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CHAPTER 4: The Betrothal
Back to Before the Villain's Blackening Author: Hua Qi Chapter 4: The Betrothal
From the Xuanyun Secret Realm in the Eastern Sea to the Lyre Sea Capital, one had to traverse three realms, four sea regions, and over eighty thousand miles. When Qin Donglin and Wu Fei had journeyed there, they used a high-grade magical treasure from Mount Liuqi, taking nearly half a month of leisurely drifting to arrive. On their return, however, they tore straight through the void using raw spiritual energy. Their speed multiplied, but naturally, their bodies bore the exhausting brunt of it. The periphery of the Lyre Sea Capital was dotted with smaller cities and towns. These settlements were inhabited by all manner of sea-demons, living in close dependency upon the Capital and serving to elevate its grandeur. Restrictions and barriers were woven throughout the Capital; the closer one approached, the greater the suppression one endured. Ordinary folk or those with meager cultivations would not notice anything amiss, experiencing at most a slight tightness in their chests when looking up at the high spires of the Capital. But if one’s cultivation had reached a certain echelon, the sheer intensity of that mountain-toppling, wave-crashing pressure could be perceived with absolute clarity. Lin'an City was the largest stronghold outside the Capital, acting as the final defensive shield safeguarding the heart of the realm. The streets were teeming with bustling crowds, and the endless cries of hawkers resonated without cessation. Along any given long street, one could spot a magical treasure trading pavilion every three to five paces, making the atmosphere extraordinarily lively. When Qin Donglin manifested his figure above the layers of clouds, it was precisely during the evening. Today was a rare day of magnificent weather; the twilight glow resembled unfurled gauze, threads and strands layering atop one another, shimmering with a gentle, cotton-candy-like hue. Yet, however splendid the evening glow was, his countenance was equally foul. Before long, Wu Fei stepped out from a spatial rift. Journeying at absolute maximum speed through successive nights was a grueling tax on both mind and body. Even Wu Fei, who was renowned throughout the lands for his gentle, scholarly elegance and jade-like refinement, looked somewhat disheveled now, the space between his brows heavy with undeniable exhaustion. "I say," Wu Fei snapped his jade fan shut with a sharp *clack*. He took a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Qin Donglin. "What was the point of rushing like our lives depended on it? Given Qiu Shi's temperament, if she truly intends to break the betrothal, even if you rush there right now to confront her face-to-face, she wouldn't blink an eye before giving you a resounding 'yes' in return." Standing together, the clash between their appearances was exceptionally striking. Wu Fei possessed features that were clean and refined, carrying an air of untamed grace; every single angle of his face was enveloped in a gentle warmth, giving off an aura of harmless, absolute tolerance. Qin Donglin, conversely, possessed a beauty that was breathtakingly radiant to the point of sheer aggression. His long brows were like sharp blades; a single glance from him could easily strike enough terror into a person to keep them from acting rashly. The renowned beauty of the Nine-Tailed Silver Fox lineage was something no one could find a single flaw in. Qin Donglin turned his head, casting a feather-light, sweeping glance over him. Deep within his pitch-black pupils lay a raging, storm-swept malice. Beholding this expression, Wu Fei reached up to rub the bridge of his nose, muttering in a tone of complete surrender, "Fine, fine, have it your way. No matter what I say right now, you won't listen anyway." It was truly bizarre. Usually, Qin Donglin showed nothing but absolute disdain for Qiu Shi, and his face when looking at her wasn't a single bit better than when he looked at Wu Fei himself. The last time she had pestered him for a Dragon Core, he had been on the verge of lifting her up and throwing her directly out of the secret chamber. Breaking a betrothal with such an absolute tormentor, shouldn't that be a cause for celebration? So why on earth did they spend two grueling days covering a journey that normally took half a month, crossing over eighty thousand miles just to reach the Lyre Sea Capital? Having arrived at Lin'an City, they could no longer traverse the skies directly above the Capital in such a blatant, unbridled manner. Qin Donglin was clad in robes as white as a pristine moon. As the wind blew, the fabric billowed, casting a shifting, radiant luster akin to moonbeams. Translucent, perfectly rounded shark-pearls were fashioned into tassels that dangled from his waist. Yet, the dark, brooding shadow within his eyes completely shattered this boundless elegance, leaving his entire being, from the inside out, saturated with a profound, stark sense of contradiction and fragmentation. "What's the plan now? Are we going straight to find Qiu Shi, or are we going to pay our respects to your uncle and aunt first?" Wu Fei asked, gazing at the high spire soaring into the sky at the center of the Capital. The space between Qin Donglin’s brows pressed down with immense impatience. Ultimately, however, they