Chapter 360 - Let's Get Married!
Chapter 360: Let’s Get Married!
All anyone could hear for a long moment was just the whirring of helicopters from a couple of hundred meters in the sky as everyone looked at this sudden proposal in surprise, and it was as if the entire desert was frozen in time. Everyone was taken off guard by this event that came out of nowhere, and all they could do was look at Jiang Shuxuan who was still in the exact position he was in when he said those two words.
His head was lowered slightly because of the height difference but it didn’t stop anyone from being able to see his expression. The desert sun reflected off the sands and dyed his usually cold expression a warm and gentle hue.
It wasn’t that cold as it was around the time when spring stepped into summer, so all he wore was a white button-up shirt as well as a black suit jacket, for formalities, Gu Xiqiao guessed, and it did look quite fitting on him if she said so herself.
But really, Jiang Shuxuan was the one that had planned all of this?
Gu Xiqiao looked up at him in a daze, caught in a rare moment of unpreparedness.
Team one and team two couldn’t react to the sudden turn of events either and after Jiang Shuxuan said those words, they froze in place, as if they had seen a ghost.
Who was Jiang Shuxuan? The man that was regarded as the closest to a deity in the ancient martial arts world before Gu Xiqiao came into the picture! Even if she was in the spotlight now, his presence and influence in the ancient martial arts world was still undeniable.
The only difference between the two was that Gu Xiqiao was easy to get close to while Jiang Shuxuan was much more cold and aloof, and it was hard to even know where he was at most times. Back in the day, even the Jiang family members didn’t see him around much, and he had become the very symbol of mystery.
It was only after Gu Xiqiao took over that he started appearing more in the public eye, and it was only after Gu Xiqiao appeared that he started to frequent the Elders’ Pavilion more, as well as make more efforts to earn power and respect.
That being said, the image that most people still had on him was that he was cold and hard to talk to, especially the people that were originally from the ancient martial arts world. Since the year he became 15 he was treated like treasure by the higher-ups of the ancient martial arts world, and ever since he started showing his prowess on the global stage, the ancient martial world itself started to gain an edge over the communities in other countries.
Even though one could say that this was already not necessarily true, he was still regarded as being out of reach by a majority of the ancient martial arts world, and because of his distinctive aura, most people just lowered their heads and retreated when they came across him.
And that person was the one that did all this?!
Xiao Yun and the others looked at the fresh bouquet of roses in Gu Xiqiao’s hands, and because they were too shocked, they didn’t even know how to react.
Meanwhile, Jiji pointed at the ground calmly. “Master Jiang, I think you forgot a step.”
Jiang Shuxuan blinked before he suddenly remembered that he forgot something crucial in the heat of the moment, and so he knelt down on one knee and opened the small box in his hands, his snow-like gaze warm as he raised his head and asked, “Will you marry me?”
Gu Xiqiao still hadn’t reacted, still in shock from everything that had happened.
Didn’t Jiji say that Jiang Shuxuan was still working and that he could only come out tomorrow? It was one thing that she met him now, but what in the world was this?!
He… He proposed to her in public like this?! Without any warning?!
The infamous cool and collected Miss Gu couldn’t keep her calm demeanor any longer, and it was the first time most of the people there saw an expression of shock and disbelief on her face.
The delicately crafted diamond ring that Jiang Shuxuan held in his hands refracted the unforgiving rays of the sun, and from where she stood, Gu Xiqiao could make out the words ‘Love for Venus’ written on the bottom of the box.
Gu Xiqiao’s grip around the bouquet in her hands tightened slightly as she lowered her head before she could finally think of something to say, “Brother Jiang, who gave you this idea?”
She felt as if Jiang Shuxuan wasn’t the type to do something flashy like this.
Jiang Shuxuan’s lips pursed slightly, before he repeated those words again, “Will… Will you marry me?”
His usually cold tone was now tinged with warmth and a slight hint of pleading.
