Chapter 655: Putting One’s Fate on the Line
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
The surroundings of the Moon Tower were incredibly beautiful. Ye Futian and Hua Jieyu waited there and there were servants attending to them. However, Ye Futian was rather irritated at the moment. He had never been so irritated even about the matter between his Fourth Brother and You Xi from before. He thought that perhaps his second sister and third probably mattered more to him. Even when he first stepped foot into the cottage, his seniors told him that Second Sister belonged with Third Brother. It was something that had been etched into his mind ever since.
“Ms. Mingyue has returned,” a voice was heard from outside Moon Tower. Ye Futian and Hua Jieyu turned their eyes outside, seeing two beautiful silhouettes walking in. Zhuge Mingyue was poised as she had always been. Her beaming smile calmed the hearts of anyone who looked at her, giving no hint that something was amiss. Beitang Xing’er, who was following right behind her, however, looked incredibly distressed and was in a bad mood.
“You’re here,” Zhuge Mingyue said with a smile. She hardly seemed surprised to see Ye Futian and Hua Jieyu.
“Second Sister.” Ye Futian, Hua Jieyu, and Yi Xiaoshi went up to her.
“What?” Zhuge Mingyue halted her steps as soon as she saw their reactions, glancing at them before saying, “I’ve only been away for several months. Do you all miss me that much?”
“Second Sister, you know why we’re here, don’t you?” Ye Futian felt rather speechless at her nonchalant manner.
Zhuge Mingyue walked forward. Ye Futian and the rest of the party made way for her. Zhuge Mingyue sat on a chair and said with a smile, “So you know?”
“Yeah.” Ye Futian and his party nodded. “What do you think?”
Zhuge Mingye smiled at Ye Futian and said, “I agreed to it.”
Her tone was calm like a breeze, displaying exceptional tranquility. In contrast, Ye Futian and the rest shouted in response and their faces changed. Beitang Xing’er lowered her head somewhat. She had just been with her second sister at the head of the family’s palace, and it was a given that she knew what happened.
“Second Sister, while the Holy Zhi Palace is preparing for the wedding, the status of the Holy Zhi Palace in the Barren State and their relations with the Zhuge family means that if the Zhuge family were to object, there is little the Holy Zhi Palace can do about it. Is the family putting pressure on you?” Ye Futian added, “But if you insist on the matter, what can the Zhuge family do about it?”
His second sister left the family at a young age due to the matter back then. It was unthinkable that she was not doing the same now. Ye Futian knew well what his second sister was like.
“But why should I?” Zhuge Mingyue kept smiling. “Bai Luli ranked tenth on the Law Rank, someone deemed the most extraordinary person to have appeared in this generation in all of the Barren State, and is also one who possesses the potential for sainthood. Why should I object to marrying someone like that?”
“But, Third Brother…” Ye Futian felt puzzled.
“He isn’t fretting about this, why should you?” Zhuge Mingyue chuckled and said.
“How can he not fret about this?”
“If he indeed was upset about this, how come he never showed up in the past five, six years? Where is he now?” Zhuge Mingyue asked.
Ye Futian was utterly stunned. Second sister, that…
“Second Sister, Third Brother must have been held back by something,” Hua Jieyu said as she took a seat beside Zhuge Mingyue, holding her arm as she did.
“Definitely.” Ye Futian nodded. “Third Brother fought Bai Luli back then for you, but he lost. Third Brother must have been traveling to hone his skills. He knew it wasn’t easy to beat Bai Luli. He might have been caught up in something or was just someplace far away.”
“Did I say anything about wanting him to beat Bai Luli?” Zhuge Mingyue asked Ye Futian with a smile.
“…” Ye Futian was at a loss for words. Seeing Zhuge Mingyue’s bright, beautiful eyes, he came to realize that perhaps his Third Brother had been wrong.
“He never showed up for the past five or six years. He vanished right after that one battle. He knew nothing.” Zhuge Mingyue continued, “I have said yes to father. The Zhuge family will be making the announcement about my engagement soon, and I’d like to see if he will bother showing up.”
Ye Futian looked at his second sister, then turned to look at Hua Jieyu. He came to realize something with a shudder. He came to realize that he might have been wrong all this time. She knew well what his second sister was like. She had a unique personality and knew what she loved and hated. She had shown her extreme stubbornness by running away from home all those years back. She liked his third brother, and there was no way she would have cared if his third brother ended up defeating Bai Luli. She would not have cared at all, so long as Third Brother bothered showing up at the Zhuge family.
However, his third brother was also prideful and stubborn, as well as an extremist who needed to see reason in everything he did. Third Brother wanted to protect Second Sister, and it was a given that he did not want her to suffer any indignation. As such, he challenged Bai Luli. He wanted to defeat Bai Luli not because he wanted to prove his strength, but to show the Zhuge family and the world that he was capable of protecting Second Sister; he did not want Second Sister to carry the family’s burden. As such, Third Brother went away for years without bothering to show up even once. Two individuals with distinct personalities and a strong sense of self came to like each other.
“But…” Ye Futian wanted to say something, but he was not able to find the words.
“But what?” Zhuge Mingyue smiled and added, “That idiot knows nothing. And since he knows nothing, I’ll show him the way. I’ve agreed to it with the clan. I will be wed to Bai Luli in a month, and a banquet will be held for guests from all over Barren State.”
“Second sister, what if Third Brother really got held back by something?” Ye Futian asked in frustration.
