Martial Arts Marriage Contest

Led by a female disciple, Qin Gou arrived at Ye Qishuang’s bedchamber. The disciple seemed puzzled as to why the Lone Shadow Saintess would forget the location of the Palace Master’s quarters but dared not question it.

Inside, Ye Qishuang lay on a bed carved from exquisite jade, her flawless figure resting elegantly. Her cold, piercing eyes stared blankly at the ceiling, her expression unreadable. Gu Caihe sat quietly by her side, silently keeping her company.

“Palace Master, are you alright?” Qin Gou asked, his tone filled with concern.

Ye Qishuang glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and said softly, “Oh, it’s Little Chair. If you’re asking about my physical condition, there’s no need to worry. What troubles me now is a sickness of the heart—an itch that cannot be soothed, leaving me restless.”

“It seems the Heavenly Master is not so easy to find,” Qin Gou said with a sigh.

Ye Qishuang chuckled bitterly. “It seems you’ve guessed correctly, Little Chair. That Qin Yue is indeed not my master. How laughable that I once thought I saw glimpses of him in Qin Yue. How absurd. Could it be that I never truly understood my master at all?”

Gu Caihe’s eyes gleamed with thought as she said, “Palace Master, perhaps the Heavenly Master already knows your intentions and is deliberately avoiding you.”

Ye Qishuang paused, then nodded in agreement. “With my master’s wisdom, that’s not impossible. But if that’s the case, it will be even harder for me to find him… Moreover, I suspect there may already be traitors within the Mystic Maiden Palace who have sided with my master. With their help, he’s been able to hide so perfectly.”

Qin Gou’s eyes flickered briefly. He had come here to probe Ye Qishuang’s true intentions if she were to find him, but it seemed the situation was more complicated than he had anticipated.

Ye Qishuang turned her gaze to the two Saintesses before her, her tone calm. “Have either of you noticed anything unusual about those around you recently?”

Both Qin Gou and Gu Caihe shook their heads.

Ye Qishuang’s brows furrowed slightly. “If not for Little Hammer’s recent return, I would have suspected her first. After all, she’s the only one in the palace with an eye-type spiritual tool. Whether Qin Yue is disguised or not relies entirely on her word.”

“Sister Cuiyan is loyal to the Palace Master and would never betray you,” Qin Gou said at the perfect moment.

“True. Perhaps I’ve been too hasty, letting my imagination run wild,” Ye Qishuang said with a bitter smile. “But why would my master avoid me? Didn’t he come to the Mystic Maiden Palace to see me? He knows me better than anyone, knows that I wouldn’t do anything too extreme to him. I just want to see him again…”

Her voice trailed off, and her cold, clear eyes grew dim with melancholy. A heavy air of sorrow filled the room, her despondency palpable.

Hearing this, Qin Gou sighed inwardly. Without thinking, he reached out and gently grasped Ye Qishuang’s soft, flawless hand, just as he had done years ago.

Ye Qishuang froze, her gaze suspicious as she looked at him. “Little Chair, what are you doing?”

Qin Gou chuckled awkwardly. “Seeing the Palace Master so distressed, Little Chair couldn’t help but want to comfort you.”

Ye Qishuang glared at him, her tone tinged with annoyance. “What do you think you are? Just a silly Little Chair. Do you think I need your comfort? Only my master can ease my heart.”

—

At that moment, a female disciple entered the chamber and bowed respectfully. “Palace Master, Lone Shadow Saintess, Cherished Flower Saintess, I bring news. An envoy from the Tian Kun Dynasty has arrived, inviting us to send a Saintess to attend a grand banquet they are hosting soon.”

“Tian Kun?” Ye Qishuang’s lips curled into a cold smile. “The fallen dynasty with only one decrepit Avatar Realm elder left? What could they possibly want that they’d dare invite a Saintess from my Mystic Maiden Palace?”

The disciple hesitated before replying, “The envoy mentioned that the Tian Kun Emperor’s newly adopted daughter, Princess Mu Man’er, will soon host a martial arts marriage contest. The entire dynasty will celebrate the event. The envoy also said that if the Palace Master learns of this, you would surely attend.”

“Ridiculous. What does a mere princess’s marriage have to do with me?” Ye Qishuang scoffed. But after a moment’s thought, she murmured, “Mu Man’er? Why does that name sound so familiar?”

Qin Gou’s expression darkened slightly as he said, “Palace Master, Mu Man’er was once a wanted criminal on the Tian Kun Dynasty’s blacklist, known as the ‘Evil Sword Fairy.’”

Gu Caihe suddenly shivered and interjected, “Palace Master, don’t you remember? Our disciples stationed at the base of Arc Moon Mountain once reported encountering a female cultivator at the Hidden Artifact Realm. Like you, she was a prodigy from the Heavenly Master Pavilion. However, she refused our attempts to recruit her. That cultivator was Mu Man’er!”

“I remember now. Mu Man’er is my master’s sixth disciple—my sixth junior sister. But I’ve never met her,” Ye Qishuang said, her eyes flashing with a mix of anger and disbelief. “How bold of her to organize a martial arts marriage contest so publicly! Did she seek my master’s permission for this? If she made such a decision without consulting him, I won’t let this insolent brat get away with it!”

Gu Caihe, puzzled by Ye Qishuang’s growing anger, asked hesitantly, “Palace Master, if Mu Man’er truly found someone she loves and wishes to marry, wouldn’t it be a bit harsh to call it ‘betraying the master’ just because she didn’t inform the Heavenly Master immediately? Haven’t you always taught us to follow our hearts, even if it means breaking the rules or causing chaos?”

“Then I take that back,” Ye Qishuang said flatly.

“What?”

“If she didn’t seek my master’s approval before making such a decision, it means she doesn’t respect him. And disrespecting my master is a path to destruction,” Ye Qishuang said, her tone laced with obsessive devotion. “Still, this might not be a bad thing. I must let my master know about this. He will surely respond.”

Standing to the side, Qin Gou could only smile wryly. I already know.