The Mountain Lord's Daughter

"If the Master doesn't want to wake up, the first person he will deal with is you."

Outside, the wind howled furiously, blowing so hard that a branch of the phoenix tree in the courtyard broke off. Shi Hu looked out the window, her face full of concern, before closing it. "Young Mistress, I don't think the Young Master will be coming back tonight. He's probably staying at Che Tian Mansion. Perhaps you should rest for now?"

"Let's wait a little longer," Zhan Yunwei replied.

She remembered that on this very night in her past life, Yue Zhi Heng had returned, his spiritual energy dissipated, staggering as if badly injured, looking frail and vulnerable.

It was the first time she had seen him so weak, and there was a strong scent of blood on him. She wanted to investigate further, but his subordinate, Shen Ye, had been highly vigilant, standing guard outside and preventing her from getting any closer.

This time, Yue Zhi Heng was severely injured and fell unconscious for five days. The Dynasty began to suspect that the Mansion Master of Che Tian might need to be replaced, and rumors spread everywhere. Only when Yue Zhi Heng woke up did he decisively put down all the gossip and rumors.

No matter what, this period of time was the best opportunity to feed Yue Zhi Heng the Demon Puppet Pill.

Shi Hu, seeing that Zhan Yunwei refused to rest, couldn't help but admire, "Young Mistress, you and the Young Master really have a great relationship."

Zhan Yunwei and Bai Rui exchanged a glance but couldn't respond.

After waiting for another half an hour, a loud crash echoed, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Zhan Yunwei looked through the window's reflection and saw that a branch of the phoenix tree outside had been struck by lightning.

"Why is the weather so terrible today? Young Mistress, I'll go outside and take a look." Shi Hu pushed the door open and saw several figures wearing evil ghost masks under the flashing lightning.

She was about to scream when the leader of the group removed his mask. "Don't scream. It's me."

Shi Hu patted her chest. "Lord Shen Ye, it's you all."

Her gaze shifted, and she saw the person they were supporting. His face had turned pale. "What happened to the Young Master?"

Zhan Yunwei heard the commotion and went over, and sure enough, she saw a group of Che Tian Mansion guards supporting someone as they returned to the Yue residence.

The person had his head lowered, and the scent of Ice Lotus almost overwhelmed the earthy smell of the heavy rain. The fragrance was intense.

The dark-colored official robes he had just put on that morning were now drenched by the rain. His exposed skin was ashen white. If Zhan Yunwei hadn't still sensed Yue Zhi Heng's faint breath, she might have thought he had already died.

This scene was just like what she remembered, but it was far more chilling than the memory itself.

The thunder in the dark night was deafening, nearly splitting the sky, but Yue Zhi Heng did not wake up.

Zhan Yunwei knew how alert he was. In the past, whenever she lay beside him, any slight movement would immediately draw his cold warning.

But now, even though her spiritual energy was sealed, she could still sense that his spiritual energy was in chaos, dissipating all around him.

He was really severely injured.

Zhan Yunwei asked Shen Ye, "What happened to the Mansion Master?"

Shen Ye replied, "It's nothing serious. He got injured while carrying out an assignment for the Emperor. He'll just need to rest for a few days."

Though he said this, the worry in his tone was hard to conceal. After all, Shen Ye wasn't clear about exactly what had happened.

The day had originally been just a normal duty, even quieter than usual. But right after noon, someone from the palace came in a hurry, urgently summoning the Mansion Master to the palace.

At that time, no one at Che Tian Mansion thought much of it, assuming the Emperor simply had a task for the Mansion Master. But Yue Zhi Heng's brows had furrowed deeply, and a hint of a cold smile had appeared on his face.

Yue Zhi Heng entered the palace at noon. By the afternoon, the rain had grown heavier, and by the evening, the palace servants finally escorted him out.

Shen Ye quickly supported him, sensing that Yue Zhi Heng could barely control his spiritual energy. "Master, what happened?"

Yue Zhi Heng managed to give him a few instructions, then fainted.

Che Tian Mansion was really not a good place for recovering from injuries, so Shen Ye and the Mansion's officials had sent the Mansion Master back to the Yue residence that very night.

Zhan Yunwei said, "Lord Shen Ye, the rain is heavy outside. Please bring the Mansion Master inside."

