Chapter 21: Seeing It Through to the End

After being led to the second floor by the female attendant, Mu Qiu Ying saw a person.

“Qiu Ying, it was my fault, making you suffer.”

Mu Chun Xiang had found her younger sister, who had just broken through to the Refining Void stage, and hugged her tightly.

Sister?

Of course, she remembered her sister.

Many years ago, she had come to their home with that Immortal.

“Sister…”

“What about Father and Mother? How are they now?”

“They are well. Sister, is it really you?”

“Yes. It’s me.”

“…”

While searching for her Master, Mu Chun Xiang was also looking for her family.

Juenian Mountain was so vast; she couldn’t possibly give up easily.

And she still had family.

Now, as the master of Linlang Pavilion, Mu Chun Xiang had completely gained the power to protect her own family.

Upon hearing that her younger sister and parents were still alive and well, the depression in Mu Chun Xiang’s heart, caused by her Master’s rejection, improved slightly.

“Sister, you are actually the master of Linlang Pavilion…”

Mu Qiu Ying was all too familiar with Linlang Pavilion.

Basically, no cultivator could avoid dealing with this merchant guild.

This time, Mu Qiu Ying was found by Mu Chun Xiang inside Linlang Pavilion.

“Yes. Your sister now has the power to protect you all. Qiu Ying, take me to see them.”

Accompanied by Mu Chun Xiang, Mu Qiu Ying returned to her home in the Seventh Heaven.

Watching her sister embrace their mother again, Mu Qiu Ying momentarily didn’t know whether to be happy or…

She lowered her head to look at her own simple, sturdy clothing, then glanced at Mu Chun Xiang, dressed in resplendent gold and white robes.

Although their faces were seventy percent similar, the difference between them now was like heaven and earth.

“Chun Xiang! It’s so wonderful to see you become who you are now… Chun Xiang… what about that Immortal?”

Mu Mother now practically enshrined Chen Juenian.

In her eyes, Chen Juenian was a true Immortal.

When their Mu family was about to shatter, he had adopted Mu Chun Xiang, giving the couple the will to continue living.

Later, he brought a healthy Mu Chun Xiang to their home and even gave Mu Qiu Ying a tremendous opportunity.

Although what they could offer was as light as a feather to that Immortal, they still wished to repay him personally.

So, why was her daughter so slow to speak?

“Chun Xiang, did something happen?”

“Master has been traveling around all these years. I don’t know where he is.”

“What a pity…”

“…”

Later, Mu Qiu Ying learned the truth alone from Mu Chun Xiang.

It was she herself who couldn’t control her desires and provoked that Immortal, ultimately severing their relationship.

“Compared to me, perhaps, Qiu Ying, you might be more suitable to be Master’s disciple.”

Mu Chun Xiang gently brushed away the killing intent clinging to her younger sister.

She had already learned through intelligence reports about her sister’s actions over the years.

If her Master weren’t Chen Juenian, then he would undoubtedly be even more outstanding than her.

“What was it like… being that Immortal’s disciple?”

What was it like?

Mu Chun Xiang couldn’t help but smile, but upon remembering she had personally destroyed everything, her smile faded.

“Not only did you not have to worry about survival, but if you said you wanted something, Master would definitely hand that thing to you personally the very next day. He could remember your birthday, and no matter where you were, he could send a thoughtful gift in different ways.”

Listening to her sister’s account, Mu Qiu Ying felt envious and couldn’t help but recall her own experiences over the years.

Most of the time, she was alone, not only struggling to make a living but also having to care for her parents.

Walking the edge of life and death had become routine for her, and what she gained afterward might only be a small gift her sister could obtain with a single word.

“…”

“Qiu Ying?”

“Yes.”

“Now that I’ve found you, I definitely won’t let you and our parents live such a life anymore. From now on, little sister, whatever you want, your sister will deliver it to you.”

—

At night, Mu Qiu Ying suddenly woke from a dream.

This time, she didn’t have that despicable dream again but dreamed of returning to the day she reunited with her sister.

“Sister… I think I really…”

Unfounded jealousy?

This memory from hundreds of years ago, originally completely blurred, was undoubtedly telling her that she was jealous of her sister.

The gap between people made Mu Qiu Ying understand back then that climbing up didn’t necessarily require fighting and killing.

But how could the inherently kind-hearted Mu Qiu Ying allow herself to harbor jealousy towards her own blood sister?

Over these hundreds of years, she slowly forgot this jealousy, to the point where she even deceived herself.

“…”

On the other side, Chen Juenian, who had used a little trick, naturally also knew everything.

To be honest, if it were him, he would also feel jealous like Mu Qiu Ying.

So, what should be done now?

Chen Juenian understood deeply that if he were to personally resolve Mu Qiu Ying’s inner turmoil, he would inevitably end up involving himself in the matter.

But if he didn’t do this, the jealousy in Mu Qiu Ying’s heart would become an obstacle for her, who originally believed herself to be free of envy, affecting her mental state and even her future Immortal Path.

Until the morning light shone down, Chen Juenian hadn’t thought of a perfect solution.

A method that could both avoid exposing his identity and resolve Mu Qiu Ying’s inner turmoil.

Given Mu Qiu Ying’s personality, once he exposed his true identity, she would definitely inform Mu Chun Xiang, leading to the bad ending of being imprisoned and turned into a plaything.

Just as Chen Juenian stopped thinking and prepared to go out to train, he suddenly heard the voices of a middle-aged man and woman talking outside his door:

‘Our daughter is so busy managing the sect, let’s not disturb her, okay?’

‘No, Mu Xingyuan, don’t you want to hold a grandchild?’

‘But we can’t pressure our own child either!’

‘Qiu Ying is already so old. If she can’t find someone now, she might never find anyone later! Do you want your Mu family line to end?’

Recognizing who the visitors were, Chen Juenian immediately dismissed the idea of going out to pretend to practice archery.

After a brief silence ended, Mu Qiu Ying’s voice came from outside again:

“Dad, Mom.”

“Qiu Ying, listen to your mother. You’re already this old. It’s not that Mom wants to pressure you…”

After confirming that her eldest daughter would guard her chastity for the deceased Immortal her whole life, Mu Mother could only pin her hopes on her second daughter to continue the family line.

The problem was, her second daughter seemed to have never had any such thoughts.

Moreover, the killing intent around her was enough to make the vast majority of people keep their distance, not to mention that Mu Qiu Ying herself had zero interest in that aspect.

“I understand, daughter—”

As she spoke, Mu Qiu Ying glanced towards Chen Juenian’s door.

Thankfully, he was sleeping in today.

Otherwise, her big-mouthed mother would definitely reveal his existence to her sister one day in the future.

“Good, that puts our old hearts at ease. Qiu Ying, Mom will come to see you more often from now on!”

“Okay… okay…”

Saying she’ll come to see her more is really just to check on her situation.

Mu Qiu Ying had gained another worry.

Just moments ago, she was blaming herself for the wicked thoughts in her heart.

Now, she had to figure out how to deal with her parents.

Her sister had an exemption because of that Immortal, so the one to suffer could only be her.

After seeing her parents off, Mu Qiu Ying sat down at the table in the hall.

Her mind was in turmoil now; she couldn’t even attend to the task of patrolling the sect’s surroundings.

She remembered the dream she had the day before yesterday.

Although that dream was despicable, the care and attention she received from that Immortal felt incredibly real.

Whatever she wanted, that Immortal would give it, exactly as her sister had described.

Right, the Immortal in the dream was imagined by her based on her sister’s words.