Beneath the windowsill bloomed clusters of vibrant winter jasmine, their fragrance deepened by the midnight rain, wafting through the half-open window into the inner chamber. The person inside felt as though they were deep within an ancient forest. The vegetation of the Hanhai Mountain Range grew sturdier and more robust than elsewhere, and even the most ordinary winter jasmine exuded an eerie lushness.
Cai Zhao slept restlessly, her brows furrowed even in dreams, as if pinned by an intense gaze.
The drifting bed curtains caught wisps of cool breeze, carrying a scent mingled with something distinctly different amidst the floral fragrance. What was this scent? Certainly not the flowers, nor the incense from the burner. Cai Zhao couldn’t quite place it—refreshing yet tingling, filled with an indescribable, intoxicating allure.
—It was the scent of a man!
Cai Zhao snapped awake instantly. Her right hand, faster than her eyes, reached for the Bright Sun Blade beside her. With a swift motion, a dazzling golden-red light flashed in the darkness. At the same time, the bed beside her dipped slightly as the man sat up.
The blade stopped just a hair’s breadth from his pale, clean throat!
Beads of sweat formed on Cai Zhao’s forehead, her grip on the hilt taut as a bowstring. A fraction more, and she could have slit his slender neck.
The young man leaned on the bed with one hand, clad in a sheer, snow-white sleeping robe, his well-defined chest faintly visible beneath.
He smiled at her innocently.
"What are you doing?!" Cai Zhao glared, wishing her gaze alone could skewer him.
Mu Qingyan lowered his head gloomily. "I couldn’t sleep."
"If you can’t sleep, go read, train, or even dance like a shaman! What are you doing in my room?!" Cai Zhao was furious.
Mu Qingyan straightened with solemnity. "I know what you’re thinking. I swear to heaven, I haven’t laid a finger on you."
Cai Zhao lowered the Bright Sun Blade and followed his gaze. The indentation on the bed showed he had been lying on the very edge, while she lay flat on her back—at least a palm’s width apart.
Of course, the Demonic Cult’s beds were rather spacious.
"I couldn’t sleep, so I came to talk to you. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn’t want to wake you, so I lay here waiting for you to wake on your own." Mu Qingyan spoke with utmost sincerity.
"Is this human behavior?!" Cai Zhao nearly raised her eyes to the heavens in exasperation. "Compared to you, even the lechers and flower thieves my aunt killed seem wrongly accused!"
Mu Qingyan suddenly leaned closer, his warm breath brushing her face. "You’ve read so many of those books—you should know that lechers and flower thieves don’t just lie beside a girl when they sneak into her room at night."
Cai Zhao flushed crimson, nearly raising her blade again. "Get away from me!"—She had indeed read them, but they were confiscated after just a few pages. That "content-rich" bookstore had even been shut down. Wuwuwu.
Mu Qingyan lay back down, first adjusting his pillow and nudging Cai Zhao’s slightly aside.
Cai Zhao stared down, eyes widening. "...You even brought your own pillow."
"Now you should believe me. I harbor no ill intentions." Mu Qingyan lay on his side, watching her.
Cai Zhao deadpanned, "Oh? How so?"
"Those with ill intentions only need one pillow."
Cai Zhao: ...
"Father taught me to remain chaste and not debase myself. You can trust me—I won’t act improperly. Lie down and talk with me." Mu Qingyan turned onto his back, his expression calm.
Cai Zhao slowly relaxed her tense shoulders.Mu Qingyan stared at the canopy of the bed for a moment before suddenly speaking earnestly, "What I said earlier wasn't quite right. In some situations, multiple pillows might be needed for... improper conduct..."
Cai Zhao swiftly lunged to cover his mouth. "Stop! Just stop right there! I firmly believe in your father's integrity and character. No more talk about pillows!"
She pulled the quilt around herself and lay down. "If you have something to say, just say it."
—Truth be told, she had also noticed that the young man's demeanor tonight was unusually cool and melancholic, devoid of any heated tension. He was clearly preoccupied with heavy thoughts.
Silence lingered in the tent. After a long pause, Mu Qingyan finally spoke. "I can't think of what to say. Why don't you go first, Zhao Zhao?"
Cai Zhao's mind was a whirlwind of unspoken complaints—why should she be the one to talk? It wasn't her who couldn't sleep and needed someone to confide in.
"...Oh, right. At dusk, I saw Chief Shangguan's beloved maids—Yingying, Yanyan, and Honghong." She turned onto her side, facing outward. "The four of them were hugging and sobbing, swearing they'd never part in this lifetime. You Guanyue and Lian Shi were standing off to the side, their eyelids twitching uncontrollably. Hahaha, it was even more dramatic than an opera!"
Mu Qingyan chuckled but said nothing.
