The Mountain Lord's Daughter

Taking a Step Back: Was Lord Yue Really in the Wrong?

She vaguely sensed she had mistaken him for someone else. Hearing his calm yet distant tone, a faint unease crept into her heart.

The aura of the white spiritual butterfly still captivated her, yet the man before her no longer indulged her whims as before.

She clung to him, attempting to soothe the "angry white butterfly," though unsure how. On impulse, she pressed her lips to his Adam's apple.

"Don't be mad."

His expression remained cold as he covered her mouth with his hand. "I've said it before—I'm not your Senior Brother Pei," he stated.

He then pulled her hands off his arm, causing her to lose her balance and sink straight into the water. Zhan Yunwei could no longer even recognize people, let alone remember how to swim.

Her eyes remained wide open as she sank, searching for something to grasp onto.

All she could see was the rippling lake water and the interwoven colors of her snow-white robes and his dark attire. Her mind muddled, she reached her pale fingers through the black fabric.

She inadvertently noticed that the Liuli Sword was still there.

Huh?

In her hazy state, she thought: He's not Senior Brother Pei. He called himself Yue... but clearly...

"Zhan Yunwei!"

She was yanked out of the water by her collar, nearly lifted into the air.

Water cascaded down her soaked hair, her eyelashes, her chin, and back into the lake below. The man held her up before him and let out a laugh.

It wasn't warm; it was filled with gritted-teeth frustration.

She blinked, breathing rapidly. Her body felt as though molten lava was blocked inside her, unable to find an outlet, suffocating her in its unbearable heat.

She stared at him with teary, chestnut-brown eyes, equal parts aggrieved and furious, trying to get a clear look at this backtracking scoundrel.

Yet his anger seemed colder and fiercer than hers. Without warning, he slapped five talismans of immobilization onto her head in quick succession, encircling her face.

The talismans blocked her view, leaving her unable to see his expression.

Yue Zhiheng shot a glance at the artifact spirit hiding aboard a nearby boat, amusedly observing the scene. "Get over here!" he snapped.

The artifact spirit floated over hesitantly, then gently carried the drenched Zhan Yunwei out of the water and brought her to shore.

Yue Zhiheng lowered his gaze. Under the pouring moonlight, the lake surface resembled a clear mirror, reflecting his disheveled image.

How much better off was he, really, compared to Zhan Yunwei?

The mute girl never expected Yue Zhiheng to visit her courtyard at this hour.

When she saw him carrying a talisman-covered Zhan Yunwei, her expression changed as she rushed forward. Carefully peeling off one talisman, she met the tear-filled eyes of her sister-in-law and felt an immediate pang of worry.

—What happened to her?

Yue Zhiheng glanced at her. "Elder Sister, I need some of your blood."

Understanding that he intended to help Zhan Yunwei, the mute girl nodded hurriedly.

By the time Yue Zhiheng set Zhan Yunwei down, the mute girl had already fetched a bowl and knife, ready to draw her blood.

When she was about to fill the third bowl, Yue Zhiheng said quietly, "That's enough."

The blood in the bowl was unmistakably tainted—a sinister, purplish hue.

The mute girl cast a worried glance at Zhan Yunwei. Yue Zhiheng reassured her, "Wait outside for now."

He retrieved the Violet Lotus Lantern, which reacted to the scent of blood. Using the blood as fuel, the lamp flickered to life after a moment.

Placing the lantern beside Zhan Yunwei, Yue Zhiheng watched as a mist emanated from it, enveloping her. The pain on her face gradually subsided.

The mute girl paced anxiously outside. Finally, Yue Zhiheng emerged. She peeked into the room, and he said, "She's stable for now."

—What happened? Why did she need five immobilization talismans?

Even though she couldn't cultivate, she understood that a single talisman would typically suffice.

"..." Yue Zhiheng offered no explanation, his expression cold.

Seeing she wouldn't get an answer, the mute girl turned her focus to Zhan Yunwei's soaked and wrinkled robes, which looked like they had been dried after being fished out of water. She stepped into the room, intending to change her sister-in-law into something more comfortable.

Though her small home was modest and aged, the mute girl kept it tidy, often decorating it with flowers from the back mountain. It exuded a warm, inviting charm.

The new nightgown Zhan Yunwei had sewn for her just days earlier proved handy.

The exquisite, snow-colored hibiscus dress Zhan Yunwei wore was so wrinkled it looked unrecognizable. Seeing her lying there quietly asleep, the mute girl tenderly brushed aside a strand of hair from her cheek and began changing her clothes.

After unfastening the outer robe, she reached the inner garment.

As the hibiscus patterns shifted aside, the mute girl suddenly caught sight of faint red marks blooming across the pale skin.

Having spent her early years in the underground palace and later living alone after returning to the Yue family, she'd occasionally stumbled upon similar sights in the household. Though unspoken, she understood exactly what these were.

She internally chastised her younger brother. Then, upon seeing more faint red marks on the inner thighs of her sister-in-law's slender legs while changing her undergarments, her face flushed crimson.

