Chapter 10 The Plan "The little girl has grown up; the bond between siblings, in the end..."
That day, Mu Meng stayed with Mu Qingheng in his palace until very late.
Just as I was about to go back, it started raining heavily outside, and the rain continued for a long time. Clusters of white light burst open on the horizon, as if tearing a huge hole in the night, and the pear trees outside were leaning to one side and the other side.
Mu Qingheng looked at the sky: "The human realm previously experienced a calamity, with a three-year drought. Now that the calamity has passed, Father Emperor has ordered people to send down rain as soon as possible, so that there will be less suffering in the human realm."
He gazed quietly out the window, a slight smile playing on his lips as if he were recalling something.
He quickly turned to Mu Meng and said, "Mengmeng, it looks like this rain won't stop anytime soon. You should stay here tonight."
Seeing how heavy the rain was, Mu Meng was too lazy to go back. She had been practically raised by Mu Qingheng and had spent most of her time here, so she had no burden at all: "Okay."
Just like when she was a child, she didn't care about anything. She took off her shoes and lay down on the small couch next to Mu Qingheng's bed, her two slender legs propped up, her skirt slipping down to her knees, revealing her fair and smooth skin.
It swayed back and forth, its white, greasy substance dazzling to the eyes.
Mu Qingheng stared blankly for a moment, then looked away: "You sleep here, I'll go to the side hall."
Mu Meng paused, blinked, and turned to look at him: "Brother, don't you need me to come with you?"
"What?"
Mu Meng sat up, tilted her head back gently, and smiled, "Aren't you most afraid of thunder?"
As far back as she could remember, she knew her brother was afraid of thunder. When she grew up, she asked him why, and he looked indifferent, his gaze distant.
He said, "I don't know either, but thunder is probably not a good thing. When I hear this sound, I think of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood."
Her brother was a son of the Celestial Clan, so he must have some kind of spiritual power within him. Although she didn't know exactly what terrifying things he had experienced, there was one thing she was clear about.
At that time, his elder brother was not yet the crown prince. His father was angry because of his fear of thunder. It was really shameful for the son of the Heavenly Emperor to be afraid of thunder. If word got out, it would become a laughing stock. In order to correct this bad habit, his father locked him in a water dungeon.
The cell was empty above, and the thunder and rain were clearly visible in the sky.
Mu Meng was young, and when she suddenly couldn't see her brother for several days, she cried and made a fuss. When she found out that her brother had been imprisoned, no matter how much she begged her father, it was no use. So she had to run outside the water dungeon to talk to her brother.
She was still a naive little dumpling, not even knowing how to use an umbrella, shivering in the rain as she pounded on the door: "Brother, don't be afraid, Mengmeng is outside with you..."
Worried that Mu Qingheng would be scared, she sang nursery rhymes loudly outside.
When Mu Qingheng was released, he had a high fever that had lasted for several days. In his delirium, he seemed to have only called out "father" and "mother" twice.
At the time, she felt a little disappointed. Her father was so bad, locking him up. Mengmeng was the little hero. Why didn't her brother call her name?
Of course, I felt mostly heartache. My brother had already achieved great military exploits and possessed outstanding cultivation. He was not only a leader among the Celestial Clan, but also rarely matched in the Six Realms. Yet, because of Lei Ye, he fell seriously ill.
"I was terrified at the time." Mu Meng was still caught up in the past when she suddenly heard Mu Qingheng say softly.
Outside, the wind and rain raged, snapping tree branches. His voice sounded unusually calm and chilling amidst the howling rain.
Mu Meng's heart softened. She knelt by the bed, gently hugged his waist, and nuzzled her head against him, saying, "Brother, I'll stay with you."
She whispered, "I'll stay with you. Don't be afraid."
*
Long after Mu Meng fell asleep, Mu Qingheng remained wide awake.
He didn't say anything, but she stayed behind, standing about two zhang away from him.
