Observing Wanfa from the martial arts school servants

Chapter 147 This place is not safe to stay.

Lin Mu withdrew his gaze and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Duan Qingchen.

"My name is Lin Mu, and I'm here with Miss to visit her cousin Wanru."

Duan Qingchen nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

Zou Wanruo stood up and came forward, taking Hu Xiaoying's hand, a genuine joy appearing on her face.

Hu Xiaoying handed her the light purple blouse, and the two sat down side by side on the armchair next to her, whispering intimate words.

Lin Mu sat down in the guest seat, his gaze sweeping over the main hall without making a sound.

Zou Qingshu sat respectfully to the left of Duan Qingchen.

Zou Qingshan sat on the other side of the main hall, arms crossed, expressionless, but with a faint hint of melancholy between his brows.

Just then, my second aunt came out from the back room.

Today she wore a light purple jacket, her hair was neatly styled, she had a smile on her face, her steps were light, and she was carrying a plate of freshly cut fruit.

She placed the fruits on the table, nodded to Lin Mu as a greeting, and then stood beside Duan Qingchen.

"This is Young Master Duan, Duan Qingchen."

"Young Master Duan is a master of the Xuanmen (Taoist school) and also a master of literature."

"Qing Shu's recent progress in literature is entirely due to Young Master Duan's guidance."

Duan Qingchen smiled slightly.

"Madam Zou is too kind."

"Qingshu is exceptionally intelligent; I merely offered him some guidance."

His voice was deep and warm, and his tone was unhurried, as if he were reciting a familiar poem.

Zou Qingshu quickly cupped his hands and said, "Mr. Duan is too modest."

"If it weren't for your guidance, how could I have even touched the threshold of the Righteous Qi?"

Second Aunt added, "Young Master Duan is not only highly accomplished in literature, but also a person of impeccable character."

"It is truly an honor for my Zou family to have Young Master Duan as our guest during our visit to Qingzhou Prefecture."

She paused, then turned her gaze to Zou Wanruo, her tone becoming even warmer.

"There is another piece of good news, and since everyone is here today, I will tell you all at once. The marriage between Young Master Duan and Wanruo has been settled."

The main hall fell silent for a moment.

Hu Xiaoying froze, holding Zou Wanruo's hand. She turned to look at Liu Ming, who was wearing a guard's robe and had his head hunched over, not far away. She opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word for a moment.

Zou Wanru smiled slightly at everyone, without the slightest embarrassment on her face.

Liu Ming's expression was very calm, unusually so.

Auntie added with a smile, "It's Wanruo's good fortune that Young Master Duan is willing to marry her."

Lin Mu's gaze lingered on Liu Ming's face for a moment before shifting away. Regardless of whether Duan Qingchen was involved, there was no possibility between Liu Ming and Wanruo.

Duan Qingchen put down his teacup and looked at Lin Mu with a calm expression.

"I have long heard of Young Master Lin's deeds."

"He came from a humble background as a handyman in Liuye Village, with inferior physical attributes. He worked at Changfeng Martial Arts School, cleaning stone locks and sweeping floors."

"From Ming Jin to An Jin, to Hua Jin, to the Heyuan Arena, to the Qingzhou Martial Arts Academy—this journey must have been extremely arduous."

There was a hint of sincerity in his tone.

"To be honest, Young Master Lin, my family wasn't exactly wealthy when I was young."

"My father was a down-on-his-luck scholar who made a living by copying books for others, and my mother did laundry for others."

"Later, I entered the world of literature, and I relied entirely on myself to learn by reading one word at a time."

He spoke these words very naturally, as if he were sharing a long-forgotten story.

Zou Qingshu listened intently, and his gaze towards Duan Qingchen became even more affectionate.

As Lin Mu listened, a sense of agreement inexplicably arose in his heart, and his eyes became somewhat unfocused.

