The Nine Stars Gate was brightly lit after midnight. Jiang Fan had already led the disciples to confine everyone from the inner residence in the courtyard. Standing in place, she gazed at the servants, the two madams, and the young masters and misses, her expression flickering in the firelight.
The eldest daughter of the Mu family, Mu Xuanji, clung to her maid and raised a terrified face to demand of Jiang Fan: “What did that bitch Mu Yin promise you to betray your sect and turn against us? Aren’t you afraid my father will kill you all when he returns?”
The disciples of the Nine Stars Gate all turned their eyes to Jiang Fan, only to see her still leaning against the wall with her sword in hand, her expression unchanged.
The second and third madams huddled together with their children, trembling. Though they had borne sons, the household was still under the control of the first madam. With the first madam absent, even as madams, they dared not speak up and could only bow their heads over their children.
Jiang Fan observed the expressions of those present, then stood up and walked over.
“With what identity are you speaking to me?” Jiang Fan looked down at the eldest daughter and said slowly, “As the daughter of the butcher who slaughtered the former sect leader’s entire family, or as the lofty eldest daughter of the Mu family?”
Mu Xuanji’s face turned deathly pale. After a stunned moment, she bit her lip and remained silent.
Jiang Fan said, “It seems your parents didn’t hide what they did. You all know full well.”
Then, with a relaxed tone, she added, “Good. That puts my mind at ease.”
If a fight broke out, those who died by her sword would not be innocent souls.
Si Lingqing shook out her fur and transformed back into the black-robed woman from last night. Mu Yin saw her clad in a dark-patterned black robe, her attire simple and unadorned, her ink-black hair cascading loosely down her back. Standing beside Mu Yin, who was dressed in pristine white, the contrast between black and white was striking.
Mu Yin circled Si Lingqing curiously, while the latter merely curved her eyes in a smile, allowing her to orbit around her.
After three full circles, Mu Yin exclaimed in amazement, “Don’t we look like the Black and White Impermanence standing here like this?”
Si Lingqing: “…”
She shot Mu Yin a glance, pinched her nose, and pretended to be fierce. “Are you insulting me?”
Si Lingqing was the newly appointed Ghost King of the underworld. If the actual Black and White Impermanence heard this little girl comparing her to them, they’d kowtow so hard their heads would smoke.
Mu Yin’s nose ached from the pinch, and she covered it with a pained expression. “I was just joking. Why so violent?”
Before Si Lingqing could reply, three heavy knocks sounded at the door—thud, thud, thud.
Mu Yin glanced toward the door in surprise. “Who’s knocking at my door in the middle of the night?”
Si Lingqing’s expression shifted. “I’ll get it.”
“Wait!” Mu Yin quickly grabbed the hem of Si Lingqing’s robe, looking up at her. “What if it’s Hong Zhuang or the others? You’re supposed to be dead. Showing up now would scare them to death.”
Si Lingqing curled her lips into a smile, reached out to ruffle Mu Yin’s hair, and said softly, “It’s not them.”
Though Mu Yin didn’t understand how Si Lingqing could be so certain, the sight of her breathtaking smile left her momentarily dazed.
Indeed, beautiful people had a lethal charm when they smiled.
Mu Yin sat awkwardly by the bed, scratching her flushed cheeks, when she heard Si Lingqing open the door.
“I already told you not to disturb her. Can’t you understand my words?”
Si Lingqing’s tone was icy. Mu Yin tilted her head but couldn’t see who was outside from her angle, nor who the other was speaking to.
“…Is this it?” Si Lingqing’s voice remained indifferent as she accepted something from outside. “I understand.”
Just as she was about to close the door, she paused and asked impatiently, “Anything else?”
“I’m already aware of this matter.”
“Do whatever you want.”
Before shutting the door, Si Lingqing added, “Don’t come again tonight.”
As the door closed once more, Si Lingqing turned back into the bedroom. Only then did Mu Yin notice she was holding another tattered piece of paper—upon closer inspection, it looked identical to the indictment she had received earlier.