The mute girl stepped out, now in a foul mood. Under the moonlight, she saw Yue Zhiheng staring at the Violet Lotus Lantern with a detached expression.

She signed: Don't be so rough in the future.

Yue Zhiheng paused, understanding her implication. He frowned slightly. He had, in truth, been exceedingly restrained, but spiritual practitioners were naturally delicate creatures. It wasn't something he could easily explain, so he merely replied coldly, "Understood."

In any case, there wouldn't be a next time.

Dawn was approaching, and Yue Zhiheng had duties to attend to at the Chetian Bureau in the imperial court. More troubling still was the Third Prince's death the previous night...

Yue Zhiheng smirked coldly, rolling the jade bead in his hand. It was the Bureau's duty to apprehend the killer.

Dongfang Che could have survived as a hidden pest, but since he sought death, Yue Zhiheng would ensure he joined the rest of the Dongfang clan.

The mute girl, aware of his obligations, signed: Go on. Your sister-in-law will rest here for the night. I'll take care of her.

It wasn't until midday the next day that Zhan Yunwei finally awoke.

She sat up, holding her head, and immediately noticed the mute woman entering with a tray of lunch. The woman set the food down, lightly touched her forehead, and, finding no sign of fever, finally offered a relieved smile.

Zhan Yunwei didn't understand how she had woken up in the mute woman's room. Her last memory was of being on the boat with Yue Zhiheng. Right—she had also been afflicted with the "Desire Entanglement" spell.

But she could only recall Yue Zhiheng trying to break the trapped spirit bangle on her wrist; everything after that was a blank. Lowering her gaze, she noticed the bangle was still securely on her wrist.

"Qingluo-jie, was I brought back by Lord Yue?" she asked.

The mute woman nodded with a smile and gestured for her to eat first.

Zhan Yunwei's mind was a haze, though her body felt discomfort everywhere—particularly the burn on her palm from Yue Zhiheng's godly flame. It still throbbed painfully, though he had treated the wound.

The gaps in her memory gnawed at her. Outwardly calm, her thoughts churned. How was the Desire Entanglement resolved? Did I endure it, or did Yue Zhiheng… find someone for me? Or worse, did I… involve him?

Both possibilities were horrifying, though she couldn't decide which was worse.

Too embarrassed to check in front of the mute woman, Zhan Yunwei assessed herself cautiously. Her legs felt sore, but there was no unusual discomfort or pain between them. She sighed in temporary relief.

After finishing her meal with Qingluo, Zhan Yunwei returned to her own courtyard. Yue Zhiheng had gone to the Che Tian Bureau and wouldn't be back until evening.

Once in her room, she locked the door and removed her clothing to inspect herself. To her dismay, she realized she had been far too optimistic.

"…"

Embarrassment, dread, and disbelief warred within her, leaving her unsure of which dominated. Quickly dressing again, her thoughts turned cold. Two culprits were at the center of this ordeal: the Third Prince was dead, and her treacherous junior, Dongfang Che, remained at large.

If she crossed paths with that "good" junior again, she would make sure he tasted the helplessness and loss of control she had endured.

The uncertainty of what had truly happened tormented her. The situation was mortifying, but she needed answers. For now, only Yue Zhiheng held the truth.

It was the first time Zhan Yunwei found herself eagerly awaiting Yue Zhiheng's return.

But fate rarely aligned with her wishes. By evening, the sky was dark and heavy, and a strong wind whipped through the courtyard. Servants scrambled to move plants indoors, fearing rain.

Yue Zhiheng still hadn't returned. Instead, the streets of Fenhe County were swarming with the imperial court's black-armored guards. The city was under lockdown. Formation masters wove spiritual nets, while guards conducted house-to-house searches.

The entire empire seemed on the brink of a storm. While the citizens of Fenhe County were panicked and unaware of what was happening, Zhan Yunwei understood: the Third Prince had died last night.

The emperor had only three sons, and while the Third Prince was the least accomplished and least favored, he was still royal blood. The emperor would undoubtedly demand an explanation.

At the Yue residence, the surface calm belied an underlying tension. The Second Madam had visited Zhan Yunwei's courtyard earlier. A shrewd woman, she had been taken by Che Tian Bureau guards the previous night and had likely deduced the situation upon hearing of the Third Prince's death.

Though she lacked deep affection for her niece-in-law, she bore no great resentment either. As fellow spirit tamers, only they knew how difficult this life truly was.

Spirit tamers, outwardly exalted, were often little more than gilded birds trapped in noble cages. At the very least, the Second Madam did not wish for Zhan Yunwei to be humiliated or for the prince's death to implicate the Yue family.

Satisfied that Zhan Yunwei was unharmed, she returned to her courtyard, her concerns weighing heavily. It was during moments like these that the family truly grasped the saying, "Shared honor, shared disgrace."

With the city under lockdown, Yue Huaiyue, whose skills were inadequate for Che Tian Bureau missions, had been allowed to return home temporarily. The black-armored guards dared not search the Yue estate, making it a relative haven.

But Yue Zhiheng still hadn't returned.