Mu Qingheng propped himself up on his arm, his long, black hair cascading down his shoulder. He gazed at Mu Meng's sleeping face—she was sleeping peacefully and soundly, straddling the blanket, her trouser legs rolled up to her knees, revealing her fair, delicate, and shapely calves.
Her lips curled up softly, as if she had a sweet dream.
Mu Qingheng looked out the window.
He was not afraid of thunder; he had no emotions or desires. Throughout his life, nothing could evoke any fear in him.
It just feels a bit nauseous.
Mu Qingheng silently got out of bed, walked to the window, and looked at the heavy rain pouring down outside, which covered the pear blossoms in mud.
"Brother, don't be afraid, Mengmeng is outside with you..."
"Brother, I'll stay with you."
"I'll always be with you."
The lingering smell of blood and rotting corpses gradually faded. Mu Qingheng pushed open the window, and a gust of wind swept in. Raindrops dampened his hair. He closed his eyes, his clothes fluttering in the wind.
Thump.
Thump, thump.
Mu Qingheng suddenly opened his eyes, looking outside warily, but the world was empty except for the cold wind and rain.
It is the wind that moves, the rain that moves, and the swaying shadows of the trees.
...
To take care of Mu Qingheng, Mu Meng visited Changjin Palace even more frequently.
Mu Meng got up early today, tidied herself up casually, and planned to go find her brother to cultivate together. She has been making rapid progress recently, and if she strikes while the iron is hot, she should be able to make a big breakthrough.
Mu Meng wore a bright crimson dress, her beautiful face highlighting her lively and spirited nature. She walked out while tightening the ribbon on her cuffs.
As soon as you arrived at the door, Lingwei came up from outside: "Your Highness, General Xuantian is waiting for you outside."
Mu Meng patted Ling Wei's hand: "I know, Ling Wei. Help me find the book that Brother Sheng lent me last time. I'll return it to him."
Speaking of which, I really have to thank Sheng Yuanting for my recent rapid progress in cultivation. I encountered him a few times while cultivating before, and each time I received his guidance, I was able to break through some of the bottlenecks.
Mu Meng had a premonition that she would soon be able to refine the first layer of the Crimson Heart Pill.
"Brother Sheng, what brings you here?" Mu Meng wasn't one to be coy, and since meeting Sheng Yuanting, the initial grievances and awkwardness had disappeared.
He was as gentle as his brother, but his personality was not as sharp and outspoken as his brother's; he was more calm and reserved. In short, he was an excellent person.
"Your Highness is well," Sheng Yuanting bowed respectfully. "I think Your Highness's cultivation should be at a critical juncture for a breakthrough in the next few days. Is there anything I can do to help?"
His hands, hanging at his sides, were loosely clenched, as if there was something in his palms.
Mu Meng smiled, her fair face beaming with obvious joy: "Yes, yes, of course! Even if you hadn't come looking for me, I would have gone to find you these past few days."
She hadn't told her brother yet that she was going to refine the first level of the Crimson Heart Pill, wanting to give him a surprise and make him proud of her.
In this way, she could no longer ask her brother for help if there was anything she didn't understand.
Fortunately, Sheng Yuanting's guidance was no worse than his brother's, and even more effective. After listening to Mu Meng's description, he explained some key points to her. After Mu Meng circulated her internal energy for one cycle, she indeed felt that she had gained a lot more insight.
With such rapid progress, how could Mu Meng not be happy? She happily bowed to Sheng Yuanting and said, "Brother Sheng, thank you so much. In a few days, I will show my brother the results and I will definitely not forget to tell him about your contribution."
Sheng Yuanting chuckled: "Your Highness, you are too kind. It is your intelligence that has brought me so much guidance."
He hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "You call me 'Big Brother,' so I'll... I'll take care of my little sister."
Mu Meng smiled and said, "Then you don't have to be so formal. Just call me Mengmeng. That's what my elders and siblings call me."
Sheng Yuanting gazed at her earnest eyes, nodded gently in agreement, hesitated for a long time, and finally quietly put his hands behind his back.
