The Male Lead I Wronged Has Blackened

CHAPTER 30: A Peerless Daughter of Heaven

　　Si Yao’s mind was in chaos, thoroughly unsettled by the way the plot had spiraled. Her thoughts were a mess when Elder Situ’s words suddenly hit her, leaving her momentarily frozen.

　　“Mu Yuanbai and Si Luo will be wed next month. After the wedding, Mu Yuanbai will officially succeed as the Sect Leader of Xuánmíng Sect.”

　　Elder Situ’s words sent shockwaves through the disciples. The long-vacant position of Sect Leader’s successor had unexpectedly fallen to Mu Yuanbai.

　　Mu Yuanbai had joined Xuánmíng Sect in his youth and had been training for over eighteen years. As the sect’s chief disciple, he was always measured in his actions, fair and unerring, and naturally gifted. Despite his youth, his cultivation had reached the Void Soul stage, earning admiration from all around.

　　By all rights, the position of Sect Leader should have been his.

　　Yet Xuánmíng Sect also had Jiang Shuo.

　　In recent years, Jiang Shuo’s brilliance had been overwhelming, eclipsing everyone else. Many assumed the leadership would naturally pass to him instead of Mu Yuanbai.

　　Some disciples were stunned that Mu Yuanbai would inherit the sect, while others were shocked at the mention of a wedding by Elder Situ.

　　“Senior Brother is such an outstanding person. He has devoted himself to the Dao and never let his heart wander. Is Elder Situ really trying to force this match?”

　　“That woman’s name is Si Luo, right? Which Si Luo is she?” Some disciples, unfamiliar with her identity, asked for clarification.

　　“That one,” another disciple said, pointing to Si Luo standing beside Mu Yuanbai.

　　“That’s her? That woman was spreading rumors in the sect just a few days ago, deceiving people left and right. How could she possibly be worthy of Senior Brother?” Some female disciples, recalling Si Yao’s recent antics, felt a pang of frustration, thinking Senior Brother was like a flower planted in cow dung.

　　Mu Yuanbai, hearing Elder Situ’s words, was momentarily stunned. He had planned to refuse Elder Situ’s proposal, but if the person he was to marry was Si Yao—

　　Then he was more than willing!

　　Mu Yuanbai calmed himself, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he even found himself looking forward to the upcoming wedding.

　　If they became Daoist Partners, he could be openly with her, finally telling her about the longing he had held for the past ten years, how much he had missed her.

　　Thinking this way, his gentle gaze settled on Si Yao.

　　Si Yao had no idea she was being watched. In an instant, she became the center of attention, all the disciples of Xuánmíng Sect pointing and whispering.

　　Her face darkened immediately. Did this cultivation world still do arranged marriages? Just deciding she was to be Mu Yuanbai’s Daoist Partner without even asking her opinion? That was too much.

　　The Xuánmíng Sect disciples chattered endlessly. The disciples from the other four sects crowded in, whispering and gossipping. The scene was on the verge of spiraling out of control. Si Yao stepped forward, face stormy, and said to Elder Situ, “Elder, I have not—”

　　“Mm?” Elder Situ blinked innocently, cutting her off the moment he saw her about to speak. “Do you think my arrangement is a bit rushed?”

　　He patted her shoulder with a warm, teasing smile, comforting her as if she were a child. “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure the wedding is grand and lively, so spectacular that everyone in the cultivation world will know about it.”

　　Elder Situ’s gaze was full of affection, while Si Yao’s was filled with black despair.

　　Oh, thank you so much, really.

　　She sighed, preparing to set the record straight in front of all the disciples. She did not like Mu Yuanbai and had no intention of becoming his Daoist Partner. She needed to make it clear to Elder Situ and everyone else that her feelings were her own.

　　“Good child, don’t rush to deny it. I know you don’t want this, but things are urgent. I have no choice but to take this desperate measure.”

　　Just as Si Yao was about to argue with Elder Situ, a voice quietly echoed in her mind.

　　She noticed Elder Situ watching her intently, almost imperceptibly shaking his head at her. Then the voice spoke again in her head: “The Beast and Demon Realms are stirring. Humanity is in grave danger. The current Sect Leader does not have much time left. Once he passes, the Beast and Demon Realms will surely rise against humanity. Xuánmíng Sect, as the first line of defense, will be the first to face attack.”

　　Elder Situ’s voice was grave and aged, flowing steadily into her mind. “Only if Jiang Shuo becomes the next Sect Leader and leads the disciples in a desperate defense will there be even a sliver of hope.”

　　Si Yao’s heart sank at his words. She had been trying to get Jiang Shuo to agree to succeed the Sect Leader, but what did that have to do with her marrying Mu Yuanbai?

　　Seeing that Si Yao seemed to be listening, Elder Situ continued: “Jiang Shuo refuses to take the position. No matter how hard we try to persuade him, he will not budge. The only way now is for us to propose that Mu Yuanbai marry you and succeed as Sect Leader. This will force Jiang Shuo to comply.”

　　After saying this, his usually sharp eyes blinked at her thoughtfully. He added, “As a disciple of Xuánmíng Sect, your duty is to exterminate beasts and demons, and protect the people. This concerns all of humanity. You will not refuse, will you?”