That night, heavy rain poured down. Stone orchids swayed as a servant closed the windows tightly. When asked for news of Yue Zhiheng, she shook her head. "Nothing from the Che Tian Bureau."

Zhan Yunwei slept uneasily.

Though she trusted Yue Zhiheng's ability to handle the Third Prince's death and keep the matter from implicating them, she couldn't help but worry. No matter how capable Yue Zhiheng was, he was ultimately just a pawn of the empire. His life, too, rested in the emperor's hands.

Who had truly dragged whom into this mess? If not for the Third Prince's obsession with her, events wouldn't have spiraled this far. Yet the troubles of the Dongfang family were also inseparable from Yue Zhiheng's fate.

The Third Prince's death, though, was undeniably satisfying.

Across two lifetimes, Zhan Yunwei never imagined herself standing on the same side as Yue Zhiheng.

Three days passed without a word. On the fourth night, rain fell again. Half-asleep, Zhan Yunwei became aware of a shadow near her bed.

Her drowsiness vanished instantly. Sitting upright, she saw the figure was none other than Yue Zhiheng, who had been gone for three days.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

His clothes were soaked, and the faint scent of blood clung to him.

Zhan Yunwei shook her head and hesitated. "Are you injured?"

"Someone else's blood."

She murmured an acknowledgment, her thoughts drifting. How many people had he killed? He hadn't even washed the bloodstains from the rain.

Still, Yue Zhiheng's safe return, with his expression as calm as ever, was a relief. Her anxiety eased. The matter of the Third Prince seemed to have been resolved.

After a while, Yue Zhiheng finished washing up and prepared for bed. He noticed Zhan Yunwei sitting upright, clutching the quilt, wide awake, looking every bit as if she were waiting for a heart-to-heart discussion. Lowering his gaze slightly, he walked over with a calm demeanor, took out his bedding, and prepared to sleep.

He hadn't closed his eyes for three days, and the weariness was evident in his features. However, he knew that some things needed to be clarified with Miss Zhan; otherwise, neither of them would sleep well.

"The matter with the Third Prince—has it been resolved?"

Yue Zhiheng nodded. "Yes."

He gave her a concise explanation of what he'd been doing over the past few days.

To ensure the issue didn't implicate Zhan Yunwei or sow suspicion toward the Che Tian Bureau in the emperor's mind, Yue Zhiheng had conveniently framed a few rivals at court. By doing so, he orchestrated it so that a jade pearl "accidentally" fell into the hands of someone at the palace, thereby exposing Dongfang Che.

When Zhan Yunwei realized that Yue Zhiheng had spent the past few days stirring up chaos in the imperial court rather than encountering trouble, her expression turned peculiar.

What stood out most was Yue Zhiheng's casual tone as he recounted these events, as if framing others was no big deal and he didn't care how she viewed him.

It was strange, really—this lifetime, she often forgot that he was a conniving minister.

The topic came to a natural pause, and both of them fell silent. It seemed they were waiting for the other to bring up the unspoken subject.

Zhan Yunwei tightened her grip on the quilt, mustering her resolve to face the truth. Just as she was about to speak, Yue Zhiheng abruptly and calmly said, "The Desire Entanglement hasn't been resolved."

… Oh.

Wait—what did he just say?!

Zhan Yunwei blurted, "Then, that day, I…"

"I used the Purple Quell Lotus Lamp to forcibly suppress it. But it only lasts ten days. After ten days, the Desire Entanglement will resurface."

And it would be worse than before. If unresolved, it could lead to a spiritual collapse and death.

In other words, if the White Jade Spirit Butterfly didn't find a host soon, her chances of survival would be extremely slim.

Zhan Yunwei pressed her fingers to her forehead. What kind of mess was this? She never wanted to go through that experience again. "Dongfang Che mentioned an antidote?"

"Correct," Yue Zhiheng replied. "I've read the journals left by the first leader of the Che Tian Bureau. There's indeed a type of flower nectar that can lure the red Spirit Butterfly out of your sea of consciousness."

Zhan Yunwei's eyes lit up as she looked at him expectantly.

After a brief pause, Yue Zhiheng added, "However, the flower only grows in the Realm of Light."

Zhan Yunwei: "…"

It clicked in her mind—the Realm of Light was a secret realm that opened only once a year in July.

In other words, there wasn't enough time. Four days had already passed; in at least six more, she would have to make the Spirit Butterfly recognize a host.

Zhan Yunwei pressed her lips together. "Lord Yue, I have another question."

In the darkness, Yue Zhiheng opened his eyes. "Go ahead."

"That day, on my body…"

Yue Zhiheng was silent for a moment before he answered, "It was me."

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the rain outside. Zhan Yunwei gripped the quilt tightly, swallowing with difficulty.

She vividly remembered the promise she had made to Yue Zhiheng—that such a thing would never happen a second time. Without a doubt, she had been the one to initiate it, breaking her word.

But.

Taking a step back—her gaze fell on Yue Zhiheng.

Those marks… Lord Yue wasn't entirely innocent either!