Chapter 26 A Girl in Love
"Let's go. Although those little creatures from Snake Valley won't come back, we don't know if the person who kidnapped you will. This place is still too dangerous. Let's leave quickly."
Mu Yao nodded, took his hand, and quickly followed in his footsteps. But she was still a child after all, and the dew was heavy. The two of them walked through the woods, and in less than an hour, their trouser legs were completely soaked.
Mu Yao was too exhausted to walk any further.
After confirming that they had left the Valley of Poisonous Snakes, Qin Wuyan saw that she was exhausted and had no strength left, so he couldn't bear to urge her to continue. He found a rock for her to lean against and rested, and then gathered some dry branches to build a fire in front of her.
The bright flames were like a hole burned in the darkness, and warmth spread through the air with the leaping flames.
Feeling the warmth, Mu Yao gradually relaxed from her curled-up position. She sat up straighter and suddenly smelled the fragrance of osmanthus. Looking closer, she saw Qin Wuyan reaching out and handing her a piece of osmanthus cake.
Mu Yao looked at him in surprise: "Where did Master get this?"
Qin Wuyan laughed and said, "I knew you liked this, and I was worried you'd be hungry when I went out, so I brought a few pieces with me. I didn't expect it to actually come in handy."
He had carried the osmanthus cake with him, and after all the commotion along the way, it was now crushed into tiny pieces, no longer recognizable, but its rich aroma still lingered. She was indeed exhausted, sleepy, cold, and hungry. She took the osmanthus cake, but didn't eat it; her eyes were red, filled with a mixture of gratitude and guilt.
How could he be so kind? He carried her favorite snacks with him, worried she might be hungry. How could he be so good to her?
Mu Yao stared at the osmanthus cake with teary eyes for a long time before handing it back to him, saying, "Master, please eat it. I'm not hungry."
Qin Wuyan knew she was lying as soon as he heard her voice, and pushed her hand away: "Still trying to fool me? Hurry up and eat, then sleep a little longer. I'll stay with you. We'll head back when it's light."
Mu Yao was indeed very hungry, but she still stubbornly said, "If Master doesn't eat, I won't eat either."
Qin Wuyan said helplessly, "Alright then, I'll take half, and you take half." With that, he divided the already meager amount of osmanthus cake into two portions and handed her the larger portion.
Mu Yao then took it and started eating. The osmanthus cake tasted sweet, almost sweet enough to warm one's heart.
After eating and warming herself by the fire, her pale and tired appearance faded considerably, and she felt more energetic. She then remembered the red-eyed man in black who had kidnapped her, and told Qin Wuyan everything the two men in black she had encountered had said.
Qin Wuyan's expression turned extremely solemn after hearing this. The person behind it all had clearly discovered that Mu Yao had been reincarnated through the divine tree, but who on earth knew this?
The Azure Scale Technique is indeed a cultivation method unique to the Demonic Sect. Could he really be a disciple of the Heavenly Dawn Divine Sect?
No, that's not right. The cultivation of the Azure Scale Technique requires a very high level of skill, and it is by no means something that an ordinary disciple can do.
Xiao Bai is a nine-tailed celestial fox, and she wouldn't bother cultivating such magic, so it couldn't be her.
Most of the highly skilled elders from Fenxiang Valley, Qingyun Sect, and Tianyin Temple perished in the battle between the righteous and demonic factions six years ago. Since then, no other sects have produced any extraordinary individuals or talents. Moreover, this person needs to know about Mu Yao's situation.
He couldn't help but begin to doubt those around him. Xie Qingqiu? Tang Yuan? Meng Guang?
Judging from their current cultivation levels, the three of them are far from being able to cultivate such techniques. Moreover, these people have followed him for many years, and he has never noticed anything unusual about them.
But then he remembered that he had been hiding in Yudu for five years without being discovered by the old city lord, so it was not impossible that someone was deliberately concealing their identity.
He thought for a long time and felt that the only way at present was to make Mu Yao stronger as soon as possible. Even if he could not protect her by her side at all times, he had to make sure she had the ability to protect herself.
