What amused Mo Tiange was that another woman had come to Shangqing Palace, and she was the arrogant and domineering type. The group of attendants named after the arts—Qin, Qi, Shu, Hua—finally understood how good Mo Tiange was, and immediately changed their tune. They started visiting her place every other day, not only bringing her news but also fanning the flames.
As a result, she not only learned all the relevant information about this woman, but also knew clearly what she did every day, whom she met, and what made her angry.
This woman, her nominal junior apprentice-niece, was named Ruan Mingzhu. When Senior Brother Qingyuan fell, she was only five or six years old, an age where she understood nothing. She was taken in by her master and raised personally by his side. At the same time, her master also returned to the mortal world's Qin family and brought back Senior Brother Shoujing. The two were close in age, cultivating and living together since childhood. One lived in Mingxin Abode, the other in the neighboring Zhili Study. One could say they were childhood sweethearts.
After decades of living together, Ruan Mingzhu naturally assumed that Senior Brother Shoujing would always be with her. Who knew that Senior Brother Shoujing had a taciturn personality, usually burying himself in cultivation and ignoring her goodwill. She was annoyed and wanted her doting grandmaster to decide things for her, but unfortunately, such matters couldn't be decided by others.
As the two gradually grew up, the gap in their cultivation and mindset grew wider and wider. Senior Brother Shoujing slowly stopped paying attention to her, either burying himself in cultivation or traveling around, rarely staying in his cave abode.
Ruan Mingzhu had long been accustomed to having everything belong to her. Whatever she wanted, her doting grandmaster would immediately deliver it to her. How could she bear Senior Brother Shoujing ignoring her? The more she couldn't have something, the more she wanted it.
But the distance between them grew wider as the disparity in their cultivation increased. After forming his Core, Senior Brother Shoujing moved out of Shangqing Palace. Ruan Mingzhu, instead of thinking she should work hard on her own cultivation, made things difficult for the female disciples who worked for Senior Brother Shoujing everywhere, which finally led to a major disaster.
All these words were passed on to Mo Tiange's ears by Xiu Qin and the others. These people all disliked this Senior Sister Ruan, but were hindered by their grandmaster and couldn't do anything. They hoped Mo Tiange would step forward and teach her a lesson for them.
Unfortunately, Mo Tiange listened as if she hadn't, just focusing on her own affairs, disappointing them greatly.
She certainly knew that because her master was adamant about not letting her return, Ruan Mingzhu was now very angry and constantly found fault with their group of maidservants. But she had already promised her master and could only play deaf and dumb. Besides, Ruan Mingzhu hadn't provoked her personally, so why should she go looking for trouble? It was none of her business, and Mo Tiange was always very calm.
"Uncle-Master Mo, I heard that this Senior Sister Ruan even calls Uncle-Master Shoujing 'Senior Brother'!"
Mo Tiange sat by the pond in Mingxin Abode, holding Feifei and feeding it, giving an indifferent "Hmm."
Seeing she had no reaction, Qingqi rolled her eyes and continued, "I heard that back then, Grandmaster wanted Senior Sister Ruan to change how she addressed him, but she absolutely refused, and Uncle-Master Shoujing didn't mind either."
Mo Tiange continued calmly with another "Hmm."
Xiu Qin had no choice but to add, "Uncle-Master Mo, what do you think about this?"
Feeding a spirit fruit to Feifei and letting it wander off on its own, Mo Tiange said, "I don't have any thoughts."
Xiu Qin and Qingqi exchanged a glance, unwilling to give up. "Don't you think Senior Sister Ruan is too... that?"
Unfortunately, Mo Tiange just looked at them with a half-smile, making their hearts flutter, before saying, "Then what do you want? For me to step forward and teach her a lesson?"
Xiu Qin and Qingqi gave a "hehe" laugh, then whispered, "This Senior Sister Ruan is very dissatisfied with you, Uncle-Master! I heard that when she learned you're now living in Mingxin Abode, she almost smashed her own room! Although she held back in the end, she's been cursing you behind your back!"
