I Don’T Want To Be This Master For A Day Anymore. Chapter 5

Spring Heart Ripples

After Chen Liang left, Qiu Yin’an’s mind kept replaying the old man’s exasperated look, especially how the two tufts of goatee on his chin trembled when Chen Liang slammed the book down—it was ridiculously funny.

As soon as Qiu Yin’an thought of the scene, the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but curl up. It wasn’t until a few muffled thuds came from the cabinet that he belatedly slapped his forehead, remembering that Yao Ye was still locked inside.

Qiu Yin’an got up, took out the brass key, and unlocked the cabinet. Just as the lock core turned halfway with a click, the cabinet door was violently pushed open.

Yao Ye practically tumbled out, his apricot eyes wide and round. “Yin’an, you have an engagement? You never told me about such a huge thing.”

Qiu Yin’an bent down to pick up the scattered books on the floor. “It was casually set by my mother years ago. The other party hadn’t even been born yet. I’ve been busy cultivating all these years, so I never took this old matter to heart.”

“How can you not take this seriously?” Yao Ye’s voice suddenly rose. “If I had an un-wedded wife, I’d be thinking about her every day.”

Qiu Yin’an’s ears buzzed from the volume of his shout. He raised a hand to rub his earlobe. “Why are you so agitated? It’s not you who’s getting married. Besides, that person is only fifteen this year, still half a child.”

“What do you mean half a child? They’re almost of marriageable age.” Yao Ye excitedly circled Qiu Yin’an, tugging at his sleeve and urging, “Quick, quick, tell me what happened.”

Qiu Yin’an slowly answered while stuffing books back into the cabinet. “This matter is all because of Qimen Pavilion.”

“Back then, my mother was traveling down the mountain and passed by Wanzong Mountain. She happened to encounter a star diviner from Qimen Pavilion calculating the fate of the Wanzong Mountain Venerable Lord’s wife’s unborn child. She accidentally overheard the diviner say that the wife’s pregnancy was—”

Qiu Yin’an paused, and Yao Ye immediately pressed anxiously, “Was what? A reincarnated immortal? A harbinger of doom?”

Qiu Yin’an raised an eyebrow, picked up a book from the floor, and waved it in front of Yao Ye. His tone was slightly teasing. “If you want to know what happens next, help me put all these books back into the cabinet first.”

“Oh, come on.” Yao Ye’s curiosity was piqued mid-story. He grabbed the books on the floor and quickly tossed them all into the cabinet. He clapped his hands and urged, “Hurry up and continue.”

Qiu Yin’an lightly tapped the spine of the book twice and slowly began, “The diviner said that the wife’s pregnancy was a once-in-a-millennium fate of bringing prosperity to her husband.”

“Prosperity? And a once-in-a-millennium prosperity? The urgency on Yao Ye’s face froze for a moment. It took him a while to process the words. “The person hasn’t even been born yet, and they’re already bringing prosperity to the husband? Boring. Is Qimen Pavilion even reliable?”

Qiu Yin’an said, “In any case, my mother believed it deeply. She immediately revealed her identity and, without even discussing it with my father, set the engagement. Later, my mother became busy dealing with peak affairs and never went back to Wanzong Mountain. Since it hasn’t been mentioned for so many years, Wanzong Mountain probably assumed the engagement was void.”

Yao Ye declared, “Never mind whether they consider it void or not. Chen Liang first tried to steal your Venerable Lord position, and now he wants to steal the fiancée you were engaged to. If you can tolerate this, are you even a man?”

Yao Ye’s words ignited the anger in Qiu Yin’an’s heart. With a click, he dropped the brass lock. “Let’s go, we’re making a trip to Wanzong Mountain.”

Wanzong Mountain was far away. The two traveled by cloud using Yao Ye’s cloud-riding bell, which was much faster than sword flight.

Traveling day and night, they passed over countless bustling cities and swept past numerous layers of green mountains and seas of clouds, finally arriving at the foot of Wanzong Mountain.

The two stopped as they passed a hairpin stall.

Yao Ye asked, “What’s wrong? Did you see those people from East Mountain Hall?”

