Fate Chooses You

Now, let's rewind time to the early morning at the Imperial Mausoleum.

The sky had just begun to lighten, and the mausoleum was still peaceful for the moment. Xin Xiong, as usual, rose early to practice martial arts and cultivate qi in front of his house. Ying Lian and Uncle Bear continued to bask in their marital bliss. Zhao Guanren, who hadn't slept all night, stood before the cave entrance, waiting for the divine inspiration to strike. Si Lan was busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen. As for Tao Guoguo... he was pacing anxiously outside Lu Qianqiao and Xin Mei’s room, torn between knocking and not.

To knock or not to knock—that was the dilemma.

Tao Guoguo, who considered himself no longer a child, understood that banging on a married couple’s door early in the morning was highly inappropriate. He might interrupt something, and the dire consequences of such an interruption could very well be taken out on him—like having a few feathers plucked from his wings, for example.

But he couldn’t wait any longer. If this went on, he might commit an even greater mistake.

With a creak, the door opened, revealing Lu Qianqiao, draped in an outer robe, glaring at him with a dark expression.

"...What is it?" His tone was far from pleasant.

Tao Guoguo brightened. "Big Brother Qianqiao! I, uh... well..."

To explain things simply, it all started yesterday when the mischievous Tao Guoguo and his younger brother were playing near the edge of the cloud mist array, as they often did. Among the Demons in the Imperial Mausoleum, only Si Lan could freely pass through the cloud mist array. The formation served both to protect the mausoleum’s Demons from being discovered by outsiders and to restrain them from causing trouble outside. Thus, most mature Demons avoided the array altogether—only the ever-childish Tao Guoguo brothers treated the area as their sacred hide-and-seek grounds.

Yesterday, they were happily playing hide-and-seek when they encountered a mortal who had unwittingly stumbled into the cloud mist array—a not uncommon occurrence. Beneath Turn Tide Mountain’s Imperial Mausoleum lay Turn Tide Town, where generations of mausoleum guardians had once lived. Occasionally, woodcutters or hunters would wander into the array by mistake, and Si Lan would knock them out before sending them back. But now, with Si Lan absent, Tao Guoguo and his brother grew nervous, tucking in their wings and hiding behind a tree to observe—

A young boy in simple cloth robes was slowly approaching, his expression equally bewildered by the surrounding mist.

Tao Guoguo turned to his brother. "Go back and call Si Lan. I’ll keep an eye on him here and make sure he doesn’t go further in."

His brother, always obedient, flapped his pale yellow wings and prepared to fly off—but the boy heard the noise and, startled, hurled his woodcutting axe with a shout, "Who’s there?!"

The gleaming axe grazed the younger brother’s cheek, sending him tumbling from midair with a loud wail. The boy hurried over, picking him up and wiping his tears with his sleeve while studying him in confusion. If he was human, why did he have chicken wings? If he was a bird, why did he have arms and legs—and why was he crying so loudly?

"Could this be... the legendary... birdman?!" the boy exclaimed in shock.

Tao Guoguo flew into a rage. He detested the term "birdman" with a passion. Snatching up a rock, he hurled it—hitting the boy square in the forehead, knocking him out cold.

When Si Lan arrived, he scolded Tao Guoguo harshly and ordered him to bandage the boy’s wound before sending him back.

And thus... a fateful entanglement was born."Brother Qianqiao! He swore up and down that he must repay my kindness and marry me! I told him I'm a male Demon, but he absolutely refuses to believe it! He even said... said if I don't go to Wanlan Town to meet him before noon today, he'll jump off a cliff!"

"A human life, Brother Qianqiao! He's stubbornly staking his life on me like this! If he really dies, the heavens will surely hold me accountable, right? They will, won't they?! Then I'll never be able to cultivate into a great Demon! My whole life will be ruined!"

Lu Qianqiao rubbed his aching temples, thought for a moment, and comforted: "That account won't be settled on your head."

