After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 12

Ying Buran remained completely unaware of Zhao Qingxun’s subtle actions. The bouquet of flowers had ignited her enthusiasm, and she now abandoned all restraint, cheering along with the crowd.

Even after all the parade floats had finished their performances, Ying Buran still felt a lingering sense of excitement. This was her first time joining such a grand celebration.

“How are you feeling?” A hand gently ruffled her hair, and a warm, amused voice came from very close behind her.

Ying Buran nodded vigorously, her excitement still surging. “So happy! It was so much fun! Is it over now? I see everyone starting to disperse.”

“The performances are over, but the festival continues. We can still explore the area,” Zhao Qingxun explained, taking Ying Buran’s hand and leading her away without mentioning the flowers. “Would you like to look around? There are many novelties to see.”

Ying Buran’s attention immediately shifted. She nodded eagerly. “Yes! Let’s go!” Though she had been feeling a bit tired earlier, her energy instantly returned.

The previous training had proven invaluable. Though her physical stamina still couldn’t match that of sword cultivators, it was more than enough to keep her going all night without tiring.

Originally, Zhao Qingxun had been leading Ying Buran by the hand, but now the roles had reversed, with Ying Buran pulling Zhao Qingxun along.

Ying Buran had never seen anything like this before. The dazzling array of sights and sounds nearly overwhelmed her senses.

Zhao Qingxun followed beside her like a ruthless shopping machine, buying anything that caught Ying Buran’s eye.

Before long, another private performance began. With a candied hawthorn skewer in one hand and Zhao Qingxun’s hand in the other, Ying Buran rushed to join the crowd.

On stage, several performers were enacting a play. The story appeared to be about the two legendary figures commemorated during the festival.

The audience was small, allowing the pair to quickly find seats. The play had only just begun, so Ying Buran could easily follow the plot despite arriving late.

She devoured her candied hawthorn skewer while watching the performance with rapt attention, occasionally joining the crowd in cheering.

During the intermission, Ying Buran turned to share her thoughts with Zhao Qingxun, only to find their eyes meeting.

She doesn’t seem to have just looked over. Her posture suggests she’s been watching me the whole time?

As if compelled by some unseen force, Ying Buran extended the candied hawthorn skewer slightly and asked, “Want some?”

Zhao Qingxun nodded. “Yes.” She leaned forward and took a bite directly from Ying Buran’s hand, then sat back with a perfectly composed expression. After finishing the bite, she smiled. “Delicious—sweet and sour.”

Ying Buran nodded in agreement, her reaction appearing, well, adorably dazed from Zhao Qingxun’s perspective.

“Yes, I think it’s delicious too. Ah, it’s starting again,” Ying Buran said, immediately turning back to face the stage. She pretended to focus intently on the performance, though her ears had begun to flush faintly.

She didn’t dare look at Zhao Qingxun. Already harboring feelings for her, this unexpected interaction made her heart pound.

She’d seen similar scenes in the book Cheng Banxia had given her—something about “intimate gestures between lovers”?

Originally, she hadn’t thought much of such gestures. But after reading that book, her perspective had begun to shift.

Did Zhao Qingxun mean something by that? Ying Buran had lost interest in the play. She glanced discreetly at Zhao Qingxun and found her smiling back.

That single glance made Ying Buran’s cheeks flush. She quickly averted her gaze, refusing to dwell on the thought, and refocused on the performance.

The play seemed to be a romanticized version of the side story, even more idealized than the “happy ending” version Zhao Qingxun had previously told her about—the one where all the sects united to create a better outcome for the two protagonists.

If only this story were true, Ying Buran thought as the play concluded. She felt those two deserved a better ending.

Only then did she notice another issue. “There don’t seem to be many people here compared to other places.”

Zhao Qingxun nodded. “Mm, though it’s nominally a memorial for them, in reality, only a few people come specifically for that reason.”

“I see,” Ying Buran said, her gaze darkening slightly. She didn’t press further. “They’re starting to clear the area. Let’s go.”

After that, she suddenly lost the desire to continue exploring. Zhao Qingxun led her back toward their lodging. Unexpectedly, the crowd swelled, forcing them apart.

No, to be precise, they weren’t simply pushed apart. Ying Buran vaguely recalled someone pulling her aside, separating her from Zhao Qingxun. By the time the crowd thinned, she found herself in an unfamiliar place.

Here, too, stood a stall. The stallkeeper wore a mask, and the stall was bare except for a flag emblazoned with two large characters: “Fortune-Telling.”

Noticing Ying Buran observing her stall, the stallkeeper visibly perked up. Even through the mask, Ying Buran could almost see her excited smile. “Young man, care for a fortune reading?”

Ying Buran: ……

This opening sounded suspiciously like a scam.

“I’m no fraud! You can tell by the fact I’m here—scammers aren’t allowed in. I’m from the Heavenly Evolution Sect, completely legitimate,” the stallkeeper declared, patting her chest and giving a thumbs-up.

Since she couldn’t find Zhao Qingxun anyway, Ying Buran considered it and asked, “How much? I don’t have much money left.”

