hed faintly, and it tingled."Are you alright" he asked in a low voice."It's okay, hurry and help Master Yunfan! That woman in red is a monster! She just stretched her neck!" I rubbed my aching chest.W...Mù Wǎnchén reached out and grabbed the tail of the thing. I took a closer look, and it was a shuttlecock.

On the raised platform next to me, a few children were playing inside the fence. As soon as their shuttlecock fell down, the others scattered in a rush. A timid little head popped out from the fence, and in a hushed voice, he asked: "…Could you please return my shuttlecock"

This voice was so soft and gentle, it almost melted my heart.

How come there's such a beautiful sound

She wasn't the type to act coquettishly, but her voice was soft like silk brushing past your ear.

For a moment, I almost couldn't tell if it was a male or female voice. It wasn't until I saw the twin buns that I realized it was a little girl.

"Little sister, it's dangerous to kick shuttlecock at such a high place," I said gently.

Mu Wanchen frowned and said, "Come down and talk."

He was probably afraid the little girl would fall down from the railing above.

The little girl ran down the stairs from the side, and she actually had a small cut on her face, and it was bleeding a little. I was a bit puzzled - could kicking shuttlecock hurt your face

"How did you get hurt" I whispered.

She stared longingly at the shuttlecock in Mu Wanchen's hand, unwilling to answer my question.

"She probably got bullied," Mu Wanchen said faintly, tossing the shuttlecock into her arms and not wanting to meddle.

I hesitated for a moment, but during dinner, I found an opportunity to tell my junior sister about this.

The little mistress paused for a moment, then nodded and said: “You’re talking about Chen Yan, right… This child… Sigh…”

"What's wrong with this little girl" I was a bit curious.

"Her parents died, and she was adopted by the Shen family when she was young. This child is gifted and can see many strange things. Before, she was raised as a child prodigy who tested the light of the round mirror for the Shen family. Now that she has grown up, she has never gone to school, so she doesn't know how to get along with people or speak, often offending people. Alas, the children of the Shen family all bully her. I can't control it." The junior wife shook her head helplessly.

Lin Gongzi replied indifferently, "Who asked you to raise children in isolation...and educate them so casually, always talking about fate, but it's actually just letting them run wild."

The little wife gave an embarrassed laugh and whispered to me, “Young Master Lin has a lot of opinions on how my brother raises children! The two of them have argued countless times. This brother-in-law can't accept my brother's free-range parenting methods. Every time, it's Lin Yanqin who mediates... Shhh…”

Oh~~~ I understand. Lin Yanhuan and Mu Yunfan are completely representative of two different types of men. Although they are both excellent, their concepts are worlds apart.

One in the lofty temple, one far away in the rivers and lakes.

"When you have children later, we'll learn how to raise them together." the young wife teased.

"Well, I guess you'll have to wait a long time then." Lin Gongzi smiled.

We were all enjoying our meal, chatting idly here and there, when we suddenly saw Mu Wanchen put down his chopsticks.

"What's wrong" I turned my head to look at him, and both Xiao Shi Niang and Lin Gongzi's gazes followed mine.

Mu Wanchen remained silent, instead furrowing his brows slightly as he looked out toward the screen.

We were seated on one side of the main hall. There was an eight-immortal table there, and a side door, which was blocked by a screen used as a dining room.

At this moment, peering through the crack, one can see the steps and courtyard outside. Beyond that lies the gate hidden within the night-shrouded mountains.

Following Mu Wanchen's gaze, I could only see the lantern light outside the mountain gate.

"...it seems like there's a surge of energy." Mu Wanchen frowned slightly.

Upon hearing this, the young wife stood up and walked around the screen. We all followed her out and looked far to the mountain gate.

The Shen family's residence is nestled amidst serene mountains and clear waters, with little sign of urban life. Outside the mountain gate lies a dark staircase that stretches all the way down to the foot of the mountain. In the distance, on an ordinary road, there are twinkling streetlights.

All around was quiet, with only the occasional chirping of insects and birdsong. It looked like an ordinary night in the mountains.

“I didn't feel anything unusual…” The little wife mumbled, looking around. She raised her hand to stop Young Master Lin from stepping out and reminded him, “Young Master Lin, I beg you, don’t be reckless. Your forte isn’t here, call your men over to protect you first. I’ll have the Shen family members investigate.”

Lin Yanhuan glared at his junior wife: “Do I need you to remind me”

His bodyguard had silently stationed himself in several corners of the main hall, watching his surroundings without a sound.

The night breeze was still serene, mingled with the scent of leaves and earth from the mountains. I stood on the steps, Mu Wanchen holding my hand.

He was on guard.

Mu Wanchen rarely looked at me with such a sharp gaze. Most of the time when we were together, he was languid and gentle. His actions now made my heart pound with anxiety.

"The Shen family has always been peaceful... very few demons or ghosts would dare to come here..." The junior wife was also made nervous by Mu Wanchen's gaze and whispered beside him.

"...How many demons and monsters have you seen" Mu Wanchen gazed out the mountain gate, replying in a low voice.

"I see ghosts every now and then, that's not much, is it I haven't seen anything else unusual." The young wife swallowed nervously: "Hey, what did you find out You're making me so nervous."

Mu Wanchen raised his eyebrows slightly and replied calmly, “Demons and monsters are rare in the world, so you haven’t seen many... I feel that the aura beneath the mountain is a bit chaotic. It seems that some insects and ants have been frightened and fled their nests…”

Ants! My little wife and I exchanged glances. We didn't have the ability to sense the ants' panic or not, but since Mu Wanchen said so, he must have felt something was amiss.

"I'll have someone check it out." The young wife immediately went back into the house and shook the bell.

Such mountain families had their own communication methods. There were wires in the corners of their houses, and pulling them would make a hidden copper bell under the eaves ring. This was also a theft-prevention measure.

Ring ring...

A small to medium-sized chime resonated in front of the main house, and soon several Taoist priests from the Kun Dao hurried over. They wore ordinary Taoist robes and had their hair tied up with wooden pins on top of their heads.

"Master, what's wrong"

"My guest feels there's something unusual about the atmosphere down below. Please go take a look and see what's going on. Don't venture too far, and be sure to bring lighting."

"Yes."

A few Daoist priests walked a few steps, and the young mistress called out worriedly: "Be careful! Report back immediately if you find anything unusual."

"Uh huh, I know."

Several Taoist priests ran down the stairs and took a powerful, portable spotlight from the gatekeeper. Then they went out to the mountain gate.

"Seal the soul." Mu Wanchen suddenly summoned Fen Hun. Fen Hun quickly jumped from his back, sticking to the ground's shadow and crawling outwards.

Lin Yanhuan suddenly spoke: "Where's Feibird"

"Ah" The young wife was taken aback. "What bird"

"The Shen family was surrounded by mountains and water, with birds loving to rest there. How is it that not even a single bird call can be heard now" His voice was flat, with a hint of elusive sorrow....I felt it."Why give me the most valuable thing What if I lose it..." I muttered, grumbling at him.Mu Wanchen let out a light chuckle: "This is my...