Chapter 279-280 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 279-280 |
Yu Ling buried her face in Chen Yin’s chest.
“Did we… succeed?” she whispered.
Chen Yin nodded. “We can go home now.”
The fissure in the sky was closing. The Triennial Heavenly Tribulation was over.
It had been surprisingly easy, just as he had predicted.
But as they turned to leave, Chen Yin paused and looked back.
A pair of eyes seemed to be watching them from the other side of the dimensional passage.
He didn’t know who it was,
But he met their gaze, his expression cold and unwavering.
“…whenever you’re ready.”
The gaze lingered for a moment, then disappeared as the fissure closed behind them.
…Dawn broke over Mount Buqi.
—
Back at their hut, Chen Yin sat in the hot spring, Yu Ling in his arms, her body still bearing the scars of their battle.
She seemed exhausted, her body limp against his.
“…I feel… empty.”
“That’s how it always is. After you achieve something, all that’s left is… emptiness.”
Yu Ling’s eyes lowered slightly. “I avenged them. But they’re not coming back. I feel… lost.”
Chen Yin flicked her forehead lightly. “What about me?”
Yu Ling turned and hugged him tightly, her soft skin pressing against his chest.
“…Yes,” she whispered, a faint smile touching her lips, “there’s still you.”
Chen Yin hesitated. “What are your plans now?”
“I don’t know,” Yu Ling blinked. “Travel, explore, find people to fight. And every Triennial Day, I’ll be here, waiting for those Upper Realm bastards to come down and get their asses kicked.”
“What about you?”
“Me? It’s simple,” Chen Yin smiled and gently bit her lip, “I’ll stay with you.”
Yu Ling looked at him for a moment.
“I think I should add something to my plan.”
“What?”
“A child.” She straddled him, her arms around his neck, and kissed him softly.
Chen Yin chuckled, his arms tightening around her waist. “I thought you hated children.”
“I do.”
“But I’m afraid I’ll still lose every fight against you, and I’ll have no one to take my anger out on. So I’ll have a brat just like you, and whenever you make me angry, I’ll beat him up.” She waved her fist playfully.
Chen Yin laughed, feeling a pang of sympathy for their future child.
“But that’s not a bad idea.”
“A child… would make things more lively.”
He held her close, rocking her gently. “If it’s a girl, I’ll teach her how to read and write, how to play music and paint. I’ll braid her hair and buy her pretty dresses. I’ll spoil her rotten and make sure she’s beautiful, obedient, and kind. A carefree and happy little girl.”
“And if it’s a boy?”
“…I’ll teach him how to find a girl like that and bring her home as his wife.”
Yu Ling rolled her eyes.
“But if we’re really going to have a child,”
She suddenly looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, her hands cupping his face,
“Then you’ll have to work hard,” she whispered in his ear, her voice soft and seductive.
—
Ephemeral Mountain.
The Immortal Venerable and Chen Yin lay sprawled on the ground in the plaza, the two child-like figures playing nearby.
“…So the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation is just a scheme by the Upper Realm?”
“Pretty much,” Chen Yin said, his head resting on his arms. “I still don’t know what they’re harvesting, but they definitely don’t see us as equals. They probably see the Lower Realm as their personal farm.”
“Being farmed… doesn’t feel good,” the Immortal Venerable sighed. “But the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation only happens every thousand years. With you two stopping it this time, we should be safe for a while.”
Chen Yin nodded.
…A thousand years.
After this, there would only be the regular Triennial Days.
He suddenly remembered Master’s injuries after returning from the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain, her refusal to explain what had happened.
Now, he understood.
…She had been fighting against the Triennial Day alone, for a thousand years?
He looked up at the sky, his heart filled with a quiet ache.
“What are your plans now?” the Immortal Venerable asked.
“I’ll spend some time with her, help her relax. She’s been through a lot.”
Chen Yin’s eyes softened. Yu Ling was still haunted by the deaths of her friends. He wanted her to heal.
The Immortal Venerable looked at him, a hesitant expression on his face.
“Um… there’s something… I don’t know if I should say it…”
“I know what you’re going to say.”
Chen Yin raised his hand, shielding his eyes from the sun.
