Master is Also Running Away from Marriage Today (Transmigration) - Chapter 66

Yan Qi had known all along about Mu Ling’s plan to escape from the Demon Palace.

But she didn’t feel disappointed or heartbroken. Some part of her subconscious seemed to whisper that this was only natural. Mu Ling would always find a way to leave. From childhood till now, everything she had ever wanted would slip through her fingers in the end.

So, Yan Qi silently watched all of Mu Ling’s actions, even complying with every request she made: giving her spirit stones, medicinal herbs, and even discreetly diverting the guards when Mu Ling attempted to flee.

Otherwise, with Mu Ling’s meager spiritual power, how could she possibly escape the Demon Realm, a place teeming with formidable experts?

Sure enough, Mu Ling eventually succeeded in leaving the Demon Palace.

Yan Qi followed silently behind her, planning to recapture her after the Moonchase Festival. Perhaps Mu Ling would be angry, but she still held some affection for her now. As long as Yan Qi coaxed her gently, Mu Ling might still be willing to stay by her side a little longer.

But Yan Qi had never dared to hope that Mu Ling would love her the way she loved Mu Ling.

Her world was a hellish wasteland. Blood-soaked, filthy, and steeped in endless slaughter. Yan Qi never believed anyone would willingly remain by her side.

Afraid that she wouldn’t be able to placate Mu Ling after bringing her back, Yan Qi bought the lantern Mu Ling had failed to purchase.

She had even rehearsed the words she would say to her: “I’ll give you everything, as long as you stay with me forever, alright?”

Her ability to bewitch souls had no effect on Mu Ling, and she couldn’t bear to drug or manipulate her mind. So, she could only resort to pleading, coaxing, praying in her heart that Mu Ling wouldn’t grow weary of her.

And if all else failed, perhaps the only option left would be to lock Mu Ling away.

Amidst the clamor and revelry of the festival, dark and tangled thoughts churned in Yan Qi’s heart. The person she longed for was just ahead, happily wandering through the night market, her beautiful eyes brighter than the moon in the sky. But her heart, like that distant moon, remained forever out of reach.

Joy always belonged to others.

So, when Mu Ling handed her the fox lantern, Yan Qi wondered if she was dreaming.

Yet Mu Ling paid no heed to her reaction, shoving the lantern into her hands before predictably circling behind her to pick up the rabbit lantern, effortlessly taking Yan Qi’s hand in hers.

Yan Qi’s face suddenly flushed.

She had done far more shameless things before without a second thought, yet now, just this simple act of holding hands filled her with an indescribable nervousness.

“You… I…”

Yan Qi didn’t even know what she wanted to say.

A belated surge of unfamiliar, overwhelming joy swelled in her chest, lifting her heart to the clouds. But she feared that if this happiness overflowed, her heart would once again be left empty and desolate.

She tried to suppress her excitement, but the irrepressible delight still seeped from her eyes…

Mu Ling’s face was equally flushed. This was her first time in love, and even she felt a little shy doing such things. But seeing the starlight ignite in Yan Qi’s eyes, Mu Ling felt as though she had been granted boundless courage.

“Let’s go!” Mu Ling pretended not to notice the look in Yan Qi’s eyes. That gaze which left her heart in turmoil and filled with sorrow. Instead, she simply lowered her head, took Yan Qi’s hand, and pulled her forward. “The Moon Chasing Festival lantern show is meant to be enjoyed with someone you love!”

“If we dawdle any longer, the lantern show will be over.”

…

Yan Qi watched Mu Ling’s back as she strode ahead without looking back, her lips curling slightly. If she still didn’t realize Mu Ling was deliberately leading her out, she’d be a fool.

Yet even now, Yan Qi couldn’t quite understand: What exactly was Mu Ling trying to achieve with all this effort?

Until—

Under Mu Ling’s arrangements, Yan Qi witnessed the most beautiful lantern show she could remember, tasted snacks she had once scorned, and even stood foolishly beneath a tree like a mortal, making wishes to the moon.

“May Yan Qi be safe, happy, and free from hardship…”

Watching Mu Ling beside her, bowing her head in imitation of mortals, praying with devout sincerity, Yan Qi finally understood in a daze: Mu Ling had gone to such lengths just to bring her joy, to give her a moment of happiness.

After returning, Yan Qi carefully hid the white fox lantern in her spiritual realm. Her spiritual realm was already cluttered with odds and ends. Two booklets (including The Growth Records of a Prodigy Girl), a comb, a few beautiful dresses. Before, Yan Qi hadn’t understood why her spiritual realm held so many trivial things. But now she realized: these were likely all fragments of memories from her time with Lin Qingge and Mu Ling.

Because of Mu Ling’s gesture, Yan Qi’s mood remained exceptionally bright for many days afterward. Even the news that the Bai Xu Sect had secretly spearheaded the formation of a formidable Immortal Alliance couldn’t dampen her spirits in the slightest.

Another piece of news arrived alongside it: the sect master of the Qing Yi Sect had recently passed away, and on her deathbed, she had ordered the entire sect to enter seclusion for ten years, forbidding any disciples from leaving. Thus, the Qing Yi Sect had not joined the Immortal Alliance.

