188 - Douluo: Martial Spirit Blue Silver Grass

The expansive Yuan family clan was one where no one dared to defy Yuan Yuzi's wishes. Even Yuan Xiu's father and brother couldn't utter a word of 'no' in such a situation. Fu Ling quietly concealed herself in the shadows, her beautiful almond-shaped eyes widening in disbelief. Though she had never interacted with Yuan Xiu before, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy at that moment. As a daughter being used as a tool for repaying a debt by her own mother – it was both pitiful and tragic. Inside the inner hall, there was no longer a sound. It was as if Yuan Xiu's fate, arranged long before her birth, allowed no room for resistance from her. “This matter doesn’t need further discussion. Once Xiu Xiu's health improves, she should marry Si Qi immediately. This way, it will also allow Si Qi to move in earlier.” The woman's attitude was firm, each word leaving no room for dissent. Yuan Xiu's second brother, Yuan Yun, after feeling the sting of a slap, lost much of his spirit. Though he still opposed the marriage inwardly, he lacked the courage to defy their mother's orders. As for the eldest brother Yuan Xu, he remained silent with his head bowed as before. The only one willing to speak up was Yuan Xiu's father. "Xiu Xiu has always respected you as her mother. Aren’t you afraid that treating her like this will make her hate you? You should understand her nature better than I do. She may appear gentle and obedient, but inside, she's as fierce as fire. If you keep pushing her, one day, she'll be driven to the brink. By that time, you’ll have lost a daughter beyond the repayment of a debt." These words finally introduced a slight change to the woman's expression. Sadly, these warnings weren't enough to sway her from that absurd notion. Perhaps unsure of how to face the man's gaze, she slightly turned her body, directing her sight to the open, dark courtyard. "If she respects me, then she should listen to me even more." “This is my decision, and there’s no need for further discussion.” “Tomorrow, Yuan Xu will visit the Si family to propose, and no one should mention Xiu Xiu's injury in front of the Si family.” The resolute and forceful tone left the three men speechless and unable to voice any further objections or doubts. Fu Ling witnessed this scene, and her sympathy for Yuan Xiu only deepened. Before the woman could leave, she stealthily emerged from the inner hall, sticking to the shadows along the wall. At night, the courtyard was shrouded in darkness, a row of small lanterns hanging under the long eaves cast a bright path along the corridor. Everywhere else was dim, perfect for shadows to slip through. After searching within the house for a while, Fu Ling finally followed a maid to Yuan Xiu's courtyard. Even before stepping inside, she heard faint voices coming from within the room. “Did you see Mother? That marriage, the marriage with Brother Si Qi, what did Mother say about it?” The delicate and faintly weak voice of a woman naturally gave a sense of gentle and quiet compliance. Fu Ling slipped through the wall under the cover of shadows, quickly sneaking into the room. The candle burned brightly, its light swaying with the wind, casting stark clarity on the pitifully pale face of the girl on the bed. That face was tearfully beautiful, exuding an air of gentle fragility that, when imagined against the ill-fated marriage she was to face, stirred a sense of compassion in anyone. Fu Ling couldn't help but furrow her brows and let out a soft sigh from her heart. She knew that Yuan Xiu would be disappointed by the answer she was about to hear. As expected, the maid soon responded, and Yuan Xiu’s expression instantly turned to one of despair. “Miss, the Madam told you to rest well. She said... she said people from the Si family would visit in a few days...” At that moment, even the maid couldn’t bear to reveal the truth. Before the words were finished, the speaking within the room had already trailed off, halted suddenly. Fu Ling bit her lip, desiring to do something, yet unsure of what she could do. Though she hadn’t experienced it firsthand, she seemed to sense Yuan Xiu’s pain, reluctance, and helplessness right then. If she could, she even wished to take Yuan Xiu away from the Yuan family. Reason still held, and this thought remained just a ‘wish,’ because ultimately, this was the Yuan family's affair, and she was merely a spectator. Even after everyone left and she returned to the outskirts of the Yuan residence, the indignation she felt was still fierce. Without saying a word, others could sense the anger emanating from her emotions. Outside the large mansion, it was unusually quiet, making it easier to stay hidden. Noticing the unusual look on the girl beside her, Jiu Ying grew curious about what major event had occurred within the Yuan household. “What’s the matter? Why the expression? Did something happen to the third Miss Yuan?” Fu Ling, still upset over Yuan Xiu's plight, grew visibly more angry upon hearing her love’s inquiry. The two walked hand in hand for a while, remaining silent until they fully departed the Yuan estate, then she, filled with resentment, recounted what she had witnessed. Regarding the relationship between Yuan Yuzi and Han Yan, Jiu Ying knew very little. Though she was aware of their close ties, it was the first time hearing of Han Yan's lifesaving grace towards Yuan Yuzi, to the point that repaying the favor warranted ‘marrying off a daughter.’ The whole situation sounded too incredible to believe. “Madam Yuan's heart is too ruthless. Miss Yuan would rather take her own life than marry Si Qi, yet she cares nothing for her daughter's wishes and still refuses to abandon this marriage.” At the end, Fu Ling couldn’t help but vent her complaint softly again. Hearing this story, Jiu Ying was equally astonished. Based on prior experiences, Yuan Xiu should deeply love Si Qi, but now she refused to marry him. There could only be one reason— Si Qi's true identity must have given her cause to retreat. Her memory flashed back to the scene where Si Qi was pursued and hunted. If her guess was correct, something must have happened between Si Qi and Yuan Xiu after she was forced into the Spirit Mansion that day. Otherwise, given Yuan Xiu's character, she wouldn't distance herself or disdain Si Qi just because he was Ping Tian's son. While pondering, a gentle call suddenly snapped her back from her thoughts. “Senior Sister, what should we do? Is it best for us not to meddle in this matter?” Though she spoke of not interfering, her tone clearly carried grievances. Fu Ling hadn’t said it outright, but Jiu Ying could still discern her true feelings. The young girl always had a tender heart, and after witnessing Yuan Xiu forced into marriage, how could she willingly watch her marry Si Qi? Not to mention Si Qi was a dying man, lingering on his final breath. Should his identity ever be exposed, what path would Yuan Xiu, as his wife, follow then? Contemplating the situation, Jiu Ying unconsciously furrowed her brows. After a moment of silence, she finally voiced her thoughts. “Si Qi isn’t a good person. Discovering his true self isn’t harmful to Miss Yuan. At the very least, as Si Qi’s future fiancée, she has the right to know the truth from the start.” “I know you sympathize with Miss Yuan, but the two of us have no prior interactions with her. It’s unwise to meddle in this marriage. If you truly want to help, you should first ask Miss Jiang to speak with her.” Jiang Beiqing? Hearing this, Fu Ling was momentarily stunned, quickly realizing what Jiu Ying meant. Just like when they borrowed the Miao Zhen Spirit Bead from Qin Shuyu, being descendants of the Eight Clans, Jiang Beiqing’s status could be exceptionally useful in such situations. “Senior Sister means to have Miss Jiang get a sense of Miss Yuan’s intentions first?” Receiving encouragement from her beloved, the girl’s expression instantly lightened. Despite the darkness, her eyes shone even brighter. Jiu Ying subtly turned, her gaze catching the change on Fu Ling's face, and her eyes unknowingly softened. “Indeed.” “Our willingness to help alone isn’t enough; we must first understand Miss Yuan’s desires.” “Remember, in everything you do, you can’t just consider your own feelings. Something that seems beneficial to others in your eyes may not be seen the same way by them.” “Though Miss Yuan resists the marriage with Si Qi, that doesn’t mean she’s willing to leave the Yuan family with two strangers. After all, in Madam Yuan's eyes, eloping is more severe than self-harm. This is something Miss Yuan understands better than we do.” These words, which she used to detest, sounded melodic and pleasing when spoken by Jiu Ying. Fu Ling nodded, promising to keep her Senior Sister’s advice in mind. “Everything Senior Sister says, I'll remember.” Such an appearance was truly endearing and adorable. Jiu Ying’s heart eased, her expression turned more tender, and the corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly. The moon and stars scattered their light from the sky, mixing with the cool summer night breeze, layering the muddy path ahead. In that moment, she didn't even realize, only Fu Ling could effortlessly make her smile. By the time they returned to the inn, an hour had passed. As the night deepened, it was time for rest. Only after Fu Ling left her room did Jiu Ying extinguish the candle indoors. The door and windows were closed in succession, leaving the room without any source of light. In an instant, the room was plunged into darkness. Jiu Ying sat alone at the vanity, hesitating for a moment before finally taking out the plain white handkerchief hidden at her waist. The silence was pervasive, the lack of light making the atmosphere oppressively daunting. Though separated by a layer of fabric, her hand holding the kerchief trembled slightly. Her true form had transformed into a Qinglong—an azure dragon—so theoretically, no other spiritual beast in this world should instill such intense fear within her. Yet, the item wrapped in the cloth was merely a dragon scale. Jiu Ying couldn't understand this, and it was only after placing the white handkerchief on the table that her trembling fingertips began to steady. She lifted a corner of the silk cloth with her forefinger, and instantly a dazzling golden light emanated from within, accompanied by an overwhelming oppressive fear that only she could perceive. Braving her inner resistance and discomfort, she cautiously unfolded the cloth fully, and the previously dark room was instantly filled with gleaming golden radiance. The light was bright, glaring, and so bold, each ray seemed to carry a faint dragon's breath. Just being bathed in the golden light, one seemed enveloped in the aura of a dragon. Jiu Ying sniffed the unfamiliar dragon scent in the air, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. She reached out and slowly rolled up the sleeve on her right hand, revealing a slender, snow-white arm, which was soon covered with a thin layer of light cyan dragon scales. Having not been in her Qinglong form for long, the scales on her arm were not fully developed; upon close inspection, each had a thin layer, only their tops barely showing a hint of cyan. Compared to these, the golden scale in the cloth was robust and thick, its color a pure, flawless gold, with smooth, rounded edges, and an aura subtly circulating around it. Clearly, it came from a fully mature dragon—the kind that had lived for thousands of years. Though dragons were long-lived creatures, surviving for millennia was near impossible. Reflecting on the ancient texts she had read, nowhere did it record the existence of a dragon spirit living for nearly a thousand years. With lips tightly pressed, Jiu Ying brought her sleeve back down. The presence of dragon breath wavered in the air, and her body quivered slightly on its own. Such a vivid and intense mix of reverence and fear prompted a startling speculation within her—a hypothesis that defied reason. This golden dragon scale taken from An Yang Island—could very well belong to an ancient celestial spirit. And that celestial spirit’s original form might have been exactly like what she once was—a golden dragon.