did not head straight for the Capital. Just as they were entering the city, two individuals emerged from the largest magical treasure exchange in Lin'an City. Threading through various twisting alleyways in a seemingly disorganized manner, they unerringly located the two youths behind a tea house. Both individuals were dressed as magical treasure acquisition merchants, sporting mustache-ends that curled up slightly. Their round, portly figures were heavily pot-bellied, and every single finger on their carrot-thick hands was stuffed with massive jade and spiritual rings. When they smiled, their eyes narrowed into mere slits. Bending their waists, they cupped their hands toward Qin Donglin and Wu Fei in a comical, deeply deferential salute. "Greetings, Young Demon Lord. Greetings, Young Lord Wu Fei." "Your Highness, they are two managers serving under Madam," Changting observed carefully before stepping out from behind Qin Donglin to whisper in his ear. Changting was a personal attendant who served by Qin Donglin's side. The 'Madam' he spoke of was none other than the Demon Empress of Mount Liuqi—Qin Donglin’s mother. "Speak," Qin Donglin swept his gaze over them, his voice deep and slightly raspy, his tone carrying an absolute, heavy pressure. Qin Donglin’s temperament was famous throughout the entire Six Realms; it was notoriously, unmitigatedly foul. For those two managers to have climbed to their current positions, they were naturally exceptionally smooth and worldly. No matter how thoroughly shaken they were deep within their hearts, not a single trace of it manifested upon their countenances. They maintained their amiable, smiling expressions as they spoke: "Madam anticipated that Your Highness and Young Lord Wu Fei would arrive at Lin'an City, so she specifically commanded us brothers to bring the Aura-Seeking Pearl and await you here." Wu Fei instinctively cast a glance toward Qin Donglin, snapping his fan shut as he demanded, "What is the matter?" "We request both Your Highnesses to follow us to Yulin Street. Madam has already been waiting for a long time." The evening sun had sunk beneath the horizon, yet its residual heat had not fully dissipated. Enduring the immense pressure radiating from the youth before them, fine beads of sweat immediately broke out across the crimson nose of one of the managers. Hearing this, Wu Fei raised an eyebrow, then let out a helpless laugh while shaking his head. "As expected of mother and son. She guessed exactly how you would react." A short while later, night descended precisely as scheduled. The stronghold that had been bustling for an entire day finally found a moment of fleeting tranquility. At the turn of late spring and early summer, the chirping of insects within the woodlands gradually claimed the dominant melody of the night. Amidst the lush, dense wilderness, a square-shaped courtyard became faintly visible. When Qin Donglin and Wu Fei arrived, the occupant of the courtyard was leaning forward to brew tea. She wore a long, madder-colored gown, the gauze of her skirt encrusted with fine, fragmented star-like highlights that rippled into a gentle, water-like texture with every swaying movement. Her eyebrows were painted into slender, elegant lines, and her lips were adorned with a striking, pure crimson cosmetic, giving off an impression of bright, magnificent elegance. There was a subtle, two-tenths resemblance between her features and Qin Donglin's. "Auntie Ruan," Wu Fei was the first to speak, asking with a touch of surprise, "Why have you come here?" Ruan Wan curled her lips slightly, smiling as she nodded toward him. She answered with patient grace, "Your Uncle Song’s birthday is next month, and it just so happens that things have been quiet lately. After discussing it with Donglin’s father, I decided to come ahead of schedule." Her voice wasn't particularly melodic, but it possessed a quality that made people feel immensely comfortable. No matter what she spoke of, it carried an absolute, flowing sense of gentle refinement. These words were spoken lightly to avoid the core of the issue. Mount Liuqi governed the vast majority of the demon race, with countless matters large and small demanding attention daily. To deliberately clear out a month of leisure, yet refrain from entering the Capital, meant she had surely arrived only recently, specifically staying here to intercept Qin Donglin. Wu Fei possessed an exceptionally keen and perceptive mind; within a mere breath, he parsed through the cause and effect with absolute clarity. Because of this, however, he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He had truly been somewhat afraid that Qin Donglin would recklessly charge into the Capital and cause a massive scene. Once the relationship between the three families fractured, the entire geopolitical landscape of the Demon Realm would shift as a result. A single tug at a hair would move the entire body; no one could afford to act purely on impulse. Song Qiu Shi was an absolute troublemaker. For a very long time, the moment Wu Fei saw her, he felt an immediate urge to turn around and run. Yet, in the end, he always found himself half-heartedly smoothing over countless troubles on her behalf. Qin Donglin, himself, and her biological brother Song Yunhe, the three of them had lost count of how many times they had taken the blame for her. She was the sole girl among the three families, and