"But to be fair, that girl really is stunning—like spring orchids and autumn chrysanthemums, so lovely it moves the heart." Cai Zhao's thoughts galloped off like a wild horse. "They say my shiniang, Madam Sulian, is the most beautiful woman in the martial world, but my aunt told me my mother was also very beautiful, not much inferior to Madam Sulian. It's just that my mother was sharp-tongued and would look down her nose at any other man, which really killed the mood."
"Why did your mother look down her nose at other men?" Mu Qingyan asked.
"Because of my aunt," Cai Zhao replied. "My aunt was gentle, forthright, peerless in the world, and capable of anything. With my aunt by her side, no other man in the world was worth a second glance in my mother's eyes."
"Then how did your mother end up marrying your father?" Mu Qingyan grew curious.
Cai Zhao furrowed her delicate brows. "From what I heard, in the last few years—well, the two years before my aunt killed Nie Hengcheng—she suddenly became very busy and didn't have time for my mother anymore. My mother suspected she had found another 'little sister' outside and tearfully dragged my father along to catch her in the act... I mean, to see what my aunt was really up to..."
Mu Qingyan stifled a laugh. "What was Lady Cai up to?"
"Nothing much, really. She was just searching everywhere for a way to defeat Nie Hengcheng. In the end, she realized there was no other way but to confront him head-on." Cai Zhao sighed faintly.
"During that time, my parents were inseparable, traveling everywhere together and causing no end of hilarious mishaps. One was impulsive, the other cautious; one wanted to go west, the other insisted east was safer; one wanted to drink, the other would only allow warm water. Once, they even stormed the wrong bandit stronghold—apparently, the bandit leader was so exasperated he cried, then chopped off two of his fingers and swore a blood oath to lead his men down the mountain and reform."
Mu Qingyan burst out laughing. "Your parents seem so deeply in love now. Who would've thought... who would've thought..."
"Not just you— no one would've thought it. When my parents announced they were getting married, my shifu nearly fell into a well in shock. Only my aunt thought it was a good idea. She said, 'Xiao Feng and Xiao Chun are both kind, simple-hearted souls. In marriage, compatibility of temperament matters more than anything else. They'll only grow happier with time.'"
Cai Zhao grew more animated as she spoke. "I also sneaked a peek at your mother. Ah, I don’t want to upset you, but your mother was truly breathtaking—even Madam Sulian paled in comparison. Heh, that old villain Nie Hengcheng really spared no expense! Wait a minute... Nie the old villain remained unmoved by such beauty. Could it be that, like his nephew, he was a cut-sleeve?"When his birth mother was mentioned, Mu Qingyan's expression darkened slightly, but he couldn't help laughing at the last sentence: "Not at all. Although Nie Hengcheng never married, he maintained impeccable personal conduct throughout his life—there were never any unsavory rumors about him. It's said that in his youth, he had a sweetheart, but the girl either died or moved far away later."
Cai Zhao sighed, "So you shouldn't resent Nie Hengcheng for occupying your family's assets for decades. Look at him—no wife, no children, dedicating his whole heart to the business. No wonder it thrived."
Though the analogy was somewhat crude, it was apt.
Gradually opening up, Mu Qingyan said softly, "I never hated Nie Hengcheng for taking over the Nether Sect. What I hated was how he callously disregarded my great-grandfather's kindness to him, manipulating my grandfather and father's lives just to cling to power."
"Even your grandfather was under his control?" The girl was astonished.
Mu Qingyan nodded. "Nie Hengcheng was not only capable and ambitious but also extremely patient. To achieve his goals, he was willing to wait ten or twenty years."
"My great-grandfather arranged an excellent marriage for my grandfather. The woman not only had connections with both the Left and Right Guardians at the time but was also exceptionally talented and adept at handling affairs. With such a wife assisting him, the sect's power would never have slipped away. Nie Hengcheng, then only in his teens, immediately recognized my great-grandfather's intention to maintain balance. Outwardly, he remained composed, but secretly, he began searching for a woman who could capture my grandfather's heart."
"As foster brothers raised together, no one understood my grandfather's preferences better than Nie Hengcheng. Soon, my grandfather 'accidentally' met my grandmother. They hit it off instantly, bonding over books, flowers, playing the qin, and flute—everything aligned perfectly."
Cai Zhao gasped, "Was your grandmother also a spy planted by Nie Hengcheng?!"
"No," Mu Qingyan replied. "My grandmother was genuinely the daughter of an ordinary Altar Lord. At the time, my great-grandfather was still alive, and Nie Hengcheng would never leave any trace of his schemes."
"Before long, my grandfather's engagement was broken off. It's said the woman, heartbroken, left overseas and never returned. She was the only beloved daughter of the Left Guardian's late younger sister. Enraged, the Left Guardian withdrew from sect affairs, and the Right Guardian was also displeased."
"What a waste of your great-grandfather's efforts," Cai Zhao lamented. "Nie Hengcheng killed two birds with one stone—eliminating a formidable future sect leader's wife while also making your grandfather alienate both Guardians."