"But what if he really jumps?! Wouldn't that count as me indirectly causing his death?! Brother Qianqiao, please help me—put the same spell on me that you did for Brother Si Lan, so I can leave the cloud mist array to see him, okay? I promise I'll handle it in one trip!"

Lu Qianqiao shook his head firmly: "No. The town has strong human energy. You won't be able to maintain human form—it'll cause trouble."

"I promise I can hold it!"

"No."

"Please, Brother Qianqiao!"

"...No. The Imperial Mausoleum's rules are clear. Making an exception for you would set a bad precedent."

"Brother Qianqiao..."

Tao Guoguo wept bitterly.

"What's all this noise so early in the morning?" Xin Mei finally woke up, rubbing her eyes as she emerged. Seeing Tao Guoguo's tear-streaked face, she paused. "What's wrong?"

Lu Qianqiao went over to adjust her clothes and smooth her hair, murmuring, "It's nothing. Let's go eat."

After being led a few steps by him, Xin Mei glanced back—Tao Guoguo was still standing there crying, looking at them with abandoned-puppy eyes. She kindly approached and asked, "What's really going on?"

After Tao Guoguo tearfully repeated the story, she immediately laughed: "After breakfast, I'll take you out."

"Xin Mei." Lu Qianqiao frowned. "You can't."

She blinked. "What if I escort him there and back? Still no?"

"No." His refusal was absolute.

Xin Mei looked him up and down. "Lu Qianqiao, have I told you how impressive you've been lately?"

"..."

"Last time when my senior brothers and sisters came to visit my father, you coldly said no. The time before that, when I wanted to go out, you still said no. When I wanted crabs—no. Wanted some wine—still no. Last night when I wanted to be on top—you again said no. You—"

Ahem. The thirty-something general, who still looked young and handsome, flushed red and cut her off. "Xin Mei."

She smiled at him. "Today I want to go out and play. Care to say no?"

"Where? I'll go with—"

"Don't need you. Hey, birdbrain over there—come on, let's eat."

Grabbing the fuming Tao Guoguo, she turned to leave.

"Xin Mei."

Lu Qianqiao blocked her path, nearly helpless. "Don't be stubborn."

"One question: are you letting me go or not?" Xin Mei glared at him with wide eyes.

He walked away darkly without another word, his silhouette somewhat desolate.As the saying goes, familiarity breeds contempt—this is an undeniable truth. After living practically joined at the hip with Lu Qianqiao in the Imperial Mausoleum for two or three years, while major conflicts were rare, minor ones were commonplace. She remembered how before marriage, he would often make concessions on certain matters, like drinking. But after marriage, he became downright domineering. The last time she discovered a few jars of ceremonial wine in the cellar and opened one to sample, his face immediately turned darker than the bottom of a pot. He lashed the cellar guard Demon twice, secretly drank all the wine himself, and then lied to her that it was gone.

She knew drinking would make her feverish, so she only dared to take small sips each time. Did Lu Qianqiao see her as a child incapable of self-control? When your husband treats you like a child, it’s a full-blown crisis—proof that he finds you utterly lacking in feminine charm.

Deeply sensing this crisis, Xin Mei resolved to showcase her womanly allure. So last night, she made her move—an unsuccessful one. Before she could even push him down, he flipped her over instead. Throughout, she repeatedly tried to turn the tables, only to be forcibly thwarted each time. This kind of domineering, no-mercy behavior was only becoming more frequent.

Leaving aside matters of the bedchamber, this guy even controlled what she ate, drank, wore, and even whom she spoke to.

This was not a good sign. It had to be stamped out before it escalated.

Carrying a massive food box, leading Tao Guoguo, and riding Qiu Yue, Xin Mei flew away from the Imperial Mausoleum’s cloud mist array with effortless grace.

She was going out for a stroll, and no one was allowed to stop her.

Qiu Yue circled around Wanlan Town for a while, and by noon, they spotted a delicate-looking young man standing at the edge of a cliff on a nearby mountain, seemingly preparing to jump. Behind him, a dense crowd of townsfolk had gathered to watch the spectacle. Enthusiastic vendors occasionally shouted things like "Five-spice dried tofu!" to drum up business.

