“There’s no way anymore. The only method in this world that can remove the beast spirit form is useless for me. I dare not hope any longer.” As Hua Ying finished speaking, her body trembled uncontrollably.

Mu Yunjin hadn’t expected this to happen either. Logically, if Qiqi and Lei Yan could remove their beast spirit forms, Hua Ying, who was also a beast spirit, should be able to as well.

Why wasn’t it working for Hua Ying?

Could it be that Hua Ying wasn’t a beast spirit? Or was her constitution different from Qiqi and Lei Yan?

“Where is Huang Yan now?” Mu Yunjin looked around but didn’t see Huang Yan’s figure. They should have gone to find the Jade Moon Spring together, so why was Hua Ying alone now?

“He went to find National Preceptor An,” Hua Ying said flatly.

Mu Yunjin was slightly stunned and somewhat helpless. At such a critical moment, why was Huang Yan running around?

“Master, don’t worry about me. Let me be alone and think about my future.” Hua Ying forced a smile, looking at Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin nodded. Right now, the one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it.

…

…

……

After returning to her room, Mu Yunjin briefly told Chu Li about Hua Ying’s situation.

“Why would Hua Ying encounter such a strange problem?” Mu Yunjin sat in a rocking chair, racking her brain but unable to figure out the reason.

Hearing this, Chu Li seemed to be stunned for a moment. His eyes reflected some deeper meaning as he looked at Mu Yunjin. “In this matter, Huang Yan will find a solution. We don’t need to worry about it.”

“Are you sure Huang Yan can find one?” Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow.

“Certain.” Chu Li smiled with confidence.

Seeing Chu Li’s confident demeanor, Mu Yunjin inexplicably felt relieved. She wanted to continue, but little Mu’er began crying on the bed.

Mu Yunjin got up, walked to the bedside, picked up little Mu’er, and quickly comforted him.

Early the next morning, Chu Li and Mu Yunjin were set to depart for Western Yuan Country.

Because Qiqi and Lei Yan had already removed their beast spirit forms, they could no longer activate the formless space. For this journey, they planned to travel the regular way along the road.

Jiang Qingxue thought about passing by Pingfeng Cliff on the way and decided to travel with Mu Yunjin and the others.

Hua Ying volunteered to stay in North Ming Country, insisting on waiting for Huang Yan to return. So after the group determined their route, they each went their separate ways.

……

In the carriage.

Qiqi held a mirror in her hand and had been looking at herself non-stop since getting into the carriage.

“Master, look, my cat ears are gone, and now my ears look just like yours. I feel strange somehow.” Qiqi hadn’t fully adapted to her human form yet.

Although she had been hoping day and night to remove her beast spirit form, now that she had completely transformed into an ordinary person without any inner power, she still felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.

What if someone bullied her in the future? She wouldn’t be able to fight back.

Thinking of these things, Qiqi pouted, feeling a bit unhappy.

“Not at all, you look very nice. When we get to Butterfly City, I’ll take you to a jewelry shop to pick out some earrings and necklaces,” Mu Yunjin smiled at Qiqi.

“Earrings…” Qiqi instinctively touched her ears, imagining the various earrings worn by women, and suddenly felt elated.

“Great, then it’s settled!” Qiqi smiled, raising her eyebrows.

Seeing this, Jiang Qingxue couldn’t help but smile. “You’re just like a child, so easily pleased. Aren’t you afraid that one day Yunjin might sell you off?”

“Master is the best! She would never bear to sell me!” Qiqi hummed lightly.

As soon as she finished speaking, everyone in the carriage burst into laughter.

Because they deliberately took some small roads and accelerated their journey, by nightfall, the carriage had stopped at Pingfeng Cliff.

“Let’s go together. I’d like to see my master.” Mu Yunjin got off the carriage and looked down at Pingfeng Cliff, her heart tightening as she thought of Elder Feng Xuan.

Chu Li put his arm around Mu Yunjin’s shoulders, knowing that although she hadn’t shown any outward signs of distress during this time, she had always been thinking about Elder Feng Xuan’s death.

“Don’t worry, I’m fine.” Mu Yunjin gave Chu Li a reassuring look.

In the end, Chu Li, Mu Yunjin, and Jiang Qingxue went down Pingfeng Cliff, while the others—Ding Xian, Song Chun, Qiqi, and Lei Yan—waited on the cliff. Little Mu’er was temporarily looked after by Qiqi.

Before leaving, Mu Yunjin took two jars of wine that she had prepared in advance.

Upon reaching the bottom of Pingfeng Cliff, they saw that the original Qingfeng Island had disappeared, and a newly built small wooden cabin stood at the base of the cliff.

By now it was dark, and except for the dappled shadows cast by moonlight, everything around was pitch black.

After walking a few steps, the door of the small wooden cabin opened, and a tiny figure emerged. Seeing the approaching visitors, she excitedly called into the wooden cabin, “Granny, Senior Brother Chu and Sister Mu have come!”

After calling out, little Yu’er ran back into the wooden cabin and came out carrying a lantern.

“Senior Brother Chu, Yu’er will light your way.” Little Yu’er knew Chu Li had sparrow-mist eyes, so she now stood beside him, obediently holding up the lantern.

Chu Li reached out and patted her head. Seeing how the small child was struggling with the lantern, he bent down to take it from her hands and then held her hand. “Good girl.”

Seeing this scene, Mu Yunjin raised an eyebrow, finally understanding why Chu Li was so insistent on having a daughter.