　　Si Yao twitched the corner of her mouth, completely speechless, black despair pooling in her mind.

　　You’re a highly respected elder in the sect, and here you are morally blackmailing your disciple with guilt like this. Isn’t that a bit much?

　　Si Yao blinked up at Elder Situ, transmitting her question directly to him: “How can you be so sure that if I marry Mu Yuanbai, Jiang Shuo will agree to succeed as Sect Leader?”

　　“Whether I marry Mu Yuanbai has what to do with Jiang Shuo taking up the position?”

　　Elder Situ, looking like he had everything under control, reassured her: “Don’t worry. I say he will, and he will. You just need to follow my plan and not refuse the wedding. I’ll take care of everything, you won’t really have to get married.”

　　Hearing Elder Situ’s promise, Si Yao felt a little relief wash over her.

　　She didn’t know if his plan would work, but they were on the same side, all wanting Jiang Shuo to succeed as Sect Leader. If his plan succeeded, it would benefit her too.

　　With that thought, she forced down the urge to blow up right then and there.

　　Seeing that Si Yao didn’t oppose the wedding, Mu Yuanbai felt a flicker of emotion. She wasn’t against it. That meant deep down, she cared about him.

　　The other elders were momentarily confused by Elder Situ’s actions. After he explained everything to them privately, understanding settled on their faces.

　　The leaders of the other sects, of course, had no idea of the complicated reasoning behind it. They simply assumed it was internal affairs of Xuánmíng Sect.

　　Yan Jingshan, Sword Master of Taixu Sword Sect, stepped forward to congratulate them: “With successors like these, Xuánmíng Sect will surely shine even brighter.”

　　Tan Yi, the leader of Shuiyun Palace, smiled softly, her eyes like flowing autumn waters: “I wonder which extraordinary young lady will become the future Sect Leader’s wife?”

　　Everyone present, including disciples from the four other sects, craned their necks to get a look, curious to see which lucky girl had leapt straight into becoming the future Sect Leader’s wife of Xuánmíng Sect.    

　　Only the disciples of Xuánmíng Sect felt quietly disdainful in their hearts. They thought this Si Luo, who had spread rumors and caused trouble, had somehow lucked into catching Elder Situ’s eye.

　　Tan Yi’s question played right into Elder Situ’s plan. He immediately turned to Si Yao and waved at her: “Come, Si Luo, pay your respects to the elders.”

　　Si Yao’s face, already far from pleasant, sank completely. Her reputation had been in the gutter ever since the rumors she spread earlier, and now she was suddenly being forced to marry Mu Yuanbai, who had countless admirers. She was practically asking to be mocked.

　　“Come on now.” Seeing her hesitate, Elder Situ waved again.

　　Si Yao had no choice. With a stiff expression, she stepped forward and bowed to the leaders of the four sects: “Junior disciple Si Luo, greets the elders.”

　　Her true appearance had been hidden by a special spiritual technique. Now she looked plain and unremarkable, with only her eyes showing any spark of life. She was at the mid-Golden Core stage, decent for her age, but far from exceptional.

　　Tan Yi and the other Sect Leaders sized her up carefully. Was this really the “extremely outstanding” woman Elder Situ had mentioned?

　　Having survived the cultivation world for years, they had plenty of experience. Though their hearts felt a bit let down, they still put on expressions of admiration and offered polite compliments to Si Yao.

　　The disciples, however, were not so restrained. Seeing such a plain-looking girl, they could not hide their ridicule.

　　“Why does she look so ordinary? I heard Mu Yuanbai is a famous highland flower of Xuánmíng Sect, and yet he’s being forced to marry a girl like this. Poor thing,” a Shuiyun Palace girl whispered, covering her mouth to laugh. Her own beauty was striking, and she clearly looked down on Si Yao’s plainness.

　　“Senior sister, don’t say that. No women outside can compare to those of Shuiyun Palace. By outside standards, her looks are already quite good,” another girl from Shuiyun Palace chimed in, her tone equally haughty.    

　　Compared to the Shuiyun Palace girls who cared mostly about looks, the disciples of Hongmeng Pavilion valued strength above all.

　　One older man among them released a trace of spiritual power to sense Si Yao’s cultivation and shook his head: “I expected someone more impressive, but she’s only at the mid-Golden Core stage.”

　　A young girl from Hongmeng Pavilion in purple robes heard her senior brother’s words and immediately burst out laughing: “Hahaha, the future Sect Leader’s wife is just mid-Golden Core? And she’s supposedly ‘extremely outstanding’? Has Xuánmíng Sect really run out of capable disciples?”

　　The laughter from the Shuiyun Palace and Hongmeng Pavilion disciples drew angry glares from the Xuánmíng Sect disciples. In their eyes, the reputation of their sect could not be insulted.

　　Amid this scene, Elder Situ merely smiled faintly, completely unbothered by these troublemakers. With a solemn tone, he declared: “Through the Sect’s treasured Heaven-Gazing Mirror, I have foreseen that Si Luo carries immense fortune. She is the unparalleled heavenly prodigy of the entire Canglan Continent. With her as the future Sect Leader’s wife, Xuánmíng Sect will thrive for ten thousand years!”    

    

     

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