Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 58

Mu Ling never expected that just an hour ago, she was worrying about not being able to sweep all the fallen petals in the plum grove, and now, she had been abducted by the Demon King to her bedchamber, becoming her personal maid.

 

If given the choice, Mu Ling would rather die than take on this ridiculous role. However, Yan Qi had made it clear: “Either be my personal maid or serve me in bed.” Fearing she might provoke the Demon King’s madness, Mu Ling had no choice but to endure the humiliation and temporarily act as the personal maid, though countless escape plans swirled in her mind.

 

Yan Qi’s bedchamber was as cold and desolate as ever: a vast, empty room of black marble, with an enormous black jade bed in the center. The spider plants hanging from the ceiling bloomed silently, and in the darkness, one could almost hear the sound of flowers unfurling.

 

When Mu Ling was brought into the bedchamber, she ran into Shuang’er. Fifteen years had passed, yet Shuang’er remained as efficient as ever, having already set up a screen and a small couch in Yan Qi’s bedchamber in no time.

 

Everything was almost exactly the same as fifteen years ago, with the only difference being that she was now the one sleeping on the small couch.

 

A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air, creating an ambiguous and eerie atmosphere. Separated by the screen, Mu Ling knew Yan Qi was lying on that massive black jade bed. She was so familiar with Yan Qi’s face that she could vividly picture her feigning sleep with closed eyes.

 

The night had been far too tumultuous, and Mu Ling felt no trace of drowsiness. Afraid of waking Yan Qi behind the screen and reliving the earlier ordeal, she could only stare wide-eyed at the ceiling, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts:

 

She absolutely refused to acknowledge that this woman who had nearly forced her into bed was the same Lin Qingge she had raised with her own hands.

 

Yet, the truth was undeniable. This “dog woman” was indeed her Qingge, no matter how much Mu Ling wished otherwise.

 

Why had Yan Qi become like this? And why had she lost her memories?

 

Now that she was Yan Qi’s personal maid, what kind of feelings did Yan Qi harbor for her? How should she treat Yan Qi from now on.

 

Mu Ling’s mind was a chaotic mess, weighed down by too many unanswered questions. The person who had once been closest to her was just a screen away, yet she couldn’t bring herself to say a word.

 

Amidst her turmoil, the floral scent in the air seemed to grow stronger. Mu Ling had thought she wouldn’t be able to sleep, but before she knew it, she had drifted into a deep slumber.

 

The spider plants on the ceiling bloomed fully, revealing radiant stamen like gleaming pearls. The fragrance grew even more intense as the white-haired Demon King opened her clear eyes, stepped barefoot onto the floor, leisurely walked around the screen, and bent down to pick up Mu Ling from the small couch.

 

For years, Yan Qi had been unable to sleep. Shuang’er and the others had infused the spider plants with soothing elixirs, but while the medicine could calm Yan Qi’s restless emotions, it did nothing to cure her insomnia.

 

However, Yan Qi felt she had finally found her remedy.

 

She lowered her head slightly, her gaze resting on Mu Ling, her eyes holding a smile she wasn’t even aware of.

 

It was strange whenever she shared a room with this girl, Yan Qi felt drowsiness creeping in.

 

It had been the same back in the plum grove.

 

Yan Qi bent down and effortlessly carried Mu Ling to the black jade bed.

 

The Black Jade Bed had a nourishing effect on the cultivation techniques within Yan Qi’s body. Its cool, smooth texture made it a rare treasure for cultivators, but for a young girl, it was unbearably cold. The moment Mu Ling touched the bed, she shivered and instinctively clung to the nearest source of warmth.

 

Yan Qi looked at the girl who had wrapped herself around her like an octopus, her face buried in the crook of her shoulder, and let out a soft chuckle.

 

She didn’t know why she was laughing. It seemed to come out of nowhere, a sudden surge of contentment and joy, her heart swelling in that moment. Just the sight of the girl filled her with delight.

 

Listening to Mu Ling’s light, steady breathing, Yan Qi closed her eyes as well.