By the time they reached the door of the cabin, Murong Rusu had also come to the entrance, leaning on a cane. The first person she saw was Chu Li. “You’ve come. Come in and sit.”

Chu Li nodded and stood at the door, gesturing for Mu Yunjin and Jiang Qingxue to enter first.

Jiang Qingxue was inexplicably nervous at this moment. She had met Murong Rusu several times before, always addressing her as Elder, but now she had become her mother.

“Mother, let’s go in.” Mu Yunjin took Jiang Qingxue’s arm and led her in first.

Murong Rusu hadn’t expected Jiang Qingxue to come as well. Upon seeing her, she gripped her cane tighter, seemingly suppressing her emotions.

“I am Yi’er.”

On the way here, Jiang Qingxue had thought of many opening lines, but now, under Murong Rusu’s gaze, only these four words came out.

Hearing this, Murong Rusu’s brows tightly furrowed, and after a while, she said softly, “My daughter has been gone from me for many years. You don’t need to try to make me happy.”

“Besides, that old black-robed ghost tried this trick before.”

Jiang Qingxue stepped closer and crouched down beside Murong Rusu, looking directly into her eyes. “Mother, don’t you remember when I was little, sitting beside you watching you embroider, asking why you gave me the name Yi’er…”

“You said at the time that I was your only daughter. When I was small, I relied on you and my father, but when I grew up, you would rely on me. Our family should always depend on each other…”

Sitting in her chair, upon hearing these words, Murong Rusu’s hand holding the cane began to tremble uncontrollably, and her eyes gradually moistened…

Mu Yunjin and Chu Li exchanged glances and left the small wooden cabin first.

……

On a summer night, an occasional cool breeze blew by.

“Little Yu’er, do you know where Grandpa Feng Xuan is?” Mu Yunjin lowered her gaze to look at little Yu’er beside her.

At the mention of Feng Xuan, little Yu’er’s small face sank. She pouted, her voice tinged with the verge of tears, “In the forest ahead…”

“Alright.”

After softly uttering this word, Mu Yunjin stepped toward the forest.

Chu Li didn’t follow her. Instead, he stayed with little Yu’er outside the small wooden cabin, enjoying the night breeze.

Mu Yunjin walked on the path to the forest, feeling as if each step carried a thousand pounds of weight, her breathing gradually becoming labored.

Although she had fully prepared herself mentally, when she saw the tombstone standing in the forest, her nose stung, and in an instant, her eyes became blurry.

Mu Yunjin knelt before the tombstone and kowtowed three times.

As she raised her head, her gaze fixed on the words “Feng Xuan’s Tomb,” and her restrained emotions suddenly collapsed. She immediately sobbed uncontrollably.

While crying, she choked out, “You stubborn old man, didn’t you say you were very powerful? Are you deliberately trying to make me laugh at you now?”

“How did I ever accept you as my master? You’re making me angry.”

“Look, I brought you two jars of wine. They’re from North Ming Country, my father’s treasured wine of many years. It took me great effort to get them from him. Try it and see if it suits your taste?”

“Do you like this wine? If you do, I’ll bring you more in the future, alright?”

“Master… I’m sorry…”

Mu Yunjin talked to herself in front of the tombstone for a long time, her expression wooden, her eyes hollow. She took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped the dust off the tombstone, one stroke after another.

After waiting for Mu Yunjin for a long time, Chu Li slowly walked toward the forest.

As he approached, he saw Mu Yunjin wiping Elder Feng Xuan’s tombstone, her figure thin and particularly forlorn.

“Huan’er, it’s time to go.” Chu Li spoke softly.

Hearing Chu Li’s voice, Mu Yunjin heaved a deep sigh, stood up, and bowed to Elder Feng Xuan’s tombstone, paying her respects.

“You stubborn old man, I have to go now. If you need anything, remember to tell me in a dream, do you hear?” After speaking, Mu Yunjin pressed her lips together and quickly turned around, no longer looking at the tombstone.

Chu Li stepped forward, walking closer, and bowed respectfully to Elder Feng Xuan’s tombstone. “Elder, rest assured, this prince will take good care of Yunjin.”

“Let’s go.” Chu Li, fearing that if they stayed any longer, Mu Yunjin’s tears would run dry, took her hand and led her out of the forest.

Mu Yunjin walked out step by step. After leaving the forest, she looked up at tonight’s moon.

It was very round, very full.

……

Half an hour later, Mu Yunjin and Chu Li left Pingfeng Cliff, while Jiang Qingxue stayed in the small wooden cabin to talk with Murong Rusu.

After getting back into the carriage, Qiqi saw that Mu Yunjin’s eyes had swollen to the size of walnuts. Naturally understanding why she was sad, Qiqi didn’t dare to engage Mu Yunjin in conversation rashly.

“Wuwa wuwa…” Little Mu’er woke from his sleep and wailed loudly.

Hearing this crying, Qiqi felt somewhat at a loss and quickly handed little Mu’er to Mu Yunjin.

Mu Yunjin took little Mu’er and looked down at him. “Don’t cry, be good, mother is here…”

Little Mu’er stopped crying when he heard his mother’s gentle comforting voice, but he was still sniffling, seemingly extremely aggrieved.

“Little darling, now’s the time to give your parents trouble, so go ahead and make the most of it! In a while, your little sister will be born!” Qiqi smiled, lowering her eyes, and gently poked little Mu’er’s face.

With that, little Mu’er started crying loudly again…