Liu Qiao’e and Li Qingcheng could be considered a pair of old rivals. How exactly they came to form such a grudge was no longer known, but in this world, there were some people who took an instant dislike to each other upon first meeting.
This was the case for Li Qingcheng.
As for Liu Qiao’e—she had hardly ever taken a liking to anyone. Everyone was detestable and hateful in her eyes. Even though she was licentious and lusted after Mu Daoying’s beauty, she still despised his loftiness.
Fan Shuyun was handsome, and Li Qingcheng had taken a fancy to him early on. But halfway through, Liu Qiao’e cut her off. If it had been anyone else, she might have accepted it, but it was this ugly whore Liu Qiao’e. How could she not hate her?
If not for that, she would not have sent Bai Mengli to ruin those two’s good time.
This time, she came to seek pleasure with Mu Daoying, only for Liu Qiao’e to stick her foot in again. Li Qingcheng was so furious that smoke practically came out of her seven orifices.
Her temperament was straightforward and rough. She had gathered quite a few little brothers and sisters around her.
Young people were frivolous. How could they bear to see their big sis suffer a loss? Immediately, they chimed in one after another, helping their big sis.
Parents, relatives and friends, shit, piss, dog farts—crude words flew back and forth in the air. Watercloud Ravine, which had been so serene, turned into a noisy marketplace, resounding with clamor.
Mu Daoying came back to his senses and heard both sides cursing each other’s parents in the air.
‘……’
It was truly quite rude.
Li Qingcheng cursed, “Why don’t you take a piss and look at yourself in it! You think I don’t know about that little affair between you and Fan Shuyun? A toad lusting after swan’s meat, got beaten up for it—hilarious!”
Liu Qiao’e gritted her teeth and shot back, “Fan Shuyun? If you knew what happened to Fan Shuyun, would you still dare act tough in front of this old lady? That piss-poor thing was already beaten by this old lady into a swollen pig head. What’s this? Your skin’s itchy from whoring around? Want this old lady to scratch it for you?”
A girl in pink robes joined in, “We’re here for Daoist Mu. What’s it to you? Instead of minding your grandma’s business, mind your own. Someone here doesn’t even have a Cloud-Mountain Companion to this day—truly embarrassing!”
One, two, three, four more young men and women followed suit.
Liu Qiao’e’s retorts were drowned out in the crowd, making her seem terribly isolated and alone.
Hearing his own name, Mu Daoying could no longer sit idly by no matter what.
After all, Liu Qiao’e shared a home with him. How could he watch her be humiliated?
Over there, Li Qingcheng finally lost her patience. Her face flushed white then red. She cursed loudly, “I’ll fuck your ancestors!”
She lunged at Liu Qiao’e.
In the flash between lightning and flint, as Liu Qiao’e was about to strike back, a watery sword light moved faster than her. It blocked in front of her, intercepting Li Qingcheng’s vicious blow!
This sword gleamed with verdant light. It seemed ordinary at first glance, yet it concealed sharp sword radiance, with sword qi spilling everywhere.
A lock of severed hair slowly drifted down before Li Qingcheng’s eyes. She was greatly startled as she looked at the plain-robed Daoist who had blocked in front of Liu Qiao’e.
Though the young man’s strike had been swift and fierce, his demeanor was quite sincere. “Fellow Daoist Li, hold on.”
Liu Qiao’e stared at Mu Daoying in shock and suspicion. “You—”
Mu Daoying glanced back at her. “Fellow Daoist Liu.”
“Fellow Daoist Liu, please go back. This matter arose because of this one, so leave it to this one to handle.”
Liu Qiao’e was skeptical. “You?”
……Probably.
Mu Daoying pointed with joined fingers at the door and said, “Leave it to me with peace of mind.” Inwardly, he had some self-doubt about whether he could handle such an intense cursing battle.
The door slammed shut in front of Liu Qiao’e with a boom.
—How dare he?!
He had acted so presumptuously on his own. Liu Qiao’e flew into a rage. “Mu Daoying, get lost! Do I need you?!”
She tried to push the door, but it did not budge.
She did not know what Daoist method he had used. Several of her spell incantations smashed against it without effect, infuriating her until her face turned red.
Meanwhile, outside the door.
Li Qingcheng felt a slight chill inwardly as she looked at the handsome man before her.
