Chapter 330-331 On How to Conquer System Fairies and Make Them Your Wives 330-331 |
Mount Changliu, after the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation.
A chilling scream, filled with anguish and despair, echoed from the hidden chamber.
After a while, the screams subsided, and Gu Changliu, his face pale and drawn, opened the door.
“Senior Brother…”
Mo Wuyou, chained and bound, his body slick with sweat, sat slumped on the floor.
He looked up at Gu Changliu, his eyes dark and hollow.
“We can’t continue with the dual cultivation,” Gu Changliu said urgently. “It’s too dangerous!”
“If we don’t master it, we can’t fight against the Triennial Heavenly Tribulation,” Mo Wuyou’s voice was calm, his eyes like the night sky. “One of us has to remain sane. Someone has to do it.”
“But…”
Gu Changliu’s eyes filled with sadness. “I could do it. You should be the one to stay.” …And Senior Sister Mingluan. She would be devastated.
Mo Wuyou smiled faintly. “That’s why I’m the Senior Brother. I have to protect you. You have more important things to do. Finish forging the Dao Realm treasure.”
Gu Changliu lowered his head. “Yes, Senior Brother.”
In a hidden cave within Mount Changliu, a large cauldron sat over a roaring fire.
Mingluan sat beside it, her gaze distant. “Senior Brother has been in seclusion for so long… And you’re so clumsy, always causing trouble. If you were half as mature as Senior Brother…”
“Hey, are you listening?”
Gu Changliu turned to her, a sheepish grin on his face. “Sorry, I was just thinking.”
Mingluan looked at him with concern. “Are you upset? I was just teasing.”
“It’s okay. I was just thinking about those tribes,” he chuckled.
“Although I tease you, Little Brother, you’ve become very strong. And you’re doing a good job. I’m proud of you.” She ruffled his hair.
Gu Changliu’s body trembled slightly, but he lowered his head. “…Thank you, Senior Sister.”
“Why are you so insecure? Smile! You’re the acting Immortal Envoy now! And Little Yao… you don’t want her to see you like this.”
Gu Changliu hesitated. “Senior Sister, I—”
“Hmm?”
“I was just wondering… am I better than Senior Brother now?”
She grinned. “Of course not! He’s still the best!”
“So you were lying,” he sighed dramatically, and they continued their playful banter.
As the night deepened, Mingluan leaned against his shoulder, falling asleep.
Gu Changliu looked at her, his love for her undimmed. He hadn’t told her about the dangerous dual cultivation. He didn’t want her to worry. He knew she wouldn’t love him even if he surpassed Mo Wuyou. He was more worried about his Senior Brother. …If something happens to him, Senior Sister will be devastated.
But the world was cruel.
A fortnight later, Gu Changliu returned from a mission, the air thick with the smell of blood. He rushed to the village at the foot of the mountain, but he was too late. Bodies were scattered everywhere, a gruesome scene of carnage. A figure, its eyes glowing red, was feasting on a corpse.
“Dao… people are Dao… blood is also Dao… Mine… all mine…”
“Senior Brother…?” Gu Changliu’s voice trembled.
The figure turned, revealing Mo Wuyou’s face, twisted and demonic. Seeing Gu Changliu, his eyes flickered with a brief moment of clarity.
“Junior… Brother…?”
“Have I… lost myself…?” Mo Wuyou’s hand trembled, his eyes wide with horror. “Where am I? Yunxi Village? No… impossible…” He clutched his head.
Gu Changliu was silent. …Yunxi Village. Mingluan’s home. Her family, her friends…
“No… I didn’t do this…” Mo Wuyou’s eyes glowed red again, and he screamed. “Kill me! Kill me now!”
Gu Changliu’s hand trembled as he gripped his sword. “Senior Brother, please…”
“KILL ME!!”
But the last of his sanity was gone. He lunged at Gu Changliu, his body a blur of black light.
Gu Changliu fought back, his heart heavy with sorrow, then, with a final, desperate blow, he ended his Senior Brother’s suffering.
“I’m sorry… Senior Brother…”
The next day, the cultivation world was in an uproar.