So Qin Wuyan said, "Yao'er, after we return to Fox Ridge Mountain, can you promise your master one thing?"
Seeing the seriousness in his tone, Mu Yao also became serious: "Master, you said that as long as I can do it, I will definitely agree."
Qin Wuyan said, "After you return, you are not allowed to leave Fox Ridge Mountain at any time without my permission. Do you agree?"
"I..." Mu Yao instinctively wanted to say "no," but she immediately realized that Qin Wuyan was trying to protect her.
Since arriving at Fox Ridge Mountain, after the initial novelty wore off, she found the days of cultivation arduous and boring. Whenever she felt tired, she would always want to sneak down the mountain to play. This had happened several times in the past few months, and Qin Wuyan had even become angry with her because of it. But since she realized how much he doted on her, she was no longer afraid of his anger and became even more unrestrained.
This time, although Qin Wuyan spoke to her in a consultative tone, she knew very well that she could not object to this matter, nor could she object anymore. She could not be playful anymore, nor could she cause him to get hurt because of her.
Mu Yao lowered her head, like a docile rabbit after being frightened. She nodded earnestly, her tone more obedient than ever before: "I promise Master that I will never dare to secretly go down the mountain without your permission. I will also practice my skills diligently so that Master will not worry about me all the time."
Seeing her so well-behaved and sensible for the first time, Qin Wuyan was a little unaccustomed to it.
He knew that children this age were always full of curiosity and longing for the outside world, and he didn't want her to remain deprived of her freedom. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, gently stroking her head:
"You should practice your skills diligently. When I have time, I'll take you down the mountain for a stroll. But you must be obedient and not leave me casually. I'm afraid something will happen to you. I'm really afraid."
As he finished speaking, he suddenly tightened his grip on her arm, holding her even closer, his expression a mixture of panic and helplessness.
She had no idea how terrified he was. Her sudden arrest had thrown him into complete disarray; on his way to find her, the thought that he wouldn't be able to go on living if anything happened to her filled him with despair.
Sixteen years ago, he watched her perish under the Zhuxian Sword, and he was powerless to stop it.
Six years ago, he watched her disappear before the gates of the underworld, powerless to do anything about it.
He never wanted to experience that excruciating, bone-deep helplessness again.
Mu Yao had been hugged by him before, but she had never been hugged so tightly, and she had never been so close to him.
His warm breath lingered in her ear, his handsome face was before her eyes, and his strong, muscular arms were against her body.
Such an embrace was warm and safe; she felt enveloped and entwined by happiness.
She reached out and gently embraced him: "Master, I will never leave you, never."
As the night grew deeper, Mu Yao, unable to resist her drowsiness, fell into a deep sleep in his arms.
She didn't know how long she had slept. In her hazy state, it seemed that Qin Wuyan wanted to carry her back.
She refused, because she remembered that he was still seriously injured and it would be so painful for him to carry her!
But her eyelids were too heavy, and she couldn't open her eyes no matter what she did. In the end, he carried her on his back, across babbling brooks, over towering mountains, and across muddy river valleys. Step by step, with his battered body, he carried her back to Fox Ridge Mountain.
In the years that followed, Mu Yao often recalled that night, unable to understand why she had slept so soundly that she slept until he carried her back to Fox Ridge Mountain. And every time she asked Qin Wuyan, he would always smile and say, "You were still young then. It's normal for children to sleep soundly and be hard to wake up."
She believed it at first, but as she grew older, she realized that he had simply put her to sleep by lighting her sleep-inducing acupoint because he saw that she was tired from her journey.
That trip outside made Mu Yao truly realize how dangerous it was outside.
For the next six years, she never left Fox Hill again.
From the first bloom of peach blossoms to the falling snow of winter, year after year, she followed Qin Wuyan to cultivate magic in the Falling Star Palace, followed him to the Red Butterfly Valley to learn alchemy and poison making, and memorized medical prescriptions and pharmacopoeias; she also followed him to the Peach Blossom Garden to play the flute and break willow branches, her smile bright and gentle.