“I can feel it. It won’t be long now.”
“How long?”
“…Maybe six months?”
The Immortal Venerable fell silent.
After a long pause, he sighed. “What a pity. We’re not from the same era. If you had been born earlier, or I had lived longer… To have a friend like you… it would have been wonderful. But now… knowing you’ll be leaving soon… I almost don’t want you to go.” He chuckled wryly.
Chen Yin was also silent.
…Ever since the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation, he had felt it.
A strange pull, drawing him back.
Reminding him that he didn’t belong here.
Telling him it was time to return to his own time.
Perhaps in six months, he would be gone.
This… was just a dream.
“Have you figured out how to tell her?”
Chen Yin shook his head after a long silence, his voice filled with a quiet sadness. “No. I can’t.”
“You have to tell her eventually,” the Immortal Venerable said, chewing on a blade of grass. “I don’t know who sent you here, but the Dao of Time is a powerful and unforgiving force. You don’t belong here. When it’s time to leave, you have to leave. It’s better to tell her the truth now, so she has time to prepare.”
Chen Yin’s eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, then he sighed softly.
“I’ll… try.”
When they returned to the hut, Yu Ling was standing alone by the graves behind the house, fallen leaves scattered across the tombstones.
“Chen Yin,” she said softly.
“I’m here.”
“…Let’s go somewhere.”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Anywhere. Just… walk with me.” Her eyes were downcast.
“There’s a lantern festival in the city tonight.”
Yu Ling nodded.
—
That evening, the city was celebrating the Incense Festival, a local holiday commemorating a legendary couple who had fallen in love while tending to fragrant herbs. It had become a tradition for lovers to pledge their devotion on this day.
The streets were bustling with activity, vendors hawking their wares, young women flirting with their sweethearts, and scholars reciting poetry in taverns.
“It’s been a while,” Yu Ling sighed, “since I’ve been out like this. It’s nice to see these young couples so carefree and in love.”
Chen Yin chuckled. “You sound like an old woman.”
“My heart is old and weary,” she said, her head drooping slightly.
Chen Yin spotted a stall selling peach blossom wine.
“Homemade peach blossom wine? Buy one, get one free?”
“Are you interested?”
“Not really,” Yu Ling scoffed. “Mortal wine can’t compare to immortal brews. I’m Immortal Yu Ling, I can drink a thousand cups without getting drunk! I wouldn’t even—”
Fifteen minutes later…
“That’s all?! There’s no more?!”
The stall owner said with a wry smile, “Miss, this is just my homemade wine. I’m not a big brewery. You’ve already bought twenty jars. I’m really out.”
Yu Ling looked at the empty jars scattered around her, a slight hiccup escaping her lips, her cheeks flushed, her eyes slightly unfocused.
“But… that’s not enough…” she pouted, kicking a jar playfully. “It’s so weak and sweet, I don’t even feel anything.”
Chen Yin paid the stall owner and said, “If you like it that much, I’ll ask him for the recipe and make some for you.”
Yu Ling’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed his hand, pulling him through the crowded streets.
“Hey, where are we going?”
“I don’t know!” she shouted, her voice filled with a childlike glee. “Just… anywhere!”
They weaved through the crowd, their hands clasped tightly, their eyes only seeing each other.
Chen Yin held her hand, her skin soft and smooth against his.
He remembered holding her hand like this on Mount Yu, with Xiang’er by their side, walking through the forest, playing in the fields of Mist Yu flowers.
“Chen Yin! I want that!”
She pointed at a candied hawthorn vendor.
Chen Yin bought her one, and she took a bite, then frowned.
“It’s so sour.”
“Then why did you buy it?”
Before he could finish his sentence, she shoved the half-eaten candied hawthorn into his mouth.
“Mmm, wuwu.”
Chen Yin mumbled, the sweet and sour taste filling his mouth,
…along with the lingering taste of her lips.
“Heehee,” she giggled, seeing his speechless expression.
“That’s what you get for arguing with Big Sister.”
It had been a while since she had called herself “Big Sister.”
For a moment, she was the carefree and unrestrained Yu Ling he had first met.
He swallowed the candied hawthorn and smiled.
“Sorry, Big Sister, I was wrong.”
