Chapter 65: Yan Ying’s Melancholy

Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Yan Ying’s Melancholy

On the sixth day of the twelfth month, Yun Xi arrived at the Celestial Derivation Sect on Nanling Mountain.

Since the wedding had not yet taken place, the escort party from the Lingyun Sect was arranged to stay in the guest courtyards on a side peak.

Yun Xi was also given a small, private courtyard, attended to at all times only by Wu Xiuzhen and Qiu Yihan.

That night, Shui Yuntian came to the outside of the courtyard.

He happened to run into Yun Keji, who was preparing to leave after giving his daughter a few words of advice.

"Greetings, Elder Yun." Though Shui Yuntian inwardly looked down on his future father-in-law, he put on a perfectly respectful front.

"Ah, Saint Heir Shui," Yun Keji said. "It is quite late. Is it not improper for you to be here?"

"Elder Yun, Yunmeng Mountain is thousands of miles from here, and our customs may differ. I was concerned that Yun Xi might not be used to the food at our Celestial Derivation Sect, or that her courtyard might be lacking supplies. That is why I have taken the liberty of intruding."

Shui Yuntian paused, then added with a smile, "Of course, I cannot deny that I also wish to see Yun Xi. I hope Elder Yun will grant me his permission."

He finished by bowing deeply.

"You two are to be wed the day after tomorrow. By tradition, you should not be meeting face-to-face right now. However, we are Cultivators, not bound by such tedious formalities. Besides, your devotion to my daughter is clear to see, so I have no reason to refuse. Still, Saint Heir, you had best not stay for too long."

"You can rest assured, Elder Yun. I only wish to see Yun Xi for a moment. I will leave in a quarter of an hour or so. In any case, she will be my wife the day after tomorrow. Why would I cause any trouble at a time like this?"

Yun Keji nodded and departed without another word.

Having received permission, Shui Yuntian walked straight into the courtyard.

’So what if she’s the number one beauty of the Eastern Domain? In the end, isn’t she still becoming my woman?’

’And what about the number one prodigy of the Eastern Domain? Didn’t he die an early death in the end?’

If one were to speak of triumph, at this moment, there was likely no one in the entire Eastern Domain more smug than Shui Yuntian.

He had likely never even dared to dream that Yun Xi, the greatest beauty of the Eastern Domain, would one day be his.

And now, she was within his grasp.

In truth, he could no longer suppress the stirring in his heart, which was why he had rushed here the moment Yun Xi arrived at the Celestial Derivation Sect.

"Saint Heir Shui," Wu Xiuzhen said, blocking his path. "Yun Xi says that in accordance with tradition, she will not see you before the wedding. You should go back!"

"Greetings, Senior Sister Wu!" Shui Yuntian cupped his fists, his attitude much improved from their last encounter at the Lingyun Sect.

"I just met Elder Yun outside the courtyard, and he has already given me his permission to see Yun Xi. Please do not stop me, Senior Sister Wu."

Wu Xiuzhen gently tugged on Shui Yuntian’s sleeve, pulling him aside to whisper, "Saint Heir Shui, it’s only two more days. Why must you be in such a rush? Yun Xi has a fiery temperament. What if..."

Wu Xiuzhen didn’t finish her sentence, but Shui Yuntian understood her meaning.

But Shui Yuntian’s face turned livid. He raised his voice, speaking deliberately for Yun Xi to hear from inside her room.

He shouted, "What? You’re about to become my, Shui Yuntian’s, woman, and you’re still pining for that dead loser, Chu Fan?"

"It’s a good thing that loser is already dead. Otherwise, I’d make him watch with his own eyes as Yun Xi and I complete our wedding ceremony the day after tomorrow."

"Yun Xi, you can refuse to see me now. But if you’re still thinking about that loser after we are married, believe me, I have ways to make you a proper wife."

With that, Shui Yuntian flicked his sleeves and stormed out of the courtyard.

Wu Xiuzhen watched him go, baffled. She couldn’t help but sigh for Yun Xi. ’She truly doesn’t know how good she has it.’

Of course, Yun Xi had heard every word Shui Yuntian said from inside the room. However, she showed no great emotional response, offering only a few cold sneers.

...

「In a remote courtyard in Nanling County City.」

Chu Fan held a sword, tirelessly practicing a routine over and over again, though without infusing the blade with the slightest bit of True Qi.

The Yifeng Sword Manual lay on a small square table nearby.

Yan Ying, still in her male disguise, had been staring at Chu Fan for more than two hours.

She would never admit that her own heart was in greater turmoil than Chu Fan’s.

She was finally going to meet the woman she both envied and was jealous of.

But it also meant that the time for them to part was finally here.

Aside from her master, Chu Fan was the man she had spent the most time with. With their parting so imminent, she felt a pang of reluctance.

Especially after learning about Chu Fan’s past, something had struck a chord within her.

’Perhaps feelings really can grow over time.’

Yan Ying couldn’t quite discern the nature of her own feelings for Chu Fan.

She wanted him to be happy, and she hoped he and Yun Xi could finally be together, yet she couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed at the thought.

Sometimes, waking from a dream in the dead of night, she would even catch herself hoping that Chu Fan wouldn’t succeed in winning Yun Xi back.

In short, she was a mess of contradictions.

’Am I becoming a bad person?’ she sometimes wondered.

In any case, no one could understand the melancholy in her heart right now—not even she herself.

The reason she gave herself was that she would soon have to return to her monotonous, uninteresting life in the Sect.

Back in the Sect, her master was strict with her, while everyone else did nothing but flatter her.

Only Chu Fan, during this time they’d spent together, had been completely straightforward with her, never fawning over her or keeping his distance because of her status.

The time she’d spent with Chu Fan was the most relaxed she had ever felt in her entire life.

When she was happy, she could tease him. When she was upset, she could get angry, step on his foot, or bicker with him.

They could study the Sword Manual together, spar with their Sword Techniques, and learn from and push each other to improve.

They could compete to see who made more progress while studying the Scroll.

’Will these days soon become just a memory?’

’If Chu Fan had been born in the Central Domain, and if I had met him before Yun Xi did... would I have fallen for him, just like she did?’

But in the end, there were no ’what ifs’.

Yan Ying let out a long sigh. Her face flushed as she recalled the moment she had opened her eyes in the Water Pool that day.

"The day after tomorrow is the eighth of the twelfth month," Yan Ying said. "Chu Fan, are you really ready?"

Chu Fan sheathed his sword and smiled at her. "I’ve made many preparations for this day. This battle will also be a chance to prove myself. Of course, I know that Yun Xi and I might have to live a life on the run after this. But I won’t regret it, and I believe Yun Xi won’t either."

Yan Ying wanted to tell him that she could help him crash the wedding. She could even take them to the Central Domain, where no one would dare to pursue them.

But she knew that while Chu Fan might seem amiable, he possessed a fierce pride of his own.

And so, in the end, she said nothing.

"The day after tomorrow, we should part ways. When I head to the Celestial Derivation Sect, don’t follow me. If you get a chance to go to the Central Domain in the future, I’ll come find you at the Celestial Dao Palace."

"Of course! We still have our agreement, don’t we? One year each with the Scroll, we already decided! If you don’t bring the Scroll to me by the tenth of the tenth month next year, I’ll come and get it myself. Hmph!"

Chu Fan rubbed his nose in embarrassment. "I haven’t forgotten, I haven’t forgotten. I always keep my word. I’ll never go back on it."

"That’s more like it!" Yan Ying looked triumphant, but a trace of her reluctance to part still lingered in her eyes.