chapter 20: unreliable groom

In fact, nobody could blame Liu Chuan for forgetting these rules of the online game. After all, he hasn’t played an online game for a long time.

When Wulin was just running its public beta six years ago, only he and a few good friends were playing games in Jiangnan, in the first district of TELECOM. At that time, there was no such thing as a wedding in the game nor was there a husband-and-wife task. There was only a simple master and disciple system and a crew* system.

* literal translation is underworld/secret gang

One year after the Wulin public beta, the game passed the review of the e-sports league and the first official professional league started. In the annual expansion and update of that year, multiple online game servers, game equipment, and clothes inventory were opened at the same time. The limit level of the “Wulin Official Professional League Zone” was raised from level 60 to level 70. Wulin sects Beggars and Mingjiao were added, as well as the marriage and sworn brothers system. The background setting of the “Eight Sects” and “Twenty-four Schools” of Wulin truly improved.

Most of the professional players in the first season were experts from the online game. Liu Chuan, as the first captain of the Huaxia team, left the Jiangnan server of the first district and concentrated on training on the game map, paying less attention to the things in the online game.

The reason why he remembered that players could get married at level 30 was because he made a trumpet to practice the new sects inside the online game, mainly to understand the characteristics of the Beggars and Mingjiao Sects. Only then did he discover that players could get married at level 30…

As for weddings, gifts, and red envelopes, he really doesn't know what kind of things are!

Because of Heartbroken Grass’ reminder, Liu Chuan became interested. Upon searching on the official website did he find out that marriage is complicated!

After the proposal is approved by the other party, it’s possible for poor players not to have a wedding but local tyrants* would throw their money extravagantly.

* rich players who flaunt their wealth

The scale of the wedding is divided into two: general wedding and luxury wedding. The general wedding is smaller and only 10 guests can be invited which is suitable for small groups of relatives and friends whereas the luxury-level wedding is huge and the number of guests that could be invited is up to a thousand. The system gives away 100 invitations and if a player wants to invite more people, they naturally have to pay for the invitations themselves. This kind of wedding is suitable for rich local tyrants, guild leaders, and people who have money. Luxury-level weddings will also let the groom ride a horse and take the bride’s sedan chair to parade the streets of the main city while beautiful fireworks are set off during the parade. The world channel will also announce it which is simply blinding to the human eye.

The cost of the general wedding is 520 yuan bao* but a luxury wedding requires 1,314 yuan bao. Yuan bao naturally has to be recharged which is equivalent to 1,314 RMB**.

* ancient China money; can also be referred to as gold coins

** ren min bi - the official currency of China

(By the way, 520 RMB is equal to almost $78, and 1314 is $197. Yeah, an expensive game wedding. LOL)

The officials' attitude is very clear: we want money! Come, local tyrants bring us money!

Liu Chuan finished reading the official website’s description of the wedding, then calmly exited the tab.

Use 1,314 yuan to have a wedding in the game? It’s better to buy a mechanical keyboard!

Liu Chuan has never liked this kind of formality.

However, the general wedding with 520 yuan can be considered.

Liu Chuan is aiming for the general wedding, not for the formality of the wedding ceremony, but for the discount shop at the wedding venue.

Because all of the invited guests have to give the bride and groom a little red envelope, thus the officials have to give back something in return. At the wedding venue, there is a discount shop that is selling first-class five elements stones used to enhance equipment on sale. You can buy them at a half cheaper price than the ones outside the store.

The problem now is that Liu Chuan only has 100 gold coins in his sachet and there isn’t enough money to hold a wedding…

The game isn’t like any ordinary online games where gold coins can be exchanged for RMB directly. Wulin is a time-based game meaning there are gold coins in the game as a reward for players. They can get certain gold coins for tasks, instances, and later life skills. But in the early levels, life skills weren’t open yet and if you only do tasks, you can’t make money. Besides, Liu Chuan came to the bandit village to hunt monsters because he was too lazy to finish the main tasks…

What to do if you don’t have money?

Liu Chuan thought for a while, and then sent a sentence to the guild leader without a hint of shame: “President, would you lend me some?”

Heartbroken Grass almost choked on his saliva.

Master, you are too miserable! You even have to borrow for a general wedding. You really don’t have the temperament of a master ==

Liu Chuan sent another message with a smile: “Lend me 520 gold coins.”

