After Yue Lingchai saw Mu Xueshi enter, aside from calling her “Aunt” once, he practically acted as though she did not exist. Even when he saw the little servant girl Yue Lingchai had rescued, he treated her far more warmly than he treated Yue Lingchai herself. His behavior and personality completely exceeded her expectations. The previous two times she had seen him, he had been unconscious. She never expected that after waking up, he would possess such a lively and unrestrained temperament.
Mu Xueshi clearly had not realized Yue Lingchai was observing him at all. One moment he was fooling around noisily with the Third Prince, laughing and cheering, and the next he was running over to Qingyun to pour out his grievances…
Yue Lingchai herself could not understand what she was feeling.
Thinking about him without seeing him was one kind of feeling.
Actually seeing him, yet being completely ignored by him, was another.
The Third Prince stood to the side watching Mu Xueshi and Qingyun laughing and chatting together when Yue Lingchai suddenly walked over and quietly said something to him.
“For now, let him think I am his aunt.”
The Third Prince showed no surprise whatsoever and agreed almost immediately.
“That may indeed be for the best. Xueshi grew up in the Grand Tutor’s estate and has always believed Mu Wan’er is his mother. If you clarify your identity now, Xueshi will probably suffer a severe shock.”
Moreover, for the time being, the Third Prince did not want Mu Xueshi to know they shared blood ties.
“I simply do not wish to gain a son for no reason,” Yue Lingchai said lightly.
The Third Prince withdrew his gaze from Mu Xueshi and looked toward Yue Lingchai instead.
“Then why did Aunt insist earlier that I bring Xueshi here?”
“Obviously because I intend to keep him by my side for a period of time.”
Hearing this, the Third Prince’s gaze turned cold as he flatly refused.
“Other matters may perhaps be negotiated, but this is absolutely impossible.”
A fierce hostility flashed through Yue Lingchai’s strikingly beautiful eyes, and her tone became even sharper than the Third Prince’s.
“This matter is not yours to permit or deny. He must stay here with me for a time, and no one may interfere.”
“And how long is this so-called ‘period of time’?” the Third Prince asked.
Yue Lingchai smiled faintly, her eyes gleaming brilliantly.
“Only half a year.”
“Half a year?” The Third Prince sneered softly. “Aunt should abandon the idea. Forget half a year—even half a day—I cannot tolerate Xueshi being separated from me.”
“A man who obsesses over love and desire—what future could such a person possibly have?” Yue Lingchai shot back coldly. “Look at Xueshi now. He cannot even truss a chicken. Anyone with the slightest martial skill could easily injure him. Don’t tell me you can protect him. Save such empty words for comforting yourself.”
“If Xueshi wishes to learn martial arts, naturally there are people who can teach him. Aunt need not trouble herself excessively.”
“You mean your Guard Su?” Yue Lingchai’s eyes brimmed with ridicule. “If he taught Xueshi, Xueshi would probably devour you alive sooner or later.”
The Third Prince’s expression sharpened, his gaze unwavering.
“Even if he does not teach him, I can still hire another master. Xueshi only needs to learn enough basic skills to defend himself. Why would it require troubling a peerless master such as Aunt?”
“What do you mean ‘troubling’?” Yue Lingchai snapped. “That is my son!”
“Didn’t Aunt just say she did not want to gain a son for no reason?”
Yue Lingchai’s eyes darkened as she barked coldly, “Whether I want one or not, I still have the right to keep him here.”
The moment those words were spoken, the entire hall fell silent.
Mu Xueshi noticed the Third Prince and Yue Lingchai arguing and immediately sensed something was wrong, so he hurried over.
“What’s wrong? Who wants to stay behind?” Mu Xueshi tilted his head up toward the Third Prince.
The Third Prince replied coldly, “No one is staying.”
Although Yue Lingchai was annoyed after hearing those words, the moment she saw Mu Xueshi standing beside him, her mood mysteriously improved considerably.
“Whether he stays or not should also depend on Xueshi’s own wishes.” Yue Lingchai looked toward Mu Xueshi, and for once, rare tenderness appeared in her eyes.
“Does that mean staying here for a while?” Mu Xueshi widened his eyes in surprise.
The Third Prince remained cold and silent while Yue Lingchai answered, “Yes.”
“Ah, that actually sounds great! This underground palace is unbelievably beautiful, and there are mechanisms everywhere—it’s especially fun. It’s much more comfortable than Ice-Fire Cave. Even though it’s underground, over there there’s this super impressive—”
Mu Xueshi spoke enthusiastically, as though he had not been crouching on the ground crying earlier at all.
Unfortunately, before he could finish, the Third Prince interrupted him with one sentence.
“Aunt only intends to keep one person.”
Mu Xueshi froze.
