Chapter 364: Great Filial Daughter

Mu Yuanzhi's eyes were full of curiosity: "Does Heavenly Mountain really exist?"

"Isn't that the legendary fairy mountain? Does it really exist?"

Qilin didn't believe it: "Senior Sister, he's obviously bragging, a typical trick to deceive ignorant girls!"

"Don't talk nonsense, ignorant little Qilin," Gu Rongjin set down her teacup, "I haven't told Xiao Yuanzhi a single falsehood. Heavenly Mountain naturally exists."

"Where is it? What's it like? You've never told me about this experience." Saying this, Mu Yuanzhi's tone held a bit of spoiled complaining.

Qilin: "All he's done is brag."

Gu Rongjin ignored Qilin and said to Mu Yuanzhi: "Because it's really not a pleasant experience, so as to spare you from worrying about me."

"Saying that makes me even more curious."

"I'll tell you another day; I always feel we have a chance to go to Heavenly Mountain again." Gu Rongjin then affected a mysterious air, selling the secret.

Qilin chuckled: "Do you need time to organize your words?"

"Get lost!"

Qilin just chuckled without speaking, and went to drink his valley spring tea.

It's getting late; Mu Yuanzhi and the others should head back to sleep.

Qilin saw them to the door, regretting: "It seems I'm seeing my two little nephews, a shame we have to wait until tomorrow."

It's also not good to let the children see him like this; when he changes back to his original form, he'll still have to explain.

"Little Qilin, you need to be more careful." Mu Yuanzhi felt uneasy.

Qilin nodded firmly: "On the fifteenth of each month, the guards of Heavenly Palace are stricter than usual."

"You really can't exert any inner strength at all? What about your fist and foot skills?" Gu Rongjin asked.

Qilin clenched his fist and said: "Even throwing a punch feels weak and powerless."

"Let me try." Gu Rongjin said, throwing a punch, and they sparred.

Dodging that punch took great effort for Qilin, his whole body swaying; Gu Rongjin, mindful of his temporarily lost inner strength, used only one or two tenths of her power. She threw a few more moves, and Qilin likewise found it very hard to block. If not for Gu Rongjin's effortless control, she could easily have sent the master of Juechen Valley flying.

Qilin panted, his whole body as if after a fierce battle, strength exhausted, swaying on the verge of collapse.

Mu Yuanzhi supported Qilin with heartache: "Are you alright?"

Qilin stubbornly shook his head to indicate he was fine.

Gu Rongjin also shook her head: "You truly can't even do flowery fists and embroidered kicks; being like this is truly dangerous—if outsiders found out, the consequences would be unimaginable."

Mu Yuanzhi: "We must find a solution as soon as possible."

"Don't worry too much; I've been like this for three years. Yuan Yan usually stays here, but because you're coming, he only comes to the Black Sea at this time." Qilin said.

"How can I not worry? Nowadays the martial world has added a killer organization called Cold Dew Stronghold; obviously this place is no longer an isolated paradise." Mu Yuanzhi said.

Qilin could only comfort Mu Yuanzhi: "I haven't been slacking either; I've been researching new prescriptions every day."

Gu Rongjin: "Unfortunately I know nothing about it, so I can't help."

"Alright, it's really late; you guys hurry back to sleep." Qilin waved goodbye to them.

"Good night; tomorrow we'll bring the kids to see you again."

"Mm-hmm!"

After Mu Yuanzhi and Gu Rongjin left, Qilin suddenly burst into a violent cough.

"Master!"

From the shadows, Qiao Chu appeared, worriedly going over to support Qilin.

"It's fine; why are you making a fuss like Senior Sister and the others?"

"You haven't told them that each time you have an episode, it accelerates your aging." Qiao Chu was full of worry.

"This is a serious problem, not just overreacting."

"But when I return to normal, these symptoms disappear."

"What if the episode lasts too long, leading directly to collapse?!"

"……"

"I misspoke, disciple." Qiao Chu lowered his head.

"What you say is not without reason, so we still can't be careless."

These three years, he has never once relaxed his vigilance.

On another note, after leaving Heavenly Palace, Gu Rongjin said to Mu Yuanzhi: "What do you think, how much is your junior brother hiding from you?"

Mu Yuanzhi frowned: "He's just like me, likes to report good news and hide worries, afraid of making the other worry. You're a martial practitioner—can you see any other abnormality in him?"

"Too weak—even if his inner strength were completely exhausted, he shouldn't be this feeble. He doesn't even look like someone approaching the age of twenty." Gu Rongjin recalled Qilin's earlier appearance and worried: "He seems to be suffering premature decline."

Upon hearing this, Mu Yuanzhi grew even more worried: "This child has kept things watertight for three years; if we hadn't come here this time, we still wouldn't have known."

"We currently have no leads at all." Gu Rongjin sighed: "Let's sleep early tonight and think again tomorrow morning."

Only with sufficient sleep can we properly devise a plan.

Mu Yuanzhi nodded: "Mm."

The mountainside is chilly, and it's snowing; Qilin had people bring over a dozen more charcoal braziers to ensure the underground palace stays warm.

The children wait for their parents to return before sleeping; once in bed, they warm up quickly and soon fall asleep.

That night, Mu Yuanzhi slept fairly soundly, waking only at dawn.

The two little beans who had sneaked in to see if their parents were awake, upon seeing Mu Yuanzhi wake, happily ran over: "Mom! You're awake!"

Mu Yuanzhi was about to make a hushing gesture to signal them not to wake Gu Rongjin, but Gu Rongjin had already turned over and woke, mumbling: "Who is it, disturbing people's sweet dreams at the crack of dawn?"

Gu Yutong immediately cleared himself, pointing at his brother: "It's the brother!"

"You clearly have a share too!" Gu Yumo really couldn't stand this little girl.

"As the brother, you should cover for your sister." Gu Yutong blinked innocently.

Mu Yumo: "When there's trouble, big brother takes the fall; when there's none, I push the blame onto him."

"Since you're the older brother, you have to protect your sister."

"You also have to protect your older brother."

"Don't worry, I'll definitely cover you for big things!" Gu Yutong patted his chest in assurance.

Mu Yumo pouted, "I'll tentatively believe you for now."

"Your forgetfulness—last time you were chased by a dog, it wasn't me who helped you chase the dog away?" Gu Yutong crossed his arms, displeased.

"Oh, you guys were chased by a dog too?" Mu Yuanzhi smiled kindly, "When did that happen? Did you go flirt with someone's big dog?"

"No, no!" The two little devils hurriedly waved their hands.

Gu Yutong: "Someone was walking a dog without a leash, and the big dog went crazy, chasing anyone it saw!"

"Exactly!" Mu Yumo quickly nodded.

The two kids exchanged a resentful glance.

"I believe your mischief, you two troublemakers, never at peace all day." Mu Yuanzhi put on a stern face, "Honestly, did you flirt with a dog?"

"Really, none, the dog really went crazy on its own!" Mu Yumo assured.

Gu Yutong raised his hand: "I swear on my father's meals!"

Gu Rongjin: ……

"You really are a filial daughter." Gu Rongjin rose from the couch.

Gu Yutong immediately tried to curry favor, "Proof I really didn't lie!"