Chapter 0: 39. Marriage by Martial Contest (Bonus Chapter)
Led by a female disciple, Qin Gou arrived at Ye Qishuang’s sleeping quarters. Though the disciple was curious why the Lone Shadow Saintess had forgotten the Palace Lord’s whereabouts, she dared not ask further.
Ye Qishuang lay on a bed carved from jade, her body exposed. Her cold, clear eyes stared fixedly at the ceiling, silent. Gu Caihe also waited quietly by her side.
“Palace Lord, are you alright?” Qin Gou asked with a concerned expression.
Ye Qishuang glanced at Qin Gou from the corner of her eye and said softly, “It’s Little Chair. If you’re asking about my physical condition, there’s no need to worry. What troubles me now is a heartache, like a thousand claws tearing at my heart, leaving me no peace.”
“Celestial Master is indeed not that easy to find,” Qin Gou sighed.
Ye Qishuang chuckled, “You guessed right, Little Chair. That Qin Yue is not Master, after all. It’s laughable that I thought I saw some of Master’s shadow in him. How strange, do I actually not understand Master at all?”
Gu Caihe’s eyes sparkled, and she said thoughtfully, “Palace Lord, Little Box thinks perhaps the Celestial Master already knows your purpose and is deliberately hiding from you.”
Ye Qishuang paused, then nodded in agreement. “With Master’s wisdom, this wouldn’t be surprising. But if that’s the case, it will be even harder for me to find his true form… Moreover, I even suspect that there is already a traitor within the Mystic Maiden Raksha Palace, taken under Master’s wing! With their inside help, Master is able to hide so perfectly.”
Qin Gou’s pupils trembled slightly. He had come to find out Ye Qishuang’s true purpose after finding him, but it seemed it wasn’t such a simple matter.
Ye Qishuang raised her eyes to look at the two Saintesses before her and said calmly, “Have either of you noticed anything unusual about those around you recently?”
Qin Gou and Gu Caihe shook their heads in unison.
Ye Qishuang’s dark eyebrows furrowed slightly. “If it weren’t for Little Hammer just recently returning to the palace and knowing nothing, she would be my first suspect. After all, she’s the only one in the Mystic Maiden Palace who possesses an Eye-type Spirit Tool. Whether or not that Qin Yue is disguised depends entirely on that wench’s word!”
“Sister Cuiyan is loyal to the Palace Lord and would never be a traitor,” Qin Gou said at an opportune moment.
“Yes, I was too impatient, I’ve started suspecting everyone,” Ye Qishuang couldn’t help but give a bitter laugh. “But why is Master avoiding me? Isn’t he here at the Mystic Maiden Palace to see me? He knows me best, he knows I wouldn’t do anything too excessive to him. I really just want to see him one more time…”
As she spoke, Ye Qishuang’s cold, clear beautiful eyes grew dimmer and more melancholic, a strong aura of resentment permeating the air, making her appear dejected.
Hearing this, Qin Gou sighed inwardly and subconsciously gripped Ye Qishuang’s fair, flawless small hand, just as he had years ago.
Ye Qishuang’s expression startled, and she looked at Qin Gou questioningly, “Little Chair, what are you doing?”
Qin Gou gave a dry laugh, “Little Chair saw the Palace Lord so distressed and couldn’t help but want to comfort her.”
Ye Qishuang glared at him, chiding, “What are you? You’re just a silly Little Chair. Do I need your comfort? Only Master himself can soothe the resentment in my heart.”
“Greetings, Palace Lord, Lone Shadow Saintess, Xi Hua Saintess.”
At that moment, a female disciple entered the sleeping quarters and reported respectfully, “Palace Lord, an envoy from the Tian Kun Dynasty has arrived. They claim a grand feast will be held in the court soon and hope we can send a Saintess to attend.”
“Tian Kun?”
Ye Qishuang’s lips curved into a cold, beautiful smile. “That impoverished dynasty with only a crumbling Supreme Emperor in the early Dharma Aspect Realm? What important matter requires them to invite a Saintess from our Mystic Maiden Palace?”
The female disciple said hesitantly, “The envoy said that the Tian Kun Human Emperor’s newly adopted daughter, the Sword-bearing Princess Mu Man’er, will be holding a Marriage by martial contest soon. During this time, the Tian Kun Dynasty will hold nationwide celebrations. The envoy also said that if you learned of this, Your Highness would certainly grace them with your presence.”
“Ridiculous. What does the marriage of a minor dynasty’s princess have to do with me?” Ye Qishuang found it utterly absurd. But then, she murmured to herself, “Mu Man’er? This name… why does it sound so familiar?”
Qin Gou’s expression darkened slightly as he said, “Palace Lord, that Mu Man’er was once a wanted criminal on the Tian Kun Dynasty’s Black List, known as the ‘Evil Sword Fairy’.”
Gu Caihe suddenly shivered and interjected, “Palace Lord, don’t you remember? The disciples stationed at the foot of Arc-Moon Mountain sent back intelligence that they encountered a female cultivator in the Hidden Weapon Realm. She was a prodigy from the Celestial Master Pavilion, just like you, but she refused our overtures. That person was ‘Mu Man’er’!”
“I remember now. That Mu Man’er is Master’s sixth disciple, my Sixth Junior Sister. But I’ve never met her,” Ye Qishuang’s beautiful eyes flashed with anger. “How bold of this junior sister to boldly hold a Marriage by martial contest! Does Master know about her privately deciding on marriage? Did he agree? If my junior sister dared to act so recklessly without consulting Master, I will not let this disloyal little girl off!”
Gu Caihe looked at the increasingly angry Ye Qishuang and asked, bewildered, “Palace Lord, Little Box thinks if Mu Man’er has indeed met her true love and wishes to marry, even if she didn’t inform Celestial Master immediately, it’s not such a grave sin as ‘disloyalty,’ is it? Haven’t you always taught us that if you meet the destined person, you can abandon all rules and precepts, even if it causes widespread destruction and millions of deaths, you should follow your heart?”
“Then I take back those words.”
“Ah?”
“She entered into a private engagement with someone else without Master’s consent, meaning she doesn’t take Master seriously, and doesn’t put Master first. She’s courting death.” Ye Qishuang’s tone was filled with extreme stubbornness. “But this may not be a bad thing. I must inform Master of this matter as soon as possible. Then Master will surely react.”
Qin Gou stood by, smiling bitterly. He already knew.
