Chapter 275: The Wedding (part 3)

Morin was already dressed in a resplendent white robe embroidered with golden threads, standing at the temple’s entrance to greet them.

He was trembling with excitement. Witnessing the lord’s marriage in the name of God, declaring it valid in the name of God—this was an unprecedented act in this world. It was clear that from now on, this would become a tradition.

With baptism becoming widespread, a believer’s life would be intertwined with the church at every stage: baptized by a priest at birth, educated in church schools, married with the blessing and declaration of a priest, and finally sent off in death through a priest’s prayers. Their entire lives would be bound to the church and its clergy. Inevitably, the standing of priests would rise, and all of this began here—with him.

If the Xuanyuan Church endured into the future, his name would undoubtedly follow Wu Qingsong’s in prominence. He would go down in history as the first priest and the first bishop—perhaps even be revered as a saint.

‘Xuanyuan above, I hope you truly exist… No, how could I entertain such blasphemous thoughts? May you continue to watch over your flock, protect your messengers with your infinite power, and let your church flourish’

Lost in his thoughts, he was abruptly brought back to reality as the carriage doors opened. Wu Qingsong helped the three girls down one by one, escorting them toward the temple. Upon approaching, Wu Qingsong gave Morin a slight bow in greeting.

This gesture of deference made Morin ecstatic, but he had rehearsed the entire process countless times. Every expression, every movement had been practiced before the mirror over and over again, so there was no chance he would make a mistake.

Smiling, he adopted a righteous and solemn expression, picked up the holy emblem engraved with the character “Wu,” and swiftly traced the character before them. 

In a dignified yet wistful tone, he declared, “May Xuanyuan always watch over you, and may His divine power be with you forever. Please, come in, everyone. Do not keep Him waiting.”

The three brides stepped into the temple. Liuli naturally moved to walk beside Ling, but Angus approached her at that moment.

“Miss Liuli, please come with me,” he said.

“But—?”

“Don’t worry, everything has been arranged. Just follow me,” Angus reassured her with a smile.

Liuli was utterly confused but found herself aimlessly following Angus through the corridor connecting the temple to the main hall. They took a side door newly opened for the occasion, while Ling smiled softly at her, offering no explanations.

Watching her puzzled state, Wu Qingsong shook his head slightly. Then, planting a kiss on both Ram and Ling’s cheeks, he waved at them and proceeded toward the altar in the main hall with Morin by his side.

The invited guests, as listed, began entering the temple’s main hall through the side doors under the watchful eyes of the guards. The beastgirls from the sisterhood, all dressed in white ceremonial gowns, guided the guests to their designated seats with practiced ease.

Everything had been rehearsed countless times. Though there were minor hiccups, overall, the event was near perfect.

Once all the guests were seated, Wu Qingsong quietly slipped backstage. He activated Alice’s abilities, concealed in preparation for this moment, and then returned to his spot, waiting calmly.

“Everyone, may I have your attention, please,” Morin, the officiant, cleared his throat and spoke with the booming voice he had honed through countless sermons. “The wedding ceremony is about to begin. But first, let us offer our prayers to the one true God of the universe, the great Xuanyuan, to thank Him for blessing us with this beautiful day and for bringing us together here…”

These words were mostly ceremonial platitudes, but Wu Qingsong’s decision to hold the wedding in the Xuanyuan Temple wasn’t without deeper meaning. 

On one hand, it fulfilled a small dream of his from his previous world—to give Ram, Ling, and Liuli a wedding they would never forget. On the other, it was a strategic move to further solidify the authority of the Xuanyuan Church.

With the advent of soul stones, his hopes for the church had been fully realized.

Unifying beliefs, fostering cohesion, quelling discontent, smoothing over conflicts, nurturing and discovering more talented beastfolk girls, and the original goal: collecting soul stones.

Religion might not be inherently perfect. It certainly came with its fair share of problems. But for his current needs, Wu Qingsong couldn’t find a single reason not to fully support its expansion.

Orgrimmar’s population was still far too small. Despite actively attracting refugees and even purchasing entire families of slaves, the numbers remained insufficient. After giving up on the thousands of Silver Moon wolfpeople, Wu Qingsong had no choice but to focus his efforts on turning every resident of Orgrimmar who had started believing in Xuanyuan into a devout follower.

This wedding was unprecedented in scale, a once-in-a-lifetime event. At the same time, it was also an unparalleled religious ceremony.

A grand celebration, an awe-inspiring ceremony, solemn rituals, lavish costumes, and ornate decorations—history has proven that such displays left a lasting impression. Borrowing from the practical wisdom of those who came before him, Wu Qingsong decided to replicate the formula entirely.

