The very night they returned from the capital, Mu Qing told her parents her plan—she wanted to go to Tongzhou.
Of course, not alone, but with her husband, to escort her little brother there.
Now that their family had produced such a prodigious child genius, and it was decided that he would be attending White Crane Academy, everything naturally had to be done properly.
Originally, the idea was simply to see him settled at the academy, but after everything that happened during the day, she suddenly changed her mind.
Even though today was her first meeting with this Liu Feng, she’d already gotten a deeply profound understanding of his absurd, cheat-like power level.
With someone this dangerous around, how could she possibly feel at ease handing her little brother over to be “looked after” by him?
What if, in the process of “looking after,” her precious younger brother ended up becoming Liu Feng’s flunky—and then, one misstep later, a sacrificial pawn caught in the crossfire of his feuds…
Just like in the original storyline, where the legitimate son born to the Mu family’s eldest daughter was killed by Liu Feng’s enemies—as someone close to the protagonist or a trusted subordinate, he was basically marked as expendable from the start.
After all, every Dragon-AoTian’s meteoric rise needed a hefty dose of tragic drama to trigger their ultimate power-ups and monster-slaying moments. Sure, as a reader, those storylines were heart-wrenching and addictive, even drawing tears of rage and sorrow.
But if those cannon fodder characters were you, or your loved ones… the experience was entirely different.
Mu Qing thought long and hard, and decided—she could not take that risk.
Her opponent, Liu Feng, was this world’s chosen son of fate, a Dragon-AoTian main character with cheat codes. There was no such thing as being too careful with someone like him.
Even after all the work she’d done to strike first, it still wasn’t enough. He had effortlessly infiltrated her home base, won over her father, her mother, her little brother—and even her cousin…
Such terrifying power. No amount of precaution would be too much. Better to prepare now than regret later.
Besides, this could also be a good opportunity to finally resolve a decade-old thorn in her parents’ hearts—Tongzhou was the location of Baixiang Pavilion.
Ten years had passed. The matter of Madam Feng needed closure.
And now that Madam Feng was no longer alive, regardless of who had been right or wrong, this so-called “forbidden topic” no longer needed to be off-limits.
She knew how reluctant her father was to give up the capital trade route—after all, no merchant ever thought they had too much money.
The capital supply line had been developed since her grandfather’s time. Just when her father was poised to take it to new heights, that incident had happened…
Thanks to her mediation, her father eventually chose to remain in Jiangnan and stopped making trips to the capital. But she knew that all these years, he’d never truly let go of the business on that route.
While her adopted brother Mu Hai was able to maintain it in her father’s absence, it was obvious that the results were not as strong as when her father led personally.
To be fair, by the standards of men in their era, her father had done exceptionally well.
Still, Mu Qing believed it was a significant sacrifice made in exchange for temporary peace.
But that sacrifice hadn’t addressed the root of the problem.
Last time the topic of the capital came up, though it was under the pretense of her little brother’s schooling, her mother’s reaction had revealed that this matter wasn’t something that could be swept aside.
It was a ticking time bomb, always waiting to explode.
Might as well use this opportunity to resolve it for good—a clean cut, two birds with one stone.
And while she was at it, she could even start expanding the Mu family’s business empire into the capital region.
When she scouted White Crane Academy last time, she’d already done some casual market research. Though Tongzhou was a small city, it was conveniently located and very close to the capital.
Just forty to fifty li—less than an hour’s trip each way.
The distance was short, the cost of living much lower, and with the Grand Canal flowing right through the city, its logistical advantages were unparalleled. It was an ideal place for the Mu family’s new commercial base.
If her little brother was to enroll this September, he wouldn’t be eligible to take the provincial exams until the year after at the earliest. If he passed and then sat for the palace exam the following year, he’d likely be stationed in the capital for two to three years.
Even as a genius prodigy, he was only nine. Letting such a young child live alone in a distant city for three years? No way. She couldn’t bear it.
And then there was Liu Feng—the one who had already preemptively booked a spot as the “study companion.” The more Mu Qing thought about it, the worse she felt.
If she couldn’t stop him from enrolling, then at the very least, she had to be there herself to keep an eye on things—meeting force with force, shielding with shielding. As long as she was around, no one from the Mu family would fall into Liu Feng’s clutches.
Plus, if Liu Feng left for the capital while her cousin Yan Hong stayed in Jiangnan, maybe her obsessive crush on him would cool off a bit—though judging by her cousin’s temperament, that was unlikely, but still, worth a try.
