The Mountain Lord's Daughter

"Which of your eyes saw me being sad?"

Zhan Yunwei had initially been worried that if she took back the account books, the Second Madam might have some complaints. But before the Second Madam could act, it was the Second Master who caused trouble first in the evening.

When he was young, he was known as a reckless playboy in Qi Yang County: "Yue Zhi Heng, the Yue family has treated you well, hired a tutor for you, and provided for your needs. When you took over the Yue family, you knelt in front of the ancestral hall and promised my father that you would uphold the reputation of the Yue family and never harm or insult its members."

He puffed out his chest and continued, "But the first time you broke your promise, you caused the death of Mr. Ge in the family. Are you now planning to break your promise again and destroy everyone in the Yue family? Now that you've grown stronger, you're cutting off our family's financial resources. You ungrateful bastard! It's one thing if your Second Aunt and I can't survive, but now you're planning to starve to death even the Old Master!"

His outburst caused turmoil in the household. The Yue family had nearly a hundred servants, and was a large family, so when these words were spoken, the servants were immediately in a panic.

They usually didn't have access to the family's accounts and thought that the businesses of the Second Branch were what brought in the profits. But when this terrifying figure suddenly took back the stores yesterday, they realized where their monthly wages really came from.

In the past, they heard that Yue Zhi Heng had been acting with power and authority outside, and the common folk dared not speak out against him, but the servants often criticized him behind his back. Now, facing the situation themselves, they feared that Yue Zhi Heng might not care about them, and it felt as if they had been cut by a knife. Only then did they regret it.

Zhan Yunwei glanced over. Yue Zhi Heng, who had been sitting at the desk reading, was holding an ancient book about formations. The book looked old and seemed to have been recently acquired. He was preparing for the impending trouble brought by the Dongfang family.

Interrupted by the Second Master's disturbance, Yue Zhi Heng rested his hand on his forehead and his expression darkened.

Zhan Yunwei could tell that the Second Master was about to suffer. Mr. Yue had already said that he could be scolded, but not to his face.

Today, Yue Zhi Heng wore a dark robe with a deep blue trim at the waist. While others might not be able to pull off such colors, his broad shoulders and narrow waist made him appear even more imposing and stern.

The guards from the Chutian Mansion dragged the Second Master over.

The Second Master struggled but couldn't break free, and was forced to kneel in front of Yue Zhi Heng, his face flushed with anger. This... this bastard actually dared to make him kneel before him!

"What... What do you want to do? I am your Second Uncle!"

Yue Zhi Heng looked down at him and found it amusing. "A disrespectful descendant doesn't recognize his family. How could I have a Second Uncle? Since you mentioned Mr. Ge, why don't you remember his fate as well?"

His tone held a laugh, but no one would think he was actually in a good mood.

The Second Master realized that Yue Zhi Heng had no respect for him and tried to invoke the Old Master again, but before he could speak, his mouth was pried open, and a dagger was pressed against his tongue.

The cold, metallic smell made him shudder. The Second Master finally felt fear. His eyes widened in terror as he looked at Yue Zhi Heng.

He knew clearly that the reason the Second Branch had been able to manage the accounts for so many years was because Yue Zhi Heng was unfamiliar with these matters. When he was young and locked away for so long, as long as he was in front of Yue Zhi Heng and wasn't treated harshly, Yue Zhi Heng wouldn't notice.

The truth was, many things were out of Yue Zhi Heng's reach, things he would never be able to experience as a normal noble son, or even like a regular person.

Every time Yue Zhi Heng moved his wrist, the Second Master's whole body trembled, fearing that his tongue would be cut off. He had only heard of Yue Zhi Heng's notorious reputation outside, but he had never experienced it firsthand. Now, he finally realized that Yue Zhi Heng was truly capable of violence.

They had never treated Yue Zhi Heng like a real nephew, and Yue Zhi Heng didn't consider them his family either.

Yue Zhi Heng lowered his eyes and asked calmly, "Second Master Yue, can you manage your tongue from now on?"

The Second Master nodded desperately. Under the pressure of the Ninth-level Spiritual Pulse, even though he was kneeling, his legs were shaking, and he couldn't even think about resisting.

There was a creaking sound from the window. Zhan Yunwei peered out, but Yue Zhi Heng remained unbothered, the dagger still pressed against the Second Master.

The Second Master felt an icy, painful sensation in his mouth and hurriedly checked his tongue. After realizing that his tongue was still there, though injured by the magical weapon, he collapsed on the floor, no longer having the bold attitude he had before when trying to scold Yue Zhi Heng.

