"It’s you!"

"It really is you!"

Hei Mu and Feng Kunhai recognized Mu Qingge, and their abnormal behavior caught the attention of Wan Jianfeng, the Lord of Wanfeng City.

"Two elders, do you know this..." He realized he didn’t know Mu Qingge’s name yet, so he shifted his gaze to her, as if waiting for her to introduce herself.

However, at this moment, Mu Qingge paid him no mind, simply casting a cold gaze at Hei Mu and Feng Kunhai, her lips curving into a smile filled with endless sarcasm.

This attitude of hers caused Wan Jianfeng’s displeasure, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"You dare to appear here and even impersonate an elder of the Medicine Tower!" Hei Mu sternly questioned, his withered finger unceremoniously pointing at Mu Qingge.

Feng Kunhai was even more direct. Ignoring the occasion, he instructed the disciples he brought from the Refining Tower, "Men, seize this thief!"

The sarcasm in Mu Qingge’s smile deepened.

Wan Jianfeng noticed something amiss as well, and his gaze towards Mu Qingge became filled with scrutiny.

"Two old dogs, I didn’t expect you to still be alive." Mu Qingge finally spoke, her words turning Hei Mu and Feng Kunhai’s faces livid with anger.

She did not bother to explain the authenticity of her identity, nor would she tell them her name.

It’s not that she was evasive, but she didn’t want to implicate her family because of her matters. The lesson from the Le Family in the Middle Ancient Realm had taught her this.

The experts in this world are shameless, and they won’t care about the chivalrous saying ’trouble should not reach the family’!

"Brat, you’re too arrogant! Today is your death day!" Hei Mu slapped his waist, and several rays of light flew out from his waist, landing on the ground, transforming into three high-rank Spirit Beasts.

Mu Qingge’s eyes flashed; on that day, Hei Mu’s spirit beasts all perished in the Endless Swamp, but it seems he’s quickly replenished them after leaving.

The Refining Tower quickly signaled, calling for the disciples outside the City Lord Mansion to come quickly.

This sudden change made Wan Jianfeng’s eyebrows furrow so tightly that they could pinch a fly to death.

He stepped out to stand between Hei Mu and Feng Kunhai, saying, "Gentlemen, this is my City Lord Mansion." He was reminding them that whatever they intended to do, they should at least inform him to understand what is happening.

Hei Mu’s status in the Myriad Beasts Sect was far higher than Feng Kunhai’s in the Refining Tower, and certainly beyond comparison to a city lord. So, facing Wan Jianfeng’s questioning, he paid no heed, his insidious old eyes fixated on Mu Qingge, as if afraid she might escape again.

However, Feng Kunhai couldn’t ignore Wan Jianfeng, so he simply said, "City Lord may not know, but this little thief is not an elder of the Medicine Tower at all. Instead, he is a criminal wanted jointly by my Refining Tower and the Myriad Beasts Sect! This kid is incredibly cunning and insidiously vicious. In the Endless Swamp, he used deceit to steal our sects’ prized treasures and massacred countless disciples. Our two great forces joined hands to hunt for him and never expected that he would brazenly enter Wanfeng City, even disguising himself as a Medicine Tower elder, trying to slip through!"

Wan Jianfeng finally understood Mu Qingge’s ’identity,’ his gaze filled with astonishment. Someone capable of toying with both the Refining Tower and the Myriad Beasts Sect, should he call her clever, or a fool?

Mu Qingge sneered repeatedly, looking at Feng Kunhai, "Your ability to invert right and wrong indeed befits the title of an elder!"

Her sarcastic remark, devoid of profanity, changed the color on Feng Kunhai’s face.

Hei Mu shouted fiercely, "Thief, don’t play tricks anymore! No matter how glib you are, you can’t reverse the facts!"

As his words fell, Hei Mu’s Spirit Beasts roared and charged at Mu Qingge again.

Yin Chen was currently at a critical stage of advancing and couldn’t come out to assist Mu Qingge, leaving her to face them alone.

Mu Qingge moved swiftly, agilely avoiding the attacks of the Spirit Beasts.

At this moment, the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect present all summoned their Spirit Beasts, glaring fiercely at Mu Qingge. The disciples of the Refining Tower had already encircled her, releasing hidden weapons in their hands to attack Mu Qingge’s back.

