After the Death Ceremony, I was Entangled by My Two Wives - Chapter 3

Ying Buran snapped out of her daze, shook her head, and forced a weak smile. “Ah, really? Maybe you just misread the situation?”

“You’ve been like this for days now, a stark contrast to how you were on the first day,” Zhao Qingxun said, placing the medicine on a small platform crafted from Fire Spirit Stone to keep it warm before sitting beside Ying Buran.

Ying Buran hadn’t expected Zhao Qingxun to notice her change. Should she confess now? Would Zhao Qingxun think she was desperately clinging to stay?

Though… she did want to stay. Life here was comfortable, and after experiencing such stability, she dreaded returning to her former life of constant wandering.

Sensing Ying Buran’s hesitation, Zhao Qingxun paused before tentatively reaching out to gently pat her head twice, then quickly withdrew her hand. “Don’t worry. Just say what’s on your mind.”

“…I just don’t know what to do next,” Ying Buran finally confessed, biting her lip. She lowered her head, her heart pounding with anxiety.

Would Zhao Qingxun think I’m greedy and insatiable?

Zhao Qingxun paused, startled. “Behind?”

Ying Buran nodded. She was about to ask the woman’s name when she realized another awkward truth. “Um… right, I don’t think I actually know the Immortal Elder’s name?”

In the past few days, the woman had only entered the room to deliver medicine and meals, rarely staying longer. Their interactions had been few and far between.

“My surname is Zhao, and my given name is Qingxun—qing for clear stream, xun for heavenly depths.” The woman turned to find a piece of paper and wrote her name on it. “My apologies, it was my oversight.”

She knew all of Ying Buran’s details but had forgotten the fundamental fact that they were strangers.

It was her mistake.

Ying Buran glanced at the paper, relieved that she could still recognize the characters from her childhood studies.

After memorizing the name, Ying Buran introduced herself. “I am Ying Buran. May I ask, Immortal Elder Zhao, why did you save me?”

Zhao Qingxun put the paper away and replied calmly, “Just call me by my name, no need for such formality. As for saving you… healing the wounded and rescuing the dying is the duty of all Righteous Path cultivators. It is our responsibility.”

So that’s how it is. Do all Righteous Path cultivators save people like this? And even take them back to care for them?

How vast must this Immortal Sect be to accommodate so many people? Yet I don’t seem to have seen anyone else. Could it be because we’re staying far apart?

“I see. Then… um, may I ask where those of us who were rescued should go after this?” Ying Buran felt it would be impolite to address Zhao Qingxun by name, but Zhao Qingxun had previously told her not to use honorifics. Uncertain how to proceed, she simply skipped the name.

Zhao Qingxun pondered for a moment before replying, “Probably home.”

“Home…” Ying Buran’s eyes dimmed. She had no home to return to. Where would she go?

“However, you can’t leave just yet,” Zhao Qingxun continued, her tone shifting. “The Ghost Clan outside is still searching for you. It’s not safe for you out there. You’ll need to stay here for a while longer.”

Ying Buran hadn’t expected this outcome. More importantly, did the Ghost Clan actually have a purpose? “Searching for me?” she asked, pointing at herself in disbelief.

What did they want with her?

Zhao Qingxun nodded, her expression hesitant but ultimately resolute. “Yes. The Ghost Clan is searching for the ‘Heaven’s Chosen.'”

“Heaven’s Chosen?”

“We call those born in accordance with Heaven’s Mandate ‘Heaven’s Chosen.’ They are the embodiment of the world’s fortune, and any faction that obtains one gains immense advantages. For example, they can be refined into Human Furnaces to enhance cultivation, or their fortune can be seized to empower oneself,” Zhao Qingxun explained, while carefully observing Ying Buran’s expression.

As expected, almost as soon as Zhao Qingxun finished speaking, Ying Buran grew wary. “So…”

Did they save me with this in mind?

Zhao Qingxun quickly reassured her, “These are wicked, demonic practices forbidden by the Righteous Path. Rest assured, we would never do such a thing. It violates the very principles of our cultivation.”

