“Master, I do not like Feng Jiu’er.” Mu Mu’s tone was flat, clearly beginning to calm itself down.
Ye Luocha let out a cold snort. “Would you try to deceive even your own master? If it weren’t out of liking for her, why would you be this anxious?”
“Master should know quite well—A’Jiu is the Phoenix Maiden. Whoever obtains the Phoenix Maiden obtains the world. If the Phoenix Maiden were to fall into someone else’s hands, the consequences would be unimaginable.”
Mu Mu’s words left no obvious flaw for anyone to pick at, yet Ye Luocha still seemed unconvinced.
“In that case, if Feng Jiu’er weren’t the Phoenix Maiden, would you no longer be so devoted to her?”
Mu Mu pressed his lips together, not answering the question directly, only saying, “Master told this disciple from the very start to draw close to the Phoenix Maiden, and this disciple has obeyed Master’s instructions ever since. Could Master still have any doubts about that?”
“Back when Feng Jiu’er was so unsightly, this disciple told her that he had decided she would be his future bride. If it weren’t for Master’s orders, how could this disciple ever have grown fond of such an ugly girl?”
Mu Mu’s words left Ye Luocha pondering for a moment.
After that, she nodded. “Back then, Feng Jiu’er truly was ugly enough to put one off their appetite.”
Still, Ye Luocha remained uneasy, staring at Mu Mu’s handsome face, her voice as cold as ever.
“You must understand, your identity is no ordinary matter, and you still carry a heavy responsibility upon your shoulders. As for matters of romantic affection, remember well not to indulge in them.”
“This disciple understands.”
“Don’t just say so casually with your mouth.”
“Master, rest assured—this disciple has never forgotten the great responsibility he carries. Until our great cause is accomplished, I will never fall for any woman!”
Ye Luocha continued staring at his face, and after a long while, she let out a soft sigh. “Mu’er, it isn’t that Master doesn’t wish for your happiness, but you are not yet in any position to speak of happiness.”
“This disciple understands!” Mu Mu bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Ye Luocha sighed again, her mood far from good. In truth, she didn’t wish to see her own disciple troubled either.
But there were some things that simply had to be done.
She said, “It seems the person in Feng Jiu’er’s heart is still Zhan Qingcheng. But Zhan Qingcheng is the pillar that Bei Mu relies upon—to overthrow Bei Mu, he must be eliminated!”
So they truly did intend to move against the Ninth Imperial Uncle!
Inside the room, A’Jiu wanted to get up, but her entire body felt weak and limp, and she still couldn’t even open her eyelids.
Only, her breathing was gradually growing more uneven.
Outside, Ye Luocha continued, “Since Feng Jiu’er is the Phoenix Maiden, we absolutely cannot let her end up together with Zhan Qingcheng—otherwise, sooner or later, this whole world will belong to that prince of Bei Mu.”
“Since you have no feelings for Feng Jiu’er, all the better—in the future, when we use her against Zhan Qingcheng, you won’t feel any distress over it.”
Ye Luocha patted the back of Mu Mu’s hand. “Don’t worry—once our great cause is accomplished, if you don’t like Feng Jiu’er by then, we’ll simply send her off somewhere. Master will absolutely not make things difficult for you.”
“But for now, you must stay by her side, and you must not let her return to Zhan Qingcheng’s side—understood?”
“This disciple understands.”
“Master knows you are kind and softhearted, and there are many things you can’t bring yourself to do. Don’t worry, Master will help you.”
There seemed to be some other meaning hidden within Ye Luocha’s words, but with Mu Mu’s heart now so preoccupied with thoughts of Feng Jiu’er, he didn’t notice it at all.
Ye Luocha laughed again. “Feng Jiu’er really is right inside this room. Go on in and see whether she’s been hurt. She’s the Phoenix Maiden—whether you like her or not, keeping her around still has its uses for now.”
Ye Luocha’s smile carried some deeper meaning as she gently gave him a push. “Go on, quickly.”
Mu Mu couldn’t help but feel that his master’s smile tonight seemed somewhat strange, leaving a flicker of confusion in his heart.
But once he knew that A’Jiu was right there inside, Mu Mu had no mind left to think of anything else—he only wanted to rush in at once and first make certain she was safe and well.
The door was pushed open, and a wave of floral fragrance struck him in the face.
Mu Mu’s sword-shaped brows furrowed slightly, a flicker of caution rising in him—but the moment he saw the young woman lying on the bed, his heart gave a violent lurch, and without thinking any further, he rushed straight inside.
“A’Jiu!”
The door closed behind him, and it seemed to have been locked as well.
But a door like this meant nothing at all to him, so Mu Mu paid it no mind.
Walking to the bedside, he lifted Feng Jiu’er up, reaching his hand toward the tip of her nose.
Once he felt her breathing, Mu Mu finally let out a deep breath of relief.
Master had said they wanted to use A’Jiu against the Ninth Prince. He didn’t know how exactly his master intended to use A’Jiu, but he understood very clearly that A’Jiu staying here would certainly be dangerous.
Since her heart was set on the Ninth Imperial Uncle, she would naturally never stand by and watch others use her against the person she cared about most.
That being the case, no matter what the final outcome might be, A’Jiu could never come away from this unscathed.
If he wanted what was best for her, the only way was to get her away from here as quickly as possible.
Mu Mu took hold of Feng Jiu’er’s hand, his fingers intertwining with hers, and a stream of rich internal energy immediately began flowing into her body.
The floral fragrance was thick, and as he channeled his energy, it seemed to grow even stronger.
Mu Mu’s brow remained furrowed—in the past, he had never liked the scent of this kind of flower in the least, but tonight, for some unknown reason, this fragrance seemed to be growing more and more pleasant to him.
Especially as he transmitted true energy into A’Jiu, the floral scent entering his nose gave him an intoxicating, blissful feeling.
Why did he find himself liking this fragrance more and more?
“A’Jiu, wake up, wake up quickly!”
Her eyelids were already trembling faintly, only she still couldn’t open them.
She had been declared the Phoenix Maiden—whoever obtains the Phoenix Maiden obtains the world. Because of this, only days into first meeting her, he had said all that about having decided she would be his bride.
So it turned out that everything had simply been a means of using her, all just to use her against the Ninth Imperial Uncle?
She truly didn’t want to believe that the bond between Mu Mu and herself in the past had been false, but with the truth laid out before her, how could she not believe it?
“A’Jiu!”
At last, Feng Jiu’er slowly opened her eyes.
The moment she saw Mu Mu, there was no hatred in the depths of her gaze—only, surprisingly, calm.
“A’Jiu, how are you feeling?” Mu Mu released her hand, his gaze settling on her face, his breathing inexplicably growing heavy—whether out of worry for her, or for some other reason, he couldn’t say.
In any case, his breathing seemed to grow more and more rapid, and heavier still.
Feng Jiu’er said nothing. Right now, her entire body felt weak and sore, with even speaking feeling like an effort.
Yet, the way she looked at Mu Mu was clearly so cold, so full of resistance.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know they would suddenly move against you. But don’t worry, once you’ve recovered a little, I’ll take you away from here at once.”
A’Jiu still said nothing, moving her fingers slightly, only to find them still without any strength.
“What’s wrong? Are you still angry?” Mu Mu wanted to set her back down, to let her rest properly, but for some reason, after holding her in his arms, he found himself somewhat… reluctant to let her go!
He had never been someone who expressed his feelings so openly, yet tonight, for some unknown reason, he not only didn’t want to put her down, but the moment his gaze locked onto her thin lips, he felt an overwhelming urge to kiss her fiercely!