The vibrant red bridal procession came marching down the aisle, parting the sea of onlookers and guests. "The bride has arrived!"
"Finally, my beautiful bride has come," Hu Dan laughed with pride and arrogance as he watched the wedding sedan arrived towards the base of the platform. The carriers stopped just before the stairs and gently set it down.
"Time for the groom to kick down the door," the priest announced called out. Hu Dan strutted down the steps towards the red sedan. The tradition of kicking down was to symbolize that the wife would be equal to her groom and that she wouldn't be one to be kicked around. The groom would make the first kick, and to the response, the bride would kickback from inside.
'Huh, how ironic,' A-Kuai glowered at Hu Dan's back. As if he would treat his sister like his equal after marriage. His Big Sis wasn't one to back down, especially to a man that she disliked. And it was even more unfortunate that Hu Dan wasn't a man to take no for an answer either.
Standing in front of the door, Hu Dan delivered a swift kick to the bamboo doors. In return, an even harder kick pounded from inside.
"Huh, feisty," Hu Dan chuckled. "I like it."
The door opened up, and Wen Tu was quickly helped out with a maid, albeit unwilling. "You look good in red, my dear," Hu Dan smiled as his eyes traveled up and down Wen Tu's body.
Surprisingly, Wen Tu didn't respond, and her face unreadable was a red veil covered her features.
"Wen Tu," Ren Dong whispered out, longing evident in her voice.
As if Wen Tu could sense her presence, her red bridal veil swayed slightly as she subtly turned to Ren Dong's direction for a split second. However, Ren Dong wasn't sure if her bunny had noticed her at all.
"Don't worry, I'll get you soon," Ren Dong vowed as she narrowed her eyes at Hu Dan's outstretched claws reaching to Wen Tu's shoulder.
"Matron, why isn't she speaking?" Hu Dan asked the older woman beside the sedan. The matron bowed her head and approached Hu Dan and said, "The bride was being disobedient, to silence and prevent her from taking her life, we gagged her."
Hu Dan nodded as he listened to the matron's explanation. "You did well, let's continue," and signaled the priest to continue the ceremony.
The priest nodded and announced, "Now for the bride and groom to perform the bowing ceremony. Kowtow to the heavens, kowtow to the ancestors, and each other."
Hu Dan took hold of the Wen Tu's bent arm and led her up the stairs. Once the two were up on the stage, Hu Dan smiled at A-Kuai's blackened face.
"Hmm, soon we will be family, brother-in-law. No need for such hostility." Hu Dan's fox smile grew wider as he watched A-Kuai's expression. "Though" — tilting his head to the side — "I feel as if this family is incomplete."
"What," A-Kuai narrowed his eyes, trying to see what this scheming fox was planning.
"You know, it's rude not to invite your benefactor" — Hu Dan turned and looked down into the crowd — "Isn't that right, Miss Ren Dong?"
Ren Dong was mildly surprised that Hu Dan was able to detect her presence but quickly ignored it as her concerns rested on Wen Tu.
The sea of onlookers parted around Ren Dong, leaving her out in the open for all to see.
"I'm surprised you realized I was here," she said offhandedly.
"Hmph," Hu Dan chuckled. "I would be more surprised if you weren't here. Though, it's not unwelcome."
"Let go of Wen Tu."
"Straight to the point I see," Hu Dan nodded in amusement. "I like it. Though, why should I give up my bride to some mortal woman."
"Your bride?" Ren Dong scoffed. "I don't recall my Wen Tu mentioning any engagement or word of any engagement gifts from A-Kuai. Also, what kind of groom needs to kidnap his bride to marry her? Even the lowest of beasts don't do such things."
Hu Dan didn't say anything as his face blackened at Ren Dong's words. "That's it! I won't stand for such insults against me! What makes you so great, huh? Do you think that someone as lowly as you are better than me?"
"A thousand times better."
"Argh!" Hu Dan pushed Wen Tu off to the side and lounged towards Ren Dong, claws up and ready to strike down upon her.
Ren Dong readied herself and dodged his attack. 'Still as sloppy as ever,' she tsked as she watched the frustration build-up in Hu Dan. Taking out a dagger that was along as her forearm, Ren Dong readied herself for his next move.
Fuming at his missed attack, Hu Dan viciously kept advancing, slashing left and right without care or mercy. In response, Ren Dong parried each blow.
While the two were fighting, A-Kuai finally broke through his restraints and went to go to his sister. "Big Sis, are you alright?"
