Marry First, Love Later With The White Cat Princess - Chapter 54

Lian Yi didn’t stop until she had pulled her into a deserted deep alley. Bulging her cheeks, she finished the cherry tomatoes she had stuffed into her mouth earlier, glaring at Liu Fenyun while she ate.

“It seems God truly loves all people,” Lian Yi said, her gaze turning cold after she finished eating. “Suspicious people? If the other party is a villain that neither you nor I can handle, what’s the point of following them? Are you looking to die?”

Liu Fenyun looked embarrassed. It was simply her first time seeing characters with “red names.” She felt they were dangerous, even a threat to their existence and her instinct had been to strike first.

After a moment of thought, she whispered, “They are indeed two villains that neither of us can handle, and they aren’t locals.”

“You’re so sure?” Lian Yi looked at her suspiciously.

Liu Fenyun nodded like a chick pecking grain. She glanced at the system map, the two red named characters had already entered the “Never Return” Tavern. Their current position was close to the Inner City, so she hurriedly said, “Hasn’t the High Priest followed the Ministry of Rites to the stage? Let’s go find her and tell her about this.”

“You think she’s your Master? You think Luo Binglun will just listen because you go over and say a word?” Lian Yi rejected the idea bluntly. “Since there are villains in the Outer City, we’re going back to the palace to hide.”

Then, fearing Liu Fenyun might sneak out later, she added, “The ceremony is tomorrow. Don’t go meddling blindly.”

What Liu Fenyun was thinking, however, was that since these two entered the city during the busiest festival, could they be here to assassinate someone?

A Grim Omen

Returning to the Saintess Hall with a sense of unease, Liu Fenyun decided to cast a divination. She had learned the principles of divination well enough, and she could leave the complex deductions to the system.

Lian Yi sat on the couch with a plate of watermelon, watching Liu Fenyun burn incense and set the hexagram. Liu Fenyun then sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, eyes closed, remaining motionless for a long time.

Lian Yi didn’t disturb her. Although she disliked Liu Fenyun meddling in others’ business, seeing her so serious made her suspect the newcomers were no small matter, perhaps they weren’t just outsiders, but foreign demons.

Once in a meditative state, Liu Fenyun let the system run the deduction. The result made her heart sink: An ominous hexagram. A bloody disaster will manifest tomorrow.

“Who will this disaster fall upon?” she asked the system.

“Host, there are only you and Lian Yi in this bedchamber,” the system replied. It couldn’t break the secrets of heaven directly, but it could drop hints.

Liu Fenyun’s expression darkened further. A “bloody disaster” meant a life threatening calamity. It seemed the target of those red named assassins was either her or Lian Yi.

Seeing her open her eyes, Lian Yi jumped off the couch and handed her a slice of melon, asking with a casual smile, “Well? What did you find out?”

Her smile was as sweet and bright as ever, with a tiny hint of mockery. Liu Fenyun took the melon and began eating gloomily.

How could they avoid this? If those two were assassins sent from outside, she likely wouldn’t find them even if she rushed back to the tavern now.

The Summer Moon Ceremony was tomorrow night. They could stay indoors during the day, but when they had to go to the stage, would it be safer to hide in the High Priest’s carriage? But if the enemy was ruthless, the High Priest would surely be dragged into it… Furthermore, she knew nothing about the enemy’s assassination methods.

Suddenly, a sting on her cheek startled her.

“Why are you dazing off?” Lian Yi released her pinch on Liu Fenyun’s face and squatted before her, asking with concern, “Is the hexagram bad?”

After a two-second silence, Liu Fenyun sighed. “I only hope my calculation is inaccurate.”

However, this was a system deduction, it was far more accurate than her own.

Lian Yi didn’t say anything, quietly waiting for her to continue. Since it concerned their lives and safety, Liu Fenyun told her the truth about the hexagram. Lian Yi stared at her with disbelief, as if she were listening to a ghost story.

But she believed Liu Fenyun hadn’t made a mistake. Her disbelief quickly turned into melancholy.

Seeking Protection

After eating watermelon in silence for a while, Liu Fenyun took out a clean handkerchief to wipe Lian Yi’s mouth. “Yiyi, do you have any ideas?”

Lian Yi stared at the bright red watermelon juice in the tray for a long time before whispering, “You can’t hide from it.”

Liu Fenyun immediately countered, “How can we not hide from it!”

Lian Yi remained silent. She understood this was a deduction from the “God” a fated tribulation and therefore unavoidable.

If it weren’t for the fact that they had to attend the ceremony and that failing to do so would be judged as contempt for the God of Fire. Liu Fenyun really wanted to take the cat and hide until tomorrow passed.

A life threatening disaster could not be taken lightly. That afternoon, the two went to find Yu Qingyue, who was resting at the Lock Moon Pavilion.

Though Yu Qingyue didn’t know why they were so certain, hearing there were assassins in the city targeting them prompted her to pull them into a quiet room immediately. Her snow white wings unfurled, shedding many feathers.

She pointed at Liu Fenyun, and the falling feathers swirled and attached themselves to her body, nearly burying her. The state lasted only a moment before the feathers vanished, leaving Liu Fenyun sneezing.

“This is the ‘Feather Shield.’ It can block a full strength strike from a Golden Core stage demon or cultivator,” Yu Qingyue said. She then pointed at Lian Yi, “dressing” her in a Feather Shield as well. “If it’s just for one day, it shouldn’t be a problem.”