“Just a spirit stone as a token will do. We’re not in it for the money. Come, let’s take a look at your fortune,” the stallkeeper said, rubbing her hands together with obvious excitement.

Ying Buran placed a spirit stone on the table and sat down. Perhaps she could divine Zhao Qingxun’s location or when they might meet again.

She didn’t know the way back to the sect, which was a bit of a problem.

The stall owner first produced three copper coins and instructed Ying Buran to focus on what she wanted to predict. Then, she had her toss the coins six times before stopping.

“Let’s see… hmm… You’ll meet soon. Just wait here patiently for a while,” the stall owner declared quickly.

Though she couldn’t be sure if it was true, the result did ease Ying Buran’s mind somewhat. Besides, Zhao Qingxun was strong; she should be fine, right?

The stall owner, however, seemed unsatisfied. Seeing Ying Buran intended to wait there, she seized the opportunity and suggested, “Young man, buy one, get one free! Want to try again? I can tell you have extraordinary potential—you might achieve great things in the future!”

Since she had nothing better to do, Ying Buran asked, “Is it still tossing coins?”

The stall owner shook her head and produced two talisman papers. “No, no, no. For this, we’ll use something more professional. Stick this talisman to your forehead, silently focus on seeing the future, and leave the rest to me.”

Ying Buran accepted the talisman with a mixture of skepticism and hope, still hesitant to believe it would work. “Really? Is this reliable?” she asked doubtfully.

Anticipating her skepticism, the stall owner promptly produced her Sect Disciple Token and waved it in front of Ying Buran. “Heavenly Evolution Sect Disciple Token. No one dares to forge these. Our All-Seeing Mechanism can instantly detect any attempt to falsify one’s identity.”

“…Then let’s try it?” Ying Buran gazed curiously at the talisman in her hand before closing her eyes and pressing it to her forehead.

Meanwhile, the stall owner closed her eyes, affixed her own talisman, and began forming hand seals, circulating her spiritual energy.

Gradually, Ying Buran found herself seeing visions even with her eyes closed, but the images were far from pleasant.

She saw herself chained hand and foot, kneeling on an altar surrounded by figures cloaked in white, their faces hidden behind crimson masks.

A bolt of heavenly lightning struck. The searing pain of that moment seemed to transcend time, instantly jolting her out of the vision. Yet the agony lingered deep within her soul, as if she had truly experienced it.

“What was that just now?” Ying Buran asked, her voice trembling with lingering terror. The sensation of death had felt so real that for a moment, she couldn’t tell if she was alive or dead.

The stall owner replaced her mask. In that instant, Ying Buran noticed her grave expression, causing her heart to sink like a stone.

“That is your future,” the stall owner said heavily. “In one year, you will die.” Even for her, facing someone’s impending death was a difficult burden to bear.

Ying Buran remained silent for a long moment before finally asking, “Is there any way to avoid it?”

The stall owner shook her head, then hesitated before adding, “No… but if you insist, there is one way: stay away from… Sect Leader Luo.”

She stopped abruptly, turning to bow respectfully to someone approaching from the other side.

Ying Buran followed her gaze and saw Luo Wangqing. She quickly bowed as well, “Greetings, Master.”

Luo Wangqing acknowledged her with a curt nod, then addressed Ying Buran directly, “There’s been a disturbance at the celebration. Stay here for now; this place is temporarily safe. Are you a disciple of the Heavenly Evolution Sect?”

The stall owner, suddenly singled out, nodded nervously.

Fortunately, Luo Wangqing didn’t press further. She simply said, “Be more careful in the future. The secrets of fate must not be revealed.” With that, she departed.

As soon as Luo Wangqing was gone, the stall owner let out a visible sigh of relief. “Oh, that scared me to death! How did Sect Leader Luo know what I was about to say?”

“So, can you finish what you were saying earlier?” Ying Buran asked. “If not, then don’t bother.”

The stall owner scratched his head. “I’m not sure where the line is…”

“Then you’d better not say it,” Ying Buran replied, though she felt a pang of regret. This might be her only chance to learn how to avoid death, but it was her burden alone, and she couldn’t involve others.

The stall owner looked at Ying Buran, her eyes filled with unwavering resolve. “Alright, I won’t say it directly,” he said. “But I can skirt the edge and drop a hint: remember, don’t stay in one place.”

After that, neither of them mentioned the earlier conversation again. Ying Buran remained there, following Luo Wangqing’s instructions to wait for her or Zhao Qingxun to find her. The stall owner, feeling he owed Luo Wangqing his life, stayed to protect Ying Buran.

Having each other’s backs would be helpful.

The crowd began to thin visibly, tinged with panic. At first, the two huddled to the side, chatting idly. But then someone collapsed right in front of them.

“Someone’s down!” Ying Buran stood up, ready to rush over and help.

The stall owner followed closely behind, initially intending to assist as well. But when he saw the person’s condition, he abruptly yanked Ying Buran behind him. “Don’t get close!” he warned. “Those are marks of Heaven’s Wrath!”