The Mountain Lord's Daughter

"Lord Yue... help..."

Zhan Yunwei finally chose the simple snow-white lotus robe.

This robe wasn't the most vibrant, but the fabric was the lightest and softest, making it look like a handful of fresh water cupped in the palm of a hand under the scorching heat of June.

Aside from the entire outfit for the Hua Si banquet, she hadn't left anything behind.

In fact, over the past month, she had never added any jewelry or perfumes to her room, things that a woman would usually need.

Although Yue Zhiheng hadn't withheld any of these from her,

Zhan Yunwei understood in her heart that, even though her time in the Yue family had been relatively peaceful, she did not truly belong here. She would eventually have to leave and return to her clan.

When that time came, meeting Yue Zhiheng again would likely lead to a life-or-death situation.

If she felt indebted to Yue Zhiheng, she would not be able to keep her hand steady when facing him. She feared that one day, she might not be able to harm him, and maintaining things as they were now seemed best.

Even though their relationship was tolerable, her stance would never waver.

She left nothing behind, and naturally, Yue Zhiheng noticed.

He didn't find Zhan Yunwei's thoughts laughable. Everyone knew what the future would hold for them.

So, he too lowered his gaze, saying nothing extra, doing nothing unnecessary.

Today, a new tailor would come to make new clothes for the slaves and the mute woman in the yard.

Zhan Yunwei wasn't entirely at ease and decided to go check on the mute woman's quarters.

Before leaving, she remembered something: "Lord Chief Steward."

"What's the matter?"

"Could I take the elementary jade tablet from your study and bring it to Yue Qingluo?"

Zhan Yunwei had been thinking for the past few days that the mute woman had been locked up for most of her life, never stepping outside Yue Manor. It was a pity if someone never dared to step out into the world until their death.

The spiritual domain looked down on ordinary people without spiritual power, but ordinary people could be strong in their own way.

Though mortals had no spiritual power, it was they who opened up the most vast lands in the Three Realms, generation after generation, never ceasing.

Yue Zhiheng asked Zhan Yunwei, "Do you want to teach her to read?"

The spiritual domain was strict, with many prohibitions.

A mute woman like her was considered a natural defect, a calamity born into the world. Even if her family didn't kill her at birth, she wouldn't be recorded in the family genealogy and was not allowed to study like a noble young lady.

When Yue Zhiheng was young, he secretly showed the mute woman some of his books, wanting to teach her how to read.

But when their teacher found out, he was punished by kneeling in poisonous mist for an entire night.

After returning that day, the mute woman refused to do anything out of line again, no matter what. If he wanted to teach her, she would only shake her head and cry.

Sometimes, Yue Zhiheng found Miss Zhan very interesting. She appeared soft in nature, yet she always did things that went against the rules of the spiritual domain.

For example, she practiced the control of spiritual energy, a forbidden technique that all spiritual masters avoided, and years ago, she had even urged him to learn poetry and proper etiquette.

Now, she was setting her sights on the mute woman. No one but Zhan Yunwei would think of teaching the mute woman to read.

Yue Zhiheng said, "My sister won't want to learn."

Sometimes, ignorance is a blessing. If the mute woman understood what he was doing, worry and pain would follow.

But what kind of life to live should ultimately be her choice.

Yue Zhiheng didn't oppose Zhan Yunwei's suggestion: "But you can try to persuade her. I will have Chen Ye replace it with a new jade tablet for you, the old one has become damaged."

Zhan Yunwei wasn't insistent on using Yue Zhiheng's jade tablet, so she nodded and took the new jade tablet to the mute woman's quarters.

The tailor was measuring the mute woman, who felt very awkward and blushed, pushing it away.

Zhan Yunwei immediately noticed the issue: "It's not Yue Manor's silver, it's the spiritual stones earned by Lord Chief Steward. Don't be afraid."

The mute woman hesitated, looking at her. Over the past few days, it felt like a dream—new furnishings were constantly being added to her room, and fresh, delicious food was being brought to her. Such days had only happened occasionally in the past.

She vaguely sensed that it was because Yue Zhiheng was around.

But her younger brother was very busy and often injured. He had suffered so much as a child, and the mute woman was afraid that her small matters would cause Yue Zhiheng and the Yue family to fall out.

The Yue family had only just accepted him.

She had never studied or seen the outside world. She didn't know what a powerful minister was or what a traitor, hated by everyone, was. Her memories only consisted of the tomb and the forbidden grounds, where she had been imprisoned for decades.

In the mute woman's heart, she and Yue Zhiheng still existed in dependence on the Yue family.