A city had been slaughtered.
Gu Changliu had fought against a demonic cultivator, finally driving him away, but suffering grievous injuries. Rumors spread that the demonic cultivator was Mo Wuyou.
Gu Changliu woke three days later, Mingluan by his side.
“Senior Sister…”
“You’re awake,” she said softly, wiping his face with a damp cloth. “You were badly injured.”
Gu Changliu didn’t reply.
“There are people waiting outside. They want answers,” Mingluan’s eyes lowered slightly. “They say you know who the demonic cultivator is, the one who slaughtered an entire city.”
Gu Changliu’s body tensed. “Senior Sister, Yunxi Village…”
Mingluan’s hand froze. “I… I buried them.” Her voice was calm, but her eyes were filled with a deep sadness. “That demonic cultivator… he must be very powerful, to have injured you so badly. But don’t blame yourself. No one blames you. You did your best. Changliu, I’ve never asked you for anything before,” she said, her voice trembling slightly, “but please… tell me the truth… was it… Senior Brother?”
Gu Changliu was silent.
Mingluan already knew the answer.
Her eyes lost their light, and she stumbled towards the door, her body swaying slightly.
“Senior Sister!”
Gu Changliu called out to her, his voice filled with a desperate plea. “I’ll tell them. I’ll explain everything.”
That day, Gu Changliu addressed the assembled sect leaders and tribe elders. He announced his intention to unite the cultivation world, to establish a grand sect, to spread the knowledge of cultivation far and wide, so that humanity would be better prepared to defend itself against future threats.
But he refused to reveal the identity of the demonic cultivator, only saying that he would take responsibility and hunt him down.
The establishment of the sect was a monumental task, and the entire cultivation world was mobilized, the tragedy of Yunxi Village gradually fading from their minds.
But Gu Changliu, despite his busy schedule, continued to search for Mo Wuyou in secret.
He hadn’t given up hope. He remembered the brief moment of clarity in Mo Wuyou’s eyes, that flicker of sanity amidst the madness.
He believed his Senior Brother could still be saved.
Six months later, the new sect was established, Mount Changliu transformed into a sacred mountain, a haven for cultivators.
On the night of the founding ceremony, Gu Changliu was in the main hall, giving instructions to his trusted aide. “If the reports from Xianyun Province are true, then send someone to investigate immediately. No… I’ll go myself.”
“But Immortal Venerable, the sect has just been established. There are so many things that require your attention!”
“It’s fine,” Gu Changliu said, his voice low and urgent, “everything else can wait. I have to—”
He stopped as his aide bowed respectfully.
“Elder Mingluan.”
Gu Changliu looked up and saw Mingluan approaching.
“Senior Sister?! You’re still awake? It’s so late—”
“You may leave,” she said to the aide, who bowed and left.
They were alone.
Gu Changliu was silent, unsure of what to say.
“Junior Brother, the sect has just been established. You have many responsibilities. You shouldn’t be distracted by this. Don’t push yourself too hard.” She walked towards him, her voice gentle and soothing.
“I’m fine, Senior Sister,” Gu Changliu shook his head. “I can’t rest until I find Senior Brother. But don’t worry. There haven’t been any more attacks since that night. Perhaps… he’s recovered.”
But Mingluan just looked at him, her silence a heavy weight in the air.
After a long moment, she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper.
“Are you… that eager to find him?”
Gu Changliu’s hand trembled slightly, and he forced a smile. “Of course, Senior Sister. He’s my Senior Brother. And you… you’ve also been… different since that night. You’ve lost so much weight.”
It was an understatement.
Since the tragedy, Mingluan had been like a ghost, her eyes hollow and lifeless, her body wasting away as she spent her days and nights forging the sword, her grief consuming her.
Gu Changliu’s heart ached every time he saw her.
He wanted to find Mo Wuyou, to bring her back to life, to see her smile again.
But Mingluan just looked at him, a sad smile on her lips.
“Little Brother…”
“…I wish you were still the same carefree and reckless boy who first came to the mountain.”
Gu Changliu paused, her words hitting him like a blow.