After all, even if it was just the allure of a magnificent wedding, perhaps it might convince a few young wolf warriors to voluntarily embrace the faith of Xuanyuan. In the world Wu Qingsong once knew, there were indeed people who had joined churches for such reasons.

Morin’s speech, of course, had been reviewed by Wu Qingsong beforehand. When Morin reluctantly delivered the final line of his address, clearly savoring every moment, he finally had to step down from his beloved position. He walked over to Wu Qingsong, who took the opportunity to rise from his position kneeling before the sacred image.

“And now, let’s welcome the stars of today’s ceremony,” Morin announced.

The three large doors opened simultaneously, revealing rows of beastgirls from the Sisterhood standing in pairs along three pathways. As the choir began singing one of the most beloved hymns, accompanied by music, the long-awaited brides finally appeared before everyone.

“What is… what’s going on?” 

Even someone as scatterbrained as Liuli couldn’t miss the meaning of this. She could clearly see Ram and Ling standing beneath arches woven from fresh flowers and greenery, identical to hers, each accompanied by a man.

By Ram’s side stood an elder of the Silver Moon Wolf Clan, while beside Ling was Harold.

“Congratulations, Miss Liuli. Today, you’re going to become Lord Tagraedi’s wife,” Angus said to her with a smile.

Liuli’s mind went completely blank, a loud hum ringing in her head. Her first instinct was to turn and run, but the path behind her was filled with girls from the Sisterhood holding baskets of petals, ready to shower the air. Beside her, Angus gently but firmly held her arm.

“Don’t panic. I’ve rehearsed this many times,” he whispered reassuringly. “Just follow my lead, and everything will go smoothly.”

Completely dazed, Liuli allowed Angus to guide her forward. Petals rained down from above, the sweet sound of the hymn and the joyous laughter and blessings of the crowd filling her ears. Yet, her body grew increasingly stiff, and she almost stumbled and fell to the ground.

Wu Qingsong couldn’t help but take a deep breath. Thankfully, Angus had steadied Liuli just in time. Otherwise, if she had fallen flat on her face during such a grand wedding, in front of everyone, she would probably never forgive herself.

Maybe this little surprise had gone a bit too far.

The girls finally made their way to Wu Qingsong. He glanced at Ram and Ling, giving them an apologetic look and a slight shake of his head before hurrying over to Liuli first. Half-carrying and half-coaxing her, he brought the tearful catgirl to the altar. Then, he turned back to guide Ram and Ling to their places.

“Today, we are here to witness the birth of a happy family…” Morin began his ceremonial speech. 

But Liuli’s sobs grew louder, and Wu Qingsong and Ling both moved to her side to comfort her. Suddenly, Liuli opened her mouth and bit down hard on Wu Qingsong’s arm.

“Ah!” Wu Qingsong yelped instinctively, while the crowd erupted into good-natured laughter.

In any other place, people might have thought this was a scene straight out of a bride-snatching ritual. But here in Orgrimmar, everyone knew the relationship between these three and their unusual dynamic.

“You little rascal!” Wu Qingsong exclaimed in a mix of frustration and amusement, lowering his voice. “Let go of me already!”

“Liuli!” Ling also urged anxiously.

“You’re all terrible!” Liuli finally let go but still glared at them with tear-filled eyes.

“It’s my fault, but don’t you want to marry me?”

“Hmph!”

“Liuli,” Ling whispered to her gently. “At a time like this, don’t make a scene in front of everyone.”

“You’re all bullying me,” Liuli muttered again, but at least she stopped being stubborn.

Morin’s speech was nearing its end when suddenly, a pure white holy light descended from the heavens, enveloping the four of them. The crowd gasped in shock and joy, standing up in amazement. The next moment, the light began to spread outward in a slow, sweeping motion, its origin centered on Wu Qingsong and the others.

The spectators were overwhelmed with delight as they felt the fatigue and ailments in their bodies vanish into nothingness. Many devout believers immediately knelt, chanting Xuanyuan’s name fervently. Soon, everyone present— including the Silver Moon Wolf Clan warriors— found themselves involuntarily kneeling under the awe-inspiring atmosphere.

“This is a miracle!” Morin’s voice rang out, trembling with excitement. “Praise Xuanyuan! Praise our Lord! Praise Him for everything He has given us! Lord Tagraedi, without a doubt, you have received His blessing and favor! Orgrimmar has also been blessed and favored! Praise Xuanyuan!”