Jun Mo Xie Courtyard
The courtyard was bathed in soft golden sunlight, filtered through the delicate swaying of wisteria vines that curled around the stone pillars like lazy serpents basking in the warmth of midday. A breeze rustled the leaves, whispering secrets across the water of the koi pond nearby, as koi flicked their tails lazily beneath the surface.
Seated calmly on an elevated wooden platform in the center was Jun Mo Xie, legs crossed with princely elegance, his robe flowing gently with the breeze. His fingers danced nimbly across the strings of a zither that was resting on a sandalwood table before him.
Each note he struck was crisp, reverberating through the air with an ethereal quality, as though the instrument itself were weaving spells.
The melody was serene but haunting, like a story being told with no words. It soared, dipped, trembled, and shimmered, winding around the ears and hearts of the two women seated before him.
Guan Qinghan, noble and cold like a snowy peak, had her eyes closed. Her snowy robes fluttered gently with the wind, and though she normally bore the calm stoicism of an ice princess, at this moment, her tightly clenched hands slowly relaxed on her lap. Her breath deepened, her chest rising and falling rhythmically to the cadence of the melody. A faint glow pulsed around her body—the aura of someone nearing a breakthrough.
Little Ke, on the other hand, was a picture of innocence. Her cheeks were flushed, hands placed neatly on her knees, head slightly tilted as if her soul had flown elsewhere. A tiny, involuntary smile curled at the corner of her lips, and one could almost hear her heart humming along with the song. She had no idea that her cultivation had surged forward several layers during the performance.
Jun Mo Xie stopped abruptly, his fingers hovering in the air above the strings as the last note trembled and faded like mist.
The silence that followed was deep and rich, filled with the residue of the divine melody. Birds seemed hesitant to chirp. The wind paused as though it, too, was listening. Even the fish in the pond had stopped swimming.
He glanced up.
Both women still had their eyes closed, as if reluctant to leave the sanctuary the music had offered.
"Are you two planning to enter seclusion right here in the courtyard?" Jun Mo Xie chuckled softly, breaking the stillness. "I wouldn't mind, but I fear the neighbors might complain if I have two frozen statues in my yard for weeks."
Guan Qinghan's eyes fluttered open. A flicker of spiritual light danced in her irises before vanishing. She blinked twice, stunned.
"Three grades..." She whispered, almost to herself. "I've reached peak Supreme..." Her words trembled with disbelief.
Little Ke's eyes opened next, blinking innocently. "Young Master... I... I think I broke through again. The air... feels lighter?"
She waved her hands, unsure. "Did you put something in the tea?"
Jun Mo Xie gave a devilish grin, resting his chin in his palm. "Just a few notes of my soul, my dears. No tea leaves were harmed in the making of that song."
Guan Qinghan narrowed her eyes. "Mo Xie, you—"
Before she could finish, a shout echoed from the entrance.
"Reporting! Master, Lady! Two adults from the Southern Province have arrived to pay a visit!"
A uniformed gatekeeper dashed into the courtyard, breathless, bowing deeply.
Guan Qinghan's elegant brows furrowed slightly, and then her eyes lit up in realization. "Southern Province...? Ah! It must be... my father and brother."
Jun Mo Xie raised a brow. "Family, eh?" His grin widened mischievously. "Are they coming to see if their noble flower has been defiled by the rogue Jun family?"
Guan Qinghan gave him a side glare. "Can you blame them? Just look at your past actions..."
Jun Mo Xie stood up and stretched lazily. "Go on, Qinghan. Entertain your guests. I'll write down the score of the song and have it delivered to you by evening."
Little Ke stood as well, bouncing slightly on her toes. "I'll go prepare tea!"
Guan Qinghan took a moment longer, then nodded gracefully. "Thank you for the music, Mo Xie."
As she turned and glided away, Jun Mo Xie called after her with a grin. "Don't let them talk your ear off with marriage proposals and family obligations."
She waved a hand behind her back, but didn't respond.
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As Jun Mo Xie strolled lazily through the inner courtyard, humming a careless tune, the faintest trace of metallic scent drifted past his nose. The scent of blood, carefully washed but impossible to hide from his sharpened senses. His eyes narrowed mischievously, and his lips curled into a devilish grin.
A moment later, he spotted Jun Wu Yi, his third uncle, stepping out of the inner hall clad in fresh robes.
"Uncle!" Jun Mo Xie called out, voice drawn and dramatic. "You went out... to kill people again, didn't you?"
Jun Wu Yi paused mid-step, his composed face freezing for half a second before cracking into a surprised laugh. "You brat! Can't I even take a bath in peace without being interrogated?"
Jun Mo Xie tilted his head like a fox who had just caught the scent of prey. "Bath, clean robes, composed face — the entire façade is perfect. Almost too perfect. But it can't fool this young master!"
He narrowed his eyes. "There's a very familiar scent floating around you... It smells like regret, iron, and just a hint of smug satisfaction. You went out to slaughter someone and didn't invite me!"
Jun Wu Yi chuckled, shaking his head. "Took a bath, changed clothes, even used scented incense... and yet this nosy devil still found me out."
"You wound me, Uncle! You're turning selfish in your old age." Jun Mo Xie clutched his chest theatrically. "You had a bloody party and left me out? That's just cruel."
"Old age?" Jun Wu Yi scoffed, raising a dignified brow. "I'm not old."
"Ha!" Jun Mo Xie smirked, eyeing his uncle up and down. "Then stop acting like a reclusive, retired master who's already halfway to becoming an ancestor! Honestly, Uncle, you're more dramatic than the palace maidens."
Jun Wu Yi couldn't help but laugh again, but his eyes softened. "You're not wrong, though. Killing takes something out of you — it's not just about force. There's a weight... a shadow that clings to the soul."
Jun Mo Xie smirked again, breaking the moment. "Which is why, Uncle, just washing the blood off your skin won't clean the blood off your soul. You need to unwind — loosen the knot in your chest."
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Spoilers for the next three chapters!
Chapter 91: Sky Xuan Apprentice
Chapter 92: Adopted Alliance
Chapter 93: Assassination Plan
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