because of this, the elders had doted on her with immense fervor. From childhood to adulthood, the phrase the three of them heard most frequently was: "Qiu Shi is your younger sister; you must all yield to her a bit more and protect her." Song Yunhe, as her actual older brother, performed these duties as a matter of course and absolute obligation. He and Qin Donglin, however, were somewhat wronged. Until one day, the instructions the elders gave to Qin Donglin suddenly shifted in meaning. Their form of address toward her transformed from "younger sister" to "future cultivation partner," adding that she must never be mistreated, it was short of explicitly stating they should place her upon an altar and light incense to worship her. Thus, over all these years, whenever Wu Fei was pushed to his absolute limit by Qin Donglin’s foul temper, a single thought of Qiu Shi would make him feel that it was entirely understandable. Saddled with such a living ancestor, whose temper could possibly remain pleasant? A gust of cool wind swept past, causing the bamboo grove outside to emit a soft, rustling friction. Qin Donglin lowered his eyes, his long, fierce brows pressing down imperceptibly. His voice betrayed absolutely no emotion as he stated with direct finality, "Mother, I need to make a trip into the Capital." Ruan Wan looked at her only son, who had always been fiercely independent and required none of her worry. Tapping the stone bench opposite her, she spoke softly, "There is no rush to go. Sit down first; mother has words to say to you." This was a clear indication that the elders of both families intended to intervene. Within the courtyard, around a stone table of modest size, three people occupied different positions. At the moment they sat down and locked eyes with one another, a brief, unspeakable silence fell over them. "You've rushed all the way back from the Eastern Sea; those rumors you ought to have heard, you've heard them all by now, yes?" Speaking of this matter, Ruan Wan could only offer a bitter, helpless smile. It was far more than merely hearing them; throughout their hurried journey, they had encountered countless versions that were bizarre and completely far-fetched. The demon race was inherently coarse and straightforward, unburdened by numerous rules and constraints. By the time a rumor traveled from one mouth to another, losing a nose here and an ear there, they would simply construct an entirely new narrative of their own making to pass down. Wu Fei placed his fan lightly upon the tabletop, nodding as he answered, "Everything that ought to be heard, we have heard." "Donglin, has Qiu Shi contacted you at all?" Ruan Wan turned her gaze toward Qin Donglin. The communication jade hanging at Qin Donglin's waist emitted a faint, pulsing glow. This was an automated reminder that manifested only when messages had arrived but had not been checked in a timely manner. "She used the communication jade to contact him a few times," Wu Fei explained upon receiving Ruan Wan's questioning look. "He ignored her." Ruan Wan contemplated for a long moment before speaking softly, "Donglin, when you and Qiu Shi were betrothed, you were both still young. Your father and your Uncle Song saw that you had grown up together since childhood and possessed a unique bond, so they took it upon themselves to arrange the match. Over the years, it wasn't as if we failed to see the moments when you and Qiu Shi clashed unpleasantly, but we always believed that when two people are together, how could everything possibly be smooth sailing? It is only now that mother realizes, we considered so many things, yet we ultimately omitted your own thoughts from the equation." "You and Qiu Shi have grown up; you possess your own minds now," Ruan Wan continued. "From the very beginning, this matter was a case of us parents forcing an impossible situation upon you both." "You feel wronged, and I expect that girl Qiu Shi feels entirely wronged as well." "The three of you grew up together, and your bond is genuine. Let this matter end right here." As she spoke, a trace of exhaustion finally surfaced upon Ruan Wan's countenance. "Next month is your Uncle Song’s birthday celebration, and the Lyre Sea Capital is already swamped with affairs. If you charge in right now, it will only descend into greater chaos." "Wait, that's not right." Listening to the continuous stream of words, a genuine look of astonishment surfaced within Wu Fei’s eyes for the very first time, his voice rising slightly. "According to this logic, is the Capital truly going to allow Qiu Shi to break her betrothal with Qin Donglin simply because of that black dragon?" The moment the words left his mouth, he realized the impropriety of them. Letting out a soft click of his tongue, he swallowed the rest of his words. With matters having devolved to such a state, the entire Demon Realm was fully aware. If they stubbornly insisted on maintaining this betrothal, both families would truly lose all face. "Have Song Qiu Shi say these words to me herself." Qin Donglin stood up, the knuckles of his hand resting loosely against the edge of the stone table appearing slender, pale, and entirely devoid of warmth, carrying a bone-deep aura of detached indifference that matched his gaze perfectly. "If she hasn't opened her mouth to say it, then whoever else speaks of it doesn't count.”
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