Heartbroken Grass is still coughing.

Seeing that he didn’t reply, Liu Chuan bargained: “Why don’t you lend me 420? I still have 100 in my bag!” Followed by a row of smiling expressions.

Heartbroken Grass is speechless.

Alas! As a master, it’s really pitiful if you’re poor! There are only 100 gold coins in the sachet. What a pity.

Anyway, the main purpose of finding this expert by himself is to win him over, and giving him money is another method of deepening the relationship.

Heartbroken Grass simply gave the 520 gold coins in his sachet to Liu Chuan and said proudly: “No need to pay it back. Just treat it as a red envelope from me to congratulate my brother on your happy new marriage.”

Liu Chuan accepted it without reservations: “Thank you, President. What a big red envelope :)”

Heartbroken Grass hurriedly said: “You’re welcome, you’re welcome!”

As the guild leader of Seven Star Grass Guild, this little money is really nothing to him. Everybody is tight on money in the early stages. If it is in the later stages, let alone 520 gold coins, he wouldn’t even feel bad if he has to give 52,000* to win over such an expert. A price like that for an expert is still affordable.

* $7796.69

Liu Chuan accepted the money and happily typed on the team channel: “Wife, come and follow me!”

Wu Zewen didn’t realize who he was calling for a while.

Beside him, Li Xiang vomited blood. “Wife? You call truly* call him smoothly**!”

* He uses 真是 which is used to express annoyance or disapproval

** Easily or without psychological barriers

Liu Chuan smiled: “We’re married. What else would I call my wife?”

“......” Li Xiang was so frustrated that he couldn’t speak, and he became depressed.

Wu Zewen, who finally reacted to Liu Chuan’s words and thought that it was normal to be called like that in the game, didn’t mind and replied: “Where are you going?”

Liu Chuan smiled and said, “Hold a wedding. Walk around and watch the excitement. I haven’t seen a wedding scene yet.”

Wu Zewen has never seen it before but wasn’t really interested in this kind of wedding in the game. He got married mainly to do tasks and upgrade faster.

Liu Chuan simply made a new team and added Heartbroken Grass. He also pressed [team follow] to let everyone automatically follow him. Then he rode the lowest level horse and took everyone to the marriage office in Jiangling City.

After walking around, Liu Chuan asked suspiciously, “Where is the NPC for the wedding? Why can’t I find it?”

Everyone in front of the computer fell collectively!

Heartbroken Grass’s face twitched: “Brother*, you are in the wrong place. That place is for husband-and-wife tasks. The NPC for the wedding is in Yuelao** Temple outside the city.”

* He uses a familiar form of address here

** Matchmaker

Liu Chuan sent a smiley face: “Oh, oh.”

—Have you ever seen such an unreliable groom?!

Heartbroken Grass really hasn’t seen one before, and Nepenthes and the others seem to be used to it, silently following the Tangmen and silently vomiting blood.

Once again, Liu Chuan dragged a couple of people to the Yuelao Temple.

He paid 520 gold coins at Yuelao Temple, and a lot of lines such as “I wish the two of you to grow old together” and “Be together forever” appeared on Yuelao's head. Afterward, he gave Liu Chuan a prop to open the wedding ceremony as well as 10 wedding invitations.

Liu Chuan threw the invitations to Li Xiang and the other four people. There were still five left so he asked, “What should I do with the remaining five invitations?”

Heartbroken Grass feels distressed.

This expert doesn’t even have 10 friends who can attend his wedding? So pitiful…

So, Heartbroken Grass yelled on his [friends] channel: “Those idle brothers near Jiangling city, come and attend a friend’s wedding. Hurry up! I’ll pull you in a team.”

Several people responded immediately.

The people who can see the guild leader’s spam messages on the [friends] channel are basically all elites and old players of the Seven Star Grass Guild. The elite group is either doing tasks or instances at the moment, however, there are veterans like Nepenthes who aren’t very good at operating but are very loyal to the guild. They were usually idle.

Soon, five people came. The format of their names was the same—XX grass.

Suspicious, Li Xiang asked on the team channel: “Your names are so unified. Are you all from the Seven Star Grass Guild?”

