He had never once guarded himself against Feng Jiu’er. Not even after she had come to know his true purpose.

Preventing her from knowing where this place was — it was only because once she knew, the danger to her would deepen. If she knew, Shifu and Elder Shi would never allow her to leave. She might spend the rest of her life utterly trapped here.

As for whether she might do him any harm — he had never thought of it, nor had he any desire to dwell on it.

Just as he would never harm her, he trusted that she would never harm him.

And so when she threw herself at him, even knowing that silver needles were concealed at her fingertips, the only thing he could bring himself to do was reach out to steady her swaying body. He was afraid that, having just woken and weak from it, she might stumble and fall to the ground.

And so the silver needle came to rest against his throat — its tip pressed against the pulsing vein in his neck, barely a breath from breaking skin.

Even so, the moment Night Rakshasa moved to act, his instinct was still to shield Feng Jiu’er within his arms, taking his Shifu’s full palm strike with his own body.

Blood slipped from the corner of his lips. Fortunately, Shifu had only intended to subdue Feng Jiu’er, with no desire to take her life — and so the blow, while real, was not devastating.

Night Rakshasa’s expression shifted sharply, fury blazing at his hopeless devotion. “She treats you like this, and you still shield her with your own body — Mu’er, have you lost your mind?”

Mu Mu said nothing. He lowered his gaze to Feng Jiu’er, who stood within the circle of his arms and stared up at him with pure wariness. He had no words.

Whether he had truly lost his mind — perhaps even he himself did not know.

The silver needle still rested against his neck. Its tip was razor-sharp. A single turn of Feng Jiu’er’s wrist would end his life cleanly.

Yet he seemed entirely unconcerned. He only looked at her pale face, his voice as gentle as it had ever been. “Does your head still hurt?”

Feng Jiu’er’s gaze drifted to the corner of his lips — to that thin line of crimson — and ten thousand feelings swept through her heart.

There was an impulse to reach out, to wipe the blood away, to take his pulse. But an impulse was only an impulse. Reason pressed it down swiftly.

They not only intended to deal with the Ninth Imperial Uncle — they intended to tear the Heavenly Venerable Sect’s Master, Di Wu Ya, apart.

What she took comfort in was that even now, they still did not know that Di Wu Ya and the Ninth Imperial Uncle, Zhan Qingcheng, were the same person.

Just now, among the words those few had exchanged, Jiu’er had only caught fragments, not everything.

But their intention to go after both the Ninth Imperial Uncle and Di Wu Ya — that, she had heard with perfect clarity.

Though when she saw Mu Mu take an injury to save her, her heart had softened, just slightly — she steadied herself again quickly enough.

She could not be certain whether this, too, was part of another scheme of theirs. A self-inflicted wound for sympathy, perhaps? Just as before — Mu Mu, whose martial skill was so formidable, could not even subdue a black-clad assailant and was even struck by their poison. Absurd.

All of it had been an elaborate, interlocking trap. Drawing her to rush to his aid, so that from then on, he would naturally become entangled with her.

Or rather — entangled with her so-called Phoenix Girl identity.

“Take me out of here!” The silver needle in Jiu’er’s hand pressed against the artery in Mu Mu’s neck. A touch more force, and blood would flow and death would follow.

In truth, for all her years of wielding needles, this was the first time her hand had trembled this badly — she had even nearly hurt him by accident, through her own shaking.

Mu Mu said nothing. He glanced once at Elder Shi and Night Rakshasa, then shifted his footing and moved to lead Feng Jiu’er out the door.

“Feng Jiu’er, I saved your life, and this is how you repay me?” Night Rakshasa snapped.

“Your debt of saving my life — I will repay it when the opportunity comes.” She had said these words several times already, and had yet to make good on them. She was genuinely ashamed of that.

But she could not allow herself to fall into their hands. They intended to harm the Ninth Imperial Uncle. Jiu’er was afraid — that they would use her against him.

If she did not leave quickly, and they truly used her to lure the Ninth Imperial Uncle here…

A sharp pain lanced through Jiu’er’s heart. The memories that had once been so blurred were growing clearer by the moment. Every time she thought of the Ninth Imperial Uncle spending all his true qi to heal her wounds — nearly dying in the process — the pain was not just in her heart. It was in her very head.

“What is it?” Mu Mu felt her pain as it came.

Feng Jiu’er shook her head hard, forcing herself calm. “I don’t need your concern. Take me away from here — or I won’t go easy on you.”

He said nothing more. His steps toward the doorway were steadier and more resolute than they had been before.

At the same time, he kept close watch on Elder Shi and Night Rakshasa at his back, alert against the possibility of a sudden sneak attack that might injure Jiu’er.

Night Rakshasa knew her own disciple too well not to see it. It was the disciple she had raised herself.

A tangle of emotions stirred in her chest. Feng Jiu’er treated him like this, and yet all he could think was how to keep her safe.

This child — still speaking of it as nothing more than wanting Feng Jiu’er for her Phoenix Girl identity. As if she, who was Shifu and had filled the role of a mother, could not see through that?

If Feng Jiu’er were not the Phoenix Girl — a girl who could throw her Mu’er into such disarray — perhaps she truly would not be able to let her remain in this world.

But Feng Jiu’er’s identity placed her entirely beyond reach.

Night Rakshasa pressed down the fury in her heart, her voice growing ever colder. “Do you think taking Mu’er hostage will actually let you walk out of here?”

Jiu’er paid her no attention. She and Mu Mu had already reached the doorway. “Open the door!”

Mu Mu moved to open the door himself. But just as the two of them were about to step out, Elder Shi suddenly blew something.

Jiu’er felt as though something had stabbed clean through her. Her face blanched in an instant, her head splitting with agony.

The silver needle slipped from her trembling fingers. As it left her grasp, it left a faint crimson mark on Mu Mu’s neck.

Even through the violence of her own pain, she had been afraid of accidentally wounding him — and so she had forced her quivering fingers to throw the needle aside with all her remaining will.

In the midst of his despair, Mu Mu felt a thread of warmth pass through his heart — only for it to be swallowed at once by the weight of watching her face contort with suffering.

“Elder Shi, you are not to harm her!”

Jiu’er was sheltered within his arms, trembling without cease, her voice barely a breath of pain.

Elder Shi lowered the short flute from his lips and regarded Mu Mu calmly. “Even if you were to take this flute from me, I still have any number of ways to make her submit.”

The true qi Mu Mu had been gathering in his palm slowly, reluctantly, dissipated.

He had indeed been on the verge of seizing Elder Shi’s flute — but if Elder Shi could speak those words, he almost certainly had another card to play.

“Jiu’er.” Feng Jiu’er had collapsed into his arms. Once the sound of the flute faded, she seemed free of the pain. Yet the way she looked at him was strange.

Something was hazy and lost in her eyes. The cold, keen sharpness had vanished from her gaze, replaced by something that seemed almost soft and compliant.

“What has happened to her?” Mu Mu fixed his gaze on Elder Shi.

Elder Shi said nothing and only looked toward Night Rakshasa. “Palace Master, shall we step outside?”

“Very well.” Night Rakshasa rose and walked out the door.

The two of them left the room together, pulling the door closed behind them.

Mu Mu had no idea what state Feng Jiu’er was now in. When he looked at her again, she was staring back at him, and her gaze was growing more and more… entranced.