Mu Jingyi had a necessary reason to keep him alive.

He patiently informed Mu Xujing about the Northern Court Moon Palace’s thousand-year continuity.

The Northern Court Moon Palace was renowned for its curse techniques. Many curse techniques in the world had become the sect’s unique skills, essential for both fighting demons and maintaining daily human life.

The Moon Palace was controlled by three great families.

The Mu family, the Jiang family, and the Liu family.

The three lineages belonged to the Moon Palace while remaining independent.

The Mu and Liu families inherited the power and curse techniques of the founding Palace Master, so the position of Palace Master was contested between the two families. Whichever family became Palace Master, had to marry a woman from the Jiang family.

When Mu Xujing heard this, he couldn’t understand it, and even thought, after a long time, that humans were complicated and sick.

When Mu Jingyi mentioned the Jiang family, he was full of contempt and disgust: “Disciples of the Moon Palace or other immortal sects only think that the Jiang family possesses premium spirit bones, believing that the reason generations of Palace Masters marry Jiang family members is for cultivation. Those are all inferior speculations and opinions.”

Mu Xujing thought to himself that no matter how you looked at it, the Mu and Liu families seemed inferior. Considering the age difference between his father and that stepmother, why would someone dare to marry if not for the other’s power to cultivate together? What else could it be for?

“Only the Mu and Liu families inherited the power and curse techniques of the founding Palace Master, while the Jiang family is an existence that we supervise.”

Mu Jingyi looked at him and said in a deep voice: “You should know how the founding Palace Master died.”

Mu Xujing expressionlessly said: “Cursed suicide.”

“That’s what the outside world knows, but this ‘Breaking White Head’ curse was cast on the founding Palace Master by someone from the Jiang family,” Mu Jingyi said gravely, revealing an earth-shattering secret. “At that time, the founding Palace Master was already married. His wife was from the Jiang family and was also a monster.”

“The founding Palace Master’s curse techniques were unmatched, the best in the world at the time, but some demons couldn’t be completely eradicated, like the Fire Demon. Kill it, and after some time, it would rise again.”

They were called the “undying” demons.

“For such demons, the founding Palace Master used curse techniques to seal them, eliminating their threat. But there was one demon that was sealed inside his wife.”

Mu Xujing hearing this finally showed a reaction, moving his eyeballs slightly.

“The founding Palace Master and his wife had a deep affection for each other. This demon, resentful of being sealed, killed his wife and then used her hand to cast the ‘Breaking White Head’ curse.”

“The founding Palace Master fought against this demon, but the opponent’s strength was formidable, at the level of a Demon King. Before dying, it declared it would live on in the bloodline of every Jiang family member, never to rest until the Northern Court Moon Palace was destroyed.”

“Since then, Jiang family women have had the so-called premium spirit bones,” Mu Jingyi said with disgust. “This means they have the Demon King’s bloodline and can resurrect it.”

Mu Xujing admitted he was shocked, but he still couldn’t understand why they needed to dual-cultivate.

Mu Jingyi seemed to have mind-reading abilities and coldly laughed: “You all think it’s dual cultivation, but the truth is that it’s sealing the Demon King’s power.”

The Moon Palace’s curse techniques had their uniqueness, and the Mu and Liu families directly inherited the founding Palace Master’s secret techniques.

“The founding Palace Master was merciful. Considering that the Jiang family was also his wife’s family, he couldn’t bear to exterminate them completely. He also missed his wife too much and had arranged everything before his death.”

“The Jiang family members could survive, but they were not allowed to cultivate. Once, someone was bewitched by the demon and secretly learned curse techniques, attempting to resurrect the Demon King, and was thus surrounded and attacked by both families at the time. This happened hundreds of years ago when the Mu and Liu families decided to kill all the Jiang family members.”

Mu Jingyi’s eyes flashed with cold light: “But they failed. The Jiang family had long feared extinction, so they secretly sent their offspring outside the Moon Palace. Over hundreds of years, the Jiang bloodline had spread throughout the mortal world.”

Mu Xujing strangely felt that the Jiang family was quite clever.

The three families agreed because of this: never to exterminate the Jiang family, but Jiang family members must live in the Moon Palace, under supervision for life. If any Jiang family member secretly learned curse techniques, they must be executed.

But over a thousand years, the Mu and Liu families’ populations gradually declined. The Liu family even died out a hundred years ago, and the Mu family had fewer and fewer people.

