Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 21.2

Years of shackles. The life-saving debt from the past had long been exhausted. Yu Qing had long wished to break free from the scheming lineage of the City Lord of Tu City, and now, the opportunity lay before her.

Yu Qing hesitated to extract the dragon vein, knowing she couldn’t bear to part with the young girl.

Later, the girl imitated her handwriting and wrote her a love poem.

What was she to do?

Standing outside the window, watching the girl penning the love poem with sweet shyness, two conflicting thoughts warred within Yu Qing: one urged her to accept the girl’s affection, to stay with her at all costs; the other demanded she withdraw now, to return to being the heartless and detached State Preceptor.

In that very moment, perhaps her anguish moved the heavens. The long-lost, hazy revelation returned. She glimpsed a fragment of the future.

—She saw the girl’s death.

The girl was clad in red, a color she rarely wore. Dressed in crimson, she was radiant beyond compare, yet her beautiful eyes had lost all life. She hung lifeless from the city walls of Luo City.

Yu Qing felt as though struck by lightning. The pain of witnessing the girl’s death was even more unbearable than enduring the heavenly tribulation.

Was there another choice?

In that instant, Yu Qing keenly felt the cruel mockery of fate.

She made her decision. She would defy the heavens and alter destiny.

But to defy fate, Yu Qing had to ascend to godhood.

She reclaimed her meridians.

Of course, she knew that without the nourishment of her meridians, Luo City’s water sources would revert to barren wastelands. But Yu Qing didn’t care. She only wanted to protect her girl.

In her heart, it might even be better if Luo City ceased to exist, then its walls would vanish, and the vision of the girl hanging from them would never come to pass.

Besides, the meridian in the ancestral shrine had always been hers to begin with.

Back then, Yu Qing was solely focused on extending the girl’s life, never considering the responsibilities she bore. Disillusioned by the burdens the Tu City lineage had placed upon her, she assumed the girl cared little for Luo City. She never imagined her actions would push the girl step by step toward death.

What meaning was there in living after losing everything one held dear?

Alas, Yu Qing didn’t understand then. By the time she realized, it was already too late.

Over the next year, Yu Qing repaid her karmic debt to the Tu City lineage, carved out a new oasis for Tu City, and reclaimed her freedom.

But the process of creating the oasis drained her spirit. Overwhelmed by exhaustion, she retreated into slumber, severing all worldly ties so she wouldn’t have to yearn, wouldn’t have to think of the girl who brought her both joy and torment.

When Yu Qing recovered a year later and returned to Luo City in secret, she found the girl had grown into someone even more dazzling. Having drunk Yu Qing’s blood, the girl carried her essence; immune to plagues, unharmed by Luo City’s tainted waters. She stood alone, venturing into the most perilous places in her father’s stead. She had become decisive and bold, no longer the delicate girl who once nestled in the waterside pavilion, admiring flowers.

Only the girl’s eyes remained unchanged. Bright and blazing like fire, undimmed by the trials she had endured.

It was only now that Yu Qing vaguely realized she might have done something wrong, but it was already too late!

The reconnected meridians had fused with the original ones. If they were severed again, even a naturally spiritual being like her would die.

In the girl’s heart, she would forever be the thief who stole the dragon vein, the one who brought Luo City to such a dire state.

There was truly no possibility left between her and the girl.

Regret surged through Yu Qing’s heart like a dense swarm, and her breath hitched for a moment, almost revealing herself to Luo Zhi!

Yu Qing fled Luo City like a coward, not daring to approach the girl again.

She knew she was the one who had reduced the girl to this state, but if given the choice again, Yu Qing would still choose to take the dragon vein.

She had to save the girl, no matter the cost.

“Perhaps this is for the best!” Yu Qing told herself. “She’s become brave and resolute. I was always going to leave her eventually. Now, she can live well even without me by her side.”

Yu Qing desperately wanted to ascend to godhood, but the more she resisted certain thoughts, the more they plagued her she realized she had developed an inner demon.

Those unattainable desires had become the demon haunting her heart. Until it was vanquished, she could never become a god.

Yu Qing returned to Tu City once more.

She knew Yu Chuan harbored grand ambitions, eager to expand his territory, and had long coveted the vast lands of Luo City.

She never expected to see Luo Zhi again.

Luo Zhi had disguised herself as a dancer, dressed in red robes she had never worn before. Her jade-like beauty reminded Yu Qing of a blooming red plum she had seen in her youth; snow-white petals against crimson blossoms, the first time the awakened spiritual being Yu Qing had ever understood what beauty was. But Luo Zhi now outshone even that first red plum she had ever seen.

The inner demon roared within her again. Yu Qing refused to think, refused to ponder Luo Zhi’s purpose, the greedy gazes fixed upon her, or how she had crossed the treacherous Taiyun Mountain, braving beasts and venomous creatures.

Perched high in the tower, Yu Qing gazed at the girl she loved. Though less than a hundred meters separated them, it felt like an insurmountable chasm. Luo Zhi was drifting further away. Yu Qing no longer had the right nor the courage to face her again.