Gu Xiqiao thought that she wasn’t the type to get shy after being in the spotlight for such a long time, but perhaps it was the desert heat, and perhaps it was the gazes of everyone on her, or perhaps it was Jiang Shuxuan’s earnest expression, but a blush made its way onto her face uncontrollably.
Her heart started beating faster as she felt the butterflies in her stomach, and she had to admit to herself that she really was nervous!
Really, would anyone not be nervous in a situation like this?
After a short moment, she nodded with a soft murmur, “Yes, I will.”
Perhaps it was because of the embarrassment, so all she could do was murmur, but even when her voice was covered by the whirring of helicopters above, Jiang Shuxuan heard it.
He looked up at her happily, his expression finally melting into a full-blown smile as he looked at her with all the tenderness of a summer breeze.
“Give me your left hand?” He stared at her for a moment, before asking with a soft smile.
Gu Xiqiao dazedly stretched her left hand in his direction, and under the bright sun, her hand almost seemed like porcelain.
Artist’s hands, Jiang Shuxuan would always call them.
He held her hand, and gently slipped the diamond ring onto her ring finger.
At the edge of a desert, at the entrance of an old town.
The metallic smell of blood wafted in the air from the battlefield nearby, and the sunshine was almost blinding as everyone looked at the two figures standing there, one looking down while another looked up with one of his knees on the ground, with a bunch of flower bouquets, and at that moment, everyone all thought that this moment should be immortalized in time.
The ring had been slipped onto her hand, but Jiang Shuxuan didn’t let it go but instead stood up slowly, his gaze not leaving hers, and his smile unfading.
He stood to her left and held her hand, his fingers stroking the ring on her hand while his other arm held her in a warm embrace.
All of the Mahjong Corps all stood up and cheered in celebration!
“Boss Jiang! Miss Gu!” Yi Tong was so excited that his face went red.
After he shouted this, all of the Mahjong Corps started shouting in excitement too.
All nine teams of the Mahjong Corps were present, and there were eighty-one of them in total, so when they all started cheering and shouting it was so loud it shook all of the others out of their stupor!
And so, Xiao Yun and the others flew into a frenzy too!
Did they really see Jiang Shuxuan propose?!
Goodness, how did he think of proposing when everyone was getting anxious over the calamity that was about to befall this Earth?
And from the looks of it, they were about to get married soon?!
Not only the ancient martial arts world, but every supernatural community across the world were trying their best to prepare for the upcoming calamity, and even Gu Xiqiao herself was quite worried about it herself.
But now, when things were in such a dire state, these two people that stood on the top of the world were about to get married?
Everyone looked at Gu Xiqiao, then at Jiang Shuxuan. Perhaps only these two were the only ones that would make such a detour during these times, huh?
For a moment, no one really knew what to say.
Jiang Shuxuan smiled contently for a moment before gesturing for one of the helicopters to fly down, and then he entered one of them together with Gu Xiqiao.
Then, the nine helicopters flew away.
Everyone took some time to process this, and they blinked a few times before their expressions all morphed into ones of disbelief.
This proposal came too quickly and without any warning, so no one even had the chance to take a video of it happening.
“Mr. Yao, did you know that this would happen?” Baili Shuo rubbed his face in disbelief before turning around and looking at the Peacekeepers questioningly.
Yao Jiamu only fixed him with an expressionless stare. “Do we look like we knew this was about to happen?”
Well, of course not!
Baili Shuo inhaled deeply. “Not a lot of people know about their relationship, do they?”
“They’re quite lowkey with their relationship, so I would imagine not.” Xiao Yun shook her head slightly.
Was that so? Baili Shuo sighed softly. “Well I think everyone’s going to go crazy over this, and everyone still hasn’t recovered from what she said a few days ago…”
He didn’t even need to think much to know the impact of what this marriage would cause!
Now that the two strongest humans in the world were about to join in marriage, the other supernatural communities in the world were probably going to go crazy.