Unable to stand, the guards of Chutian Mansion took over and dragged him out.

Yue Zhi Heng returned to his desk and continued reading the formation book. Zhan Yunwei took a glance at him. She realized that if it wasn't for the Second Master's outburst, she might have almost forgotten that Yue Zhi Heng held the position of Master of the Chutian Mansion.

She calmed herself and reminded herself not to forget her current situation.

With the Second Master no longer causing trouble, Zhan Yunwei sat down across from Yue Zhi Heng and opened the account book, making notes with a vermilion pen. Looking through the books from these past few years, she quickly realized why the Second Master had reacted so strongly and dared to provoke Yue Zhi Heng.

The Old Master and Yue Zhi Heng both had the usual expenses of normal weapon refiners. The mute woman's expenses were minimal, but the Second Branch's expenditures were extravagant and odd.

For instance, the Second Master enjoyed composing poetry and indulging in refined culture. He spent a great deal of money every month at "Xian Da Lou" buying expensive scholar's supplies, which amounted to thousands of spirit stones.

Yue Wu Jiu loved famous swords, but he was on bad terms with his cousin. Although the family had the largest refining workshop, he deliberately went to the rival family's store to buy swords instead of using their own.

Yue Huai Le loved beauty, and after coming to the capital, perhaps because of constant exclusion by other young ladies, she bought all sorts of fashionable accessories and clothing to avoid falling behind others.

The Second Madam's accounts were even more peculiar, with many spirit stones unaccounted for—one after another, each entry was recorded in a vague manner.

There were so many details, it was overwhelming. Now that the Spirit Refining Pavilion had been reclaimed, wasn't this almost cutting off the lifeblood of the Second Branch?

Outside the window, it had started raining without notice. The light of the pearl lamp gradually brightened as the hours passed. After finishing the formation book in his hands, Yue Zhi Heng looked up and saw Zhan Yunwei under the soft glow of the lamp.

She held a vermilion pen, carefully calculating. Outside, the wind and rain could be heard, but inside, the room was quiet, with only the soft sounds of her pen on paper.

Yue Zhi Heng remembered his youth. Among all the subjects he studied, the one he disliked most and found the most tedious was the kind of poetic descriptions in literature.

Scholars loved to write about the beauty of the capital, the pleasures of life, and the enchanting women.

As a boy who grew up in isolation, he had little imagination in such matters. In order to teach him how to interact with people, Old Master Yue had once sent him to study at the family academy for a year.

He sat in the corner, appearing indifferent and reclusive, completely out of place among the other well-dressed, bright-eyed young men.

The teacher would recite aloud:

"Her cloud-like hair, delicate brows, crimson lips and white teeth, bright eyes with a charming smile. Her beauty transcends all, her presence serene and graceful. Her gentle nature is captivating, and her words are full of allure."

Yue Zhi Heng knew it was a description of a beautiful woman.

The young men around him, those of the same age as him, would look at each other with yearning, their ears turning red as if they could truly imagine such a fairy-like beauty.

But Yue Zhi Heng, with his chin resting in his hand, remained indifferent.

It wasn't that he disrespected the past; it was just that he felt such descriptions were exaggerated.

In his memories, the most beautiful person he had met was a sixteen-year-old girl he encountered when he was younger. But at that time, the fourteen-year-old girl was more innocent and endearing than anything else.

Yue Zhi Heng had no particular thoughts on her.

But now, looking at Zhan Yunwei under the lamp, the lack of imagination from his youth seemed to be slowly being filled in a rather absurd way.

It turned out that the poetic descriptions he had heard in his youth were not exaggerated at all, and even those words fell short of the reality.

The raindrops tapped gently on the eaves, a rhythmic and soft sound.

Years from now, who would see Zhan Yunwei at this moment?

Yue Zhi Heng's expression remained indifferent, his gaze lowering as he composed himself.

Zhan Yunwei moved the account books over to him and asked, "Master, where did the Second Madam spend all this money? The expenses are quite large."

Yue Zhi Heng noticed her change of address and couldn't help but sneer internally. He answered, "Don't worry about her. If she wasn't as foolish as the Second Master, things would remain as they are now, just as they were before."

Zhan Yunwei hadn't expected Yue Zhi Heng, who had just threatened the Second Master, to respond this way.

Yue Zhi Heng met her gaze and, unusually, explained: "The Second Madam's maternal family comes from Qin Chuan Mountain. She's from a prestigious family. If Qin Chuan Mountain hadn't declined, my Second Uncle would never have married her."

Zhan Yunwei understood now. She had heard of Qin Chuan Mountain.

