It Turns Out The Master's Wife Is Actually Me [GL] - Chapter 12

Chapter 12

When she opened her eyes again, the peculiar smell in the air made Cheng Fu’s nose itch. She instinctively held her breath, then, as if remembering something, took a deep breath only to be instantly moved to tears by a pungent medley of unfamiliar scents.

It wasn’t just that the smells were foreign; it was the sheer variety of them. They were all crammed into the narrow wooden corridor before her. Stepping in so suddenly, Cheng Fu received a lungful of sharp, complex odors that nearly left her breathless.

Once her sense of smell adapted to this strange toxicity, Cheng Fu began to observe her surroundings.

Before her lay a narrow, cluttered passage. The floor looked like ancient, broken wooden planks that had sat there for ages; some parts were even slightly worm-eaten. Every step she took elicited a rhythmic creak-snap, making her seriously doubt if the rotten wood would collapse the next second.

If a protagonist prone to chronic anxiety came here, they would likely worry themselves to death.

Along the edges of the corridor stood rows of large wooden bookcases, arranged with military precision. Their material appeared just as inferior as the floorboards dark, dull, and reeking of damp decay. In stark contrast, the books on the shelves were packed neatly, their covers brand new and gleaming, creating a jarring juxtaposition with the cabinets holding them.

Yan Li waited with immense patience as Cheng Fu stared at the bookcases for a long while before finally speaking: This is merely the entrance to the Library, a corridor. There is no need to linger here for so long.

Despite her words, the snow-haired Sword Master didn’t move an inch, waiting placidly for Cheng Fu to finish her slow inspection.

Bursting with curiosity, Cheng Fu ran her hands over the books on the shelves, finding the experience entirely novel. These books didn’t feel like the paper books from her pre-transmigration life, nor like the bamboo scrolls common in the Five Spirit Domains. Instead, they felt like unblossomed flower buds that could be opened layer by layer from the inside out. Both the texture and the act of reading were incredibly fascinating.

Seeing her interest, Yan Li’s usually cold expression softened. These are not books from the Five Spirit Domains. They are ‘Bud Books’ from a spiritual realm dominated by demon cultivators. By injecting pure demon power of a specific attribute, the pages will turn themselves under the guidance of that power. It is very convenient and aesthetically pleasing; it was originally developed by a beauty-conscious female demon cultivator.

Cheng Fu realized with a start, running her fingers over the petal-like pages. What a clever and ingenious demoness. I’d love to meet her.

Yan Li didn’t respond but simply began walking forward.

Cheng Fu wanted to touch the bud books a few more times, but seeing her Master already at the end of the rotten corridor, she hurried to catch up, mentally scolding herself: Master’s time is precious; how can I delay her by gawking at otherworldly trinkets?

As they moved further, the corridor opened up into a vast expanse. The surroundings were boundless, filled only with the same chaotic, tie-dyed colors as the Library’s exterior. It was dizzying, resembling a meticulously designed maze of light and shadow.

Just as Cheng Fu was becoming nauseated by this strange optical pollution, Yan Li’s voice reached her ears: Follow me. Do not wander.

Above, below, and on all sides, azure and light blue shifted and flowed, occasionally interspersed with abrupt blocks of color like the pale green near Cheng Fu’s feet, or the deep purple shimmer she stepped into by moving slightly to the right.

Yan Li led the way in silence. Seeing her Master pick up speed, Cheng Fu couldn’t help but ask, Master, does this place have an end? Where are we going?

Yan Li paused and looked down, her voice calm. Just ahead. Up front is the junction between the Five Spirit Domains and other worlds. There is a Water Mirror there that can display scenes linked to your karma. With this mirror, one can locate space-time coordinates and travel into the past to change the trajectory of fate.

Cheng Fu’s heart thundered. She lifted her bright eyes. Master, if we change the past.

At the mention of changing history, a term from her original world flashed in her mind: the Butterfly Effect. If even one small thing in the past were altered, it could trigger a massive, complex chain reaction. The variables were too numerous and chaotic to predict how the future timeline would evolve or end. Those who traverse time to defy heaven and change fate are gamblers; the outcome is unpredictable, and there is no guarantee the changes will lead to a better path.

Cheng Fu found it hard to believe. Her Master couldn’t possibly have overlooked this. She must know the karmic consequences of changing the past were unpredictable. If so, why was she still leading her down this path?

Seeing Cheng Fu’s hesitation, Yan Li paused, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. Cheng Fu, do not be in a hurry to reach a conclusion. First, see… first, see the images in the Water Mirror.

Cheng Fu looked up in surprise. That slight tremor in her voice again this was the second time today her Master had lost her composure. For someone as detached and self-possessed as Yan Li to be moved, Cheng Fu couldn’t help but feel that something was very wrong. What did she encounter before returning to the residence? Cheng Fu wondered, a look of worry clouding her face.

