Chapter 1246: Chapter 677: Wish Fulfilled?
Min Ning left the Prince Mansion, her steps wide and determined, as she crossed through alleyways and passed through doorways, leaving the increasingly bustling courtyard behind her.
The cobblestone road beneath her feet gradually turned into a gravel path, and the towering walls of the Prince Mansion retreated steadily beside her.
She walked faster and faster, the scabbard of her single sword lightly tapping against her leg, producing a rhythmically urgent sound, as if urging her to go faster, even faster, to leave all those entanglements, longings, and the glimpse of a small home far behind.
Yet no matter how fast she walked, that hollow feeling seemed to follow her like a shadow, weighing heavily on her chest, as if a piece had been gouged out, with a cold wind rushing in.
This feeling was both unfamiliar and familiar, like mingled with a peculiar sourness and helplessness, a pang in her chest that she knew shouldn’t be there but couldn’t suppress.
But Min Ning wouldn’t halt here,
so she walked ever faster.
In just a few steps, she left Dragon Tail City, but eventually, she couldn’t resist, and just as she was about to entirely exit the city gate, stepping into the freedom beyond, she suddenly stopped.
Taking a deep breath, Min Ning abruptly turned around, looking back once more.
In the distance, the layers of flying eaves and corners of the Prince Mansion, with its red walls, the coming and going servants, and the vague sound of bustling preparations for the wedding coming from its depths... all of these composed a prosperous home. A home she had once attempted to enter, tried to find a place within, only to ultimately discover it never truly belonged to her.
She quietly gazed.
Eventually, all the roiling emotions slowly settled down, turning into a barely audible sigh, dissipating in the wind.
......
Min Ning traveled far, the silhouette of Dragon Tail City behind her growing ever smaller, until it transformed into a faint gray line at the horizon.
The main road was gradually replaced by mountain paths, the surroundings becoming quiet, leaving only the sounds of the wind, birds, and her footsteps. She deliberately avoided recalling the bustling Prince Mansion behind her, forcibly bringing her mind back to the mountains and waters before her.
Traveling through Jianghu, one pursues heroism and righteousness. Since Chen Yi and Qin Qingluo already have a concrete small home with warmth and stability, something she witnessed in person, she should not disturb them further.
Anyway... the bond of life and death between her and Chen Yi still exists, not something easily severed.
Even so, her emotions were like the winding mountain road beneath her feet, rising and falling, never finding true peace.
The hollow feeling in her chest did not scatter with distance; instead, it seemed rooted, occasionally stabbing at her.
Within the Heart Lake, the lingering soul she encountered long ago trembled slightly, transmitting a voice,
"Is your state of mind disturbed?"
Min Ning did not pause, almost instinctively retorting, "Nonsense! I just walked a bit fast."
Zhu Yu did not respond, seeming to watch coldly.
Indeed, she herself felt the groundless nature of her words, walking silently a while longer, the mountain path growing more rugged. She finally looked down in desolation, inwardly admitting softly, "Indeed... my state of mind is truly disturbed."
The disturbed state of mind entangled even Martial Intent.
After slaying the dragon, confident and high-spirited, her Martial Intent had also reached its peak, with no place between heaven and earth she couldn’t go. But now, entangled by Chen Yi, she was instead burdened, her thoughts now complex, like a dust-covered mirror, with her previous Martial Intent not only failing to improve but showing signs of decline.
This ungrateful disciple of hers is truly a bane for so many women.
Min Ning took a deep breath of the cold mountain air, trying to suppress those chaotic thoughts.
"I know." She exhaled turbid air, trying hard to steady her mind, "Just keep going."
Zhou Yitang’s gaze was slightly lowered, until she was far from Dragon Tail City, she formed a Finger Technique, faintly sensing something.
After walking a bit further, Zhu Yu’s thoughts resounded again, this time with a hint of different meaning:
"Min Ning, have you never thought, is there anything unusual about this matter?"
Min Ning frowned, puzzled, "Unusual? What do you mean? I haven’t spotted anything."
Zhou Yitang seemed to perceive something, yet separated by thousands of miles, with the Southern Border shrouded in fog, even with extraordinary abilities, she couldn’t see clearly.
Precisely because it was unclear, there was something noticeable, even she only realized it now.
Zhu Yu’s voice echoed within Min Ning’s Heart Lake, word by word,
"From your perspective, naturally, it’s entanglements hard to sever, and heartache unbearable. In the end, for that bit of ’heroism,’ to avoid destroying a family, you chose to retreat, wandering Jianghu, seemingly magnanimous, but in truth, disturbed in mind, obstructed in Martial Arts."
Min Ning didn’t like being reprimanded, especially since her mind was made up, so she said, "I can bear it."
"But have you ever thought, if viewed from Chen Yi’s side?"
