Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 18

Mu Ling couldn’t shake the feeling that Lin Qingge before her seemed somewhat odd, though she couldn’t quite pinpoint why at the moment.

However, with Ding Xin’s life hanging in the balance, Mu Ling had no time to dwell on it. Considering that Lin Qingge had more experience from years of training in the martial world and would undoubtedly face countless dangers ahead, Mu Ling silently accepted Lin Qingge’s decision to follow along, thinking it might be good for her to gain more experience.

The two of them rode the wind, their hearts heavy with worry. Their sword flight was swift, and they soon arrived at the royal court of the Tianshui Kingdom.

Upon landing, the strange glint in Lin Qingge’s eyes faded, though for some reason, she kept her head lowered, seemingly distracted. Mu Ling tried several times to catch her eye, but Lin Qingge remained unresponsive. Left with no choice, Mu Ling steeled herself and turned to exchange pleasantries with the reception official sent by the Tianshui Kingdom.

The official, a man in his fifties or sixties from the Ministry of Rites, visibly stiffened upon seeing Mu Ling and Lin Qingge. But he quickly masked his surprise with a smile and ushered them toward the palace. “The immortal realm truly hides dragons and crouches tigers. Heroes emerge from the young…”

At first, Mu Ling didn’t understand the meaning behind his words until she spotted Bai Fengqing and Bai Junhao in the room.

“And these two fairies are?”

The moment Bai Junhao laid eyes on Mu Ling and Lin Qingge, a flash of admiration crossed his gaze. Compared to Lin Qingge, whose aura had inexplicably turned even colder, Mu Ling seemed far more approachable. His eyes flickered between them before settling on Mu Ling, his face breaking into a charming smile. “I am Bai Junhao of the Bai Xu Sect.”

Mu Ling pressed her lips together tightly.

The sight of Bai Junhao sent a wave of unease through her.

Of all the rotten luck. After all these years of avoiding him, here he is again!

Though Mu Ling hadn’t left the mountain in years, Zhao Yunshi had insisted she begin handling sect affairs. Naturally, she had heard plenty about Bai Junhao.

As the saying went, the wicked live a thousand years. After the collapse of the secret realm, Chisu had risked her life to save Bai Junhao. Yet, even without Mu Ling’s interference, Bai Junhao and Chisu’s story had followed the original plot. Bai Junhao had suddenly regained his memories one day and, in an act of “righteous justice,” killed Chisu while she was weakened from her injuries. He then presented her snake gallbladder as a token of loyalty upon his return to the immortal realm.

However, his homecoming hadn’t been as glorious as he might have hoped. The atrocities he and Chisu had committed during his amnesia weren’t so easily forgiven, even with her death. Worse still, thanks to Mu Ling’s meddling, Bai Junhao had never obtained the healing herbs as he had in the original story. His old wounds remained, severely crippling his cultivation.

Fortunately, Bai Junhao didn’t seem to recognize Mu Ling as the herb-gathering woman who had nearly killed him in the secret realm.

As the original protagonist, Bai Junhao was undeniably handsome. When he turned on the charm, it was hard for most to resist.

But Mu Ling was far from “most people.” She wanted nothing more than to put miles between them. Ignoring his overtures, she pretended not to hear him and instead turned her gaze to Bai Fengqing beside him.

At this moment, Mu Ling noticed that Bai Fengqing seemed to be gazing at her as well. This short-lived character from the original story, who had died young, had displayed remarkable cultivation talent over the years and, like Mu Ling, had broken through to the Nascent Soul stage a few years prior. Though both were at the Nascent Soul stage, a powerful sword cultivator like Bai Fengqing was far more sought-after than Mu Ling, a water spirit root cultivator! Coupled with Bai Fengqing’s distinguished family background and striking appearance, he had become a highly coveted figure among the major immortal sects in recent years.

Bai Fengqing, however, hadn’t changed at all. On the surface, he still appeared as cold and aloof as a jade statue.

Yet, at this moment, the jade-like man was looking at Mu Ling with a peculiar expression. His thin lips pressed tightly together, his eyes flickering with a mix of excitement and curiosity.

What was wrong with him?

Mu Ling frowned.

Beside her, Lin Qingge suddenly took a step forward, whether intentionally or not, effectively blocking Bai Fengqing’s line of sight to Mu Ling.

