Mistress of the Underworld and Her Little Celestial Wife (GL) - Chapter 6

The drawn talisman was thus brought out of the study by Mu Yin.

Hong Zhuang was setting the table for Mu Yin when she noticed her sitting on the bed, staring at the talisman in her hand. Curious, she walked over to take a look.

“Hmm?” Hong Zhuang asked, “Young Mistress, where did you get this Joyful Heart Talisman? Did you draw it yourself?”

“Joyful Heart Talisman?” Mu Yin looked up at her. “I just found it in the study. What does this talisman do?”

Hong Zhuang explained, “The Joyful Heart Talisman is a very simple charm. Its main effect is to make people favor and protect the bearer. The effect lasts about four hours, but it’s not particularly useful.”

Mu Yin was puzzled. “Why isn’t it useful?”

It sounded quite helpful to her.

If it could make people favor her, wouldn’t that mean they’d assist her in times of trouble? That seemed like a good thing.

Hong Zhuang shook her head and smiled. “This talisman only works if it’s placed on someone’s body. But who in the immortal sects would let an enemy get close enough for that? Besides, it’s only effective against those weaker than the user. If the opponent is much stronger, the talisman won’t have any effect.”

Mu Yin nodded. “I see.”

Seeing Mu Yin’s keen interest in the Joyful Heart Talisman, Hong Zhuang secretly resolved to teach her properly once she returned from her family home. After all, Mu Yin was the young mistress of the Five Essences Sect, she couldn’t remain ignorant forever.

With nothing else to do after dinner, Mu Yin went to bed early.

She had expected to dream of her late wife again that night, but by the time Hong Zhuang woke her the next morning, Mu Yin hadn’t caught even a glimpse of her in her dreams.

Was she getting used to it?

Nine Star Gate was located in a city, a two-day journey from the Five Essences Sect.

Mu Yin spent two days in a carriage, setting off before dawn and arriving at the city gates just as the sun was setting nearly missing entry due to the curfew.

When the carriage finally came to a stop, Mu Yin knew she had finally arrived.

Hong Zhuang stepped out first, then helped the weak-legged Mu Yin down. As Mu Yin looked up, she saw the grand gate before her.

Nine Star Gate was a minor sect, unable to establish its own mountain stronghold, so it had settled for a large estate within the city. Aside from cultivation, the sect also took in non-initiates, teaching them physical training. The tuition from these students made up the majority of the sect’s income.

The estate was situated in a secluded part of the city. Though remote, it was quite spacious, occupying nearly half the street.

The steward had been waiting at the gate. Seeing Mu Yin alight from the carriage, he hurried forward with a smile. “Young Miss, you’ve returned. The journey must have been tiring.”

Mu Yin thought to herself that the trip had indeed been exhausting, but she said nothing, merely smiling as she followed the steward inside.

The estate was large on the outside and just as spacious within.

But aside from its size, it had little else to boast about. It was an ordinary residence, lacking the grandeur of the Five Essences Sect’s immortal majesty. Passing through a training ground the size of two basketball courts, the steward led the group past the main hall of Nine Star Gate and toward the inner quarters.

“The master and mistress have been waiting for you since morning, but given their age, they sent this old servant to wait for you at the gate,” the steward said, glancing at the sect disciples behind Mu Yin carrying three large chests. He gave a meaningful look to a servant beside him, who quickly scurried away.

With a smile, the steward said to Mu Yin, “I’ve sent someone to inform the master. You must be tired from your journey, young miss. Let’s rest in the tearoom first.”

Mu Yin had no objections. As she looked around the unfamiliar courtyard, she desperately searched her mind but couldn’t recall even a fragment of memory about the Nine Stars Sect. The overwhelming unfamiliarity made her head spin.

What kind of people were her parents?
Did she have any siblings?
Mu Yin knew none of these answers, and she feared her ignorance might give her away.

In the tearoom, the steward personally poured tea for Mu Yin and said cheerfully, “The sect leader and his wife will be overjoyed to see you returning home. Coincidentally, all your brothers and sisters are present today. I’ve already arranged for a meal to be prepared. Please enjoy your tea for now.”

Taking the hint, Mu Yin accepted the tea with a smile and asked, “Who’s at home today?”

“The eldest miss returned from her travels yesterday. The second young master hasn’t gone out. The fourth miss hasn’t left her quarters all day. And the fifth and sixth young masters just returned from school,” the steward replied.

Her father was quite prolific, wasn’t he?
Counting herself, that made six children.

Mu Yin nodded and inquired further, “Will only my father and mother be receiving me today? What about the other concubines?”

“The second and third madams are in the rear courtyard. The mistress had a falling out with them on your wedding day and hasn’t forgiven them yet, so they won’t be joining.”

“I see.”

Feeling slightly more at ease, Mu Yin set down her teacup and said to the steward, “You may attend to your duties. I’ll rest here for a while.”

After the steward left, Mu Yin found herself alone in the tearoom.
Where was Hong Zhuang?
Without her maid by her side, Mu Yin felt uneasy and decided to step out to look for her.

But as soon as she reached the doorway, someone bumped into her.

