Mu Yuefeng felt quite content with his role as the local tyrant. Aside from the occasional disturbances caused by those pesky spirits in the southern courtyard, nothing really troubled him.
As he walked through the front hall of Nine Stars Gate, Mu Yuefeng found tonight’s events rather bizarre. He decided that come morning, he would summon a few masters to perform rituals preferably to eradicate all the spirits in the southern courtyard in one fell swoop. That would truly rid him of his greatest worry.
Thinking this, Mu Yuefeng prepared to pass through the tea hall and retire to the inner courtyard.
But as he passed by the tea hall, he heard voices inside and involuntarily paused.
Who could still be there at this hour?
Frowning slightly, Mu Yuefeng stepped forward.
Through the gap, he saw Mu Yin sitting on a chair sipping tea, with Jiang Fan standing beside her. The two were chatting about something, their eyes crinkling with laughter.
Why was that ill-omened girl still here?
Mu Yuefeng felt puzzled and somewhat suspicious.
Having just encountered a ghostly barrier outside, and now seeing Mu Yin, who should have left still present, he couldn’t help but connect the two incidents.
This must be her doing!
Controlling his emotions and schooling his expression, Mu Yuefeng stepped into the tea hall.
Hearing the noise, Mu Yin and Jiang Fan turned to look. Their eyes met briefly before both fixed on Mu Yuefeng.
“Why are the two of you still here so late?” Mu Yuefeng asked as he approached.
Mu Yin put on an innocent smile, stood up, and offered her seat. She bowed slightly and said, “Father, I noticed you hadn’t returned yet, so I waited here for you.”
She continued warmly, “You must be tired from the journey. Please, have a seat. I’ll bring the ginseng soup I prepared. Have a sip to refresh yourself.”
Mu Yuefeng glanced at her, watching as she ladled a bowl of soup from a small pot nearby. He subtly formed a hand seal, intending to test her.
Mu Yin, appearing completely oblivious, carried the soup over and handed it to him with the demeanor of a dutiful daughter.
Without much thought, Mu Yuefeng took the bowl and raised it to his lips, only to feel something at the bottom. It seemed to be… a talisman.
With a faint hum, his mind went blank. Then, as he held the soup and looked at Mu Yin, he felt an overwhelming shift in his heart.
Mu Yin smiled. She had secretly placed a Joyful Heart Talisman, brought from the Five Skandha Sect at the bottom of the bowl. When Mu Yuefeng lifted it, he would inevitably touch it.
Now, Mu Yuefeng gazed at her with an expression of genuine, unfeigned affection.
“Mu Yin,” he said tearfully, clutching the bowl of soup. “I never realized how much you cared for your father. Staying up so late just to prepare this soup for me…”
As he spoke, he wiped his tears and drank the soup between sobs, making Mu Yin’s skin crawl.
She knew the Joyful Heart Talisman had taken effect. It made its target cherish and adore the caster for four hours.
Hong Zhuang had once called it a rather useless talisman, but at this moment, Mu Yin couldn’t think of anything more effective.
Exchanging a glance with Jiang Fan, she gave a slight nod.
Seeing Mu Yuefeng finish his soup, Mu Yin then picked up a handkerchief and handed it over, asking gently, “Father, may I ask you a few questions?”
At this moment, Mu Yuefeng was so eager to please Mu Yin that he would have given her his heart to play with, let alone answer a few questions. Even if she asked him to cut off his own head for her to kick around, he wouldn’t hesitate!
“Go ahead,” Mu Yuefeng said, holding Mu Yin’s hand with a loving expression. “I’ll tell you anything you want to know.”
Mu Yin smiled and asked, “Are you my real father?”
Mu Yuefeng froze at the question, his face twisting into a grimace before his eyes reddened. He gripped her hand tightly and said, “Child, though I am not your birth father, the years of raising you have long outweighed the bond of blood! You won’t leave me just because I’m not your real father, will you?!”
“Of course not, I was just asking,” Mu Yin thought to herself that even if he were her real father, she’d still have to leave, let alone the fact that he was a murderer.
But Mu Yuefeng took her words to heart, tears streaming down his face as he clutched her hand and lamented, “It’s my fault for failing you. When you were young, I treated you poorly, allowed your mother to abuse you, let your sisters bully you, and even sought your life. All of that was my wrongdoing. But from now on, I’ll turn over a new leaf. I’ll treat you better than all your siblings, you’ll be the apple of my eye. I’ll protect and cherish you, never letting anyone harm you again!”
Mu Yin asked curiously, “Really?”
Mu Yuefeng declared firmly, “Absolutely!”
Mu Yin sighed helplessly before continuing in a sorrowful tone, “But Father, I want to know what really happened back then. Did you truly kill my entire family?”
“This…” Mu Yuefeng hesitated.
Seeing his reluctance, Mu Yin looked at him and said, “Father, didn’t you just say I could ask you anything? Are you going back on your word now?”
“Of course not!”
Afraid that Mu Yin would resent him or be disappointed, Mu Yuefeng cast aside his hesitation and revealed the truth of the past.
“Back then, I envied your father though younger than me, he surpassed me in every way. In Nine Stars Gate, he was the sect leader while I was merely his deputy. Everyone followed his orders, and no one ever took me seriously,” Mu Yuefeng confessed. “Later, as my cultivation grew stronger and I obtained this peerless sword by chance, I became consumed by murderous intent.”
Mu Yuefeng continued, “I slaughtered forty-one members of your family your parents, your two sisters, and every servant in the household. To ensure no word of this got out, I first expelled all the disciples of Nine Stars Gate. Those who didn’t leave were poisoned and buried together in the southern courtyard.”
Mu Yin was stunned. She never imagined he could be so ruthless killing his own sect members without hesitation.
“You used poison and your sword to kill them?”
“Yes.”
Mu Yuefeng admitted, “I poisoned their food first, then killed them one by one.”
Mu Yin sighed and sat down in a chair. “You’re truly heartless. They were still your fellow disciples, after all.”
The Joyful Heart Talisman could make Mu Yuefeng adore Mu Yin, but it couldn’t make him repent for his past actions. Hearing Mu Yin’s words now, he gnashed his teeth and cursed, “So what? They wouldn’t listen to me, they looked right through me, of course I couldn’t let them off. Even if I killed them, their vengeful spirits still come haunting me every now and then. One day, I’ll make sure their souls are scattered to the winds!”
Mu Yin was horrified by his words, but she kept her composure and said to Mu Yuefeng, “Let’s not talk about this for now. Tell me, where did you bury them?”
Mu Yuefeng’s face lit up with a fatherly smile again. “In the dried-up well in the south courtyard that’s been filled in. I buried all of them there.”
Jiang Fan trembled with rage upon hearing this, her fingers itching to draw her sword and cut down the man before her.
“Senior Sister Jiang,” Mu Yin said calmly from her seat, looking up at Jiang Fan. “Send someone to arrange for the bodies in the well to be exhumed, then notify the authorities.”
Jiang Fan nodded grimly and left the tearoom.
Mu Yin glanced at Mu Yuefeng, who was still wearing that benevolent smile, and sighed softly. Propping her chin on her hand, she gazed at the man before her and murmured, “My dear old father, when the officials arrive, do remember to say exactly the same thing, won’t you?”
Mu Yuefeng beamed at her request, his eyes crinkling with delight. As her father, he couldn’t refuse her. Cheerfully, he replied, “Of course! Daddy will do whatever you say.”