Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 41

Mu Ling’s conscience trembled slightly.

Not because of Lin Qingge, but because of her eldest disciple, Ding Xin. In Mu Ling’s eyes, Ding Xin had always been steady and never acted on emotion. Yet, early the next morning, Ding Xin stood before Mu Ling’s door with red-rimmed eyes: “Master, I come from a royal family. Though I’ve tried my best to avoid it, I fear I may have given you the impression that I cling to power and schemes. I, Ding Xin, swear to the heavens. All these years, I have never once harbored thoughts of becoming the Peak Master.”

Mu Ling spent half the day comforting Ding Xin before the latter could barely bring herself to believe that Mu Ling’s reluctance to remain as Peak Master had nothing to do with her.

However, Ding Xin’s reaction made Mu Ling temporarily afraid to bring up the topic of seclusion again.

As for Lin Qingge, Mu Ling couldn’t quite grasp her thoughts.

Lin Qingge appeared perfectly normal, showing no signs of reluctance at Mu Ling’s impending departure. She was busy from dawn till dusk, coming and going without pause. But belatedly, Mu Ling realized Qingge’s demeanor seemed to have changed.

In Mu Ling’s memory, Qingge had always been cold as ice toward others, yet somewhat different toward her. Especially in recent times, Qingge had grown particularly close. Cooking for her, combing her hair, gazing at her with eyes full of warmth and laughter. But perhaps because Mu Ling had mentioned leaving for seclusion, she noticed that Qingge had reverted to a polite, distant attitude, occasionally casting strange, inscrutable glances her way.

Mu Ling couldn’t decipher the meaning behind those looks, only that Qingge’s eyes seemed unusually dark. Even when her face was expressionless, her presence was overwhelming. For a fleeting moment, Mu Ling even felt like prey caught in the gaze of a predator.

Mu Ling felt somewhat lacking as a master, yet she couldn’t muster any resistance. After all, she was the one at fault, and with their parting imminent, she couldn’t bear to hold any grudges against Lin Qingge.

Though she no longer spoke of leaving, Mu Ling still made preparations in secret. She meticulously recorded all her cultivation methods for the Water Spirit Root and her insights from years of practice onto a jade slip, intending to quietly hand it to Ding Xin on the day of their farewell.

As for Qingge…

Mu Ling couldn’t think of any way to make her life better. Upon reflection, she realized that Lin Qingge had always given off an aura as if nothing in the world could truly break her.

So, while Qingge might grieve Mu Ling’s departure, Mu Ling doubted it would cause her any lasting harm.

Still, Mu Ling resolved to accompany Qingge through the demon-subjugation journey, to witness her rise to the pinnacle of the immortal realm. It would be a fitting end to their master-disciple bond.

Yan Qi had no idea of Mu Ling’s thoughts.

During this time, she was ostensibly busy handling the trivial affairs of the Qingyi Sect’s demon-subjugation team while secretly arranging matters for the Demon Palace. Shuttling back and forth, she hardly had any time to approach Mu Ling during the day. Only in the dead of night, when all was quiet, would Yan Qi slip into Mu Ling’s room and watch her sleep in silence.

However, even when Yan Qi wasn’t physically present at Qingbo Peak during the day, thanks to the intelligence network Lin Qingge had established among the animals there, she could still swiftly learn about Mu Ling’s daily activities upon returning to the mountain.

The animals mentioned that Mu Ling had been unusually quiet lately, staying in her room all day with little outdoor activity. However, because Mu Ling had set up a barrier, they couldn’t get close to her room and had no idea what she was doing inside.

Meanwhile, according to recent news from the Demon Palace, Mu Ling’s past seemed to have been tampered with certain traces deliberately erased making it impossible to uncover her origins these past few days.

Though Mu Ling appeared well-behaved, after hearing these reports, Yan Qi felt an inexplicable restlessness growing in her heart, as if something she didn’t want to face was quietly unfolding without her notice.

It had been a long time since Yan Qi had felt this agitated.

A while ago, when her temper flared, simply sharing a room with Mu Ling had been enough to soothe her. But now, as the restlessness in her chest grew fiercer, even being in the same room could no longer quell the violent storm inside Yan Qi.

This irritation reached its peak when she saw the wound medicine Bai Fengqing had sent over.

Along with the medicine, Bai Fengqing had also delivered a message essentially saying that since the Demon-Subduing Alliance was about to depart, he wouldn’t have much time to visit Mu Ling. He didn’t know how her injuries were healing, so he had sent this rare and invaluable medicine, blended from precious spiritual herbs, hoping it would aid her recovery. The letter also expressed his well-wishes for Mu Ling’s swift recuperation.

On the surface, it was just a polite, formal letter of concern, yet Yan Qi frowned deeply after reading it.

As a sword cultivator herself, she understood the mindset of someone like Bai Fengqing all too well. Under normal circumstances, Bai Fengqing was a cold and indifferent man. If another female cultivator were to die right before his eyes, he likely wouldn’t even bat an eyelid. Yet now, he had gone out of his way to send Mu Ling medicine? That in itself was abnormal.

