Chapter 287-288 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 287-288 |
T/N: Qing Fox Clan – Qing means Azure, green or blue
Chen Yin and Yu Ling walked along the mossy stone path behind the main hall, the misty rain of the mountain city clinging to their clothes.
Neither of them spoke.
Chen Yin had thought he would have much to say to her, but now, standing beside her, it felt like they were back on Mount Yu, him trailing behind her like a little shadow, her the brilliant and untouchable Immortal Yu Ling.
He tried to speak several times, but the words caught in his throat.
Finally, Master broke the silence.
“Why did you come all this way? Did you hear about me stealing your harem and grinding tofu with them? Are you here to settle the score?”
Chen Yin: “?”
Seriously? You just ruined the moment.
“What?! You dare underestimate your Master?!” She puffed out her chest proudly. “I can make my own tools! Ever heard of a double-headed dragon?”
Chen Yin: “???”
“Yeah, right. All talk, no action.”
“Are you challenging me, brat? Come on, let’s see who’s bigger!”
Chen Yin looked at her childlike figure with a mixture of pity and amusement. “Please. Who would be interested in you, with that body?”
“You little brat! You dare insult my airport?!” She stomped her foot angrily. “Just you wait! I’ll turn your entire harem into lesbians and make them my loyal subjects! Then we’ll see who’s crying!”
“Even if you did, they would probably just end up taking you to bed.”
“Who are you calling a bottom? I’m a top!”
They continued their playful banter, the familiar rhythm of their conversations on Mount Yu filling the air.
After a while, Master spoke again.
“Your cultivation seems to have improved.”
“…It has.”
“You’ve comprehended two Daos and reached Grand Clarity?”
“Yes.”
“About what happened back then…” Her gaze lowered slightly. “You know everything now, don’t you?”
Chen Yin stopped walking.
He looked at her, his gaze filled with a mixture of sadness and longing.
“What’s with that look?” she asked, a playful smile suddenly appearing on her face. “Are you feeling sorry for me? Don’t be silly. I was your Big Sister a thousand years ago, and I’m your Master now. Don’t underestimate me.”
She turned and continued walking, her voice light and carefree.
“A thousand years isn’t that long. I’ve had so many adventures! I’ve been to so many places, met so many people.”
She had drunk in every tavern on the continent,
Witnessed countless festivals,
Seen countless joys and sorrows, partings and reunions.
“It’s been so long, I almost forgot about you. But then, I happened to see a cute little boy in a mortal city, so I brought him back to the mountain to be my… companion. Lucky for you, it was you again. It’s a pity, though. If it had been someone else, I could have… sampled… some new flavors—”
Her rambling was interrupted by a soft whisper.
“…Little Ling’er.”
Master froze, her words dying in her throat.
She stood there, motionless, wondering if she had imagined it.
Had she heard that name before?
In a dream?
A hallucination?
Had she said it herself?
Chen Yin stood beside her, watching her, his heart aching.
She clenched her fists, then mumbled, her voice filled with a childish petulance,
“…Don’t call me that.”
Chen Yin gently cupped her face in his hands.
Her playful facade crumbled, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.
He lifted her into his arms, her small body light and fragile, like a child’s.
She was so small now, he could hold her with one arm, like a teddy bear.
Her feet dangled in the air as she glared at him, her lips pouting.
“Wh-what are you doing?!”
“Just… holding you.”
He held her close, his arms around her.
“Hey!” She squirmed in his arms, surprised by his sudden embrace. “You… you lolicon! Taking advantage of me when I look like a little girl?! Put me down! What if Xiang’er or Qing Mei Niang sees us?!”
“…I’m sorry,” Chen Yin whispered in her ear.
Her struggles ceased.
“It must have been hard, waiting for so long.”
“…It wasn’t that bad,” she mumbled, her voice softening.
“It wasn’t that long.”
Or rather,
It had been so long that she had lost all sense of time.
She had simply been waiting, waiting for him,
And a thousand years had passed without her even realizing it.
Chen Yin held her close, a sense of peace settling over him.
The misty rain seemed to soften, its scent turning sweet and gentle.
“Stop it,” she said, nudging his head playfully. “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m not dying. Why are you so sentimental?”
“I’m not being sentimental,” he said, lifting his head, his gaze meeting hers, “I just remembered… I owe someone a promise.”
Master blinked, her cheeks flushing slightly as she realized what he meant.
It was the first time Chen Yin had seen her blush.
He hadn’t thought this thousand-year-old monster was capable of such a human emotion.
“Don’t even think about it,” she mumbled, looking away, her ears red. “We don’t have time for that now. And besides, with me looking like this, we’d be arrested before we even got married.”
Chen Yin’s expression turned serious. “Your youthful appearance… is it because of your technique?”
“…Something like that,” she sighed. “I perfected the Dao of Time and integrated it into the ‘Forgotten Everlasting Heart Sutra.’ The complete version is too dangerous for anyone to practice now. The version I gave you and Xiang’er is the one I used before. The current version would kill anyone who tried to cultivate it. The Dao of Time is too powerful, too unforgiving. Even I, who have mastered it, have to pay a price. I wanted immortality, and the price is being trapped in this childlike form.”
Chen Yin looked at her silently.
“But don’t worry, it’s not permanent. When I no longer need immortality, I can revert back to my original form.”
She raised her chin proudly. “I did it to wait for you. Now that you’re here, what’s the point of staying like this?”
“Can you change back anytime?”
“I could,” she blinked, a mischievous smile on her lips, “but not now.”
Chen Yin wanted to ask why, but he knew she wouldn’t tell him.
