The Mountain Lord's Daughter

It was the first time, and it would also be the last.

On the way back to Fenhe County, due to his physical condition, Yue Zhiheng did not ride the green-faced ghost crane again but instead borrowed Master Fang's luan carriage.

The Fang family had been government officials for generations. In his early years, Fang Huai had been a hedonistic young master, but in recent years, he had gradually become more stable as he began to shoulder family responsibilities.

The luan carriage was spacious and comfortable. Yue Zhiheng leaned against the carriage wall, engaging in a battle of wits with Zhan Yunwei. He forcibly activated reverse spiritual energy, leaving his face deathly pale. His barely recovering body was once again on the verge of spiritual energy collapse.

"I've never seen you this angry before. What on earth happened? With your temperament, it's impossible for you to fall into Miss Zhan's trap, right?"

Fang Huai glanced at Zhan Yunwei, who was lying unconscious to the side. How had it come to this in just a few days? Lord Yue had been reduced to someone else's puppet?

Yue Zhiheng paused and said, "I was careless. Thank you for your help this time."

"No need for thanks, Brother Yue. You've helped the Fang family plenty over the years."

"If there's anything you need in the future, just say the word. I'll do my best."

Fang Huai didn't stand on ceremony. "You know, ever since a few years ago, the spiritual domain's barrier has been unstable. My father was ordered to repair it, and the strain has aged him a decade. Even my thirteen-year-old distant cousin was taken away for this. I'll definitely need your help in the future."

If the barrier's evil energy leaked and caused chaos, the Chengtian Bureau would have to step in to eliminate the emerging evil spirits; otherwise, the Fang family would bear the blame.

Recalling how they intercepted a dozen disciples from the Immortal Sects tonight but let many escape, Fang Huai asked Yue Zhiheng, "What's your plan?"

Yue Zhiheng replied calmly, "Let them run. They're just small fry."

"True," Fang Huai said in a lowered voice. "His Majesty's targets are that old man from Penglai and Pei Yujing. As long as Miss Zhan has been captured, it's fine. But you did fail in your duty and can't avoid punishment."

"Hmm. I'll enter the palace to atone in a few days."

Seeing that Yue Zhiheng had it under control, Fang Huai felt reassured. He'd heard about Yue Zhiheng being gravely injured after leaving the palace, but he dared not speculate on what had happened. Now, it seemed the situation might actually work in Yue Zhiheng's favor.

Yue Zhiheng's injury, caused by His Majesty, had given the Immortal Sects an opportunity. His Majesty would not severely punish Yue Zhiheng, only make a show of it.

"Your family's Spirit Master lady is truly impressive," Fang Huai sighed. "If you weren't so much more cunning than her, you might've suffered a serious setback today."

Yue Zhiheng replied, "You flatter me. Isn't Zhan Yunwei's cousin the one Master Fang brought over?"

"… Ahem. Just a handy move. I thought she might be useful."

Yue Zhiheng stared at the unconscious Zhan Yunwei. "She was indeed useful."

He let out a cold laugh.

If it weren't for concerns about Zhan Xueyin, Zhan Yunwei's arrows might have been aimed straight at him without hesitation.

Earlier, in the mirage realm, he had already seen Zhan Yunwei's spirit manipulation techniques. Back then, they were still immature, but now she had developed the rudiments of controlling spirit cultivators.

"Fang Huai, I hope you will keep today's events strictly confidential."

Fang Huai cast a complicated glance at Zhan Yunwei and nodded. "I understand."

Someone with Zhan Yunwei's abilities would inevitably attract envy or fear. Spirit manipulation was forbidden in the spiritual domain, so who knew what the Lord of Changya Mountain was thinking by allowing his cherished daughter to break the rules?

By dawn, they had reached Fenhe County.

Chen Ye, aware he had caused trouble, was waiting at the entrance of Yue Manor.

Yue Zhiheng said, "The Binding Spirit Bracelet."

Chen Ye quickly handed over a new Binding Spirit Bracelet. Yue Zhiheng took it and fastened it around Zhan Yunwei's wrist.

Seeing Yue Zhiheng carry Zhan Yunwei off the luan carriage, Fang Huai couldn't hide his schadenfreude.

Tsk. To make Lord Yue suffer such a loss, burdened with injuries and reduced to being a puppet—Miss Zhan had a ruthless streak.