"No, it was three birds." A mocking smile curled at Mu Qingyan's lips. "From my inquiries with the few surviving sect members, I learned that during that period, Nie Hengcheng had identified more than one woman who would appeal to my grandfather. Yet he chose my grandmother specifically."
"Why?" Cai Zhao was puzzled.
"Because my grandmother was exceptionally resolute and intense by nature," Mu Qingyan explained. "For the first few years of their marriage, my grandparents were deeply in love, enjoying peaceful days. Nie Hengcheng waited quietly on the sidelines—until my great-grandfather passed away, until my father was born. Then, my grandfather 'accidentally' met another kindred spirit, a close confidante."
"My grandmother couldn't tolerate it and immediately erupted. My grandfather, having been raised as a pampered young master, accustomed to being revered by all, refused to endure his wife's endless sharp-tongued tirades. Their quarrels escalated until they parted ways. In fury, my grandmother left the Nether Sect and vanished to distant lands.""Grandfather soon regretted his decision. He realized Grandmother was naive and inexperienced in practical matters, and life outside must have been extremely difficult for her. A few years later, Grandfather found Grandmother, who was by then gravely ill, but she refused to forgive him until her dying breath. After Grandmother passed, Grandfather became deeply depressed and soon followed her in death. At that time, Father was still very young, and Nie Hengcheng finally achieved his ambition of seizing complete control of the Divine Sect."
Mu Qingyan's tone grew increasingly intense as he unconsciously grasped Cai Zhao's hand.
"Do you know the cruelest irony in all this? My grandparents' so-called divinely ordained love story that moved heaven and earth was nothing but one of Nie Hengcheng's carefully laid schemes. Their lifetime of joys and sorrows, partings and reunions, even their very lives—all were manipulated by Nie Hengcheng, who could pull the strings whenever he pleased, while they likely never understood the truth even in death."
"This was Nie Hengcheng's true mastery—he never directly harmed the Mu descendants, but destroyed them from within, controlling them like marionettes on strings. And next... it was my father's turn."
"This time, Nie Hengcheng didn't use 'romantic love' as his weapon, but rather 'compassion' and 'inescapable duty.' He took pity on Father, who yearned to see the distant mountains and rivers but spent his entire life confined to the Vast Sea Mountain Range."
Cai Zhao gazed at the young man, able to discern the blazing hatred in his pitch-black eyes even in the darkness.
She understood this kind of helpless anguish.
Neither Mu Qingyan's father nor grandfather had been strong figures in life—one obsessed with romantic love, the other trapped by responsibility and conscience—making them playthings for the Nie uncle and nephew, their lives filled with sorrow.
But Mu Qingyan was strong, decisive and wise in his actions, which made his sense of frustration and resentment all the more intense.
Cai Zhao felt pain in her hand but suppressed any sound of discomfort. Instead, she placed her other small hand against the young man's sharply defined cheek. "He's dead. Nie Hengcheng is already dead."
Like cool water flowing over scorching iron, Mu Qingyan came back to himself. He slowly released her hand. "Yes, your aunt killed him. Not just him—his remaining followers will soon be wiped out too."
He turned slightly, resting his handsome face on his left arm, his jet-black hair falling over his well-defined forearm. "Father wasn't incompetent. The 'Primordial Qi Absorption Technique' he created during his seclusion for recovery rivals any of the ancestral cultivation methods passed down through generations."
Cai Zhao smiled gently. "I believe that. Otherwise, you wouldn't have recovered on your own at Nine Conch Mountain. Though... it was rather slow—poor Mu Shaojun had to endure being an ugly monster for over a year."
Mu Qingyan tapped the girl's forehead with a stern expression. "Though the 'Primordial Qi Absorption Technique' works slowly, it's gentle and pure, benefiting meridians and dantian without any harm. Whether internal injuries or poison, it can completely heal without leaving any aftereffects."
"Alright, alright, your father was truly remarkable. This ignorant girl failed to recognize true gold." Cai Zhao began to yawn.
"Let me teach you this technique—it might be useful someday."
"Useful for what? Can't you wish me better fortune?" Cai Zhao's eyelids grew heavy, her words slurring. "Might as well buy a coffin—that's something that'll definitely be useful someday..."
"Just memorize it first—'At sunrise comes clarity, Zhen receives Geng from the west. On the eighth day, Dui receives Ding, the first quarter moon flat as string. On the fifteenth, Qian's form completes, full and bright in the eastern sky...'"
Before Mu Qingyan could finish the first passage, Cai Zhao had already tilted over, fast asleep.
Mu Qingyan carefully adjusted her sleeping position.The girl's lips were like crimson petals, her cheeks soft and tender. Her silky hair, slightly wavy from daily braiding, cascaded like satin over the pillow, spilling onto her exposed little hands where four adorable dimples dotted their backs.
He gazed at her for a long while before pressing a kiss to the sleeve of her dress spread across the bed. Then, breathing in her warm, sweet fragrance, he lay down beside her, his heart cradling a hidden spring of contentment, brimming with peace.
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