Chapter 45: Matters of Youth

Before long, the girl could no longer endure the agony and fainted from the pain. At this moment, a middle-aged man dressed in dark green luxurious robes walked in. With a cold expression and an aura of absolute majesty, he was none other to the head of the Mu family, Mu Yu.

With a cold and indifferent look, he asked, "How is she?"

Mu Feng respectfully replied, "Eldest Brother, her spiritual attribute is wood, and her spiritual roots are incomparably pure and gentle. It matches our plan extremely well; she is truly a flawless choice."

Mu Yu nodded in satisfaction, "Very good. At least this Forgetting Sorrow Pill was not wasted."

Looking at the girl's painful expression without the slightest ripple in his heart, Mu Feng slowly said, "Once her past memories are erased, from now on, she will be the long-lost eldest young miss of our Mu family."

Mu Yu let out a long sigh of relief, "We only need to wait for Xue'er's body to recover and for them to reach a matching age. Then everything will fall naturally into place without any obstacles."

The flash of tenderness in Mu Yu's eyes when he mentioned his biological daughter did not escape the notice of Qinglan standing nearby.

Recalling Mu Chenxue, Mu Feng also said with a hint of regret, "Elder Sister-in-law died in difficult childbirth, leaving our Mu family with only this precious apple of our eye. Unfortunately, she is merely a mortal with a tragically short lifespan, leaving the entire Mu family without an heir. A few centuries from now, it is uncertain whether the status quo of the Five Great Clans can be maintained, but now, everything is possible."

The family head nodded. Without sparing another glance at the fallen girl on the ground, he turned and walked away.

...

As white mist rose, the scene shifted.

The girl had already become the eldest young miss of the Mu family and had been given her own name. She had accompanied Mu Feng in and out of Mingshan Mountain on numerous occasions, and her healing spiritual power played a crucial role in their missions.

The girl assumed all of this was how things should be. As a member of the Mu family, it was her duty to shoulder these responsibilities. What she failed to notice, however, was that the reckless consumption during combat, the adventurous and indulgent fighting styles of the martial hall disciples, and every single consequence without regard for the cost were all paid for by her.

On this day, Qinglan returned from a mission in Mingshan Mountain and saw her father standing at the front gate holding the hand of a little girl. The girl appeared to be of a similar age to her, with an extremely pale complexion and a withered disposition, seeming as though the slightest gust of wind could frighten her.

Mu Feng explained to her, "This is your younger sister, Mu Chenxue. She... was adopted, but she still carries the bloodline of our Mu family. Because her health was poor when she was young and she failed to awaken her spiritual power, she had been living among mortals. Now that she has been brought back home, she is your younger sister. The two of you must get along well in the future..."

Hearing this, Qinglan was slightly stunned. Looking at the girl again, a trace of pity welled up in her eyes, along with a deep sense of responsibility as an older sister, "Father, Second Uncle, don't worry! I will take good care of my sister!"

At that moment, Mu Yu suddenly spoke up. Staring fixedly at Qinglan, he said, "You must take good care of her. Even if danger arrives, you must protect your sister above all else and never let her suffer the slightest harm."

Qinglan paused for a moment. Meeting her father's gaze, she resolutely answered, "Rest assured, Father, I will definitely take good care of my sister."

...

And so, young as she was, Qinglan clumsily expressed her affection. Every time she returned from an adventure in Mingshan Mountain, her arms were always filled with all sorts of little trinkets to give to her sister to play with.

Whenever Mu Chenxue threw a tantrum and smashed things around, Qinglan would patiently listen to her and even indulge her behavior.

When Mu Chenxue fell ill, Qinglan would stay by her side, brewing medicine for her, channeling spiritual power into her, and watching over her night after night.

Yet this younger sister was truly bizarre; the gaze she directed at Qinglan always carried a hint of strangeness.

A young Qinglan could not make sense of it, but the illusory Qinglan standing on the sidelines saw it all too clearly. Hidden beneath that strange look were jealousy, envy, and deep within, even a profound and intense hatred.

She knew very well that a heart harboring resentment could never be warmed.

Therefore, everything the young girl did was utterly meaningless.

She let out a soft sigh.

...

Several more years passed, and Qinglan was fourteen years old that year.

This mission was drawing to a close, and Mu Feng was directing several disciples to dismember the corpse of a snake demon in preparation to carry it back.

Qinglan was wandering aimlessly nearby when a boy dressed in black suddenly appeared before her. Covered in wounds and battered from head to toe, he glared with murderous hostility the moment he saw Qinglan walking over, looking fiercely unapproachable.

Seeing this boy, the illusory Qinglan couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing, even harboring an urge to tease him.

This person was none other than Yuedong in his youth.

He looked somewhat raw and immature then, lacking his current composure and restraint, and possessing instead the sharp and unblemished edge of someone untouched by the world.

Seeing that he was injured and completely alone, the girl ignored his hostility, abruptly raised her hand, and a flicker of green light danced across her fingertips.

Claw-like and aggressive in appearance, the boy was actually somewhat frightened of the girl before him. With his spiritual power entirely depleted, he could only raise his hands to shield his head, unsure of what would happen next.

The green light swept over him, leaving behind a faint mist. The boy seemed somewhat astonished: "Huh?"

The injuries on his body were slowly healing. He was stunned for a moment before realizing that the girl opposite him was helping him.

His body gradually relaxed, and his expression revealed a hint of awkward embarrassment.

After simply tending to his wounds, the girl turned to leave without saying much, but the boy called out to her.

"What is your name?"

"Qinglan, Mu Qinglan."

"I will repay you." The boy said this with a completely earnest expression.

The girl originally intended to smile and politely decline. Protected by the power of the Mu family, she could practically walk sideways without fear in Mingshan Mountain. She wanted to refuse, to say it was just a passing favor and not worth remembering.

Yet when she turned and met the determination and sincerity in the boy's eyes, she paused. The words rolled on the tip of her tongue before finally transforming into a single, soft word: "Okay."

The two of them parted ways right there.

The illusory Qinglan at the side couldn't help but sigh with emotion—back then, the girl believed everyone around her was good, which was why she didn't cherish that kindness and promise very much. Only much later did she realize that kindness and keeping one's word were unimaginably luxurious and precious things.

...

Time moved forward to when Qinglan was seventeen years old.

By this time, she had become renowned far and wide as the healing hands of the Mu family. Even more astonishingly, her cultivation had already reached the late stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm. To celebrate this, the Mu family specially hosted a grand family banquet. Amidst the brilliant lights and joyous laughter, every word was praise and celebration for this young woman.

During the banquet, Mu Feng's gaze was warm yet profound. Seeming to speak with hidden meaning, he tactfully said to Qinglan, "Qinglan, your realm is advancing far too quickly, truly making one look at you with entirely new eyes. I'm afraid it won't be long before even an uncle like me is left far behind in the dust by you."

Overjoyed, Qinglan softly replied, "Yes, soon I'll be able to protect my uncle."

Mu Feng smiled faintly, but his words were a rejection, "Silly child, there's no need for that. Our Mu family doesn't lack a sword-wielding jewel of the family. You only need to maintain the status quo."