A part of play

“The battle is over.”
“If it had dragged on any longer, Mù Qīngyǔ would have truly been finished.”
“Ugh…”
“Hm, still not dead?”

When she heard the sound emanating from the scattered chunks of flesh on the ground, Mù Qīngyǔ was genuinely startled, nearly drawing her sword to strike again.

After cautiously staring for a moment, she confirmed he wouldn’t rise, only then did she relax slightly.

“You truly have a tough life.”
“Is this also a result of merging with an otherworldly demon?”
“Ugh, ah…”

Though he still had a breath left, it wouldn’t last long before dissipating on its own, making it unnecessary for Mù Qīngyǔ to act further.

“You, you’re not… some reclusive master at all.”

Ren Qi’s eyes, now incredibly clouded, stared fixedly at her, his pupils trembling uncontrollably.

“You are… that little girl from the Four Sacred Courts!”
“And what if I am?” Mù Qīngyǔ’s lips curved into a smirk, like a mischievous imp whose prank had been discovered but who felt no remorse, instead mocking the older, weaker opponent.
“Hahahaha… No wonder, no wonder!”

Ren Qi’s laughter was as desolate as wind grinding against stone, making Mù Qīngyǔ frown in distaste.

“Is this what it means to be a genius?”
“I’ve gone to such lengths, yet there’s still such a vast gap between us.”
“It’s good that you know,” Mù Qīngyǔ pursed her lips.
“Since you know it’s this young lady, answering a few questions before you die isn’t asking too much, is it?”

Her tone sounded like she was commanding a servant, imbued with an arrogant sense of entitlement.

She did it on purpose; since she was now the young lady of the Four Sacred Courts, she ought to display the appropriate demeanor and reactions.

She needed to practice this arrogance in advance, otherwise, when she eventually met Xǔ Tiānlí as herself, she wouldn’t know how to play her part in front of him.

“This is… infuriating!” Ren Qi gritted his teeth.
“I don’t understand.”
“Why… why are you ‘doing’ this?”
“Huh?”
“You already broke off the engagement, so why are you still pretending to be Xǔ Tiānlí’s master and lurking by his side?”

Ren Qi’s consciousness was on the verge of collapsing, but this truth was simply too shocking!

If he could understand the reason, perhaps he could slightly grasp the genius’s thought process before he died, allowing him to close his eyes in peace.

Unexpectedly, he would care about such a question.

The white-haired girl stood her Green Fish Sword on the ground, her posture, supported by one hand, appeared utterly nonchalant.

“If I had to say, I would die without him.”
“Do you understand?”
“Huh?”

Ren Qi’s eyes were about to burst.

What kind of nonsense was that?

He thought Mù Qīngyǔ was toying with him, but her expression clearly conveyed a ‘believe it or not’ attitude, with no intention of offering further explanation.

What did she mean, she would die without Xǔ Tiānlí?

Shouldn’t they be mortal enemies?

Ren Qi suddenly noticed that whenever Mù Qīngyǔ mentioned Xǔ Tiānlí, her bright eyes shimmered with a peculiar light.

Her demeanor was exactly like that of a girl smitten with love.

“Heh, hahahaha… So that’s how it is.”

He was inexplicably force-fed a mouthful of dog food.

Ren Qi’s mental state completely collapsed, and he merely laughed foolishly.

It turned out that the broken engagement, the master-disciple relationship, and everything else were all just part of their elaborate play.

He was merely a clown caught between this man and woman.

It made sense.

Mù Qīngyǔ was, after all, only sixteen years old: bold, lively, and brimming with a genius’s confidence.

It wasn’t surprising that such a person would play such a grand game with Xǔ Tiānlí.

‘So, I was just a dog, unnoticed on their path of romance.’

“Tsk, I need to get out of here quickly, or Xǔ Tiānlí will start worrying again,” Mù Qīngyǔ muttered, rubbing her hair to transform back into Qín Yuè, with her long, dark locks.

Ren Qi watched this scene until his death, his eyes never closing in peace.

His last thought before his consciousness dissipated was: ‘Having such a fiancée would be truly wonderful. All this trouble over trivial matters, I should have just found a girlfriend instead.’

After Mù Qīngyǔ entered the base alone and closed the door, Xǔ Tiānlí regained consciousness not long after.

Although the doctor had repeatedly urged him to remain seated for better wound recovery, he couldn’t resist standing up and staring at the sealed door.

‘Master has been in there for so long, why hasn’t she come out yet?’

Though Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t witness his master’s heroic posture directly, from the two streaks of soaring sword light, it was clear that she had fought with serious intent.

He knew exactly what kind of sword light that was—it was the Return to the Void One-Strike Decapitation!

And two slashes at that.

Master could actually use the Return to the Void One-Strike Decapitation twice!

How she managed it, Xǔ Tiānlí couldn’t fathom, but he simply felt that Qín Yuè was incredibly powerful, truly a reclusive master.

A master so formidable surely wouldn’t lose to Ren Qi.

But why had she been inside for so long?

The sky was already darkening, yet she still hadn’t emerged.

Could Master truly have been careless and lost?

Xǔ Tiānlí dared not think further, yet he couldn’t move his feet, as if he had been nailed to the spot.

“Aren’t you going back to eat something?” Qiao Yíng asked as she passed by him.
“No, I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll wait a little longer.”
“What if, what if Master is just about to come out?”

His anxious expression was so evident it was practically written on his face, making even Qiao Yíng click her tongue in response.

It was the first time she had seen a disciple so worried about their master.

He was handsome, his talent would shine brightly once refined, and he was so ambitious.

Mù Qīngyǔ of the Four Sacred Courts must have been blind to break off their engagement.

‘There’ll be quite a show to watch in three years.’

Qiao Yíng wasn’t well-acquainted with Mù Qīngyǔ, having only seen her a few times from afar at various banquets.

How to describe her?

She was like a rose with thorns, always making one want to dull her sharpness and see her flustered beyond control.

Such thoughts, of course, Qiao Yíng only entertained.

However, with Xǔ Tiānlí now in the picture, she wouldn’t mind enjoying the live broadcast of their three-year agreement battle.

Xǔ Tiānlí didn’t notice when Qiao Yíng left.

His slightly unfocused gaze sharpened instantly the moment the sealed door stirred.

“Look, the door’s opening!”

Someone shouted, and everyone’s eyes collectively darted towards it.

The door opened, and a figure emerged.

Xǔ Tiānlí blinked, then his face lit up with excitement.

That figure was unmistakably Qín Yuè, his master!

She appeared exceptionally spirited, without a single wound on her body, which was only natural.

More importantly, she wasn’t alone.

After she stepped out of the door and stood under the moonlight, a throng of people surged out from behind her.

They were the staff who had been evacuated to the bunker.

After defeating Ren Qi, Mù Qīngyǔ had taken some time to locate them and bring them back to the surface.

The people, who had been worried and afraid in the bunker for a long time, breathed fresh air again, each of them moved to tears.

But they didn’t cry.

Instead, they turned, surrounded Mù Qīngyǔ, and cheered loudly.

“As expected of Master,” Xǔ Tiānlí murmured, gazing at her figure.

‘When will I be able to stand proudly by her side, relying solely on my own strength?’