Chapter 180: The Matter of Marriage

“Master…” Duoyun lowered her head, silent for a moment, but in her eyes, tears glistened faintly.

Mei Qing gently embraced Duoyun, his heart filled with a mixture of tenderness and guilt.

Ever since he had shared that intimate moment with Bizhen, Mei Qing had unconsciously paid less attention to Duoyun. During his long absence in Yongping, and even more so after Bizhen’s reappearance, his thoughts of Duoyun had grown increasingly rare.

Earlier, in the guest room, Mei Qing had spent some time with Bizhen, caught up in passion. Just as emotions ran high, Bizhen suddenly refused to go any further, explaining that they were now in Mei Qing’s home, where the family would be watching, and that he shouldn’t behave recklessly.

Mei Qing felt deeply frustrated, thinking to himself that when had Miss Bi ever cared about such societal opinions. He didn’t realize that no matter how profound Bizhen’s cultivation or how lofty her demeanor, she was still a girl at heart—there were moments when even the strongest girl could still be shy.

After leaving the guest room and returning to his bedroom, Mei Qing found the room brightly lit by candles and lamps, with Duoyun sitting alone, resting her chin on one hand, staring blankly into the flickering candlelight.

When she saw Mei Qing return, Duoyun’s face revealed a complex mix of emotions—five parts joy, four parts shyness, and one part grievance. Mei Qing could no longer restrain himself—he instantly pulled her tightly into his arms.

Duoyun thought that the master had simply missed her and was overcome with longing. Just moments ago, she had been wondering whether he might stay the night in the guest room instead. Although etiquette was strict these days, the girl had already dared to follow him home—she must have resolved to be his forever.

So when Mei Qing returned to his own bedroom, Duoyun was somewhat surprised. And now, with him holding her so tightly, she felt her whole body warm and weak in his embrace. Suddenly realizing how long it had been since she had rested like this in his arms, emotions welled up inside her, and tears uncontrollably filled her eyes.

Mei Qing gently wiped away her tears and suddenly said, “Duoyun, do you think I’m a terrible person?”

Duoyun buried her head in his chest and softly replied, “What are you saying, Master? You’re a kind and good man. That’s what everyone in the household says.”

Mei Qing slowly traced his fingers across her soft, rosy lips, his voice tinged with sadness. “Don’t say that. Logically, I should have been content once I had you. But now, there’s also Zhen’er… Having gained one blessing, I still desire another. A man like me, who can’t appreciate what he has, deserves to be called a scoundrel.”

Duoyun raised her head in concern and said, “Why are you saying such things tonight? You’ve always been so good to me—I’m grateful beyond words. Besides, I’m just a servant girl. How could I ever dare to—”

“Stop talking nonsense,” Mei Qing gently covered her mouth, then gently turned her face toward him, gazing at her gentle features and delicate eyes. Slowly, he leaned his face against her cheek and sighed, “I’m sorry, Duoyun. I hate it when you call yourself a servant. In my heart, a girl like you deserves to have me chasing after you every day with flowers, begging you to marry me. If I could win your affection, it would be a blessing from countless lifetimes, and I should treat you like a treasure, doing everything to make you happy.”

Duoyun laughed softly and said, “Master, what are you saying! You’re the heavens, and I’m the earth. It’s my blessing from many lifetimes to serve you. What’s wrong? Did the young lady give you a hard time?”

“The young lady?” Mei Qing was momentarily confused, then realized she was referring to Bizhen. “You mean Zhen’er? Not yet. She’s actually a kind-hearted girl. But she won’t marry me.”

“Master!” Duoyun was shocked and anxious, pulling away from him. “How can you say that? Miss Bi followed you all the way back here… This… this situation… it’s just not quite right…”

Mei Qing was taken aback, then burst into laughter and pulled Duoyun back into his arms. “Silly girl, it’s not like that. Do you think I’d abandon her after taking advantage? It’s not that I don’t want to marry her—it’s that she can’t. Zhen’er is a Taoist nun. Although she can be my spiritual partner in cultivation, she can’t become my wife.”

“A Taoist nun!?” Duoyun was stunned. She never imagined that the beautiful Bizhen, who looked like a celestial fairy, was actually a female Taoist priestess. And even more surprising, Mei Qing mentioned something about being spiritual partners in cultivation. Was Mei Qing planning to become a Taoist priest himself?

“Then… then what should we do?” Duoyun felt her mind spinning. “Can’t she just leave the temple and return to secular life?”

“Do you think it’s that easy?” Mei Qing shook his head. “Zhen’er became a Taoist nun by imperial decree. How easily do you think she can abandon that?”

“Imperial decree!?” Duoyun was even more shocked. In her mind, if it was an imperial decree, then it must have been made official by the emperor himself. How could Mei Qing possibly get married now?

“If it really comes to that, maybe I can go in her place and become a nun, and let her return to secular life,” Duoyun suggested anxiously.

