The Home Was Gone

Mu Xue sat in the front courtyard, waiting.

She was waiting for Lu Shui to break off the engagement. When that happened, she would inevitably be summoned.

She had waited for a long time, but what arrived was Yalin.

Aunt Tang had brought her.

"Aunt Tang." Mu Xue rose and greeted her politely.

Aunt Tang smiled and pushed a five-year-old little girl in front of Mu Xue.

"Xiao Lin, say hello to your sister."

"Si—sister." Yalin was somewhat shy around strangers.

Her hair was not very long, though one lock had been tied up, giving her a very playful appearance.

Mu Xue looked at Yalin with a faint smile.

"Good girl."

Aunt Tang froze for a moment. If she had not seen wrongly, Mu Xue had just smiled, hadn't she?

Ever since joining the Mu Family, she had never seen Mu Xue smile.

Did she like Yalin more?

Aunt Tang did not know, but she did not dwell on it. Perhaps Mu Xue was merely maintaining the kindness a big sister should show.

"By the way, Mu Xue, I heard about it last night. The clan leader cut off your cultivation resources and does not intend to let you live here either." At this point, Aunt Tang immediately added, "But we fought for it. This courtyard will be placed under Yayue's name. Don't worry, though. As long as you live here, Yayue won't move in. Putting it under her name is only a temporary expedient.

There was no other way."

Mu Xue nodded and answered flatly, "All right."

Mu Xue did not resist too much, which reassured Aunt Tang considerably. She continued, "The matter of breaking off the engagement has been arranged for this afternoon. You need to prepare yourself mentally."

"I know." Mu Xue nodded.

Aunt Tang left afterward, naturally leaving Yalin behind.

Mu Xue did not think much of anything else. She simply reached out, took Yalin's hand, and led her toward the rear courtyard.

"Sis—sister?" Yalin called timidly.

"Hmm?" Mu Xue looked at Yalin.

"I—I don't know how to read," Yalin whispered.

She knew she had come to learn, but she could not read.

She was afraid of being beaten and scolded.

"Then your sister will teach you when she has time," Mu Xue said.

"Mm." Yalin lowered her head.

Soon, they arrived in the rear courtyard. Mu Xue drew a fairly large array formation on the open ground.

Only after she finished drawing it did Mu Xue say to Yalin, "Stand inside."

Yalin was somewhat frightened. "Did Yalin do something wrong?"

Mu Xue looked at Yalin, then said softly, "It's a game, not a punishment."

"A game?" Yalin asked, puzzled.

"You'll know once you go in," Mu Xue said.

Then Yalin walked inside, half understanding and half confused.

The moment she stepped in, Yalin felt a current of air beneath her feet, as though it were tickling her.

"Ah!"

Yalin ran to the side in fright.

But the current soon caught up with her, forcing her to run again.

Yalin ran around inside the array formation without stopping, crying out as she went.

"Sister, monsters! Monsters are biting my feet!"

"Ah! Sister, the monsters have started biting my hands!"

"They're pulling my hair!"

Yalin kept running inside, though the longer she ran, the more orderly her movements became.

Mu Xue propped up her chin and watched.

Children really were especially interesting.

However, she had not watched for long before she sensed people arguing outside.

Mu Xue glanced at Yalin, made the array flash once, then began walking outside.

When she reached the courtyard entrance, she saw her maid Ding Liang arguing with someone else.

"On what grounds are you removing the eldest young miss's name? She's lived here since she was little!"

"This courtyard has a new owner. It was the clan leader's order, and we're only here to carry it out.

"If you continue obstructing us, we won't be polite."

"Move aside. Your eldest young miss can't protect you."

Ding Liang said angrily, "If this were before, you wouldn't even dare raise your voices in front of the eldest young miss's courtyard."

"You know that was before. Hurry up and move." Ding Liang was shoved aside.

She had only just been pushed away and had not yet regained her balance when someone supported her.

Ding Liang looked over and immediately said, "Eldest young miss."

Mu Xue had come out, and the two people carrying out the order were startled as well.

One of them immediately said, "Eldest young miss, we're only acting under orders. We hope you won't obstruct us."

Mu Xue did not speak. She merely watched.

Then, with stiff scalps, the two men removed Mu Xue's name and finally hung up Mu Yayue's name.

Mu Xue simply watched, watched as the home where she had lived since childhood ceased to belong to her.

Only after the two men left did Ding Liang speak.

"Eldest young miss, they..."

"It's fine." Before Ding Liang could finish, Mu Xue said, "Go and get me two Spirit Beasts."

Ding Liang could only nod. "All right, I'll go now."

Only then did Mu Xue return to the rear courtyard, as though none of this had caused the slightest ripple in her heart.

If the plaque that had been taken down had not drifted away on the wind after Mu Xue left.

Lu Shui was reading in his room, which had been arranged by the Mu Family.

After reading for a while, he closed This Book, Heaven and Earth Array Patterns.

His mood was somewhat buoyant, and he could no longer read.

It felt like the eve of a wedding.

In the end, Lu Shui decided to go out and clear his head.

However, the moment he reached the door, Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling followed him.

"Young master, the Mu Family cannot be considered safe for you. We need to follow you at all times," Zhen Wu said.

What could Lu Shui say?

In the Lu Family Territory, they followed him the moment he stepped out of the Lu Family Main Gate, let alone in the Mu Family.

Lu Shui did not care, though. He was only going out to clear his head.

The moment he left his residence, that middle-aged man appeared.

"Young Master Lu, where are you going?"

Lu Shui looked at the middle-aged man and said expressionlessly, "Do you think I need to report my whereabouts to the Mu Family?"

The middle-aged man was greatly startled by Lu Shui's words. He immediately lowered his head and said humbly, "I wouldn't dare. Young Master Lu, please don't misunderstand. You're an honored guest of the Mu Family; we merely want to provide you with better hospitality.

"There's absolutely no other meaning."

Lu Shui ignored him and walked straight away. However, after taking only two steps, his voice carried back.

"Zhen Wu, if you sense anyone following us, don't hold back."

"Yes, young master."

Only after Lu Shui and the others had left did the middle-aged man breathe a sigh of relief.

The Young Master of the Lu Family might not have many other abilities, but his talent for frightening people was truly formidable.

Many people in the Mu Family knew what sort of temperament the Young Master of the Lu Family had. He acted extravagantly, loved putting on airs, and could not tolerate anyone questioning his status as a young master.

If you dared look down on him, he might cause trouble for you.

Heard he had become even more outrageous recently.

He had even taken to killing people over it.

If this were in the Mu Family, Lu Shui would only have been fit for odd jobs.

"Young master, that man did not follow us, but we cannot be sure whether anyone else is hiding in the dark," Zhen Ling said.

Lu Shui did not speak. As long as no one affected him, that was enough.

Then Lu Shui looked around. For a moment, he had no idea where he should go to clear his head.

With no other choice, he took out a book and flipped through it as he asked, "Is there anywhere interesting around here?"

When Zhen Wu saw the book Lu Shui was reading, his brows instinctively furrowed.

If he had not seen wrongly, the book was called: How to Say Things That Pierce Deep into Other People's Hearts.

The young master truly was not content to behave. He had never intended to break off the engagement normally. That was Zhen Wu's thought.

Zhen Ling's thought was: Where did the young master get this book?