Chapter 281-282 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 281-282

On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives

The sunsets on Mount Buqi were getting earlier.

The trees by the graves stopped shedding their leaves, and Chen Yin no longer had to sweep them away every few days.

The first snow fell, and Yu Ling, refusing to wear the warm clothes he offered, still wore her bright, flowing dresses.

News of the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation had spread among the highest echelons of the cultivation world, but they had kept it a secret. The grieving parents had mostly come to terms with their loss.

Chen Yin had thought he had more time, that he could savor every moment with Yu Ling.

But sometimes, late at night, he would wake up and look at her sleeping face, her soft snores echoing through the room,

And he would feel the inevitable approach of his departure,

…Sooner than he had expected.

—

Mount Buqi was covered in a blanket of white.

Yu Ling, like a bird released from its cage, twirled and danced in the snow.

“CHEN YIN!” she shouted his name, her voice echoing through the silent mountains.

Chen Yin followed her slowly, like a parent indulging a child, his voice filled with a gentle exasperation. “It’s just snow, calm down. You’ll catch a cold if you’re not careful—”

A snowball hit him in the face.

“Bullseye!”

Yu Ling grinned, her cheeks flushed with excitement, and packed another snowball, her eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Come and get me~”

Chen Yin’s lips twitched.

As she laughed, a giant snowball, seemingly formed out of thin air, appeared behind her.

It landed squarely down the back of her dress.

Yu Ling shivered, her face turning red, and she shrieked,

“CHEN YIN!”

He had already run away, a playful grin on his face.

Their snowball fight escalated, from throwing snowballs at each other to stuffing snow down each other’s clothes, until they were rolling around in the snow, their laughter echoing through the silent mountains.

Finally, exhausted, they lay there, side by side, their breath coming in ragged gasps, gazing up at the falling snow.

“…It’s been years since I’ve seen so much snow,” Yu Ling said softly, her breathing returning to normal. “I wish the others could see this.”

Chen Yin was silent.

“We used to have snowball fights on the mountain south of Ziqing Province. It was always a bloodbath. It’s not as fun with just two people.” A hint of sadness touched her eyes. “I wish they were here.”

Chen Yin, hearing the loneliness in her voice, pulled her closer, his arm around her.

“Chen Yin, I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Mmm.”

“I don’t know if I could have gotten through this without you.”

She snuggled closer, her voice muffled against his chest. “I didn’t realize… I was such a coward.”

Chen Yin looked up at the sky, lost in thought.

Yu Ling, seeing his silence, pinched his ear and his cheek playfully. “What’s wrong? Still mad about the snowball?”

Chen Yin blinked, then said,

“There’s something… I need to tell you.”

The snow fell more slowly.

The world around them was silent.

Chen Yin didn’t say anything more.

Yu Ling didn’t press him.

She changed the subject. “It’s almost New Year’s, isn’t it? That’s good. It’ll be lively again. We can visit all the sects and get free food and wine.”

Chen Yin didn’t reply.

“I want to buy a new dress. But the mortal styles are so tacky, and the cultivators’ clothes are so expensive. Sigh, I wish I could open a shop and sell all sorts of things. Then I could wear whatever I wanted.”

Chen Yin still didn’t speak.

He just looked at her, his gaze soft and gentle.

Yu Ling chattered on, then nuzzled his chin playfully. “Have you thought of any names for our child yet? We should choose a few, just in case—”

“I’m leaving,” Chen Yin’s voice suddenly broke the silence.

Yu Ling froze.

The snow seemed to stop falling.

The world was silent, yet her mind was filled with a deafening roar, like a blizzard raging within her skull.

She couldn’t hear him, her hand clutching his robe tightly.

“Remember the story I told you?”

His voice was soft and gentle, like the falling snow. “I’m not from this time. Someone sent me here. And now… it’s time for me to go back.”

Yu Ling was silent for a long moment, then she laughed.

“Trying to scare me? I’m not that easily fooled. You think I’ll be scared just because you say you’re leaving? You think I can’t live without you? I’m Immortal Yu Ling! I was roaming the cultivation world when you were still playing in the mud! Go on, leave! It’s not like I care!”

She waved him away dismissively, trying to appear nonchalant,

But she couldn’t resist glancing back at him.

Chen Yin’s expression didn’t change.

His eyes were clear and bright, like a melting stream.

He looked at her, his gaze as gentle and loving as ever, a soft smile on his lips.

Yu Ling chuckled nervously.

“It’s just a joke, right? I’m not angry. Don’t do it again, okay? I don’t like jokes like this. But… I… I can forgive you. I can let you lie to me. You can lie to me, it’s okay… Please…” Her voice cracked, her eyes like dying embers.

Tell me you’re lying.

The snow started falling again, silently, the flakes larger now, cold against her skin.

Chen Yin walked over and pulled her into his arms, his embrace warm and comforting.

“…You already knew, didn’t you?”

“You were just… avoiding the truth, just like me.”

“If I could, I would stay here with you forever,” he whispered, inhaling the sweet fragrance of her hair, “but I don’t have time.”

