Chapter 100: Liu Qingmei

At this moment, the excitement overflowing in Liu Qingmei's heart could not have been more intense.

"Mu'er!"

"From now on, you must increase your time spent cultivating. In the past, I didn't lecture you because as your teacher, I didn't know your talent was so monstrous. But now, you cannot be so lackadaisical anymore; you must accelerate your cultivation!"

"Tomorrow I will send Xiaoya back to the villa... No, today. I will have her rush back tonight to fetch some Dragon Blood Rice and Dragon Bone Fragrant Leaf. From now on, these will be your staple food. If you find them truly bland, you may eat some snacks, but regardless, cultivation is your primary duty!"

"As long as you cultivate diligently, I will smooth over everything for you!"

"Even if you wanted me and Ye Yin to serve you together, Mei'er would find a way to persuade her!"

Liu Qingmei looked at Ning Mu with determined eyes, her words filled with boundless joy! At this moment, she felt no shyness in saying these things; there was only endless excitement!

She had already committed her heart to Ning Mu.

Now that she knew Ning Mu's talent was so monstrous and that he had the potential to become a Saint of this era, she became even more admiring and expectant.

This was not her fault.

No matter the era, the worship of the strong is a gene almost carved into one's bones.

【Notification: Number One Sub-System owner Liu Qingmei has undergone self-indoctrination, believing you, the Host, to be a peerless talent of the current age with the potential to reach the Free and Unfettered Saint Realm. Loyalty Value increased by 10%, current Loyalty Value is 80%!】

【Notification: Because Liu Qingmei still has lingering bonds in her heart, her fate has not yet been liberated...】

???

Ning Mu was dumbfounded.

It could even do this? He was even a little worried that if his Cultivation Points increased too quickly, it might arouse Liu Qingmei's suspicion.

But now...

Liu Qingmei had already found a reason for him herself.

It's just that this "peerless talent with the potential to reach the Free and Unfettered Saint Realm" bit was a little too ridiculous...

Ning Mu's mouth twitched.

What annoyed him slightly was that even though her Loyalty Value had increased by 10%, it couldn't go any higher, remaining fixed at this 80% threshold...

It seemed that no matter how much she worshipped him, she could not break through this threshold.

The bonds of reality were, to her, a stronger shackle than the prospect of cultivating a Free and Unfettered Saint!

To break the threshold, only by severing her bonds...

As for cultivation.

Nothing else, just issue tasks.

Things like Dragon Blood Rice and Dragon Bone Fragrant Leaf were naturally the more, the better.

They would increase his Cultivation Points anyway.

Ning Mu raised an eyebrow, suppressed his messy thoughts, looked at Liu Qingmei, and said, "Wouldn't that be going too far? After all... in name, I am only your Disciple!"

"What is excessive about this?"

"If they knew your talent was this monstrous, they would likely be even more enthusiastic than I am!"

"Furthermore, I am still the Manor Mistress of Cangjian Villa, and the power is in my hands. What is wrong with me seeking some private gain for you?"

At this moment, Liu Qingmei was undoubtedly overbearing and tyrannical! "Don't speak of these things, just leave it to Mei'er!"

Liu Qingmei waved her hand, skipping over the topic, and then looked at the Moonlight Heart-Lock Ring in her hand, which she liked more the longer she looked at it.

It was easy to distinguish the front from the back of this ring.

Ye Yin had previously raised a dog.

The collar worn around that dog's neck had the ring held by the strap in the front.

It stood to reason...

This Moonlight Heart-Lock Ring was likely the same; the ring connected to the leather strap was the front...

After all, it was all related to loyalty! "Put it on me?"

A flash of shyness crossed Liu Qingmei's eyes as she looked at Ning Mu with a coquettish, resentful gaze.

When a beauty gives an order, how could he dare to disobey? Ning Mu immediately put it on her.

And just as Liu Qingmei took the initiative to lift her hair and turn around, facing away from Ning Mu.

Outside the city.

Several horses galloped up at high speed, brushing past the refugees and charging straight toward the city.

The person in the lead was on a white horse, rushing in like a gust of wind, swift as a shooting star.

"Scatter, all of you, move!"

"Clear the way!"

The horse moved like lightning, startling the refugees on both sides into retreating; those who couldn't dodge in time scrambled away on their hands and knees.

Fortunately, those riding the horses were clearly experts.

Although they caused panic among the refugees, they did not actually trample anyone.

"I am Ye Yin, daughter of the Villa Master of Cangjian Villa. I have urgent business to enter the city to see my mother. Quickly move the barricades and let me in. If there is any offense, I will certainly do my utmost to make amends later!"

