The guard who went to deliver the medicine returned quickly, holding the pill that Mu Qi had asked him to send.
Mu Qi’s face darkened as he looked at the medicine box in the guard’s hand.
The guard was startled and carefully presented the box: "Reporting to young master, Xiao Qin said he does not accept rewards for no merit."
Mu Qi's eyes darkened, reflecting his increasingly grim expression. He had extended an olive branch, yet it was met with disdain, his good intentions trampled upon and discarded.
The two people in the room sensed Mu Qi's shift in mood. They lowered their eyes, concealing the fear in their hearts. However, after only a moment, Mu Qi smiled again.
"Indeed, those I fancy are bound to be different from the common folk. If she were superficial, she wouldn't have caught my eye," Mu Qi said, his mood greatly improved. "This pill is a reward for you."
The guard was overjoyed and quickly expressed his thanks: "Many thanks for the young master's generosity."
"All of you, leave," Mu Qi dismissed the two from the room and went to sleep on the bed. His visit here was merely to join in the excitement, and he had no intention of taking anything back. Moreover, with his status, why would he need to seek out such things to appease others?
The night passed peacefully, and Mu Qi slept soundly, a rare occurrence. After washing up, he went downstairs for breakfast. He deliberately lingered over his meal, hoping for an opportunity to speak with Xiao Man. However, no matter how leisurely he ate, breakfast eventually ended. By the time they had finished their morning meal, Xiao Man and her group had still not come downstairs.
Guo Xiao, having perceived Mu Qi's thoughts, knew why Mu Qi brought him along wherever he went – because he could always guess Mu Qi's intentions.
"Shopkeeper, why haven't Young Master Xiao Qin and his party, who had a conflict with us yesterday, come down for breakfast?" Guo Xiao immediately inquired.
"Young Master Xiao Qin and his group entered the East Yue Forest early this morning. They have been in the East Yue Forest for the past few days, coming here for training."
"They left?" Guo Xiao was somewhat surprised. "What a pity. I was hoping to apologize to her in person. I didn't expect such unfortunate timing."
The shopkeeper smiled and explained: "Young Master Xiao Qin always wakes up early. She has been staying at our inn for a while and is considered an old acquaintance. While her cultivation is only at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, she is incredibly capable."
Guo Xiao scoffed. No matter how capable she was, she was still only a cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment. On the Cang Xuan Continent, high cultivation represented many things. While it didn't mean everything, many feats could only be accomplished with high cultivation. For instance, refining high-grade pills required significant cultivation, as did crafting spiritual artifacts and treasures. Without a strong foundation of power, one could not forge world-shaking treasures.
"Guo Xiao, let's go." Upon hearing that Xiao Man and her group had departed so early, Mu Qi felt a pang of displeasure. He immediately ordered his party to set off and enter the East Yue Forest. Even if Xiao Man deliberately avoided them, he would make her realize that some people were not meant to be avoided.
Bai Chen looked at Xiao Man, who was walking with her eyes narrowed, and helplessly reminded her, "Junior Brother, this is the East Yue Forest."
Xiao Man seemed to hear him, yet also as if she hadn't, continuing to advance with her eyes closed.
"Since you didn't sleep well, you could have left later. Why rush to travel in the middle of the night?" Bai Chen asked, puzzled. His gaze swept over Yue Ran, whose expression was remarkably similar to Xiao Man's. He suddenly realized that these two were quite alike in some aspects. Anyone unaware might even mistake them for brothers.
Yue Ran turned his head and complained, "I couldn't. There were people I disliked at the inn."
"Third Brother dislikes that young master surnamed Mu?"
"I dislike him. He has such an arrogant air, as if everyone should defer to him. I find him detestable the moment I see him," Yue Ran said, not hiding his dislike for Mu Qi at all. "Second Brother, you dislike him too, don't you?"
Xiao Man paused her steps. "I dislike anyone who tries to take what's mine."
Yue Ran immediately smiled and stepped forward, hooking his arm around Xiao Man's shoulder. "I knew it. The things and people I like are pretty much the same as what you like. What I dislike, you probably won't like either."
"What if, one day, you both fall for the same girl? Would you fight over her?" Bai Chen suddenly asked. If the two of them had similar preferences, it wasn't necessarily a good thing. It meant they had similar tastes in judging things and people, and in liking people and things. While one could yield on objects, one couldn't yield on a beloved girl, could they?
"Impossible," Xiao Man replied without hesitation. Firstly, she liked men. Although she was disguised as a man, her sexual orientation was not an issue.
"Yes, impossible," Yue Ran said confidently. "The girl Second Brother fancies, I will never compete with Second Brother for her." Su Dan Novel Network.
Xiao Man smiled. She certainly wouldn't compete with Yue Ran for a woman! She didn't voice this thought, and thankfully so.
"If, both of you really liked that girl, and both wanted to have her, what then?"
"I told you, I won't compete with Second Brother. Whatever Second Brother likes, I will give him," Yue Ran said, his face beaming. "Second Brother, what kind of girl do you like?"
"Gentle as water, yet capable of handling affairs independently."
Yue Ran thought carefully about the girls he knew. After much deliberation, he couldn't think of anyone except his mother. This was because he realized he didn't really know any other girls besides his mother.
"I love my mother the most. Besides my mother, I can yield anything. Second Brother wouldn't possibly snatch my mother from me, would he?" Yue Ran said with a wide smile.
"Third Brother, you've said that wrong. If Second Brother were to snatch your mother, it wouldn't be a snatch from you, but from your father. In that case, if Third Brother truly succeeded, you might have to change your address to 'Father' for Second Brother," Bai Chen said with mock seriousness. After all, cultivators had very long lives and possessed techniques to preserve their youth, making age merely a number to them, devoid of any real meaning.
"I have never met anyone who dared to fight my father for a woman," Yue Ran said with utter confidence. "Anyone who dared to compete with my father for a woman is dead."
"Is your father very fearsome?"
"My father is quite imposing and usually very strict with me. However, towards my mother, he is incredibly affectionate and tender, gentle as water. When they are together, I feel like an intruder." Speaking of his parents, Yue Ran's face was filled with a happy smile.
Xiao Man looked at his smile, feeling a pang of emotion. Her father and mother had also been deeply in love. Even her father had been devoted to her mother. However, a great tragedy had struck. Her mother was abducted by wicked individuals, and now, her father had also met his end. She didn't know if her mother was still alive, and a wave of sadness washed over her.
"Second Brother, why are you unhappy?" Yue Ran, acutely perceptive, noticed Xiao Man's mood shift and immediately inquired.
"Just thinking about my parents."
"Were your parents very loving too?"
"Yes, my parents were very loving. However, my father was harmed by villains, and my mother fell into the hands of thieves, her whereabouts unknown."
"What?" Yue Ran's anger flared. "Second Brother, do not worry. I will help you seek revenge. I will help you strike down your enemies!"
"Okay."