"Yes, yes!" Qingqi took over. "I heard it that day! That Senior Sister Ruan said you're just a Foundation Establishment cultivator, what right do you have to be treated differently by Grandmaster, what right do you have to become Grandmaster's disciple, what right do you have to live in Mingxin Abode... She also said you think too highly of yourself, that Grandmaster still likes her best..."
While listening to Xiu Qin and Qingqi gossip, Mo Tiange flipped through the book in her hand. Hearing this, she finally lifted her eyes.
Xiu Qin and Qingqi were secretly delighted, thinking they had moved her. Who knew Mo Tiange just said, "Won't Master know if you gossip here?"
"Uh..." Xiu Qin and Qingqi paused, speechless. What happened in Shangqing Palace could escape Grandmaster's eyes? It all depended on Grandmaster's attitude.
Mo Tiange smiled, stood up, and tapped their shoulders with the book. "She's someone who'll leave sooner or later. Why are you paying so much attention? She thinks she's clever, why should you follow her foolishness?"
Xiu Qin and Qingqi exchanged a glance, suddenly enlightened, and immediately smiled. "Uncle-Master Mo, thank you for the advice."
Mo Tiange waved her hand, said nothing more, and prepared to enter the cultivation chamber.
Just then, a voice came from outside. "Wow, what is this thing? So cute!"
Mo Tiange looked toward the entrance of Mingxin Abode and frowned.
Xiu Qin and Qingqi saw this and hurried outside. Not long after, their voices sounded.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Ruan."
"Hmm." Ruan Mingzhu's arrogant voice sounded as if they were addressing an uncle-master.
"Senior Sister Ruan," Xiu Qin said, "this is Uncle-Master Mo's spirit beast!"
"Oh?" Ruan Mingzhu's voice rose slightly. "Really? What kind of spirit beast is this? How come I've never seen it before?"
Qingqi answered, "This is a Feifei. Uncle-Master Mo found it in the East Sea. It's very rare!"
"Feifei?" Ruan Mingzhu clearly hadn't heard of it. She said happily, "It looks like a civet cat, all golden, so cute!"
Few women could resist Feifei's appearance. It was entirely golden without a single stray hair, with round eyes, a pointed tail, short limbs, and was very intelligent. Even the gentle Xiaohuo from back in the day couldn't compare in cuteness. Since bringing Feifei home, Qin, Qi, Shu, Hua and the others would often come over to look. Feifei had a gentle temperament and didn't get angry when teased, making it very endearing.
However, knowing Mo Tiange valued this spirit beast greatly, even when teasing it, they had always been careful to keep within bounds. Now, they cautiously reminded her, "Senior Sister Ruan, Feifei is a Second-Rank spirit beast!"
"Of course I can see that!" Ruan Mingzhu replied unhappily. After a moment, she added, "This belongs to Uncle-Master Mo? Where is she?"
When she said the three words "Uncle-Master Mo," it was reluctant. When asking where she was, there wasn't a hint of respect.
Qingqi said, "Uncle-Master Mo is inside Mingxin Abode. Does Senior Sister Ruan wish to pay a visit?"
"Pay a visit?" Ruan Mingzhu seemed to dislike this term. After a while, she finally said, "Fine."
Mo Tiange thought she would have Xiu Qin and Qingqi come in to announce her first. Instead, the door to Mingxin Abode was immediately pushed open. Miss Ruan Mingzhu walked straight in, holding Feifei in her arms.
Mo Tiange frowned. Seeing Feifei being squeezed in her embrace, she sent a mental command. Feifei immediately struggled free, jumped out of Ruan Mingzhu's arms, and ran toward her.
"Hey!" Ruan Mingzhu shouted. "Why are you running away!" She was about to chase after it.
Mo Tiange picked up Feifei, her gaze indifferent. "Is there something?"
