On this day, Mu Daoying pulled out a box of old books from the side hall.
These old books had not been touched in ages and were badly mildewed. With fine weather today, he rarely stepped out of the hall to air them.
He laid these old books out one by one, meticulously, on tall stools. He had only spread half the box when a hearty laugh rang out from afar.
“So this is the famous Daoist Mu?”
Mu Daoying slowly straightened up and looked over intently.
He saw three or five young men of striking beauty approaching him.
Some of these young men had refined and handsome features, others were gorgeously alluring.
He thought to himself that these must be Liu Qiao’e’s male lords.
The leader cupped his hands and introduced himself. “This humble one is surnamed He, with the single name Chuan. I have long admired Daoist Mu’s great name. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation.”
Mu Daoying furrowed his brows tightly. He was not so naive as to think they had really come just to chat him up.
He Chuan smiled on the surface, but his eyes flashed with undisguised probing intent.
“We’ve long heard that a jade-like beauty arrived in Floating Flower Hall. Seeing you today, you outshine us old-timers completely.”
Mu Daoying said calmly, “Friend, you overpraise me. How can my willow-in-spring, grass-by-autumn looks compare to yours?”
He Chuan shook his head with a smile. “Friend, you are wrong to say that. Modesty is good, but too much modesty might make others think you insincere.”
Mu Daoying raised his eyes. He Chuan’s gaze flickered, meeting his without yielding an inch.
It was said that where there were many women, there was much drama. Mu Daoying thought impassively that this was not entirely true, nor fair.
Among men, vying for favor and jealousy was far more overt than among women.
The hostility on He Chuan’s face flashed by, yet he kept his composure and smilingly invited him to stroll the gardens.
Mu Daoying naturally declined politely. “Unfortunately, as you all can see, this humble one is airing books right now and truly cannot spare the time. I must thank you all for your kind intentions.”
He Chuan laughed. “What difficulty is there? We will help you spread them out. You come stroll with us. By the time we’re done, won’t the books be nearly aired too?”
His chest tightened slightly, and a faint itch rose in his throat. Mu Daoying furrowed his brows and lightly coughed twice into his hand with his right fist to his lips.
Ever since exchanging a few moves with Liu Qiao’e, his injuries had not healed. The wounds affected his lungs, and every day lying in bed, he breathed like a bellows.
The group led by He Chuan waited quietly for his response, as if they would not leave unless he agreed.
If these people forced the issue, he truly had no good counter.
He could seek someone to intervene—
But if word reached Liu Qiao’e, what would that look like?
Mu Daoying was no fool. Though ignorant of romantic affairs between men and women, he knew that Liu Qiao’e’s neglect of him these days was waiting for him to take the initiative and bow his head.
“Very well then,” Mu Daoying nodded expressionlessly. “This one shall respectfully obey.”
He Chuan let out a hearty laugh, overjoyed. “I knew Daoist Mu was an easygoing person!”
With that, he reached out as if to link arms with him and walk together.
Mu Daoying furrowed his brows, pretending not to see, and lowered his head to tidy the book pages. “Ordinary?”
He Chuan smiled. “Brother Mu doesn’t know. In the few days since you arrived here, you’ve never stepped out of the house. Everyone wants to catch a glimpse of you, but it’s hard. Over time, people have started saying that this Jade Sword True Heart is aloof and otherworldly, unlike us who serve with our looks.”
Mu Daoying’s expression remained calm, as if he hadn’t caught the sarcasm in his words. “This humble one fell ill the day before yesterday. My body was unwell, and I was ashamed to let everyone see my sickly appearance.”
He Chuan asked with concern, “Ill? Brother Mu does look a bit pale. Are you feeling better? I have a thousand-year-old ginseng here. I’ll send it to you later.”
The youth in green clothes beside him, named Tu Qin, had black hair, red lips, and glistening eyes. He was extremely handsome and pretty. Upon hearing this, he also laughed. “Is it the one you got when you went out with the Old Mother last time? You were badly injured saving the Old Mother that day. She rewarded you with this ginseng and said your skills were lacking, so you should recuperate well. You’re quite generous today.”
He Chuan bantered back and forth with him, not forgetting to take a jab at Mu Daoying. “Brother Mu is the Old Mother’s new favorite lately. How can he serve her if his body isn’t well?”
Mu Daoying didn’t get angry at the jab. He cupped his hands and said, “Brother He is too polite. Since it’s a gift from the Old Mother, how dare this humble one take it from you?”
The group of men went back and forth, trading verbal barbs for a good while before finally laying out the old books on the high stool cleanly.
Afterward, with He Chuan and Mu Daoying leading the way and the others accompanying, they toured around Floating Petal Peak.
Lately, the locust and willow trees had grown denser, and the spring warmth was turning balmy. Single-layered clothes already felt thick, signaling that summer was approaching.
After walking a full circle, everyone’s backs were slightly damp with thin sweat. He Chuan suggested going to Approaching Fragrance Hall.
There was a waterside pavilion where they could hold a banquet to welcome the newcomer, Mu Daoying.
