After a full night of cultivation, her energy had recovered well. She stepped out of the courtyard, a faint green light flickering in her palm as she traced the path of the target.
According to the map, this desolate area must once have been farmland.
Closing her eyes, she stimulated the dead plant seeds buried underground.
As she had expected, this place had indeed been a plantation for spices long ago. This time, what sprouted were Sichuan peppercorns and cinnamon.
After carefully collecting the crops, she prepared to wander around a bit more.
However, not far off, the sudden sound of a woman sobbing startled her. She immediately looked up.
"Please, stop hitting me! I was wrong!" the woman cried.
There was a car, and it sounded like the voice came from inside.
"You wretched woman! Did I not tell you not to look at other men? What, that man with the black umbrella just now made your heart flutter? He already walked past, and you still could not take your eyes off him, huh?"
The man's fists landed on the woman again and again, accompanied by dull thuds and her screams.
"Stop it!"
Mu Qingyun slapped her palm against the driver's side window, her eyes cold and stern.
In her era, men hitting women was rare—though not unheard of. Whenever she encountered such a scene, no matter who the person was, she would never let it go.
To bully someone weaker than yourself—what kind of strength is that?
"Who the hell are you?" the man snarled, clearly irritated at being interrupted. He looked respectable on the outside—one might even call him a professional or an elite by modern standards.
"Why are you hitting her?" Mu Qingyun glanced briefly at the woman, who kept her head down, sobbing. Though her face was lowered, the wounds on her forehead and the strands of hair scattered on the ground were plainly visible.
"Why? Ha, she's my wife! I'll hit her however I want. What's it to you?" The man rolled down the window, eyeing her face.
She was undeniably beautiful. If not for that face, he would have already thrown a punch.
"You think having a wife gives you the right to beat her? What kind of logic is that?" Mu Qingyun frowned, flames suddenly surging in her palm.
"Oh? What, you want to fight?" The man chuckled at her stance. "Hit me then, I dare you. I promise you and your whole family won't have a place to live if you lay a finger on me!"
Family?
She laughed. "If you actually have the ability to wipe out my family, I would even admire you for being a real man."
"You trying to provoke me?" Thinking she was mocking him, the man grew furious, flung open the car door, and charged at her.
Throughout the entire scene, the woman kept her head down and did not say a single word.
Fire ignited in Mu Qingyun's palm. Unexpectedly, the man also summoned flames in his hand—he was a fire-type ability user.
Very well. Then let us fight.
Without hesitation, Mu Qingyun hurled a ball of fire at him, engaging him in battle.
Although both used fire, the difference was significant.
Her Samādhi True Fire was no ordinary flame—it was far superior. Within three moves, the man was already rolling on the ground, screaming in agony as flames consumed him.
Even as he burned, she had no intention of stopping.
"Stop!"
Unexpectedly, the silent woman suddenly rushed out of the car and shielded the man with her body. Glaring at Mu Qingyun, she shouted angrily, "What are you doing?!"
Mu Qingyun was momentarily stunned by the outburst and said nothing, simply staring at her.
"Dear, your body—your body is on fire—what should we do?" the woman cried, her demeanor soft and flustered, like a helpless little girl.
The very next moment, however, she turned and screamed at Mu Qingyun, "I'm warning you! If anything happens to my husband, I will never forgive you!"
So in the end… she should not have interfered.
Mu Qingyun watched the woman's sudden shift in behavior and could not help but laugh. This was a first.
"Ridiculous. Someone helps you, and instead of being grateful, you turn around and blame them."
A familiar voice came from nearby. She turned abruptly and saw Yin, holding a black umbrella, coldly staring at the woman.
"Exactly. How absurd," said Shu, standing nearby, clad in a black cloak that shielded his face from the sunlight.
"What are you two doing here?" she asked, raising a brow. "Why are you not resting in the castle? What brings you out here in broad daylight?"
"Just wandering around," Yin replied, tightening his grip on the umbrella. "A quick patrol—to check if anyone is breaking the rules."
"You done chatting? Help him already!" The woman's tone shifted again as soon as she saw Yin, turning anxious and demanding.
She really missed her calling—such acting skill was wasted.
A trace of mockery flickered in Mu Qingyun's eyes. With a subtle motion of her fingers, she retracted the flames from the man's body.
"You two continue your patrol. I am going back now."
With that, she turned and left.
She rarely meddled in others' business. In the past, the social hierarchy had been strict—one needed status and power to intervene.
She had only acted here because she thought everyone was equal in this place. Who knew she would end up with such a mess?
Passing through the illusion array, she returned to the old man's courtyard.
Yet before she could even enjoy a moment of peace, two figures followed closely behind.
"Did you not say you were patrolling? Why are you following me?" she asked, clutching some Sichuan peppercorn seeds as she walked over to the soil patch and planted them.
She intended to guard these seeds over the coming days to see whether they could adapt to this soil.
"Patrol is over. We came to rest," Yin said casually, walking toward the main house with his umbrella.
"Stop right there." Catching sight of his movement, Mu Qingyun promptly stopped him. "The owner of this place does not welcome you. Go back to the castle."
"Well, well. So now you are cutting ties with us?" Shu snorted. "Aren't you the current owner here? You are just like that woman earlier—no different at all."
Tch.
Mu Qingyun frowned, pressed the seeds firmly into the soil, and then turned to face him. "Let us get one thing straight. If it were not for you two, would I have wasted so much time for nothing?"
"If you have something to say, just say it. What exactly do you want?"
"I want a portion of your Samādhi True Fire," Yin said, seeing her impatience and choosing not to beat around the bush.
Though they had not known each other long, he already had a decent grasp of her personality. With her, it was better to speak directly than to play games.
"You want my Samādhi True Fire?" she repeated, genuinely puzzled. "How am I supposed to give it?"
Was that even something one could share?
"I have some talismans here," Yin said, turning to Shu. Shu, catching the cue, quickly retrieved a few red paper talismans from his storage pouch and handed them to her.