Mu Yin’s mind went blank, her voice trembling as she asked, “Just now… who was outside…?”
Si Lingqing replied nonchalantly, “Oh, nothing important.”
With that, she folded the indictment neatly and tucked it into her sleeve.
Mu Yin: “…”
This was clearly very important!!!
Mu Yin watched helplessly as Si Lingqing put away the indictment, then turned to her with a gentle smile—a stark contrast to her cold expression moments ago.
“Mu Yuefeng should be back by now. Let’s go meet him,” Si Lingqing said with a smile.
Mu Yuefeng stared as the servant drove the carriage around the corner and disappeared. He didn’t know whether the vengeful spirits on the carriage would harm the driver, but he no longer cared.
As long as he was alive, everything else was expendable.
Without the carriage, the journey home had to be made on foot. Yet after walking for over an hour, Mu Yuefeng found himself circling the same spot.
He knew—he was trapped in a ghost’s maze.
His face darkened as he pulled the jade pendant from his waist and silently recited an incantation, hoping to use its teleportation array to return directly to Nine Stars Gate.
Though the spell would drain much of his energy, he had no other choice.
But when Mu Yuefeng opened his eyes after chanting, he was still in the same place.
“Damn it,” he muttered, stuffing the pendant into his robes and drawing his sword. “Who’s playing these tricks?!”
In Mu Yuefeng’s understanding, the trapped spirits of the southern courtyard couldn’t possibly possess such power. He must have encountered another ghost or stumbled into someone’s array—the latter seemed more likely.
This meant he had unknowingly fallen into a trap.
The surroundings were eerily quiet. With the curfew approaching, the streets were deserted, leaving only the occasional gust of night wind.
Gritting his teeth, Mu Yuefeng mustered all his strength and sprinted forward. Finally, at an alleyway, he unleashed a Nine Stars Gate technique, tearing a gap in the illusion.
“Wuuu… I died so miserably!”
“Mu Yuefeng, you slaughtered my family—I’ll make you pay with your life!”
“Daddy, it’s so dark in this well… I’m scared… it hurts so much…”
The eerie wails of ghosts exploded in Mu Yuefeng’s ears. He felt someone tugging at his clothes and grabbing his hair, but he paid no heed. Pulling out a few talismans from his robe, he tossed them behind him without looking back, only to hear the cries grow even louder.
“Hmph, mere evil spirits dare to wreak havoc.” Mu Yuefeng ran swiftly, slashing at the shadowy figures before him with his longsword as he charged forward with great strides.
The ghosts were weak in numbers, and even with their utmost efforts, they could only trap him for a brief moment.
When Mu Yuefeng finally broke through the barrier of the ghostly illusion, all manner of specters crawled out from the ground, walls, and dark corners, watching his retreating back as they laughed in unison.
“Hehehe…”
Then, Si Lingqing emerged from around the corner. Gazing at Mu Yuefeng’s fleeing figure, she pulled out the petition from her sleeve and glanced calmly at the lingering spirits behind her. “Weren’t you going to file a complaint? Follow me.”
The shadowy figures hidden in the corners emerged one after another, following Si Lingqing with utmost reverence, like a procession of a hundred ghosts—yet none dared to act out of line.
A gust of wind swept through, and they all vanished into thin air…
After shaking off the ghosts, Mu Yuefeng finally made it home. He glanced back at the empty street behind him, wiped the sweat from his brow, and stepped inside.
Truth be told, Mu Yuefeng’s cultivation wasn’t particularly high—otherwise, he wouldn’t have been trapped within the confines of Nine Stars Gate.
But even with his modest abilities, dealing with minor spirits was still well within his grasp.
As Mu Yuefeng stepped into Nine Stars Gate, the earlier sense of frantic escape dissipated instantly. Seeing the brightly lit halls, he couldn’t help but smirk.
Look—if he didn’t return, the entire Nine Stars Gate would remain sleepless.