“Do you know how I escaped?”
Nan Kunlun’s voice was hushed, as if he were guarding a profound secret. To Fu Yunmo, it was a secret she already knew, but she played along.
“Tell me,” she said, waiting patiently.
“I am the son of the Head of the Nan family. However, beyond the family itself, no one knew of my existence. The martial world believes the Nan line was completely wiped out, that we are all dead. But I am a Nan. Do you believe me?”
Nan Kunlun felt an immediate kinship with Fu Yunmo. She was his benefactor, and he felt that sharing his burden with her might alleviate the crushing gloom in his heart.
“Mm. I believe you.”
Of course I believe you, she thought. I’ve read the book. If you were lying, I’d slap you.
“I was a son of the Head, but I was born to a concubine. My father wanted to teach me martial arts, but… because of my Legal Mother, he refrained. I was raised on the Classics and poetry instead. My Legal Mother despised me and often made me do menial labor. On the day of the massacre… I happened to be up in the mountains gathering firewood. When I returned… I…”
Nan Kunlun’s voice cracked. Though the Nan household hadn’t been a warm home, it was the place where he grew up. He remembered the kind servants, the little sister who bullied him but secretly brought him pastries, the older brother who looked down on him but stayed silent when he caught Nan watching the martial arts drills, and his guilt-ridden father.
“I understand. You don’t have to say more,” Fu Yunmo said softly.
In the novel, he returned to find his family slaughtered. In his grief, he tried to bury them, but his father, with his dying breath, urged him to flee. He left with the Ghost Sword Manual, unable to even give his kin a proper burial.
“I managed to take the Nan Family’s Ghost Sword Manual with me.”
Nan Kunlun shielded his mouth with his hand, leaning in to whisper directly into Fu Yunmo’s ear.
Fu Yunmo’s brow furrowed. “Why do you trust me so much?”
Having lived in the modern world, she didn’t think much of physical proximity. But to an observer in this era, their posture—heads pressed together in a private whisper—looked like the kind of intimacy shared only by lovers. Upstairs, Mo Lixi was watching every move, and she most certainly noticed.
“It’s a feeling. I know you’re a good person, Sister Mo. Besides, this secret was driving me mad. I needed someone to share it with.”
Fu Yunmo looked at his somber expression and realized something. In the novel, he told this to Mo Lixi, but only after they had built a deep bond. Why was he telling her now without any guard up?
It’s one thing to admit you’re a bastard son, but to tell someone you’re carrying a legendary manual? Does he not know how dangerous the Jianghu is? How did this guy survive long enough to be the protagonist?
“You should be careful about what you reveal,” Fu Yunmo sighed. “You never know if the person closest to you today will become your enemy tomorrow.”
“I understand, Sister Mo. Thank you for listening. And…” Nan Kunlun stood up, flashing his usual sunny grin. “I still believe you’re a good person who wouldn’t hurt me.”
With that, he headed off to bed, leaving Fu Yunmo feeling annoyed. Why is it that he gets to bathe, eat, and vent while I’m still hungry, unwashed, and stuck realizing my ‘hero’ has a questionable IQ?
She stretched and prepared to leave, but felt a gaze on her. She looked up toward the guest rooms… nothing. Must have imagined it.
As soon as she left, Mo Lixi closed her door. The Sect Leader leaned against it and laughed softly at herself. Since when did I resort to such voyeurism? As she lay in bed, Fu Yunmo’s face drifted into her mind, followed by the image of her whispering intimately with Nan Kunlun. A wave of irritation washed over her, leading to a night of restless dreams.
The Sect Leader’s Warning
Over the following days, the three women of the Tianyuan Sect were out on business. Fu Yunmo was relieved of her special duties, allowing her to eat and rest with the other staff.
She was busy wiping tables, clearing away scraps and grease. At first, she had been disgusted by the grime, but for a few copper coins, she had learned to adapt. If Grandpa saw his actress granddaughter working as a waiter, he’d drag me home for a month of lectures.
