"Uncle-Master, do you really think so?" Liu Ying's expression was not one of joy. He had been by Xue Qing's side since childhood, and Xue Qing's sudden change in attitude towards life caught him off guard.
"Liu Ying, you're still too young. Your master has figured everything out this time." Xue Qing shook her head and said to Liu Ying. It was better not to say too much. Rather than trying to please others, she would let everyone guess what she was thinking.
"It's good that Qing'er is awake. I have something more important to say," Fang Yun interrupted their conversation and turned the topic to something he was more interested in: "Junior sister, do you remember Qiao Yijun, the eldest disciple of the Wudang Sect, whom I mentioned to you? He is handsome and has received the true teachings of Daoist Siyou. He would be the most suitable husband for you."
Xue Qing felt as if she had been struck by lightning. Fang Yun's plump and gentle appearance had deceived her, making her forget Fang Yun's sharpest nature. The greatest pleasure of her later years as the sect leader was to arrange her life's most important event!
"Sect Leader, isn't he engaged to Cheng Ling, the only daughter of the Xilin Pavilion Master?" Liu Ying added calmly.
"I heard yesterday that Qiao Yijun broke off the engagement with Pavilion Master Cheng. Pavilion Master Cheng was furious, but fortunately Cheng Ling intervened and the matter was resolved." Fang Yun's spirited demeanor was no different from that of an ordinary housewife. "Cheng Ling's family background and appearance are both exceptional. I don't know what Qiao Yijun was thinking when he broke off the engagement. In any case, now that they are no longer engaged, Qing'er, you can consider it again."
Xue Qing was frozen in place, leaning her weight against the railing with one hand: "Qiao Yijun can break off Cheng Ling's engagement, and he can break mine too. I don't want to become a laughing stock."
“How are you and her similar? Maybe Young Master Qiao has fallen for you.” Fang Yun continued to paint an impossible picture of the future.
Sun Fang stood there dumbfounded. As a junior, he couldn't interrupt, but his sympathetic gaze betrayed his kind heart. Liu Ying was already used to Fang Yun's quirks. On the contrary, he would help Fang Yun gather information on the preferences of eligible young men. In any case, whoever Xue Qing took a liking to was better than that devil Mo Huang.
"Senior sister, don't get agitated. I think it's better to think things through carefully. Marriage is a serious matter and shouldn't be taken lightly," Xue Qing said, trying to find a way to decline.
"I've already arranged for Young Master Qiao to come to Lingyu Sect to discuss countermeasures against the Desert Demons. He should arrive tomorrow, so please prepare accordingly." Fang Yun's tone left no room for argument. She usually went along with Xue Qing in most things, but when it came to arranging blind dates, she was always firm and decisive, giving Xue Qing no chance to defend herself. "I've already ordered a new outfit from the embroidery shop. Young Master Qiao has an elegant demeanor, so we should cater to his tastes."
"Senior sister, I don't..."
"Liu Ying, take Qing'er back to rest. She's been unconscious for several days and looks quite pale. She needs to recover before Young Master Qiao arrives." Fang Yun was completely absorbed in the joy of the arranged marriage and didn't care what Xue Qing was saying. She urged Liu Ying to take Xue Qing back to her room. Liu Ying never went against Xue Qing's wishes and just watched Xue Qing, waiting for her orders.
Xue Qing sighed. On this issue, she could never win against Fang Yun. Even if she managed to avoid tomorrow, Fang Yun would still find all sorts of strange reasons to get Qiao Yijun to come to Lingyu. It was better to go along with Fang Yun's wishes. Anyway, Qiao Yijun liked someone else and would never be interested in her. It would be better for everyone to part ways amicably.
"Alright, it wouldn't hurt to meet him," Xue Qing said helplessly.
"That's right. I'll send someone to urge the embroidery shop to hurry up and finish the work. The clothes will be delivered to your room tomorrow morning. You should also make sure your complexion looks good. I'll have the kitchen prepare your favorite dishes." Fang Yun said, gently pinching Xue Qing's cheek.
"Okay, I'm going back to my room now," Xue Qing said weakly.
"Take care, Martial Aunt, and take care, Senior Brother Liuying." Sun Fang said respectfully, and as he bowed his head, he thought to himself that Martial Aunt Xue Qing was not as arrogant as before after she woke up. He hoped that she would always be like this.
Liu Ying followed Xue Qing back to her room. Although Xue Qing knew Liu Ying was the original novel's designated shadow, she still felt awkward having a man follow her into her bedroom. She lay on the carved couch for a while, constantly seeing Liu Ying's figure and feeling embarrassed. She wanted a drink of water, but before she could reach for the teacup, it was already in front of her, held by Liu Ying with both hands. Xue Qing hesitated for a moment before taking the tea, her eyes glancing at Liu Ying's hands. They were fair and slender, but calluses had formed on the joints and the base of the thumb, indicating the hands of a martial artist. Xue Qing then looked at her own hands, even more calloused than Liu Ying's. Looking at the back of her hands, one might assume she was a well-maintained young lady, but turning them over revealed thick calluses from holding weapons all day. Clearly, Xue Qing had put in the effort in martial arts; it was just a pity that her obsession with the male lead had cost her everything.
