Having arranged to accompany Xue Qingqiu for their late-night meeting with Xiahou Di, Xue Mu felt it would be improper to linger in her quarters any longer.
He bid his farewells and returned to his bamboo lodge to rest.
Yue Xiaochan walked out with him, matching his stride.
Up on her balcony, Xue Qingqiu silently watched their retreating figures, though this time she made no move to intervene.
She now had a crystal-clear understanding of exactly what kind of man Xue Mu was.
He might possess the typical lust common to all men, but he carried a grand strategy in his mind and maintained more than enough composure.
He knew exactly what lines could be crossed and what could not, and he would never reckless touch a taboo subject.
Yue Xiaochan’s romantic availability right now was precisely such a taboo.
Yue Xiaochan knew it, and Xue Mu knew it too.
Thus, there was fundamentally no longer any cause for concern.
Instead, reflecting on the underlying interest Xue Mu had subtly shown toward her, Xue Qingqiu found it rather amusing.
He truly was an incredibly audacious man.
Yet, his subtle advances had hit her exactly where it counted, leaving her suspended between mild annoyance and genuine amusement.
The provocative comment she had thrown at him earlier was rooted in absolute reality—her divine cultivation was already complete, meaning she didn’t have to worry about any of the severe restrictions binding Yue Xiaochan.
To put it plainly, she was entirely free to seek out a man.
However, including herself and everyone within her sect, absolutely no one had ever entertained such a concept before.
Xue Mu’s subtle coveting had inadvertently stirred that dormant thought inside her.
Putting Xue Mu aside for a moment, she truly could choose to find a suitable partner.
Someone with whom she shared a deep mutual affection, who possessed more than enough power, who could actively assist her, and who was thoroughly reliable.
Regrettably…
such a man practically did not exist in this world.
Even looking strictly at the very first criteria—what ordinary, decent individual would ever share a mutual affection with a notorious empress of the demonic path?
Even if one existed, he would inevitably belong to the darker factions.
And truth be told, despite being a core pillar of the demonic path herself, Xue Qingqiu knew all too well that the moral fiber of dark cultivators was entirely untrustworthy.
Entering a union with someone like that would likely bring absolute ruin to the Star-Moon Sect, leaving behind nothing but endless regret.
This was precisely why Xue Qingqiu firmly believed that falling in love almost always spelled absolute tragedy for their lineage.
A man who checked all her boxes simply did not exist.
Once romantic feelings took hold, it would inevitably culminate in either a toxic cycle of love and murder or severe instability within the sect.
There was no third option.
Right in the middle of these thoughts, Xue Mu’s departing figure drifted across her vision once more.
Could he represent a third option?
Xue Qingqiu stared at him for a long moment, offering a faint smile before shaking her head.
He is simply far too weak…
To put it bluntly, his physical body lacked the strength to even pierce her protective barrier.
A man this fragile, regardless of whether his wisdom was as deep as the ocean, could at most command her deep admiration.
It was impossible to ignite a real spark, and swaying her heart would be an exercise in futility.
Forget it.
Most of the previous sect masters lived out their days in absolute solitude anyway.
Perhaps I am destined to repeat their path.
This is fate; why try to force a change?
Xue Qingqiu turned away indifferently, sitting cross-legged upon her meditation mat.
Given her ironclad willpower, she effortlessly banished these chaotic, stray thoughts from her consciousness, rapidly entering a state of absolute spiritual clarity.
…..
They strolled through the bamboo grove once more.
The shadows of the stalks still swayed elegantly in the breeze, and the air was just as gentle and warm as before.
Yet, the romantic, heavy atmosphere they had shared on the way there was completely gone.
It felt as if a vast amount of time had passed in a daze, though both of them knew it had only been a single morning.
“Uncle…” Yue Xiaochan used the title again, and it seemed she was growing increasingly comfortable saying it.
This time, Xue Mu didn’t bother to argue, simply offering a soft “Hmm?” in response.
Yue Xiaochan casually kicked at the loose leaves scattered across the dirt path.
“You aren’t a rogue who secretly escaped from the Joyous Union Sect, are you?” Xue Mu blinked in surprise.
“What makes you say that?” Yue Xiaochan offered a faint smile.
“Focusing strictly on superficial desires and physical beauty rather than actual affection deep within the heart…
that is the most classic, textbook trait of the Joyous Union Sect.
If you told me right now that you were one of their disciples, I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest.” Though she framed it as a casual remark, her tone carried a subtle undertone…
one that felt much closer to a soft, lingering resentment.
The true weight behind her words was a playful grievance—she was miffed that Xue Mu had remained entirely detached and calculating toward her, even though he had nearly caused her to fall off the deep end.
“That is simply the nature of ordinary mortals, not something exclusive to the Joyous Union Sect,” Xue Mu replied, shaking his head.
“Before I crossed paths with you two, I didn’t even know what the hell the Joyous Union Sect was.” Yue Xiaochan murmured softly, “Then…
where on earth do you actually come from?” This was a topic she had brought up the very first time they met, but Xue Mu had brushed it off with a vague answer, and she hadn’t pressed him on it.