“Sister Mo, what’s wrong? Are you crying?” Nan Kunlun interrupted her thoughts.
Seeing the glint of moisture in her eyes, he assumed she was weeping. Fu Yunmo gave him a sharp nudge with her elbow. “Crying? I’m yawning! Get back to work!”
In truth… she really did want to cry.
Ten days remained until the Great Martial Arts Assembly. The Tianyuan Sect ladies had paid for a month’s stay in advance—a generous move, considering they were barely there.
That evening, the Shenren Sect arrived. They were masters of the blade and “Hard Qi” techniques, so the group was entirely composed of men. Though they stared at Fu Yunmo, they were disciplined enough to keep their hands to themselves—far better than the “gentlemen” of Yueluo Manor.
After her bath, Fu Yunmo went to the front hall for her nightly wine. Manager Li was busy with the ledgers.
“Manager, I actually know how to do accounts. I’m just not great with the abacus yet. Why don’t you teach me?” she suggested. She had an ulterior motive: if she became an accountant, she wouldn’t have to run errands or be bossed around by Zhang the Pockmarked.
“Zhang the Pockmarked has asked me several times as well,” Manager Li said, his squinted eyes asking if her seniority could possibly match Zhang’s.
Fu Yunmo took a frustrated gulp of wine. “But I’m smarter than him, and I look better!”
Manager Li looked at her again. He couldn’t argue with that. She was indeed much smarter—and infinitely easier on the eyes. “To reveal your intentions so quickly… Young lady, you must learn to stay composed.”
It was a soft rejection. Fu Yunmo shrugged; she knew she was still a bit too impulsive.
Suddenly, a door opened upstairs. Mo Lixi stepped out of the Premium Room. Fu Yunmo’s heart skipped a beat. She whispered to the Manager, “Boss, when did Sect Leader Mo get back? Why wasn’t I informed? Do I need to serve her?”
“Look at you, all panicked,” Li huffed. “Sect Leader Mo said she feared you were overworked and specifically asked that you not be bothered. Otherwise, do you think you’d be resting this early?”
Mo Lixi walked down the stairs. When her eyes met Fu Yunmo’s, her breath hitched for a moment. “May I speak with you for a moment? I hope I am not intruding.”
“Of course, of course!” Fu Yunmo slipped back into her “professional waiter” persona, bowing slightly with a practiced smile.
Mo Lixi’s brow furrowed. Fu Yunmo noticed the flash of displeasure. Did I say something wrong?
The Moonlight Talk
They walked to the small courtyard leading to the staff quarters and sat at a stone table under a tree.
“Thank you,” Mo Lixi began.
“For what?” Fu Yunmo was flattered.
“Tian’er, Ruoxian, and I investigated the Yueluo Manor. We found that they have indeed been secretly refining… certain knockout drugs.” Mo Lixi hesitated on the word. Fu Yunmo knew the “gentlemen” were likely making aphrodisiacs as well, but she didn’t say it.
“I’m glad you found evidence. I was just guessing,” Fu Yunmo laughed. In this world, it was better to play dumb once the point was made.
“No, you weren’t,” Mo Lixi said firmly, her conviction leaving Fu Yunmo stunned.
Before Fu Yunmo could argue, Mo Lixi continued: “In any case, thank you. Also…”
“Also?”
“There is a proper distance to be kept between men and women. You should be more mindful in the future.”
With that, Mo Lixi turned and walked away. Under the moonlight, her silhouette was ethereal, like a goddess returning to the heavens.
Fu Yunmo stood there, baffled. Mindful? Men and women? Then it clicked. Wait… did she see me whispering with Nan Kunlun the other night? She wants me to be ‘mindful’? Don’t worry, Fairy! Fu Yunmo wanted to shout. I’m not trying to steal your man! He’s all yours! Don’t be jealous!
Then she realized… according to the timeline, Nan Kunlun and Mo Lixi hadn’t even officially met yet.