Upon leaving the servants' residence, Mu Qinlian could not help but furrow her brow in clear frustration.
"The Charming Eye didn't work..." she murmured, with a tone of complaint.
Immediately, a voice resonated in her mind, responding with calm and a certain patience.
"Wu Huang's mental fortitude is quite thick," the voice explained, also sounding a bit surprised. "With your current level, you could barely graze him slightly. It would take countless days of continuous influence for it to truly take effect."
Mu Qinlian clenched her fists, visibly irritated.
"I don't have that much time... and Senior Brother won't allow me to see him that much either," Mu Qinlian retorted, with a trace of impatience.
After all, even if that little servant did not have a special relationship with Wu Huang, just the thought of the two of them being alone in a room made her nervous. Her heart fluttered slightly at the idea, and her mind searched for quick solutions. The voice in her head fell silent for a moment, assessing the situation calmly, before continuing.
"Then all that is left for you is to cultivate the Charming Eye until a single critical strike is enough."
Mu Qinlian furrowed her brow even more, shaking her head.
"Are there no more direct ways?" she asked, clearly frustrated by the limitation.
The voice in her head denied it immediately.
"If you want Wu Huang to remain the man you fell in love with, then you can only achieve it this way," she said firmly. "But if you don't care and only desire his body and obedience, there are multiple methods of mind control."
Mu Qinlian flatly refused, her brow still furrowed. What she liked about Senior Brother Wu Huang was his protective, slightly distant but reliable attitude. She was not willing to corrupt that for a simple selfish impulse.
"Then I will have to cultivate it even further," she said with determination, clenching her fists as she walked, resolved to follow her own path.
However, as she moved forward, an unexpected presence appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
"Oh, Junior Sister, it seems fate has crossed our paths once again," a man said with a slightly arrogant smile.
"Greetings, Senior Brother Liu Rufeng," Mu Qinlian responded with a cold face, not allowing her expression to change, maintaining her distance and composure.
Having spoken with Senior Brother Wu Huang had been enough to brighten her day, but running into this person ruined it completely.
"Junior Sister, you seem to be in a bad mood," Liu Rufeng said, with a slightly forced smile. "How about we go eat something and you tell me your troubles?"
"Senior Brother has no need to worry about Junior Sister's matters," Mu Qinlian responded in a direct and sharp manner. "I can take care of them alone."
Liu Rufeng barely frowned, but his smile did not disappear.
"Oh, but you don't need to keep your troubles to yourself. Relying on others to solve them is best," he said, adopting a didactic tone, like a teacher correcting a disciple.
However, for Mu Qinlian, his words simply passed from one ear to the other without leaving a trace; they did not provoke the slightest reaction in her.
"I appreciate Senior Brother's advice, but Junior Sister will take her leave," she replied coldly, taking a step back and preparing to continue on her way without further discussion.
"Oh, how time flies... I'm sorry to hold you up any longer," Liu Rufeng said as he waved goodbye with a smile that did not reach his eyes. "See you later, Junior Sister."
Mu Qinlian, without waiting any longer, as if fleeing from there, quickly walked away back to her own residence, leaving the conversation behind. Liu Rufeng watched her go, forming a grimace that soon turned into a frown as he saw her disappear completely.
"What was she doing at the servants' residence?" he wondered. At that moment, a lower-ranking disciple appeared out of nowhere in front of him.
"It seems she was visiting a servant," the disciple explained, in a groveling and flattering tone.
Liu Rufeng pressed his lips together, exuding venom in his gaze.
"What kind of toad wants to eat swan meat?" he asked with disdain.
"It's some guy named Wu Huang, a servant in the Qi Refining stage, with no special talent or notable background," the lackey answered carefully.
Hearing that, Liu Rufeng smiled mockingly, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"An idiot who does not know the immensity of heaven and earth... You know what you have to do," he said, making the threatening tone of his words clear.
"This disciple understands," the subordinate responded, bowing servilely before withdrawing without delay.
While Liu Rufeng spoke, planning how he would teach Wu Huang a lesson, someone was watching him from a distance with narrowed eyes and a touch of amusement in her gaze.
Trying to mess with my little Mu Qinlian's man... the voice murmured with a hint of playful threat. I should give you some punishments so you understand your place. But... this could also be a good event for them, she continued, more thoughtful than serious. After all, the 'hero saving the beauty' cliché normally always works. Although here it would be the opposite... the beauty saving the hero? Whatever. The only thing that matters is that both of them advance in their cultivation as soon as possible. Though watching them do it will be... interesting.
The voice sighed with a certain melancholy.
I never expected to become a matchmaker in this life. The worst part is that, in my original life, I never allowed a man to touch me. And seeing how I ended up... maybe I should have had someone to truly support me.
While her thoughts wandered about that ideal man, for some reason, the image of Wu Huang appeared in her mind.
It seems that little girl's feelings are leaking over to me, she reflected, with a hint of amusement and curiosity. Although it is a bit troublesome, it also turns out to be... intriguing. Experiencing how a master and her disciple serve the same man... is something I would have never imagined.
A hint of a mischievous smile crossed her incorporeal face as her mind entertained that curious combination. With that, the voice silently withdrew, returning to Mu Qinlian's Sea of Consciousness.
At the same time, Wu Huang, completely oblivious to the storms and threads being woven under his nose, was sitting quietly, drinking tea while his mind wandered placidly over plans for the next day.