Lin Qingge clasped her hands in salute toward Bai Fengqing. “Uncle Bai, we meet again!”

Bai Fengqing withdrew his gaze, pausing briefly on Lin Qingge’s face before resuming his icy demeanor. He turned to Bai Junhao and introduced, “This is Miss Lin Qingge, who won first place in the Immortal Sect Competition a few years back.”

As he spoke, his eyes drifted past Lin Qingge to Mu Ling behind her. “And that is?”

“This is my master!”

Mu Ling wasn’t sure if it was her imagination, but Lin Qingge’s voice seemed to grow even colder.

“So, this is Peak Master Mu Ling.” Bai Junhao clasped his hands in greeting, his previously awkward expression stemming from Mu Ling’s deliberate disregard instantly brightening into a smile. His eyes burned with admiration as he looked at Mu Ling. “I am Bai Junhao of the Bai Xu Sect, and this is my younger brother, Bai Fengqing. I’ve long heard of Peak Master Mu’s peerless beauty and her dedication to secluded cultivation. Seeing you today, the rumors truly do not do you justice.”

With Bai Junhao speaking so courteously, it would have been outright rude for Mu Ling to continue ignoring him. She forced a smile and returned the gesture. “The pleasure is mine!”

Meanwhile, the reception officer’s expression changed the moment he realized Mu Ling was Ding Xin’s master.

Unlike other nations, the Kingdom of Tianshui worshipped the Water God. A fact evident even in the country’s name. The reception officer hadn’t expected Mu Ling to appear in person. Despite his advanced age, he couldn’t help but feel a mix of reverence and trepidation in her presence.

Through the reception officer’s account and the testimony of the sole survivor, Mu Ling learned what had happened on the day Ding Xin disappeared.

The Kingdom of Tianshui’s devotion to the Water God was not without reason.

Thousands of years ago, Tianshui had been nothing more than a small town. A sudden drought and ensuing plague had ravaged the land, bringing death and despair. In their darkest hour, a deity descended from the heavens, slaying the malevolent dragon that plagued the region and channeling sweet rain from the Heavenly River to nourish the earth, dispelling the plague. In gratitude, the town renamed itself.

The town of Biming, however, held a unique significance. Legend had it that the deity had buried Tianshui’s dragon vein near Biming. It was said that this dragon vein’s protection had allowed the kingdom to flourish, its rulers wise and its prosperity enduring.

For centuries, as an ancient town of Tianshui, Biming though located on the frontier had thrived under the dragon vein’s blessing, producing many talented individuals. The townspeople took great pride in this, and Biming became a sanctuary for scholars and a place of learning, where people lived in peace and prosperity. It was renowned as a place where “doors were left unbarred at night, and lost items remained untouched on the road.”

The strange events began three months ago.

The well water of Biming Town had always been sweet, and the renowned Biming wine brewed from it was celebrated far and wide. Yet overnight, all the wells in Biming Town turned black, emitting a foul odor. Soon after, the town’s flowers withered in a single night, and though it was still early summer, the trees shed their leaves en masse…

“Immortal Ding suspected it was the work of evil spirits but didn’t want her identity revealed, so she only took a few disciples from our State Preceptor’s residence and infiltrated Biming Town. When we first entered, everything seemed normal. Despite the bizarre occurrences, the streets were quieter, though a few townsfolk still wandered about. I stayed behind to comfort a little girl I’d accidentally bumped into and made cry. Immortal Ding seemed to have discovered something and led the others into the Water God Temple. Before I could even step inside, there was a deafening ‘boom,’ and black mist rose from the temple. Wherever the mist spread, everything vanished.”

“I ran for my life. The black mist stopped at the boundary marker and didn’t spread beyond it. Apart from me and a handful of others who escaped, the entire town and everyone inside disappeared.”

Meanwhile, the people from Bai Xu Sect had come here because of a secret treasure from their sect.

“Actually, it’s not a big deal,” Bai Junhao eagerly explained to Mu Ling and the others. “I imagine Peak Master Mu knows that the four great sects were originally part of the Tianxing Sect. The Tianxing Sect possessed a treasure called the Heart-Eroding Lotus. The lotus blooms once every hundred thousand years, producing four seeds said to have the power to purify the mind and clarify the spirit. After the Tianxing Sect split, the four seeds were scattered, and by chance, our Bai Xu Sect obtained one. A senior in our sect is obsessed with flora and has been striving to revive the Heart-Eroding Lotus. Hearing that Biming Town was a place of outstanding natural beauty, three months ago, the elder sent a disciple here with one of the lotus seeds. But then the unexpected happened. The seed and the disciple both vanished. Coincidentally, I suffered severe injuries years ago, and my younger brother has been searching for a cure ever since. While traveling, we happened to pass by this area and received word from the elder, so we came to investigate.”