However, Mu Qingge seemed to be aware beforehand, somersaulting in mid-air to avoid the incoming hidden weapons, causing them to miss one by one, hitting the walls and pillars of the City Lord Mansion.

Feng Kunhai turned to the stern-faced Wan Jianfeng, "Why has Lord City Lord not acted yet? Don’t forget, he is also a wanted criminal by the Court!"

This remark made Wan Jianfeng’s eyes sharp, and he leaped into the fray, formally joining the battle.

As he moved, the guards of the City Lord Mansion and others also joined in one after another.

As the lord of a city, Wan Jianfeng’s strength was naturally not weak.

Though not having entered the Purple Realm, he could still compete evenly with Feng Kunhai.

Hei Mu’s combat skills unleashed like a giant snake’s long whip, splitting into countless purple whip shadows, sealing off every corner. He sneered at Mu Qingge, "I’m really curious, just how many treasures do you have on you that you managed to survive Jin Gui’s self-destruction!"

Mu Qingge retorted mockingly, "I’m also curious, after going through such a battle, just how much combat power do you two have left."

Hei Mu and Feng Kunhai’s faces changed at the same time, as if Mu Qingge had hit the nail on the head regarding their concerns.

Indeed! At this moment, their strength was only about seventy percent of their peak. The previous great battle had left them with heavy injuries, and they didn’t have much time to recover properly.

However, they also believed that even if Mu Qingge could survive under such circumstances, she would definitely be injured, affecting her combat power.

The young man before them was a genuine Purple Realm, and neither of them forgot this fact.

The only thing they forgot was to remind Wan Jianfeng that Mu Qingge was a Purple Realm!

"If you want to fight, then let’s fight!" Mu Qingge’s gaze lightly swept over the more than a dozen spirit beasts, then suddenly revealed a strange smile.

She didn’t take out the Linglong Spear but instead took out the Beast Taming Flute she snatched from Taishi Gao.

Taishi Gao, fearing death, had honestly told her about the Beast Taming Flute’s function and how to use it.

When Mu Qingge took out the Beast Taming Flute, Hei Mu’s expression changed; his eyes widened suddenly, and he quickly said, "Not good!"

But before he could say what exactly was wrong, a strange flute tune slowly emerged from beneath Mu Qingge’s lips.

The spirit beasts released by the Myriad Beasts Sect to deal with Mu Qingge heard the flute and became drowsy, as if controlled by someone.

"Elder Hei Mu, what’s going on?" Wan Jianfeng noticed the anomaly and quickly asked.

Hei Mu’s face had turned ashen, and he glared viciously at Mu Qingge, "This brat actually stole our sect’s Beast Taming Flute!"

Roar——!

Roar roar——!

Roar roar roar——!

Hei Mu’s words were drowned out by the crazy roars of the spirit beasts.

Those spirit beasts that were once tamed, now seemed to break free from their restraints, reverting to their nature, their eyes filled with hatred and killing intent. Looking at their former masters, there was no longer any docility, only enmity.

Mu Qingge stopped playing the flute, placed her hands behind her back, and suddenly soared into the air, looking down coldly at the beasts below, "Today, seize your revenge. Kill——!"

The word ’kill’, carrying the oppressive force of Purple Realm Spiritual Power, was shouted by Mu Qingge, forming an intangible wave, rolling downwards.

People with lower cultivation were overturned on the ground, only feeling their blood surging.

And those spirit beasts, as if hearing orders, dashed into the crowd, biting anyone they saw, killing anyone they could.

Even their former masters couldn’t escape the deadly grip.

The chaos led to a near collapse of the scene, with countless screams rising, and the tightly-knit encirclement was in tatters.

"Such audacity!" Hei Mu’s eyes stared sharply at Mu Qingge, grinding his teeth as he spoke two words.

Mu Qingge, yet, smiled playfully, calmly saying, "You’re too kind." Did they really think she had come to deliver herself to death without any calculations?

Did she look that foolish?

"Elder Hei Mu, stop wasting words with her; let’s join hands and kill him!" Feng Kunhai saw many disciples of the Refining Tower fall to the beasts’ maws, strengthening his determination to kill Mu Qingge.