Zhan Yunwei guessed some of her concerns and pulled her to sit down: "Don't worry, Lord Chief Steward is very powerful now. It's not the Yue family that is supporting you, it's him who is looking after the Yue family."

The mute woman gradually relaxed a little.

Zhan Yunwei continued: "You don't need to feel indebted. It's not right to lock someone up in the manor and ignore whether they live or die. You need to take care of yourself. Lord Chief Steward will be at ease if you're well. In the future, if you need anything, you can come to the front yard to find him, or you can also tell me."

The mute woman looked at her sister-in-law and smiled brightly, nodding.

Zhan Yunwei brought up the idea of teaching her to read again, but this time the mute woman's expression changed. She silently shook her head, refusing, no matter what.

It seemed Yue Zhiheng had guessed correctly.

Zhan Yunwei had no choice but to try again: "But Lord Chief Steward will need your help with managing his offerings in the future. Besides you, there's hardly anyone in Yue Manor who truly supports him."

—"Isn't there you?"

Zhan Yunwei paused: "I'm not truly his partner. We'll leave sooner or later."

Although the mute woman had already heard this from Yue Zhiheng, she still felt a sense of sorrow.

—"Sister-in-law, can you not leave?"

Zhan Yunwei thought to herself, how troubled Lord Yue must be. He neither liked spiritual masters nor wanted to sleep on the ground for the rest of his life.

In the end, she left the jade tablet behind; whether the mute woman would learn to read was up to her own choice.

The course of this life had already diverged significantly from the last one.

Just like Bai Rui's appearance and her rescue of Zhan Shujing and the others, if she wasn't mistaken, Zhan Shujing and Pei Yujing would soon return to rescue them.

If they succeeded this time, she would never return to Yue Manor.

The next day was the Hua Si banquet. The palace hosted the Hua Si banquet, while the common folk celebrated the Hua Si Festival.

Early in the morning, the entire Fenhe County was transformed. Colorful silks were hung everywhere, and even on the Fenhe River, many beautiful pleasure boats had appeared.

Yue Zhiheng had only heard of this festival before, but from his apprenticeship to his later service to the dynasty, the Hua Si Festival had never had much relevance to him.

Early in the morning, the palace's Xuanwu Luan carriage arrived at Yue Manor to take Zhan Yunwei and the second lady.

Yue Zhiheng was also going out that day.

Zhan Yunwei noticed that Yue Zhiheng had, after a long time, put on the ghost-faced, fanged mask he used when handling business, and that strange, cold whip was also fastened to his waist.

Her heart sank as she realized that someone must have fallen into evil and was about to, or had already, turned into a malevolent spirit.

— Yue Zhiheng was going to kill someone.

Every time this happened, wherever the Chitian Fu went, blood would flow like rivers.

The Xuanwu carriage from the palace was very high, and the companions of the spiritual masters usually had to help each other up. Zhan Yunwei looked at her trailing robe, thinking about how she was going to climb up.

Behind her came a cold "excuse me," and she was lifted at the waist and easily placed into the Xuanwu carriage.

At that moment, the sky was still dim. Zhan Yunwei looked down and saw the man with the fanged mask. After lifting her into the carriage, he turned and walked toward the Qingmian Ghost Crane without looking back.

When the Qingmian Ghost Crane left, she withdrew her gaze. In her heart, she knew that once she stepped out of Yue Manor, those she had started to get familiar with would instantly become strangers.

Unlike the bloody scene in Fenhe County in the morning, the palace at this time was a scene of festivity, with clinking glasses and joyful music.

The Hua Si banquet only invited spiritual masters. To prevent them from being offended, the palace was full of elite guards that day, and no one with spiritual power was allowed to enter, with severe punishment for violators.

The Third Prince wandered around the palace where he had lived as a child, glancing at the sky: "Mr. Che, are you confident?"

He had secretly ventured into the palace he had once lived in the night before. If things worked out, he would accept any punishment from the emperor without complaint. But if it didn't work, breaking into the palace on such a day would only result in losing more than he gained.

Mr. Che's face was hidden under his cloak. He said, "Your Highness need not worry. Tonight, I will bring Miss Zhan into your palace."

Mr. Che paused.

Today, the Chitian Fu guards couldn't enter the palace. Outside the western suburbs of the capital, another village had been catalyzed by his men and had prematurely turned into a malevolent spirit.

The Chitian Fu people were too busy killing the spirits to come to the palace. Yue Zhiheng wouldn't be able to come and pick up anyone today.

Hearing Mr. Che's certainty, the Third Prince relaxed.

Within the palace, they could faintly hear the laughter of spiritual masters and the sound of musical instruments.

