The remaining four days of the martial arts tournament were incredibly lively. Golden Core stage disciples traded blows, even opening An Zhengzheng's eyes to a new level of skill.
If the Qi Refining stage is like junior high or high school students, and the Foundation Establishment stage is like a combined bachelor's and master's degree program, then the Golden Core stage is like a contest between doctoral students.
Some techniques are so complex that even someone as competitive as An Zhengzheng can't understand their principles.
She was even more looking forward to reaching the Golden Core stage.
An Yirou, however, seemed dazed and kept looking for Yanqing.
While An Zhengzheng was fully focused on the competition, An Yirou looked down at the jade slip, which showed the order of the disciples' duels.
She suddenly slipped away.
Clutching my pounding heart, I was suddenly overcome by a strange sense of rebellion.
"I'll give it my all this time. I'm about to return to Siyue Gate... Just this once, just this once, I'll give up on this idea and study hard."
This was the first time she had done something else behind An Zhengzheng's back.
With my mind in turmoil, I jogged all the way to Yanqing's viewing platform.
Yanqing was the most presentable person in Qintian Prefecture; otherwise, they wouldn't have sent him to meet the top scholar.
He was tall and straight, his spellcasting was very sharp, and his eyes had an unusual arrogance, which was different from his polite manner when greeting guests in the stands, making him seem much more masculine.
An Yirou was immediately captivated.
"Senior Brother Yanqing is amazing!"
"Yeah! I heard that every year a senior sister from the Hehuan Sect has her eye on him, but unfortunately, none of them have succeeded..."
Why is that?
An Yirou clenched her fists, pretending not to care, but in reality, she had already focused her attention on the conversation.
The onlooker said, "I heard that he already has a fiancée... and they're getting married in two years. I wonder if that will affect his progress to the Nascent Soul stage."
Taoist priests of Qintianfu are allowed to marry, unlike the heartless priests of Siyuemen.
An Yirou retreated from the crowd in a daze.
She turned her head and saw An Zhengzheng quietly watching her from a short distance away.
But unexpectedly, he didn't show any disappointment or sadness; he was just very calm, extremely calm.
She simply asked gently, "It's almost lunchtime, are you hungry?"
"I've heard that the food at Qintian Mansion is much better than at Siyue Gate. We're leaving tomorrow, why don't you try it?"
These past few days she hasn't dared to miss any magical duels, so she hasn't wasted much time eating, instead taking fasting pills.
It's time to take An Yirou to try it out.
\/\/
As night fell, An Yirou tossed and turned in bed.
During the day, her sister clearly didn't say anything, acting as usual. But she always felt uncomfortable, even guilty.
Looking at the moonlight, she became increasingly melancholy, feeling as if she was no longer herself at all.
I drifted off to sleep in a hazy, dreamlike state.
...
"Miss, do you think the makeup is applied well?"
The maid's voice rang out, and An Yirou was somewhat dazed.
"How did I end up at home?" An Yirou was completely confused.
"Miss, what are you saying?" The An family maid covered her mouth and laughed. "You're about to marry your husband, where else would you be but at home?"
"Son-in-law...who is the son-in-law?" She still needs to work on her sister's business; how can she get married?
The maid was taken aback: "It's Young Master Yanqing!"
"Yanqing..." An Yirou suddenly felt a little shy when she thought of him.
But she quickly came to her senses: "But I can't get married! If I get married, what will happen to Madam Pei, and what will happen to the girls of the Hundred Women's Pavilion?"
"I'll be helping my sister manage the household from now on!"
Only An Yirou truly understands her sister; she knows An Zhengzheng's thoughts.
"That's so tiring! It's hard work every day." The maid was puzzled. "Miss needs to find someone to rely on. She should marry a young master. He will earn money to support the family."
"...Would it be better to just marry him?"
"Of course," the maid said softly as she helped her with her hair and makeup.
"Mysterious love is like honey; even the bitterest days can bring sweetness to girls... Such great love can save any woman from dire straits."
An Yirou felt something was off, and she grabbed the maid's hand, saying, "You're too rough, my head hurts."
"No, miss!" The maid pushed her hand away and said to herself, "One comb to the end, two combs to white hair reaching the eyebrows, three combs to a house full of children and grandchildren..."
An Yirou felt uncomfortable and pushed her away abruptly: "You, you shouldn't get so close to me..."
"Isn't Miss happy about marrying Young Master Yanqing?" The maid suddenly turned cold, staring intently at An Yirou.
This is so bizarre!
An Yirou suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.
She stammered, "He...he has a fiancée..."
"Then kill her!" The maid's expression softened. "Courageous love must be fought for. You are a good girl who is brave for love."
“No, my sister said this is…” An Yirou couldn’t remember the words for a moment. It was what her sister had told her when she was seven or eight years old.
She asked what the girl in the book was called again.
“That’s a mistress! It’s wrong to be a mistress.” An Yirou finally remembered. “A gentleman cannot take away what another loves.”
"Did An Zhengzheng tell you that?" The maid shook her head and said, "You're not a gentleman. She's wrong; she's stopping you from pursuing love... Kill her. If you kill An Zhengzheng, you won't have anything to fear."
Your sister is harming you!
An Yirou instinctively retorted, "That's not true!"
She is very unhappy now.
“I’m not ready yet!” An Yirou said. “I’m still so young, there are so many things I haven’t done yet, and my sister also said that I’m not capable of facing many difficulties.”
“There are many unnecessary hardships that I don’t need to endure! I’ll only suffer if I marry into a relationship in a daze. I need to become an economically independent, emotionally stable, and mentally strong person first, and figure out whether I really need it before I can manage a relationship.”
Now, the older sister has a big task to do, and she has to follow along. What they need to create is a fairer environment, one that allows female cultivators more room for error.
An Yirou also has very important things to do!
After spending a lot of time with An Zhengzheng, many words would come out of An Yirou's mouth and into her heart.
In a daze, she woke up to find it was another bright and sunny day.
She felt a little lost; she seemed to have had a strange dream last night, and her head was aching.
It's strange, why do I feel uncomfortable after having an epiphany?
As soon as she opened the window for ventilation, she saw Yanqing talking to the disciple on duty.
"What's going on? Did I dream about him last night? Or not? It's so strange."
She couldn't understand it.
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