Watching Feifei jump into Mo Tiange's arms and ignore her completely, Ruan Mingzhu glared angrily for a while before remembering its owner. She slightly reined in her casual demeanor and said, "Uncle-Master Mo, can you give me this Feifei?"
Although it was a question, from the form of address to the content, there wasn't a shred of sincerity. From beginning to end, she didn't even perform a salute.
Mo Tiange said, "This is my contracted spirit beast. I'm afraid not."
Hearing the refusal and seeing her cold attitude, Ruan Mingzhu immediately raised her eyebrows and shouted, "Then break the contract!"
As soon as these words left her mouth, before Mo Tiange could even react, Xiu Qin and Qingqi exclaimed, "Senior Sister Ruan!"
In Kunwu, most spirit beasts were contracted before they even hatched. Such contracts were generally never broken in a lifetime. To break one, the master would suffer damage to their vital essence and blood.
This Ruan Mingzhu didn't even know that her relationship with Feifei was a subordinate contract, not a master-servant one, yet she spoke so as if it were only natural ly, as if she didn't care about others' losses at all.
And Ruan Mingzhu remained completely unaware, pressing on, "Well? Will you agree?"
Mo Tiange frowned and slowly said, "Feifei is not for giving away."
"You—" Hearing this, Ruan Mingzhu's face changed dramatically. Perhaps remembering that times had changed, her expression shifted for a long time before she finally held back and said, "Uncle-Master Mo, if you give me the spirit beast, I'll have Grandmaster compensate you, okay?" Her tone was so as if it were only natural it made the three of them stare.
Qingqi couldn't hold back anymore and cried out, "Senior Sister Ruan, Grandmaster has always granted Uncle-Master Mo's every request. If Uncle-Master wants something, she just needs to ask Grandmaster." These words carried a hint of a hint of challenge. If Uncle-Master wanted something, she could just ask Grandmaster. Why would she need Ruan Mingzhu to speak up?
Ruan Mingzhu's face changed instantly. Qingqi's words clearly left her with no way out. She had intended to endure a little longer, but in the end, she couldn't hold back and said angrily, "Grandmaster has always doted on me! It's just that I've been away for sixty years! How dare you look down on me! What does a disciple who came halfway even count for? Do you think she's more important than me?"
Mo Tiange secretly curled the corner of her mouth. She understood her master's attitude very well. In terms of importance, she certainly wasn't as important as Ruan Mingzhu in her master's heart, but her master wasn't an unreasonable, biased person who would let Ruan Mingzhu have her way in everything. Moreover, her master had clearly given up on her now. How could he still indulge her? This Ruan Mingzhu, over a hundred years old, still had such a personality. She really didn't know where all those years of living had gone!
Xiu Qin and Qingqi didn't respond. Such words weren't appropriate for two maidservants to say. But they didn't want to swallow their anger either, so their gazes kept sweeping toward Mo Tiange.
Finally, Mo Tiange lived up to their expectations and spoke. They heard her say slowly, "Junior Apprentice-Niece Ruan, I will not give this spirit beast away. If you want it, go ask your grandmaster yourself."
Ruan Mingzhu had called her "Uncle-Master Mo" very reluctantly in the first place. Now, hearing Mo Tiange as if it were only natural ly call her "Junior Apprentice-Niece Ruan," she was extremely annoyed. Hearing her adamantly refuse to give Feifei to her made the fire burn even hotter.
"You—" Ruan Mingzhu glared at her for a moment, then said angrily, "Don't you regret this!" She turned and left.
Seeing her angered away by Mo Tiange, expressions of vindictive pleasure appeared on Xiu Qin and Qingqi's faces. But then they heard Mo Tiange say slowly again, "You two—oh, no, all sixteen of you—save your energy. Don't think about using me to deal with her just to vent your anger for you. Shangqing Palace's affairs have never been hidden from you, so I'll be honest. She won't be staying here much longer. For Master's sake, don't go looking for trouble with her either. Is it necessary for someone Master has already given up on?"