The Third Prince couldn't help but ask, "Did Mr. Che arrange for someone?"

"No, I will go personally."

The Hua Si banquet in the palace was even livelier than the one in the Immortal Sect, with blooming exotic flowers and delicate glass lamps everywhere.

Zhan Yunwei had benefited from Yue Zhiheng, and she didn't intentionally make him lose face. Whenever a lady came over to socialize, she would smile and engage in conversation.

When the queen called her over to speak, she responded gracefully.

Zhan Yunwei was beautiful and kind-hearted, and whenever she wanted to be courteous, she was very likable. It wasn't long before many spiritual masters were eager to spend time with her.

After several rounds of drinking, the spiritual masters gathered and began talking about their companions.

A woman with a blush on her face said, "My husband is tall and strong, yet he's as delicate as a thread. He treats me with such tenderness. We've been married for three years, and he has never said a harsh word to me."

"My husband, the other day, was just praised by the emperor. The emperor gave him a fief, and next year he will take office as the city lord of Shangyi."

Zhan Yunwei rested her chin in her hand, drinking tea and listening.

At first, the conversation was pleasant, but after a few rounds, most of the compliments were about their partners' gentleness. A strange woman, however, started a different topic. She said, "My husband… is as vigorous as a dragon and tiger, unlike anyone else. I am very tired at night."

She complained on the surface but gave flirtatious glances, making some people secretly clutch their handkerchiefs.

Zhan Yunwei almost choked on her tea.

Another person whispered, laughing, "As for my husband, he is skilled in a variety of arts."

Since the topic was already opened, no one treated these "arts" as actual skills.

Seeing that each story became more and more exaggerated, regardless of whether they were true or not, everyone was secretly competing, unwilling to be outdone.

Finally, it was Zhan Yunwei's turn. All eyes were on her.

They were all curious to know what kind of person the husband of the Chitian Fu's head was.

The ladies had only seen Lord Yue from a distance; this new nobleman of the dynasty, the emperor's favored man. Although Lord Yue appeared polite, his reputation for ruthless killing and decisiveness clearly spread further than his outward courtesy and gentleness.

What was he really like when interacting privately with his companion?

Zhan Yunwei put down her cup, her palm tingling, and under the curious and expectant gazes of everyone, she sighed and could only recite the script she had prepared: "My husband is handsome, gentle in nature, has good manners, and is generous."

Zhan Yunwei successfully steered the conversation back to safer ground.

The ladies waited for more, but when she remained silent, someone spoke up: "Isn't there anything else?"

Zhan Yunwei knew what they wanted to hear, but the truth was that she and Lord Yue had maintained a clear and proper relationship, and she had no idea what he was really like in private.

Even if she were to make assumptions, she didn't expect that the ladies of the dynasty would be so open, competing over even the most intimate matters.

The Hua Si banquet in the Immortal Sect was so much more upright.

An older lady next to them laughed, saying, "Don't tease Lady Yue, she only got married last month."

As the sky darkened, the spiritual masters began to leave in twos and threes.

A palace maid holding a palace lantern came to guide Zhan Yunwei and the second lady.

Zhan Yunwei and the second lady walked toward the palace gate together. Passing by a lake in the garden, the surface of the water was lit by palace lanterns. Zhan Yunwei accidentally glanced at the lake, but didn't see her own reflection.

She stopped in her tracks, her heart sinking. She felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity with the scene before her.

The second lady noticed that she had stopped and turned back in confusion.

Zhan Yunwei looked at the palace maid in front of her. The maid seemed completely unaware that anything was wrong, and at some point, she was being pulled forward like a puppet.

The second lady grabbed Zhan Yunwei, realizing something was off. She said, "This isn't right. We need to leave quickly and find the Chitian Wei!"

She hadn't been locked of her spiritual powers, but the moment the pressure hit her, the second lady tried to pull Zhan Yunwei out of the way. The Eight Trigrams formation lit up beneath her feet and then extinguished. When she looked up, she realized that the person she was holding wasn't Zhan Yunwei—it was a dead branch.

The place where Zhan Yunwei had been standing was now empty.

Though Zhan Yunwei lacked spiritual power, her senses remained intact. She too tried to push the second lady away, but stumbled a little. As she tried to regain her balance, the blue Eight Trigrams formation lit up beneath her, and she almost crashed into someone's embrace.

Seeing the formation, Zhan Yunwei knew something was terribly wrong. The person before her had at least eight levels of spiritual veins, a rare genius in formations.

Under the palace lanterns, the person was hidden under a cloak, smiling as they steadied her by the shoulder. "Miss, steady yourself."