Hei Mu nodded silently, yet his eyes were still filled with caution.

Because he hadn’t forgotten that Mu Qingge hadn’t taken out that Divine Artifact yet, nor her fake divine beast, not even the strange Magical Treasure that could reflect attacking force.

The person in front had too many trump cards; he had to be cautious to avoid being caught off guard!

"Lord City Lord, have people seal the mansion gates and the city gates, make sure this criminal does not escape!" Feng Kunhai turned to shout at the stunned Wan Jianfeng.

Wan Jianfeng was jolted by his shout, quickly nodding in response.

He took out a strangely shaped tube from his bosom and rang it towards the sky. Immediately, a sharp sound came from the tube; a purple-red light shot towards the sky, exploding in the night sky, radiating outwards like a purple-red canopy.

The light and sound were especially conspicuous in the night sky.

The guards responsible for watching over the City Lord Mansion and the surrounding city gates looked up to see this warning. They immediately went on alert, hurriedly passing along orders—

"Quick, close the city gates—!"

"Quick, close the city gates—!"

"Full city lockdown—! Full city lockdown—!"

Mu Qingge watched Wan Jianfeng’s actions coldly, not interfering to stop them.

The people below pursuing her were already in chaos. Only Hei Mu, Feng Kunhai, and Wan Jianfeng were left.

Suddenly, Mu Qingge’s hands formed a seal; she muttered deeply, "Thousand Thunder Technique!"

Her movements were like an illusion, so fast that they were untraceable.

Her hair moved without wind, and suddenly the dull sound of thunder came from the pitch-black night sky.

"Not good! She’s going to use combat skills!" Hei Mu warned.

Wan Jianfeng, however, did not immediately grasp his meaning, snorted and said, "Combat skills are just combat skills. Do you think we don’t have them?" Saying that, he too positioned his hands to prepare his own combat skills.

Bang bang—!

The sound of thunder suddenly erupted.

The continuous thunder sounded like divine retribution. It shook Wan Jianfeng’s hand, interrupting his combat skills. In Wanfeng City, countless citizens poked their heads out of their homes, looking towards the sky, staring at the apocalypse-like horizon with boundless fear.

A massive energy lurked in the sky.

It seemed that once triggered, there would be devastation.

"What level of combat skill is this? So powerful!" Wan Jianfeng finally understood Hei Mu’s earlier reminder.

Hei Mu’s face was extremely solemn, his experience allowing him to judge the level of Mu Qingge’s combat skill: "Heaven Rank..."

"Heaven Rank!" Wan Jianfeng drew in a cold breath, asking in disbelief, "Who is he really?"

Unfortunately, no one could answer him.

Feng Kunhai looked at Hei Mu, frowning, "Elder Hei Mu, it seems only you can stop her now!"

Hei Mu cursed inwardly: ’Sending an old man to die!’ But when he saw that his spirit beast had already broken free of his control, tearing through the disciples of the Myriad Beasts Sect, with limbs and blood everywhere, he had no choice but to take a step forward.

However, the moment he took this step, Mu Qingge’s clear eyes, filled with boundless coldness, looked at him.

Those eyes made Hei Mu’s entire body stiffen.

Unfeeling, indifferent; that was his first impression of those eyes.

When he saw the storm of thunder hidden within them, his eyes widened, and a desire to flee rose in him.

Bang bang bang—!

Lightning, as thick as an adult’s arm, countless strikes descended from the sky, landing in Wanfeng City.

The apocalyptic scene made the citizens in the city scream with their heads in their hands. Helpless, they hid in their homes, silently praying to escape this disaster.

Explosions erupted in the City Lord Mansion, with countless fires consuming the entire place.

Mu Qingge stood among the lightning like a world-ending Thunder God, her hair wildly dancing, her expression indifferent.

The continuous explosion sounds made Wan Jianfeng ask in panic, "What happened? What on earth is happening?" It’s just lightning; it shouldn’t cause such chaos.

What’s happening?

No one understood better than Mu Qingge.

Her cold, unfeeling eyes watched the chaos she orchestrated, amusement surfacing in her gaze.

As she entered the City Lord Mansion, she casually tossed some explosives she had concocted along the way. With her skills and speed, she wouldn’t attract attention from those watching the path.

