Chapter 45 The Bright Moon
"I'll go check out the osmanthus cake."
Qin Wuyan changed the subject, and when he lifted the lid, he was just glad that the pot was sturdy enough, because all the water in the pot had boiled away.
The steaming heat, carrying the fragrance of osmanthus, filled the kitchen. Qin Wuyan took out a piece of osmanthus cake, sprinkled some dried osmanthus flowers on it, placed it on a plate, and handed it to Mu Yao: "Be careful, it's hot."
Mu Yao blew on it, then carefully took a bite. The soft, sweet flavor spread in her mouth, and her eyes lit up: "Delicious! It's so much better than last time!"
Seeing her so happy and content, Qin Wuyan felt all his hard work had been totally worth it. He brought over the steamers, saying, "There's more here, eat slowly!"
"You eat too!" Mu Yao picked up a piece and fed it to his mouth. Qin Wuyan opened his mouth and took a bite. An extreme happiness swept over his whole body, and he even had the urge to cry.
"Yao'er," he couldn't help but call out to her, reaching out to gently wipe the crumbs of cake from the corner of her lips, his tone suddenly becoming serious: "Three years, how about we wait another three years?"
Mu Yao was stunned for a moment, then he continued, "I will marry you in three years, okay?"
"Really?" A hint of surprise flashed in Mu Yao's eyes, but she was also very puzzled: "Why do we have to wait another three years?"
She didn't understand. Although the sect still regarded them as master and disciple, everyone could see that their relationship had long since transcended that. She simply couldn't comprehend why he was dragging things out like this.
Qin Wuyan said, "I've recently been practicing a very dangerous technique. I must calm my mind and eliminate distracting thoughts. If we get married so soon..." He paused, then slowly said the second half of his sentence, "I'm afraid I'll easily suffer from qi deviation."
Mu Yao understood his unspoken meaning and was immediately embarrassed, her face flushing red and then turning pale: "What...what do you take me for? I...I'm not..."
She was so anxious and angry that she didn't know what to say, so she just rolled her eyes at him: "It's all because you have so little self-control, you just do it so easily..."
She glanced at his crotch, her face flushing even more: "Anyway, it's none of my business."
Qin Wuyan hugged her and laughed, "How can it not concern you? You're too charming. I'm just an ordinary mortal, how could I resist?"
Mu Yao clenched her fist and punched him: "Ouch, you're so mean!!"
Qin Wuyan's smile deepened, and he was about to continue coaxing her when a sudden chill ran through his body. He immediately understood what was happening. He quickly suppressed it, then released Mu Yao without making a sound, stood up, and said, "That's enough. You should go back and rest."
Although his voice was calm, Mu Yao still sensed that something was wrong with him. Seeing his pale face, she couldn't help but ask, "Wu Yan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Qin Wuyan nodded slightly: "Hmm... I feel a little dizzy, but it's nothing, I'll be fine after I go back and rest." After saying that, he strode out of the kitchen.
Stepping outside, Qin Wuyan realized it was already dark, with a full moon hanging high, its pure white light spilling across the ground. He sighed inwardly; today was the fifteenth, and he had completely forgotten that the backlash from his magic was due today…
The chills intensified with each passing moment, and he began to tremble. Afraid that Mu Yao would notice, he quickly entered the room. Just as he was about to close the door, Mu Yao had already followed him, clinging tightly to the door to prevent him from closing it: "What's wrong with you? Why are you dizzy? Do you need me to get you some medicine?"
"No need!" Qin Wuyan's voice was cold and sharp for a moment, but fearing that he might frighten her, he suppressed his discomfort and softened his voice, saying, "Why don't you go back? I can rest by myself."
Mu Yao refused. He had been perfectly fine before, so how could he suddenly fall ill? Besides, their relationship was already intertwined, and even if he was sick, she could take care of him. So she insisted, "Then I'll go in and keep you company. I promise I won't disturb you; I'll just let you rest."
Qin Wuyan smiled wryly and said, "Yao'er, I don't need you to accompany me. You should go back. I'm really fine."
"No way!" Once Mu Yao got stubborn, she was more obstinate than anyone else. She couldn't help but gather spiritual energy in her hands and push the door hard.
At this moment, Qin Wuyan was not only physically weak, but his cultivation was also at its weakest. How could he possibly stop her? The door was suddenly pushed open by her, and before they could react, both of them fell to the ground.
"Wu Yan!" Mu Yao lay on Qin Wu Yan's body, and felt a cold touch. Fine sweat seeped from his eyebrows and forehead, and his brows were furrowed, as if he was resisting unspeakable pain.