Tao Guoguo was terrified, tumbling off Qiu Yue’s back in a panic. "H-he’s really going to jump?!"

Xin Mei reassured him, "Don’t worry. Just go over and show him your wings. That’ll clear up any misunderstandings."

…What a terrible idea.

Blushing with indignation, Tao Guoguo blew a fierce gust of wind into the crowd—a gale infused with demonic energy that kicked up dust and stones, accompanied by faint ghostly wails. Scaring people by pretending to be a ghost was his specialty. As the onlookers covered their eyes and crouched down, he seized the opportunity to grab the dazed youth by the cliff and, flustered, dragged him into the woods.

Xin Mei cheered him on from behind. "Don’t be afraid! Show him your wings! If that doesn’t work, take off your clothes and let him see everything!"

Tao Guoguo could only shoot her a look of utter despair and misery.

Exactly what the two of them discussed in the woods remains unknown. Xin Mei waited outside the forest for a long time, during which she ate two meat mooncakes and a three-delicacy bun. Meanwhile, Qiu Yue, having witnessed countless romantic entanglements and vendettas over the years, dozed off with remarkable calm. Eventually, the delicate young man emerged from the woods.

His steps were ethereal and unsteady, his refined face filled with such confusion and helplessness that he resembled a lost fawn, evoking pity.

"...Are you alright?" Xin Mei asked cautiously.The young man slowly shook his head, an odd flush appearing on his face as he muttered, "So... so there really are winged bird-people in this world! How unfair of the heavens! To give him wings, yet also bestow him with peerless beauty! And since he was given such beauty, why couldn't he have been born a woman?!"

Tao Guoguo? Peerless beauty? Xin Mei peered curiously into the woods, where the culprit in question was peeling tree bark with a dark expression—his round face and round eyes hardly qualified as "peerless beauty."

"I won't give up!" The youth suddenly turned back, pointing sternly at the dumbfounded Tao Guoguo in the forest. "Since you're a demon, you must know some kind of magic I don't understand! You're actually a woman, aren't you?! I refuse to believe what you said today! Tomorrow at noon, we'll meet again right here to settle this! If you don't come, I'll jump off a cliff!"

With that, he covered his face and ran off.

Tao Guoguo shed two streams of despairing tears.

Xin Mei patted his shoulder. "Do your best to handle him. I'm leaving."

"W-where are you going?" Tao Guoguo desperately grabbed her sleeve, his teary round eyes pleading. "You're just going to abandon me like this?"

"You're not a child anymore." Xin Mei pried his fingers off and spoke earnestly. "Use your manly spirit to conquer him. Crying all the time is why people mistake you for a girl."

"You'd really leave me alone?" His tears multiplied.

"Absolutely."

Xin Mei nodded, patted Qiu Yue's head, and the beast obediently took flight.

"Good luck!"

She waved farewell cheerfully, leaving the wailing Tao Guoguo behind as she flew toward Esteemed Spirit Valley.

Next, she encountered Zhang Dahu, who had recently married, and was informed that Zhen Hongsheng had gone into seclusion and wouldn't emerge in this lifetime. After that, she arrived at Meishan's residence, where the kind and enthusiastic Meishan Jun invited her to stay as a guest.

Thus, an eventful day came to an end.

The next morning, Meishan Jun rose early and rushed to the kitchen in urgent haste. Sure enough, the moment he entered, the enticing aroma of vegetable and meat porridge greeted him. The woman of his dreams, sleeves rolled up, stirred the pot with a ladle, bathed in a holy glow. She turned and smiled gently at him.

"Lord Meishan, you look unwell. You should eat some meat in moderation. This porridge has vegetables and meat—it's not greasy."