"Mother, what is that you are wearing around your neck?"

Below the city gate tower.

Ye Yin, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead, looked at her mother opposite her, and... that cheap brother, finally fixing her gaze on the leather strap around her mother's neck, which she couldn't quite describe.

Liu Qingmei was startled upon hearing this, blinking in a daze at first.

Immediately, a trace of imperceptible embarrassment flashed in the depths of her eyes.

"It's nothing, just an ornament."

"Or tell me, what exactly are you all in such a rush about, that you absolutely had to force your way through the checkpoint?"

Liu Qingmei frowned slightly, waved her hand to brush the topic aside, and looked at Ye Yin, Feng Zhien, and the others with some displeasure.

If she hadn't been right there on the city gate tower.

And if she weren't on fairly good terms with the garrison commander on duty at the city gate today.

They would likely have been thrown into prison.

Forcing a checkpoint is a crime that can be judged as either minor or severe.

But in these troubled times, those officials are eager to arrest a few disobedient commoners to pad their own political achievements and use them to curry favor with their superiors.

Ornaments? Ye Yin couldn't help but frown.

Hasn't Mother always disdained wearing such cumbersome decorative items?

She rarely even wears a sachet.

Right, speaking of sachets, why is Mother so fragrant? A flicker of confusion flashed through the depths of Ye Yin's eyes.

Upon hearing Liu Qingmei's question, she immediately composed herself and explained, "Mother, there is an urgent matter at the villa."

"I don't know who the blabbermouth was that reported your porridge distribution and disaster relief in Yonghang back home. Eldest Uncle and Third Uncle have joined forces to complain to the Clan Elders, saying that your actions are meant to buy people's hearts, and in these troubled times, this will surely invite the suspicion, or even the wrath, of the Imperial Court!"

"The Imperial Court can afford to ignore the disaster victims, but for us, a martial arts sect, to win the hearts of the people will inevitably lead the Imperial Court to mistakenly believe we have rebellious intentions."

"That is what Eldest Uncle said."

"Third Uncle said that although the Imperial Court is weak, that is only relative to before. If our Cangjian Villa truly angers the Imperial Court, it would still be easy for them to deal with us!"

"The three Clan Elders are all very angry, and they sent the Senior Brother to tell you to stop the porridge distribution and disaster relief..."

"Mother, why don't you just stop? It's not good for you!"

Ye Yin followed suit, relaying the words of Ye Bupo and Ye Buwang to Liu Qingmei exactly as they were, and then voiced her own worries.

Liu Qingmei's brow furrowed instantly.

At this moment.

Feng Zhien, standing beside Ye Yin, stepped forward, cupped his hands in a salute, and said, "Master, I personally believe we can temporarily ignore these voices. The Clan Elders are angry, but it is not as if we must stop immediately. We can wait until the Imperial Court's own relief arrives before withdrawing."

"In this way, we can both buy the hearts of the people and alleviate the current predicament of the villa, while also showing our stance to the Imperial Court."

"It can be called killing two birds with one stone."

Feng Zhien glanced at Ning Mu, then spoke his insights to Liu Qingmei with great eloquence.

Ye Yin's little head nodded busily and repeatedly.

Senior Brother is right.

Liu Qingmei did not respond.

Instead, she turned her head to look at Ning Mu and asked in a soft voice, "Mu'er, what do you think?"

???

Seeing that the first person their Mother/Master asked for an opinion was actually Ning Mu, Ye Yin and Feng Zhien looked at each other in bewilderment, completely baffled.

Such a major matter, and she is asking a stable hand/Maid? What could he possibly know? Spending his days with horses, even if he flies up to a branch to become a phoenix, he is still just a Maid at heart.

This disaster relief matter is intricate and complex; he probably doesn't even understand the most basic procedures! How could he possibly sort out the pros and cons here?

Ye Yin frowned.

Although Feng Zhien had the same thoughts, he at least did not show any extra expression on his face.

Ning Mu pondered deeply for a moment.

He is a selfish person.

One could even say evil.

He can harm the interests of others for his own sake.

But this does not mean he is willing to watch tens of thousands of people die like leeks when he has the ability to do something.

Imperial Court pressure?

In this world, what can you do without pressure from all sides?

When you encounter a river, you build a bridge!

Once upon a time, he was also just an ordinary person.

On Earth, although he relied on a wealthy woman, he was, in the end, just the lowest-level leek.

Not to mention in this world.

If not for the existence of the system, he would only be able to be like Lao Zhangtou, spending his whole life with horses.

"Master, I don't have much say in this matter, but since you asked me, I will share my thoughts."