The chorus of explosions made Wanfeng City resemble a burst of fireworks.

She looked at Wan Jianfeng, a mocking smile on her face. "Lord City Lord graciously invited me, how could I come empty-handed? Consider this grand display my gift. Are you satisfied, Lord City Lord?"

Chaos reigned! Absolute chaos!

The entire Wanfeng City seemed to descend into hell in an instant, with lightning everywhere, explosions, and flames consuming everything. In the sky above the city, cries of woe were everywhere.

Wan Jianfeng couldn’t tell if he was trembling with rage or fear—only that his eyes towards Mu Qingge were like seeing a bloodthirsty demon, filled with terror.

"The citizens are innocent! How could you bear this!" Wan Jianfeng was struck by a bolt of lightning, spit out a mouthful of blood, and barely managed to utter a sentence for himself.

Mu Qingge laughed wildly, "The citizens are innocent? Am I not innocent? I consider myself innocent, so why do you want my life? The City Lord of Wanfeng City isn’t me. Why should I care about the lives of the citizens? It’s their fault for having you as their great City Lord, leading to today’s calamity!"

A person’s choice means accepting all consequences!

Mu Qingge’s words pierced like needles, leaving Wan Jianfeng pale, unable to retort!

Mu Qingge cast a scornful glance at him. ’Using the citizens to pressure her, did he think she was naive? She was never like those compassionate white lotus flowers!’

Besides, Mu Qingge knew better than anyone if innocents were harmed.

The lightning that struck the city mainly knocked down a few tiles or cut down a tree or two. Of course, if anyone ran out themselves, they had only themselves to blame. The main attack was in the City Lord Mansion, where the explosives, not of this world, were only inside.

But, as Wan Jianfeng was in the midst of it, he couldn’t see clearly and assumed the outside was the same.

"You committed such a grave crime in Wanfeng City, today you must be captured!" Hei Mu’s voice was sharp, and snake-like whip shadows struck towards Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge gave him an eerie smile. As the whip shadows approached, her body astonishingly became incorporeal and vanished.

Hei Mu’s eyes suddenly widened, his expression changed abruptly, and he looked towards Feng Kunhai, loudly warning, "Quick, get out of the way!"

Feng Kunhai heard Hei Mu’s warning, just about to dodge, felt the surrounding aura tighten, as if falling into a sticky trap, unable to move.

Mu Qingge’s face appeared before him.

Feng Kunhai only saw her red lips curl, then felt a pain in his chest. He instinctively looked down, discovering a fist-sized hole in his chest, but nothing inside.

Feng Kunhai was incredulous, woodenly lifting his head to look at Mu Qingge.

The cold, ice-like eyes entered his gaze.

The unbearable pain made him want to scream, but when he opened his mouth, only blood and shredded flesh spewed out.

It all happened in an instant.

Hei Mu couldn’t save him, let alone Wan Jianfeng, standing by Feng Kunhai and was speechless by a few words from Mu Qingge.

"Courting death!" Seeing Feng Kunhai killed by Mu Qingge, Hei Mu’s deep purple snake whip swirled through the air, whipping towards Mu Qingge.

But when it landed, Mu Qingge’s figure faded like a ripple.

The deep purple snake whip struck Feng Kunhai, turning his corpse into countless pieces, scattering them!

Suddenly, Hei Mu’s back tingled, and Mu Qingge’s voice came from behind him: "Old dog, I’ve remembered your life, I’ll claim it another day!"

With that, she struck Hei Mu’s back, causing his blood and energy to surge, making him lunge forward.

The deep purple snake whip responded to the sound, attacking.

But beneath Mu Qingge’s feet, a mysterious and strange array appeared. As countless whip shadows came, her figure completely disappeared from the City Lord Mansion of Wanfeng City.

With Mu Qingge’s disappearance, the countless thunderstorms in the night sky vanished instantly.

Wanfeng City seemed to have returned to calm, but the City Lord Mansion was a mess, with countless dead and injured.

The one or two remaining disciples of Wanfeng City, despite their injuries, supported the staggering Hei Mu. Wan Jianfeng also woke from Feng Kunhai’s death, quickly went to his side and asked, "Elder Hei Mu, where is she? What do we do now?"