Yan Qi had inquired before. Zhao Yunshi, the sect master of Qing Yi, was a formidable sword cultivator and a rare figure in the Three Realms who genuinely cared for the common people. In previous years, Yan Qi had pursued the Qing Yi Sect primarily to recover fragments of her own memories, never intending to annihilate them. Yet she hadn’t expected Zhao Yunshi to depart this world.

Still, this was good news for Yan Qi.

After all, Zhao Yunshi was a warrior of the Immortal Realm. With her death, the Immortal Realm lost a formidable general, and her final decree bound the Qing Yi disciples, sparing the Demon Realm a group of formidable adversaries.

Yet for some reason, the moment Yan Qi heard the news of Zhao Yunshi’s death, her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and the teacup in her hand fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

Yan Qi didn’t understand why.

After a moment of thought, she attributed it all to Mu Ling. She had heard that Mu Ling held Zhao Yunshi in the highest esteem. Learning of her death would surely devastate her, and that was why Yan Qi herself felt so unsettled.

Better to keep this news from Mu Ling!

Beyond sparing her unnecessary grief, Yan Qi feared unforeseen complications. Consequences that might arise from this event, consequences that could drive Mu Ling away from her.

This was what Yan Qi had originally planned.

However, when she met Mu Ling that evening and saw the handkerchief Mu Ling had spent days making as a gift for her though Yan Qi didn’t understand why Mu Ling would give her a present. She found herself involuntarily uttering words she hadn’t planned to say.

“I heard that Zhao Yunshi, the sect leader of Qingyi Sect, recently passed away.”

Yan Qi watched helplessly as Mu Ling’s smile faded, her eyes brimming with tears.

Before she knew it, Yan Qi had already brought Mu Ling to the abandoned mountain gates of Qingyi Sect, thousands of miles away.

The once-majestic, pure-white gates were now covered in moss. The Qianqiu Pavilion, symbolizing eternal prosperity, lay half-destroyed by spiritual energy. The twelve peaks of Qingyi Sect stood desolate and empty.

The scene of her boarding the pleasure boat for her journey was still vivid in her mind. Mu Ling had never imagined returning to Qingyi Sect under such circumstances, nor had she ever thought Zhao Yunshi would die so suddenly. She had been such an exceptional sword cultivator.

“It wasn’t me,” Yan Qi’s voice came softly from the side. “I was indeed angered by Qingyi Sect’s evasiveness, but I haven’t found them yet, nor would I resort to underhanded means to deal with her.”

Yan Qi’s words were interrupted by a paper crane flying toward them.

The crane’s paper was rough, the red cinnabar on its head had turned black, and its body was riddled with holes, as if it had been wandering for ages.

The crane had been hiding behind a pillar of the Qianqiu Pavilion all this time, only now stumbling toward Mu Ling with a letter in its beak. Its voice was weary and hoarse: “Peak Lord Mu, we’ve finally waited for you.”

Hearing the title “Peak Lord” again, a term that felt like a lifetime ago. Mu Ling was overwhelmed with emotion. Before she could even ask why the crane recognized her, it fell to the ground, reduced to a tattered scrap of paper.

Mu Ling opened the letter.

Inside was a story: about a mother who had spent most of her life searching for her daughter. But the odds of finding her in the vast sea of people were too slim, so the mother had crafted paper cranes to pretend they were her daughter, pouring her longing into them. Yet fate was cruel. By chance, she did find her daughter, only for them to become enemies. In the end, she had no choice but to entrust her beloved daughter to her most cherished disciple.

“May you both live in joy and never part.” These were the final words of the letter.

As soon as Mu Ling finished reading, the letter dissipated into the air.

Yan Qi had no idea what had happened.

After reading the letter, Mu Ling’s mood seemed to improve, but she began scrutinizing Yan Qi with a strange, inscrutable gaze.

Yan Qi couldn’t quite describe the look. It was as if Mu Ling was marveling at her, or perhaps searching for traces of someone else in her face.

But those moments were rare. Most of the time, Mu Ling showered Yan Qi with praise: “My Yan Qi is the most beautiful in the world,” “Yan Qi, you look best when you smile,” “Yan Qi, how are you so skilled at everything?”

Occasionally, she’d even initiate hugs and kisses.

Though Yan Qi knew Mu Ling’s adoration was due to “love being blind,” the soft, tender tone of Mu Ling’s voice melted her heart into a puddle. She longed to be with Mu Ling every moment of the day.

Yet Yan Qi didn’t have much time to spend with her.

After the establishment of the Immortal Alliance, they began launching small-scale attacks on certain territories of the demon realm. This time, they were unprecedentedly united, aware that they were no match for Yan Qi. Thus, they would flee before Yan Qi could arrive. However, Yan Qi was just one person, while the Immortal Alliance split into seven or eight factions to cause trouble, stirring chaos everywhere, making it impossible to guard against.

Yan Qi felt weary, but more than that, she was disheartened.

She didn’t even know why she had chosen this kind of life perhaps because everything had reached the point where it should end.

“Will you accompany me to wander and see the world?” One day, noticing the bloodshot fatigue in Yan Qi’s eyes, Mu Ling gently tugged at her sleeve and whispered, “Just the two of us, with no one else around.”