Although he didn’t know about the great guilds in the game, the shining title of “Guild Leader of the Seven Star Grass Guild” was written on top of Heartbroken Grass’s head. Looking at the unified name, Li Xiang suddenly reacted.

Heartbroken Grass replied: “Yes! Brother, do you know our guild?”

Li Xiang replied: “I know the Seven Star Grass Team. Captain Xiao’s Shaolin is very impressive. I was just watching the Seven Star Grass video just now.”

Heartbroken Grass was very happy to hear his words.

It turns out that this teammate* is a fanboy of Captain Xiao! It’s easier to win over him now!

* Raws say master but Heartbroken Grass isn’t talking about Liu Chuan so I thought it would’ve been confusing since he calls Liu Chuan master too.

Heartbroken Grass was filled with pride. In the game, how many Shaolin don't know who Captain Xiao is?

Li Xiang continued to ask: “Are all members of your guild fans of the Seven Star Grass Team?”

Heartbroken Grass replied: “We are all diehard fans of Seven Star Grass and if not diehard, most of the members also like the Seven Star Grass Team. We are actually a backup guild for the team. The Guild Leaders work for the team, mainly to help the team become famous in the game. By doing so, we can recruit fresh blood* and some potential newcomers. Not only that, but we can also recommend players to go to the youth training camp of the Seven Star Grass Team. In the future, you can follow the team to play in the professional leagues.”

* New person who could revitalize or stimulate the team

Li Xiang understood. “Oh, so it’s actually like a kind of… an official backup group, right?”

Heartbroken Grass sent a smiley face: “Exactly!”

The two chatted casually and Heartbroken Grass felt a lot of certainty in his heart.

Seeing that this teammate was so interested in the Seven Star Grass, he must be a diehard fanboy of Captain Xiao! Do you still have to win him over? Now, the Tangmen is going to have a wedding and it’s not easy to talk during such an event. When the wedding is over and the timing is good, the three of them would be drawn to the guild together. He’s 99% certain he could win them over!

Unfortunately, Heartbroken Grass forgot that fortune is unpredictable as the weather* and people have both good and bad fortune.

* Something unexpected may happen at any moment

With a 99% chance of winning, there’s still a 1% chance of mishap…

After the guests arrived, Liu Chuan clicked on the props in his inventory, and the group of people was teleported into the wedding venue.

The wedding scene was beautiful. The weather in the sky was late at night. A full moon hung high in the night sky and the reflection of the moonlight in the water sprinkled a gentle, tender, and appealing atmosphere. Above the lotus pond in the courtyard is an arched stone bridge covered with a thick red carpet. There was also a table in front of it which was lit with big red festive candles. The entire yard was decorated with beaming red lanterns.

The officials are quite generous and even the general wedding scenes were exquisite.

As soon as you enter the venue, the screen will automatically switch to a 3D animation mode. The new couple put on the wedding clothes given by the system. The bride, Wu Zewen had to cover his head with a red veil while Liu Chuan the groom, wore a red flower made of silk in front of his chest*. the two walked hand in hand on the red carpet across the arched bridge amid the sound of firecrackers…

* Wedding customs in China

The ancient Chinese-style wedding was made to be very realistic and the officiating person began to shout: “The auspicious time has come! Worship heaven and earth!”

“First bow, bow to heaven and earth!”

“Second, bow to the parents!”

“Husband and wife, bow to each other!”

After a while, the ceremony was completed and the animation ended. The guest proposed a toast and blessings to the newly married couple.

Everyone who returned to the game was suddenly astonished to find out—--

The bride and groom are gone!

Surprised, Heartbroken Grass asked on the team channel: “Where are the bride and groom?”

Someone with sharp eyes also discovered: “The Shaolin is also gone!”

When Nepenthes was hunting monsters together with them before, he added these three as friends. He immediately looked at the friends' panel and saw the gray avatars.

Nepenthes said helplessly: “It seems like all of them are offline.”

Heartbroken Grass was speechless: “All three are offline?”

Nepenthes replied weakly: “Looks like it…”

The brothers who came to join in stared wide-eyed and burst into tears collectively.

The newlyweds who both disconnected and left the guests whocame to watch the wedding ceremony in the lonely wedding venue…

Have you ever seen such an unreliable bride and groom?