As for herself, her father died on the battlefield to save Mu Hong, which allowed her to be adopted by Mu Hong and become the second lady.
In the past, Mu Qianyue always used this matter to taunt her, making her feel embarrassed.
"Rou'er, although you are not the legitimate young lady of Mu Mansion, you were raised by me as my own. How could you do such a thing? It's truly disappointing!" Mu Hong squinted slightly and said unhappily.
"Grandfather, I never thought of taking Yu brother... I know that I am just an adopted daughter of Mu Mansion, my status is humble, Yu brother is beyond my reach. Rou'er only wishes to stay by Yu brother's side, and that would make Rou'er content..." Mu Yurou looked up to see Mu Hong's scrutinizing gaze and quickly lowered her head, pretending to be weak and innocent, crying. She was surprised that when Mu Qianyue used to scold her like this, Mu Hong would always reprimand her a couple of times, but this time Mu Hong did not help her!
"Rou'er, rest assured, I will never let you down in this lifetime!" Nalan Yu looked at Mu Yurou affectionately, then raised his head to look at Mu Qianyue, his gaze sinister, "Mu Qianyue, your heart is unexpectedly so vicious! Just wait and see!"
"So noisy! Someone, throw this fickle-hearted, disloyal scoundrel out." Mu Qianyue impatiently scratched her ear, and two shadows immediately appeared, grabbing Nalan Yu and mercilessly throwing him out of Duke Zhen's residence.
"Ah, Yu brother!" Mu Yurou hurriedly followed out, but inside her heart, she was joyous. This time, Mu Qianyue not only offended Yu brother but also the royal family!
After the two left, the hall immediately fell silent.
"Grandfather, why are you staring at me?" Mu Qianyue looked up and found Mu Hong staring at her without blinking, which made her smile.
"Yue'er, I'm very glad you've changed your mind." Mu Hong said with relief.
"In the past, Yue'er was immature and caused grandfather much worry. Yue'er won't be foolish again in the future." Mu Qianyue said, "Grandfather, aren't you afraid I have offended Nalan Yu and the emperor?"
"Actually, the emperor has long intended to make a move against our Duke Zhen's residence. It's only a matter of time. Who let us achieve such merit that eclipsed the sovereign! Alas..." Mu Hong sighed.
Mu Qianyue's eyes narrowed slightly; she actually saw this point too, which is why she treated Nalan Yu with indifference.
"You haven't visited your elder brother in a long time, go see him. Don't hold grudges against him any longer, your elder brother is also doing it for your good." Mu Hong seemed to think of something, his aged face showing a touch of desolation, as if he instantly became much older.
...
Mu Qianyue arrived in Feng Garden, only to see a slender figure quietly standing by the lake, his ink-colored hair tied up with a jade hairpin. The light sunlight cast on his jade-like profile, perfectly tracing a charming curve, gentle yet with a hint of firmness.
"Yue'er, you're here." Mu Rufeng turned around to look at the young girl approaching slowly, his face breaking into a faint smile.
"Big brother." Mu Qianyue called.
"It's good that you've changed your mind, Nalan Yu is not your destined partner." Mu Rufeng reached out and touched her hair, a hint of affection in his eyes.
Mu Qianyue's face flashed with astonishment. Did big brother already know about what just happened in the front courtyard?
"Big brother really has the gift of foresight, even inside the courtyard, aware of worldly affairs."
"Stop teasing me, I am now like you, a useless person. It seems our Duke Zhen's residence is destined to decline." Mu Rufeng laughed self-deprecatingly, his eyes briefly flashing with a sharp and murderous intent.
Mu Rufeng was her only biological elder brother and the only male in Duke Zhen's residence. His talent was rare in a thousand years, born with a Blue Soul, he could condense True Yuan in ten lifetimes to become a First Rank True Martial Artist, reaching the realm of a Venerable Martial Artist at just nineteen!
His talent was unmatched in Phoenix Shadow Country; the Crown Prince Nalan Yu was simply weak compared to him!
However, three months ago, big brother was seriously wounded on the battlefield, causing his Dantian to rupture, resulting in all his cultivation being destroyed, completely becoming a powerless invalid. Mu Rufeng had stayed in the mansion the whole time and hadn't stepped outside since.
Grandfather got old, parents are missing, actually, the superficially strong Duke Zhen's residence is already on the brink of collapse, it seems that precautions must be taken.
Suddenly, Mu Qianyue grabbed Mu Rufeng's wrist, her fingers placed over his pulse, her brow slightly furrowed.
Mu Rufeng originally wanted to withdraw his hand but saw the young girl's serious expression and couldn't bear to interrupt.
Big brother's condition is terrible, his Dantian is shattered beyond repair, there's fundamentally no possibility of remedy. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration raced through her mind, right, the Life Ring!
Tianshuo said the Life Ring could restore life, so shouldn't recovering a Dantian be no big deal?
After a while, Mu Qianyue opened her eyes, her gaze serious and determined, "Big brother, I will heal your Dantian, you are not an invalid! You can certainly continue cultivating like before, become a generation of strong fighters, stand at the pinnacle of the continent, and dominate the world!"
"Since when did Yue'er learn medicine?" Mu Rufeng laughed, clearly not taking Mu Qianyue's words to heart. Once a Dantian is destroyed, it cannot be restored; even a Pill Master has no way.
"I know you don't believe me now, but I will prove it to you!" Mu Qianyue said.
"Alright, I trust you." Mu Rufeng laughed.
Mu Qianyue speechlessly pouted; he fundamentally didn't trust, alright, she knew making him believe was indeed difficult.
"Big brother, don't worry, you will definitely be able to cultivate again! I still want you to protect me like before! Speaking of which, a big brother is like a father; big brother, surely you won't forsake me, right?" As children, Mu Qianyue and Mu Rufeng had a good relationship, but later, due to Mu Yurou's intentional provocations, she gradually distanced from Mu Rufeng, making their relationship tense, almost like enemies.
Big brother like a father?
This is the first time Yue'er said such words!
Mu Rufeng was slightly moved by the remark, "Aren't you afraid of not being able to get married?"
"If I can't get married, I'll cling to you for life, making you support me forever!"
"Okay!" Mu Rufeng teased the young girl's adorable nose.
Watching the scene from afar, Mu Hong felt much gratified, even with tears glistening in his eyes.
"The eldest lady has finally become enlightened! Although I don't know why the eldest lady suddenly changed, this is a good thing. The master has always been waiting for this day, hasn't he?" The steward beside him also displayed a face full of gratified expression.
"Indeed! Seeing them as harmonious siblings, my heart is much relaxed. However, it's a pity that Feng'er... alas..." Mu Hong sighed, his old body slightly hunched, filled with desolation and sorrow. His eyes gazed into the distance, as if reminiscing about something, only after a while did he continue, "Old Ding, how long have you been following me?"
"Twenty-four years." Ding Hao answered.
"Twenty-four years, time really flies. I still remember us galloping on the battlefield, savoring the freedom of the world, in a blink of an eye, we're all old... All my life, you've never married, I've felt very sorry about it. With your abilities being my steward, it's too much of a grievance for you." Mu Hong said.