He wondered how Lord Yue, known for his vengeful nature, would retaliate.

When Zhan Yunwei regained consciousness, she felt weak all over and sensed a cold gaze fixed on her.

Recalling what had happened before she passed out, she opened her eyes to see Yue Zhiheng leaning against the bedside, holding a book of blueprints. He wasn't reading it but was instead gazing at her indifferently.

"You're awake?"

Zhan Yunwei sat up from the floor and noticed the blazing sun outside. She didn't know how many days had passed. Lowering her eyes, she saw the Binding Spirit Bracelet on her wrist again. They were back in Yue Zhiheng's courtyard.

Yue Zhiheng had already changed his clothes and bandaged his wounds, looking visibly better than before. Meanwhile, she was still in the same dress from days ago, her cloak even left untouched.

No wonder her whole body ached. Having been thrown onto the ground for days, exposed to the hard surface and pervasive evil energy, it would've been surprising if she didn't hurt.

By June, Fenhe County was already sweltering, with cicadas buzzing incessantly in the courtyard.

Meeting Yue Zhiheng's cold gaze, Zhan Yunwei sighed inwardly.

Just a few days ago, she had wished never to meet Lord Yue again in this lifetime. Yet here she was, in his grasp once more.

Still, other matters weighed on her mind, forcing her to ask, "Lord Yue, what happened to the Immortal Sect disciples?"

Before using her body and spiritual energy to block the arrows, she had seen someone fall from the cloud vessel. She knew nothing of what happened afterward. She feared that everyone had been captured or that some had been injured or killed during the escape.

"If I told you they all died, would Miss Zhan regret everything you've done?"

Zhan Yunwei's face turned pale.

Yue Zhiheng had been watching her. Seeing her blood drain away, disbelief, confusion, and panic flicker across her face, and the once-bright, clear eyes now tinged with a dull gray, he remained silent for a moment before coldly saying, "Unfortunately, they didn't die. Most of them escaped. The remaining seventeen were recaptured and imprisoned in the imperial dungeon."

This short sentence made Zhan Yunwei feel as though she'd been saved from drowning.

She looked up at Yue Zhiheng. "Lord Yue, are you still angry with me?"

"We stand on opposing sides. What is there to be angry about? I know everything you've done was for the sake of your clan. I miscalculated—there's nothing more to say. As for your failure to escape, that's your own incompetence. Since Miss Zhan has become a prisoner, I suggest you start acting like one."

She soon learned what "acting like a prisoner" meant.

That evening at dinner, Yue Zhiheng, due to his injuries, had a light meal—three dishes and a soup. Zhan Yunwei, however, only received a bowl of plain congee.

Having been unconscious for several days, she hadn't eaten in as long. Holding the bowl and looking at Yue Zhiheng's meal, she found the food tasteless.

But compared to the success of her clansmen escaping, this price was trivial. Even with just the congee, she didn't waste a single grain, finishing it cleanly.

No one prepared hot water for her, and there were no clean clothes to change into. Left with no other choice, Zhan Yunwei found a purification charm in the room and made do with it.

Shi Hu came and went, sensing the tense atmosphere between them, and didn't dare speak to her without permission. Bai Rui was nowhere to be seen.

Zhan Yunwei stared at the doorway, wondering if Bai Rui had managed to escape. Bai Rui had said she would rendezvous with her outside the manor.

Yue Zhiheng turned a page of his book, not lifting his head. "Are you waiting for Bai Rui? I forgot to tell you—she's also in the imperial dungeon."

"..." Zhan Yunwei gritted her teeth. Fine.

As long as they were alive, there was hope for the future. Once Zhan Shujing recovered and came with Pei Yujing, they could rescue everyone else.

As the moon climbed above the willow branches and bedtime approached, Zhan Yunwei moved toward the bed, only for a book to press against her forehead.

"What are you doing, Miss Zhan?"

She moved the book aside and met a pair of shallow ink-colored eyes devoid of emotion.

"Lord Yue, you're not going to tell me to sleep on the floor, are you?"

Yue Zhiheng's gaze was cold, reflecting her silhouette.

Zhan Yunwei found it puzzling. She considered whether she'd crossed a line with Yue Zhiheng this time, though she felt her actions in this life were far less offensive than in her previous one.