She thought carefully. “I’ve noticed the scrolls Binglun has been processing lately. The Fourth Princess’s family wasn’t entirely imprisoned. When their home was raided, some were still outside the city. I wonder if this disaster is related to them.”

Liu Fenyun was bewildered. “But the Fourth Princess being exposed had nothing to do with me or Her Highness!”

Yu Qingyue looked at her with a half-smile and reminded her, “Your Master remembers that the person you originally wanted to marry was the Fourth Princess.”

Liu Fenyun: “…”

Fine, she got it. It had been nearly half a year, how did people still remember that?

“She is no saint. Just stay on your guard,” Lian Yi said, cutting the conversation short before Liu Fenyun could speak again.

She patted herself. The Feather Shield didn’t feel as hot as she imagined instead, it added a sense of security, giving her the strange feeling of an eagle protecting its chicks.

The Longest Night

Tonight was destined to be sleepless.

Liu Fenyun was still preoccupied with the predicted bloody disaster. Even with the fragrant, soft cat-girl in her arms, she had no desire to sleep, fearing assassins might crawl into the bedchamber at night and finish them off. To prevent such a tragedy, she even reinforced the barriers around the bedchamber twice.

Lian Yi, meanwhile, was wondering who would be the one to die tomorrow. Neither she nor her “A-Yun” were ordinary people, but A-Yun had once said that if she died in this world, she would have to go to a new world and start everything from zero.

Since she was the cat A-Yun raised, she would definitely block the disaster for her. But she didn’t want to die.

The woman in white had said they had “not yet finished their tribulations.” She didn’t know whose tribulation it was. If she died, what would happen to A-Yun’s tribulation?

Liu Fenyun’s embrace was very warm. As Lian Yi thought, her eyelids began to feel heavy, and she eventually drifted off.

She spent the night dreamless, sleeping soundly until dawn. Liu Fenyun, however, had stayed up the entire night. Only when she saw the sky brighten and the cat in her arms wake up did she finally close her eyes in peace.

Hearing her steady breathing, Lian Yi carefully crawled out of her arms. Seeing the dark circles under her eyes, her heart ached. A-Yun must have stayed awake all night. Had she known, she would have discussed taking shifts.

The ceremony wouldn’t start until dusk. Lian Yi gently massaged Liu Fenyun’s acupoints to help her rest and kept watch over her. Even breakfast and lunch were personally cooked and delivered by Xian Lihua.

As Lian Yi’s most loyal subordinate, Xian Lihua naturally knew about the bloody disaster. Even if she didn’t believe it in her heart, she had to believe it because Lian Yi did.

“We will be hiding near the stage. If someone really comes to assassinate you, we can hold them off for a while,” Xian Lihua promised Lian Yi with a grim face.

Coincidentally, the wind and water talismans in the bedchamber were exhausted. The cold air circulation Liu Fenyun created vanished, and the temperature in the room rose quickly. Xian Lihua immediately condensed a large amount of ice and placed it in containers to cool them down. Before leaving, she glanced at the scrap paper on the floor, impressed by Master Liu’s ingenuity.

Not long after she left, Liu Fenyun was woken up by the heat. “Why is it so hot? Is someone setting a fire outside?” she asked dizzily.

“No, your air conditioning just ran out,” Lian Yi wiped her sweat, forcing a smile. “Are you obsessed? Who would dare set a fire in the Saintess Hall!”

Since Liu Fenyun was awake, Lian Yi pulled her up and brought over the food box, setting it on the small bedside table. But Liu Fenyun didn’t eat right away, she first went to restart the cold air circulation. By the time she picked up her chopsticks, the food was mostly cold.

The two ate in silence, both feeling as though this might be their “last meal.”

The Disguise

Time passed slowly, and it was soon time for the ceremony to begin.

Lian Yi checked the blessing speech twice. Once satisfied, she had Liu Fenyun change her clothes. Having not worn women’s clothing for a long time, Liu Fenyun felt awkward after removing her chest bindings and putting on female undergarments. Lian Yi’s ceremonial dress was incredibly complex. Liu Fenyun didn’t even know how to tie the sash, so she stood with her arms out, letting Lian Yi tie them one by one.

Once she was changed, Lian Yi applied the disguise. Since Liu Fenyun was already a woman, only her height needed adjusting.

Lian Yi, on the other hand, was very skilled at dressing in men’s clothing. The traditional outfit for the Witch Doctor’s solo dance was bright red, adorned with thin gold chains, very eye-catching. After changing, she spun in front of the mirror, quite satisfied. She tied her hair into a high ponytail and wiped her hand across her face, transforming into Liu Fenyun’s likeness.

The two looked at each other. Lian Yi smiled. “A-Yun looks truly beautiful in women’s clothes. If you can ever travel back in the future, I really want to buy many pretty dresses for you to wear.”

Liu Fenyun smiled shyly and wanted to compliment her back, but Lian Yi pulled her into a firm embrace, her soft lips meeting hers.

They held each other tightly, so close they could feel each other’s heartbeats.

“Wait for me obediently under the stage. Don’t run around, and don’t meddle in things,” Lian Yi whispered into her ear after the kiss, her voice half-warning, half-threatening. “If I can’t see you while I’m performing, or if something happens to you outside my sight…”

She took a deep breath, her voice softening for the final words: “I will surely follow you.”