After walking a bit longer, Cheng Fu looked up to see an area ahead where many discordant colors met, blending like oil and water in a way that felt physically uncomfortable.

Suddenly, the colors shifted, and a blinding flash of white light struck the pair. Cheng Fu squeezed her eyes shut. Once she felt the light dimming through her eyelids, she slowly opened them, bit by bit, until her eyelashes and pupils were fully revealed.

Before her stood a massive, luxurious full-length mirror. It was oval, encased in an intricately patterned gold frame encrusted with various sharp-edged gemstones, giving it a vintage, medieval flair. Though the style was antique, the mirror’s surface was impeccably clean and bright so bright it seemed all the light in the world had converged on this oval plane. It was snowy and dazzling, but as Cheng Fu watched, it dimmed until it reached the brightness of a normal mirror.

Within that grand oval gold frame, two slender and elegant figures were captured. One in white with red trim, snow-white hair like a waterfall, expression cold; the other in white and blue, features delicate and pretty, staring wide-eyed at herself and her Master in the mirror.

Yan Li looked at the Water Mirror and saw Cheng Fu focusing intently on her. Suddenly meeting Yan Li’s gaze, Cheng Fu started, then playfully made a twisted-mouth face.

The snow-haired sword cultivator looked away, silently lowering her lashes and tilting her head slightly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks.

Cheng Fu looked the mirror over from left to right, feeling thoroughly satisfied. She and her Master were of similar height, and standing before this great mirror, they looked exceptionally well-matched.

Thinking this, Cheng Fu quickly scolded herself internally. Pah! Master is a flower on a high peak; how could you even dream of such a thing? You ungrateful brat.

Just then, ripples like waves shimmered across the mirror’s surface. After several flashes, the reflection of Yan Li began to disperse into specks of light and shadow, gradually vanishing completely.

In the blink of an eye, Cheng Fu was left all alone in the vast Water Mirror.

Feeling confused, she turned to ask Yan Li, only to be shocked to find that as she turned, the giant, strange Water Mirror turned with her in perfect synchronicity. No matter where she moved, the mirror remained directly in front of her, refusing to budge. No matter how she changed her angle, there was only that oval gold-framed mirror before her.

Yan Li seemed to have vanished from her side, as if she had disappeared into thin air without a sound or trace.

Cheng Fu’s heart squeezed. She cried out, her voice tight, “Master? Master! Sword Master Yan! Yan Li.

No one answered.

At the same time, the Water Mirror determined to be a roadblock rippled again. Once the waves settled, Cheng Fu’s own reflection vanished, replaced by a scene of a modern metropolis with skyscrapers standing in dense rows.

The image first provided a bird’s-eye view of the city, then, like a camera zoom in a movie, it shifted angles and pulled closer to the tallest building among the cluster. This building was exceptionally high, standing out among the others; its top floor was shrouded in mist, hazy and unclear.

As the image pulled closer, the top floor hidden in the clouds became distinct. One couldn’t see the interior through the glittering, reflective outer walls, but the building grew larger and larger in the frame. Cheng Fu squinted it was that same dazzling white light from when she first saw the mirror, stinging her eyes.

When the glow faded, the scene had shifted to a simply decorated office. It was massive and semi-circular, with the curved edge being a giant wrap-around floor-to-ceiling window. One could see the tops of the skyscrapers and the flow of traffic caught between the gaps of the buildings. If nothing else, the view was pleasing much like a dynamic wallpaper on a computer desktop.

This was clearly the interior of the building from the previous scene.

Though the office was large, there were few furnishings, making the entire floor feel somewhat empty and lonely. Near the curved window stood a stylish little bar, where a woman with wavy hair sat lazily. From her back alone, one could tell her figure was exquisite, her lines graceful and fluid.

The woman held a faint smile, her lips bright red, as she swirled a tall glass in her hand. The liquid inside wasn’t the deep red one might expect, but a bright orange. As the glass moved, solid particles could be seen swirling within.

It was actually orange juice.

She sat leisurely at the bar, overlooking the cityscape with her legs crossed like a lady, taking slow sips. Once the glass was empty, she drained the last bit with a look of satisfaction. With a soft sigh, her eyes flickered, suddenly brimming with allure.

She casually brushed a stray lock of hair from her shoulder and opened her lips lazily: Hey, can you hear me? Tell me how the task progress is going.

In the vast room, there was clearly no one else besides her. Her voice rang out abruptly, and it seemed there was no living thing to answer her.

After a long pause with no response, the wavy-haired woman suddenly set the glass down with a clack, her expression turning indignant.

What kind of hammer system is this? Is this thing broken again?