Chapter 231 How can the excuse change so easily?
Mu Jianjian sat on a tree branch, watching the man below beat up two other men who had entered, humming a tune softly, enjoying her leisure.
Seeing that the other party had obtained another flag in a few quick moves, he raised an eyebrow as expected.
As expected of him.
She saw a fluffy gray bird fly onto her hand, and excitedly rubbed its head with her fingertips. "So cute!"
The little bird, with its grayish-brown wings fluttering, seemed to sense the girl's affection and settled on her shoulder, nestling against her neck.
"It itches! Stop rubbing!" A tickling sensation came from Mu Jianjian's neck, which made her giggle. Even with three deep scars on her face, she still looked sunny and cheerful to those who saw her.
After Nian Qing sent his men back to their original courtyard, he turned around and saw this scene.
The smile on his lips softened even more.
Since their reunion, he felt that the other person seemed to have taken on a burden. Although he still often smiled, he was not as relaxed and carefree as he was now.
"Nian Qing, look how cute and intelligent this little bird is!" Mu Jianjian excitedly pointed to the gray object on her shoulder when she saw the man looking up at her.
But the moment she made the move, she felt the surrounding scenery change. The treetop where she was sitting disappeared, and she landed in a completely unfamiliar courtyard!
Just as Nian Qing was about to respond with a laugh, the girl suddenly disappeared before his eyes.
After a moment of stunned silence, he felt the sharp pain in his heart as it tightened. Memories he had never wanted to recall flooded his mind once again, and the man who had previously been so powerful and domineering showed a rare vulnerability and helplessness.
Fortunately... I had put the silver ring on her hand beforehand...
Nian Qing raised his right hand, and a black and white chessboard floated in front of him.
"Huh?" Mu Jianjian was still holding a small bird in her hands and didn't react to the sudden teleportation.
The area was filled with antique artifacts and carvings, including many broken jars and wooden sculptures, indicating that a major battle had just taken place and the courtyard had not yet fully recovered.
"What did you just do?" she asked the innocent-looking gray bird in her hand.
Every blade of grass in the courtyard served as a means of access to other courtyards. She didn't use her true energy to touch them, so the only remaining reason for her to leave was the little bird that kept moving around on her body.
"Chirp chirp~"
"Tsk," Mu Jianjian looked at the gray bird that was emitting a faint true energy and pouted, "Why do you, little bird, have to imitate a chicken's crow?"
Seeing faint human voices coming from behind the shattered ceramics not far away, she quickly released the small object in her hand and immediately became extremely alert, thinking about how to respond.
Ideally, she should be able to stall until Nian Qing comes to rescue her...
etc.
She had no relationship with Nian Qing. His target had always been the Broken Brocade Scroll of the Immortal Palace, so why would he waste time and effort to save her?
“Brother Feng’an, another group of people has come to our courtyard… oh no, it’s a sister…” A girl with long pigtails that reached her shoulders jumped out from behind the huge ceramic statue.
The girl wore a dress made of reflective fish scales, which shimmered like the surface of a lake under the sunlight. Two red threads encircled her waist, highlighting her figure. The auspicious cloud patterns on the threads were lifelike, complementing her pure and innocent face.
After making eye contact with Mu Jianjian, she saw the face ruined by scars. Her expression showed no contempt or disgust, but rather heartache.
"It looks like my sister's face has been injured, and it's quite serious," the girl said pitifully, as if the wound itself were on her face, and tears welled up in her eyes.
As soon as she finished speaking, a man slowly walked out from behind the girl. Unlike the girl, whose clothes were neat and clean, the man's dark robes were stained with blood and were worn out. There were also traces of blood splattered from the fight on his face and neck.
Compared to the innate kindness that young girls have towards strangers, Yan Feng'an appears restrained and distant.
“Bring out one of the flags from your yard for us.”
He uttered indifferent words, his gaze lingering on the girl for only a moment before shifting away.
"I don't have any of the flags from the courtyard on me," Mu Jianjian said truthfully.
She didn't have any flags on her; they were all with Nian Qing. He was going to fight for the flags, so she was happily slacking off in the back.
"Brother Feng'an, how could you do this!" The girl stomped her foot and spoke at the same time as Mu Jianjian. After being glanced at by Yan Feng'an, she obediently shrank back and remained silent.
"You can't beat us, let's go." Yan Feng'an calmed the girl down, gently wiped away the still-warm bloodstains on her neck with a cloth, and said.
The girl nodded.
She just saw the woman in front of her release the cute little bird she was holding!