Zhan Yunwei vaguely recognized the voice and was about to look up to see the person's face when she felt a sharp pain at the back of her neck and lost consciousness.

Before passing out, she angrily thought—

Lord Yue, I hope whatever you placed on me earlier proves useful!

Inside the palace, the Third Prince was growing impatient. The palace doors were about to be locked, and Mr. Che still hadn't returned. Just as he was about to venture out to search for him, he saw Mr. Che walking back.

The Third Prince looked at the person Mr. Che was holding and exclaimed in surprise, "Did it succeed?"

"Mr. Che has not failed."

Mr. Che laid Zhan Yunwei on a nearby bed.

The Third Prince knew that Mr. Che was powerful, but he hadn't expected such skill. He had been in his residence for almost three years, and he had never realized the potential of such a capable person.

The Third Prince almost laughed aloud, looking at the delicate beauty on the bed. She was now in his hands, and he didn't regret the risks he had taken to bring Mr. Che into the palace.

After tonight, even if the emperor beat him half to death or exiled him to a distant land, he would accept it!

He took out a red spiritual butterfly from his chest and opened the box, using his spiritual power to force the butterfly to fly into Zhan Yunwei's forehead.

The girl on the bed seemed to be uncomfortable, her brow furrowing slightly.

The Third Prince, his eyes filled with desire, thought to himself that even with her frown, she was still beautiful.

But he could barely rise on his own, so he had to rely on the white spiritual butterfly.

He took out the white box, and without looking back, he said to Mr. Che, "It's done. You may leave now. Tonight is my wedding night. You've worked hard, and tomorrow, if you need anything, I will fulfill your requests."

Just as the white spiritual butterfly was about to fly out, a voice came from behind him: "Anything can be fulfilled, but what if I want your life, Your Highness?"

What!

Before the Third Prince could react, an ice shard pierced through his dantian. He widened his eyes, looking down at the ice shard, dying with eyes wide open.

A hand casually covered the box he was holding, taking it into their chest. The person pushed him, and the Third Prince collapsed in response.

Mr. Che kicked him. "Fool, do you deserve to defile her?"

The lady who had been taken from Yue Zhiheng's side in the palace was now dead under the "ice shard," and Yue Zhiheng could not escape blame.

The Spiritual Emperor would surely not let Yue Zhiheng live after hearing this.

Mr. Che took a few steps forward, gently lifting the unconscious girl. "Junior sister, Che will take you away."

The bright moon hung high, and the sound of the wind whistled by.

When Zhan Yunwei regained consciousness, she felt a burning sensation all over her body, as if a hundred ants were scratching her heart. Someone was carrying her on their back.

The person lowered their cloak, revealing a somewhat familiar face.

"Miss Zhan, you're awake?" His voice was soft. "I apologize for the offense. Che has prepared a medicinal bath to help you suppress the effects of the Red Butterfly poison."

Zhan Yunwei felt groggy, struggling to stay conscious, and she recognized him. "Xiao Che? No, wait... You're Dongfang Che?"

Dongfang Che laughed, "I didn't expect Junior Sister to remember me."

"..."

Zhan Yunwei recalled where she had seen him before. She had never expected that the person her father had once rescued, who was supposedly bullied and killed by the Chitian Fu, was actually the last surviving heir of the Dongfang family, Dongfang Che.

Dongfang Che had been an outer disciple in the Immortal Sect for two years. He was hardworking and had a youthful, likable face, making it difficult for his fellow disciples not to feel some camaraderie toward him. Two years ago, there had been rumors that this junior disciple had gone on a journey and was killed by a malevolent spirit. Zhan Yunwei had been quite sad at the time.

She never imagined he had not only survived but had become a genius in formations, pretending to be weak while concealing his true strength.

She hoarsely spoke, "Let go of me."

"Since it's still early, I need to take you to suppress the poison. Senior Sister, didn't you want to leave Yue Zhiheng's side? I'll take you away today."

Zhan Yunwei asked, "What did you give me?"

Dongfang Che corrected her, "It was the Third Prince who did it. It's the 'Lingering Affection Butterfly.' Don't worry, there is an antidote."

Zhan Yunwei remained silent, hearing him lie even at this moment. She pulled out the hairpin from her head and stabbed it downward.

Dongfang Che had no choice but to let go of her, grabbing the hairpin. With some sadness, he said, "You want to kill me?"

Wasn't Junior Sister always kind to him?

Zhan Yunwei bit her lip, her palms almost sweating. Despite reading many books, she didn't know exactly what "Lingering Affection" meant.

But the waves of heat inside her body were a clear reminder that something was wrong.