The others naturally cheered in agreement, while Mu Daoying’s own opinion seemed irrelevant.
At the banquet, He Chuan produced a redwood box and handed it to Mu Daoying.
Mu Daoying didn’t understand. “What do you mean by this, fellow Daoist?”
He Chuan laughed heartily. “This is a little token of appreciation from us to Brother Mu.”
After half a day of superficial socializing, Mu Daoying was already extremely fatigued. Even so, he mustered his spirits and opened the box.
In an instant, multicolored glows burst forth, treasure light swirling in his eyes. It turned out to be a box full of women’s hair ornaments—from red hairpins and jewelry to rouge and powder—everything complete.
He Chuan smiled, his eyes laced with mockery.
Everyone waited to see how Mu Daoying would respond to this blatant humiliation.
However, Mu Daoying merely picked up a string of bracelets from among them and glanced at it. “Many thanks for the kind intentions of all you fellow Daoists. These jewels and ornaments are indeed rare treasures. It’s just a pity that this humble one is a man and has no use for so many.”
The crowd was slightly stunned.
They had thought that upon seeing the rouge, powder, and women’s jewelry, Mu Daoying would feel deeply humiliated and fly into a rage. But he remained unhurried and unfazed, not playing by the usual rules, which caught them off guard.
Mu Daoying truly wasn’t angry. He sighed inwardly. The warm breeze made his head foggy, filling him with endless exhaustion.
The twists of fate were truly wondrous. Back when he was still at Jade Clarity Temple, the world had seemed vast—he could ask his sword against mountains and rivers under clear skies.
Yet it had also seemed small, confined to a tiny space. With a tranquil Dao heart free of desires, a single tile for shelter was enough to pass the long mountain years.
Who would have thought that one day, he would fall to the point of being someone’s male pet, confined to Liu Qiao’e’s rear courtyard, squabbling for favor with a bunch of men?
Mu Daoying’s indifference caught everyone unprepared.
Privately, Tu Qin said to He Chuan that this man had deep schemes and was unpredictable—probably not easy to deal with.
He Chuan restrained the mockery in his eyes and said seriously, “What’s wrong with a man using rouge and jewels? It’s everyone’s heartfelt gift. Brother Mu mustn’t disappoint us.”
Mu Daoying replied calmly, “In that case, this humble one will respectfully accept.”
After this exchange, He Chuan and the others seemed to curb their probing intentions. The banquet lost its undercurrents, and with cups being passed around, it became quite lively.
He Chuan urged him to drink a few cups, but Mu Daoying said, “I am a Daoist and do not drink alcohol.”
Tu Qin and the others laughed. “I heard Daoists also avoid women. Brother Mu has become one of the Old Mother’s attendants under her skirts—why bother with those precepts now?”
Mu Daoying thought for a moment and replied earnestly, “Rules differ among sects. Jade Clarity Temple allows marriage and children, so it’s not truly abstaining from women.”
With no other choice, he substituted tea for wine and managed to get through after a few cups.
As cups clinked in a merry toast and the wine warmed their ears, He Chuan, Tu Qin, and the others finally shifted their attention away from him.
Mu Daoying sat by the window, gently cracking it open a sliver. A soft breeze soothed his weary and tense nerves.
Though there were no overt attacks, he had stayed vigilant and coped carefully, not daring to let his guard down.
After the welcoming banquet, he hadn’t dared to touch much food, only sipping a few cups of tea.
When the banquet ended, He Chuan and the others escorted him back.
It wasn’t until they reached the side hall that Mu Daoying’s steps paused by a pine tree along the path.
The green pine extended from a massive boulder, its posture vigorous. Behind it were white clouds and wild cranes, untouched by the mountain winds—aloof from the world.
This pine grew on the mountain, unchanging through wind and frost, steadfast through ice and snow. Only then did Mu Daoying feel like he had caught his breath, breaking free from the red dust and wine meats.
Unexpectedly, just as he returned to the side hall and gathered the sun-dried books back into their cases, the moment Mu Daoying stood up, he suddenly felt a stifling pain in his chest. Amid a dizzying spin, he lost consciousness.
He hadn’t dared to eat much at the banquet and had been careful enough—how had he still been hit?
The bizarre methods of Joyous Union Palace were truly shocking and impossible to guard against.
When Mu Daoying woke again, he was lying on the only short couch in the side hall.
He was tall, so curling up on the short couch felt cramped.
His whole body felt like it was on fire, his mind foggy, and his skin scorching hot.
His vision blurred, but he still propped himself up on his arms and opened his eyes to scan around.
He remembered that no one had been beside him before he fainted. Who had put him on the couch?
Could it be He Chuan?
His heart tightened slightly. His mouth was dry and parched. If He Chuan and the others had taken advantage of the moment to do something to him, he would have no chance to resist.
“What are you looking for?” At that moment, a cold, flat, hoarse female voice rang out.
Mu Daoying let out a sigh of relief and lay back on the short couch. After a pause, he said softly,
“I’m looking for you.”