Seeing Duoyun’s wide eyes, Mei Qing first chuckled, then felt a soft ache in his heart. Not knowing what else to say, he just tightened his arms around her and said, “Enough, silly girl. Don’t worry so much. I’ll handle things properly. Today, I’ve already discussed this with Uncle Zhong.”

“What did Uncle Zhong say?” Duoyun, realizing her own suggestion might not be practical, eagerly asked, hoping that Uncle Zhong would have a plan.

“Uncle Zhong must have a way,” Mei Qing mused. “Duoyun, have you noticed that Uncle Zhong seems like no ordinary man?”

Duoyun laughed. “Of course. Anyone who stays around you long enough becomes extraordinary.”

“Laughing at me? You’re asking for a beating!” Mei Qing suddenly pinned Duoyun onto the bed, pretending to be fierce.

Duoyun let out a startled “Oh!” but seeing Mei Qing’s exaggerated expression, she couldn’t help but burst into giggles.

“Still laughing!” Mei Qing, seeing her charm and beauty, felt a sudden surge of passion. He raised his hands and chanted, “Heaven and earth, spirits and ghosts, I seal the five elements—swiftly!”

As Mei Qing chanted the spell, all the candles in the room suddenly extinguished, and the surroundings fell into a sudden, eerie silence. Inside the bed curtains, it seemed as if a barrier had formed, separating them from the outside world, and even the moonlight appeared hazy.

“Master, what are you doing?” Duoyun asked, eyes wide with surprise.

“I have to be careful,” Mei Qing sighed. “There are too many experts around the house these days. I can’t even do anything naughty without sealing away the light, the elements, and spiritual senses. Otherwise, if someone catches us in a compromising situation, I’d be ruined!”

In another room, Bizhen angrily threw aside a mirror. “What’s going on!? Just when it was getting interesting, the signal cut out! That old Taoist must have given me some cheap junk to fool me!”

She couldn’t help blushing, though.

“You want me to let A Bi marry that brat Mei Qing!?” Sixth Master sneered coldly.

“Not a bad plan, huh?” Uncle Zhong smiled calmly. “Do you really think I’m the one who should be worried here? If she doesn’t marry Mei Qing, who else could she possibly marry? Can you really stop her?”

Sixth Master was momentarily speechless, his eyes wide with anger. “Are you here just to provoke me!?”

“Not at all,” Uncle Zhong replied with a smile. “Mei Qing has returned today…”

“What!?” Sixth Master frowned. “Why didn’t I hear about this? What are my people doing?”

He lightly tapped his foot, and soon a door was heard opening. Wu Bing entered expressionlessly.

Although Uncle Zhong was sitting casually across from Sixth Master, Wu Bing acted as if he wasn’t even there, simply bowing respectfully to Sixth Master without saying a word.

“That brat Mei Qing returned today. Find out what’s going on—how come no one reported this?” Sixth Master said coolly.

Wu Bing bowed again and silently left.

“And why haven’t I heard from A Bi either?” Sixth Master muttered to himself, suddenly recalling something and turning to look at Uncle Zhong.

“Don’t look at me,” Uncle Zhong shrugged. “The two of them came back together and are already at Mei’s residence.”

Sixth Master’s eyes widened again, and he growled, “You old bastard, you came here just to mock me, didn’t you!”

“I came as soon as I could spare the time to discuss this with you,” Uncle Zhong said with a pained expression, secretly laughing inside. “Don’t mistake kindness for weakness.”

Sixth Master fumed for a while before calming down, muttering bitterly, “Old man, you know A Bi’s status. The emperor…”

“Enough with that talk, Sixth Brother,” Uncle Zhong said dismissively. “If Mei Qing wants to marry A Bi, do you really think the emperor would stop it? Do you believe that yourself?”

Sixth Master sighed. “Even if the emperor doesn’t interfere, would A Bi really want to marry? She chose to become a Taoist nun herself. What can anyone do? Who wouldn’t prefer to see their daughter married properly instead of just being a cultivation partner?”

Uncle Zhong chuckled. “So impressive! The mighty commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Lu Bing, feared even by children at night and respected by all officials, can’t even persuade his own daughter?”

“Don’t gloat!” Sixth Master roared. “If Lu Bing were that capable, why would I even need to play the role of Sixth Brother? Do you think the emperor himself doesn’t have to think carefully before making decisions?”

Uncle Zhong blinked and said, “Actually, I don’t think A Bi is truly devoted to being a Taoist nun. More likely, she’s just being stubborn and rebelling against you. Now that she’s involved with Mei Qing, maybe a little push could make her change her mind. If she becomes happy enough, she might even reconcile with you as her father. Wouldn’t that be a happy ending for everyone?”

Sixth Master was deeply moved. He stood up suddenly, his voice rising. “Old man, in all the years I’ve known you, this might be the first time you’ve said something that actually makes sense. Let me think, let me think—could this really work?”

As he paced around, he suddenly stopped and sat back down, his mood sinking again. “No use. You don’t know how stubborn that girl is. When she first became a Taoist nun, she swore before the Three Pure Ones that she would devote her life to cultivation and never acknowledge me as her father!”