony is over. Where shall I wait?" Although her face was the same, Yuan Wen Yue's tone had become polite and distant.
A maid immediately led Yuan Wen Yue away. Xing Yuan was about to follow when Fanzhuo Ma Ge reminded her, "King, don't forget what day it is today!"
Xing Yuan had no choice but to stop, feeling helpless. Today was an opportune time for ancestral worship, and missing it meant waiting another ten years. Why did everything have to happen at once?
"Bring those individuals to the altar. We have an hour. Everyone, prepare yourselves!" Xing Yuan shed her vulnerability and adopted a regal demeanor.
This ancestral ritual was perhaps the grandest in many years. The vampires used the precious blood food originally prepared for the king to barely open the ancestral altar.
As they entered, everyone felt waves of immense resentment roaring in their ears, as if recounting their hatred and unwillingness to the descendants.
Xing Yuan cut her palm with a dagger, letting her blood flow onto the ground. The vampires behind her also cut their palms, identifying themselves to their ancestors. As the surrounding resentment slightly subsided, Xing Yuan approached the altar and poured the prepared blood into it.
This blood came from the descendants of those ancient families. The vengeful spirits, sensing the aura of their enemies, swarmed onto the altar. Xing Yuan immediately used the Blood Seal Mother to trap them. The spirits seemed to sense something and roared outwards.
At this point, Xing Yuan had people bring in the old individuals who had become neither human nor ghost. As they entered, the spirits became even more frenzied, shaking Xing Yuan's Blood Seal precariously.
"Hurry!" Xing Yuan urged.
She then directly pushed the old men into the altar. The spirits immediately enveloped them, devouring the elders completely, leaving not a single hair behind.
After consuming the elders, the vengeful spirits, as if their task was complete, silently sank back into the depths of the altar. Xing Yuan directly suppressed the Blood Seal Mother onto the altar and then had the vampires continue to bleed. The mixed blood of humans and vampires formed a new magic circle on top of the original formation.
The moment the magic circle formed, all the vampires felt a lightness in their bodies, as if something had left them. Xing Yuan also sighed, finally completing the task.