Shen Ye glanced at her before decisively refusing. "The Master said that, with his injuries, he doesn't want to disturb the Young Mistress's rest. He'll stay in another courtyard for a few days. The Master also said..."

"Also said what?" Zhan Yunwei asked, her heart sinking.

"He also said, 'Young Mistress, behave. If I wake up and you're the first person I see, I will deal with you.'"

Zhan Yunwei almost laughed in anger, gritting her teeth. "There's no need to repeat his exact words."

However, the people from Che Tian Mansion were all loyal to Yue Zhi Heng. These officials, whom Yue Zhi Heng had personally groomed, thrived when he thrived and perished when he perished. If Yue Zhi Heng fell, they would have no place to go. So, they obeyed his every command, even more loyally than death guards.

Shen Ye expressionlessly bowed to Zhan Yunwei before carefully taking Yue Zhi Heng away.

Zhan Yunwei watched them leave, feeling that the situation had become tricky. She knew that even if she acted sweet and expressed concern for Yue Zhi Heng, Shen Ye would likely not allow her to get close to him.

She hadn't had much hope, only testing the waters.

She wasn't planning to feed Yue Zhi Heng the Demon Puppet Pill right now—he was still unconscious, and there was no way to release anyone.

No matter how she thought about it, it would be best to wait a few more days, when he had just woken up, when he was at his weakest and most vulnerable.

Bai Rui seemed to understand Zhan Yunwei's plan and gave a thoughtful look. "Young Mistress, please rest for now."

It seemed they would have to wait for the right opportunity.

The return of Che Tian Mansion was not a major event, but Yue Zhi Heng's injury couldn't be kept hidden for long.

The Dynasty was still watching, but the Second Young Master couldn't hold back.

"The next day, when Zhan Yunwei went out to 'find an opportunity,' she discovered that someone was more eager than herself, causing a ruckus outside Yue Zhi Heng's courtyard."

The Second Young Master of the Yue family adopted an elder's tone, saying, "How dare you, a dog of Che Tian Mansion, block me? I am the second uncle of your Mansion Master. Could I possibly harm him?"

The Che Tian Mansion's style of operation followed Yue Zhi Heng's example, and everyone looked at him with cold, mocking expressions.

Shen Ye drew his sword and impatiently said, "Che Tian Mansion does not show favoritism. Take one more step forward, and I will treat it as an act of malice and punish you accordingly!"

The Second Young Master's face turned pale with anger. Afraid that these ruthless dogs would actually make a move on him, he reluctantly turned and left.

Zhan Yunwei watched this scene for a while and finally understood who Yue Wujiao and Yue Huai Le had inherited their lack of intelligence from.

She stepped forward but did not request to enter. Instead, she handed over a bundle of clean clothes. "Lord Shen Ye, these are Master Yue's clothes. Please take good care of him."

Shen Ye glanced at her, then remembered that Yue Zhi Heng indeed needed a change of clothes. He took them from her hand and carefully checked them before saying, "Thank you, Young Mistress."

Zhan Yunwei spoke softly, "If Master Yue wakes up, please inform me."

This was not an unreasonable request.

Shen Ye agreed, and Zhan Yunwei, without lingering, left after delivering the clothes.

Zhan Yunwei had long since realized that the people from Che Tian Mansion harbored little hostility towards her. Ultimately, they still saw her as just a "mere Spirit Master."

The essence of a cultivator's nature was hard to change. In their eyes, a Spirit Master was gentle, virtuous, and the ideal partner for a husband or wife.

After marriage, cultivators would often pour all their love and care into their Spirit Master companions, who, like soft dodder vines, would lovingly and dependently cling to their spiritual cultivator partners.

The second book in the "Autumn Pavilion Investigations" had noted that over ninety percent of spiritual cultivators in the Spirit Domain dreamed of having a Spirit Master as their life partner.

Shen Ye and the others were cultivators too, and their thoughts were no different.

Ironically, even a cold-blooded and ruthless group like the Che Tian Mansion guards, if they had a Spirit Master wife, would rush home early after a day's work.

Zhan Yunwei had seen a guard who could kill without blinking, gently picking out pearls for his life partner.

Thus, even though Zhan Yunwei had once thought about killing the Third Prince and Shen Ye had seen it, because of her identity as a Spirit Master, Shen Ye would not be overly cautious around her.