Qin Chuan Mountain had taken in many orphans during chaotic times and had once sacrificed itself to patch a rift in the barrier.

Their ancestors were heroes, and they had once been a model for immortal clans. But because of their inability to manage resources, they were often in financial trouble.

Every few years, when the evil disturbances occurred, the people of Qin Chuan Mountain would always step in to help, and the spirit cultivators who died were mostly from their clan.

Even many years ago, during the disturbance of the barrier, the Second Madam's last relative, her nineteen-year-old brother, had passed away.

Since then, the people from Qin Chuan Mountain had been supported by the Second Madam.

As a Spirit Master, the Second Madam had very few ways to earn money, so she had to take funds from the Spirit Refining Pavilion.

Zhan Yunwei lifted her gaze to look at Yue Zhi Heng. She finally understood why the Second Madam treated the mute woman so harshly and even subtly targeted the First Madam.

The Second Madam's younger brother had died while saving Yue Zhi Heng's mother.

Although Yue Zhi Heng had no intention of cutting off the Second Madam's family's resources, the Second Madam had no idea. She hadn't even shown her face after such a significant event as reclaiming the Spirit Refining Pavilion.

Zhan Yunwei feared that the Second Madam might do something drastic in desperation.

A wise person's revenge was not as trivial as the Second Master's: "I'll send someone to inform her tomorrow."

Yue Zhi Heng had no objections.

On the way back to the study, as they passed through the corridor, a slender figure appeared, walking towards Yue Zhi Heng through the rain.

Zhan Yunwei hadn't expected to meet someone she had never seen before, not even in her previous life—the mother of Yue Zhi Heng.

Lady Xuan.

Lady Xuan Lan wore Buddhist beads around her wrist. Despite not being very old in terms of spiritual age, her hair had already turned silver, making her appear far older than the Second Madam.

It was faintly evident that she had once been extraordinarily beautiful in her youth.

Yue Zhi Heng resembled her somewhat.

Lady Xuan, in the midst of the wind and rain, walked out of the Buddhist hall she had stayed in for many years. She hadn't even attended Yue Zhi Heng's wedding but now, in this moment, had come alone to see her son, who had been apart from her for many years and was now a powerful official.

Zhan Yunwei immediately sensed something was wrong upon seeing her. It was most likely the Second Madam's doing. As she had expected, the first thing Lady Xuan did was raise her hand towards Yue Zhi Heng.

The wind howled and the rain intensified.

The slap was heavy, and Lady Xuan used spiritual power. Yue Zhi Heng's face was pushed to the side, and Zhan Yunwei clearly saw blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Yue Zhi Heng lowered his gaze, his expression unreadable.

Lady Xuan coldly said, "How did you survive that cursed place? Why do you have to come all the way here and harm my Yue family?"

In the sound of the rain, her voice was hoarse and filled with a chilling venom. Her words were so full of hatred that it seemed they could freeze one's bones.

"You bastard! Are you trying to drive me mad? If I had known you were like a parasite, an unshakable vengeful ghost, I would have killed you when you were born!"

Zhan Yunwei looked up, her heart trembling with a sharp chill.

Perhaps others didn't understand, but she did. She had seen that eight-year-old child in the Mirage Realm—how hard he worked, how humiliated he was in his search for his family.

But the other clan members refused him. They imprisoned him and the mute woman, which was already enough. Why, then, did his own mother say such heart-wrenching words?

Yue Zhi Heng's face turned pale. He lifted his dark lashes, turning his gaze to Lady Xuan.

His dark, ink-colored eyes were cold, and his tone was tinged with faint ridicule as he chuckled softly, "Bastard? Even if Lady Xuan regrets it today and wishes to make up for the mistakes of the past, it's probably too late."

"Wild words!"

Seeing her next slap about to land, Zhan Yunwei could no longer hold herself back. She stepped in front of Yue Zhi Heng, "First Madam, please calm down. This matter has nothing to do with Lord Yue."

The slap almost landed on Zhan Yunwei, but just as it was about to strike, she saw that Yue Zhi Heng had blocked Lady Xuan's hand.

He sneered, "Since you've never acknowledged me, don't come to lecture me. The first slap, I'll consider it a fit of madness. There won't be a second."

"Miss Zhan, it's none of your business. Step aside."

Lady Xuan's gaze shifted, as if she had just noticed the quiet young woman standing by the side.

Zhan Yunwei couldn't bear to hear Lady Xuan's piercing words. She briefly recounted the events that led to this situation.