Seeing Xue Qing staring blankly at her hands, Liu Ying sensitively sensed what was on her mind. The slight doubt in his heart was completely replaced by heartache. Standing beside Xue Qing, he said softly, "It's just that your internal energy has dissipated. You can start practicing again. I will help you." Of course, he knew that even if he said this, it wouldn't comfort Xue Qing much. She had been practicing martial arts since she could walk, and she had put in so much effort over the past twenty years to achieve what she had today. All of it had vanished overnight. No one could bear such a shock.
Xue Qing, who had transmigrated from another era, had no idea what internal energy was, but she knew that Liu Ying had misunderstood her as being moved by the scenery. Seeing the handsome face of her worried for her, she couldn't bear it, so she smiled and said to Liu Ying, "I'm fine, don't worry."
"Yes, I know that my martial uncle has always been resolute." Liu Ying said with a smile. For that demon, she would not only have lost her martial arts, but she would also be willing to die. That was what Liu Ying thought in her heart.
Liu Ying asked a female disciple serving in the room to fetch a piece of sheepskin. She sat on a chair and wiped her sword. Her gentle movements, coupled with her handsome face, created a pleasing scene. Those who practice swordsmanship regard their swords as their life. Xue Qing understood this. Before she transmigrated, she would wipe her glasses every day. Now, not only was she no longer nearsighted, but she could also see farther and more clearly than normal people. Although Xue Qing's body had lost its internal energy, the sharpness of her five senses, which she had trained since childhood, was still there. She glanced at Liu Ying and clearly saw her bowed head. She felt even more that the Xue Qing in the original work was unreasonable. She had such a beauty by her side but insisted on chasing after the cold-blooded big bad wolf. Who said she was a martial arts prodigy? She was simply a representative of high intelligence and low emotional intelligence.
Liu Ying noticed Xue Qing's gaze. Xue Qing was a woman who never let go of her sword. She thought that her sword had touched Xue Qing's heartstrings. After sheathing her sword, she said, "When I arrived, you were already unconscious and your sword was broken. I'll accompany you to the storeroom to choose another one."
Xue Qing can't even handle a kitchen knife properly, let alone a sword. She shook her head: "No need, I'm not in the mood for a sword right now." Besides, Liu Ying's martial arts skills are not bad either, why would I need a sword if he's with me?
"Yes." Liu Ying was silent for a moment, then said as if making up her mind, "I didn't see Yan Ming when I went there. He must have already left, leaving you unconscious..."
If it were Xue Qing from the original novel, she would definitely be furious at this moment. She would not allow anyone to "sow discord" between her and her beloved. Liu Ying was most afraid of Xue Qing getting angry, so she carefully considered her words before saying them, hoping to expose Yan Ming's true colors in front of Xue Qing.
As a reader who had been following the serialization, Xue Qing only saw Yan Ming as the male lead. The idea that the male lead belonged to the female lead was deeply ingrained in her. As a supporting female character, she had to be sensible and never try to steal the man from the female lead.
"It was a moment of confusion on my part. I won't have anything to do with him again. You should also pretend you never met him," Xue Qing said to Liu Ying.
"Yes," Liu Ying replied, no longer looking at Xue Qing. She would always say such things to keep his secret, but in truth, he would cut out his tongue without complaint if she just said one word.
With Liu Ying looking away, Xue Qing was able to observe Liu Ying more directly. The original Xue Qing certainly wouldn't have felt this awkward when she was with him; she needed to get used to it quickly.
The male lead has arrived.
The next morning, Fang Yun sent a disciple to urge Xue Qing to get up, bathe, and change. New clothes, hastily made by the embroidery shop, were also delivered. Liu Ying was sent by Fang Yun to the foot of the mountain to greet Qiao Yijun. Knowing she had no other choice, Xue Qing dismissed all the female disciples from the room and changed into the new clothes. The dress was indeed quite plain, white with blue flowers and no other embellishments. Wearing it made her look like a blue-and-white porcelain vase. Fortunately, Xue Qing's face was beautiful enough that she wouldn't lose her charm no matter what she wore.
Xue Qing was admiring her reflection in the bronze mirror when she suddenly heard a creaking sound from the bookshelf beside her. In the original story, Xue Qing had set up a trap in her room, built a secret room, and dug a secret passage leading down the mountain in order to meet Yan Ming in secret. Could it be that the unlucky god had already finished picking up girls and returned so quickly?