Hei Mu pressed his lips together, silent, and under Wan Jianfeng’s questioning, he couldn’t help but spit out a mouthful of black blood and fell backward.

"Elder Hei Mu! Elder Hei Mu!"

...

A hundred miles north of Wanfeng City.

Outside a manor, a flash of array light suddenly appeared on the ground, inexplicably dropping a figure into the nearby snow, where they fell into unconsciousness.

Clad in red, slightly disheveled, their face was extremely pale, yet it did not detract from their stunning androgynous features.

The Qiankun Secret Array was a secret technique Mu Qingge found in the Martial Arts Hall of space.

Using essence blood as a guide and cultivation as support, one could activate the Qiankun Secret Array and be randomly teleported a hundred miles away. Mu Qingge regarded this as a trump card for survival, but the cost was losing her spiritual power for a certain period, leaving her without cultivation.

As for when her spiritual power would recover, that was uncertain—perhaps days, months, or even years.

Therefore, the Qiankun Secret Array must not be used lightly.

But this time, to completely escape pursuit, Mu Qingge used this method to leave Wanfeng City.

Killing Feng Kunhai was just the interest; Hei Mu’s life, she would take sooner or later.

Hei Mu’s cultivation was higher than hers, and even injured, he was not easily killed. Furthermore, to activate the Qiankun Secret Array, Mu Qingge needed to input all her spiritual power; if she continued to tangle with Hei Mu, she might fail the Qiankun Secret Array due to insufficient spiritual power.

Therefore, Mu Qingge did not rashly fight to the death, but instead, as she left, she sneak-attacked Hei Mu, leaving him with a hidden injury, and then departed.

A hundred miles north of Wanfeng City is a snowy plateau.

The snow peaks are endless, with snow falling year-round.

Here, the only inhabited place is Wu Gou Mountain Villa.

The goose-feather snowflakes fell one after another on Mu Qingge, gradually covering her body and face, wrapping her into a snowman, leaving only a small gap at her nose.

Perhaps that was due to her warm breath melting the snow.

This was Mu Qingge’s first time using the Qiankun Secret Array, and the loss of spiritual power led directly to her falling asleep.

Night slowly passed, and dawn appeared in the sky above the snowfield, brightening the heavens.

A team approached gradually from afar, nearing the spot where Mu Qingge had fainted. Following this road leads to Wu Gou Mountain Villa, built on the cliff.

Suddenly, the team stopped not far from Mu Qingge.

From within the only palanquin in the group came a voice as clear as a green bird inquiring, "Why have we stopped?"

"Young Master, there seems to be someone in the snow," said a maid, turning her head towards the person in the palanquin while sitting on horseback, wrapped in a snow-protective cloak.

Inside the palanquin, there was a moment of silence before, "With the villa’s current situation unclear, let’s not create more trouble."

"Yes, Young Master." The maid lowered her eyes and responded.

As the personal maid of the Young Master, she naturally understood her master’s decision not to meddle unnecessarily.

The team started up again, silently passing by Mu Qingge as if she were merely a pile of snow.

"Wait." The palanquin suddenly spoke again just as the team had almost passed Mu Qingge.

The maid on horseback leaned closer, bowing her head to ask, "Young Master, what are your orders?"

After a short pause, the pleasant voice from the palanquin said, "To save a life surpasses building a seven-story pagoda. Take him with us, bring him to the manor, and have a physician treat him. Once he wakes and regains his strength, send him on his way."

"Yes, Young Master." The maid nodded in agreement, instructing the guards to go to Mu Qingge’s location.

At this moment, a delicate hand lifted a corner of the soft gauze curtain of the palanquin. The person inside seemed to be looking through the gap at the unconscious Mu Qingge outside.

Two guards approached the snow pile, kneeled on one knee, and brushed away the snow revealing Mu Qingge.

The red robe was particularly striking against the snow.

When her pale, stunning face appeared, both guards couldn’t help but pause, a bit amazed.

Fortunately, their usual rigorous training kicked in, and after a moment of amazement, they returned to their duties, lifting Mu Qingge from the snow.

The gauze curtain of the palanquin was lowered at some unknown time.

All that could be heard was the maid saying, "This young man is so handsome, a sight I’ve never seen before. But who knows how long he was lying in the snow, whether he can be saved."