Zhu Yu’s thoughts seemed to carry a hint of mockery,
"Isn’t everything too smooth for him? A lovely wife by his side, children around his knees, the honor of the Prince Mansion also in his hands. Even you, such a rare confidant, in the end, understanding righteousness, voluntarily stepping back, not causing him the slightest trouble. What price has he paid? Has he ever faced any true difficulty? It seems all the benefits have fallen to him alone."
Initially, Min Ning let the words in one ear and out the other, but by the end, the words were like a sudden bolt of lightning, striking through the long-standing mist.
She suddenly halted her steps, standing still, as the mountain wind brushed past the tips of her hair, yet she remained utterly oblivious.
Indeed... from beginning to end, she seemed to be the only one caught in the entanglements of confusion, suffering, struggle, and concession.
What about Chen Yi?
He seemed forever detached, no matter how tangled the situation was from the start, he could always get everything he wanted in the end.
Once this thought arose, it became impossible to suppress.
Min Ning paused.
"Are you saying... someone is playing tricks? Who?"
Min Ning hesitated for a moment, then immediately said:
"Yin Weiyin?!"
Zhu Yu was silent for a moment, not knowing how to respond, considering that with the skills of Taichua Goddess, if she truly possessed such means, she would probably already be a bona fide First Lady by now.
Min Ning also came to her senses, realizing that it would be difficult for Yin Weiyin to pull off minor tricks without failure, leading to a state of neglect. Could this all be by her design, but for what reason? An itchy urge, just for brewing Chrysanthemum Tea?
Min Ning sifted through her thoughts, realizing that the defeated Martial Intent gradually lifted, and her mindset followed suit, she slowly said:
"Are you saying everything is going according to Chen Yi’s plan?"
Zhu Yu made no assertion.
"How is that possible,"
Min Ning continued:
"Could it be that he can make whatever he wishes come true?"
..........
The commotion of the engagement was like a small stone thrown into the surface of the lake; the ripples hadn’t yet dissipated when they were engulfed by a larger wave.
As the wedding date truly approached, the joyous atmosphere in the Prince Mansion felt like kindled beacon fires, suddenly becoming intensively lively.
On the high pillars of the ornate gates, freshly red silk was tied into massive flower clusters, stretching all the way from the gates to the depths of the inner courtyard. Everywhere under corridors and between pavilions hung exquisite glass lanterns, radiating a warm festive cheer even in broad daylight.
Servants and maidens moved increasingly hurriedly, carrying gift boxes, silk, and utensils busily back and forth, yet displaying a bustling smile because large sums of reward money were actually reaching their hands. The air was filled with the scent of fresh paint, floral fragrances, and a tense yet excited anticipation.
What the staff found most surprisingly was Princess Consort Zhuo, ordinarily somewhat lenient but overall strict, this time personally undertaking numerous arrangements.
From verifying minor expenses to organizing the entire feast process, she attentively addressed everything, her demeanor calm and composed, occasionally offering guidance, with a faint smile on her lips.
The maidens privately exchanged startled glances and whispered:
"The Princess Consort truly... has such grace."
"Indeed, judging by this demeanor, she’s even more concerned than the Prince."
"No wonder one says a Princess Consort is indeed a Princess Consort, this magnanimity, is beyond the reach of ordinary people."
"The Prince is truly fortunate..."
In a secluded chamber within the inner courtyard, Chen Yi stood with arms outstretched, letting two experienced tailors skillfully measure him for attire. The crimson wedding robe embroidered with golden thread in complex dragon patterns exuded sheer elegance, adding an unexpected formality to his brows.
Yin Weiyin quietly sat on a nearby embroidered seat, holding a cup of warm tea. Her gaze was on Chen Yi, yet somewhat distant; she remembered the vivid red and it reminded her of the scene many years ago in Capital City, when she and Chen Yi got married.
Back then... they seemed similarly busy and bustling, Donggong Ruoshu was even stuffed under the bed. But today, the groom had become the bride, entirely changing roles.
Thinking about how now it was Chen Yi about to don this red attire and be welcomed into the Prince Mansion, her lips involuntarily curved into a barely perceptible arc, feeling that this situation carried a certain... amusing intrigue.
Chen Yi remained standing motionless, yet his peripheral vision sharply caught Yin Weiyin’s fleeting smile. He did not turn his head, merely glanced sideways with the corner of his eye.
Yin Weiyin felt an instant chill down her spine, that trace of smile immediately stiffening at the corners of her mouth, quickly disappearing without a trace.
She unconsciously adjusted her posture, lowered her eyelids, and focused intently on the rising and falling tea leaves in the cup, avoiding another glance at Chen Yi.
Chen Yi did not pursue with Yin Weiyin from the Great Yin, today’s a day of celebration, marrying Qin Qingluo is of utmost importance.
Tidying his clothes, for some reason, Min Ning’s face flashed across his mind.
Chen Yi slightly lowered his gaze.
That would be compensated once met again.
Today, after all, the wedding takes priority,
Min Ning had already left, so there would be no further obstacles, and there was no one to prevent him from marrying Qin Qingluo.
Comments