Genius Chapter 171: The Moon Elder’s Shrine

Eternal Winter Star Territory

Chapter 171: The Moon Elder’s Shrine

Translated by Karai of Exiled Rebels Scanlations

Editor: Addis

The final tally for the Grand Debate of the Realm had concluded, and the members of the Advertising  team went about their own tasks. As the champions, they received a richly rewarding quest chest. Upon opening, the chest contained five smaller ones of varying levels, including two high-star selectable chests, one nearly level-8 chest, one level-7 chest, and one level-6 chest.

The high-star selectable chests were especially valuable since they allowed players without dual-quest weapons to guarantee the drop of a weapon of their choice, making this an important moment. The entire team was searching for lucky spots and equipping their luck-enhancing outfits to maximize their chances. Rumors had spread about ScarletFruit’s “lucky gear” being highly effective, and as soon as the match ended, even players from other top teams swarmed over to buy his lucky gear for their own chest openings. Surrounded by a crowd, ScarletFruit ended up selling his stock to familiar faces first before rushing back to the main city to craft more lucky gear for profit.

The team disbanded quickly, following the strange superstition that bad luck during chest opening could be contagious. So, when it came time to open the chests, not a single member stayed in the group.

Su Mo wasn’t in a rush to open the chests. After the others left, he and Yu Zhen teamed up and headed to a specific location.

It was the Purple Flower Valley, the same place where they had completed the Qixi Festival event in the past. Without the event, the valley was quieter compared to other areas of the game. When they arrived, a few groups of players were simply enjoying the scenery by the sea of flowers. Yu Zhen led the way, and the two of them walked to an NPC and teleported into the deeper part of the valley, reaching a location marked as “Elder Yue’s Shrine” on the map.

The sea of flowers was still in daylight, with petals dancing in the wind. Near the foot of the mountain, by the shrine, a few couples were gathered, clearly there to form their in-game bonds as partners. From the moment Yu Zhen teleported them to Purple Flower Valley, Su Mo had already figured out what was happening. Since the Qixi Festival event wasn’t active, the only reason to visit the deepest part of the valley was the Elder Yue Shrine.

The Elder Yue Shrine was a special map in Celestial Horizon where players could form marriage bonds, also known as the in-game “wedding point.”

“Are we here to form a bond?” Su Mo asked quietly.

“Yes,” Yu Zhen replied, taking his hand. “Shall we?”

A sense of excitement suddenly welled up inside Su Mo as he let Yu Zhen lead him by the hand, walking through the long, flower-covered path. They finally stopped at the entrance of the Elder Yue Shrine. Outside the shrine, a few scattered couples stood around, seemingly there to get married as well.

Seeing no one else making a move, Yu Zhen, as the party leader, stepped forward to apply. But as he approached the young shrine attendant, the latter raised his hand slightly to block their way. “The auspicious time hasn’t arrived yet. Please come back later.”

It was their first time trying to get married in the game, and they were stopped right at the entrance of the Elder Yue Shrine.

A nearby marksman called out, “You guys came too early, Elder Yue Shrine only opens for weddings at 7 PM.”

Su Mo switched to Vicinity voice chat and asked, confused, “Isn’t the Elder Yue Shrine open all day?”

“It is open all day, but the wedding ceremony only takes place at auspicious times,” the marksman, who was also there to get married, explained. Next to him was a healer. Seeing the summoner and array master with hidden IDs in front of him, he kindly added, “There’s a chart outside the shrine that shows the auspicious times. Each day, specific hours are set for weddings. Today, it’s from 7 PM to 9 PM, and only then can you apply.”

“We were just about to leave,” the female healer chimed in, noticing how unfamiliar the two seemed with the wedding process. “Oh, and make sure you check out a wedding guide online before you do it, so you don’t get stuck in the middle.”

The wedding process in Celestial Horizon was notoriously complicated. Su Mo had thought the challenge would begin after entering, but they were already tripped up by the application time.

Su Mo said, “Then let’s come back later. We can log off and grab a meal.”

The wedding system sounded quite complicated, and he wasn’t sure how long it would take. He wondered if they’d still make it in time for the victory banquet later that evening.

“Okay,” Yu Zhen replied.

Su Mo switched to Vicinity chat and said, “Thanks,” to the helpful couple.

The healer replied, “No problem.” She had just walked a short distance with the marksman when she received a friend request. Curiously, she opened it and saw that an array master named “UnchainedWanderer” had sent her the request. Without hesitation, she accepted, and shortly after, received a message from him.

“What’s up?” the marksman asked.

“Nothing, that array master just added me and asked if I could share the wedding guide,” the healer responded.

“Then send it to them,” the marksman said. “Those two seem like they’re winging it. If they didn’t check the guide before, they’ll probably get stuck for a while. You can’t just decide to get married on a whim—it’s not that easy. The Celestial Horizon wedding system is famously tough. But that’s a good thing. There should be some challenges involved in getting married.”

The healer quickly sent the guide over and then stared at the ID for a while. “UnchainedWanderer… this array master’s name seems familiar. I feel like I’ve seen it somewhere before,” she said, her expression thoughtful.

