Chapter 41: The Marriage Tree Revelation

                     

The chirping of insects echoed in her ears, the tangible scent of earth dispelling the lingering illusion of the spiritual realm.

Even before Meng Ruji opened her eyes, she felt the warmth of another presence. As expected, Mu Sui stood close by, his body still embracing hers exactly as it had been before she entered the environment. Her injured hand, carefully bandaged by him, now pressed against his chest where she could feel the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

"Ah..."

Meng Ruji coughed, stepping back slightly, startling Mu Sui from his dazed state.

The haziness of waking fled quickly from his features, and he immediately released her, leaning against the wall as he steadied himself.

Night still reigned. In the pale moonlight, Meng Ruji could see Mu Sui's face had turned slightly ashen.

"Are you... all right?" Meng Ruji asked.

Before Mu Sui could respond, a muffled groan shattered the moment. Ye Chuan materialized from thin air, dropping beside them as though conjured by some capricious magic.

Meng Ruji startled. Mu Sui merely glanced at the newcomer with cold indifference.

Ye Chuan coughed twice and declared, "I'm fine."

Meng Ruji: "..."

She curled her lips dryly. "How wonderful for you."

Mu Sui rolled his eyes in the darkness, offering no comment.

With one additional person, the pit suddenly felt rather cramped—primarily because a large, unconscious white rabbit lay sprawled on the ground, its fur-covered body twitching involuntarily.

The three of them stood up and arranged themselves in a triangle formation, surrounding the rabbit at the center.

In the profoundly quiet and awkward atmosphere, even the sound of soil crumbling from the pit walls seemed thunderously loud.

"So..."

Meng Ruji broke the silence first, addressing Ye Chuan. "You actually possess a human form."

"Of course I do. I was once consumed by resentment—it completely dominated my consciousness, transforming me into a manifestation of pure grievance." Ye Chuan straightened and answered Meng Ruji's question with polite formality, even cupping his hands in the traditional salute of their Medical Immortal Sect. "Sir... I apologize... Miss Meng. I have offended you grievously over the years."

Meng Ruji waved dismissively. "You haven't offended me much over the years. Just now, however, was another matter entirely."

Ye Chuan's expression froze, his remorse deepening visibly. For a long moment, guilt rendered him completely speechless.

Meng Ruji and Mu Sui were accustomed to their perpetual verbal sparring, but she had never anticipated that Ye Chuan, having returned to his normal state, would prove so vulnerable to cutting remarks. Observing his face flush crimson with shame, she found herself momentarily at a loss for words.

Mu Sui, standing nearby, interjected with cold precision and a slightly hoarse voice, "Explain the resentful spirit. As an immortal, you shouldn't harbor such things."

Ye Chuan looked at Mu Sui with even greater mortification. "Brother Mu, I'm deeply sorry..."

"Answer the question."

Meng Ruji, rarely witnessing him so commanding, raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"Resentful spirits... aren't unusual among immortals anymore," Ye Chuan sighed heavily. "Perhaps you arrived at the Wuliu Land too early and remain unaware of the current situation in the mortal realm. Since Miss Meng sealed herself away, resentment has been accumulating in the human world for the past eight hundred years—especially intensifying in recent years. I had already entered the realm of the Zhi, yet even when I walked the mortal world, I was already plagued by this corruption."

Mu Sui's brows drew together slightly, thoughts clearly churning behind his impassive expression.

Meng Ruji frowned. "Isn't resentful spirit something that belongs to the divine realm? The gods departed the mortal world long ago—why would resentment still persist?"

Mu Sui glanced at Meng Ruji but offered no explanation.

Ye Chuan shook his head slowly. "I don't know when the malevolent spirit first attached itself to me. I existed in chaos and confusion until today, when I was finally liberated."

In other words, he had no idea where the corruption originated.

Meng Ruji sighed and pressed further. "Do you remember how you arrived at the Land of No Retention after you struck Mu Sui and me? What transpired afterward? Why did you end up possessing this rabbit?"

"I... was slain by the five guardians of Hengxu Mountain."

Hearing this, Meng Ruji immediately stepped forward, her words brimming with sudden joy. "My guardians—they still live?! How are they?"

Ye Chuan smiled bitterly. "They were... quite formidable... When they coordinated to kill me, they appeared in excellent condition. The formations and techniques they employed were remarkably sophisticated."

Meng Ruji's lips curved with undisguised pride. "Naturally. The children I trained would be nothing less than exceptional."

