Chapter 90: A Wise Choice

As the sun began to rise in the east, and with Qin Xuanxi keeping him company at his side, Song Ye finally satisfied the conditions of the chance-encounter quest, Companionship.

For this moment, he had even gambled with the great matter of his life. After all, even in the real world, he had never once had a formal girlfriend—yet now, in a game world, he was about to be married.

At that instant, the system prompt rang in his mind.

Ding! Congratulations, player, on completing the chance-encounter quest, Companionship.

Ding! Congratulations, player, on receiving the quest reward: a Mystic Realm Challenge Ticket.

Ding! Congratulations, player, on receiving the quest experience reward: three hundred thousand points.

After watching the sunrise with Qin Xuanxi, and before heading to the yamen to report for duty, Song Ye intended to use the Mystic Realm Challenge Ticket at once; otherwise, its validity period would expire.

Since once the official challenge began he would have only ten seconds, Song Ye first planned out the order in which he would unleash his skills.

First, the guardian skill Extinguish All Living Things was a wide-area attack with sustained damage.

So his first move would be Mu Qiu’s guardian skill Extinguish All Living Things.

The second would be Cheng Wanting’s guardian skill Heavenly Secret, Dustless.

He would first fire off these two highest-damage guardian skills, and with whatever time remained, he would unleash as many Collapse the Heavens and Shatter the Earth as he could.

After using the Mystic Realm Challenge Ticket, Song Ye’s consciousness entered the mystic realm. This time, what appeared within it was the phantom of the Hundred Bones Demon Sovereign.

Following the plan he had made earlier, Song Ye cast his skills one by one toward the phantom of the Hundred Bones Demon Sovereign, finishing perfectly with three strikes of Collapse the Heavens and Shatter the Earth. The timing could not have been better.

When the challenge ended, his total damage came to 3.78 million, astonishingly more than twice his damage from the previous attempt.

This was because he had landed one more guardian skill than last time, and his own strength was also far greater than before. After all, he grew stronger every day, and in the end he had indeed doubled his damage output.

The reward had also doubled compared with the last challenge: a total of 374 attribute points and 276 guardian true essence pills. It was simply delightful.

He was fortunate that yesterday, at the gate of Everjoy Market, he had been decisive enough to keep Qin Xuanxi from leaving in time; otherwise, how could he have reaped such a rich harvest now?

...

Seven days later, in Yan City.

Seven days had passed, and Murong Qingyi had continued to wait within the city, but she still had not seen Murong Jingtian return. Over these past few days, she had gone to the Murong residence several times to inquire, only to return empty-handed each time.

But no matter what, she had to wait for Murong Jingtian to come back. Only after taking her mother’s final letter from his hands would she set out for Luo City to find her mother’s grave and pay her respects.

In these days, word had already begun to spread through the city that Princess Li Qingyu, daughter of the Prince of Xiang, was soon to marry Song Ye, the patrol constable.

Murong Qingyi remembered that, at the very last moment before she lost consciousness last time, she had seen Song Ye appear in the courtyard of her home, and in the end it was also Song Ye who brought her to the princess.

Though she did not know what had happened in between, or how Song Ye had rescued her from the hands of those four seven-star disciples of the Immortal Sect, he was, in any case, her savior.

Now that she had heard her lifesaver was about to be married, Murong Qingyi decided to buy some gifts and personally go congratulate him.

At present, Song Ye was still living in the small courtyard in Pear Blossom Lane.

When she reached the gate, Murong Qingyi saw that it had not been shut, and from inside came the sound of Song Ye speaking with the princess.

“Little lady, why don’t I tidy up this room a little and make it our bridal chamber?”

“Is that really necessary? There are plenty of rooms in the prince’s manor, and the servants can arrange everything themselves. We needn’t trouble ourselves with it!”

“That isn’t a place I’m used to living in. For our first wedding night, I’m afraid my performance might suffer if I’m sleeping on unfamiliar bedding!” Song Ye said, half in jest.

“Oh, stop with the sweet talk. How about this: before the wedding, when you have time, spend more nights in the manor and get used to sleeping there first. Then you won’t have to worry about... underperforming on the wedding night.”

“That wouldn’t be impossible. I’ll listen to you, little lady!”

Hearing this from outside the courtyard gate, Murong Qingyi could not help but let a smile rise at the corner of her lips. How wonderful—before even marrying, her benefactor and the princess were already so affectionate. After the wedding, they would surely be very happy.

Then Murong Qingyi knocked on the gate. The one who came to open it was Song Ye.

“Benefactor,” Murong Qingyi said, “the last time I left in such haste, I only left you a jade pendant and did not properly thank you. So this time I have specially come to offer you my sincere gratitude, and to congratulate you on finding a lifelong match with whom to spend your days!”

Song Ye laughed. “You don’t need to keep calling me benefactor. It sounds rather awkward.”

He noticed that around Murong Qingyi’s neck there was now an extra black collar, something she had not worn before. He could not tell it was an object of demonic spirit; he only thought it was some kind of fashionable ornament.

“Then... should I call you Brother Song?” Murong Qingyi asked tentatively.

“Sure. And don’t just stand at the door—come in and sit.”

Song Ye led Murong Qingyi into the small courtyard. After entering, Murong Qingyi placed the gifts she had brought onto the stone table in the yard. She had also specially bought a candied hawthorn skewer for Song Yan.

After all, Song Ye took Song Yan out patrolling the streets every day, so everyone living in Yong’an Ward knew he had a five-year-old little sister.

Song Yan seemed to know that the candied hawthorn was for her. Before Murong Qingyi even called her over, she already trotted up excitedly, took the skewer from Murong Qingyi’s hand, and began eating it with great delight.

Naturally, Qin Xuanxi in the courtyard recognized at a glance what the black collar around Murong Qingyi’s neck really was. She sneered inwardly.

Why is the demon sword Sanghe of Gu Yunyang on her body?

At that moment, Murong Qingyi also respectfully greeted Qin Xuanxi. “Princess.”

Qin Xuanxi nodded. “By the way, you are a member of the Murong clan, and your name is Murong Qingyi, correct?”

Murong Qingyi said, “I was, but now my name is Liu Qingyi. I no longer wish to have anything whatsoever to do with the Murong clan!”

“Liu” had originally been her father’s surname. It was only after she and her mother were captured back to the Murong clan that she was forced to take the Murong name.

Now that her mother was dead, she had no more ties at all, and she was unwilling to have any further connection with the Murong clan.

Qin Xuanxi smiled faintly. “Then you have truly made the wisest decision of your entire life!”

Murong Qingyi froze for a moment, not understanding what Qin Xuanxi meant by that.

She naturally had no way of knowing that Qin Xuanxi and Song Yan’s biological mother, Liang Fang, had made an agreement nearly two years ago: thirty years later, Qin Xuanxi would, for Song Yan’s sake, slaughter every last member of the Murong clan.

And if Murong Qingyi now chose to cut ties with the Murong clan, then in the future she would not be killed by Qin Xuanxi.

Murong Qingyi could never have imagined that her decision to leave the Murong clan would actually save her life; otherwise, she would have had at most twenty-eight years left to live.

...

Royal Capital of the Kingdom of Li, Luo City.

Inside the imperial palace.

“Today, no matter what, I will see His Majesty!”

Princess Li Xueling strode forcefully into the inner palace.

The eunuch Wang Yan, practically rolling and scrambling, chased after her from behind. “Grand Princess, Grand Princess, His Majesty has said that today no one, no matter who, is to be granted an audience. Grand Princess, please do not make this servant lose his head!”