***

After they logged off, Yu Zhen went to make dinner as usual, while Su Mo curled up on the couch to search for guides. The in-game guides were mostly about the process, and for more detailed information, he had to check the StarNet forums. Su Mo rarely looked up guides, and when he did, it was only for basic walkthroughs. He didn’t have a StarNet account, his loader couldn’t access the StarNet forums, and the terminal’s functions were limited. In the end, he had to ask Lele for help, using a virtual interface to bypass the port and access the forums.

“What’s this?” Lele asked, standing nearby. It looked shocked after seeing the search terms. “Are you getting married?”

Su Mo nodded, “Mm-hmm, in the game.”

Lele gave him a dramatic look. “You’ve only been together for how long? My senior always told me that flash marriages never work out.”

Su Mo replied, “It’s not a flash marriage. We’ve been together for a long time.”

He glanced at Lele again and added, “Besides, it’s an in-game marriage, not a real one.”

Lele, still confused, asked, “Marriage is marriage. Is there a difference?”

The living room was soon filled with the sound of Su Mo and Lele debating.

Yu Zhen was cooking in the kitchen, but instead of following a recipe on the open terminal, he had the marriage guide they had gotten from the kind healer they met in the game. He had already read through most of it. Next to it, there was a chat window open with BitterMelon, showing a recent transfer message.

They had dinner early, and afterward, Su Mo and Yu Zhen went for a walk.

The residential area was covered in snow, and although it had stopped snowing, the cold was still biting. Most people in the Star Alliance were physically strong, and in the residential area, many elderly and children moved around easily, playing joyfully in the snow as if the winter chill didn’t bother them. Instead, it seemed to bring them extra fun.

Yu Zhen, despite the freezing weather, only wore two layers when going outside, but Su Mo was different. He was very sensitive to the cold and bundled up like a ball before stepping out, moving slowly through the snow. Gloves, scarf, hat, earmuffs—he had everything. Before they left, Yu Zhen had even prepared a smart hand warmer for him, worried that Su Mo might freeze.

When Su Mo walked too slowly, they would take a break on the benches by the edge of the neighborhood.

The people in the residential area were very familiar with Su Mo, greeting him warmly as they saw him walking around. With nothing much to do, Su Mo even sat down for a game of chess with Grandpa Li.

“Isn’t this the Yu family’s kid?” Grandpa Li, with sharp eyes, remarked, “Looks a lot like your grandfather.”

Yu Zhen politely greeted him.

Grandpa Xu, sitting nearby, added, “Yes, that’s right. He used to come here often as a child, but then he seemed to stop coming for a while.”

He smiled and continued, “You even played with little Mo for a bit back then. It seems like you two are still on good terms.”

Yu Zhen paused slightly at this, glancing over at Su Mo, who was quietly focused on the chess game. Su Mo shrank a bit, burying his entire face in his scarf.

As for his childhood… Yu Zhen had only spent limited time in this area when he was younger, mostly visiting with his mother for short stays rather than living here long-term. Later, his time spent in the residential area became even less frequent due to extended travels. His memories of childhood were sparse, and he realized he might have crossed paths with Su Mo back then, though he had no strong recollections.

—”Does the family still have any photos of me from when I was a kid?”

With this thought in mind, Yu Zhen sent a message to Grandma Cheng.

Su Mo only played one game of chess with Grandpa Li, as the weather was too cold, and they quickly headed back inside.

7:00 PM arrived quickly. Before logging into the game, Su Mo checked the team group chat, where it was filled with screenshots of his teammates opening loot boxes. There were both good and bad results, but overall, they got some great items. When they saw him active in the chat, everyone urged him and UnchainedWanderer to come to Sunset City. It turned out that BitterMelon had reserved the largest area in Sunset City for a grand celebration at 8:30 PM, and many people were already there. At the moment, they were having PK matches in the small square, and they wanted the two of them to join in the fun.

Su Mo asked, “I’ll let the others know. Do you think the wedding won’t take too long?”

Yu Zhen replied, “It shouldn’t. From what I saw on the forum about the task details, we should be able to finish before 8:30. We’ll have time to join them.”

“Alright then.” Su Mo nodded and sent a message in the group chat.

[Momo: I’ll come over later. We’re heading to the Moon Elder Shrine. Should be done by 8:30.]

[ScarletFruit14: Why are you going to the Moon Elder Shrine? Got a quest there?]

[ClearWindIsHere: Moon Elder Shrine quests are usually two-person tasks, right? No wonder my team request just got rejected by Brother Wanderer.]

[Momo: It’s not for a quest.]

[WhatAHugeWatermelon: ? What good stuff comes from the Moon Elder Shrine?]

“Momo, come over here,” Yu Zhen called from the entrance of the Moon Elder Shrine, where the little NPC was standing. “We both need to click the application at the same time.”

Su Mo saw that the group chat was still asking questions, so he hastily typed “getting married” before closing the chat window and quickly walked over.

As soon as the chat closed, the advertisement group’s team chat immediately blew up.