With an icy expression, Yan Qi tossed the medicine off the cliff and tore Bai Fengqing’s letter to shreds. That night, when she slipped into Mu Ling’s room and saw her sleeping peacefully, Yan Qi felt her teeth itch with irritation, an inexplicable anger rising in her chest. Unable to resist, she reached out and pinched Mu Ling’s cheek.

She had secretly checked many times. Mu Ling didn’t have a single internal injury left. Who asked Bai Fengqing to pretend to be so considerate?!

The soft flesh yielded beneath her fingers, and Mu Ling’s porcelain-like cheek flushed a noticeable red. Uncomfortable in her sleep, Mu Ling let out a faint whimper.

“You deserve it! Who told you to attract attention like this?”

Yan Qi sneered, though her grip on Mu Ling’s cheek unconsciously loosened slightly.

As if sensing danger in her subconscious, the moment Yan Qi released her, Mu Ling hugged the blanket tighter and instinctively rolled away, turning her back to Yan Qi as she burrowed deeper into the bed.

Yan Qi’s gaze darkened as she watched Mu Ling, who even in sleep sought to distance herself from her. A shadow of something unreadable flickered in her eyes before they finally settled on the empty half of the bed beside Mu Ling.

Yan Qi narrowed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Reason told her she should meditate as usual, closing her eyes to calm her mind. But suddenly, she felt an unusual heat coursing through her body, her head throbbing with pain, and long-buried desires naturally surfaced.

A voice, seductive as a whisper, echoed in her ear:

“You are Yan Qi. There is nothing and no one in this world you cannot have.”

“She’s asleep. She won’t know a thing.”

“What are you hesitating for? Are you afraid? Or perhaps you’re even inferior to Lin Qingge? At least she dared to admit her inner desires.”

“Or maybe, you want to stand by and watch her form a Daoist partnership with someone else, like Bai Fengqing.”

With a snap, Yan Qi felt something in her mind suddenly break!

Her gaze darkened as she glanced at Mu Ling, who had curled into a ball, and finally gritted her teeth to say, “Fine, I admit defeat.”

Pursing her lips tightly, Yan Qi lay down on the remaining half of the bed, reached out, and pulled Mu Ling, who was clutching the blanket, into her arms.

The familiar fragrance of Mu Ling enveloped her, soothing the turmoil in her heart. The struggle on Yan Qi’s face gradually faded away.

Perhaps she really did feel just a little bit of affection.

Lin Qingge must have been certain that she, too, would fall for Mu Ling, which was why she had vanished from her body.

No one understood Lin Qingge better than her, but likewise, no one understood Yan Qi better than Lin Qingge.

Lin Qingge knew Yan Qi was selfish, domineering, and unrestrained that once she set her sights on something, she would stop at nothing to claim it.

Lin Qingge also knew her preferences. During those forced days of silence, she had watched Mu Ling through Lin Qingge’s eyes. Though unwilling to admit it, she, like Lin Qingge, had involuntarily fallen for her.

A long-lost drowsiness washed over her. Yan Qi let out a small yawn, tightened her arms around Mu Ling beneath the blanket, and felt an unprecedented peace in her heart: If Mu Ling truly wanted to live in seclusion, that was fine too. Once she had overturned the filthy Three Realms and fulfilled her long-held wish, she would accompany Mu Ling into seclusion.

Mu Ling had a dream. In it, she became a rabbit, pinned under the paw of a great lion, unable to escape no matter how hard she tried. The lion lazily kneaded her face and rolled her around on the ground, leaving her completely immobilized.

Then, Mu Ling felt as though she had been thrown into a furnace. The heat was unbearable, and she instinctively tugged at her collar. Finally, she noticed a cool presence beside her. Like a parched traveler finding an oasis, she instinctively rolled over and clung to that coolness.

The cool figure carried a faint, familiar scent that Mu Ling adored. Comforted, she nuzzled and rubbed against it, only to hear restrained panting. Suddenly, the coolness grew warm, and then she wasn’t sure what happened. It vanished entirely, leaving her to plunge back into the furnace.

Because of this dream, Mu Ling felt listless the next day. But then she noticed Qingge still cared for her. Qingge suddenly cooked her a table full of dishes. After so long, tasting her disciple’s cooking again moved Mu Ling nearly to tears.

She didn’t notice the slightly hesitant look in her little disciple’s eyes as she watched her.

Yan Qi swore that when she first held Mu Ling yesterday, she had no ulterior motives. Her sleeping posture had also been perfectly proper until she started dreaming.

She had seen Lin Qingge wake up several times in the middle of the night, flushed and breathless from unspeakable thoughts, but never imagined she would have such dreams herself! What pushed Yan Qi even closer to losing control was the realization that, upon waking gasping for air, Mu Ling had somehow kicked off the blankets and wrapped herself around her. Mu Ling’s collar had come undone, revealing her delicate, glistening collarbone and even the subtle curves beneath it.

The object of her affection was right before her, in such a defenseless state.

Yan Qi felt something explode in her mind. It took every ounce of her self-control to tear her gaze away. Not daring to look again, she squeezed her eyes shut and haphazardly yanked the blankets over Mu Ling. The once-feared, undefeated Demon Queen, infamous for her ruthlessness and cunning, now found herself fleeing in disarray for the first time. She tumbled off Mu Ling’s bed and stumbled away in near-panic.