One of the locals finally reacted to the two names that were being brought up by the people from the ancient martial arts world… Miss Gu? Young Master Jiang?
Wasn’t Miss Gu the one that was on the news a few days ago?!
Was she the person that turned their country upside down?
“Mr. Baili, is she the one from Nine Heavens Group?” One of the locals asked.
Baili Shuo turned over to them and smiled before patting their shoulder. “Yes, it’s her!”
He didn’t know that these words were akin to throwing a bomb into the hearts of these locals!
That video of Gu Xiqiao’s had been spread like wildfire on the internet, and everyone knew that such a woman existed, even in this desert town out in the middle of nowhere, and everyone knew that it was because of her that their casualties decreased drastically!
The laboratory under Nine Heavens’ name had created elixirs and medicine that had saved countless victims!
Ever since the training methods had been given to them, even the very sky became clearer.
Gu Xiqiao was the one that gave them hope!
She was their belief, and Gu Xiqiao got another bunch of fanboys and fangirls that idolized her!
After knowing that the one that they questioned earlier was Miss Gu from Nine Heavens, everyone bowed down in the direction in which the helicopters left.
“I… I didn’t believe her?” One of the locals punched the sandy ground in regret.
Yao Jiamu patted his shoulder reassuringly. “It’s alright, you’ll have a chance to meet her in the future. Let’s go deal with what’s been happening in your town quick so that we can return to the ancient martial arts world, yes?”
All of them wanted to return to the ancient martial arts world as soon as possible, because they wanted to see how everyone reacted to this news!
But now, they could only wait until they completely dealt with what has been plaguing this town…
***
Meanwhile, on the border of the ancient martial arts world.
Gu Xiqiao and Jiang Shuxuan got off the helicopters, and since no one knew that they were coming back this soon, no one was waiting there for them except for Tengen.
Upon seeing Tengen, Gu Xiqiao raised her eyebrows slightly. Had he been standing here in wait for all this time?
Before she could think further on it, Tengen stepped forward and bowed respectfully. “Ma-Miss Gu, Mr. Jiang.”
Jiang Shuxuan glanced at him, his good mood making it so that he didn’t have any of his coldness as he did usually, and he even greeted him amiably, “Mr. Tengen, do you need our help with anything?”
Tengen was quite taken aback by how civil Jiang Shuxuan was being, but after a short pause in disbelief, he said, “Miss Gu, regarding what I said earlier…”
Gu Xiqiao smiled and replied, “I understand, but I’m not going to go there just yet.”
Not just yet? Tengen was quite surprised by this. “When are you going to do it then? You can’t procrastinate on this!”
“I have more important things to attend to, you see.” Gu Xiqiao replied.
Tengen blinked in confusion. “What could be more important than this?”
Gu Xiqiao raised her left hand, the diamond ring on it glittering prettily in the light of the sun as she smiled dazzlingly. “My wedding, of course!”
After she said so, she left together with Jiang Shuxuan.
Tengen stood there for a very long moment, processing what he had just heard.
What.
What?!
His master was about to get MARRIED?!
What the f*ck?!
Tengen suddenly felt as if his internal processor had gone haywire…His master was about to get married? At a time like this?!
Not even a day had passed when the news that Jiang Shuxuan and Gu Xiqiao were about to get married spread all across the ancient martial arts world, then to all the supernatural communities, then to the secular world!
Yes, that mysterious Miss Gu was about to get married!
And to a Jiang family member, no less!
The Jiang family had been the pinnacle of the ancient martial arts world for centuries, and no one knew how many mysteries the family had, but no one could deny that they were the strongest out there.
Meanwhile, Gu Xiqiao was known far and wide by everyone in the world!
From the Peace Manor to Nine Heavens, all of these organizations were respected and feared by everyone!
And today, the woman behind all of this was about to get married?
Everyone marveled over this news, and it seemed that the ancient martial arts world was going to become livelier than ever.