After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 14

Before Zhao Qingxun could respond, the somewhat irritable Ancestor abruptly kicked her out of the Divine Consciousness Space.

Zhao Qingxun looked up at the Divine Statue. The statue’s features, previously indistinct, now seemed to carry a hint of disdain, as if mocking her foolishness.

Is Heaven’s Wrath a man-made disaster? Zhao Qingxun felt genuinely confused. This contradicted everything she had previously believed.

Her Master had taught her that Heaven’s Wrath was a divine punishment inflicted upon the Human Race, a calamity descending from the heavens. How could it possibly be a man-made disaster?

Surely the Human Race didn’t yet possess the power to manipulate the heavens?

Unable to find an answer, she decided to set aside the question and investigate the Forbidden Arts further upon her return. For now, she needed to find Ying Buran, who must be growing anxious after waiting so long.

But as soon as she stepped out of the Divine Temple, she saw an unexpected figure standing there, forcing her to halt her steps toward reuniting with Ying Buran. “Greetings, Master.”

Luo Wangqing nodded faintly, glanced at the Divine Statue within the temple, then immediately averted her gaze. Her voice was even colder than usual. “Stay away from this place in the future. Cultivation is for oneself, not for the gods. Moreover, one of them has fallen to the demonic path.”

Zhao Qingxun’s eyes darkened at the mention, recalling the words of their Ancestor. Though she gleaned some understanding, she kept her expression neutral, simply bowing her head and replying, “Yes, Master.”

“Good, remember that. Oh, and Ying Buran… she now knows about Heaven’s Wrath and her impending death.” Luo Wangqing frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure in her voice. “Though I silenced that Heavenly Evolution Sect disciple, there’s no guarantee she won’t blab later. We have only one year left, and we can’t afford any mistakes. Under no circumstances must Ying Buran be allowed to escape the Sect.”

Zhao Qingxun’s pupils constricted. Her first thought was that the Heavenly Evolution Sect disciple must be Qi Yiwen, notorious for her loose tongue and penchant for fortune-telling. Yet she immediately questioned her own certainty.

I’ve never even met this person. Why am I so sure it’s her?

Seeing Zhao Qingxun’s hesitation, Luo Wangqing’s face turned glacial, her voice dropping to sub-zero temperatures as she demanded sternly, “Are you… hesitating?”

“Disciple… I apologize, Master. I am indeed hesitating,” Zhao Qingxun replied, lifting her gaze to meet Luo Wangqing’s. Steel in her voice, she continued, “Is this truly the only path? Is Heaven’s Wrath truly a natural disaster, and not a calamity of our own making?”

The moment the words left her lips, an invisible pressure descended upon her, forcing her to her knees. She braced herself with her hands against the ground, barely managing to resist, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

Master is angry. I shouldn’t have spoken out of turn.

Luo Wangqing glared at her, her voice tight with barely suppressed fury. “Don’t let me hear such words again. There is only one path. This is an order. No matter what, confine her to the Sect for the next year.”

With that, Luo Wangqing swept away, the oppressive pressure vanishing with her departure. Zhao Qingxun slowly rose to her feet, still trembling slightly.

The Heavenly Spirit Mirror on her person chimed—a communication from Ying Buran. Zhao Qingxun hesitated for a moment before answering.

The instant the connection was established, Ying Buran’s anxious voice flooded the channel. “Are you alright? You took a while to answer. Did something happen? Or did I interrupt something important?”

“…I’m fine. There were just a lot of things to sort through, so it took a while to find the mirror.”

Ying Buran immediately felt awkward. All those “things” were gifts she had bought for Zhao Qingxun—and there were indeed quite a lot. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I’d bought so much… Are you free now?”

“It’s okay. Where are you? I’ll come find you.”

Ying Buran glanced around, realizing she didn’t know where she was. The most conspicuous landmark was Qi Yiwen’s fortune-telling stall. “I’m not sure. There’s a fortune-telling stall here with a big flag that says ‘Fortune-Telling’ on it.”

Zhao Qingxun quickly assessed the location. “I think I know where that is. I’ll be there soon.”

“Okay, I’ll hang up now.” Ying Buran waited for Zhao Qingxun’s acknowledgment before ending the call, secretly noting that Zhao Qingxun seemed a bit off.

I’ll ask her more when we meet, Ying Buran thought, continuing to squat by the roadside, chin propped on her hand as she waited.

Earlier, Cheng Banxia had come by to tell her that Heaven’s Wrath had ended, then left again.

The Sect’s teams were currently tallying casualties, so Ying Buran hadn’t joined them. Instead, she followed Qi Yiwen’s instructions to remain here.

Before long, Zhao Qingxun arrived. Seeing that Ying Buran was unharmed, she let out a sigh of relief. However, Ying Buran immediately noticed something was wrong with Zhao Qingxun.

“Your face is so pale. What happened?” Ying Buran immediately rushed to Zhao Qingxun, grasping her hand.

Her hand was ice-cold—something was clearly wrong.

Zhao Qingxun avoided Ying Buran’s gaze, explaining, “I encountered a minor incident and just feel a bit drained. Don’t worry, I’m not injured.”