"If not for the humiliation of Yue Qingluo, Lord Yue would not have taken back the account books." She frowned and said, "I don't know about past grudges, but Lord Yue is not in the wrong here. You can't hit him over an unfounded accusation, and you shouldn't say such hurtful words."

The sound of rain pattered, and the wind ruffled the hair by Zhan Yunwei's cheek.

Lady Xuan stared at her for a long time, observing the beautiful young woman, who stood her ground and blocked her son's path.

Then, suddenly, Lady Xuan let out a hollow laugh from her throat.

She withdrew her hand and didn't glance back at them. Instead, she turned and walked toward the corridor, her figure retreating sorrowfully toward the Buddhist hall.

Zhan Yunwei watched her retreating figure for a while but couldn't understand the meaning of the sorrowful smile Lady Xuan had given.

Lady Xuan was a pitiable person, but for Yue Zhi Heng and the mute woman, that pity had become another form of harm inflicted upon them.

Yue Zhi Heng lowered his gaze, his tone calm as he urged, "Miss Zhan, stop looking. Let's go back."

"Mm."

The two returned to the room.

Zhan Yunwei looked at the cut on Yue Zhi Heng's lips. Lord Yue really had been through a lot lately.

Noticing that he seemed uninterested in tending to the wound, she instructed Shi Hu to bring some ointment for external injuries and prepared to treat it herself.

Yue Zhi Heng said, "No need."

"You still have to go to the Che Tian Mansion tomorrow. If you don't take care of it now, it will leave a fingerprint mark," she said, frowning. "You'll be seen with it in the capital, and if your enemies see it, they might mock you. I'm sure that wouldn't sit well with you."

As expected, Yue Zhi Heng furrowed his brows but didn't object.

Zhan Yunwei was quite skilled with treating such wounds. After applying the medicine, a faint mark was still visible.

It was rare for Yue Zhi Heng, with his Nine-Tiered Spirit Veins, to be unable to resist and endure such a slap. There was probably no one else in the world who could do this except Lady Xuan.

The Second Madam also had her plans.

Zhan Yunwei thought, rather than the wound on his face, it was likely the hurt in Lord Yue's heart that was most unbearable.

Her chestnut-colored eyes lingered on the wound on Yue Zhi Heng's face. Thinking of the Mirror of the World he had given her today, she hesitated before speaking.

"Lord Yue."

"Mm."

"Don't be upset. Lady Xuan's words were just the result of her anger. Since she never intended to kill you in the past, today's words were just a slip of the tongue," she said softly.

Yue Zhi Heng wasn't actually feeling particularly upset, so he responded dismissively, "Which of your eyes saw me upset?"

He curled his lips into a slight smirk. "Also, she's tried to kill me several times, just never succeeded."

Zhan Yunwei was at a loss for words.

She had rarely seen Yue Zhi Heng so resistant to comfort. Seeing that his complexion was no longer as pale as before, she huffed and decided not to bother with him anymore. Putting down the medicine, she decided to grab her quilt.

Yue Zhi Heng looked at her back. "What are you doing?"

"Making the bed to rest."

It was almost the second watch of the night. Zhan Yunwei realized that when she and Yue Zhi Heng stayed together, they rarely got a full night's sleep.

Her wrist was suddenly grabbed.

Zhan Yunwei turned around in confusion, meeting Yue Zhi Heng's gaze, which seemed to hold something unsaid.

Zhan Yunwei asked, "What's wrong?"

Yue Zhi Heng paused, then pulled her back. "You sleep on the bed."

When Zhan Yunwei lay on the soft celestial jade bed, she saw that Yue Zhi Heng had chosen to lie on the floor beneath her bed.

She was a bit puzzled. Yue Zhi Heng was actually willing to sleep on the floor?

Sensing her gaze, Yue Zhi Heng coldly said, "Miss Zhan, if you can't sleep on the bed, we can switch places."

She asked curiously, "Why? Have I moved you so much today?"

Yue Zhi Heng chuckled lightly. Did she think he was the kind of fool who would be moved by such things? If he were, he might as well go sweep the floors in the Immortal Sect and give up his position as the Chief of the Che Tian Mansion.

"I just can't let you suffer from evil energy entering your body in the dead of night," he said, his eyes growing colder as his mood darkened. "If you say one more word, we'll switch back immediately."

Zhan Yunwei wasn't someone who couldn't enjoy a good life. She immediately lay down.

After a long time, the rain grew quieter.

The girl on the bed spoke again, "Lord Yue, she was completely wrong. Everyone has the right to live well."

He didn't close his eyes. In a low voice, he murmured, "Mm."

"I know."