Reviving the question now wasn’t born out of suspicion regarding his identity; rather, it was a deep, probing desire to understand the man who had completely shattered the normal rhythm of her life.
Xue Mu lifted his head, watching the gentle sway of the bamboo leaves canopy above.
After a long silence, he spoke quietly.
“Just assume I descended from the heavens.” Yue Xiaochan let out a soft laugh.
“Should I take that to mean heaven sent you down specifically to help the Foolish Old Man move his mountains?” Xue Mu shook his head, a confident edge returning to his voice.
“I feel like there are endless things I can accomplish in this world.
Helping the Star-Moon Sect achieve its grand resurgence is merely my starting line.” “What a dangerously ambitious heart you have,” Yue Xiaochan teased, scraping her finger against her cheek mockingly.
“Yet, Uncle still knows absolutely nothing about how this world actually works.” Xue Mu laughed.
“Well, you can always educate me.” Yue Xiaochan pondered for a moment, her expression turning surprisingly serious.
“In truth, Uncle, you arrived at the absolute perfect time.
A thousand years ago, during the chaotic era when the hundred factions fought over the sacred cauldrons, the world was a complete apocalyptic mess.
Back then, raw martial power decided absolutely everything.
No matter how brilliant you were, you couldn’t survive a single expert casually devastating a whole city or shattering the earth with a single sword strike.
But right now, even though martial prowess is still highly revered, we are ultimately living in an era of relative peace.
A mind brimming with endless brilliant, eccentric ideas like yours finally has a stage to shine…
Well, at the very least, it’s incredibly effective for seducing girls.
Didn’t your dear niece almost fall prey to it?
If Master hadn’t stepped in when she did, and if Uncle had struck while the iron was hot and unleashed your full arsenal of romantic moves, you might have actually managed to claim me by now.
My, my…
that truly would have been a disaster…” Xue Mu had been listening with absolute focus.
Her analysis had started out incredibly solid and grounded, but the sudden twist at the end completely warped the flavor of her words.
He nearly stumbled over his own feet in awkwardness, letting out a dry cough.
“Can we please stay on topic?” By this point, the duo had crossed the edge of the bamboo forest, and Xue Mu’s little bamboo lodge was finally visible in the distance.
Yue Xiaochan stopped her tracks.
Giggling, she teased, “Stay on topic?
The current global landscape is more complex and intertwined than it has ever been in history.
Your dear niece is still far too young; I could never explain the serious political stuff clearly.
Our all-powerful Uncle will just have to figure it out slowly on his own.
Or…
perhaps you can discuss it intimately with Master late at night?” Xue Mu’s heart twitched slightly.
He locked eyes with her, studying her face with absolute focus.
He felt a distinct, hidden weight behind her words.
“As expected, I truly can’t hide anything from Uncle.
Why must you be so clever?” Yue Xiaochan let out a quiet sigh, offering a gentle smile.
“Your niece has already made up her mind.
The moment Martial Aunt Yinye is safely out of custody, I am leaving the capital.
It won’t happen immediately, though.
Before I depart, I still hope to see the campaign we launched at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion succeed.
A true professional finishes what they start, don’t they?
So, over the next few days, I will still be heavily relying on Uncle’s brilliant strategies.” Xue Mu pursed his lips, remaining entirely silent.
Yue Xiaochan lifted her head to meet his gaze, her smile remaining as cheerful as ever.
Yet, deep within her shifting, luminous eyes, every trace of her true intent was perfectly masked, leaving her mind entirely unreadable.
After a long, heavy silence, Xue Mu let out a slow sigh.
“Where are you going?” “South.
To collect a few debts,” Yue Xiaochan replied languidly.
“It is high time the realm learns the name of Yue Xiaochan.
Ten grueling years of bitter cultivation…
isn’t the whole point to make a massive name for oneself and shake the world in a single bound?
I can’t just let Master shoulder the entire weight of our lineage all by herself…
In truth, she is incredibly exhausted…
Hmm…
It would actually be rather nice if there were a man around to take care of her…” Xue Mu stood there, completely at a loss for words.
In the span of a mere half-day, this young girl had transformed into someone entirely different.
If her mind had previously been that of a clever, easily read adolescent child, the Yue Xiaochan standing before him now had officially adopted the persona of a chaotic, world-bewitching enchantress—fickle, elusive, and thoroughly unpredictable.
The nature of their martial paths truly was bizarre.
A single, profound shift in one’s psychological baseline could cause a person to mature on such a monumental scale.
Yue Xiaochan didn’t bother waiting for his response.
Tucking her hands behind her back, she casually swayed side to side as she strolled away.
“If Uncle truly harbors intentions toward my Master, you’d better put in some serious work over the next two or three years.
Otherwise…
if your niece grows up and returns to find you haven’t sealed the deal, you’re going to have a massive headache on your hands.” As she uttered the final sentence, the playful title of “Uncle” finally reverted to a sharp, direct “you.” The moment that syllable landed with heavy emphasis, her strolling steps suddenly lifted off the dirt path.
Her snow-white sleeves and robes billowed gracefully in the air as she glided away, vanishing into the bamboo grove in a literal blink of an eye—like a phantom fairy disappearing from a dream.