In her past life, they hadn't gotten along from the start. She had thrown things at him, cursed him, embarrassed him in public, and exhausted her vocabulary of insults. Yet Yue Zhiheng had only laughed mockingly, unbothered.

Even when they shared a bed, she had thought about killing him more than once. But he had only restrained her, preventing her from moving, without harming her.

Most of the time, Yue Zhiheng would voluntarily sleep in the study or guest room, leaving the luxurious Yao Xian Spirit Jade bed to her.

Forbidding her from sleeping on the bed—this was a first.

What was different this time? Had she gone too far? She thought things had been going much better between them in this life, much better than in the previous one.

After much thought, only one possibility remained.

Her gaze slid from Yue Zhiheng's high nose bridge down to his lips.

She hadn't exactly forgotten—she had just been too embarrassed to consciously recall it.

Previously, she had never experienced anything like that. Even though she was engaged to Pei Yujing, their intimacy had never reached that level.

She remembered how, that day, she had slowly pried open his lips and passed the demon puppet pill to him. She also remembered how he swallowed it.

No wonder he was angry. Anyone forced into swallowing something under such circumstances would feel humiliated. Yue Zhiheng's disdain for Spirit Masters must have run so deep that her method of passing the pill had felt more intolerable to him than an attempt on his life.

As she stared for too long, she noticed Yue Zhiheng's Adam's apple move slightly.

Yue Zhiheng, noticing her gaze, said coldly, "Get off!"

Zhan Yunwei, equally embarrassed, quickly backed away from the bed. She realized Yue Zhiheng had rarely spoken to her so crudely in their past life.

Even when killing someone, he would smile. Even toward those he loathed, he could maintain a facade of politeness.

Zhan Yunwei said, "Lord Yue, if you're truly angry, why not punish me in return?"

His expression darkened, his long, narrow eyes sharp.

Zhan Yunwei recalled the rules of the spiritual domain forbidding harm to Spirit Masters. No wonder Yue Zhiheng had nowhere to vent his anger.

She changed her approach. "Lord Yue, I acted out of desperation. If remembering it bothers you, why not find an alchemist and request some pills to erase the memory?"

She almost added that she could use one herself. If both of them forgot, they could pretend the incident never happened.

Yue Zhiheng's response was to toss a book onto her lap with a cold thud, silently ordering her to shut up.

Knowing she was in the wrong—this escape had ultimately worked in her favor—Zhan Yunwei, despite fearing the pervasive evil of the night, was in relatively good spirits.

Still, she had to suppress her good mood lest Yue Zhiheng, in his evident displeasure, become even more inclined to kill her.

She picked up the book and went out to borrow several thick mats from Shi Hu, carrying them back to lay by the bed.

Whether intentionally or not, Yue Zhiheng stared coldly at her for a long moment before finally speaking as she finished setting up her spot. "Keep your distance from me."

"..." She found it odd too—why did she choose to sleep by the bed?

Zhan Yunwei simply stood up and wandered around the room. Eventually, she found a spot by the window, opened it, and spread the bedding there. This way, when she looked up, she could see the countless stars glittering over Fenhe County.

A screen and gauzy curtains separated the two of them. After lying down, neither spoke.

Zhan Yunwei thought to herself, I wonder if these layers of bedding will be enough. Hopefully, I won't let the sinister energy invade my body.

A long time passed, long enough that she assumed Yue Zhiheng had fallen asleep, when a cold, even voice came from the other side. "Miss Zhan, do you still remember your promise to grant me one request?"

Zhan Yunwei was startled for a moment. Thinking back to their agreement during her homecoming visit, she replied, "Of course, I remember."

"Good." Yue Zhiheng closed his eyes briefly. "Then remember this: no matter what method you use in the future to escape or resist the dynasty, the last incident was the first and will also be the last."

He would accept the consequences of the Immortal Clan remnants escaping this time, but such an event would only be allowed once.

Zhan Yunwei sighed softly and said, "I promise you."

There wouldn't be a next time, anyway. Lord Yue avoided entanglement in such matters, and in both past and present lives, she had never harbored any illusions about him. The two of them would undoubtedly maintain their distance until the day she finally left.

When Zhan Yunwei made that promise so readily, she never expected how unpredictable life could be, how absurdly dramatic fate could turn out to be—how everything would take a sharp turn just a few days later.