Chapter 117: Fated

Page 1/3

Xie Yanran wanted to laugh; this was truly the best joke she had heard all year. Yet, seeing Ling Xinyue’s expression, she couldn’t bring herself to smile. Ling Xinyue was not someone who joked around, especially not about matters like this.

“Really?” Xie Yanran asked hesitantly.

“Really,” Ling Xinyue replied, her expression calm and steady, as if speaking of someone else’s affairs.

“Why?” Xie Yanran pressed on. A strange feeling churned in her heart—not because she had any feelings for that man, at most just some curiosity—but because of Qu Yuanshan, that scoundrel, who had entangled the two of them. This entanglement, though only perceived by outsiders as an emotional connection, could have remained nothing more than two parallel lines if she had chosen to ignore it.

Yet, driven by impulse or some ineffable subconscious emotion, under the alias Ran Yan, she had confronted that man once and suffered a loss.

No matter how much she denied it, when a woman of high status is made to suffer a setback by a man, a strange and subtle psychological effect inevitably arises.

So when Ling Xinyue, a person completely unrelated, suddenly intervened and claimed that man would be her final fiancé, Xie Yanran felt deeply unsettled, as if something belonging to her had been taken away.

“I don’t know. It’s fate,” Ling Xinyue said calmly.

“That… is a bit laughable, especially coming from you, Ling Jie,” Xie Yanran said incredulously.

Ling Xinyue remained silent. Her face was serene, but her clenched fists revealed the turmoil beneath.

…

I opened my eyes to pitch darkness.

Beside me, Chi Yun was sound asleep.

I sat up and pressed my temples, muttering, “What’s going on? Lately, I keep dreaming of that old Taoist.”

I got out of bed and settled into the lazy chair by the floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. Lighting a cigarette, I gazed at the sleepless city lights of Jingcheng.

My mind was restless these days, as if something was about to happen.

Could it be the pressure of soon venturing into the Netherworld?

No!

I exhaled slowly, recalling that old Taoist in my dream. He looked at me while repeatedly writing the character for “Tao,” each stroke transforming into a black hole that sucked at my soul.

Suddenly, a chill crawled up my spine.

I wanted to move but dared not. The oppressive aura suffocating me clearly conveyed one message: if I moved even slightly, I would die.

Seconds ticked by, cold sweat dripping down my forehead.

A shadow in front of me grew and shrank, as if someone was pacing behind me.

Suddenly, an idea sparked within me.

In an instant, my mind solidified the character “Tao,” and the terrifying aura shattered.

Page 2/3

The world before my eyes simultaneously dissolved into nothingness, and in that ethereal void, I saw a Taoist temple.

The temple stood atop a steep cliff called Ten Thousand Blades, surrounded by blooming peach blossoms.

With a surge of spiritual power, I instantly arrived outside the temple.

I glanced up and saw a weathered wooden plaque above the gate, inscribed with five bold characters: Supreme Lingyan Temple.

Each character brimmed with profound Taoist meaning.

At that moment, a sudden intuition made me turn around—and there stood the old Taoist.

Dressed in a faded white Taoist robe, his white beard fluttering in the wind, he exuded an aura of transcendent otherworldliness.

“My young friend, once you accept the dowry, you and Ling Xinyue of Supreme Lingyan Temple shall be bound in a hundred-year union. Those who renege shall be obliterated in both body and soul,” he said, stroking his beard with a smile that sent chills down my spine.

Ling Xinyue? What dowry? I hadn’t accepted any dowry at all.

I tried to speak but found my mouth sealed shut.

“Since you are the son-in-law of Supreme Lingyan Temple, you are half a disciple. From now on, you must rise and fall with Supreme Lingyan Temple. Ha ha ha!” The old Taoist laughed heartily before his figure dissipated.

Suddenly, my body jolted—I was still in Chi Yun’s Moon-view Apartment.

“This dream is way too intense,” I muttered, wiping sweat from my forehead, my gaze restless.

