“Aunt, are you really going to Zhenyue Mountain City in a few days?”
Mu Zhizhi held the young woman's arm, asking tentatively.
There was sorrow between the woman’s brows, but she still tried to act as if nothing was wrong, smiling as she replied, “Yes, the marriage contract has been set for over ten years, and my second brother has urged me many times that I should meet with Young Master Cangshu.”
Mu Zhizhi muttered, “My father is really something. I’ve heard that the second young master of the Cangshu family...”
Looking carefully at her aunt’s expression, Mu Zhizhi didn't dare say more.
Back then, the Young Lord of Tianyu Palace had suffered a cultivation deviation and fallen into a coma for a full hundred years. Many people said he would definitely never wake up.
However, others said that the cultivation techniques of Biyun Mountain happened to complement those of Tianyu Palace perfectly, and perhaps after dual cultivation, the Young Lord would wake up.
Tianyu Palace brought out many treasures, intending to form a marriage alliance with Biyun Mountain, and promised that if Biyun Mountain were in trouble in the future, Tianyu Palace would certainly step in.
Although Biyun Mountain was skilled in talismans and spells, its self-defense capabilities were indeed not strong. Because of this, marriage alliances had frequently occurred over the past few centuries. Thus, the Sect Leader of Biyun Mountain, Mu Feilin, agreed to the marriage alliance with Tianyu Palace.
But the Young Lord of Tianyu Palace had been in a coma for more than a hundred years. Even if the Mu family really married a daughter off, if the Young Lord still didn't wake up, wouldn't that daughter be stuck in a hollow marriage for the rest of her life?
Mu Feilin set his sights on his niece, Mu Ran.
Mu Ran’s parents had died early, and her cultivation was mediocre. Her favorite thing was to stay in her own courtyard and research small wooden trinkets. It wouldn't have been impossible for Biyun Mountain to keep her as a mere decoration, but since there was a time for her to be of value, why not?
What no one expected was that Mu Ran resolutely refused to marry that comatose Young Palace Master of Tianyu Palace.
Mu Feilin had once said with a cold face, “You are a daughter of the Mu family. For the long-term development of the Mu family, what does it matter even if you are asked to sacrifice yourself?”
At that time, Mu Ran, whose temper was usually hidden, said, “If that’s the case, why is Second Uncle unwilling to let my younger cousin marry him?”
Mu Feilin spoke with righteous indignation, “You are older, so of course you should be the one to marry first. If Zhizhi were allowed to marry first, wouldn't that make the world laugh at us?”
“Do we cultivators still care about the eyes of the secular world?”
“Enough, Mu Ran. The marriage contract has been signed, and the betrothal gifts from Tianyu Palace have been delivered. You have to marry even if you don't want to.”
There were many restrictions on Biyun Mountain, and it was impossible for Mu Ran to escape.
However, no one expected that Mu Ran would actually sneak into the ancestral hall and forcefully strike her name from the family register. By the time she was discovered, it was already too late.
Mu Ran’s presence on Biyun Mountain was not strong. She wasn't lively and cheerful like Mu Zhizhi, nor did she scheme like other cultivators for resources. She just stayed quietly in her small courtyard and rarely went out even after a long time.
But it was such a girl, who was so quiet that people thought she was easy to manipulate, who gave everyone a surprise.
At that time, Mu Feilin was furious. “You struck your name from the family register? Are you crazy?”
Mu Ran said, “I am no longer a member of the Mu family in your mouth, and I have no obligation to serve as an object for the Mu family to marry off to a comatose person in exchange for more resources.”
Mu Feilin’s fists were tightly clenched. “You don't want to be a member of the Mu family anymore? Are you worthy of your parents?”
Mu Ran said, “Whether my name is on the family register or not, I am my parents’ biological daughter. I was born of their blood. They loved me when I was a child. Compared to me, they would be even less willing to see me become a bargaining chip for you to exchange for profit.”
On the golden family register, the two characters for “Mu Ran” shattered and disappeared, with no possibility of being repaired again.
What Tianyu Palace wanted was not just a girl who could practice dual cultivation with the Young Lord; they wanted an equally noble bloodline, a legitimate Young Mistress who could symbolize the fusion of the two families’ bloodlines and a power alliance, a pawn that could firmly bind the Mu family.
Mu Ran added, “Now that I am no longer the eldest young lady of Biyun Mountain, if you still insist on sending me over, that’s fine too. Anyway, I have no parents and no other concerns. On the first day you marry me off, I will slit the throat of the Young Lord of Tianyu Palace. From then on, Biyun Mountain and Tianyu Palace will not be joining in marriage, but becoming enemies. Second Uncle, can you afford this consequence?”
For thousands of years, the fate of the Mu family's daughters was almost always to be sent out for marriage alliances. Even if they were unwilling and resisted, no one had ever been as decisive as Mu Ran.
From the beginning, Mu Feilin had been wrong about one thing: Mu Ran was not a pawn that was easy to manipulate.
He was furious and shattered Mu Ran’s spiritual foundation with a single palm strike. From then on, he removed her name and kicked her out of Biyun Mountain.
But the marriage with Tianyu Palace had already been agreed upon. The only unmarried girls in the Mu family were Mu Feilin’s sister and Mu Feilin’s daughter.
Mu Feilin’s sister had already set a marriage contract with the second young master of Zhenyue Mountain City ten years ago. The only choice left was Mu Zhizhi.
The Young Lord of Tianyu Palace was a useless person!
Mu Feilin was naturally unwilling for his daughter to marry and live a life of loneliness, but he couldn't afford to offend Tianyu Palace either.
It was Mu Zhizhi who couldn't bear to see her father in a difficult position and took the initiative to stand up and marry into Tianyu Palace.
Unexpectedly, the Young Lord of Tianyu Palace recovered his senses and woke up shortly after. When he learned that Mu Zhizhi didn't dislike him and resolutely married him, he cared for her even more and pampered her in the palm of his hand. Now Mu Zhizhi was the happiest girl in everyone's eyes.
Mu Zhizhi came back to visit her family this time and accompanied her aunt for a walk outside. Songcheng was prosperous. It was her first time coming back in two years since she married out, and she missed it quite a bit.
“I wonder what kind of situation Mu Ran is in now?” Mu Zhizhi said with feeling. “She was so disgusted with Mo Han back then, only seeing him as a beast and discarding him like a worn-out shoe. She was truly cold-hearted to the extreme.”
Mu Zhizhi found that the person beside her didn't respond and looked over in confusion. “Aunt, am I not right?”
Mu Shuqing didn't answer this question but naturally withdrew her hand from Mu Zhizhi's arm and looked at a street vendor on the other side, smiling. “I think this mask is well-made. Do you want to try it?”
Mu Zhizhi had a childlike nature. Seeing the beautiful fox mask, she became interested for a moment and put it on her face. “Aunt, help me see, does it look good? If it looks good, I'll buy one for Mo Han.”
Mu Shuqing looked at the figure passing behind Mu Zhizhi, her expression changing slightly.
It was a girl wearing a pink dress, holding a young man's hand, standing on tiptoe and saying something in his ear.
The young man's gaze was gentle, and there was a smile on his lips.
That was Mu Ran.
She would definitely not be mistaken.
Mu Zhizhi felt strange. “Aunt, what’s wrong with you?”
When she was about to look back, Mu Shuqing quickly grabbed Mu Zhizhi's hand and smiled slightly. “You look good in this mask. Buy it.”
Mu Zhizhi didn't suspect anything and paid for the mask, feeling happy in her heart.