Qiu Yin’an replied, “No. We are coming here to fetch a bride, so it would be inappropriate to arrive empty-handed.”

Qiu Yin’an glanced at the stall. “We should at least pick a token of affection.”

Yao Ye scoffed, “She’s incredibly lucky to marry you. Qingxuan Peak has no shortage of good things. Don’t worry about these trivial details.”

Yao Ye started to walk away, but Qiu Yin’an grabbed him. “Pick one. It won’t take long.”

Yao Ye conceded, “Fine, fine, fine.”

The two moved to the hairpin stall. Qiu Yin’an picked up a jade orchid hairpin with intertwined branches and asked Yao Ye, “Does this look good?”

Yao Ye shook his head. “It doesn’t look good. None of these look good to me.”

“Hey, young man, how can you talk like that?” The stall owner, a middle-aged woman, immediately frowned upon hearing Yao Ye’s words. “This is inlaid with Cloud Crystal Stone! Do you even know what you’re looking at?”

Yao Ye impatiently waved his hand. “It looks good, it looks good. They all look good, alright?”

Qiu Yin’an picked up another light pink velvet flower hairpin. “How about this one?”

With a hairpin in each hand, Qiu Yin’an was indecisive.

Yao Ye said, “Is it really that hard to choose this thing?”

Qiu Yin’an asked, “Can you choose?”

Yao Ye snorted lightly and told the stall owner, “Give me the most expensive one.”

“Don’t be reckless.” Qiu Yin’an frowned, ultimately choosing the jade orchid hairpin he had first laid eyes on.

After paying the silver, Yao Ye dragged his sleeve toward the Wanzong Mountain gate. “Finally done buying. I wonder what your un-wedded wife looks like?”

Qiu Yin’an gave him a punch. “She’s mine. Don’t think about her.”

As the two turned the street corner, they were blocked by a beggar.

“Kind sirs, spare a meal.”

Yao Ye covered his nose. “You stink. Get lost.”

Qiu Yin’an opened his money pouch, casually pulled out a silver ingot, and tossed it into the beggar’s bowl. His gaze suddenly noticed a sect totem embroidered on the collar of the old beggar’s tattered outer robe. The totem was the same as the one carved on the Wanzong Mountain stone tablet he had glimpsed from the clouds: a mountain peak with the character ‘Wan’ suspended above it.

Qiu Yin’an asked, “Are you from Wanzong Mountain?”

The old beggar held the silver ingot and bowed and kowtowed to Qiu Yin’an.

“Huh?” Yao Ye was surprised. “Begging while wearing Wanzong Mountain clothes? Doesn’t Wanzong Mountain worry about losing face? Why didn’t they send someone to deal with this old fellow?”

“What face does Wanzong Mountain have left?” The old beggar raised his eyes and scrutinized the two of them. “You two aren’t from around here, are you?”

Yao Ye patted his chest. “Of course we aren’t from around here. We are from the Upper Cultivation World! This person beside me is the Young Lord of Qingxuan Peak, the foremost sect in the Cultivation World.”

Qiu Yin’an tugged at him, lowering his voice. “Don’t shout.”

“Qingxuan Peak?” Upon hearing the three words, the old beggar suddenly widened his eyes. He blocked their path and asked, “Have you come to fetch the bride?”

Yao Ye said, “We’re here to bring the Wan family girl home. You beggar, move aside, don’t block the way.”

“He’s an outcast who was expelled from the sect, why tell him so much?” Qiu Yin’an tossed a larger silver ingot and yelled at the beggar, “Move.”

The old beggar took the ingot and tucked it into his clothes. “Seeing your kindness, I will tell you about Wanzong Mountain first. There is no Miss Wan in Wanzong Mountain. The Venerable Lord’s wife gave birth to a boy that year.”

The two instantly froze. Yao Ye recovered first, glaring at the beggar. “What nonsense are you spouting? Do you want me to tear your mouth apart?”

Qiu Yin’an’s expression was serious. He stared at the old beggar and pressed, “Is that true?”

The old beggar gave a bitter smile. “I worked for Wanzong Mountain for over twenty years. I personally saw the midwife bring out a boy that year.”