“You’re the Immortal Venerable now. Finding Senior Brother shouldn’t be your only priority. There are many people who need you. You’ll be even busier in the days to come. I can’t help you with those responsibilities, but I can at least… try to be less of a burden.”
Gu Changliu’s eyes widened.
“Let’s… get married.”
The founding of the sect, followed by the Immortal Venerable’s wedding. It was a joyous occasion, the grandest celebration in human history.
Mingluan, radiant in her red wedding dress, walked down the aisle, her hand in Gu Changliu’s.
He smiled throughout the ceremony,
His smile a mask to hide his sadness.
He knew she wasn’t happy.
And neither was he.
After the wedding, Mingluan helped him manage the sect’s affairs, their combined efforts ushering in a new era of prosperity for humanity. New sects flourished, talented cultivators no longer struggling to find a master, their skills now highly sought after.
But their own lives remained unchanged.
Gu Changliu was still obsessed with finding Mo Wuyou and completing the Dao Sword, often working late into the night.
Mingluan supported him, taking on more and more responsibilities.
But in her quiet moments, she would often sit alone, lost in thought,
Her gaze fixed on the horizon, as if waiting for someone to return.
Six months later, she became pregnant.
Even Gu Changliu had to put aside his work to care for her.
A year later, their daughter, Mingyue, was born.
Mingluan had chosen the name.
As she held her newborn daughter, a soft smile touched her lips.
It was the first time Gu Changliu had seen her smile since their wedding.
He had hoped that Mingyue would bring her happiness and healing.
But it didn’t.
Mingluan’s health continued to deteriorate.
Years of forging the sword had taken their toll, her life force slowly draining away, her aging accelerated.
On the day the sword was finally completed, she collapsed, her body weakened beyond repair.
Gu Changliu had even seen a few strands of white in her hair.
He searched for a cure, consulting every physician, every alchemist, but they all said it was a matter of the heart.
He sat by her bedside, holding her hand, as she whispered, her voice weak and raspy,
“Changliu…”
“The sword is finished. Give it a name.”
“You’re better with words than I am,” he chuckled. “I like Mingyue’s name.”
“Then… let’s call it Changming.”
“Changliu, Mingyue. The names of the two most important people in my life. May this sword bring eternal light to humanity.”
Gu Changliu squeezed her hand. “It’s a beautiful name. Changming. I like it.”
He liked it.
But he knew there was someone else in her heart, someone who could truly make her happy.
Someone she had waited for,
But who never returned.
On the day she died, Gu Changliu held her lifeless body, standing on the mountaintop for hours, the wind whipping through his hair, his tears falling silently onto her face.
He buried her and sat by her grave, his heart filled with an unbearable emptiness.
Three years later. Gu Mingyue was four years old.
As the sect celebrated the little princess’s birthday, Gu Changliu went to Xianyun Province.
In a hidden underground palace, surrounded by hostile demonic cultivators, he finally found him.
Mo Wuyou, his face as pale as a skull, his body emaciated, sat on his throne, his eyes filled with a flickering madness.
He had mostly recovered from his descent into darkness, but he still had moments of lucidity.
“Mingluan… she’s… gone?” he asked quietly.
Gu Changliu didn’t answer.
“Why are you here? I’m the Demon Venerable now, the one you all want to kill.”
“She finished the sword before she died,” Gu Changliu said, his voice low and steady. “I want to fulfill her last wish, to make the Changming Sword complete.”
“You know what it’s missing?”
If he could, Gu Changliu would have preferred not to know.
It was the sword itself, after Mingluan’s death, that had given him the answer, its mournful hum a silent plea.
…It needed a sword spirit.
“I can’t do it alone,” he said, his gaze meeting Mo Wuyou’s. “I need your help. Don’t let her sacrifice be in vain.”
Mo Wuyou was silent for a long moment, then he nodded slowly.
“Alright.”
“I’ll help you.”
As Gu Changliu turned to leave, he paused. “You always knew how she felt, didn’t you?”
Mo Wuyou’s body stiffened.
But he just said quietly, “Let’s not talk about the past. I have a family now.”
Gu Changliu’s smile turned bitter, his eyes suddenly looking much older.