Forced to Love (GL) - Chapter 47

The woman on the stage seemed to sense Lingxi’s gaze. Across the crowd, she looked toward her, the corner of her lips curving slightly, her eyes gleaming.

“…That day, a great storm raged, blurring the line between night and day. The entire town of Pingzhou was overrun with rampant demons, leaving no survivors in their wake.”

“The Sword Elder of Yaoguang Sect, clad in white and blue robes just like mine, battled the demon leader for hundreds of rounds, exhausting its strength. Then, alongside the sect leader and other elders who arrived later, they sealed the demon leader away. Afterward, the elder entered the demon’s domain alone, rescuing a little girl inside and accepting her as her only direct disciple.”

As the woman’s voice faded, night fully enveloped the sky, and all the lanterns in the inn were extinguished at once, plunging the place into darkness.

Tong Ningyun gasped softly. Qin Tang immediately placed a hand on his sword hilt and stepped in front of her, shielding her from any potential danger.

The next moment, behind the screen on the stage, another candle flickered to life. The dim, golden light cast the shadow of undulating mountains on the thin fabric of the screen.

A dark silhouette emerged. Sitting on the stage was a young girl, her robes drenched in black mud. Her disheveled hair clumped together in strands, hanging messily. Her fair cheeks were smeared with dirt, making her look incredibly disheveled.

“The demons will return soon. Are you not afraid?”

A figure in white and blue robes stood before the girl, the dim light illuminating the woman’s profile. Strands of hair had fallen behind her ear, obscuring her expression.

The girl hesitated for a moment. When she finally looked up at her, her previously dull eyes suddenly flickered with light.

She whispered, “I am afraid. Will you save me?”

Lingxi’s heart skipped a beat as she gazed at the woman on the stage.

“Senior Sister, what did you look like when Master saved you back then? This performance feels like a storybook tale…”

“Hey! Where are you going, Senior Sister?”

As the scene ended, Lingxi finished her candied fruit and got up to leave. “You guys keep watching. I’m going back to my room to rest.”

“Huh? Senior Sister, don’t you want to watch a little more?”

“No.”

Rejecting Tong Ningyun’s invitation, Lingxi avoided the crowd, stepping onto the wooden stairs. The stairs creaked under her steps.

Only she knew that this scene was not a mere story—it was a reenactment of reality.

A probing gaze brushed past her face quickly.

Lingxi paused slightly and turned her head. The glow behind the screen faintly illuminated the woman’s arched brow. The red tint on her lips stood out against her white robes, and she smiled, squinting her eyes at Lingxi.

Lingxi’s expression remained cold. She swept her gaze over the woman and withdrew it, heading straight to her room without stopping.

Later that night, the noisy cheers from downstairs had faded. However, a sudden urgent knock on the door broke the silence.

“Honored guest, are you there? I’m the errand boy from the inn.”

Lingxi opened the door. “What is it?”

“The two guests who came with you approached me half an hour ago. They said they had urgent matters to attend to. If they didn’t return within half an hour, they asked me to come find you.”

Lingxi frowned. “They left? Did they say why?”

The errand boy wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I don’t know. They didn’t say.”

“Did they mention which direction they were heading?”

The boy clapped his hands suddenly. “Ah, east! They ran toward the east!”

Following their trail, Lingxi ventured eastward. As night deepened, the streets became deserted, with only faint lights illuminating the alleys.

A pale blue mist hovered in midair—the mark left by her companions using the Five Elements Art as a signal for her.

Tracking the mist, Lingxi left Pingzhou Town and traveled a few miles until she encountered a barrier. The mist was trapped within it, blocking her path provocatively.

Behind her, the crisp snap of a twig breaking underfoot echoed faintly. Lingxi drew her sword with a cold voice. “You’ve been following me for a long time. Aren’t you tired?”

“Oh my, when did you notice me?”

A woman stepped out from behind a tree, leisurely waving a folding fan. She was still dressed in white and blue robes, her smile radiant.

“You only concealed your presence but forgot that your rouge mixed with the inn’s strong liquor scent.”

Lingxi flicked her wrist, pointing her sword at the woman.

Still smiling, the woman stepped closer and lightly tapped the blade’s edge with her fan’s bamboo handle. “I mean no harm. Since you listened to my storytelling, I naturally have a responsibility to ensure my audience’s safety.”

Lingxi remained silent, her gaze cold. The fan’s handle vibrated against her blade, yet no cracks appeared.

“Oh dear, such a temper for someone so young.” The woman took another step forward, tilting her head. “If I truly meant harm, I wouldn’t need to follow you. I could’ve simply used a curse to ambush you in the night. Wouldn’t that be more effective?”

The scent of strong wine mixed with rouge lingered in the air. Her tea-colored eyes gleamed with amusement. Lingxi took a step back, widening the distance between them.

The woman seemed unfazed. She waved her fan and said, “Ruan Xuan, what about you?”

Lingxi turned and entered the barrier. “Don’t follow me.”

Inside, the dense forest remained pitch-black. However, the lingering mist had weakened, its color fading.

“You lured me here. Are you not planning to show yourself?”

Lingxi stood in a clearing, the shadows of trees covering her upper body.

The next moment, a sword slashed toward her from behind.

Without turning, Lingxi deflected the attack with her blade. She spun around only to find that the attacker was Qin Tang.

Qin Tang’s eyes widened as he struggled to shake his head, silently signaling that his body was not under his control.