"Bring him inside," said the voice from the palanquin suddenly.

The maid was shocked, looking at the palanquin, "Young Master, there should be boundaries between men and women. How can we put a strange man in your palanquin? If the Manor Master knows, I fear I don’t have enough lives to appease her anger."

"Bring him inside. Human life is of the utmost importance, beyond any empty courtesies. You said he’s been unconscious in the snow for who knows how long; leaving him out in the cold would only worsen his condition. In that case, it would have been better to leave him in the snow, unsaved." The person inside the palanquin insisted.

The maid was unable to argue and had to order the guards to place the person into the palanquin.

Thinking to protect her master’s reputation, the maid also took off her cloak and squeezed into the palanquin.

"Young Master," she addressed the veiled young woman sitting cross-legged in the palanquin, whose beauty was hinted at by her autumnal eyes.

The young woman wore a goose-yellow brocade robe, with fur at her neck for warmth. The veil made her beauty seem both hidden and revealed, but just by hearing her voice and seeing her eyes, one could surmise she was a rare beauty.

Mu Qingge was laid down before her.

Her gaze fell on Mu Qingge, examining carefully, with curiosity and a touch of amazement.

Indeed, as her maid said, she had never seen such a handsome young man. His unparalleled beauty seemed to dim all other colors in the world.

She suddenly felt curious about how such a boy would look when he opened his eyes. What kind of eyes would a boy like that possess?

"Bring my cloak, cover this young man," she instructed the maid.

The maid responded and fetched a cloak made of animal fur, covering Mu Qingge with it.

The inside of the palanquin was very warm, infused with the light fragrance of a young girl.

The sudden warmth drove away the cold within Mu Qingge, bringing a semblance of flexibility back to her rigid limbs.

However, she still remained unconscious.

The road paved with snow led up to Wu Gou Mountain Villa, perched on the snowy cliff, finally appearing in view.

The team entered the villa without hindrance.

Unlike the outside world, this manor was filled with warmth; even the temperature was a few degrees higher than outside. If outside was winter, inside felt like a cozy early spring.

Mu Qingge was brought into a guest room of the villa, and as soon as she was placed on the bed, she awoke.

Her long, curled eyelashes held tiny droplets, remnants of the melted snow.

When her vision gradually cleared, she discovered herself in an unfamiliar place.

"Attend to him carefully, call the manor’s physician to see this young man, and report any needs to the Young Master," a female voice reached Mu Qingge’s ears, and she turned her gaze towards the sound, seeing the back of the maid by the Young Master.

’Where is this place?’ Mu Qingge frowned slightly, her hands gripping the bed edges, pushing herself up.

Suddenly, an exclamation was heard: "Ah! Sister Cai, he’s awake!"

Cai Wei turned, just in time to see Mu Qingge sitting up.

She quickly instructed the two young maids, "Hurry, assist the young master."

The two young maids hurried over, wanting to support Mu Qingge’s arm. However, she waved them off in refusal.

She was not as weak as they imagined.

Mu Qingge sat at the bedside, looking at Cai Wei.

Cai Wei also approached, checking Mu Qingge with curiosity. Internally, she praised, ’This young master, once awake and with eyes open, appears even more impressive.’

"Miss, where is this place? And why am I here?" Mu Qingge asked.

Cai Wei snapped back to reality, her gaze landing on Mu Qingge, frowning as she said, "You should lie down first. Don’t you know you’ve been lying in the snow for a long time? It’s not advisable to move around just after waking up."

Snow?

Mu Qingge was taken aback, thinking to herself: ’The Qiankun Secret Array can randomly transport a person a hundred miles away. Before deciding to use it, she had hoped it would send her to the southwest of Wanfeng City, bringing her closer to the Ghost Sea. But it seemed that was just wishful thinking. However, a hundred miles from Wanfeng City, where would there be snow?’

Her sudden silence made Cai Wei tilt her head in thought for a while, unable to resist saying, "Hey, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? I’ll go get a doctor for you right away."

Mu Qingge looked up and shook her head, saying to her, "No need, my body is fine. Nevertheless, thank you for rescuing me, Miss."

"It’s not me who saved you; it was our Young Master." Cai Wei covered her mouth with a light laugh.