Yu Ling patted his head.
“Good boy.”
“Big Sister will show you how to celebrate.”
She grabbed his hand and pulled him through the crowd.
—
They ate sugar figurines, bought osmanthus wine and fruit vinegar, and picked out a sachet and a hairpin, one for her waist, the other for her hair.
Yu Ling’s spirits soared as they explored the festival, her earlier sadness forgotten.
Chen Yin watched her, his heart filled with a mixture of joy and sorrow.
…How do I tell her I’m leaving?
He didn’t know.
The thought filled him with dread.
Several times, he tried to speak, but she would interrupt him.
“Chen Yin! Look at this! Isn’t it pretty?”
She held a beautiful dress against herself, her eyes sparkling.
Chen Yin nodded silently.
“It’s beautiful.”
You don’t understand. You look beautiful in anything.
Yu Ling smiled and said, “I’ll take it!”
Suddenly, the crowd erupted in cheers.
“What’s going on?” Yu Ling asked excitedly, looking around.
“It’s the lanterns!”
It was time for the lantern release. Children ran through the streets with colorful lanterns, and couples strolled hand in hand, their laughter echoing through the air.
Yu Ling’s eyes lit up, and she looked at Chen Yin, her eyes shining like stars.
Chen Yin sighed and ruffled her hair gently.
“Let’s go buy some lanterns.”
They joined the long queue and finally bought two lanterns, a fierce little tiger for Yu Ling and a fluffy cloud for Chen Yin.
“I’m going to eat you! Rawr!”
Yu Ling, acting like a child, playfully bumped her lantern against his.
The more carefree and happy she seemed, the more Chen Yin’s heart ached.
…He couldn’t bring himself to tell her.
“I…”
“Fireworks!”
Yu Ling pointed at the sky, her voice filled with excitement.
The crowd cheered as the fireworks exploded, painting the night sky in vibrant colors.
“Chen Yin! Look!”
They ran out of the city, towards the riverbank, where they could see the fireworks more clearly. People were also releasing floating lanterns onto the river, their flickering lights like stars on the water.
“It’s so beautiful…” Yu Ling murmured, her eyes fixed on the fireworks.
Chen Yin felt her grip tighten on his hand.
“I wish we could see this every day.”
“Even the most beautiful things become mundane eventually,” he said softly.
“No, they don’t,” she turned to him, her eyes sparkling.
“I could watch you every day, and I would still love you.”
Chen Yin’s heart skipped a beat.
Fireworks exploded above them, their reflections dancing on the river, illuminating her flushed cheeks and the floating lanterns.
“Chen Yin, will you ever get tired of me?”
“…No.”
“See?” she smiled. “Me neither. You’re my only little brother now. So I’ll love you forever.”
“I don’t need to see fireworks every day.”
“But I need to see you every day.”
“Don’t worry about me getting tired of you. I’m not fickle. If I decide to keep you in my heart,” she said seriously, as if making a vow, “then you’ll be the only one I see, forever.”
“I…” Chen Yin started to say something,
But stopped.
The fireworks illuminated her face, and he heard not only the love in her voice,
…but also the loneliness.
He couldn’t bring himself to tell her.
Not yet.
Let her enjoy this dream a little longer.
Couples were embracing and whispering sweet nothings to each other.
Yu Ling leaned closer to him, her gaze averted, her cheeks slightly flushed.
Chen Yin thought he smelled the faint fragrance of Mist Yu flowers.
From her hair, her fingertips, her slightly parted lips.
The young girl before him was slowly merging with the image of the playful and mischievous girl he knew from Mount Yu.
“What are you looking for?” she asked curiously.
“You smell… familiar.”
Yu Ling blinked. “Where?”
“I don’t know.”
“Is it… here?”
She stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck.
Chen Yin felt the sweet, refreshing scent filling his senses.
After a long moment, she looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed.
“…Did you find it?” she asked shyly.
Chen Yin shook his head. “Not yet.”
“Let me try again.”
He leaned down and cupped her face in his hands, his lips brushing against hers.
The fireworks exploded above them, their reflections dancing on the river, along with the flickering lights of the floating lanterns.
Their shadows, intertwined, swayed gently on the water.