[[Moon Elder’s Blessing] You have applied to form a bond. From now on, your journey in Celestial Horizon will be alongside [UnchainedWanderer], EverFaithful. Do you confirm?]

Su Mo stood in front of the Moon Elder Shrine’s little NPC, who was holding a red string. One end of the string was on Su Mo’s side, and the other floated in Yu Zhen’s hand.

Looking at the red string, Su Mo felt a sudden sense of unreality. Even though it was just a game, the feeling as though something was about to pull him away caused his heart to race.

Yu Zhen called out, “Momo.”

Su Mo saw that You Zhen’s red string was already tied, and without hesitation, he clicked confirm. The scene before him instantly changed.

The night sky above the Moon Elder Shrine was filled with stars. He and Yu Zhen stood inside the shrine, and a red carpet stretched out before them, gradually rising into the sky. Su Mo looked up and saw a floating, open pavilion high above, as if that was the true location for sealing their bond.

Su Mo paused for a moment, “This isn’t what I read in the guide.”

The guide had said that after applying, they should be teleported to a trial area, and only after passing the test could they proceed to the Moon Elder Hall to form their bond.

[Detected that [Momo] and [UnchainedWanderer] are [Fated Partners], with a compatibility score of 5000.]

[Detected that [Momo] and [UnchainedWanderer] have completed the [Purple Flower Valley: Qixi Festival Five-Star Challenge] with a [Perfect] rating.]

[Special bond conditions met. Do you wish to proceed directly to the Moon Elder Hall?]

Yu Zhen remarked, “Looks like we don’t need to do the compatibility tasks.”

“Should we just go straight in then?” Su Mo asked.

***

On the other side.

The Advertising team had originally planned a victory banquet for the evening. Sunset City’s largest restaurant had been fully booked, filled with members of the Fruit Platter Guild and the Advertising team’s friends and family. Everyone was already in Sunset City, busy with PvP battles while waiting for the banquet to start. But unexpectedly, as soon as the big boss logged in, a bombshell was dropped.

What? Getting married at the Moon Elder Shrine?! With who? They’re getting married now?!

“Wait, did I misunderstand something?” ScarletFruit asked, confused. “Is this for some quest, or are the two of them actually getting married?”

Other Fruit Platter Guild members chimed in, “Huh? What do you mean? Is someone getting married?!”

Apple added, “What’s the difference? Getting married is getting married, isn’t it?”

Watermelon, still not understanding, asked again, “Who’s getting married?”

“I just tried to join their party, but Brother Wanderer rejected me,” ClearWind said, slowly realizing, “The only one Brother Wanderer is partied with is my big bro.”

ZenSlasher, expressionless, said, “No need to guess, just look at their location—they’re both at the Moon Elder Shrine in Purple Flower Valley.”

“Wow, when did they decide to get married? This is so sudden.” ScarletFruit started rummaging through his belongings. “I haven’t even prepared a wedding gift yet!”

BitterMelon spoke up at the right moment, “It seems like it was a last-minute decision. UnchainderWondere just told me not long ago that he would cover the cost of tonight’s victory banquet.”

ClearWind asked, “????? Wait, is their wedding this rushed? Shouldn’t they spend two or three days preparing? Are they planning to get married and then come to the victory banquet? Do they think that getting married in the game is just about getting a certificate?”

Cantaloupe fell silent for a moment and said, “So this isn’t just a victory banquet; it’s a wedding feast!”

BitterMelon agreed, “Yes, a double celebration.”

Others responded with, “……?”

Peach Sauce, who was unaware of the situation, looked at the group in confusion, unsure whether he had missed something or if there was a problem. He looked dumbfounded, “Is it really Momo and UnchainedWanderer? But why are you all accepting their marriage so quickly??”

The advertisement group members paused and realized, yes, why were they accepting it so quickly.

Inside the Sunset City tavern, a large crowd had gathered, and discussions in the Vicinity voice chat quickly spread. The Fruit Platter guild members passed the word around, and before long, everyone had shared the news and rushed out to teleport to the Moon God Shrine. It wasn’t a small matter that Fruit Platter had booked the entire venue for their celebration. After the grand debate earlier in the afternoon, it was normal for a large guild to hold a celebration, and many players had come to join the event and enjoy the festivities. However, before the celebration even started, players saw the Fruit Platter members running out, creating a striking scene on the main street of the city.

Other confused players observed—

“What’s going on?”

“Huh? Did Fruit Platter change the venue for their victory banquet?”

“No way, the city event is still ongoing. Tonight’s experience banquet is still on.”

“Wait, I was planning to take pictures with the big shots. Why did they leave?”

After the crowd had dispersed, only one person slowly made their way out of the tavern. BitterMelon, the leader of Fruit Platter, was lagging behind, calling out to wait as he walked. Eventually, a short summoner from the group squeezed through the crowd and hurried back.

FireworksAndLanterns expertly summoned the Black Tortoise, saying, “Boss, get in the car.”

“Left in a hurry, and I left my movement speed gear in the storage.” BitterMelon slowly climbed aboard and settled himself, saying, “Let’s go.”

Other onlookers were left puzzled, “????”