If only time could have frozen forever in the courtyard of Biming Town.

When the wealthy merchant reached for Luo Zhi, Yu Qing couldn’t stop herself from intervening.

And then, just as she had anticipated, the girl recognized her.

She watched as the adoration in the girl’s eyes faded bit by bit, as Luo Zhi slowly knelt before her. She no longer affectionately called her “Luo Yan.” The love in those beautiful eyes was gone. She addressed her as “State Preceptor Yu Qing” and pleaded begged for her to save Luo City.

For the first time, Yu Qing understood what it meant to feel as though her heart were being torn apart.

Luo City could not be saved. The city walls were its pride if they were to crumble, Luo City itself could no longer exist.

The vision of the girl’s death was a divine revelation known only to Yu Qing. She couldn’t explain her dilemma to Luo Zhi, and she knew the girl’s choice all too well. If Luo Zhi learned she had destroyed Luo City for her sake, she would never choose to live.

Yu Qing heard herself reply coldly: “No.”

“It’s not that I can’t, it’s that I must not.”

If I can’t transform into a god to change your fate of hanging, then I can only destroy Luocheng.

“The State Preceptor truly is a heartless and emotionless person!”

The young girl froze for a moment, then suddenly laughed. She slowly rose from the ground, her smile uglier than tears.

Stop laughing!

Yu Qing’s hands trembled slightly within her sleeves, but she said nothing.

Luo Zhi staggered toward the exit, but Yu Chuan blocked her path.

“Miss Luo Zhi, you’ve come all this way. Why leave in such a hurry?” Yu Chuan smiled with effortless charm, his gaze fixed on Luo Zhi with the same look Yu Qing despised most. “Why not stay and enjoy the sights of Tucheng? Who knows, things might take a turn for the better.”

Luo Zhi hesitated and actually stayed!

Whether intentional or not, Yu Chuan arranged for Luo Zhi to stay in the residence opposite the State Preceptor’s palace.

Yu Qing tried not to care, yet her eyes kept drifting toward Luo Zhi’s door.

Yu Chuan visited Luo Zhi almost every day.

Luo Zhi was no longer the girl who only loved storybooks and painting. Yu Qing had personally destroyed her peaceful world, and now she could write elegant calligraphy and discuss city-state governance strategies with Yu Chuan. She watched helplessly as the interest in Yu Chuan’s eyes grew deeper and deeper.

The day the inner demon erupted came without warning.

She intercepted Luo Zhi, who seemed burdened with thoughts, and forcibly brought her back to the State Preceptor’s palace.

“What is the meaning of this, State Preceptor?” Luo Zhi’s face flushed with anger, but then, as if remembering something, a glimmer of hope flickered in her dim eyes. “Have you changed your mind? As long as you agree to save Luocheng, I’ll accept any condition.”

“—I want you!” Staring into Luo Zhi’s beautiful eyes, Yu Qing heard herself say.

At first, Luo Zhi seemed not to understand. But perhaps she caught the possessive intensity in Yu Qing’s gaze, because her face instantly paled. Yet before long, she closed her eyes, her trembling fingers moving to her collar. One layer, then another.

The girl’s exquisite form gradually revealed itself before her.

Yu Qing’s body trembled too. She leaned in, pressing fervent, almost worshipful kisses to Luo Zhi’s forehead until she suddenly heard the girl’s voice, choked with restraint: “A-Yan, this time you’re not lying to me, are you?”

A tear fell onto Yu Qing’s lips.

In that instant, the inner demon recoiled violently. Yu Qing grabbed her robes, stumbling away in near panic.

“Yu Qing, I’ll hate you for the rest of my life.”

Luo Zhi’s sobs faded into the distance, but her words looped endlessly in Yu Qing’s ears. She didn’t know how far she had run when she finally stopped, staring at her reflection in the water. She slapped herself hard across the face. The sting sharp, something cold and wet tracing down her cheeks.

The next day, Yu Qing heard the news: Luo Zhi was to marry Yu Chuan.

“State Preceptor, as A’Zhi’s closest friend, I hope you’ll keep her company after she joins our household.” Yu Chuan delivered the news himself, his usual mask-like smile tinged with rare sincerity. “I truly adore A-Zhi. You must understand how I feel; I especially love her eyes. And when we have children someday, I hope you’ll watch over them, for A-Zhi’s sake.”

Yu Qing understood Yu Chuan’s intentions. He had seen through her concern for Luo Zhi and sought to use A’Zhi to bind her. Yet even though she saw it clearly in her heart, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse.

Perhaps it was for the best that A’Zhi married into Tucheng. That way, she would never return to Luocheng and would never end up hanging from the city walls.

And Yu Qing could secretly watch over her, ensuring her life remained peaceful and happy.

As for herself, A’Zhi would surely never want to see her again. This cold, lifeless palace of the State Preceptor would become her tomb.