“Something that took him five or six years? Was he really thinking of never showing up if he couldn’t beat Bai Luli?” Zhuge Mingyue said. She had waited for five to six years. She was not asking much of him. She only needed him to show up. However, that idiot never understood things so simple.
Ye Futian was rendered completely speechless. Five or six years was indeed too long of a time to wait. Just where the hell was Third Brother now?
“Second sister. Just what if Third Brother never shows up in the end?” Ye Futian felt his voice trembling as he asked. If Third Brother does not show up, is Second Sister really going to get engaged to Bai Luli?
“If things turn out like that, your second sister will have to be generous and sacrifice herself for a bit to have a saint appear in the Barren State then.”
Ye Futian frowned at Zhuge Mingyue’s words and felt rather irked. It was not his second sister herself that had him feeling irked, but that one line she had just uttered: sacrificing herself to have a saint appear in the Barren State.
The Holy Zhi Palace, the Zhuge family, White Cloud City, and many others in the Barren State have had high hopes for something like that happening. While his second sister looked nonchalant about it all, having both the Holy Zhi Palace and White Cloud City showing up at the family’s door to propose, and with reasons from her own family, it was obvious that his second sister was under tremendous pressure.
Having a saint appear in Barren State or not, what does it have to do with my Second Sister? Ye Futian thought.
“I’m still not going to agree to this,” Ye Futian said as he looked at his second sister.
Zhuge Mingyue smiled at him, thinking that his little brother had indeed grown up. She stood up and looked at Ye Futian, before rubbing and patting his head for a bit, saying with a smile, “It seems like our little brother is getting more and more assertive. But just leave the matter between your second sister here and that idiot to us, okay?”
“But second sister…” Hua Jieyu walked up too.
Zhuge Mingyue held her hand and put it on Ye Futian’s before saying gently, “Sometimes, I really admire both of you. At the very least, our little brother is not some slowpoke like some idiot out there. He might be thick-skinned, but he sure is amusing.”
“…” Ye Futian held Hua Jieyu’s hand and said to his second sister, “Well then, I guess I’ll just stay here.”
“Very well, you can stay here for as long as you like. I haven’t talked to you guys for quite a while after all. One gets rather nostalgic when one gets old, and I’m really starting to miss the cottage,” Zhuge Mingyue smiled and said.
“Our second sister here still looks like a fairy. What is this ‘getting old’ you are talking about?” Ye Futian asked, looking at Zhuge Mingyue. He was exaggerating. Zhuge Mingyue’s looks and bearing had always been exceptional. Furthermore, cultivators possessed very long lifespans, especially those who made it to the Sage Plane. As such, there was hardly any hint of age on Zhuge Mingyue, and she actually looked more stunning now than she had back in the cottage.
“If only that idiot was as good with words as you are, little brother,” Zhuge Mingyue said with a bright smile. She turning around and said, “XIng’er, have someone down there prepare some drinks and food. We haven’t sat down and chatted for a very long time.”
“Will do.” Beitang Xing’er nodded.
“Well, too bad Fifth Brother isn’t here.” Zhuge Mingyue thought of Luo Fan, and she missed the dishes her fifth brother whipped up, despite him being rather insufferable all the time.
The Moon Tower exuded a tranquil beauty under the moonlit night sky. They sat around and ate away. However, every single one of them seemed to be troubled by something. While they were indeed chatting with each other, they kept getting spaced out every so often.
“Second Sister, have some more.” Ye Futian put more food into Zhuge Mingyue’s bowl.
Zhuge Mingyue said in response, “Go look after Jieyu instead.”
“I’m fine. I hear Futian talk about things back in the cottage all the time, and it’s always something about Third Brother putting more food in your bowl while you never batted an eye at him. Come to think of it, that would be rather amusing,” Hua Jieyu said with a smile.
Zhuge Mingyue smiled at the duo who seemed like they were finishing each other’s sentences. She put down her chopsticks and said, “I’m done and will be going for a walk. You guys go on.” She stood up and left.
Hua Jieyu looked rather dejected seeing Zhuge Mingyue leave. She turned around and asked Ye Futian, “Did I say something wrong?”
“I don’t think so.” Ye Futian said with a smile, “It seems like our Second Sister misses Third Brother. Just leave her alone for now.”
“Right.” Hua Jieyu nodded.
“Sister Xing’er, just what the hell is going on?” Ye Futian asked Beitang Xing’er.
“Second Sister here might not be saying anything, but she indeed misses Third Brother very much. But then again, you know what Third Brother is like. How long would it actually take if he insists on beating Bai Luli?” Beitang Xing’er continued, “Bai Luli is a chosen one in the Holy Zhi Palace. You know better than I do what his talents are like. Just like Second Sister said, is Third Brother really not going to show up until the day he defeats Bai Luli?”
“Second Sister is indeed under a lot of pressure with this matter. Mighty ones from the Holy Zhi Palace and White Cloud City came, and everyone wanted Bai Luli to end up with Second Sister. Even all the forces in Xuanwu City thought so. It seems to the world, at least, that it would be perfect to have White Cloud City and the Zhuge family being allied through marriage. The Holy Zhi Palace is behind this as well, trying to bring forth a saint with the two allied forces.” Beitang Xing’er then added, “But really, what does that have to do with Second Sister? Just why do they need to put all that pressure on her? What Second Sister is doing is not just trying to force Third Brother to show up, but she is also forcing herself by putting her fate on the line.”