“Who do you think you’re bumping into? Are you blind?”
A shrill voice rang out. Mu Yin, having been jostled, steadied herself against the doorframe and saw a young girl in pale yellow robes.

The girl was rather plain-looking, with sparse, yellowish hair that suggested her youth. Rubbing her shoulder, she glared at Mu Yin before suddenly sneering, “I wondered who in this household would dare bump into me. So it’s you.”

Mu Yin studied the girl silently.
Who was this?
From her tone, they must have been acquainted.

When Mu Yin didn’t respond, the girl stamped her foot angrily. “Listen well, Mu Yin! Don’t think just because you’re married now you have someone backing you. In this house, I, Mu Xuanzhu, still call the shots!”

Mu Yin blinked.
Mu Xuanzhu?
Sharing her surname and appearing younger, this must be her fourth sister, as the steward had mentioned.

“Little sister, why so hostile?” Mu Yin adopted an elder sister’s tone, speaking calmly. “We’ve just met, and you’re already picking a fight. Have I wronged you in some way?”

Mu Xuanzhu snorted, tilting her chin up. “You’ve wronged me since the day you were born! If not for you, I’d be the third young lady. Why should I be stuck with the dreadful title of fourth young lady instead of you?”

Mu Yin couldn’t help but feel speechless, could the order of birth really be changed?

What a childish thing to say.

“I don’t want to argue with you today. Move aside,” Mu Yin said to Mu Xuanzhu. “I need to find the people who came with me.”

Mu Xuanzhu’s eyes flickered, and she laughed. “Oh, so you’ve learned to bring backup this time? You were never welcome at home before, do you really think bringing people along will change anything?”

Mu Yin froze at her words.

Seeing her silence, Mu Xuanzhu assumed she had hit a nerve and smirked triumphantly. “I just came to remind you, don’t think the Five Elements Sect backing you up suddenly makes you a phoenix. Marrying a dead man is such an ill-omened thing, and it suits you perfectly.”

“Even if Si Lingqing is dead, she was still the daughter of the Five Elements Sect’s leader,” Mu Yin retorted, her brows furrowing as she glared at the brat before her. “Aren’t you afraid of karma for speaking like this?”

“If anyone’s getting karma, it’s you first,” Mu Xuanzhu shot back, crossing her arms and sneering. “If you have the guts, leave right now. Stay even a moment longer, and I’ll make sure you remember how you used to eat mud with your rice.”

With that, Mu Xuanzhu turned and strutted away, deliberately glaring at Hong Zhuang as she passed.

Hong Zhuang had appeared at some point, standing not far away with an extremely grim expression, she must have heard everything.

“Young Madam,” Hong Zhuang said darkly, stepping forward with a hand on her sword. “If you feel wronged, I can kill Mu Xuanzhu right now.”

Mu Yin was startled. Though she disliked what Mu Xuanzhu had said, she wasn’t about to resort to murder.

“That’s not necessary,” Mu Yin said, pressing Hong Zhuang’s hand down. “We won’t be here long, no need to make things unpleasant.”

Hong Zhuang glanced back at Mu Yin, gritting her teeth in frustration.

Mu Yin was one of the Five Elements Sect now, what right did the Nine Stars Sect have to speak to their Young Madam like this?

Tonight, she would write a strongly worded letter to the Sect Leader’s wife and make sure the Nine Stars Sect paid for this!

After calming Hong Zhuang, Mu Yin finally met with her parents.

Their expressions were indifferent, offering only brief greetings before leading her to the dining hall.

As this was her homecoming banquet, Mu Yin was seated beside Sect Leader Mu.

“Mu Yin, you must behave properly in the Five Elements Sect and avoid causing trouble,” Madam Mu said offhandedly before turning to Mu Xuanzhu with a bright smile. She placed a piece of meat in Mu Xuanzhu’s bowl. “Xuanzhu, you’re still growing—eat more.”

Mu Xuanzhu shot Mu Yin a smug look, her expression unbearably punchable.

Over the meal, Mu Yin pieced together the family dynamics from their conversations.

Mu Yuefeng, her father, had taken two concubines aside from his wife. The eldest daughter Mu Xuanji, the fourth daughter Mu Xuanzhu, and Mu Yin herself were all born to the main wife, Lady Qin. The second young master was born to the second wife, while the fifth and sixth young masters, a pair of twins were the third wife’s children.

Since Lady Qin had no sons, she treated the two concubines extremely poorly, frequently withholding their allowances and subjecting them to physical punishments, while Mu Yuefeng turned a blind eye.

It was said that on the day Mu Yin got married, the second and third concubines had spoken a few sympathetic words about her, only to be punished by Lady Qin.

Mu Yin herself didn’t feel much about it. She could guess that the original owner of this body had suffered in this household, but what did that have to do with her?

She wasn’t that pitiful Mu Yin.

However, what puzzled Mu Yin was that despite being born from the same mother, Lady Qin, she and her elder sister Mu Xuanji and fourth sister Mu Xuanzhu received vastly different levels of affection.

And there was another issue.

All the children in the Mu family were of the “Xuan” generation in their names except for Mu Yin.