Lingxi held back some of her strength, but his sword suddenly twisted, slicing her sleeve.

“Haha, do you like this welcoming gift?”

Ghostly blue flames flared up, casting an eerie glow into Lingxi’s eyes.

Behind Qin Tang, a dark mask appeared, reflecting dim light. The masked figure tilted his head with a smirk. “Using a Yaoguang disciple to kill another Yaoguang disciple—who do you think will win?”

Before Lingxi could respond, Qin Tang’s blade reversed direction, swinging toward her neck. She leaned back to dodge.

“Don’t say Yaoguang Sect. That’s impossible because…” The mask-wearer suddenly appeared behind her, whispering harshly, “You will all die.”

A sharp burst of sword energy lunged for her heart. She could dodge, but Qin Tang, still under control, could not.

Caught between two attackers, Lingxi’s eyes flickered with determination.

Just as the sword’s edge flashed before her eyes, a light chuckle rang out.

“Oh my, good thing I followed along.”

The round fan swept past, brushing close to Ling Xi’s ear. It stirred up a fierce wind, wrapping the falling sword energy tightly with sand and gravel from the ground.

Ling Xi glanced at her, then turned her palm slightly. Her sword flipped upward, deflecting Qin Tang’s blade and pushing him back with a burst of internal energy.

As Qin Tang lowered his head, Ling Xi saw a thin silver needle at the back of his neck.

“Should I do it, or will you?”
Ruan Xuan stood not far away, smiling as she watched Ling Xi.

“Don’t touch him.”

The silver needle was directly embedded at the base of his skull. If pulled out by force, the controlled person would suffer backlash. Aside from removing it manually, the simplest and most direct method was to kill the one controlling it—once the controller died, the needle would dissolve on its own.

Ling Xi raised her sword into the air. The blade instantly split into a formation that descended from above, trapping Qin Tang inside. As she turned, a jade flute slid from her sleeve, its surface glowing with light.

Ling Xi rose to face the swirling wind in the sky. A soft glow surrounded her body. As soon as she entered, even the sound of the wind faded. The hurricane weakened on its own, and the light was like a spark catching fire—spreading through the entire vortex in a flash.

Flames roared, heat waves surged. When Ling Xi reappeared, there was a loud explosion behind her. Sparks flew and burned everything into ash.

The scorching flames licked her hair. The jade flute vanished, and Ling Xi landed softly. Ruan Xuan was holding the unconscious Qin Tang.

“Oh? It seems Yaoguang Sect has a worthy successor?”

Ling Xi didn’t answer. She took Qin Tang from her and then found Tong Ningyun in the forest, also unconscious.

Perhaps Qin Tang had fought to protect her, or perhaps Tong Ningyun’s medical skills were useless against the attacker—either way, Tong Ningyun’s injuries were lighter than Qin Tang’s.

Ling Xi used her spiritual energy to wake her. Tong Ningyun coughed a few times and slowly opened her eyes.

“Cough… S-Senior Sister!”

Ling Xi gave a small hum of acknowledgment, but just as she was about to speak again, she suddenly coughed up bl00d.

“Senior Sister! What’s wrong?!”

Ling Xi’s expression changed slightly. A golden light flashed between her eyebrows, and a wave of power surged through her body like a crashing tide. It flowed through her meridians and settled at her heart, protecting it.

Ling Xi closed her eyes. In the darkness, a light appeared in the distance—dim and misty.

“What happened?”

A clear yet slightly husky voice echoed in her mind. It felt like it was right behind her ear, or perhaps right in front of her, so close that if she turned her head, she might see her.

Ling Xi was stunned for a moment, and couldn’t help but respond in her heart:
“Master?”

“Mm.”

Xie Xisui answered lightly, her voice like a pebble dropped into a valley—soft yet echoing.

She paused, then said again, “I placed a sword intent between your brows. If you’re in danger, it activates to protect you. That’s why you can hear my voice.”

Ling Xi’s grip on her sword tightened. “You went through all this trouble for me, Master, I…”

Before she could finish, she suddenly started coughing again. The metallic taste of bl00d filled her throat.

The sword intent glowed, pushing back the pain. A cool feeling spread from her bl00d through her entire body.

“You’re already hurt. Don’t let your emotions worsen it.”
Her voice softened.
“You’re my disciple. Why wouldn’t I worry for you?”

Though Xie Xisui’s tone was light and calm, when it reached Ling Xi’s heart, she felt a moment of stillness.

“Tell me in detail what happened.”

“Yes.”

Clearing her thoughts, Ling Xi told her everything that had happened that night.

After a moment, Xie Xisui asked, “What do you plan to do next?”

“I want to take Qin Tang and the others back to the inn so they can heal. After this battle, the enemy should be shaken for a short while. Once I ask Tong Ningyun what really happened, I’ll decide what to do next.”

“Mm. Be careful.”

Her tone eased slightly, and after a pause, she added,
“Once the sword intent is activated, it will let me hear everything around you. If that causes any problems, you can seal it yourself and cut off the connection.”

“I don’t have anything I can’t let Master hear.”

Just as she finished speaking, a playful voice sounded beside her:

“Oh my, you’re hurt? Would you like to come back to my room? I have a rare healing medicine and a medicinal bath that can help you recover.”

The next second, her master’s voice echoed in her mind again:
“Mm… I can hear that too?”