The person most wary of Zhan Yunwei was the one who disliked "Spirit Masters"—Master Yue.

Zhan Yunwei sighed. For the first time, she felt that among the small minority of people who disliked Spirit Masters, Yue Zhi Heng was the most difficult to deal with.

On the fourth day, Yue Zhi Heng still had not woken up, and rumors of his severe injury and impending death were already circulating in Fenhe County.

The Dynasty's onlookers, who were eagerly awaiting their chance, had begun probing frequently.

Every morning, outside the courtyard where Yue Zhi Heng was recuperating, the Che Tian Mansion guards coldly cleaned up the bloodstains.

—They had killed quite a few people.

Zhan Yunwei passed by and, seeing the bloodstains on the ground, couldn't help but think back to that night when Yue Zhi Heng had mockingly asked her,

"Miss Zhan, do you think someone like me will have a good end in the future?"

He knew better than anyone that if one day he fell and couldn't hold on, the wolves and tigers surrounding him would rush in and tear him to pieces.

For four days, no one had come to see Yue Zhi Heng who genuinely wished for his recovery.

Zhan Yunwei recalled how, when she was young and occasionally fell ill, so many people had asked after her health: her father, the uncles from Longya Mountain, the aunts, all searching for the best herbs and delicacies to help her recover as quickly as possible.

She realized for the first time that someone like Yue Zhi Heng existed in the world—a man who was alive but had countless people wishing for his death.

The Dynasty's ministers were celebrating his downfall, and the people of Fenhe County were also openly cursing him.

Perhaps the only person hoping for Yue Zhi Heng to wake up was Zhan Yunwei, but that hope was driven by ulterior motives.

On the fifth day, something truly absurd happened. A staff member of the Third Prince's faction came to visit. However, instead of seeking out Yue Zhi Heng, he claimed to be there to catch up with the Second Young Master.

After the staff member left, Zhan Yunwei found a golden-feathered winged bird in front of her window.

This rare little spirit beast was worth a fortune. Its blood could be used to draw high-level spiritual talismans, and its flesh could enhance the toughness of spiritual pills.

The golden-feathered winged bird also carried a letter.

Zhan Yunwei opened it and was so enraged that she almost laughed. She hadn't expected the Third Prince to still be so shameless.

In the letter, the Third Prince apologized for his previous rude behavior towards her, saying he deeply regretted it. He then went on to elaborate on how unreliable Pei Yujing was, and that Yue Zhi Heng was now at death's door.

The Third Prince also mentioned that he had dismissed all the courtesans in his manor a few days ago, vowing to focus solely on her from now on.

If Zhan Yunwei was willing, he would have someone escort her out of the Yue residence within the next two days.

To be honest, Zhan Yunwei had seen many lecherous men, but none as reckless as the Third Prince. The first time, he almost got killed by Pei Yujing, and the second time, he nearly died by her own hand. Yet now, he still had the audacity to provoke Yue Zhi Heng.

This was the reality for the royal aristocracy in the Jin Xiu Dynasty: in their eyes, no one dared to truly harm them.

The Third Prince didn't care whether Yue Zhi Heng was truly on the verge of death or might recover; he was scheming to take advantage of Yue Zhi Heng's weakness and seize his life partner. Once he had Zhan Yunwei, he would force things into an irreversible situation, and any embarrassment would fall on Yue Zhi Heng. Even if Yue Zhi Heng were furious, the most he could do was slaughter the Third Prince's servants and soldiers.

A group of worthless servants, exchanged for a beautiful and rare Spirit Master... it was certainly a good trade.

Zhan Yunwei carefully put away the letter and thought of a good excuse.

In the evening, the rain in Fenhe County finally stopped, and the healer informed Shen Ye that Master Yue had woken up, though he was still a little weak and needed to rest.

Before Shen Ye could fully relax, a young woman approached.

Upon closer inspection, it was none other than their Young Mistress.

Her face was marked with a look of humiliation, causing the Che Tian Mansion guards to feel unusually at a loss.

Shen Ye cleared his throat and asked, "May I ask, Young Mistress, what has happened?"

Without saying a word, Zhan Yunwei handed him the letter.

Shen Ye's anger flared upon reading it. Their master wasn't dead yet, but the Third Prince had already set his sights on the Young Mistress.