But in the end, Yu Qing couldn’t bear to watch Luo Zhi marry Yu Chuan, so she chose to enter seclusion to eradicate her inner demons.

It was the decision she regretted most in her life.

Just as she felt the demons within her were about to be vanquished, her spirit trembled violently. When she emerged from seclusion and rushed to the city walls of Luocheng, the nightmare that had haunted her in the depths of night became reality. Luo Zhi had already hanged herself from the ramparts.

Yu Qing had underestimated human greed, just as she had once saved a dying old Daoist, only for him to seize her meridians when she was weakened.

Only now did she realize: she had thought Luo Zhi was marrying Yu Chuan because her heart had been shattered by Yu Qing’s actions. But in truth, it had been a transaction. Yu Chuan had promised that if Luo Zhi married him, he would conscript laborers to dig a canal through the Taiyun Mountains and divert water to Luocheng.

Luo Zhi had believed him.

But Yu Chuan had hidden soldiers among the wedding procession, drugged the banquet, and attempted to seize the city lord’s residence, forcing Luocheng to surrender to Tucheng.

Yu Chuan smiled gently at Luo Zhi and said, “Of course I will save Luocheng but it will be a Luocheng that has submitted to Tucheng.”

What Yu Chuan hadn’t anticipated was Luo Zhi’s father’s devotion to Luocheng.

Luo Zhi’s father died in battle, her mother followed him in death, and Luo Zhi fought desperately to help Luo Huai and a contingent of soldiers escape.

She refused Luo Huai’s plea to flee with them. Thinking she still harbored feelings for Yu Chuan, Luo Huai left in sorrow only for Luo Zhi to strip off her wedding robes soon after and hang herself from the city walls in her undergarments.

Twice, she had invited wolves into the house and brought ruin upon Luocheng. Now, she had caused her parents’ deaths. Consumed by despair, Luo Zhi no longer had the will to live.

…

With Luo Zhi’s death, the demons in Yu Qing’s heart vanished. Auspicious clouds descended from the heavens, a sign of impending divinity.

That day, everyone witnessed a peerlessly beautiful woman with snow-white hair. She raised her sword, summoning clouds to bring nourishing rain to drought-stricken Luocheng and dispel its plagues…

Luo Huai, who had vomited blood upon hearing of Luo Zhi’s death, was revived by the downpour. He endured hardship, strengthened himself, and eventually killed Yu Chuan, uniting Luocheng and Tucheng under a new name, the Kingdom of Tianshui.

…

As for that stunning woman who brought the rain, some say…

It was said that the woman was seen laughing and crying as she hugged a corpse and leaped into the lake at the city lord’s villa in Biming Town. Over time, the villa gradually transformed into the Water God Temple.

Time rolls relentlessly forward. Who can truly discern the genuine emotions and false pretenses lost to the passage of years?

The moment Luo Zhi died; Mu Ling awoke.

She found herself lying on the ground, surrounded by scattered willow branches, while the entirety of Biming Town had miraculously returned.

Many people lay scattered around, still trapped in slumber except for Lin Qingge, who stood alone.

“Perhaps they’re still lost in someone else’s memories from the past,” Luo Zhi sighed, casting a proud glance at her disciple. “Did you break the illusion?”

Truly the chosen one. Her will was unshakable, allowing her to be the first to awaken from the illusion.

“Yu Qing sank to the bottom of the lake, holding Luo Zhi’s corpse in eternal slumber,” Lin Qingge murmured, recalling the skeletal remains cradled by the white serpent in the depths. “All these years, Yu Qing used her spiritual energy to sustain Biming Town. But her inner demons never faded. They transferred to those two willow trees, breeding chaos. I killed Yu Qing, and with the demon’s demise, the town was restored.”

Reflecting on the experience, Mu Ling had been fully immersed in Luo Zhi’s consciousness and was still seething with condemnation for the scoundrel Yu Qing. Learning that Yu Qing had been nurturing Biming Town from the lakebed felt like witnessing rain of blood from the heavens.

“That scoundrel must have been terrified when she died, right?” Mu Ling pressed her lips together. “Maybe she hid at the bottom of the lake out of fear of divine retribution for all the evil she committed.”

“She felt release.” Lin Qingge’s gaze flickered as she recalled the white serpent’s eyes in its final moments filled with relief and the Heart-Eroding Lotus Seed it had gifted her. She added softly, “After death, her body dispersed across Biming Town, eternally nourishing this land.”

Mu Ling hadn’t expected this twist and fell silent, momentarily at a loss. The thought of the scoundrel still irritated her, so she changed the subject. “Whose memories did you experience in the illusion?”

Lin Qingge gave her an inscrutable look before lowering her head and whispering a name.

“Luo Yan.”

It took Mu Ling a moment to remember. Luo Yan was none other than that damned scoundrel, Yu Qing!

Heavens above!

Her adorable, diligent little disciple had been trapped in the memories of that scoundrel? The psychological toll must have been unbearable!