"I am not a person filled with compassion, and I know that everything has its pros and cons. I also know that if a man does not look out for himself, heaven and earth will destroy him. But if we ignore the hundreds of thousands of disaster victims outside the city just because we are worried about pressure from the Imperial Court, I personally am not willing."

"If I didn't have the ability, I could peaceably ignore it and live my own little life, but the reality is that I can save them!"

"Furthermore, the negative impact of saving them is far lower than the impact of not saving them!"

"After all, it is just distributing porridge; where does this talk of buying hearts come from?"

"If the Imperial Court really thinks a few bowls of porridge can win the hearts of these hundreds of thousands of people, why don't they come and do it themselves?"

"Taking a step back, in terms of the means of buying hearts, saving lives lies in the action, not the intent."

"As long as the Imperial Court is willing to provide relief, we can naturally withdraw. Success does not have to be through me, but success will definitely include me!"

After these words were spoken, Ye Yin's pupils shook violently.

So... that's how it is!

Unexpectedly, he, a stable hand/Maid by origin, could explain the pros and cons so clearly in just a few simple sentences.

That's right.

Compared to the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, even if the Imperial Court calls it buying hearts, this impact can be ignored!

Moreover, as long as the Imperial Court steps forward to provide disaster relief and then withdraws in a timely manner, the impact can be completely eliminated!

And that phrase, "saving lives and disaster relief lies in the action, not the intent."

It directly points out the essence of doing good and accumulating virtue.

Feng Zhien was also stunned, and then his expression shifted several times.

He had said to wait until the Imperial Court arrived before withdrawing.

Was there any difference between that and what he just said?

No difference! But the content and form of the words revealed the disparity in their thinking.

He realized a very serious problem: in terms of ideological realm, the distance between himself and this servant was not just a little bit! Seeing the surprise, shock, and that hint of curiosity in Junior Sister's eyes, Feng Zhien's heart skipped a beat. A sense of crisis immediately welled up, and the way he looked at Ning Mu again was filled with even more vigilance!

This kid... is no good!

"Mu'er is right!"

As Ning Mu's words fell, Liu Qingmei's beautiful peach-blossom eyes suddenly bloomed with the richness of spring.

It was so well said! Especially that phrase, "Success does not have to be achieved by me, but success will surely include me," it simply spoke to the very depths of Liu Qingmei's heart!

This kid, no wonder his talent is so monstrous; even the system chose him.

Judging solely from these words, he is indeed the Destined Son! At this moment, the love in Liu Qingmei's heart for Ning Mu seemed to grow even more intense! 【Notification: Your impassioned words have deeply moved Liu Qingmei's heart. She is increasingly convinced that you are the Destined Son, the genius of this era who is bound to reach the Free and Unfettered Saint Realm. Liu Qingmei's Loyalty Value toward you has increased by 5%, current Loyalty Value is 80%...】

"Alright, there is no need to discuss this further; let's do as Mu'er said!"

Liu Qingmei made the final decision.

"Since you have come from afar, don't go back just yet. Stay and help. Send someone back to report the news and relay these words to the Clan Elders."

Liu Qingmei said to Feng Zhien and Ye Yin.

"Yes, Master!"

"Okay, Mother."

Liu Qingmei turned her head to look at Ning Mu.

Recalling what she had said in front of Ning Mu earlier, her eyes shimmered with a glistening light.

Immediately, she turned her head to look at Ye Yin and said, "A Yin, Mother still has things to attend to, so let your brother accompany you to stroll around the city."

Liu Qingmei took the initiative to play matchmaker between Ye Yin and Ning Mu.

If Ning Mu really has the potential to become a Saint of the Free Realm in this life, then for Ye Yin, it would be an honor, a climb to a higher status!

If she could bear him a child or two, in time, it would surely become a prestigious and powerful family standing above the billions of living beings in this mundane world.

Ye Yin was stunned, her eyes immediately filled with reluctance.

"Mother, let me stay and help you!"

She hadn't forgotten that some time ago, her mother had the intention of arranging for her to marry Ning Mu! She didn't expect her mother to still be unwilling to give up!

"Be obedient!"

Liu Qingmei's voice was calm, her eyes indifferent.

But the message conveyed left Ye Yin not daring to show the slightest bit of defiance; she could only nod and agree reluctantly.

Then.

Liu Qingmei turned her gaze toward Feng Zhien.

"Zhien, take them and go help at the porridge-dispensing station outside the city."

Feng Zhien's eye twitched; he looked at Junior Sister with some unwillingness, then nodded and said, "Okay, Master."