“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s what matters. Let’s head back then,” Ying Buran said, though she longed to watch the upcoming fireworks display. To her, Zhao Qingxun’s well-being was far more important.

Zhao Qingxun shook her head. “I’m much better now. The fireworks are about to start, and this place is safe. Let’s stay and watch before leaving. What about you? Did you encounter any trouble?”

“Yes, I ran into someone afflicted by Heaven’s Wrath. They died almost instantly, and even after death, their corpse stood up. Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Qi pulled me behind him, preventing us from being discovered,” Ying Buran recounted briefly.

Zhao Qingxun immediately seized on the key detail, her brow furrowing slightly. “You said… that person died almost instantly?” she repeated.

Ying Buran nodded, unconsciously gesturing with her hands. “Yes, she was walking perfectly fine, then suddenly collapsed. Before I could even approach, she shriveled up and died. Is there something wrong?”

“There is,” Zhao Qingxun replied, stroking her chin, her brow furrowing deeply. “Even if Heaven’s Wrath latched onto an ordinary person, death wouldn’t occur this quickly. This speed is far too rapid; normally, these changes would take place over two weeks. Did you make any contact with her?”

Ying Buran shuddered, relief and lingering fear in her voice. “No, Fellow Daoist Qi pulled me back.”

Zhao Qingxun exhaled in relief, reiterating her warning: “Next time you encounter such a situation, avoid it at all costs. You mentioned earlier that the corpse stood up?”

“Yes,” Ying Buran replied, her voice still trembling slightly. “First, the legs straightened, then the upper body was propped up. The neck was bent so far back it nearly snapped before finally snapping back into place. It was terrifying…” Even now, the image made her shudder; it was the first time she had ever witnessed such a thing.

The fact that those whose lives had been taken by Heaven’s Wrath had become death servants was an ominous sign. Zhao Qingxun stroked her chin thoughtfully before saying, “I’ll investigate this thoroughly when we return. Thank you for telling me. Let’s wait a bit longer. Given the earlier incident, the fireworks display will likely be delayed.”

Ying Buran remained concerned about Zhao Qingxun’s condition and asked several more times, even circulating the Senluo Art to attempt healing. Only when she confirmed Zhao Qingxun was nearly fully recovered did she relax. Afterward, they found a place to sit together and waited for the fireworks to begin.

Zhao Qingxun held Ying Buran’s hand tightly, as if afraid she might run away. Ying Buran glanced at Zhao Qingxun, but Zhao Qingxun avoided her gaze, as if harboring a guilty secret.

What’s she thinking? Ying Buran pondered for a long time, but couldn’t guess the answer, so she gave up. Just then, the fireworks erupted in the sky, instantly capturing her full attention.

Streaks of light soared upward, exploded, and bloomed into dazzling floral patterns before fading away.

Having just emerged from chaos, they were the only ones present, sitting together quietly watching the fireworks.

Ying Buran recalled Cheng Banxia’s words: Confessing under fireworks is said to be one of the most romantic things you can do.

But she only had a year left to live, while Zhao Qingxun would live for a very long time. Should she really confess her feelings now?

Two little figures seemed to be fighting in her mind. One argued that she shouldn’t delay Zhao Qingxun’s future, while the other insisted that life shouldn’t be lived with regrets—that she shouldn’t die with unfulfilled desires, becoming a lingering regret herself.

In the end, the latter figure prevailed.

Ying Buran reasoned that she was only expressing her feelings. Zhao Qingxun didn’t share those feelings, so she likely wouldn’t reciprocate. Even if she did confess, nothing would change, right?

“Qingxun? I… I have something I want to say. May I?” Ying Buran asked tentatively, scratching her cheek, too nervous to meet Zhao Qingxun’s gaze.

The exploding fireworks illuminated Zhao Qingxun’s face. She looked at Ying Buran and instinctively reached out to pat her head, but stopped halfway, instead placing her hand behind her back. “Mm, you may.”

Ying Buran took a deep breath, her face flushed. “I… I like you. You know, that kind of… um… like the books say, with love? I know this is sudden, but… but… but it’s true…”

“I don’t have much time left. Fellow Daoist Qi said I’ll die in a year, and there doesn’t seem to be any way to change that. I…”

Ying Buran lowered her head, her voice trembling as she spoke. Suddenly, tears began to soak her clothes.

She had mentally prepared herself for a long time, but when she finally spoke the words aloud, she still felt resentment, fear, and heartbreak.

Everything had been starting to go well. She had worked so hard to change her fate. Why, in the end, would she still die so young?

She wanted to live, but she felt helpless, unsure of what to do. It seemed all she could do now was try to make the most of her final year.

As Zhao Qingxun listened, her hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, her heart clenching with pain.

She knew what was happening. She even knew why Ying Buran would die a year from now. But…

This was her Master’s command, and it was the fate of the Heaven’s Chosen. If the Heaven’s Chosen was not sacrificed, countless others would suffer the same fate as the man who had died today, their lives claimed by Heaven’s Wrath.

After a long silence, Zhao Qingxun made up her mind. She embraced Ying Buran, gently patting her back as she said, “I… I’ll stay with you.”

If this is your wish, then… let’s be together.