She must be a kind and good-hearted older sister!
I definitely can't beat Brother Feng'an, sister should leave!
"I want to, but... I don't know how to get back to the courtyard we used to be in." Mu Jianjian stood there, outwardly calm and composed, but she had already started awkwardly digging her toes into the ground.
It took true qi to propel it to come, and it naturally needs true qi to leave as well. She was afraid that the bird was one of two vicious cultivators and worried that it would get hurt, so she let it fly away. Who knew that these two disciples from the Immortal Palace family were quite friendly and gave her this stunt!
Girl: ...
"You don't happen to like Brother Feng'an, and you deliberately came to his courtyard to attract his attention, do you...?" The girl's lips trembled as if she was about to cry. "Why are you all trying to take Brother Feng'an from me! Brother Feng'an is mine—"
Before she could finish wailing, Yan Feng'an frowned slightly. "Linglong, she has no true energy left, so she really can't go back."
He hadn't even noticed this layer.
Dongfang Linglong fell silent instantly. Pretending that nothing had happened, she raised her hand to tidy her slightly messy hair, then turned to Mu Jianjian and said, "Then you can stay in our courtyard for a while, sister, until your companions come to find you."
This time, it was Mu Jianjian's turn to remain silent.
As long as you don't feel embarrassed, then it's others who will feel embarrassed.
Judging from the girl's words, they have already encountered many people in this courtyard who came specifically to see this man?
Her companion... Nian Qing most likely won't come looking for her.
"Uh, sister," Dongfang Linglong thought that her rudeness had angered Mu Jianjian when she didn't answer her, so she carefully walked up to Mu Jianjian and tugged at her sleeve with her small hand, "Sister, you are so brave! You came to the Immortal Palace to compete without any cultivation. Your magic weapon must be very powerful!"
Mu Jianjian looked down at the child's starry eyes and wondered in her heart whose daughter this was.
When others saw that she had no cultivation level to compete, they would all rush to laugh and say "overestimating herself," but this little girl actually praised her courage in a roundabout way.
"My name is Mu Yuanyuan, what's your name?" she called out softly, feeling like an old auntie trying to coax a little girl.
"Linglong, come back." Yan Feng'an called out, his gaze fixed on Mu Jianjian with great vigilance.
"Sister, my name is Dongfang Linglong." Dongfang Linglong replied softly, and then obeyed his words, taking small steps to walk behind Yan Feng'an.
“There are 109 families from the Immortal Palace participating in this competition. The families have sent no more than 300 disciples. And among all of them, not a single one is surnamed Mu.” Yan Feng’an patted Linglong, who was about to speak, signaling her to be quiet.
Mu Jianjian was stunned by his words.
One hundred and nine families, more than three hundred people!
He actually memorized everyone's names and family names?
That's perverted!
However, she was careless this time and actually gave herself away, which was really wrong of her.
"Moreover, all those selected from their families to participate in the Immortal Palace competition are outstanding cultivators, but you alone do not even have a trace of true qi." Yan Feng'an's words seemed to carry a chilling wind, making one's heart feel icy cold.
"Besides, how did you get into our courtyard if you don't have true qi?" Yan Feng'an's questions seemed to have trapped Mu Jianjian on a tightrope, leaving her unable to advance or retreat. "Or are you actually a cultivator from the Demon Palace in disguise?"
Mu Jianjian raised a fragile and wounded smile, "I was originally... the pride of the family, but unfortunately I lost my cultivation after being betrayed by a villain. My name wasn't on the list of those selected to participate in the competition that day, but the villain pushed me into the transfer array, wanting me to die in the competition!"
She watched as the little girl, Dongfang Lingrong, began to sob, and her left eye twitched involuntarily.
"That villain hates me because I am a member of a collateral branch of the family but am valued by the clan. In a fit of rage, he did this, pushing me into an abyss of no return." Mu Jianjian cried, almost grabbing Yan Feng'an's clothes and singing a tragic and rational song.
She felt the terrifying pressure emanating from the man slowly dissipating, and finally felt relieved.
As long as you argue well, you can fool people no matter what you say.
"What family do you belong to?" Yan Feng'an asked, frowning.
"The Lin family." Mu Jianjian tried hard to recall the surname of the group that Nian Qingga had eliminated in the first checkpoint. After seeing the man nod, she was just feeling proud of her quick thinking when a male voice rang in her ears.
"Miss Mu clearly said she came from the reclusive family, the Magic Fairy Castle. How come her story has changed so quickly?"
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