When I woke up, the cheerful chirping of birds greeted me. I realized I was back in Mu Xuan’s secluded courtyard on Cang Lan Mountain. The room was empty—no sign of Mu Xuan. He didn’t run off with the black-clad stranger, did he? Anxiety gripped me as I sat up, only for a sharp, tearing pain to shoot through my back.
Hissing in discomfort, I staggered outside. The courtyard was deserted, and there was no indication of where Mu Xuan might have gone after leaving me behind, injured.
Just as I was pondering this, Mu Jue entered the courtyard. Seeing me upright, he froze for a moment before hurrying over. “Why are you up? Your injury is serious—you need to lie down! Senior Brother specifically told me to watch over you carefully.”
“Master?” I asked.
“Yes, your Master,” Mu Jue replied, smiling mischievously. “He really dotes on his disciple, huh? I’ve never seen him care about anyone this much before.” Gesturing for me to follow, he added, “Come inside with me.”
Obediently, I followed him back inside and asked again, “Where is Master?”
“Senior Brother’s been summoned for questioning,” Mu Jue explained as he prepared a medicinal salve. “Honestly, the elders aren’t being fair. Who could’ve anticipated an ambush by the demon clan during the trip to Jing Mountain? If it weren’t for Senior Brother, I doubt more than five of us would have made it back alive. And yet, the elders are still blaming him for failing to manage the mission. It’s really unjust.”
I fell silent, recalling the look in the Demon Lord’s eyes when he told me to stop Mu Xuan.
I guessed that in the original timeline, Mu Xuan must have followed that black-clad stranger. His departure in such a situation likely resulted in heavy casualties among the Cang Lan disciples. The weight of that guilt must have haunted him ever since, which was why the Demon Lord had been so insistent that I stop him. But what had compelled him to follow the stranger in the first place?
Surely it wasn’t… some kind of madness?
“Uncle Master, do you know when my Master will be back?” I asked.
Mu Jue pursed his lips. “When the elders lecture someone, it usually takes a day. Then there’s the customary punishment—probably confinement. I’d guess he’ll be locked up for two or three months. You’ll see him again after that.”
Confinement… even for Mu Xuan?
I paused, my mind spinning, before an idea struck me. “Can I bring him some food while he’s confined?”
“Technically, no,” Mu Jue said with a grin. “But hey, the entire sect admires Senior Brother after what he did. The elders might punish him officially, but that doesn’t mean we can’t bend the rules a little.” He winked. “Leave it to your Uncle Master to smooth things over for you.”
“Uncle Master, you’re the best!” I exclaimed, my gratitude overflowing.
Mu Jue beamed, practically wagging an invisible tail behind him in delight.
Later, Mu Jue arranged for a female disciple to tend to my wounds. As she treated me, her loose tongue shared every rumor circulating in the sect about Mu Xuan. Apparently, his heroic composure during the ambush had left everyone in awe. Meanwhile, the haughty disciples from Uncle Master Nan’s sect had been so terrified by the demon clan that they’d fled in panic, only to be rescued by Mu Xuan. And when one of the demons had injured me, Mu Xuan had reportedly flown into a rage and obliterated the culprit.
Hearing that I was mentioned in these rumors left me stunned. I’d been bracing myself for indifference at best, yet not only had Mu Xuan carried me back, but he’d also gotten angry on my behalf?
Perhaps… he cared for me, even just a little?
If that were the case, retrieving the Ling Jing might actually be within reach.
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