A wave of heat instantly rushed to his face. Seeing both of them staring at him, he laughed awkwardly before saying to the Third Prince, “Aunt only means well. You can just send me back to Ice-Fire Cave, and I’ll stay with Master and the others.”
After hearing Mu Xueshi’s words, Yue Lingchai’s willow-like brows twitched visibly.
“She wants to keep you,” the Third Prince reminded him coldly.
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened abruptly. He turned his head from side to side, looking first at the Third Prince, then at Yue Lingchai.
“Why do you want to keep me?”
“Because I intend to teach you martial arts. Within half a year, you will improve tremendously.”
“Really?” The moment Mu Xueshi heard the words “martial arts,” his eyes lit up instantly.
Seeing that her son actually possessed an interest in martial arts, Yue Lingchai naturally felt extremely pleased.
“Of course it’s true,” she said softly.
Hearing that, a surge of excitement immediately rose inside Mu Xueshi. His masculine pride and heroic fantasies were reignited once again. He remembered the carefree, elegant martial prowess Su Ruhuan had displayed when the two of them escaped together. To Mu Xueshi, that had been the very image of a hero.
After everything he had endured recently, Mu Xueshi had deeply realized how important self-protection truly was.
“Alright! Aunt, I…” Mu Xueshi had just nodded determinedly when his tone suddenly softened as he turned to the Third Prince and asked, “Do you think my master would be upset?”
“If you acknowledge someone else as your master, naturally your own master would not mind. But if you acknowledge Aunt as your master, then your master would probably sever your master-disciple relationship on the spot.”
“Ah?…” Mu Xueshi pouted. “Then maybe I should just go back and learn from my own master after all. I’m really sorry…”
“Don’t listen to his nonsense.” Yue Lingchai cut in immediately. “He only says these things because of selfish motives. Isn’t Qingyun’s matter proof enough already? After everything, can you still trust his words so easily?”
That’s true… Mu Xueshi muttered secretly to himself.
The Third Prince did not argue.
He deliberately restrained his anger because he wanted to see just how much trust he still held in Mu Xueshi’s heart.
Mu Xueshi lowered his head and thought for a while before cautiously asking Yue Lingchai, “Then compared to my master… which of you is stronger?”
“If we speak purely of martial skill, naturally your master surpasses me slightly. But if we speak of teaching martial arts, then I am more suitable. After all, I am a woman. I certainly would not be as strict as your master. However, my techniques are flexible and varied, and I can also give you shortcuts.”
Those words caused Mu Xueshi to waver again.
Seeing how indecisive Mu Xueshi was, Yue Lingchai became even more determined to keep him here and properly train him.
If he possessed no martial arts talent, then at the very least he could have become a refined and elegant scholar like his father once was.
But unfortunately, he lacked even that temperament.
Moreover, no matter how carefree and graceful his father had been, he had still died at another’s hands.
Looking at Mu Xueshi now, Yue Lingchai felt that if he were not properly taught and disciplined, it would not be long before he followed the exact same tragic path as his father—or perhaps an even more disastrous one.
“If you don’t believe me, then let Qingyun exchange a few moves with you. Qingyun has only been here a few days, but her martial arts are already equivalent to several years of bitter training by others.”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes widened instantly.
Qingyun? She knew martial arts now too?
Qingyun cooperatively stepped forward, respectfully accepting the sword from Yue Lingchai before clasping her fists toward Mu Xueshi and the Third Prince.
“Qingyun will embarrass herself before you.”
Mu Xueshi had not even seen her swordsmanship yet. Just her posture and tone of voice alone had already shocked him.
Was this truly the same Qingyun who had once suffered abuse and cried pitifully not long ago?
Now she radiated the aura of a wandering female martial hero.
Without the slightest hesitation, Qingyun began moving.
The moment her voice faded, the sound of sword wind echoed throughout the hall. Her figure was graceful, her steps light and elegant. Even the way she wielded her sword carried a unique beauty.
Mu Xueshi stared in complete fascination.
Suddenly, Yue Lingchai grabbed Mu Xueshi’s hand and pulled it toward the table, picking up several cherries before tossing them into the air.
In that instant, Qingyun flipped through the air beautifully. Her long black hair cascaded downward while her sword flashed several times in rapid succession.
The plump red cherries all split cleanly in half before raining down across the table.
Mu Xueshi stared in astonishment as he picked up the cherries one by one and examined them carefully.
Each one had been cut with perfect precision. Not a single cherry had been missed.
When he looked back at Qingyun again, she had already sheathed her sword and returned to his side. All the heroic sharpness from before had vanished, and she once again looked shy and gentle.
“I hope I have not made Young Master Xue laugh at me.”
Mu Xueshi’s eyes had already become completely dazed from the dazzling dream of becoming a martial arts master.
Futile Devices Scans 
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