Even Shen Ye, after reading the letter, felt a surge of fury. The Third Prince was attempting to steal the Spirit Master life partner of a spiritual cultivator—he would be enraged enough to rise from his coffin if he were dead!

Zhan Yunwei seized the right moment to speak, "I want to see Master Yue and discuss what we should do."

Shen Ye didn't dare to deal with the situation himself. Thinking that Yue Zhi Heng had finally woken up, he said, "Young Mistress, please wait a moment."

Zhan Yunwei nodded. She wasn't entirely confident that Yue Zhi Heng would agree to see her, but after reading the letter, the probability was much higher. Based on what she knew of Yue Zhi Heng, even though he didn't like her, he clearly disliked being provoked even more.

The Third Prince's letter was, to Yue Zhi Heng, nothing less than a direct challenge.

After a short wait, Shen Ye returned. He took out a strange compass from his chest and carefully examined her, confirming that she wasn't carrying any pills, talismans, or weapons. "Young Mistress, please come in."

Zhan Yunwei didn't react outwardly but couldn't help but sniff the sweet scent of the lip balm in the air. She was resolute. She didn't believe it—no matter how skilled Yue Zhi Heng was, could he really distinguish between lip balm and demon puppet pills in his weakened state?

Zhan Yunwei walked into the room and immediately spotted Yue Zhi Heng lying on the bed.

The room where Yue Zhi Heng was recuperating wasn't as luxurious as the one with the Yao Xian Ling Jade bed, but instead was filled with a strong medicinal smell. At this moment, Yue Zhi Heng was awake, sitting upright at the head of the bed. His complexion was still pale, and he was silently reading the letter.

Even though the letter had made him furious, Yue Zhi Heng remained very calm.

He set the letter aside and turned his gaze towards Zhan Yunwei, coughing lightly a couple of times. "Shen Ye said that Miss Zhan wanted to discuss something with me. I must first confirm, Miss Zhan, are you not here to seek a different opportunity?"

Zhan Yunwei knew that he wasn't easily fooled, but who exactly was he mocking with those words? Even if she were blind, there was no way she would ever look at the Third Prince.

She walked over to him, sat down at his bedside, and gritted her teeth, saying, "What do you take me for, Master Yue? Can't you see that I'm angry?"

Yue Zhi Heng's dark, ink-colored eyes fell on her.

Miss Zhan's eyes were red-rimmed, her small nose slightly flushed with a pale pink. At first glance, she certainly appeared to be upset and aggrieved.

After all, the Third Prince did have a history.

In any case, if Zhan Yunwei was truly uninterested, then the Third Prince's letter was an act of sheer recklessness.

These past few days, Yue Zhi Heng's mind had been hazy, and although he had managed to wake up, he was still disoriented, feeling groggy and faint. His physical discomfort didn't allow him to maintain the calm appearance he usually did. He stared at the letter, thinking to himself, that audacious, insolent fool.

"There are Che Tian Mansion guards in the manor. He can't take you away. Miss Zhan, if you really want to vent your anger, once I'm feeling better in a few days, I'll personally pay a visit to the Third Prince for you."

His indifferent words, "I'll pay a visit," were far from simple. If the Third Prince didn't die, he would certainly be seriously hurt.

When he spoke, Zhan Yunwei couldn't help but keep her gaze fixed on his lips, as if avoiding looking into his eyes.

To be fair, Yue Zhi Heng was actually quite handsome. His features were cold and sharp, with a high nose and a well-formed mouth. Now, with his weakness and illness, his usual harsh aura softened, making him appear more like a noble young master raised in a prestigious family.

For some reason, Zhan Yunwei felt inexplicably nervous, almost not hearing what Yue Zhi Heng had said.

After he finished speaking, Zhan Yunwei hastily nodded in response.

The rain in Fenhe County had been pouring for several days, but it had finally cleared up, and the sky was dotted with a few stars.

Because Yue Zhi Heng was recuperating, the windows in the room were shut, and it felt a bit stuffy inside.

As Zhan Yunwei moved closer, she could smell the icy lotus fragrance on Yue Zhi Heng's body, mixed with the medicinal scent. Surprisingly, it wasn't unpleasant.

She didn't know how to begin this conversation, but leaning in a little, she nervously asked, "Master Yue, are you still feeling unwell?"