She was horrified: "What's wrong with you?"
Despite the pain surging through his body, Qin Wuyan slowly got up with her help, still insisting that she leave.
Seeing him like this, Mu Yao was unwilling to leave. She helped him to lie down on the couch and then gathered spiritual energy at her fingertips to inject into his body. However, Qin Wuyan grabbed her hand and stopped her, saying, "Don't waste your spiritual energy, it's useless."
Mu Yao was extremely anxious: "You said it's no use, so you know what's wrong with you, right? Tell me quickly what to do?"
Qin Wuyan's face was covered in cold sweat, and his brows were even covered with a layer of crystalline frost. He said in a trembling voice, "Mysterious...Mysterious Fire..."
"Mysterious Fire Mirror!!" Mu Yao suddenly realized. Yes, the Mysterious Fire Mirror is an extremely yang object, and only the Mysterious Fire Mirror can alleviate his current condition.
Mu Yao hurriedly searched his room and found the Mysterious Fire Mirror, reciting the incantation to activate it.
Qin Wuyan felt as if he were sleeping in a frozen wasteland, his blood seemingly frozen solid. This sensation was far less intense than the agony of being bitten by countless poisonous insects. But the chill could easily cause one to lose consciousness, and he felt as if he were on the verge of death. Countless scenes flashed before his eyes, and he tried to grasp something, but he couldn't.
Suddenly, a warm feeling slowly flowed into his chest, spreading throughout his body with each heartbeat. The chill gradually faded, like ice and snow melting in the warm sunlight. After a long while, the frost on his brows slowly disappeared, his brow relaxed, and he slowly opened his eyes.
Mu Yao's eyes were red and swollen. She had been so anxious that she had cried, and tears were streaming down her face as she activated the Xuanhuo Mirror. When she saw him wake up, she suddenly bent down and hugged him tightly: "You scared me to death!!"
She burst into tears, and when she touched his cold body and found no pulse, she almost thought he was going to die.
She had never been so afraid before. Her lips were trembling as she chanted the incantation, and she had only one thought in her mind: if something really happened to him, she might as well just die.
Qin Wuyan held her tightly, gently kissing her hair to soothe her emotions.
"What exactly happened?" Mu Yao, having cried enough, looked up from his arms and asked with red eyes.
Qin Wuyan sighed and said softly, "It's nothing. It's just that I was a bit too aggressive in my training and suffered a backlash. It happens every month around the full moon."
Mu Yao asked in surprise, "What kind of martial arts do you practice? It's so dangerous!"
Qin Wuyan said, "These are some witchcraft manuals I obtained from the Southern Border Witch Clan. Maybe I didn't practice them correctly somewhere, but don't worry, I'm really fine, I won't die."
"Really?" Mu Yao asked worriedly, "You're not lying to me?"
Qin Wuyan smiled and said, "I'm not lying to you. If something really happened to me, how could I marry you three years from now?"
Mu Yao still had doubts, but she could only trust him. Leaning against him, feeling the strong heartbeat in his chest, she whispered, "Wu Yan, I believe you, but you must not lie to me. I hate being lied to the most."
Qin Wuyan's arms, which were holding her, froze, unsure of how to respond.
In fact, he had deceived her many times, even though it was out of good intentions.
No matter how beautiful a white lie may be, it is still a lie.
He closed his eyes, not daring to speak, and could only lower his head and gently kiss her forehead.
Mu Yao hugged his waist and noticed that his back was still cold. She asked worriedly, "Are you really alright? Should I use the Mystic Fire Mirror on you again?"
"No need." He picked up the Xuanhuo Mirror from the side, pressed it against his chest, and smiled, "Actually, you don't need to activate it. Just like this, I will slowly get better."
Mu Yao glared at him and said angrily, "Why didn't you say so earlier? Why did you insist on making me leave?"
"I was just afraid of scaring you!"
He reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, feeling extremely distressed: "Look, I scared you so much you cried."
He shouldn't have said that, because his words made Mu Yao feel like crying again. She clenched her fist and lightly punched him: "Don't push me away next time!"
Qin Wuyan smiled, hugged her even tighter, and whispered mischievously in her ear, "Next time I won't push you away, I'll just hug you to keep warm."
Mu Yao glanced at him and said irritably, "All you do is talk a good game!"
She said that, but the hands wrapped around his waist tightened even more. Today's false alarm had truly frightened her, and remembering his promise to marry her in three years, she suddenly understood something and asked, "Wu Yan, you said today that you could only marry me in three years. Is it because of this? Will your condition take three years to heal?"