Yu Ling buried her face in his chest, her body trembling slightly.

“Little Ling’er, you’re stronger than you think.”

…He hadn’t called her “Big Sister.”

“You’re the invincible Immortal Yu Ling, the leader of the Yu Alliance. You’ve always been strong. And I love that bright and cheerful side of you. I loved those days in the Yu Alliance, watching you, being with you. I wish those days could last forever. But no one can stay together forever. We’re adults now.”

The first lesson of adulthood…

…was separation.

A trembling voice came from his chest.

“N-no… I’m not…”

“I’m not an adult. I’m not the Big Sister. I’m not Immortal Yu Ling. I can be anyone you want, just… don’t leave… please…” She looked up at him, her eyes red and watery.

Chen Yin didn’t answer, just looked at her silently.

And that silence was the worst thing for Yu Ling.

Her voice trembled, her hands clutching his robe tightly, her knuckles white.

“Don’t go… don’t leave me…”

“Wuwu… don’t go…”

“Wuwuwu…”

She burst into tears, her sobs echoing through the room.

It was the first time Chen Yin had seen her cry.

This stubborn and proud girl, even when faced with the deaths of her friends, had held back her tears, only allowing herself a few quiet sobs in the dead of night.

But now…

She was crying uncontrollably, her sobs loud and heart-wrenching,

As if she wanted the whole world to hear her pain.

She wiped her tears with one hand, the other still clinging to his robe, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

“I’m… I’m sorry…” she sobbed, her voice choked with tears.

“I won’t… I won’t throw any more tantrums… I won’t be willful anymore…”

“I’ll… I’ll be a good girl… I won’t complain when you bully me…”

“I won’t ask you to play with me anymore… I won’t ask you to buy me wine…”

“I’ll do anything you want… just please… don’t leave…”

“Qingqing is gone… Sister Hua is gone… everyone is gone…”

“If you leave too, I’ll… I’ll… wuwu…” She hiccuped, unable to speak,

…I’ll have nothing left.

Chen Yin’s heart ached.

He looked at her, her small hands clutching his robe so tightly,

As if he was her entire world.

The snow fell silently, covering them in a blanket of white.

Yu Ling’s sobs gradually subsided, her body trembling slightly as she clung to Chen Yin.

He held her close, his body as still and unyielding as a statue.

When she finally calmed down, he whispered,

“There, there.”

“Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your pretty face.”

Yu Ling looked up at him, her eyes red and swollen, her nose and cheeks flushed, her lips trembling.

“Little Ling’er, do you know?”

“There are two things you have to learn as you grow up.”

The first is separation.

But the second…

“Is reuniting with the ones you love.” He said softly.

Yu Ling’s breath hitched.

“I’ll still know you, a thousand years from now. Back then, I was just a dirty street urchin you picked up, a useless nobody. But you… you were still the same brilliant and dazzling Immortal Yu Ling.”

Chen Yin gently brushed a strand of hair from her face and smiled.

“I’ll be leaving. But it’s not forever.”

“We’ll meet again, a thousand years from now.”

“How… how…?” she whispered, her voice choked with tears.

“I don’t know,”

Chen Yin shook his head, “but it doesn’t matter. I trust you. I know you’ll find me.”

Yu Ling shook her head frantically, clinging to his robe.

“I don’t know! I don’t know anything! I can’t… I can’t do anything without you…”

“You can,” Chen Yin said seriously, “you’re Immortal Yu Ling. You’re the Big Sister. You’re stronger than you think.”

Yu Ling looked at him, tears streaming down her face, unable to speak.

“Don’t cry. We’ll meet again.”

Her sobs gradually subsided.

“But… a thousand years… I’ll be an old woman by then…” she whispered, her voice filled with a childish fear. “Old and ugly… you won’t want me anymore…”

“That’s not true,” Chen Yin chuckled, ruffling her hair playfully. “I’m not fickle. Even if you become a wrinkled old granny with no teeth, I’ll still be with you. I’ll even feed you every day.”

“I don’t want to…” she said, her voice a mixture of laughter and tears, “I don’t want to be an ugly old woman…”

Chen Yin kissed her forehead gently.

They held each other close, the snow falling silently around them, until it stopped, the ground covered in a thick blanket of white.

“…How many days…?” Yu Ling finally asked, breaking the silence.

“Three,” Chen Yin whispered.

She didn’t say anything.

He didn’t know if she had accepted it.

But then she looked up at him, her eyes red-rimmed, but her voice firm.

“Then for these three days… you’re not going anywhere.”

“…Stay with me.”

Chen Yin nodded silently.

“Alright.”

—

The next three days were a blur of passion and whispered promises, a desperate attempt to hold onto each other, to savor every moment before the inevitable separation.

They made love everywhere, in the bedroom, in the bathhouse, in the main hall, even outside, by the stream, under the trees, the snow falling silently around them, covering their bodies in a blanket of white.

Yu Ling was unusually assertive, her touch almost desperate, her lips constantly seeking his, as if trying to memorize his taste, his scent, his warmth.