"For years, I remained obsessed with you and resented my master for expelling me. I believed the heavens had treated me unjustly, never realizing the fault was entirely my own—my unstable Dao heart..." Ye Chuan met Meng Ruji's gaze directly. "When they executed me, I had completely lost my sanity and deserved death. The disciples you raised are all outstanding."

This statement carried a certain ambiguity, especially considering Ye Chuan's particular "background."

Meng Ruji almost reflexively glanced at Mu Sui beside her.

Mu Sui wasn't focusing on their exchange. He stared at the twitching rabbit on the ground before crouching down to examine it more closely.

Meng Ruji withdrew her gaze and sighed. "If only I could return to the mortal realm soon. I desperately want to see them."

"They've been battling immortals corrupted by malevolent spirits for many years now. It must be extraordinarily difficult for them."

Meng Ruji felt her heart ache hearing this. Even though those children had grown into capable adults, in her memories they remained the small, helpless orphans she'd rescued in her youth—pitiful and vulnerable, so painfully similar to her own childhood...

"They're still guarding Hengxu Mountain..."

"They continue to stand watch."

Meng Ruji's expression turned melancholic.

Observing this, Ye Chuan attempted to offer comfort, but Mu Sui—who had maintained his silence until now—suddenly spoke with brutal directness. "The more malevolent spirits infest the mortal world, the more uncontrollable the situation becomes. They cannot hold out indefinitely."

With those words, the atmosphere in the deep pit dropped to a freezing point.

Meng Ruji cast a cold glare at Mu Sui, but he refused to avert his gaze. He looked up and met her eyes steadily. "That is simply the truth."

"Thank you, Qianshan Jun, for that illuminating reminder. All things in existence are interconnected. If the mortal world overflows with hostility, I suspect the Wuliu Land fares little better. If Hengxu Mountain cannot endure, neither can the Wuliu Land. Zhuliu City is merely a drop in the vast ocean—no one can escape this fate. Not I, and certainly not you."

Mu Sui idly tugged at the rabbit's ears. "How utterly delightful that sounds."

Meng Ruji rolled her eyes elaborately. Ye Chuan, growing anxious, interjected, "It's my fault, all my fault! Please stop quarreling. If I hadn't sent you both to the Wuliu Land, with Miss Meng present, the situation in the mortal realm would be far more stable. Brother Mu is also exceptionally capable. Working together, you could surely devise a solution..."

Mu Sui released a derisive sneer, his meaning deliberately obscure. "Indeed?"

Ye Chuan stood frozen, utterly at a loss. Meng Ruji responded irritably, "Don't pay attention to him. He's perpetually sarcastic. Striking me down was your transgression, and striking him was equally inexcusable. Though I'd argue you didn't hit him hard enough."

"Miss Meng, please don't speak in such anger. After all, he is your husband."

"How absurd! I would have such a husband?"

"But... your names are engraved on the marriage tree."

"Rustle-rustle"—the sound of falling soil seemed deafening in the sudden silence.

Both Meng Ruji and Mu Sui stared at Ye Chuan with identical expressions of shock.

"You... don't... know?"

They genuinely had no idea!

But their reactions couldn't have been more different! Mu Sui's eyes turned glacial, while Meng Ruji's lips curved upward. She leaned forward eagerly. "Would you care to elaborate?"

"After the five guardians slew me, I arrived at the Land of No Retention... I manifested beneath the Marriage Tree. My spirit was shattered, and I awaited the inevitable day of my final dissolution. But one day, I witnessed a brilliant light approaching from the distance. As it drew near, it vanished entirely. I dismissed it as insignificant, but moments later, I saw your names gradually appear on the Marriage Tree's trunk..."

The more Meng Ruji listened, the higher her eyebrows rose, as though she could barely contain her mounting excitement.

Conversely, the more Mu Sui listened, the deeper his frown became, as if mountains were accumulating on his brow...

"Then..." Ye Chuan observed the dramatic disparity in their expressions with growing confusion, lowering his voice uncertainly. "Brother Rabbit was being chased by someone and fled to that location. Consumed by jealousy and resentment, I transformed into violent rage..."

"And possessed the rabbit?"

Meng Ruji's tone was distinctly rising with each word.

Mu Sui flipped the rabbit over, grabbed it by the ears, and delivered two sharp slaps through the air. "Open your eyes. If you persist in this charade, I'll throw you into the Naihe River myself." His tone was dangerously low, murderous intent sharpening each syllable like a blade poised to dismember the creature.