Bai Junhao’s words sounded pleasant, but upon closer inspection, they didn’t hold up. After all, Biming Town had remained peaceful for countless years, yet trouble erupted just as Bai Xu Sect’s disciple arrived with the Heart-Eroding Lotus seed. It was hard to believe there was no connection.

Still, Bai Xu Sect had dispatched both Bai Junhao and Bai Fengqing, demonstrating their sincerity.

Even though Mu Ling detested Bai Junhao, she had to admit that traveling together to Biming Town would be safer under these circumstances.

Without delay, after exchanging information, the four of them rode the wind to the site of the former Biming Town.

Biming Town had been nestled against Mount Taiyun, the tallest mountain on the continent, lush with dense forests. When Mu Ling’s group landed, the area where the town once stood had become an empty clearing covered in ordinary yellow soil, devoid of any trace of human presence.

To prevent accidental entry, the imperial court of Tianshui Kingdom had secretly stationed guards to cordon off the area.

The group circled the site several times but found no traces of any formation. Questioning the general overseeing the clearing, they learned that nothing unusual had been observed in recent days.

It seemed they had hit a dead end.

The four of them abandoned further searches for the time being, borrowing an empty tent from the guards to rest and prepare for a prolonged investigation.

Bai Junhao was a man with extensive social connections. Taking Bai Fengqing out to gather information, Mu Ling and Lin Qingge stayed behind to rest in the tent.

Seeing that only she and Lin Qingge remained in the tent, Mu Ling moved closer and asked with concern, “Qingge, what’s wrong?”

Lin Qingge had always been taciturn, but on this journey, she had been even more silent than usual. Out of consideration for the presence of outsiders earlier, Mu Ling had held back until now to voice her question.

“I’m just worried about Senior Sister Ding,” Lin Qingge curved her lips slightly, her gaze flickering past the tent entrance, though the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Master, I don’t particularly like these two Bai brothers. I can’t shake the feeling they’re up to no good. Should we part ways with them?”

Mu Ling raised an eyebrow.

In all these years, this was the first time Lin Qingge had openly expressed dislike for someone…

“What happened?”

Just as Mu Ling was about to press further, there was a rustling sound as the tent flap opened. Bai Fengqing stood at the entrance, his gaze sweeping past Mu Ling before settling on Lin Qingge. “Miss Lin, might I have a word with you?”

Lin Qingge narrowed her eyes. For a fleeting moment, a deep, intense hostility flashed in her gaze, but she quickly suppressed it. Seeing the unyielding determination in Bai Fengqing’s eyes, she pressed her lips together and stood up, following him out.

Lin Qingge and Bai Fengqing used a soundproofing charm during their conversation, so Mu Ling couldn’t hear what they were discussing.

Bai Junhao, having finished his rounds outside, returned as well. Standing beside Mu Ling, he glanced at the two deep in conversation, his expression darkening slightly before he remarked with feigned interest, “My younger brother is usually cold and indifferent, never one to cozy up to women. This is the first time I’ve seen him chat so animatedly with a female cultivator.”

Mu Ling frowned.

From a distance, Lin Qingge and Bai Fengqing, both dressed in white, looked like a striking pair; handsome man and beautiful woman, a perfect match.

Over the years, Qingge had often traveled alone. Judging by their demeanor, the two seemed acquainted.

Thinking of the pile of letters from disciples of various sects that had been sent to Lin Qingge at Qingbo Peak, Mu Ling’s heart gave a jolt. Her gaze toward Bai Fengqing couldn’t help but turn scrutinizing:

Compared to those inexperienced fledglings, Bai Fengqing was clearly more accomplished and handsome. But his age was rather advanced, even older than Mu Ling. Though the cultivation world didn’t fuss over age differences, how could such a cold, rigid old stick possibly be worthy of her tender, youthful Qingge?

No way!

Mu Ling frowned: She was the first to oppose this match!