 

Her dreams began chaotically, as they always had. Heaven had never been kind to her. But then, a woman appeared, stepping forth under the moonlight, giving her peace and stability, protecting her well-being, and guiding her onto the path of greatness.

 

By the time Mu Ling woke the next morning, Yan Qi was no longer in the bedchamber.

 

Relieved, Mu Ling hurriedly got up, only to realize upon stepping outside that the sun was already high in the sky. If she had stuck to her original plan from the night before, she should have already swept half the plum grove by now.

 

As a servant girl, waking up later than the Demon King was clearly dereliction of duty.

 

Mu Ling felt a pang of guilt, fearing that Yan Qi would hold her accountable later. The entire day, she was on edge.

 

Uncertain of her duties and worried that the Demon King might punish her for idleness, Mu Ling tried to keep herself busy. Opening the windows in the bedchamber to air it out, asking Shuang’er for a white jade vase, then running to the plum grove to gather a few branches to arrange in the vase by the windowsill.

 

When Shuang’er saw Mu Ling’s actions, her face turned deathly pale. The Demon King was known for her violent temper, and the hanging plants in her room contained calming herbs that would dissipate upon exposure to light. To Shuang’er, Mu Ling’s actions were nothing short of suicidal.

 

Mu Ling didn’t notice Shuang’er’s sudden change in expression.

 

Under Shuang’er’s hesitant gaze, Mu Ling happily ate the food she had brought. These dishes had once been commonplace for Mu Ling, but now they were a rare luxury. It was only then that she belatedly realized the perks of being the Demon King’s personal maid.

 

After eating her fill (or half-fill, really), Mu Ling took a nap, then spent some time meditating. The spiritual energy in the Demon King’s chambers was incredibly dense, and since this was only her second time cultivating, her progress was remarkably efficient. Unfortunately, her current level of cultivation was still far too low. When Mu Ling finally opened her eyes from her meditation, she found Yan Qi standing right in front of her, watching her with an inscrutable gaze. She had no idea how long the Demon King had been there.

 

Mu Ling’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as she braced herself for Yan Qi’s reprimand. Instinctively straightening her back, she watched as Yan Qi reached out. Under Mu Ling’s horrified stare and brushed a jade-white finger against the corner of her lips, wiping away a stray crumb.

 

Mu Ling’s breath hitched.

 

At that moment, Yan Qi’s expression was so tender and focused that Mu Ling couldn’t help but think of Lin Qingge from her past.

 

Flustered, Mu Ling averted her gaze.

 

She felt utterly pathetic, letting herself be swayed by Yan Qi’s beauty. She tried to control the heat rising to her cheeks, but her face burned crimson regardless.

 

“Heh—”

 

The heartless woman above her seemed to let out a soft laugh.

 

Mu Ling bit her lip, mentally preparing herself for the villainess’s taunts. Yet, the woman said nothing, instead gazing with interest at the plum blossoms Mu Ling had placed by the window. When she turned around, a delicate plum blossom hairpin rested in her palm.

 

Mu Ling had to admit though the demon queen’s tactics felt eerily familiar, her heart still skipped a beat when the villainess carefully pressed the hairpin to the center of her forehead.

 

What Mu Ling didn’t know was that Yan Qi had spent the entire morning in the study, flipping through dozens of romance novels. Yan Qi herself couldn’t fathom why her storage pouch contained so many of them, but she was quick to connect the dots. Last night’s behavior had been nothing short of shameless, and the reason she’d acted that way toward the girl was simple: she had fallen for her.

 

Thus, to salvage Mu Ling’s impression of her and ease her wariness, Yan Qi hesitated all morning before deciding to win her over.

 

For the first time, the lofty demon queen wanted to court someone. She had expected it to be difficult, yet with Mu Ling, some gestures came almost instinctively.

 

Fortunately, the girl wasn’t entirely indifferent. She seemed helpless against Yan Qi’s tenderness.