In contrast, the Jiang family was living quite well.

There was one reason for this: the Jiang family didn’t learn curse techniques and didn’t engage in dangerous demon-slaying activities. The Mu and Liu families, however, had suffered losses over the millennia in various human-demon battles.

Mu Jingyi pointed at Mu Xujing and said: “When the founding Palace Master was alive, he sealed many evil demons that plagued the world. After thousands of years until now, the seals are still suppressed by his power. And you and I, our Mu family, have inherited his power, also inheriting this responsibility to guard the seals.”

Mu Xujing listened expressionlessly.

He had no interest in this responsibility either.

“Each generation of Palace Masters must form a blood contract with the seal, providing power to it. But your father died before he could dissolve the blood contract. Now in this world, only you, who inherited his bloodline, can continue this blood contract until someone else in the Mu family learns the secret technique of forming contracts.”

The blood contract required blood as a medium, which was why he was still alive.

Mu Xujing raised his eyes to look at him: “If he didn’t have any bloodline, what would you do?”

Mu Jingyi frowned at his use of “you” rather than “we,” and coldly said: “Haven’t you realized your own identity yet?”

Mu Xujing remained silent.

Mu Jingyi’s gaze turned icy: “This seal absolutely cannot be broken. Each of those demons released would be a troublesome disaster, not to mention that there are thousands sealed inside!”

“Over thousands of years, how many people from our Mu and Liu families have died slaying demons and protecting the world? Even to the point where the Liu family became extinct to maintain this peace! But what did that lowborn woman from the Jiang family do? She killed your father! Killed the Moon Palace Master! Just for herself, without considering how serious it would be if there was no blood contract to supply power to the seal, and the seal broke, releasing ten thousand demons to plague the world!”

Compared to the slightly agitated Mu Jingyi, Mu Xujing expressionlessly asked: “Then why not kill her?”

Mu Jingyi’s expression became slightly distorted.

Mu Xujing continued: “She doesn’t learn curse techniques, only has premium spirit bones. Killing her would be as easy as turning over your palm for you.”

“Why not kill her?”

Mu Jingyi coldly looked at him.

“Premium spirit bones are the best cultivation aid. Killing her like this would be too wasteful.”

It was impossible to say that over so many years, the Mu and Liu families hadn’t benefited from the Jiang family.

The reason they could have such powerful strength was half due to these premium spirit bones.

Some people hated the Jiang family to the bone, despising and disdaining them. Such Jiang’s family members lived lives worse than death.

But later, Mu Xujing discovered another reason why they didn’t kill Jiang Miao.

The Mu family didn’t dare announce these secrets to the outside world, so Jiang Miao’s inheritance of the Moon Palace Master position was natural. Over the years, supervisors became fewer, while Jiang’s family members increased.

The supervisors never participated in the Moon Palace’s management, but the Jiang family members, because they had to live in the Moon Palace, maintained good relationships with generations of Moon Palace disciples, creating complex connections.

The Mu family wanted to kill Jiang Miao, but the Moon Palace wouldn’t allow it.

Over thousands of years, the tables had turned, and the suppressed Jiang family somehow became more powerful than their supervisors.

Mu Jingyi told him that the Jiang family had always been obedient, living in harmony, but now there was a Jiang Miao who had messed things up.

Jiang Miao was a madwoman who disregarded people’s lives, wanting to take revenge on the Mu family by trying to break the seal.

Thus, under Mu Jingyi’s indoctrination, Mu Xujing’s impression of the new Moon Palace Master, his stepmother, was that she was dignified, cold, full of ambition, and lofty.

One night while he was practicing sword by the river, he suddenly turned around and found someone had been watching him for a long time from under a tree.

The moonlight was grand, seeming to fall entirely on her.

The woman’s figure was slender and beautiful, her gaze bright, giving him a sense of tranquility like the moon reflected in water.

Undeniably, she was very beautiful.

Years ago, the Northern Court Moon Palace’s wedding was grand, and people had seen the second Palace Master’s wife’s extraordinary beauty.

But although she was beautiful, calling such a young and pretty girl “mother” was too bizarre.

Mu Xujing couldn’t bring himself to do it.

The two silently faced each other for a moment, both guessing the other’s identity, yet saying nothing.

Only when the maid’s call came from behind did Jiang Miao turn to leave?

