062 Little Mumu’s Dear Friends

Little Mumu beamed at Jun Qianyao. “Since that’s the case, I want big sister to be my bestie!” Then he turned to Yun Feiyue. “Mom, I have a bestie now!”

Yun Feiyue corrected him with a straight face. “It’s ‘best friend,’ not ‘bestie.’ It’s scary to be uneducated.”

Little Mumu nodded solemnly. “I’ll remember.” He turned again to Jun Qianyao. “So, big sister, as my best friend, from now on we’ll play together, bully the bad guys together, and help Mom find Dad.”

Jun Qianyao was still trying to figure out what a “best friend” was when Little Mumu’s barrage of words left her dizzy. She, who was famed as a prophetess, who claimed foreknowledge of all things, had never heard of such a thing. After a long pause, she finally asked, “What kind of friend is a best friend?”

“It’s a friend even better than a good friend. Mom said it means like sworn siblings from another world…”

“Sworn siblings from another world?” Jun Qianyao felt utterly lost. “And what is that supposed to mean…”

This was the day she had asked “why” more than any other in her life.

Yun Feiyue patted Little Mumu’s head. “This kid gets tongue-tied when he sees pretty girls. He probably means you two are sworn siblings now, closer than ordinary friends, like brother and sister. Explaining all this is exhausting,” she thought.

Jun Qianyao frowned slightly, then nodded. “I understand. From now on, Little Mumu and I are very, very good friends. Little Mumu is adorable…”

Little Mumu agreed wholeheartedly. “I’m only cute in front of big sister, because big sister is my best friend!”

Yun Feiyue was certain that if anyone else called Little Mumu cute, he would bristle immediately; he’d always believed himself to be the most handsome boy in the world. But now, in the throes of puppy love, if someone called him a little puppy, he’d probably take it with a smile. This hopeless child—just who did he take after? Definitely not her!

A hint of joy flashed through Jun Qianyao’s eyes. If it were this child, perhaps they really could be lifelong friends. And yet… she couldn’t see through him…

“Miss Yun, have some tea. This is red tea from Shaoshan; it’s perfect for this season.” Jun Shaomo handed Yun Feiyue a teacup.

Yun Feiyue took a sip, praised it lavishly, and then asked, “May I ask, Miss Jun, why have you invited me here?”

Jun Shaomo smiled lightly. “Because you’re interesting, Miss Yun. That’s why I asked you to come. My younger sister is forbidden by our father to interact freely with outsiders, but she wishes for more company. After much thought, I could only invite you.”

“Then let Little Mumu accompany Second Miss Jun whenever he’s free. He has nothing better to do most days anyway,” Yun Feiyue said, then suddenly remembered the upcoming Tianwu Rankings. “The Ink Pool is about to open, and Tianwu is starting soon. According to the plan, do you have any other teammates?”

Jun Shaomo pouted and shook her head, her lovely brows furrowing. “Not really, but with just a few of us, shouldn’t we be able to make it to the final round?”

Yun Feiyue had thought the same at first. But after the battle with the Nangong family, she realized the Eye of the Snowlands within her was unstable, a factor that would greatly restrict her abilities. So, in the first round, she had to conserve every bit of strength—and she doubted it would be that easy.

“There are many contestants in this year’s Tianwu Rankings, and all of them are top experts from every region. The Jun family, renowned for intelligence, must know this as well. Soon, the Domain of the Gods will open… The champion of this Tianwu Rankings will be able to converse with the gods, receive their power, and become the strongest on the Golden Spear Continent. Many are vying for that spot.”

Jun Shaomo didn’t reply, for her own mission was to claim first place. She and Yun Feiyue would inevitably become rivals during the ultimate trial in the Phoenix Sky Forest.

Yun Feiyue understood Jun Shaomo’s concerns and smiled faintly. “Don’t worry, I’m only interested in what’s inside the Phoenix Sky Forest. Whoever wants first place can have it.”

For one who didn’t believe in gods, the idea of conversing with them was absurd. She only wanted to enter the forest to find cultivation materials needed for Little Mumu.

Jun Shaomo’s expression softened at these words, and when she smiled, two sweet dimples appeared. “Truthfully, I’m not interested in first place either—if not for my family’s expectations.”

Mentioning her family and father, she lowered her gaze. “In a world like this, you can only rely on yourself to fight your way to the top.”

Yun Feiyue said nothing, just looked out the window. The bright, waxing moon hung in the night sky—it would soon be the fifteenth of the month.

“Miss Jun, it’s getting late. I’ll take Little Mumu home now.”

Little Mumu reluctantly hugged Jun Qianyao, and after a few whispered words, finally took his leave.

Outside, Yun Feng lounged against the doorframe. “Everything all right?”

Yun Feiyue smiled and shook her head. “What could possibly happen? Don’t worry, Third Brother.”

Little Mumu lay on Yun Feiyue’s shoulder, sighing. “Mom, that big sister said she can’t go out alone. How pitiful.”

Yun Feiyue patted his head. “Did you learn anything from her?”

Little Mumu looked up, knowing full well that his mother had sent him to charm the young lady and extract some information. Fortunately, he was clever enough to glean a few things—or she’d complain about him again.

“Mom, that big sister said she can’t see our future. There are only two kinds of people whose future can’t be seen—the dead, and those hidden from the gods. So, Mom, which kind are we?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a familiar black mist swirled before their eyes—a presence they knew all too well. The people of the Ghost Path had returned…

“So many people courting death,” Yun Feiyue muttered, massaging her temples as she looked at the mass of shadows under the moonlight. No leader among them…

“So, just you group of shadowy ghouls want my life? What a joke…” Yun Feiyue’s face was full of disdain.

Yun Feng had already drawn his sword, aiming it at the enemy.

But Yun Feiyue stopped him. “Third Brother, you’re not well and need a few days’ rest. Let’s not bother—these small fry aren’t worth the trouble.”

With that, Yun Feiyue walked toward the Yun family estate as if she hadn’t seen anyone at all.

The shadows surged forward, powerful dark energy converging and stabbing toward Yun Feiyue.

Yun Feng was about to fight when suddenly a sheathed blade appeared, blocking the shadows’ advance.

“I told you, this woman is my enemy. If you want to kill her, you’d better ask me first!” With hands forming seals, Le Fei stood among the crowd. His great blade spun rapidly, scattering the black phantoms and exposing the only true body among them.

Le Fei leapt high, his form casting a black silhouette against the moon, faintly rimmed with silver light.

The shadow’s eerie green eyes watched the approaching blade. Raising a hand, it drew the weapon toward itself, forming a cloud of black mist at its center. “All I want is this woman’s life… Whoever blocks the Ghost Path’s claim to a soul courts death.”

All around, in the various family estates, countless people watched the fight unfold—but none made a move to intervene.