It was strange. This man looked pale and frail, with a refined and elegant demeanor. When he slightly furrowed his brows, he had an air of solemnity that made one hesitant to offend.
Mu Daoying was silent for a moment, then cupped his hands toward them. “Thank you all for your kind intentions. However, this one is currently a wanted criminal of the Immortal Alliance. How to handle it will be decided after Old Mother emerges from seclusion. I have let down your good intentions, fellow Daoists.”
“Fellow Daoists, please return.”
Li Qingcheng was still unwilling to give up. She probed, “Male-female romance is human nature. Our Joyous Union Palace has always followed nature. Old Mother would not blame us.”
Mu Daoying did not waver. “Male-female romance also requires mutual consent. This one is devoted to the Dao, severed from the five desires and seven emotions.”
He repeated, “Fellow Daoists, please return.”
Li Qingcheng and the girls exchanged glances. In the end, awed by the might of that sword, they left awkwardly.
After Li Qingcheng and the others had gone, Mu Daoying imperceptibly let out a breath of relief. He pointed with joined fingers at the door. A flash of cyan light passed, and the door swung open.
This was actually a minor spell seal from the Jade Clarity Temple. No wonder Liu Qiao’e could not break it.
Before entering, Mu Daoying had anticipated that Liu Qiao’e had a short temper and would surely lash out. But when he actually saw the woman charging at him, he still felt a slight headache.
The woman was short, only reaching his chest, but her momentum was aggressive.
Mu Daoying quickly retreated half a step.
Liu Qiao’e spoke sharply and fiercely, “Who told you to act on your own!”
Mu Daoying was stunned. “……Sorry.” His features were clear and bright, his expression utterly sincere and earnest. “Ying saw that Fellow Daoist Li had many people and some cultivation as well. Ying feared you would suffer a loss or get hurt.”
“Pah!” Liu Qiao’e spat hatefully. “If you hadn’t blocked me, this old lady would’ve beaten that little whore until her face bloomed!”
The words “little whore” entered his ears, and Mu Daoying imperceptibly furrowed his brow again. “Fellow Daoist Liu—”
If there was anything in his time spent with Liu Qiao’e that he found hardest to adapt to and agree with, it was her flowery curses and filthy words.
Liu Qiao’e suddenly looked up with a cold laugh. “What’s with that look? Got some good fart held in?”
“From now on—” said Mu Daoying.
Liu Qiao’e: “From now on?”
Mu Daoying paused. “From now on—it’s best to say fewer such words.”
As expected, Liu Qiao’e was stunned, then flew into rage. “What words? You think this old lady talks ugly?!”
Mu Daoying felt that dealing with Liu Qiao’e was like holding a hedgehog. Whether soft or hard, it was useless. A moment’s carelessness, and one’s hands would be covered in blood.
He sighed. “That is not what Ying meant.”
Yesterday, he had parted with Liu Qiao’e on bad terms. Today, when he was surrounded by Li Qingcheng and the others at the door, she could have ignored it, yet she still spoke up for him righteously—though those words were not exactly pleasant to hear.
He also thought of the pile of carefully selected healing medicines she had thrown at him that day.
Mu Daoying believed that Liu Qiao’e was not bad by nature.
These curses and filthy words were bad habits she had picked up from her environment of filth, habits that needed correction.
“Cultivation begins with cultivating the mind and temperament,” Mu Daoying advised. “Anger rises to the chest. Filthy words may vent momentary pleasure but easily stir qi and hinder calming the mind.”
“Fuck your dad,” Liu Qiao’e raged. “What bullshit logic is that? If you don’t vent the anger, are you supposed to hold it in? Wouldn’t that make you into some great saint?”
Mu Daoying actually said, “Saints forget emotions.”
Liu Qiao’e spat. “Then this old lady will curse you today for being a dog grabbing a rat—meddling in others’ business! What will you do? Just stand there and listen?”
Mu Daoying’s expression did not change. He nodded calmly. “Go ahead. Ying is listening.”
Sincerity was the greatest ultimate technique.
The young man’s pale eyes were clear as the moon over a calm lake, pristine and flawless, clearly reflecting her tiny figure. His light, indifferent tone carried the pressure of a mountain.