She had always been like this, keeping her emotions hidden, her thoughts a mystery.
She could have revealed herself to him earlier,
But she had chosen to wait, her feelings buried deep within her heart, her playful banter a mask to hide her true emotions.
She had raised him like any ordinary Master,
Her love and devotion hidden beneath a veil of indifference.
Chen Yin understood.
…What if, after a thousand years, everything had changed? What if he no longer loved her?
He remembered the look in her eyes when he left for the main sect, a look he hadn’t understood back then, dismissing it as disappointment.
Now, he knew there was so much more behind that sad smile.
He suddenly remembered something and asked, “Can you… turn back time? Can you bring someone back from the dead?”
Master hesitated, then nodded.
“…I can. The Dao of Time is powerful, but also unforgiving. There’s always a price to pay. I can bring someone back from the dead, but the price… is a life for a life.”
“Why do you ask?” She looked at him curiously.
Chen Yin didn’t answer.
He lowered his head, a vision flashing before his eyes, a scene he had never seen before.
…On Mount Yu.
Before the bodies of two dead women.
A small girl, holding the lifeless body of a man,
Her eyes filled with grief and despair.
One life, for another.
“…I see,” he whispered, closing his eyes.
Yu Ling sat on Chen Yin’s lap, listening to his story, a lollipop in her mouth.
“…So that’s how it was,” she said, nodding thoughtfully. “Bringing you back to life five years ago? Sounds like something I’d do. But that version of me… had it rough.” She chuckled, her voice surprisingly calm.
Chen Yin held her tighter, his heart aching for her. She waited a thousand years, only to find my corpse.
“Don’t look so sad,” she said, pinching his cheek. “This isn’t the time for sentimentality. Let’s talk business. Do you know why Qing Mei Niang called us here?”
“The seal the Qing Fox Clan protects… is it the same as the passage on Mount Buqi?”
“Yes,” she nodded. “Qing Mei Niang is also guarding a dimensional passage. The Qing Fox Clan can manipulate the Void. They’re the only ones who can seal a passage to the Upper Realm. So they’ve always been the guardians. But their bloodline is weakening. Now, only Qing Mei Niang and Luo Luo remain.”
Chen Yin understood why Luo Luo was confined.
“If Luo Luo becomes strong enough, she might be able to seal the passage on Mount Buqi. That would help us against the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation.” She sighed. Despite her preparations, she was still worried.
Chen Yin’s expression turned serious. “Does the Upper Realm know about the Qing Fox Clan guarding the seal?”
Yu Ling looked at him. “They probably do…”
…Because Luo Luo was a Chosen One, and her Plot Record was to become the guardian. A chilling realization. …Such a cruel plan. Once Luo Luo became the guardian, she would be a target during the Tribulation.
“Where is she now?”
“In the Wooden Leaf Illusion Realm. Do you want to see her?”
“Will you be jealous?”
“What?! Do you think I’d be jealous of a little girl?” She waved her hand dismissively. “That poor child is being tortured by Qing Mei Niang. You should go see her.”
Chen Yin ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry. Luo Luo will understand. But she’ll need some comforting from her beloved ‘Young Master’.”
“You’re jealous, aren’t you, Little Ling’er?” he teased.
She kicked him playfully. “…Don’t call me that.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“Master!”
He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “…Come on, it’s fine.”
Yu Ling blushed. “You… you have a thing for little girls, don’t you?”
“If it’s Master… then maybe,” he grinned.
She kicked him off the cliff playfully.
Yu Ling watched him fall, a soft smile on her lips.
“…You brat. Welcome back.”
—
Inside the Wooden Leaf Illusion Realm, Luo Luo knelt on the mossy steps, meditating. Her fox ears twitched, her face smudged with dirt, her lips pale.
“I’m so tired…” she whispered, tears welling up. “Why is it so hard to control the Void?” She sighed and sat down, hugging her knees, her thoughts drifting towards Chen Yin.
Suddenly, someone lifted her into their arms. She was startled, then her eyes widened and filled with tears as she saw who it was.
“Waaaaah! Young Master…!” She buried her face in his chest and sobbed.
“There, there… why are you crying?” He ruffled her hair. “Did someone bully you?”
Luo Luo looked up at him, her eyes watery. “If someone bullied Luo Luo, would Young Master protect her?”
“Of course! I’ll—”
“It was my mother and Immortal Yu Ling.”
“…Well, Luo Luo, it’s good for you to experience some hardship. Senior Qing Mei Niang is doing this for your own good.”
“…Hmph,” she pouted. “I knew you would say that.”
“But I’m okay,” she said, nuzzling his neck. “I know they’re trying to help me. It is hard, but I can endure it. And seeing you makes it all better.”
“You’ve worked hard.” He held her close, stroking her ears.
Luo Luo’s stomach rumbled.
“Are you hungry?”
“Mother said I can’t eat until I finish…” she whined. “I’m so hungry…”
“What do you want? I’ll make it for you.”
“Rainflower Cakes, grilled fish… and… a lollipop,” she whispered shyly.
Chen Yin blushed. “Alright, but dessert is after dinner.”
He pulled out cooking utensils and ingredients from the System Shop and started cooking, Luo Luo watching him with a happy smile.
“What are you making?”
“Grilled fish and seaweed egg drop soup.”
He placed the food before her, and her eyes lit up as she started eating, her manners forgotten.
“Slow down…” He chuckled, wiping her mouth.
She finished the fish quickly.
“I’m full!”
She looked at him shyly. “Young Master… it’s been a while…”
Chen Yin cupped her face gently.
“This is a special reward.”