Although she knew the truth was not what she thought, Qin Wuyan still nodded and said, "That's right, this backlash should disappear in three years."
"Then..." Mu Yao became even more worried, "Is it bad for you to be holding you like this now? Is it making it impossible for you to... calm down?"
Qin Wuyan chuckled. "Ahem, it's not that serious." He kissed her forehead again. "But that's all we can do for now. Some things are better left until after we're married."
Mu Yao couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, as if she were in a particular hurry.
Actually, she didn't care about worldly customs like marriage; she had just suspected he had other reasons for not marrying her. Now that she understood, she only hoped they could stay together like this for the rest of their lives, so why was marriage necessary?
The night was quiet and still, with a bright, full moon hanging high in the sky outside the window, surrounded by countless twinkling stars.
May I be like a star and you like the moon, shining brightly together every night.
Mu Yao leaned against him and thought the two lines of poetry were truly beautiful.
...
Three years may seem like a long time, but when you actually get through it, you realize how fleeting happy times can be.
The peach blossoms in Peach Blossom Garden bloomed and faded, and in the blink of an eye, the third year had arrived. Shortly after the Spring Festival came the Lantern Festival, and Fox Hill was filled with novelty and joy.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, many disciples of the Divine Sect were busy going down the mountain to Yudu City to enjoy the lanterns. Mu Yao, however, remembered clearly that Qin Wuyan would suffer a backlash on the day of the full moon every month, so she did not go down the mountain today.
Strangely, she searched from Peach Blossom Garden to Falling Star Palace, Crimson Butterfly Valley, and even Seven Clouds Mountain and Wolf Fighting Ridge, but still couldn't find Qin Wuyan.
Where did he go?
Mu Yao gazed at the rising moon, her heart filled with worry. After a moment's thought, she hurriedly returned to Peach Blossom Garden. Just as she stepped into the courtyard, a dark shadow flashed past, and Mu Yao swiftly dodged it.
"Who?" She stared warily at the dark figure, a sudden surge of terror washing over her. Could it be that the red-eyed man who had haunted her before, coming to capture her again? She had already activated the Heartbreak Flower in her hand, emitting a dazzling white light, and sharp beams of light pierced towards the figure.
The man dodged swiftly, but Mu Yao's cultivation had greatly increased over the years, and the light swords transformed from the petals of the Heartbreak Flower were extremely dense, making it impossible for her to dodge. Many of them pierced her arms and back.
"Vice Sect Master, it's me!" In desperation, the man had no choice but to speak.
Mu Yao stopped, and when she saw the person in front of her clearly, she was extremely surprised: "Sister Qingqiu?"
On Xie Qingqiu's pale and clean face, the bloodstains from the lightsaber were very conspicuous. When she heard Mu Yao's address, she smiled slightly: "I didn't expect that after three years, you would still be willing to call me sister."
Mu Yao had no intention of reminiscing with her and went straight to the point asking, "What are you doing here?"
Three years ago, Qin Wuyan expelled her and Xie Qingwan from the Divine Sect. She shouldn't be here at all.
Xie Qingqiu looked at her and said calmly, "I'm here to save you."
"Save me?" Mu Yao found this answer utterly absurd. "I'm perfectly fine, why do I need your help?"
Xie Qingqiu didn't answer but asked in return, "You're looking for the sect leader, aren't you?"
"Have you seen him?"
“I know where he is, come with me.”
Xie Qingqiu turned and left, and Mu Yao followed her, asking, "How did you know where he was?"
Xie Qingqiu didn't answer, but kept walking towards the Falling Star Palace. She led her to the right side of the main hall, where Mu Yao discovered a hidden stone door. Xie Qingqiu turned a large red bead on the side wall of the stone door, and the stone door slowly opened, revealing a wide tunnel inside.
Mu Yao was quite surprised; she had never been here before, yet Xie Qingqiu seemed to know the place intimately. This displeased her greatly. She stood still, frowning, and asked, "What makes you so sure he's inside?"
Xie Qingqiu said calmly, "He used to come here when he was in a bad mood or when he didn't want to be disturbed while cultivating."
Mu Yao felt even more uncomfortable. She had been by Qin Wuyan's side for almost nine years and had no idea about this.
Xie Qingqiu noticed her displeasure and continued, "Mu Yao, I brought you here to tell you something. Qin Wuyan doesn't love you as much as you think; he's been using you all along."
Mu Yao sneered, "How could you possibly know how he treated me? Xie Qingqiu, I pleaded for you back then only because of your sister. And now you dare to come back and sow discord between me and Qin Wuyan? What, you still have feelings for him?"
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