Beside a crystal-clear azure lake, a petite and adorable figure sat hugging her instrument.
"Boohoo... my zither... Will Grandpa climb out of his coffin to scold me?"
Dongfang Muqing rested her tiny head in her hands, gazing mournfully at her broken zither.
It was hard to tell whether she was sad about her damaged zither or terrified at the thought of her grandfather's supposed revival. Her tearful, pouting expression was utterly endearing.
At that moment, Luo Sheng appeared beside her, wearing the benevolent smile of a loving parent.
"My dear Dongfang Muqing, do you want this silver silk thread, this one, or... this one?"
"Aren't river gods supposed to offer gold and silver with a touch of iron? Don't you have golden celestial silk?" Dongfang Muqing blinked her big watery eyes innocently.
She looked as pure as a child. Luo Sheng nearly sprained his back from the sheer absurdity of her response.
Still, he kept up his kind smile. "Of course not! Silver threads are the best you'll get. Do you think river gods are rich or something?"
"Alright then, but Grandpa always told me never to accept things from strangers, especially from creepy uncles," Muqing replied, tilting her head adorably, her green twin pigtails swaying.
"..." Luo Sheng was speechless.
'Brat!' He cursed inwardly.
Nothing irritated him more than kids like her—seemingly harmless and cute but secretly as sly as foxes.
Even so, he forced himself to maintain his smile. "Call me big brother. Didn't your grandpa tell you there are many kind people like me in the world? People who travel miles just to help fix your zither?"
"Really? I don't believe it. Grandpa always said, 'Beware of gifts bearing false kindness—they're either crooks or thieves.'"
"Do you want your zither fixed or not?" Luo Sheng's patience began wearing thin.
"Fix it, fix it! If it's not fixed, Grandpa really might crawl out of his coffin to scold me." Muqing quickly gave in.
Luo Sheng raised an eyebrow, silently muttering to himself that this girl was going to kill him with filial piety.
Nonetheless, he had to help her—after all, he was her card master. If he didn't take care of her, who would?
"Call me handsome, and I'll give you the celestial silk." Luo Sheng waved the silver thread in front of her.
Muqing hesitated for a moment, pursing her pale pink lips. "Grandpa told me to always be honest and never tell lies."
"Didn't your grandpa also teach you to be polite and respect your elders?"
"But you're not my elder. I've lived for 300 years, and your bone age isn't even 20," Muqing said with wide, innocent eyes, her tone matter-of-fact.
Luo Sheng nearly spat blood. "If you know I'm younger, why are you calling me a creepy uncle?"
"Because you look much older than me."
"You little rascal! Are you deliberately messing with me? Today, I'll teach you a lesson on behalf of your grandfather!" Luo Sheng's temper finally flared.
Muqing immediately panicked, holding out a pile of fragrant fruits. "Don't be mad! Here, take these and calm down. Grandpa also said I'm not very good with words... And I'm scared of pain!"
Her pitiful, soft-spoken plea melted Luo Sheng's anger, leaving him on the verge of cardiac arrest.
He could easily imagine her poor grandfather being driven to his grave by her antics.
Sigh.
Fine. As her card master, he had to take care of her—even if she was maddening.
"Here. Fix your zither first," he said, handing her the celestial silk.
The silver thread, a six-star card, turned into a shining, sacred-looking strand in her hands—soft and mesmerizing.
Her bright eyes widened, and her pink lips curved into a delighted smile. "Thank you, big brother! Although it's not as amazing as I imagined, it's enough to repair my zither—maybe even improve it!"
Luo Sheng's eyebrow twitched. Could this girl ever say anything without a backhanded compliment?
Despite her cheekiness, she eagerly repaired her instrument. In less than half an hour, a brand-new, ancient-style zither appeared in her hands.
"Little Muqing has nothing to offer in return, so I'll play a song for you, big brother!"
With that, she began to play, and a beautiful melody drifted over the lake.
Even Luo Sheng's earlier irritation melted away as he listened, replaced by a sense of calm and even joy.
Animals like deer, birds, and pheasants gathered by the lake, enchanted by the music.
When the performance ended, Muqing turned to Luo Sheng with a radiant smile. "Big brother, is there a song you'd like to hear?"
"A song I'd like to hear..." Luo Sheng thought for a moment before pulling out his [Ambush on All Sides] card and transforming it into sheet music.
"Can you learn this?"
"Of course!"
Despite her childish demeanor, Muqing had extraordinary musical talent.
Within half an hour, she was playing the complex and grand piece flawlessly, evoking vivid imagery of armies clashing on the battlefield.
Luo Sheng felt his task was complete and prepared to leave, but Muqing grabbed his hand. "Wait! Can you help me a little more?"
"What else do you need?" Luo Sheng asked, though he initially only intended to use her as a support card and hadn't planned on leveling her too much.
However, seeing her eager expression, he decided to oblige. Who knew? Her upgrades might surprise him.
"Well… I've been kicked out of my group. Can you take me in? I'll work for my keep—play music for you every night or even earn money with my zither!" she pleaded timidly.
Luo Sheng narrowed his eyes. "Didn't your grandpa teach you not to go home with strangers? Aren't you afraid I'll sell you off?"
"You don't seem like a bad person. It feels like you're on some kind of mission to help me. Plus, I feel safe and cared for around you… My instincts tell me to trust you."
"Alright, but only for a month. You need to become stronger during that time and learn to protect yourself," Luo Sheng said.
After all, the girl was undoubtedly a handful.
It turned out that she had left her clan to explore the human world but had offended too many people with her bluntness. As a result, she had become a wandering outcast.
Her beautiful music had also provoked jealousy, leading to the destruction of her zither and her current plight.
"Got it!"
Muqing beamed at him with a sweet smile.
Luo Sheng couldn't shake the feeling that he'd just made a dubious decision.
(Chapter End)