Seeing her disgusted expression, Dongfang Che's smile faded. He squatted down, saying, "I don't want to harm you, and I never meant to insult you. See, the White Butterfly is here. If you don't agree, I won't use it, and I won't let the Third Prince use it either. Right now, I just want to take you to suppress the poison."

Zhan Yunwei glared at the box in his hands, wishing she could burn a hole through it.

Her magical artifact seemed to sense her thoughts, and its soul was manipulated to appear behind her. It grew tall, resembling a massive beast, and lunged at Dongfang Che with a bite.

Dongfang Che sensed the danger and quickly retreated, but he was a step too slow. One of his hands, along with the White Butterfly, was devoured and chewed by the beast.

Not far away, someone stood atop a tree, coldly watching him.

The person wore a mask resembling an evil spirit's fangs, and for the first time, Zhan Yunwei found the mask strangely familiar.

Lord Yue, you've finally returned!

Yue Zhiheng removed his mask, revealing his stern face.

His body was covered in purple blood, and he had no idea how many evil spirits he had slain today. His body was still surrounded by killing intent.

Dongfang Che hadn't expected Yue Zhiheng to return, let alone find him.

Why?

He turned around, and only then did he see the jade bead embedded in Zhan Yunwei's palace sash. It wasn't a jade bead—it was clearly an immortal-grade magical artifact.

He realized that the entire process of him attempting to kill the Third Prince must have been recorded by this artifact. Yue Zhiheng was truly sinister!

With his eight-level spiritual veins, Dongfang Che had never been able to defeat the nine-level Yue Zhiheng. Thus, he had always hidden in the shadows. Now, facing off, Dongfang Che knew he had almost no chance of winning.

He calmed himself and attempted to pull Zhan Yunwei away using a formation to escape.

A cold, vicious whip tore through the air behind him, and the ground cracked beneath his feet. Dongfang Che was forced to stop.

Yue Zhiheng sneered. Did he think Dongfang Che was already dead?

The whip, covered in runes, crackled with killing intent as it struck Dongfang Che. He was unable to form a seal in time and was knocked back several dozen steps, spitting blood.

The weakness of formation masters showed here, as the whip was as fast as a torrential rain, and Dongfang Che was left in a pathetic retreat, injured.

The whip transformed into an ice shard, and just as it was about to kill him, Dongfang Che clutched his severed arm and gritted his teeth, using his blood to form a seal and escape through the formation.

The ice shard lost its target and flew back into Yue Zhiheng's hand. He chased after him for two steps, only to hear a low groan from behind.

Yue Zhiheng had no choice but to return and check on Zhan Yunwei.

"Miss Zhan, are you alright?"

Zhan Yunwei bit her lip, hugging her knees, trembling slightly. She shook her head, finding it hard to respond.

He frowned and bent down to hold her. "I'll take you to see the healer."

Yue Zhiheng hadn't expected that even though he had placed an immortal-grade artifact on her, it wasn't enough to fully protect her.

He had long been wary of Dongfang Che. That jade bead would trigger if it sensed any murderous intent or harm towards her.

But Dongfang Che didn't intend to harm her. Yue Zhiheng didn't have time to check the images stored in the jade bead as the artifact's soul was still chewing on Dongfang Che's hand.

Yue Zhiheng's expression darkened. "Spit it out."

He didn't want to deal with such disgusting things.

The artifact's soul obediently spit out Dongfang Che's hand, proudly handing the white box to him.

When Yue Zhiheng saw the White Butterfly inside, he finally understood what Dongfang Che had done, and he paused.

Meanwhile, the person in his arms had a flushed face, and the White Butterfly controlled her consciousness. Zhan Yunwei could barely recognize who was holding her, and her voice trembled as she whispered, "Lord Yue... save..."

Her snow-colored silk sash slipped off her shoulder, revealing a faint pink lotus blossom on her chest.

Yue Zhiheng accidentally glanced at it and immediately looked away, raising her clothes up. He held her hand down gently. "Endure."

It wasn't surprising that Zhan Yunwei didn't recognize what was happening—this thing was the secret creation of the first head of Chitian Fu.

She had nearly lost consciousness, making soft sounds as she writhed. Through the summer fabric, Yue Zhiheng could feel her burning heat.

He was rarely angry with himself for not having killed Dongfang Che earlier or for not questioning him about the antidote's whereabouts.

Not far away, a row of pleasure boats floated, and the Huasi banquet was lively as always.

Yue Zhiheng held Zhan Yunwei tightly, preventing her from moving. He threw a bag of spiritual stones to the boatman. "Leave."

The boatman hadn't expected someone to be so generous and in such a hurry. After the spiritual power sealed the door, he happily picked up the stones and left.