Even at the fifth annual Heavenly Fox Tournament, she won the championship, stunning the entire audience!
From then on, everyone addressed her as the Vice Sect Leader with utmost respect, and no one dared to regard her as a mere girl who did not live up to her title.
Six years may seem like just one year after another to adults, but it can transform a nine-year-old child from a little girl into a graceful young woman.
On this day, Fox Hill was decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations everywhere, especially in a courtyard on Seven Clouds Mountain, where large red lanterns were hung and the double happiness characters were pasted on the green walls and square windows.
In the room, Mu Yao looked at Su Zhenzhen sitting in front of the bronze mirror and sincerely praised her, "Sister Zhenzhen looks absolutely gorgeous today!"
Today is the wedding day of Su Zhenzhen and Song Banshan. The Tianli Divine Sect does not prohibit marriage, and since Su Zhenzhen has now become the head of the White Tiger Hall, the wedding is allowed to be held within the sect.
Over the years, ever since Su Zhenzhen learned in the dining hall that Mu Yao had been appointed as the deputy sect leader by Qin Wuyan, she had frequently gone to Peach Blossom Garden to curry favor with her. Mu Yao found that Mu Yao's behavior was very similar to her own, and that she was only four years older than her. Both of them were straightforward, so their relationship grew better and better, and they even started calling each other sisters.
Mu Yao came to give Su Zhenzhen a wedding gift.
Hearing her praise, Su Zhenzhen smiled shyly, "Yao'er, your words are getting sweeter and sweeter." Looking at the graceful young girl in front of her, she added, "Yao'er, you'll be of marriageable age soon, won't you?"
Mu Yao nodded. "My fifteenth birthday is on the sixth day of this month."
Su Zhenzhen blinked: "Oh dear, today is the first day of the lunar month, which means it'll be here in five days. Girls can get married after they reach the age of marriage. So, do you have someone you like?"
Mu Yao smiled and said, "I like a lot of people. I like my master, I like Aunt Bai, I like Brother Tang, and I also like Sister Zhenzhen and Brother Song."
Su Zhenzhen shook her head and gently poked her head with her finger: "Don't play dumb, you know that's not what I meant by 'like'."
Mu Yao still smiled and said, "What does that mean? I really don't know."
"You!"
Su Zhenzhen gave her a reproachful look, then thought for a moment and said, "However, the sect leader hasn't even married yet, and you're his disciple. How can a disciple get married before her master? Sigh, what if this delays your marriage in the future?"
Mu Yao said, "Then I won't get married. I'll stay with my master for the rest of my life."
Su Zhenzhen smiled slyly: "But how do you know that the sect leader won't get married? You know, the sect leader is immortal. If he finds a woman he likes later, you'll have a master's wife. Your master's wife probably won't tolerate you, her little disciple, spending your whole life with him."
"Sister Zhenzhen!" Mu Yao exclaimed anxiously, "Don't talk nonsense, Master... he will not get married."
Su Zhenzhen found her appearance extremely amusing and couldn't resist teasing her further:
"That's not necessarily true. I heard the other day that Protector Xie made a dress for the Sect Leader, and the Sect Leader wore it when he went out last time. Many people in the sect say that Protector Xie is becoming more and more beautiful, and since she is always by the Sect Leader's side, she and the Sect Leader look very much like a couple. Maybe Protector Xie will become our Sect Leader's wife in the future."
Mu Yao was stunned. Was there really such a rumor?
She rarely practiced with the sect disciples on weekdays. She had the most contact with Su Zhenzhen and Ye Gou, or occasionally heard some trivial and interesting stories about the sect in the dining hall. However, the disciples in the sect all knew that she was the vice sect leader, and Qin Wuyan valued her highly, so they dared not discuss anything in front of her. Therefore, she had almost never heard any rumors about Qin Wuyan.
A few days ago, when Qin Wuyan went down the mountain on business, he did indeed take Xie Qingqiu with him.