There was a phrase in books—what was it? Overjoyed? Only now did Meishan Jun truly understand what it meant to be overjoyed, as though millions of flower buds were stirring in his chest, all heralding the arrival of spring. Even if someone asked him to ascend to heaven as a deity this very moment, he wouldn't go.

"I noticed there weren't any side dishes here, so I just reheated some buns. They go well with the porridge."

She served the porridge and handed him a steaming basket of buns.

A sip of porridge, a bite of bun—what was happiness? This was absolute bliss! Tears of joy streamed down Meishan Jun's face as he seriously contemplated last night's dream. Taking her as his disciple was truly a wonderful idea—it would allow him to stay with her day and night, properly and justifiably...

"Lord Meishan, how does it taste?"

He nodded eagerly. "A delicacy of the mortal realm! Unparalleled in heaven or on earth!"

"I'm glad you like it." She smiled.The millions of flower buds in his chest instantly transformed into butterflies breaking free from their cocoons, their wings rustling as they fluttered and danced within his ribcage, making his heart itch, tingle, and melt with tenderness. Clearing his throat, he tried his best to sound serious as he asked her, "Little Mei, judging by your features, you have the destiny of an immortal. Would you... um... like to cultivate with me?"

Xin Mei, her mouth stuffed with buns, stared at him in astonishment. "Learn how to collect gossip from you?"

"N-no, not that..." Stay calm, stay calm. "Cultivation means becoming an immortal."

She looked even more shocked. "A gossip immortal?"

"That's not..."

Meishan Jun choked up. So in her heart, he really was just a gossip-collecting immortal...

As he racked his brains trying to figure out how to explain it properly, crisp drumbeats suddenly sounded from the main gate—the small drum placed there for visitors. The situation outside hadn't been great these days. Rumor had it that the Tianyuan Kingdom was eyeing Qiong Kingdom covetously, colluding with the Peasant Soldiers within Qiong to strike from both inside and out. Hence, many people had come seeking his help in gathering classified information about both kingdoms.

Waving impatiently, Meishan Jun summoned his Spirit Guards, intending to refuse all visitors for the day. But before he could give the order, Xin Mei stood up first.

"Lord Meishan, you go ahead with your work. I'll just wander around Meishan Residence—the scenery here is lovely."

Stretching lazily, she headed outside. Torn between choices, Meishan Jun could only follow cautiously, hesitantly asking, "You... uh... don’t want me to accompany you or chat with you?"

Actually, I don’t want to see those mundane people at all—I just want to stay with you!

But that would be too forward, so he couldn’t say it out loud.

Meishan Jun gazed at her with longing, hopeful eyes, silently willing her to understand.

She didn’t get the hint at all and briskly slipped away.

Dazed, Meishan Jun turned around and roared at the Spirit Guards, "Prepare a cart of strong liquor! If today’s visitors can’t finish it all, I won’t tell them anything!"

Hearing his mention of drinking from afar, Xin Mei turned back and waved. "Lord Meishan, drinking harms your health."

He hurriedly nodded with a smile, craning his neck to watch until she disappeared into the bamboo forest before reluctantly heading to the main hall to receive guests.

Never in his life had Meishan Jun felt as blissful as today. Xin Mei’s words—"drinking harms your health"—lingered in his ears, filling him with such joy that his alcohol tolerance soared. By noon, he had already downed dozens of jars. At lunchtime, he ordered the Spirit Guards to strip the drunken visitors bare and toss them out before eagerly rushing to the kitchen. His beloved girl had surely prepared a delicious meal, waiting tenderly for him.

If every day could be like this, he’d willingly become a mortal, growing old and dying with her... No, scratch the growing old and dying part—better to be immortal lovers, forever youthful, unchanging through the ages.

That day’s visitors were fortunate enough to witness the legendary cold and aloof Meishan Jun in an entirely new light—gulping wine while grinning foolishly, his face practically blooming with Taohua, treating every guest with unusual kindness, answering all questions and throwing his previous rules to the winds.

Then, in the evening, the long-absent Fu Jiuyun arrived, leading a beautiful young woman by his side.