Not long after, Mu Jingyi brought him before the Moon Palace crowd to announce that he was the bloodline of the previous Palace Master who had been lost outside, and further claimed that it was Jiang Miao who had brought him back to the Moon Palace, thereby dispelling outside suspicions.

Mu Jingyi sent him to Jiang Miao’s side, ostensibly to cultivate under the Palace Master, but actually to monitor Jiang Miao’s every move.

Mu Xujing complied.

Jiang Miao had no extreme reactions to this suddenly appearing stepson.

She preferred using sign language to communicate with people, rarely speaking.

So people in the Moon Palace often saw the Palace Master making hand gestures while the Young Palace Master responded expressionlessly. Or the Young Palace Master would mechanically relay messages, and the Palace Master would question with sign language, the two speaking at cross purposes.

Maids often covered their faces, unable to watch such awkward communication between the two.

No matter how many times Mu Xujing said he couldn’t understand, Jiang Miao wouldn’t speak to him.

He couldn’t bring himself to feel the same hatred and disgust towards Jiang Miao as Mu Jingyi did, nor did he have any fondness for her beauty. As he had said before, he only regarded himself as a tool, everything was just to return to the mountains as soon as possible.

So he faithfully reported Jiang Miao’s every move to Mu Jingyi.

Like when Jiang Miao secretly learned curse techniques.

At night, Mu Xujing saw Mu Jingyi furiously walking towards Jiang Miao, raising his hand to slap her to the ground. Mu Jingyi gripped the woman’s neck, mocking and sarcastic, while forcibly pouring the medicine that cleansed curse techniques down her throat.

If the Jiang family elder hadn’t arrived quickly, Jiang Miao would have been strangled to death by Mu Jingyi that night.

The Jiang family members pulled Mu Jingyi away, but Mu Xujing saw the disheveled Jiang Miao on the ground raise her hand to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth, and then look up at him.

Those eyes were dark and bright, without anger or hatred, just calm and steady. But with that one glance, Mu Xujing understood that Jiang Miao knew who had betrayed her.

That night, the confined Jiang Miao spoke to him for the first time: “I heard you used to live in a beautiful mountain.”

Mu Xujing turned to look at her. Jiang Miao said, “Could you tell me about the mountain?”

He didn’t know why he stopped his departing steps.

Perhaps he missed the peaceful and comfortable days in the mountains too much and wanted to share the beauty of the mountains with others.

After this incident, Jiang Miao had to drink the medicine that cleansed curse techniques every day.

Mu Xujing continued to stay by Jiang Miao’s side.

Jiang Miao still used sign language with him, but occasionally would say a few words.

Mu Xujing, however, couldn’t learn sign language.

But Jiang Miao overturned his preconceived impressions.

The idea that she was domineering and cold was unrealistic.

At her core, she was an ordinary girl who would throw small tantrums and was stubborn.

Mu Xujing also didn’t believe that Jiang Miao wanted to break the seal to release demons and take revenge on the Mu family or the Northern Court Moon Palace.

She was quite dedicated as Palace Master.

She caught and punished disciples who bullied others one by one, and earnestly resolved demon troubles around the Northern Court city area to keep people safe.

Mu Xujing believed that Jiang Miao loved this world and wouldn’t want to destroy it.

He also felt that Jiang Miao loved curse techniques.

Even though she had to drink the cleansing medicine every day, she persisted in secretly learning, each time being humiliated and scolded by Mu Jingyi.

The Mu family’s killing intent towards her grew stronger.

Even the Jiang family elders couldn’t protect her.

On the way to Taichu in the Western Sea, the Mu family wanted to kill her, but Jiang Miao unexpectedly avoided the assassination.

That day, Jiang Miao rarely spoke to him about these matters: “If one day the Mu family asks you to kill me, you’d better be serious about it.”

Mu Xujing stood under the eaves, silently watching the woman in the courtyard.

He said, “If you behave like previous Jiang family members and don’t cause trouble, you can live peacefully through your life.”

Jiang Miao seemed surprised that he would say this, and couldn’t help but smile at him.

Though she appeared quiet and docile, she rarely smiled.

“A lifetime confined to one place, controlled by others, and because of these premium spirit bones, exploited until death. What meaning does such a life have? Besides, do you know why the previous Palace Master’s wife died so early?” Jiang Miao smiled and said, “Any Mu family member could gain power from her, like your second uncle, and third uncle—Jiang family members are not human, this has been their perception for hundreds of years.”