After laughing, she still worriedly said, "We don’t know how long you were lying in the snow, but it’s ultimately not good for your body. The Young Master has already instructed that you can have whatever is needed for healing. Perhaps it would be best to have a doctor take a look and give you a pulse diagnosis."

"There’s really no need. I’m a doctor." Mu Qingge declined once more, fabricating an identity.

In truth, it wasn’t entirely fabricated. Being an Elder of the Medicine Tower, she was far superior to outside doctors.

Her problem was merely spiritual power exhaustion; other than that, there were no major issues.

Not to mention lying in the snow for a while, even if she lay there for years, it wouldn’t affect her body, which had been modified and tempered.

"You’re a doctor!" Cai Wei exclaimed in surprise.

Mu Qingge smiled and nodded.

Cai Wei curiously surveyed Mu Qingge again, partly due to slight surprise about her identity and partly because she genuinely didn’t look unwell.

After a moment, she nodded and compromised, saying, "Alright then, since you’re a doctor, we won’t worry."

Speaking, she added, "This is Wu Gou Mountain Villa on the Northern Snowfield of Wanfeng City. Please stay here to recover your health. If there’s anything you need, feel free to ask these two. I need to attend to the Young Master now; I’ll come by another day. Also, every guest room in our Villa has a hot spring. If you feel cold or wish to ward off the chill, feel free to soak." After speaking, she bowed slightly to Mu Qingge, carefully instructed the two young maids, and then intended to leave.

"Miss, please wait a moment." At this point, Mu Qingge had finally realized her location. She called out to Cai Wei, saying, "Since it was the Young Master who saved me, now that I’m awake, I should thank him."

Although she acted recklessly, she was clear about grace and enmity.

Regardless of whether she needed saving, the fact that someone kindly helped her meant she ought to express gratitude.

In life, one should have a righteous outlook!

However, Cai Wei hesitated, "The Young Master has just returned today and still needs to see the Manor Master. I’m afraid he doesn’t have time to see you. You should rest for a few days, and when the Young Master is free, I’ll inform you. By the way, I haven’t asked for your name, or why you appeared here?"

Mu Qingge’s spontaneous call finally reminded Cai Wei of some unasked questions.

Mu Qingge’s smile slightly curved, suddenly brightening the room. The two younger maids had ’hearts’ in their eyes, and even Cai Wei was momentarily dazed and captivated by Mu Qingge’s dazzling smile. "My surname is Mu, and my single name is Ge. I was out training but accidentally lost my way and mistakenly wandered into the grounds of Wu Gou Mountain Villa."

"So, it’s Young Master Mu." With the answer she wanted, Cai Wei finally turned and left.

After Cai Wei left, Mu Qingge glanced gently at the two young maids, showing them a kind smile: "I’m a bit hungry, could you two..."

"Ah! Young Master Mu is hungry? I’ll go prepare some food right away."

"Please wait a moment, Young Master Mu, I’ll go brew some tea. And there are clean clothes..."

The two young maids clumsily bumped into each other, interrupting Mu Qingge’s words, leaving her both amused and helpless.

These two young maids from Wu Gou Mountain Villa, though somewhat careless, were quite efficient. Before long, they brought clothes, steaming delicious food, hot tea, and warm wine to Mu Qingge.

Mu Qingge didn’t change into the clothes they prepared; she wasn’t used to wearing others’ clothes, even if they were new.

Moreover, she had plenty of her own clothes in her space, so why wear what others prepared?

Thus, she merely took a sip of hot tea and ate some food.

When her stomach felt no longer empty, she grabbed the wine pot, told the two maids she was going to soak in the hot spring, and not to disturb her. Subsequently, she headed to a small chamber behind the guest room.

This small chamber wasn’t actually enclosed.

Surrounded by wooden walls that blocked sight, the roof only had a small canopy for shelter. The hot spring pool was circular, bordered with cobblestones, as white mist rose from the steaming spring, with the distant view of snow-capped mountains also in full view.

This scene made Mu Qingge think of the hot spring resort hotels from her past life, but not many came with snowy landscapes as a companion.

Removing her clothes, Mu Qingge stepped into the hot spring.

The water in the pool reached up to her collarbone, concealing all the spring sights.