Xue Qing wanted to call the disciples outside the door in, but before she could even open her mouth, the bookshelf spun ninety degrees, and Yan Ming walked out from behind it. He had the same alluring face as described in the book, with delicate yet effeminate features. He had a smile on his lips, but his eyes held a ruthless glint that could tear someone apart at any moment. His clothes were disheveled, revealing well-defined muscles and several faint scars, confirming the saying, "There are no weaklings in the desert."
"You've become even more beautiful in just a few days," Yan Ming said with a wicked smile, his sharp eyes fixed on Xue Qing.
Xue Qing trembled, feeling like a white sheep with blue patterns, locked in a sheepfold with desert wolves. If she dared to act rashly, the wolves would bite her neck off. Xue Qing took two steps back and timidly replied to Yan Ming, "Long time no see, I've missed you terribly."
Yan Ming flashed to Xue Qing's side, lifted a strand of her hair and sniffed it, saying, "I heard your martial arts are ruined, is that true?"
In her nervousness, Xue Qing suddenly remembered Yan Ming's character design. He had done something illicit with her, treating her purely as a lamb to the slaughter. If he felt she had lost her usefulness, he would definitely kill her to silence her. Xue Qing recalled the method she used to escape this predicament in the novel: to relentlessly pursue him, to make him believe she was still obsessed with him, still his loyal pawn.
What is beauty? In the face of life, chastity is nothing but fleeting clouds, let alone modesty. Xue Qing suppressed the fear in her heart and leaned into Yan Ming's arms: "What does it matter if I lose my life for you? Senior sister wants to arrange my marriage with Qiao Yijun and has asked him to come to Lingyu today, but I don't want to see him. I only want to see you."
"Qiao Yijun is the eldest disciple of Wudang. Daoist Siyou values him highly and entrusts him with most of the sect's affairs. It would be good if you got closer to him and helped me gather some intelligence." Yan Ming said while groping Xue Qing's body. Being teased by such a handsome man should have been a pleasant experience, but if you knew that this handsome man was a villain who would not even blink if he strung people's hearts together, you would feel nothing but cold sweat and no pleasure.
"You know perfectly well that I only have eyes for you, how could I possibly be interested in other men?" Xue Qing twisted her body in Yan Ming's arms, seemingly trying to take advantage of him, but actually trying to prevent his restless hands from touching her inappropriate parts. However, this euphemistic way of putting it was inaccurate; she didn't want any part of her body to be touched. She wanted to keep a distance of at least ten feet from this man.
"Listen to me, once I unify the world, you will be the mistress of the world." Yan Ming said, looking at Xue Qing with "deep affection." His eyes were beautiful and sexy, but unfortunately, they were devoid of any true feelings.
Xue Qing felt that if she didn't agree in time, the part where her body and head were connected might break, so she obediently nodded: "Okay, I'm willing to do anything for you."
"This is the kind of woman I should cherish." Yan Ming said, letting Xue Qing lean on his left arm, then leaning down and pressing her down. His lips were already on her cheek, sliding towards that crimson color. Xue Qing felt a foreign object pressing against her thigh, and a red alarm went off in her mind.
Her brain only gave the command "escape." Xue Qing shoved Yan Ming away, retreating to the wall to face him. Yan Ming had never experienced the rage of having his good time interrupted. This woman, who had always been so demanding, dared to push him away, and he was instantly filled with murderous intent. He approached Xue Qing step by step, his sharp fingertips lifting her chin: "What, now you want to play the virtuous widow? Weren't you overjoyed when you left the mark of my concubine?" With that, he pulled down Xue Qing's collar, revealing half of her breast. Slightly above her left breast, a dark butterfly seemed ready to take flight.
"No, no, Qiao Yijun is coming soon. You'll be in danger if someone finds out," Xue Qing hurriedly explained, her face bearing a saintly, compassionate expression.
Yan Ming's expression softened, and he casually stroked Xue Qing's face with the hand that was holding her chin. "Alright, my whereabouts cannot be exposed yet, and you must also hide your identity. I'll be leaving now, and I'll take good care of you next time." After saying that, Yan Ming quickly moved his feet a few times and retreated into the secret room behind the bookshelf. With a creaking sound, the bookshelf returned to its original state.
What a stylish move! Xue Qing thought to herself. Only after making sure there was no more noise did she dare to breathe a sigh of relief. The first thing she did was call several female disciples in to keep her company. Getting involved with a serial killer in this place where killing is not illegal is just asking for trouble!
Just as the sun reached its highest point of the day, Liu Ying returned, bringing Qiao Yijun back with her as expected. Fang Yun led Qiao Yijun into the study he usually used for his office, pretending to discuss the future of the martial arts world with him. He dismissed the other disciples but instructed Xue Qing to brew a pot of the finest tea.