“If you had grown up in the Mu family, raised by the Mu family, you would think the same way.”

This was the first time Jiang Miao had spoken so much to him.

“Do you know how people described me before I married your father?” Jiang Miao asked, not giving Mu Xujing a choice before directly saying, “A whore that anyone could have.”

Mu Xujing was stunned.

Yet Jiang Miao spoke very calmly, even reciting with a bit of seriousness.

“But later, how did people in the cultivation world describe me?”

“They said I was the pearl of the Moon Palace, the moon in the sky illuminating the Northern Court.”

Jiang Miao smiled and looked up at the night sky: “I don’t want to be the moon in the sky, I just want to be the eagle under the moon.”

The eagle flying under the moon, soaring in the sky, free and at ease.

Mu Xujing was once again shocked by someone from the Moon Palace after a long time.

The last thing Jiang Miao said that night was: “You all fear this demon’s rebirth, but I want to see if it can truly come back to life.”

Mu Xujing believed that Mu Jingyi had guessed wrong, but he also didn’t know what Jiang Miao wanted to do.

Just as he didn’t know that Jiang Miao would intervene when Cui Huowu insulted him in Taichu of the Western Sea.

The people in this world who would protect him were indeed few and far between.

There wasn’t much to count.

Counting over and over, there was only the old man.

But Mu Xujing never expected Jiang Miao to be the second one.

In the pitch-black prison room, the formation flashed briefly, spitting out the punished person, the iron chains swinging with a clanking sound.

Mu Xujing looked at the man and fox still in the room.

Now there was a third and a fourth person.

Mu Xujing said in a hoarse voice: “I’ve finished speaking, why haven’t you left yet?”

Ling Luo lazily said: “That fool activated the Thousand Silk Path, we can’t get out.”

Yue Liangze: “Didn’t you capture him?”

“How would I know where I trapped him in the Thousand Silk Path?” Ling Luo snorted. “Would I bother going back to find such a worthless person who can’t even break a simple confinement formation?”

Yue Liangze’s expression was helpless. His Flying Cloud Listener could only receive messages but not send them in this place.

With nothing else to do, the man and fox decided to teach him curse techniques to pass the time while Mu Xujing was resting from his punishment.

Mu Xujing, suddenly forced to cultivate: “…”

He said: “My hands are bound, I can’t learn even if you teach me.”

The white fox pointed at him with her paw, arrogantly saying: “Not all curse techniques require hand seals. Many only need you to remember the incantations. Learn one at a time. The world’s two greatest sword cultivators are teaching you, dare you say no? Whether you want to learn or not, you must!”

Yue Liangze finally experienced the satisfaction his three senior brothers and master had felt when they took turns watching him recite and memorize incantations.

No wonder his senior brothers had enjoyed it so much.

Mu Xujing’s face slightly contorted: “You two are strongest in sword techniques, why not teach me swordsmanship?”

Yue Liangze: “I’m also strong in curse techniques.”

Ling Luo stared at him and asked: “What do you mean we two are strongest in sword techniques? Who’s stronger than whom? Speak up!”

Mu Xujing: “…”

The white fox waved her paw fiercely at him: “Speak!”

Mu Xujing immediately said: “You’re the strongest.”

The white fox instantly resumed smiling.

Yue Liangze stroked her head.

The unfortunate Wu Xu was only discovered by the Moon Palace people much later. They activated the Thousand Silk Path to find him trapped in the skin puppet spirit. Wu Xu was furious when he got out and ordered people to find that white fox skin puppet spirit, determined to turn the entire Moon Palace upside down to find it.

Meanwhile, that white fox was openly being carried away by Yue Liangze right under his nose.

On the way back to the Moon Palace’s Listening Tower, Yue Liangze asked: “What method will you use to help him avoid the Three Seals?”

Ling Luo: “It’s a secret, I’ll tell you later.”

Yue Liangze pursed his lips, looked away, and said: “The people coming from Tianji might include the Third Sect Master.”

Ling Luo looked up at him and deliberately asked: “You’re not afraid of my master, are you?”

“No,” he answered quickly.

Ling Luo: “Then let him come.”

Yue Liangze pondered.

How should he delicately hint to Ling Luo that the letters he wrote had been seen by Yun Shouxi? When he saw Yun Shouxi again, he had only one thought. In Wu Sheng’s words, it would be to shatter him directly.

Yue Liangze felt he had fallen.

He had started to agree with Wu Sheng’s ideas.