The snow fell for three days straight,

Burying the world in white.

Their parting came, as all partings must, before winter’s end.

—

On the summit of Mount Buqi…

Chen Yin stood at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the scenery below.

Yu Ling stood behind him, her head lowered, her silence heavy with unspoken emotions.

“Don’t be sad. Be happy. The Little Ling’er I know is the strongest girl in the world. Don’t look so down.”

Yu Ling’s eyes were still red-rimmed, her gaze fixed on his face.

Chen Yin walked over to her.

“I have three gifts for you.”

The first was a token, inscribed with the words “Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion.”

“You always said you wanted a place where you could buy whatever you wanted, right?”

He handed her the token. “This is our business, yours and mine. You’re the owner now. The Feng Clan still has remnants out there. They might come after you. The Ten Thousand Fragrance Pavilion will be your protection. And, of course, you can have all the clothes and wine you want, for free.” He smiled.

Yu Ling took the token silently, her mind racing.

The second gift was a sword.

The Eternal Light Sword, the sword he had used to protect her, to fight against the Upper Realm.

“It’s a bit damaged. I overused it during the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation.”

Chen Yin looked at the sword, its once brilliant light now dimmed, its blade marred by faint cracks, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions. “But you might need it someday. Even if you don’t, keep it as a memento. When you see it, think of me.”

Yu Ling held the sword, tears welling up in her eyes.

Chen Yin gently stroked her hair and gave her the third gift.

…A small pouch of seeds.

“These are the seeds of a unique flower. The Mist Yu flower.”

His eyes softened. “It only blooms in special places. If you don’t know where to go after I’m gone, search for a place where these flowers can bloom. And when they do, that’s where we’ll meet again.”

Yu Ling took the seeds, her eyes wide. “Really? You’re not lying? If I find a place where these flowers can bloom, I’ll see you again?”

Chen Yin nodded.

“…I promise.”

It was his most solemn vow.

Yu Ling carefully tucked the seeds away, as if they were the most precious treasure in the world.

Chen Yin reached out to touch her hair,

But his hand was already transparent.

He lowered his hand and smiled at her, his gaze filled with a gentle sadness.

“…I’m sorry.”

“A thousand years is a long time. If you can’t bear it, you can give up.”

Yu Ling shook her head fiercely.

“No!”

“Chen Yin, listen to me!” she shouted, her voice filled with a desperate plea as his form grew more and more transparent, “I promised I would wait for you! I’ll wait a thousand years! I’ll find a place where the Mist Yu flowers can bloom! That will be our home! I’ll be waiting for you there! Don’t forget me! Come and find me!”

Chen Yin looked at her one last time, his eyes filled with love and regret.

“I will.”

…I’ll be waiting for you, a thousand years from now.

The most peaceful sunset descended upon Mount Buqi.

Yu Ling stood alone on the cliff, watching as the last rays of sunlight faded away.

She wiped away her tears, her eyes filled with a newfound determination.

…Chen Yin,

I’ll see you again.

I can endure anything, as long as I know I’ll see you again.

I’ll see you in a thousand years.

—

Ephemeral Mountain.

The Immortal Venerable sat cross-legged in the plaza, Mo Cen and Fuyu hovering beside him with worried expressions.

“…Don’t worry,” he chuckled softly, “I’m just a wisp of consciousness. My time is almost up. But I still haven’t figured out what to do with the task my original self left me.”

He scratched his head, then his eyes lit up.

“Hey, I have an idea! Mo Cen, set up a grand formation here. Have every cultivator who reaches this place try to comprehend two Daos. If they succeed, then they’re a genius like Chen Yin, someone who might be able to stand against the Upper Realm. And if they fail… then they’re probably just an unwitting pawn, a Chosen One lured here by the Upper Realm. Instead of letting them become bait, or traitors like the Feng family… let them stay here, forever.”

Mo Cen nodded and zipped away to set up the formation.

The Immortal Venerable sighed, then looked up in surprise as a figure approached.

It was Yu Ling.

“Immortal Venerable,” she knelt respectfully.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, coughing awkwardly. “Just to be clear, I had nothing to do with your boyfriend’s disappearance. I can’t bring him back, or take you to him. If that’s why you’re here, then I’m afraid—”

“No,” she interrupted him, her voice calm and steady, “I’m here to ask for your guidance. I want to comprehend two Daos, like Chen Yin.”

The Immortal Venerable paused, then nodded. “I see. Comprehending just one Dao isn’t enough to fight against the Upper Realm. Alright, I can help you. I have Chen Yin’s experience to guide me. Which Dao do you want to comprehend? The Sword Dao? Let me tell you, the Sword Dao is—”

“No,” she interrupted him again, her eyes clear and bright, her voice firm.

“I want to comprehend… the Dao of Time.”

The Immortal Venerable froze.

After a long silence, he started to laugh, his laughter growing louder and louder, until it echoed through the mountains.

“HAHAHAHA!”

“I see! I see!”

Tears streamed down his face, his eyes filled with a sudden understanding and a sense of peace.

Chen Yin,

This is all I can do for you.