“Purple Melody Saint! Get your ass out here right now!” The woman’s loud shout outside clearly echoed through every corner of Luoyun Mountain.
All eyes turned toward the Purple Melody Saint at the sound of the voice.
Yun Ye: “Brother Saint, that’s a woman calling for you, isn’t it? Something’s up!”
Mo Changxing: “Master, is our thousand-year-old bachelor finally settling down? But that roar… Tsk tsk, who knew you liked the fiery type?”
Jin Lin: “Master, you’ve quietly racked up a romantic debt!”
Yun Qingxue blinked her curious eyes at her master, her clear gaze unmistakably conveying one message: “Master, please explain!”
Under the barrage of gossipy stares, the Purple Melody Saint felt that his decades of pristine reputation were about to be ruined by this one shout.
Before he could even explain, the loud voice of the bear demon Cuihua boomed from outside: “Master! Some romantic debt you stirred up has come knocking! You better come out and see!”
Purple Melody Saint: “…”
Cuihua, damn it! Must you spout nonsense when you don’t even know the situation?!
“Let’s go see what the famous Purple Melody Saint’s romantic interest looks like!” Yun Ye teased, a rare moment of levity.
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Changxing had already flung the door open.
Outside, the overly plump Cuihua was panting heavily, her eyes fixed on them. Seeing the door open, her face lit up, and she blurted, “Master, there’s a stunningly beautiful woman at the foot of the mountain! She’s so gorgeous, way prettier than that fox spirit I used to train with back in the day!
“Uh, though compared to Senior Sister Qingxue, she’s still miles behind!”
“Get—to—the—point!” →_→
The Purple Melody Saint was visibly displeased with Cuihua’s tangent.
“Oh, right! I’ll get to the point, Master, don’t rush me!” Cuihua chuckled sheepishly, realizing her mistake, and quickly corrected herself. “There’s a drop-dead gorgeous woman at the foot of the mountain, crying and demanding to see you! She even threatened that if you don’t come out soon, she’ll storm Luoyun Mountain and confront you herself!
“Master… Did you, uh, deceive her and then ditch her—”
Noticing the Purple Melody Saint’s darkening expression, Cuihua quickly swallowed the rest of her gossipy words and meekly stepped aside.
At that moment, the protective barrier around Luoyun Mountain trembled—a sign that someone was trying to force their way in.
“Master, let’s go see what our future mistress looks like!” Mo Changxing teased with a rare smirk.
The Purple Melody Saint huffed, “Fine, let’s go!”
He wanted to see just who this woman was, daring to ruin his lifelong reputation in one fell swoop!
With that, the group soared on the wind toward the mountain’s base. When they finally saw the figure standing there, everyone except Mo Changxing and Jin Lin wore expressions of mild surprise.
Yun Qingxue stared at the dignified woman and blurted out, “Mo Su?!”
Mo Su turned to Yun Qingxue, her furious gaze instantly transforming into overwhelming joy. She immediately dropped to her knees in reverence.
“Mo Su pays homage to the Flower King!”
Yun Qingxue was stunned. She recognized this woman—she was the fake peony clan leader conjured by the illusion spirit in the Yunhuang Mirage to deceive her.
Now that the illusion spirit had formed a contract with her, it wouldn’t create such illusions anymore. That meant this woman was likely the real peony clan leader!
But how had she found Luoyun Mountain?
“Clan Leader Mo Su, there’s no need for such formalities. Please rise.” Yun Qingxue didn’t approach but used magic to gently lift her.
Mo Su stood, her eyes burning with fervor as she gazed at Yun Qingxue. “When we learned of Your Majesty’s disappearance, I was beside myself with worry.
“Now that I see you safe, my heart can finally rest!”
Then, as if remembering something, she shot a glare at the Purple Melody Saint and sneered, “Purple Melody Saint, you found our Flower King long ago—why didn’t you inform me? Why didn’t you let me pay my respects? What were you scheming?!”
The Purple Melody Saint averted his gaze guiltily, forcing an awkward laugh. “Too much has happened since Qingxue returned. Besides, Clan Leader Mo Su, you left without telling me how to contact you. It’s not like I could track you down!”
His excuse earned him nothing but a cold scoff from Mo Su. “Then open the damn mountain barrier and let me in already!”
“Right, right!” The Purple Melody Saint chuckled dryly and waved his hand, allowing Mo Su entry.
Once inside, Mo Su flicked a glowing object toward Yun Qingxue.
Yun Qingxue caught it, and the item seamlessly merged into her palm.
A familiar power surged from her hand into her heart.
Mo Su knelt once more. “Today, I return the Peony Clan’s token to the Flower King. Our clan swears eternal loyalty—through fire and water, we shall never betray you!”
Yun Qingxue quickly helped her up. Who would’ve thought that instead of a romantic scandal, this was a devoted follower of the Flower King?
Up close, Mo Su immediately noticed Yun Qingxue’s pallor and asked sharply, “Your Majesty, why are you so pale? Are you unwell?”
Hearing this, Yun Qingxue instinctively glanced at the Purple Melody Saint. Seeing his nod, she explained her poisoning.
Mo Su’s expression darkened instantly. She grabbed Yun Qingxue’s wrist to check her pulse, only releasing it after a long moment with a frown. She stepped back and bowed. “Forgive my boldness!”
“The Lockfrost Poison is nearly undetectable unless it flares up,” the Purple Melody Saint interjected.
Mo Su shot him a glare. “I know that better than you! Purple Melody Saint, you old fool—is this how you care for our Flower King?”
She then turned her wrathful gaze to Yun Ye.
Both the Purple Melody Saint and Yun Ye were already drowning in guilt over Yun Qingxue’s poisoning. Mo Su’s accusations only deepened their shame.
Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, the Purple Melody Saint’s eyes lit up. “The peony clan is the Flower King’s kin—surely you know how to cure the Lockfrost Poison, don’t you?!”
“Purple Melody Saint!” Mo Su roared, her eyes blazing with fury. “Not only did you let the Flower King get poisoned, but you still don’t know the cure?! You—you’re truly masters of care! Had I arrived any later, would I have been left to—”
She cut herself off, realizing she’d nearly uttered something inauspicious, and angrily flicked her sleeve.
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