 

Well then…

 

Watching the faint blush on Mu Ling’s cheeks, Yan Qi smirked, careful not to let her notice. She had always been the most cunning hunter. Now that her prey had shown a weakness, she would press her advantage.

 

Mu Ling was troubled.

 

After that first night of attempted force, the villainess Yan Qi seemed to have turned over a new leaf, growing gentler by the day so much like the Lin Qingge she had raised. At times, Mu Ling even felt as though the villainess was indulging her.

 

But Mu Ling knew Lin Qingge’s intelligence all too well, and by extension, she could deduce Yan Qi’s cunning. She dared not let her guard down around her.

 

Several days passed, and Mu Ling still had no idea what her duties as a “personal maid” entailed. With no precedent, even Shuang’er couldn’t clarify, leaving Mu Ling to improvise.

 

Shuang’er watched in stunned silence as Mu Ling rearranged the demon queen’s chambers. Adding furniture, decorating with flowers, and somehow even convincing Yan Qi to install two massive stained-glass skylights in the ceiling.

 

At first, Shuang’er was horrified, but eventually, she grew numb to it.

 

Through these antics, Shuang’er came to understand Mu Ling’s importance to the demon queen and treated her with increasing reverence.

 

The demon queen, ever the center of attention, soon became the talk of the three realms. Rumors spread like wildfire. Yan Qi had taken a beloved girl under her wing. Many sought to meet the one who had thawed the demon queen’s heart twice over.

 

Confined to the palace, Mu Ling remained oblivious until the day she ventured out to transplant plum trees by Yan Qi’s window and was cornered on a secluded path by a familiar face.

 

Qian Jing frowned, scrutinizing Mu Ling’s features before her gaze settled on her eyes. Suddenly, she laughed.

 

“So that’s it!”

 

“So it’s because your aura resembles Mu Ling.”

 

Mu Ling blinked, looking at her with some confusion.

 

Qian Jing, however, glared fiercely at Mu Ling: “Don’t get too pleased with yourself. The Demon Lord’s heart still belongs to that Mu Ling. You’ve never seen the way she looked at Mu Ling when she was Lin Qingge. How the Demon Lord deliberately disguised herself as Lin Qingge for Mu Ling. In the end, when Mu Ling tragically perished, the Demon Lord’s hair turned white overnight, and she publicly declared her marriage to Mu Ling’s memorial tablet.”

 

“You’ll never compare to a dead person.” Qian Jing narrowed her eyes as she watched the girl’s face pale abruptly.

 

She took satisfaction in seeing the girl’s eyes widen before she lowered her head in sorrow, tears falling in large drops.

 

Heaven knew how much Qian Jing envied this girl. She could freely enter and leave Yan Qi’s private chambers, basking in her favor, while Qian Jing herself could only secretly adore Yan Qi from afar, never even touching the hem of her robe.

 

Yet the girl seemed unwilling to believe it, still futilely trying to prove the Demon Lord’s affection for her: “But my lord has never mentioned her.”

 

“That’s because of that scoundrel Bai Junhao,” Qian Jing’s eyes flashed with disgust. “He gave something to the Demon Lord, and after she secluded herself for a month, her cultivation reached its peak, but she also lost a portion of her memories.”

 

Mu Ling no longer knew how she made it back to her chambers.

 

Qian Jing’s few words had painted a vivid picture of Yan Qi’s suffering after her departure. So Yan Qi’s white hair was because of her.

 

Mu Ling felt an unprecedented wave of guilt. As a modern person who had received the most advanced education, even though she had once harbored feelings for Yan Qi, she had instinctively chosen to return home. In her worldview, love wasn’t everything. No one would perish simply from being apart from another.

 

She had underestimated Yan Qi’s love and dependence on her. For a moment, Mu Ling even felt grateful to Bai Junhao. If not for him, Yan Qi would remember everything and suffer endlessly from longing.

 

Yan Qi noticed a change in the girl’s attitude toward her.

 

Previously, the girl had been wary of her, always on guard. But now, the way the girl looked at her had shifted. There seemed to be a hint of pity mixed in?