"Junior Sister, have a good time... with the Second Young Master!"

After giving Ye Yin a word of caution, Feng Zhien could only sigh silently.

He did not dare to defy Master's order.

"Junior brothers, let's go!"

Feng Zhien turned and led the others away.

Once Feng Zhien and the others had left, Liu Qingmei nodded with satisfaction.

She knew that Feng Zhien had long had those kinds of intentions toward Ye Yin, and as an elder, she had maintained an attitude of tacit approval in the past.

Such matters were ultimately up to Ye Yin's father to decide.

But now...

She had to break up the couple! "Mu'er, take A Yin for a good walk. Come to think of it, A Yin might be more familiar with Yonghang than you are."

Looking at Ning Mu again, Liu Qingmei's expression instantly became incomparably gentle.

Even the tone of her voice carried a hint of gentleness and pleasantness.

Ning Mu smiled helplessly.

He really didn't want to accompany the Eldest Miss to go shopping.

A pampered Eldest Miss, after all, has a bit of a temper.

Although they hadn't interacted much, he could tell that Ye Yin was definitely a spoiled and willful person.

The key point was.

He still had important business to attend to.

Liuli's mission deadline only had one day left.

Compared to the punishment for the first mission, this time, Liuli would likely choose to complete it.

In case Liuli suddenly came looking for him later.

And found that there was an Ye Yin by his side, she might just decide not to do this mission! After thinking for a moment, Ning Mu found an excuse and said, "Master, I still have to go to the Yichun Courtyard; it might not be appropriate for A Yin to follow."

"What kind of place is the Yichun Courtyard?"

Ye Yin couldn't help but ask curiously.

"The original Hua Man Ge!"

Liu Qingmei explained briefly, nodded, and said helplessly, "Alright then, A Yin, you go back to the residence first."

Feng Zhien, who had walked away, had been keeping an eye on the movements over here.

Hearing that it was a brothel, he was suddenly stunned.

"..."

This guy is too fierce, right? In front of the Master's wife and Ye Yin, he said he was going to visit a brothel? The key is, the Master's wife actually agreed?

What kind of love potion did this kid feed the Master's wife!

They did not know that Hua Man Ge had already been acquired by Liu Qingmei and was now Ning Mu's property.

They still thought it was that place of wine and lust as it was before.

At this moment, a bad thought suddenly popped into Feng Zhien's mind.

Ever since the Master lay on the couch, neither dead nor alive, and this kid Ning Mu suddenly appeared, the Master's wife seemed to have become... less interested in the affairs of the villa.

She even spent a long time out and about.

Rarely at the Ye Family, mostly by Ning Mu's side.

Could it be that the Master is being...

Impossible, impossible!

Feng Zhien hurriedly shook his head, casting this unrealistic thought out of his mind.

"Master, then this Disciple will take his leave!"

Ning Mu gave Liu Qingmei a meaningful look, cupped his hands, and took his leave.

Liu Qingmei was stunned for a moment.

She suddenly remembered something, her eyes flickered immediately, and her heart pounded, but she still maintained a calm expression.

"Wait for me a moment!"

Saying this, she turned around in a hurry, not knowing where she went.

Ye Yin was originally still shocked that Ning Mu dared to talk about visiting a brothel in front of her mother.

Seeing her mother leave in a hurry at this moment, she was stunned, confused and puzzled.

But she still waited here for her mother.

Not long after.

Liu Qingmei returned.

Her complexion was bright and flawless, and her pair of peach-blossom eyes were as bright as a spring lake.

"Mother, what did you go do?"

"Master."

Ye Yin and Ning Mu greeted her one after another.

Liu Qingmei tried hard to restore her expression, said nothing to Ye Yin, but looked at Ning Mu, her eyes flickering, she gave a light hum, and then said, "Here, you dropped your thing, take it."

As she spoke.

She raised her hand and threw a black object to Ning Mu.

Ning Mu raised his hand to catch it and smiled knowingly.

There were still some damp traces on it.

Tsk tsk.

"Mother, what is that?"

Ye Yin couldn't help but look at the two of them curiously, her brows slightly furrowed, her pair of almond eyes full of suspicion.

That thing was too small.

It was round and round, pitch black all over, looking like some kind of bead.

But it was also a bit larger than an ordinary wooden bead.

"..."

Liu Qingmei's face turned slightly red, imperceptibly, especially after seeing the teasing look Ning Mu cast her way, she was even more furious.

She did not respond to Ye Yin's words.

Should she tell her that those are your younger brothers and sisters? This little beast, his strange and bizarre ways of playing are truly shameful!

(End of this chapter)