I got up and headed to the bathroom for a shower—my body sticky with sweat.

Afterward, I wiped the fog from the mirror and was startled to see a white jade Taoist crown hovering over my head. But when I looked again, it vanished.

“What the hell did that old Taoist do to me? No, it must be that Ling Xinyue woman,” I muttered darkly, sensing this had long slipped beyond my control.

“Qin Feng, why are you showering in the middle of the night?” Chi Yun pushed open the bathroom door, sleepily looking at me.

“Did I wake you?” I apologized.

“No, are you done yet?” she asked.

“Yes,” I nodded.

“Then accompany me for another shower,” Chi Yun said, slowly removing her nightgown.

The next day, I arrived at the Ninth Bureau, ready to hold a meeting to discuss plans.

But on the way, I noticed everyone’s expressions toward me were strange—some looked envious, others jealous, and some shocked.

“Brother Qin!” Suddenly, someone jumped out and grabbed my hand. It was the overly familiar Zhou Yun.

“What do you want? Go away,” I shrugged off his hand.

“Brother Qin, you’ve really made things difficult for me. Honestly, the invitation I gave you the other day was at the behest of Shangguan Qinghong. He wanted to matchmake you with his sister Shangguan Qingwu. But I never expected you’d end up entangled with Ling Xinyue. I owe Shangguan a big apology,” Zhou Yun sighed deeply.

Page 3/3

“What nonsense? Is it really news that I’m involved with Ling Xinyue?” I said calmly.

“No, but you’re engaged to her! That news broke this morning—it’s like a nuclear bomb,” Zhou Yun said.

“What? Say that again. Who am I engaged to?” I froze and stared at Zhou Yun.

“To Ling Xinyue. Her grandfather, Elder Ling, personally sent the announcement to all the prominent families,” Zhou Yun said.

Damn it! I’m engaged to Ling Xinyue, and I didn’t even know? What the hell is going on?

“Isn’t that true?” Zhou Yun asked cautiously, seeing my expression.

“Of course…” I was about to deny it when a tearing pain ripped through my soul. The white jade Taoist crown glowed faintly, as if saying that if I uttered a single “no,” it would shatter me completely.

I suddenly remembered the dream—the old Taoist said if I reneged, I would be destroyed in body and soul.

“Is it true or not?” Zhou Yun pressed again.

“Yes!” I shouted.

Immediately, the tearing pain vanished, replaced by a warm aura embracing my soul.

“Why shout at me then? So arrogant, the Ling family’s son-in-law,” Zhou Yun said sarcastically, giving me a thumbs-up.

I slapped his hand away in anger and stormed into the Ninth Bureau’s restricted area.

Seeing me, Nightingale stood and grabbed my shirt, furious. “You’re engaged to Ling Xinyue?”

“I…” I tried to deny, but the soul-wrenching pain struck again.

“Damn it!” I cursed, turning and storming out, driving straight to Crescent Moon Mountain.

“Ling Xinyue, get your ass out here,” I kicked open the gate. The guards rushed over but, for some reason, retreated when they saw me.

Then, a graceful figure appeared before me, accompanied by a waft of fragrance.

Ling Xinyue wore no qipao but a pale moon-colored Taoist robe, her gaze cold and distant.

“Explain—when did I get engaged to you? When did I accept your dowry? Was I sleepwalking?” I demanded, trying to suppress my anger.

“Since you saw the Tao imprint left by my grandmaster uncle, our fate was sealed,” Ling Xinyue said calmly.

“What nonsense fate! I thought you might have some issues in your head, but I never imagined you’d be such a frivolous woman. What’s this? Forcing a marriage?” I sneered bitterly. I liked beautiful women, but being blindsided like this was hard to swallow.

“It’s predestined. Not my will, but also not something I can resist. The same applies to you,” Ling Xinyue said.

I sneered. “Since I’m your final fiancé, then let’s do what final couples ought to do.”