As Mu Sui's threat hung in the air, the rabbit—who had been twitching with eyes squeezed firmly shut—slowly opened them. The crimson rabbit eyes had lost their previous ferocity, replaced by a veneer of wide-eyed innocence.

The rabbit gazed at Mu Sui, displayed his prominent front teeth, and grimaced—an expression caught somewhere between suppressing laughter and breaking into tears.

"Is what he claimed accurate?" Mu Sui asked with deliberate precision.

The rabbit's grimace intensified. "Brother City Lord..." When speaking in his rabbit form, his voice remained remarkably soft and childlike. "Don't blame me—it's all because one gold piece wasn't sufficient..."

Meng Ruji observed the veins bulging on the back of Mu Sui's hand.

The rabbit cried out plaintively, "It wasn't me! I truly didn't sabotage Brother Cinnabar's plan! I definitely didn't drop the gold from his hand while he was casting the spell and attempting my escape, and I certainly didn't waste precious time by running in circles—it's simply that your marriage bond is extraordinarily powerful! One gold piece genuinely wasn't enough to sever such a connection!"

Mu Sui said nothing, his expression darkening ominously. His other injured hand, previously hanging idle, began to move—clearly preparing to strangle the rabbit's neck.

Meng Ruji moved with lightning speed, snatching the rabbit from his grasp and cradling it protectively in her arms. "Oh, my precious rabbit." Meng Ruji beamed with undisguised happiness. "Why don't you become my fortunate mascot instead?"

"Release me! Wicked woman! Let me go! This is entirely your fault! You're the one who schemed against my brother, the city lord!"

"Guilty as charged." Meng Ruji held the rabbit securely while fixing Mu Sui—still half-crouching on the ground—with a triumphant gaze. "I schemed against your brother, the city lord. What of it? Now you must address me as the city lord's wife."

"Wicked woman! In your dreams!"

Meng Ruji held the struggling rabbit with remarkable patience, stroking the fur along its back soothingly. "I truly did dream of it—but you were the one who made it reality, my dear rabbit."

The rabbit fell silent abruptly, staring at Mu Sui with trembling lips. "Brother City Lord..." he ventured hesitantly. "Why won't you forgive me? Before I departed, Brother Cinnabar saw your name inscribed on the marriage tree. He said he understood everything and wanted to commit suicide. In this matter, only one of us needs to perish, doesn't that seem fair?"

"Perfectly reasonable." Meng Ruji laughed with unrestrained glee. "You two in Zhuliu City share such profound affection—I find it genuinely touching!"

Throughout the entire pit, Meng Ruji's excessively piercing laughter reverberated off the walls, shaking loose mud and small stones.

Ye Chuan couldn't resist rubbing his ears, numbed by her cackling. "This marriage of yours... there's clearly more to the story..."

"My intentions are entirely sincere." Meng Ruji smiled radiantly at Mu Sui. "I simply don't know your thoughts on the matter, husband?"

Mu Sui lowered his head, allowing the hair on his forehead to partially obscure his features. For a moment, Meng Ruji couldn't decipher his expression at all.

After a prolonged silence, Mu Sui rose to his feet, brushed the dirt from his knees, and restored his expression to its characteristic indifference—devoid of any discernible emotion.

He extended his hand toward Meng Ruji, crooked his finger in a beckoning gesture, and indicated the rabbit should come to him.

The rabbit, which had been struggling vigorously, suddenly grew afraid to move. It clung to Meng Ruji's shoulders with its front paws and turned to face Mu Sui with trepidation. "Brother... I'm completely devoted to you..."

Meng Ruji didn't release her grip either. "I won't allow you to kill my hero."

"I won't kill it," Mu Sui addressed the rabbit directly. "Come here. There won't be a second opportunity."

At this juncture, the rabbit no longer dared remain with Meng Ruji. Trembling violently, it crawled into Mu Sui's outstretched palm.

Mu Sui didn't crush it to death. Instead, the rabbit hopped onto Mu Sui's shoulder as it had done countless times before, settling down obediently.

Observing that Mu Sui genuinely refrained from violence and had controlled his emotions with remarkable discipline, Meng Ruji found herself somewhat surprised by his unpredictable temperament.

"Since your sincerity is so evident..." Mu Sui raised his uninjured hand and reached toward Meng Ruji's temple. "Then this marriage shall endure eternally. Shengsheng, my wife..." Mu Sui gently tucked the loose strands of hair behind her ear. Moonlight pooled in his eyes like luminous smoke, mysterious and unfathomable.

"The future stretches long before us."

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