This person speaks sincerely and without airs, and every sentence hits the mark, landing precisely on the points that everyone wants to hear.

Then the mist pill in his dantian trembled slightly.

The azure light of the Heart-Clearing Mantra spontaneously emanated from within the dantian, silently spreading along the meridians.

His fingertips were slightly cold, and the coolness spread from his fingertips to his wrists, and from his wrists to the back of his head.

Hmm? His eyes suddenly cleared.

Every word Duan Qingchen said was correct, and every word resonated with Lin Mu.

Lin Mu's gaze swept across the main hall.

No one thought there was anything wrong with the marriage.

This is the biggest problem.

Lin Mu picked up the teacup, took a sip, put the teacup down, and smiled at Duan Qingchen.

"Young Master Duan is right."

"I have an urgent need to use the restroom, please excuse me for a moment."

Duan Qingchen nodded slightly.

Lin Mu stood up, walked slowly out of the main hall, went around the corridor, and pushed open the door of the outhouse.

The door closed behind him, and he leaned against it, letting out a long sigh of relief.

He activated the Mind-Cleansing Mantra, a thin blue light emanating from his fingertips. He touched his brow, and a few wisps of blue smoke drifted away, as if dispelling something.

There's definitely something strange about this Qingchen.

Don't stay here for long.

He pushed open the door and went out, returning to the main hall with a normal expression. He sat down next to Xiaoxiao, turned his head, leaned close to her ear, and whispered a few words.

Xiaoxiao's eyelashes fluttered briefly, then she continued dangling her short legs as she ate the osmanthus cake, her cheeks puffed out, showing no sign of anything amiss.

Duan Qingchen was talking to Zou Qingshu and didn't look this way.

Lin Mu picked up the teacup and took another sip, tapping the rim of the cup lightly with his fingers.

Xiaoxiao suddenly clung to Hu Xiaoying's neck, tears streaming down her face, sobbing as she spoke.

"Xiaoxiao is hungry, and she wants to go back to find Yanniang."

She buried her face in Hu Xiaoying's shoulder while crying, her little legs kicking wildly in the air, her cries heart-wrenching.

The second aunt's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air, her smile stiffening for a moment before she put down the teacup and forced a smile.

"This child is probably sleepy. Should I have someone prepare a guest room?"

"don't want!"

Xiaoxiao cried even louder, clinging tightly to Hu Xiaoying's neck and refusing to let go. Her two crooked ponytails swung and crackled loudly. "Xiaoxiao wants to go back! Xiaoxiao wants Sister Xiaoying to stay with me."

Hu Xiaoying patted her back and comforted her for a couple of minutes, then looked up at Lin Mu, then at Zou Wanruo, looking somewhat troubled.

Lin Muchao nodded to Young Master Duan: "It's getting late, and Xiaoxiao is hungry. Let's go back to Xianzong first, or Yanniang will come looking for us with people from Xianzong."

Duan Qingchen's gaze lingered on Xiaoxiao's face for a moment.

Xiaoxiao's crying was flawless; her tears were real, her nose was red, her voice was hoarse, and her two little hands gripped Hu Xiaoying's collar so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

He withdrew his gaze, smiled slightly, and spoke in a gentle and understanding tone.

"That's true, it's common for babies to cry when they're hungry."

"Miss Hu, why don't you go back with your child first, and come see Wanruo another day?"

Zou Wanruo glanced at him, her lips moved slightly, then she turned to look at Hu Xiaoying and said softly.

"Qingchen is right. Cousin, let's go back to Xianzong first. Xiaoxiao's voice is almost hoarse from crying."

Lin Mu stood up, cupped his hands in greeting to Duan Qingchen and his second aunt, nodded goodbye to Zou Wanruo and Liu Ming, and then followed Hu Xiaoying out of the main hall at a leisurely pace.

His steps were steady and unhurried. He even stopped at the corner of the corridor to wait for the young lady who seemed reluctant to part with him.