Liu Qiao’e’s tongue seemed to stiffen in her mouth. She was at a loss for words.
She muttered awkwardly, “You damn—”
She grumbled a few tasteless curses, but in the end, she could not bring herself to curse loudly.
Instead, Mu Daoying took the initiative to change the subject, bringing up a question that had lingered in his mind for a long time.
He had always struggled to find a way to get closer to Liu Qiao’e. Now, they had barely shared hardship. Mu Daoying thought uncertainly that the atmosphere was rare and somewhat harmonious—
“Fellow Daoist Liu—”
“What?” Liu Qiao’e’s tone was unkind, her eyes wary.
Mu Daoying paused, weighing his words before speaking. “Those people in your sect are actually not your true allies.”
Liu Qiao’e suddenly said, “Fellow Daoist is Mu from the Mu Clan of the Great Xia Dynasty’s mortal world, right?”
Mu Daoying came back to his senses. “Yes.”
His background was no secret in the Eastern Florescence Realm.
Liu Qiao’e could not hide the envy in her words. “Young Master Mu grew up in luxury and naturally doesn’t know the hardships of us common folk. Being alive is already a blessing. For someone like me to glimpse the immortal path is heaven-defying luck!
“As for whether they are true allies or not, does it matter?”
Mu Daoying said, “Ying should not interfere, but they bullied and insulted you like that. Are you truly willing to accept it?” The youth’s dark eyes were deep, sharp as a blade newly honed, keen and bright.
Perhaps because of the prior humiliation, Liu Qiao’e fell silent for a moment. She was not as sharp as she had been earlier that night.
“Leave? Where can I go?”
“Or rather, where can you help me go?”
“I know you just want me to help you escape,” said Liu Qiao’e. “Fine. In light of your righteousness today, I can help you. But what about you? What can you give me?”
Mu Daoying could not help but look at Liu Qiao’e again. He had not expected her to say such direct words.
His earlier intervention to help her was not to win her favor for his own convenience.
He simply could not bear to see her ganged up on by the crowd. But this was good.
They could communicate, negotiate—this was good.
Since Liu Qiao’e had misunderstood, Mu Daoying naturally did not explain.
He even grew slightly serious and earnestly said, “Ying is alone and weak, and indeed needs Fellow Daoist’s help.”
“However, it is not just Ying fleeing alone. This one wants to ask: Fellow Daoist, would you like to leave with Ying?”
Thump.
Meeting Mu Daoying’s sincere gaze, Liu Qiao’e’s heart skipped a beat. Her face began to burn again.
She secretly hated him. This lord was heartless, yet unwittingly stirred flowers and herbs, provoking women’s hearts. Truly passionate yet heartless—utterly hateful!
“You’re not afraid I’ll report you to Supervisor Chen?” Liu Qiao’e forced out, though her tone was already somewhat blustering.
“This one has already become a prisoner in your sect. The situation cannot get worse than wasting time like this,” Mu Daoying offered his sincerity. “This one has a few friends in positions at Taixuan Sect and other places. Though Ying bears guilt, it would be no trouble to ask them to recommend Fellow Daoist for sect entry and cultivation.”
“These are all great sects with better conditions and more opportunities. The world is vast. Fellow Daoist is overlooked here—why limit yourself to this small Joyous Union Palace and waste your time?”
Mu Daoying was not one for much talk. It was rare for him to earnestly persuade like this. Once finished, he waited for Liu Qiao’e’s decision.
Liu Qiao’e pursed her lips and did not give a direct answer, but her tone had clearly softened. “……Let me think about it some more.”
Knowing Liu Qiao’e was sensitive and suspicious, Mu Daoying did not press her for an immediate reply.
After Liu Qiao’e left, Mu Daoying sighed faintly and silently recited a few lines of the 《Serenity Scripture》.
Though he had just advised her not to easily disrupt her qi, in these few days of interacting with Liu Qiao’e, he had first disrupted his own serene mind.
He had not met many women, nor many friends. Female friends were even fewer. Even if he wanted a reference, he could only think of Shen Chengyin. But Shen Chengyin was a standard noble lady from a great clan, poised in advance and retreat, proper in conduct. She was worlds apart from Liu Qiao’e.
……There were truly such unruly women in the world.
Fortune, immeasurable Heavenly Venerable.