Despite these words, Ying Buran couldn’t shake the feeling that Zhao Qingxun’s earlier reactions suggested they had ulterior motives for saving her.

For some reason, whenever she tried to dwell on this, something seemed to block her thoughts, as if some terrifying truth awaited her if she continued down that path.

No, I’m probably just overthinking things. Ying Buran shook her head. When she looked up, she met Zhao Qingxun’s concerned gaze, which calmed her somewhat.

Even if she didn’t know what they wanted from her, the fact that they had rescued her and tended to her wounds with such care suggested they wouldn’t harm her.

If they had ill intentions, they wouldn’t have treated her so kindly from the start, would they?

This was the first time Ying Buran had been treated this way. Combined with Zhao Qingxun’s genuine kindness over the past few days, her wariness had softened considerably, though she remained cautious.

After a moment, another question arose in her mind: “Then… is the disaster caused by the Ghost Clan’s descent entirely my fault?”

This time, Zhao Qingxun fell silent. After a long pause, she nodded in reluctant acknowledgment. “…Yes…”

So it was her fault again? Another disaster caused by her? Ying Buran let out a bitter laugh. She truly was a jinx, bringing misfortune to those around her time and time again.

“Because you were their only target, the Ghost Clan didn’t harm anyone else this time,” Zhao Qingxun reassured her, handing over the medicine.

Ying Buran murmured a soft acknowledgment, mechanically taking the medicine and swallowing it in one gulp. This time, the bitterness wasn’t just in her mouth; it permeated her heart as well.

For the next few days, Ying Buran remained deeply despondent, her future feeling even more uncertain. Though she knew she would be staying at the Sect for some time, she worried that her presence would bring misfortune to the Sect.

Perhaps I should just leave…

Just as she was preparing to resign, Zhao Qingxun approached her first. Before Ying Buran could speak, Zhao Qingxun said, “By the way, did you know? Cultivation can actually change one’s fate.”

“Cultivation? Is it still possible for me?” Ying Buran remembered seeing Sects recruiting disciples from afar, always targeting very young children.

She was nearly twenty now. Was it too late? She had heard that cultivation had to begin in childhood; starting as an adult was too late.

“It is a bit late, but once you embark on the path of cultivation, you can gradually alter your destiny, regardless of your cultivation level. Cultivation itself is an act of defying fate,” Zhao Qingxun explained, then looked her in the eye and asked, “Do you want to cultivate?”

Did she want to cultivate? Ying Buran pondered the question seriously for a moment. To be honest, she did.

It wasn’t just about changing her fate; she also wanted the ability to protect herself, at least to resist during future pursuits like the last one.

“I do,” Ying Buran nodded.

Then, she seemed to catch a fleeting, complex emotion in Zhao Qingxun’s eyes, gone in an instant.

Zhao Qingxun appeared to relax, saying, “I’ll contact Master tomorrow to assess your aptitude for cultivation. If you have it… I’ll beg her to take you as a disciple.”

Ying Buran said sincerely, “Thank you.” She couldn’t express her gratitude further, but she vowed to repay Zhao Qingxun in the future if the opportunity arose.

Zhao Qingxun waved her hand dismissively. “No need for thanks. It’s just… compensation. If all goes well, we’ll become fellow disciples. From now on, you can call me Qingxun.”

For the first time, Ying Buran eagerly anticipated the arrival of tomorrow. Could this be the day her destiny would finally change?

Alas, wishes are beautiful, but reality is cruel.

She placed her hand on the crystal used to test cultivation aptitude. The crystal remained utterly still, emitting not a single glimmer of light—a deathly silence.

Luo Wangqing had never wanted to do this in the first place, but Zhao Qingxun insisted it would appease Ying Buran and fulfill her wish. Reluctantly agreeing, Luo Wangqing watched the scene unfold and, as expected, scoffed inwardly before shaking her head.

“I’m sorry, but you lack the aptitude for cultivation.”