Whose Wife Is Always Acting Pitiful? Oh, It Turns Out It’s Mine 2

Chapter 2: Forced Marriage

When Xue Mu was young, she had sneaked out to play behind her parents’ backs and contracted an extremely rare and ferocious Fire Poison. She had also lost her memory of the event; no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t recall who had poisoned her or what sort of figure she had provoked to end up in such a state.

The heavier the Yang energy in Xue Mu’s body, the stronger the poison became. On the fifteenth of every month, at noon—when the Yang energy of the day was at its peak—the poison would flare up most violently.

At these times, the meridians within her body felt as if they were being roasted over a fire. Her body had to be immersed in the icy water of a cold pool to alleviate the heat within. However, the toxicity was so intense that in the short time it took for a stick of incense to burn, it could melt the ice blocks in the pool and even turn the cold water boiling hot.

The sensation of being incinerated by fire was unbearable. The Fire Poison would burn through every meridian in her body. If it approached her heart vessels, the physical pain would become excruciating, and her consciousness would drift into a trance.

By nightfall, when the Yang energy weakened and the Yin energy increased, and after her energy was completely exhausted, she still had to muster the spirit to regulate her internal breath. Only when the Fire Poison in her body had stabilized slightly could she sleep with any peace of mind.

This Fire Poison was extremely insidious. Her parents had sought out many experts, but none could identify whose unique secret technique this poison belonged to. For this reason, Xue Mu had always blamed herself for being so cowardly as a child—how could she have been scared into losing her memory?

Xue Jinming’s gaze darkened slightly as he asked, “Mu’er, do you know where that glacial ice comes from?”

Xue Mu suddenly realized the deeper meaning behind her parents’ words.

It turned out that when her mother asked “where it comes from,” she wasn’t referring to the Dugu Manor that sold it, but rather the person who turned water into glacial ice. Could it be…

A flash of insight struck Xue Mu, and she blurted out, “Could it be the Soul Cold Twelve Arts?”

Feng Motian nodded, stroking Xue Mu’s cheek with pity. “My daughter is truly exceptionally intelligent. That is correct. Dugu Yuan’an has learned the Soul Cold Palm Techniques, which is why the Dugu Manor has been able to conduct the ice trade with our Xue family year after year.”

Xue Mu murmured, “But is Dugu Yuan’an a successor of the Soul Cold Twelve Arts? That’s impossible.”

The Soul Cold Twelve Arts was a miraculous martial art that had once shaken the Jianghu. It was a supreme Yin and Cold technique passed down through generations of the Yu Clan of Jin Mountain. It could transform water into ice and possessed a menacing cold power. It included two sets of peerless martial arts: the Soul Cold Seven Palms and the Soul Cold Five Swords. Only the direct heirs of the Yu Clan could inherit the full set of techniques.

But fifteen years ago, the Yu Clan had suffered a tragic massacre overnight. Heavy rain poured on Jin Mountain for three consecutive days, and blood flowed down the mountain slopes. The Soul Cold Twelve Arts was lost to the world because of this.

The extermination of the Yu family not only shook the Jianghu but also filled many people with covetous desire for the Soul Cold techniques. Countless people searched the ruins for remaining secret manuals after the massacre, but for fifteen years, they had all returned empty-handed.

Xue Jinming shook his head and said seriously, “Mu’er, you must know that although the Soul Cold Twelve Arts was lost, the lower-tier moves within the technique were circulated.”

Xue Mu asked, “Circulated?”

“—Especially the first three forms of the Soul Cold Seven Palms and the first two forms of the Soul Cold Five Swords. They have been learned by certain reclusive martial arts experts. Their cold power is still enough to make experts of the Jianghu extremely wary,” Xue Jinming explained.

This Soul Cold technique was of supreme Yin and Cold; it would absolutely be able to alleviate the Fire Poison in her body. Her father had originally wanted to find the Soul Cold technique to help cure her poison, but he hadn’t been able to find even a single mantra or move.