 

Lately, Yan Qi had been thoroughly enjoying the process of teasing the girl, finding her blushing cheeks unbearably adorable. She had even grown less eager to rush to the final step. After all, she would eventually claim the girl as her own. There was no need to hurry.

 

But now that the girl no longer resisted her, it was time to move to the next stage.

 

According to the romance novels Yan Qi had read, the key to pursuing someone was first to approach them with gentleness, then to appropriately display one’s wealth or power to win their admiration.

 

Coincidentally, the Demon Palace had just raided a branch of the Bai Xu Sect. Yan Qi ordered a celebratory banquet to be held, inviting Mu Ling under the pretext of broadening her horizons. In truth, the main goal was to let Mu Ling hear others’ indirect praise of her power, thereby deepening her admiration.

 

Mu Ling originally had no interest in such tedious banquets. However, Yan Qi forcefully sent her several sets of beautiful clothes and even personally styled her hair into an elegant bun. Watching Yan Qi’s gentle demeanor while combing her hair; almost indistinguishable from Lin Qingge, Mu Ling felt a wave of dizziness in her heart, and guilt once again flooded her mind. As if bewitched, she nodded in agreement.

 

It wasn’t until after attending the banquet that Mu Ling realized Yan Qi didn’t sit with the others. She was seated on a high platform to the side.

 

And on that high platform, there was only one chair.

 

…

 

The banquet was filled with the continuous melodies of silk and bamboo instruments. Dancers twirled gracefully, while the Demon King sat behind a beaded curtain, listening to the clinking of cups and lively chatter in the hall, her demeanor appearing languid.

 

No one saw the Demon King’s current state except for Mu Ling, who was held tightly in Yan Qi’s arms, her face flushed from struggling in vain.

 

The Demon King had once worn a mask of Asura, and people feared her, not daring to look up at her appearance. Now, the world knew of her breathtaking beauty, but such extreme allure also created an unbridgeable distance. Moreover, with the Demon King growing increasingly unrestrained and ruthless in recent years, no one dared to meet her gaze directly.

 

Thus, despite the short physical distance, no one knew that the lofty Demon King on the high platform was cradling a young girl in her arms.

 

At this moment, the banquet was in full swing.

 

After several rounds of drinks, a demon general suddenly stood up and bowed toward Yan Qi’s direction. “My Lord, some time ago, I inadvertently discovered the location of the Bodhi Crossing’s mountain gate.”

 

Bodhi Crossing had always remained aloof from worldly affairs, its disciples devoted to Buddhist cultivation. It was the most low-key of the four great sects. Why would Yan Qi investigate their whereabouts?

 

Could it be that Yan Qi truly intended to exterminate all the sects in the world?

 

Mu Ling frowned deeply and instinctively tugged at Yan Qi’s sleeve, about to speak up in defense of Bodhi Crossing. Before she could even gauge Yan Qi’s expression, the demon general below continued:

 

“I disguised myself as an ordinary mortal and infiltrated Bodhi Crossing. Under the guise of benevolence, they are in fact the most hypocritical. Within their sect, they’ve set up an evil array that drains people’s vitality and spiritual energy to prolong their own lives.”

 

“Over the years, Bodhi Crossing’s seclusion was not, as they claimed, for the sake of focused cultivation. It was because they had almost no disciples left. The new disciples who entered Bodhi Crossing were the most pitiful. After enduring countless hardships to join, believing they were embarking on a righteous path to immortality, who could have imagined they would become trapped souls bound by an evil array the moment they stepped inside.”

 

Mu Ling was horrified:

 

She had encountered this kind of evil array many times before from the tunnels of Donglin, to Zhao Linglong at the back mountains of Qingyi Sect, to the demonic cultivators and now, Bodhi Crossing.

 

What was the origin of such an array?

 

Thinking of Yan Qi’s recent large-scale imprisonment of cultivators, Mu Ling’s heart sank like a stone:

 

What was Yan Qi planning to do with all these captured cultivators?