Chapter 35: Dueling Contest

All of a sudden, a foreign yet familiar scene flashed across Mu Qianyue’s mind. Just as she wanted to take a clearer look, it vanished into thin air…

Snapping out of her trance, Mu Qianyue shoved him away and gazed at him seriously. “Have we met in the past?”

Nalan Jing froze. A deep and complex expression flickered across his lilac eyes, giving one the impression of sorrow. He laid down next to her and said in a faint voice, “We’ve indeed met in the past. But at the time you wouldn’t talk to me.”

There was a trace of faint desolation in his voice.

Hm? Wouldn’t talk to him? Then he was referring to the original owner of this body, wasn’t he?

Feeling a slight headache, Mu Qianyue held a hand to her forehead. She seemed to have forgotten something. Oh right, this body seemed to only retain the memories of the last three years! She didn’t remember anything that happened before Mu Qianyue was twelve.

What was going on?! Why did she have no impression of anything that took place before she was twelve? Did something go wrong while she was receiving those memories? It didn’t make any sense at all…

Just then, Nalan Jing’s soft snores rang beside her. Mu Qianyue’s mouth twitched, speechless. How did he fall asleep so quickly?

Fools truly led a more blissful life!

Picking up the blanket next to her, she gently covered him with it. The man’s butterfly wing-like lashes gently fluttered, his face so exquisite it was like heaven’s perfect work of art, his cherry-like lips pursed gently.

“How was any woman able to resist such a good-looking man?” Mu Qianyue muttered to herself. She closed her eyes, and before she knew it, she fell asleep. By the time she woke up, she realized that Nalan Jing was no longer by her side.

In the study, the man stared at the half-kneeling figure with a look of nonchalance as he asked, “How did it go?”

“The consort let her have a taste of her own medicine. In the end, Mu Yurou jumped off a cliff to her death.” In the half-kneeling position, Xuan Ye recounted what he saw.

Nalan Jing let out a scoff. “What a cheap deal it is for her to die so easily.”

Turning his head, his gaze fell coldly upon Xuan Ye. “Go and receive your punishment in the Netherworld Prison!”

Xuan Ye’s body trembled. Netherworld Prison… A trace of fear and helplessness flashed across his eyes. He had only himself to blame for accidentally letting Mu Yurou die, and making his master unable to torture her to his heart’s content…

Cang Ming looked at him with sympathy, secretly feeling glad that his mission today was to protect the consort in secret.

…

Life after marrying into the Prince Jing Manor had been peaceful—she lived out her days in a repetitive, carefree manner: refining pills, cultivation, and using acupuncture on Nalan Jing to help him dispel the poison.

“Another three acupuncture sessions and the poison in your body will more or less have neutralized,” said Mu Qianyue.

“My dear, you’re fantastic.” Nalan Jing hugged her emotionally. “Does that mean after the poison is neutralized I’ll be able to see you? I really want to see what you look like. Mm, I’m sure you look as beautiful as a fairy…”

Cang Ming and Xuan Ye, who were standing by the side, tried shaking off the goosebumps that had risen on their skin upon hearing this. Why had they never realized their master was so good at coaxing women before this?

Over this period of interaction, Cang Ming and Xuan Ye had walked out from the darkness and into Mu Qianyue’s sight.

“Stop buttering up to me. I’m going to cultivate now.” Mu Qianyue pushed him away.

Seeing their master get the cold shoulder, Cang Ming couldn’t resist laughing internally. It seemed that his master had a long way to go in his journey of chasing after his wife.

“Master, go for it! You got this!”

Nalan Jing turned his head and cast an ice-cold gaze in his direction. “Do you find life too boring these days? Or is it that you want to go to Netherworld Prison and keep him company?”

“Err… no need, no need. I’m not all that familiar with him,” Cang Ming said with an embarrassed smile, then hurriedly slipped out.

Mu Qianyue had just returned to her room when she was given a letter by Dongmei. “Consort, here is a letter for you.”

“A letter for me?” She paused in surprise. Who would write her a letter? Grandfather? Brother? The Defender Marquis Manor was a short distance away from the Prince Jing Manor, so they didn’t have to write her a letter. They could simply send a shadow guard over and pass her the message.

Who could it be then?

She didn’t seem to know anyone else in Phoenix Shadow Nation.

Opening the letter, she found a jade pendant inside. It was of a soft and mild texture, constructed using superior-class suet jade, the design of a dragon and phoenix engraved upon it.

Suddenly, a resplendent white glow shot out from the jade pendant. That glow gradually condensed into four words in the airー’I’m back.’

I’m back?

Baffled, Mu Qianyue unconsciously furrowed her eyebrows. Who’s back? Searching through the memories in her head, she couldn’t recall who it might possibly be.

Damn you. Do you have to announce your return in such a mysterious manner?

After thinking for half a day and failing to recall it, Mu Qianyue simply went into the Heaven Connecting Tower. The dueling contest would take place in another three days. Over this period of time, her capabilities had enhanced by quite a lot, and she was already a ninth-stage True Cultivator, just one step shy of becoming a Spirit Cultivator.

“I had thought that you were enticed by beauty these days and forgot all about cultivating.” Tianshuo glared at her.

Mu Qianyue pursed her lips and smiled. “Yo, why do I detect a sour odor in the air… are you jealous?”

Tianshuo’s face flushed instantly and he anxiously rebutted, “No way! How could I possibly be jealous? I’m just afraid you’ll be drowned in romance instead of focusing on cultivating. I don’t want you to implicate me, neither do I want a weakling for a master!”

Gazing at a certain arrogant being, Mu Qianyue couldn’t help sputtering with laughter. “Don’t worry. Your master, I, is a ravishing beauty myself. Would I be so easily bewitched by someone and drowned in romance?”

She was only met by silence.

…

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

This time, the dueling contest was held in the training grounds located at the center of Phoenix Shadow City’s Palace. High platforms had been set up all around, and they were now surrounded by people watching the fun.

People clad in different attire were seated on an elevated viewing platform. They were respectively from the three nations—Southern Border Nation, Northern Abyss Nation, and Western Alpine Nation, as well as some large sects, making for an incredibly lively scene.

As the dueling contest was held once every three years, there were many participants, all under the age of 25.

“Eh? Isn’t that Consort Jing? Why is she here to take part as well?”

“A trash participating in the dueling contest? Stop kidding around!”

“Trash ought to stay at home to do embroidery and practice calligraphy. The dueling contest isn’t something she can be involved in.”

“I’m guessing she’s here to seek abuse. Maybe she’s a masochist? Haha…”

There was mocking derision in everyone’s eyes at the sight of Mu Qianyue.

Pretending she didn’t hear them ridiculing her, Mu Qianyue went to sit down in her seat with easy grace. Suddenly, she could sense a pair of sinister eyes upon her. Turning her head, she saw Nalan Yu staring at her with a cold and malevolent gaze.

She frowned slightly. So it seemed that after Nalan Yu was rendered impotent, his temperament had undergone great changes and it was obvious he was seeking to vent his rage on her.

But she was no pushover.

“My dear, here, have some water.” A clear and familiar voice rang out next to her.

Raising her head, Mu Qianyue saw Nalan Jing standing in front of her since god knows when, holding out a cup of water to her with an eagerly attentive expression. On his incredibly gorgeous face there was a clear and vibrant smile, dazzling her eyes under the splendid sunlight.