With her hands propped at the edge of the pool, Mu Qingge held a wine flask, pouring a mouthful into her mouth.

The strong liquor went down her throat, and coupled with the effect of the hot spring, it dispelled the last trace of chill within her.

The steam from the hot spring bestowed a hazy layer to her skin, and her pale complexion gradually regained some color, while a fine sweat formed on her forehead.

She closed her eyes, feigning a nap, as if to enjoy the comfort of soaking in the hot spring.

Yet, in reality, she was circulating spiritual power throughout her body.

’Just as expected!’ Mu Qingge slightly opened her eyes, a faint bitter smile appearing on her lips. Her body was empty, the rich and pure spiritual power was squeezed away to nothing by the Qiankun Secret Array!

"When will the spiritual power recover?" Mu Qingge asked a question that she couldn’t even answer herself.

She closed her eyes again, entering cultivation, guiding spiritual energy into her body. After it circulated once inside, it dispersed entirely, leaving nothing in her meridians.

She opened her eyes again, frowning, and said, "I can’t even cultivate and store spiritual power? This side effect is quite domineering!"

’But no matter what, continuing to cultivate won’t do any harm!’ Mu Qingge told herself this in her heart. Closing her eyes once more, she submerged herself in cultivation.

Two hours later, just when two little maids thought Mu Qingge had fainted in the hot spring and almost broke in to save her, she emerged fully dressed.

The two hours of cultivation had not brought even a trace of spiritual power into her body.

Her meridians were utterly empty.

However, this did not panic her. Firstly, because she knew this was the normal reaction after using the Qiankun Secret Array. Secondly, knowing that even without spiritual power, she still had the ability to protect herself.

Although Wu Gou Mountain Villa gave an impression of being detached from worldly affairs, it was not a place she could stay for long. Mu Qingge didn’t feel like waiting for her spiritual power to recover before heading to the Ghost Sea to join Mo Yang and Shang Zisu.

So Mu Qingge had already planned to find an opportunity the next day to thank the Young Master of Wu Gou Mountain Villa face-to-face, and then leave.

...

Wu Gou Mountain Villa, built on a cliff edge, was easy to defend but hard to attack.

Few people in the world knew that every past manor master of Wu Gou Mountain Villa was a woman.

The position of the manor master of Wu Gou Mountain Villa could only be inherited by a female. If the manor master bore a son, once he became of age, he had to leave the villa and go to where his father’s clan resided.

At this moment, within the grand hall of Wu Gou Mountain Villa, a mother and daughter were engaged in a fierce argument.

"Mother, if it requires sacrificing you for the peace of the entire villa, I would rather lead the villa to a fight to the death with the myriad bandits!" The speaker, wearing a veil, had a slender, graceful figure. Her tone was firm and left no room for debate.

The beautiful lady seated in the main position of the hall, with her hair elegantly piled high, displayed a serene exterior, but her deeply hidden pain was hard to conceal.

The daughter’s words brought her comfort, yet she had to intervene. "Jiangxue, Wu Gou Mountain Villa cannot be destroyed by my hands. As the Young Master, you should understand the secret of why Wu Gou Mountain Villa exists, so do not be willful."

Gong Jiangxue shook her head and said, "To protect such a secret, must I sacrifice my mother? I’ve already lost my father; if mother is gone too, what meaning does my life have?"

"Jiangxue!" The beautiful woman sternly interrupted. She stood abruptly, then slowly sat down again.

After a moment, she waved Gong Jiangxue over, speaking softly, "Good child, come here. Come to your mother’s side."

Gong Jiangxue lifted her skirt, moved her graceful steps, and walked up the steps, one by one. Eventually, she reached her mother’s side.

The beautiful woman looked at her lovingly, as if she couldn’t see enough. She said to Gong Jiangxue, "Come, sit by your mother’s side, just like when you were a child."

Gong Jiangxue complied and sat on the step at her mother’s feet, resting her head lightly on her mother’s knee.

The beautiful woman stroked her hair with her fingertips, whispering, "Remember, you can only reveal your veil when you find your true love. Also, for Wu Gou Mountain Villa, for your mother, take care of yourself."

Gong Jiangxue felt a sudden panic, raising her head to say something, but darkness took over her vision, and she fainted on her mother’s lap...