No matter what, Liu Feng would go to White Crane Academy. It wasn’t like she could stop her little brother from going just because Liu Feng would be there too.
Since everyone was going anyway, might as well go together—make a lively trip of it.
Besides, the academy was full of talented young ladies and dashing young scholars, all waiting to join the story.
Turbid waters were perfect for fishing.
Once Mu Qing settled on this plan, she put her silver tongue to good use and didn’t even have to try that hard before convincing both her parents.
If she was the family’s treasure, her little brother was the family’s future.
The Mu family had been merchants for generations. Finally producing one child with scholarly talent, they had to go all in to support him.
A nine-year-old already passing the entrance exams—there weren’t many like that in history. He must be a “Star of Literary Fortune” come to earth.
So Mu Qing’s proposal for “Elder Sister and Brother-in-Law accompanying Little Brother to study” won unanimous approval from the entire family.
Her father Master Mu, while focused on his son’s education, also couldn’t let go of his business. Hearing such a win-win plan made him not only happy, but energized—he even personally assigned Mu Hai to escort them.
And of course, they wouldn’t go empty-handed. Based on Mu Qing’s market research, he specially prepared a shipment of goods for the journey. He handled it all himself—writing to old friends in the capital, checking and selecting merchandise, busy as ever. It was like he’d suddenly become ten years younger.
As for the business matters, Madam Bai had never paid much attention. What she cared most about was Mu Qing’s relationship.
And when it came to Mu Qing’s husband, she truly couldn’t find any faults.
This “son-in-law” had outstanding looks and character, treated Mu Qing well, and the two seemed genuinely compatible. Their affection for each other was evident. As a mother, she only wanted her daughter to be happy. Whoever she chose didn’t matter.
Money or no money, it wasn’t important—neither of them was richer than the Mu family anyway.
Since her daughter Miaoniang liked him, she had no objections. After all, her daughter was clever—she wouldn’t be taken advantage of.
Because of Mu Qing’s consistent excellence since childhood, Madam Bai was usually very easygoing. But she still had concerns about Baixiang Pavilion.
She quietly asked Mu Qing about Madam Feng. When she learned that the woman had passed away, she didn’t show any joy—only fell silent for a while, then said nothing more.
After Mu Jiang successfully passed the provincial exam and became a licentiate, and Mu Qing and her husband finished packing for the move to Tongzhou, Madam Bai suddenly announced her decision.
She and Master Mu were also going to the capital.
Because the Mu family actually owned a residence in the suburbs of the capital. Though it hadn’t been lived in for years, with a bit of cleaning, it would be perfectly habitable.
That house wasn’t far from Tongzhou either—perfect for keeping an eye on their son as he studied at the academy.
This surprised Mu Qing.
But seeing her father’s calm expression, she said nothing more…
The residence itself wasn’t a big deal. She had never bothered to ask about the full extent of their family’s properties. A bit more, a bit less—it didn’t matter.
But when it came to her parents’ relationship, things were trickier. Not even she could intervene. They would have to resolve that on their own.
At this point, it was clear she wouldn’t get anything out of them. As for what would happen next, she would just have to play it by ear.
Once the travel plans were confirmed, it was time to say farewell to friends and finalize some business matters.
News that the Mu family was heading to the capital delighted Jiangnan’s merchants—after all, the pie was only so big. With the Mu family gone, they could all grab a slightly larger slice.
Only her cousin Yan Hong was devastated when she heard that the entire Mu family was going to Tongzhou, and that her “Brother Liu” would be going too—for two or three years, no less.
But no matter how much she fussed, she couldn’t stop it. In the end, she even provoked her father’s wrath and was confined at home, finally quieting down.
Still, when Mu Qing went to visit her before leaving, one look at her cousin’s defiant, stubborn little eyes, and she knew—it wasn’t over.
She sighed, offered no further advice, and took her leave.
Half a month later, the entire Mu family boarded a boat bound for Tongzhou.
Naturally, Liu Feng was among them.
Since that welcome banquet, the Dragon-AoTian had been much quieter and more restrained. For over half a month, he stayed holed up in his room reading, rarely stepping outside. He seemed low-profile and introspective.
But the look in his eyes—the hunger to seize—had only grown stronger. Just one glance was enough to send a chill down anyone’s spine.
Too bad her father and the others didn’t notice a thing. Only Mu Qing gritted her teeth in secret, plotting how to deal with him once and for all, so he’d finally give up.
Unfortunately, there had been no openings during the journey. But when they finally arrived in Tongzhou and visited White Crane Academy, Mu Qing’s long-awaited chance to strike back… finally arrived.
