Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: Qianyun, Fulfill Me
The next day, Mu Qianyun had her maid Bilu go out early to buy fruits and snacks, while she lightly furrowed her brows, embroidering a peony pattern and lost in thought.
“Knock, knock, knock!”
Li Hui knocked three times on the open wooden door, standing at the entrance and trying to calm himself as he glanced around the room. “I’m sorry, but last night I did something. I turned most of the corpses in the wooden building’s mezzanine and underground to dust. I’m afraid that in two days, this wooden building will collapse.”
Mu Qianyun was taken aback, putting down her embroidery and staring intently at the door.
“What do you mean by that look? I didn’t do it on purpose.”
A gentle voice echoed from inside, “I’m not blaming you; I just can’t help feeling sad! Even though I live next to the corpses, out of sight means my heart is at ease, I don’t care! But then I think it’s selfish. Just to shield me from the storm, I let so many departed souls suffer. How can I bear that? You did well; dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. They should be given peace!”
Li Hui scratched the back of his head, feeling awkward. How could he be capable of giving peace to so many? Their Yin souls had already turned into Yin Soul Beads, collected together in a bag, ready to sell for a good price, it didn’t seem right to talk of them being reborn.
“By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Li Hui, with the courtesy name Yingjun, the handsome face from the Jade Symbol Sect’s outer disciples.”
Mu Qianyun hesitated slightly, a hint of a smile appearing in her eyes. She shook her head and said, “You didn’t come up with that title yourself, did you? It lacks seriousness, and using the phrase ‘the handsome face’ is boastful. Though the phrase is amusing, it sounds rather frivolous when talking to a woman.”
As she spoke, Mu Qianyun stood up and bowed deeply, saying, “I am Mu Qianyun, thank you for solving the mystery for me. Last night I pondered this matter, thinking all these strange occurrences could only be reasonably explained by the prince’s death and my ghost marriage with him.”
“No need for such formalities!” Li Hui quickly waved his hand. “Heaven shows mercy, what ghost marriage? That’s simply not possible! If the prince’s manor succeeds at that, he would definitely turn into a corpse, and the first thing he would do upon waking would be to eat you, considering you a sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?” Mu Qianyun bit her silver teeth and then forced a bitter smile. “Born at the wrong time, my family has fallen on hard times, even ghost marriage seems to be a way to numb myself for comfort?”
“Don’t think like that.” Li Hui, worried, stepped into the room and said, “Look at me. I’m only seventeen next month, and because of a decree from the sect, I’m being kicked out. Just a few days, and I’ve turned completely gray. This is the work of dark scheming! After diagnosis, I’ve only got a few years left to live, maybe just a few months now. If I haven’t given up on myself, you standing here shouldn’t lose hope either. Find a way to live better, make those who scheme against us anxious, frustrated, and angry. That’s meaningful.”
Mu Qianyun stood stunned. She hadn’t expected such a powerful cultivator to only have a few months left to live, and at under eighteen, as he said, she indeed should not give up. His open-mindedness and optimism moved her deeply.
“You’re only seventeen?” Women are emotional beings; Mu Qianyun stepped closer to Li Hui and couldn’t help but reach out to touch his white hair, trembling as she said, “You’re a year younger than me! It must be tough to be out here all alone! Compared to you, I am very lucky, yet I’ve been lamenting my fate in front of you; that truly isn’t right.”
“Hahaha, it’s nothing. Although my life is short, I have been living wonderfully these past few days! I’m beginning to understand that rather than living a bland and low-profile life, it’s better to make a grand adventure in my final days. Sometimes you have to march toward dangerous places, knowing there may be tigers ahead. It can be quite exhilarating, especially when you survive thrilling situations. You always gain new insights.” Li Hui laughed heartily; fresh to the world, he had once felt lost and afraid but overcame it with a strong will, growing at almost a transformative speed every day.
This is Li Hui!
This is the Jade Symbol Sect’s handsome face, Li Yingjun!
During their lively conversation, a certain charisma developed within him, shaping his spirit, roots, and charm! It made Mu Qianyun involuntarily gather courage, feeling uplifted as a determination began to shine in her eyes.
As the two calmed down, they realized they had gotten quite close and quickly stepped back to create some distance.
Li Hui felt somewhat shy; he didn’t know why he felt so at ease around his senior sisters and junior sisters, but strangely reserved with Mu Qianyun, who had no cultivation. Perhaps it was because every time they locked eyes, he felt as if her gaze spoke volumes, making him unable to resist stealing a few more glances.
Mu Qianyun, her cheeks flushed, thought this was the first time she had been so close to a strange man. No, it shouldn’t be considered a strange man—at least she knew his name, and he knew hers too.
The room fell silent as they found themselves at a loss for words. Being a man and a woman alone in such a setting, especially in her boudoir, made it even harder to speak until the sound of breaking air broke the silence.
“There’s a powerful expert coming; you should be careful.” Li Hui reacted instinctively to the danger, retreating back into the shadows of the stairs.
Since last night when he activated the third and fourth Spirit Motion marks, transforming into a dragon pattern, his physical condition had improved greatly. Not only was his body impressively resilient, but he had also become incredibly agile. His overall abilities had already caught up to those of elite outer disciples, lacking only in experience and knowledge.
As Mu Qianyun turned around, a figure had already entered through the window, standing beside the exquisite bonsai. The newcomer raised their hand to gently stroke the leaves, a slight smirk forming at the corner of their mouth, saying, “No matter how well this bonsai is trimmed, it is still like a caged bird, trapped in a limited space, with life and death controlled by others.”
“Princess Yu Yan!” Mu Qianyun approached to pay her respects, just in time to shield her body from Cheng Yuyan’s view. Her beautiful eyes were different from usual, now filled with caution and distance, yet she concealed it well, deliberately adding a hint of resentment as she said, “It seems the manor has been quite restless these past two days. Even I, this caged bird, have heard the wind; I really hope the storm gets even stronger and destroys this cage once and for all.”
“Oh? Destroy the cage?” Cheng Yuyan burst into laughter, “Hahaha, and then what? Can the caged bird survive outside?”
“Cheng Yuyan, you’re here to confront me today, aren’t you?” Mu Qianyun’s expression turned serious. She, always meticulous, knew well Princess Yu Yan’s temperament. It wouldn’t be wise to invoke the term “caged bird” unless the truth had been revealed; this would only serve to provoke her. She always left room for hope until she snuffed it out herself.
“Qianyun, oh Qianyun!” Cheng Yuyan swayed closer to Mu Qianyun, raising her hand to touch her smooth face, a mix of admiration and joy in her gaze, teasingly saying, “What beautiful skin, what a lovely face! Even if I hadn’t been disfigured, I must admit I pale in comparison to you. But now, this face is about to belong to me, Cheng Yuyan. Oh Qianyun, we are best friends, fulfill me!”
“You disfigured yourself? You want me to help you?” Mu Qianyun’s eyes widened as she felt a chilling fear. The Cheng Yuyan before her seemed predatory.