She felt increasingly distressed. Could it be true?
"Yao'er?" Su Zhenzhen saw that Yao'er's originally smiling face had turned worried, and she knew that Yao'er believed her. She thought for a moment and asked, "Yao'er, tell me, do you like the sect leader?"
Afraid that she would try to confuse her again, she simply made herself clearer: "The liking I'm talking about isn't the liking a disciple has for his master, it's the kind of liking between a man and a woman. Just like how I like you, Brother Song, and I want to marry you and be with you forever."
Mu Yao stammered, "I...I don't know if it counts. I only know that I don't want to see him get married. I...I want to be with him forever, whether it's a master-disciple relationship or something else, as long as we're together forever."
Su Zhenzhen let out a long sigh of relief. "Oh dear, I've finally managed to get you to admit what's on your mind. You always used to laugh it off and refuse to tell the truth. I had to provoke you like this before you would finally see your true feelings, didn't I?"
Mu Yao blushed, but immediately grasped the key point in her words: "Sister Zhenzhen, were you provoking me just now? So you're saying that the matter between Master and Protector Xie is false?"
Su Zhenzhen covered her mouth and laughed: "Look at how anxious you are!"
She took Mu Yao's hand and continued, "Yao'er, tell me first, if the sect leader never marries, do you also plan to never marry?"
Mu Yao nodded: "I only want to be with him."
"Sigh!" Su Zhenzhen suddenly sighed and said, "Do you know that the sect leader once had someone he liked?"
Mu Yao was stunned, and slowly shook her head.
Su Zhenzhen glanced out the window; no one had come in. It was still early, she had time, so she continued in a low voice:
“This happened before I joined the sect. I only heard it from someone else, so it may not be true. The sect leader has always forbidden anyone from mentioning this matter, so please don’t say that I told you. Otherwise, if the sect leader finds out, I’ll be dead.”
Mu Yao said, "I won't tell anyone, Sister Zhenzhen, please tell me quickly!"
Su Zhenzhen lowered her voice again: "It is said that more than ten years ago, the sect leader proposed to the young master of the now-destroyed Ghost King Sect. But that woman did not like him. Later, she died in the first war between the righteous and the demonic. The sect leader tried various methods to revive her, but in the end, it was no use. After he unified the Holy Sect, he set up the new sect's territory on Fox Ridge Mountain. This place used to be Ghost King Sect territory. The courtyard you live in used to be where the young master of Ghost King Sect lived."
Mu Yao remained calm after hearing this. She said, "I know about this. My master asked her for marriage, and I heard about it a long time ago. But she's dead. I don't need to be jealous of a dead person."
Now it was Su Zhenzhen's turn to be surprised: "Oh dear, so you knew all along. I was so concerned for you, keeping it from you all this time, afraid you'd be upset!"
Mu Yao laughed: "Sister Zhenzhen, you'd better tell me quickly, what's going on between my master and Protector Xie? Did my master really wear the clothes she gave him?"
Su Zhenzhen said, "Yes, Protector Xie did give a garment to the Sect Leader, and the Sect Leader wore it. However, the garment was originally made according to the Sect Leader's own wishes. I heard that the Sect Leader was going to the Hehuan Sect to deliver a congratulatory gift to Sect Leader Jin, so she dressed more formally. The Sect Leader did not wear that garment because she liked her."
"Really?" Although Mu Yao still had doubts, her worries lessened considerably after hearing her say that.
Su Zhenzhen said, "It's true. My inquiries are always the most accurate. Besides, the sect leader's attitude towards Protector Xie is exactly how he treats his subordinates. If you ask me, even if the sect leader likes you, he wouldn't like her."
Mu Yao said confidently, "Between her and me, Master will definitely prefer me."
Su Zhenzhen found it amusing; how could this girl be so clever one moment and so foolish the next? She quickly said, "Oh dear, I wasn't talking about a master's affection for his disciple. I meant the kind of affection a man has for a woman."
Mu Yao was stunned. This... she had never thought of it before.
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