He almost crushed the flower in his palm. Oh well, let's wait a little longer, lest we frighten her.
“…Mengmeng,” Sheng Yuanting called out tentatively, and seeing that Mu Meng’s smile remained unchanged, he continued, “I didn’t do anything special, so you don’t need to mention me when you surprise His Highness the Crown Prince.”
"Why?"
Sheng Yuanting said, "When His Highness the Crown Prince was giving you guidance, your progress was slow because he was too worried about you and afraid you would get hurt. These past few times, my guidance has gone beyond the principle of gradual progress and gone against His Highness the Crown Prince's wishes. I'm afraid... he'll be even more angry with me."
So she was worried that her brother would be angry about this. How could that be? Mu Meng waved her hand and assured him, "No, my brother isn't a petty person."
Sheng Yuanting smiled slightly: "I know."
They were so engrossed in their conversation that Mu Meng lost track of time and half a day had passed without them noticing. Neither of them realized that a person was standing under the deep shadows of the trees outside the hall.
Mu Qingheng concealed all his aura and quietly gazed at the two people chatting in the distance. The shadows of the trees dappled his delicate, porcelain-white skin, and his gaze was extremely cold.
...
"Master, do we really need to redeploy?"
Yu Da looked hesitantly at the man behind the desk. He held a pen in his long, pale hand and was writing something with great concentration.
There were three written notes on the table, and Mu Qingheng was writing the fourth one.
well……
She didn't want to say anything, fearing that she might anger this unpredictable ancestor again. But overturning all the plans was a big deal. Her master had made the decision after returning from Mu Meng's place, and it didn't seem like a well-thought-out decision.
After much hesitation, Yu Da finally mustered the courage to say, "Master, we have already planned the safest path. If we rashly change the plan, what if unforeseen circumstances arise..."
Mu Qingheng gently put down his pen, lazily lifting his eyelids with a chillingly gloomy expression: "Changes?"
He leaned back slowly in his chair, his tone gentle, like lovers whispering: "The little girl has grown up; the bond between siblings is ultimately short-lived."
That's natural; how can the affection between siblings compare to the love between a man and a woman? But Yu Da wasn't sure if her master meant what she thought, or something even more mad...
Just as she was wondering how to respond, Mu Qingheng suddenly swept his gaze across her with a fierce look and uttered two words in a low voice: "Step back."
Yu Da was unaware of what was happening, but reacted quickly, immediately retreating into the darkness.
Before half a cup of tea had been brewed, Mu Meng ran in happily.
She was dressed in a striking red outfit, and when she ran in, her skirt fluttered in the wind, like a blooming begonia, breathtakingly beautiful.
Mu Qingheng smiled at her, then lowered his eyes, his gaze lingering on the notes he had just written.
“Mengmeng, come here,” he beckoned to her very gently, “help your brother draw a card.”
Mu Meng responded and walked to the desk, tilting her head to look: "Brother, what is this?"
There were several notes on the table, with the writing side down, so the contents were not visible.
Mu Qingheng said, "I've encountered a problem. There are several solutions, but I can't decide which one to choose. So, I'd rather you draw one."
What? Isn't that too frivolous? Mu Meng's eyes widened, and she honestly suggested, "Brother, you should think it over carefully again. How can you just draw it randomly?"
"It's okay, just draw one."
Mu Qingheng sat calmly in his chair with a serene smile, seemingly indifferent to whichever card Mu Meng drew.
Judging from my brother's expression, he must be very confident...
Thinking this, Mu Meng picked up a piece of paper from the table and handed it to Mu Qingheng. She had always been well-behaved and did not try to read the words on it.
Mu Qingheng accepted it.
His gaze swept gently across the paper, his long, slender fingers lightly stroking the edge of the slip of paper.
"Mengmeng, you made a good choice."
A moment later, he looked up, his dark pupils fixed on Mu Meng, and slowly smiled.
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