He pulled off Wen Tu's bridal veil to reveal the cloth gag tried around her mouth. He quickly tied it and pulled it off for her.
"Puah," she gasped. "Enough about me, how about you? What about Wifey?"
"That pervert from before actually proved to be a good man. He was the one who tipped us off that something was wrong and helped us formulate a plan to save you," A-Kuai pushed up Wen Tu's sleeves to reveal the dark leather shackles wrapped around her pale wrists. "That bastard," he mumbled under his breath.
"Don't worry," Wen Tu smiled reassuringly. "They don't hurt that much."
The battle between Ren Dong and Hu Dan began to grow fiercer. The surrounding onlookers and guests saw their opportunity to flee, and they quickly scattered.
"Hah ha," Hu Dan breathed in slowly as he wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth. He was heavily injured; however, it couldn't compare to the damage inflicted on Ren Dong. "Looks, like it ends here, mortal."
Ren Dong clutched her heavily bleeding arm as she struggled to stand upright. Heaving heavily, she narrowed her eyes at Hu Dan's cocky grin. 'I can't lose, or else,' her eyes flickered over to where A-Kuai was desperately trying to break Wen Tu's shackles. "Not… ha… yet."
"Tsk, pesky woman," Hu Dan clicked his tongue. "Well, since you have a death wish, I'll grant it to you!" Hu Dan charged towards Ren Dong as she readied her self to move. However, she wasn't sure if she would be able to dodge it this time.
Meanwhile, A-Kuai was finally starting to loosen the restraints around Wen Tu's wrist as they began to break apart. "Quickly, quickly, A-Kuai!" Wen Tu looked frantically between her wrists and Wifey. She had to hurry or else!
"I'm trying," A-Kuai grunted as he slowly pried the lock apart. The lock could only remain stubborn for so long as it slowly began to open up.
"There!" The lock broke off with a hard thud, and the leather shackles quickly slid off with ease.
"This is the end!" Looking over, Wen Tu watched with horror as Hu Dan raised his claws above his head as Ren Dong laid on the ground, looking up at him with resentment in her eyes.
"Wifey!" Leaping off the stage, Wen Tu resembled a soaring phoenix as she ran over to Ren Dong.
However, she was a split second too late as Hu Dan laid down a punishing blow.
"Wen Tu!"
The world seemed to slow down for a few seconds before speeding up once more, as a searing pain ran across her back.
'What is going on,' she wondered as she floated in the air for a few moments.
"Uh," she mumbled as she fell into a warm embrace. "...A-Kuai?"
"Big Sis!" A-Kuai shook as he held his sister. Three ugly gashes ran down her back from Wen Tu's right shoulder down to the top of her left hip. The blood darkened her red dress, a haunting crimson. "Ah, don't worry, Big Sis, it's just a scratch! Miss Ren Dong will be able to fix you up in no time!"
Wen Tu looked up at her little brother with blurry eyes, "...A-Kuai… wah… what about Wifey? ….Is she alright?"
A-Kuai pursed his lips as he watched Ren Dong and Dan Lue fight against the dying Hu Dan. Unexpectedly, after Hu Dan attacked Wen Tu, an arrow would pierce a few centimeters from Hu Dan's heart.
'Why couldn't he come sooner,' A-Kuai cursed as he narrowed his eyes at Dan Lue's distance figure. Although Dan Lue did save them from Hu Dan to a degree, A-Kuai still couldn't help resenting the fact he didn't arrive quick enough.
However, that didn't matter as A-Kuai heard another resounding cry from Hu Dan. The cunning fox was near his end.
A mild satisfaction set into A-Kuai's heart as he watched Ren Dong relentlessly beat up Hu Dan.
Seeing Wen Tu take Hu Dan's blow in her stead, Ren Dong felt an intense burst of rage and fury as she ignored her pains to fight off the shocked fox. Not caring if Hu Dan hit or scratched her, Ren Dong relentlessly attacked Hu Dan. Slashing and stabbing the fox until his red coat bled a deeper shade. Dan Lue joined the fray from a distance as he slowly turned the fox into a hedgehog.
Finally, after a hard battle, the red fox collapsed on to the ground in a pool of red as Ren Dong stood over him, victorious.
"Yeah," A-Kuai smiled as best he could t reassure his sister. "She's going to be alright."
'Ahh, good' Wen Tu thought as her vision faded to black.