How could this Dugu Yuan’an have learned the Soul Cold technique?

“Does the Dugu Manor have an expert helping them?” Xue Mu asked. “Father, even if Maiden Yuan’an of the Dugu Manor has learned a move or two of the Soul Cold technique, at worst we can just hire her to help. Why do I have to marry her?”

Xue Jinming revealed a faint smile. “Because this is a legitimate reason to help you alleviate the Fire Poison.”

Xue Mu immediately understood. Her parents believed that Dugu Yuan’an, an unmarried maiden, could not be invited out every month to help her alleviate the poison, nor could Xue Mu go to the Dugu Manor to find her every month.

One or two months might be fine, but after a year or two, new rumors would likely spring up in town. Things like “Female Hedonist Enters Dugu Manor Monthly for A Moment of Pleasure” or “Sickly Concubine-Born Daughter Pursues Female Hedonist for Love”…

Just as Xue Mu was thinking this, she heard her mother say with a beaming smile, “The Dugu family’s Maiden Yuan’an is coming personally tomorrow to present the betrothal gifts.”

Xue Mu exploded instantly. She shouted angrily, “Even if we are to marry, it should be I, Xue Mu, proposing the marriage! What logic is there for the Dugu Manor to come to our Xue family to present betrothal gifts!”

Why should she be the one marrying into the Dugu Manor, instead of that woman Dugu Yuan’an marrying into the Xue Manor??!

“Tomorrow is the day of the betrothal. After you soak in the cold pool, return to the Xue Manor to meet the elders of the Dugu family, and also to meet your future wife.”

Xue Jinming placed his large hand on Xue Mu’s shoulder. “Mu’er, once your Fire Poison is alleviated, you can learn any martial art you wish. What difficulty will there be in becoming a peerless expert who dominates the martial arts world then?”

It was true. If this Fire Poison wasn’t cleared, she naturally couldn’t live a stable life, let alone learn various martial arts.

“By the way,” Xue Jinming thought it over and decided to tell her, “The Dugu family’s Maiden Yuan’an said that if you don’t want to marry over there, she will take you as her wife regardless. It is only a matter of time.”

Xue Mu was rendered almost speechless, unsure if she felt more anger or sheer absurdity.

She had never met Dugu Yuan’an. Even if Dugu Yuan’an had heard of her reputation as a “female hedonist,” surely she wouldn’t be that interested in her?

And to say that if she didn’t want to marry, she would be forced? Where in the world was there such a ridiculous thing? Forcing a marriage in broad daylight?

It seemed this Dugu Yuan’an didn’t receive good treatment in her manor. She must have suffered since childhood, growing up to have a dark mind and a belly full of wicked tricks to scheme against others. To think she dared to calculate against Xue Mu.

This woman… If Xue Mu really entered the Dugu Manor, she was afraid she would tear the place apart.

**

After discussing things with her parents, Xue Mu returned to the Xue Star Tower. She watched the women in the tower return to their rooms to rest. Outside the vermilion main gates, a tall, thin guard wearing a silver wolf mask had been standing there from morning until night. Xue Mu fished out a few gold leaves and stuffed them into the guard’s outer garment.

“Thank you, Young Mistress.” The guard’s voice was very raspy, as if someone had stuffed a handful of sand down their throat and ground it against their vocal cords.

Xue Mu looked at the crescent moon in the night sky and softly hummed the little tune she had heard during the day.

“Even with a thousand layers of iron blood to block the way, I send my tenderness to the vastness~” She sang and sang, suddenly feeling a wave of melancholy. She asked the guard, who stood motionless in place, “What kind of person do you think is worthy of marrying me?”

The guard: “…” Remained silent.

Xue Mu didn’t expect an answer anyway. She just continued humming the tune as she walked into the tower, her bound long hair swaying gently behind her.

Tomorrow, on the day of the betrothal, she would definitely make that Yuan’an woman suffer a little.

Forcing a marriage was bound to bring retribution.