Claiming dominion over territory

.. Mu Xia Qiao..." That ghostly face mumbled my name hoarsely, over and over again."Shut up!" I blurted out, a faint red glow emanating from the ring on my finger."桀桀桀……” His laughter gradually faded,...His voice sounded a little familiar.

I stared blankly, watching the scene before me shift from blurry to clear.

A quaint house came into view. Hanging above a four-poster bed draped in mosquito netting sat a person, their expression full of terror as they stared at me.

" …Little, Little Princess" The person trembled and asked, raising their hand and waving it in front of me.

I was stunned for a long time, unable to react. The feeling of falling from the cliff hadn't left my mind yet, so how was I lying here now

"My lady, you're really awake! Oh my goodness, I'll go get someone... please let go of my hand so I can call for help!" The person beside the bed was jumping around in a panic.

I hesitated for a moment, then released his hand: "... Little Brother Liang"

"Hm It's me, Xiao Wangfei, what's wrong with you It's me, Wen Jialiang! Are you not feeling well" Little Brother Liang leaned in and took a look at my face.

I didn't know what expression was on my face, my body stiff with fear slowly dissipating. As I relaxed, I took a deep breath and asked, "Where is Mu Wanchen"

"Lord Shaman He's here, he just said he was going to check on the medicine." Liang Xiaoge said anxiously, "I'll go get him right now."

"...No need, no need." I was a little flustered and waved my hand, motioning to Liang Xiaoge to calm down so I could catch my breath.

Little Brother Liang snapped his fingers and hurried to the small stove. He brought me a cup of hot water, repeatedly pouring it between two cups to cool it down a bit. Then, he carefully carried it over and handed it to me.

“My little princess… drink some hot water slowly. Did you lie down for too long Your body is stiff and your mind is a little muddled, isn't it It’s alright, just take it slow, as long as you wake up, that’s all that matters…” he murmured, I don't know if he was comforting me or himself.

"How did I get here This is..." I looked around the room, its furnishings were very old and not like those of an ordinary home.

"You've been sleeping for ages! Let me see... almost half a month, right... We were so worried! But Miss Mu Xia Qiao said not to worry, that you'd be fine. But we couldn't just leave you here all alone, could we So Miss Mu Xia Qiao arranged for someone to pick me up, so the two of us could take care of you..." Liang Xiaoge said in a pitiful voice.

"You two And anyone else" I asked, frowning.

“Little spirit, even little spirit! There’s a difference between men and women, you know. Some close-quarters serving tasks I can’t do... Even Lord Long let Little Spirit come with me. She should be making food right now... Oh, the Shaman King is back! She's so happy.”

I'm speechless. Even Chuling...asking her to take care of me She wouldn't poison me, but I bet she'd add extra salt to my food.

"Drink some water first, I'll tell you slowly!" Liang Xiaoger sat on the small stool in front of the bed, excitedly pouring out his grievances to me.

It is said that time passes slowly in the mountains, and I feel like after this trip, I have a sense of detachment from the world. I even momentarily forgot about all the worries and busyness before.

"That's perfectly normal. You went to a place where immortals reside, and your worldly attachments must have been cleansed," Little Brother Liang said with envy in his voice.

I gave him a withering look, signaling for him to get to the point.

This is a small hut on the back mountain of Qingyu Taoist Temple. There are many such scattered huts among the mountains. They were places where Daoist masters of Qingyu Taoist Temple practiced meditation and cultivation throughout the ages. Nowadays, fewer Daoists practice in seclusion, so some huts remain vacant.

Here, I was guided by fate and the divine. Mu Xia Qiao placed my body in a Taoist temple, but a temple is a place of cultivation. I'm not a nun, so sleeping there all day wouldn't be appropriate.

As for the houses for incense-bearers at the foot of Qingyu Temple, they are basically managed like hotels, and it wouldn't be suitable for me to stay there.

Then, I was given a rather secluded mountain cabin by the host. He sent Liang Xiao and Lian Chuling to take care of me.

The little wife is very busy, she has to take care of the children not to mention, she also has to handle the Shen family's affairs. Besides, she has her own things to do and can't always spend energy on my matters. I understand her arrangements very well.

"Miss Mu Xiaqiao told us not to worry about anything, and there's no need to give you any concoctions to prolong your life. Just take good care of yourself. We settled down here, the Taoist people will send us clean clothes, daily vegetables, rice, and tea every other day. They are very kind!" Little Brother Liang said happily: "Outsiders aren't all bad people, actually. I feel that there are many kind people."

"...You don't need many bad people to run into trouble. Just one or two can really set you back. This is a Taoist temple, everyone here is practicing cultivation, so naturally there are fewer bad people... But nowhere is absolute. Don't let that make you lose your guard against outsiders." I reminded him.

Liang Xiaoger pouted: “You should teach Lian Chuling a lesson, she's the one who's easily deceived. She looks cunning and sharp, but she's actually very gullible. Deep down, she's still quite innocent and doesn't have any ill intentions.”

I sighed and shook my head. "Such things are a lesson learned through experience. I'm going to teach her With her personality, there's no way she'd listen. Let her learn through her own mistakes... Luckily, the environment here is peaceful and relatively simple. Otherwise, what if the two of you were kidnapped Little apprentice wife is really trusting you two..."

Before I could finish my words, a familiar deep voice came from the doorway. It was Mu Wanchen's unique tone when he spoke to me.

Soft, gentle, with a low and magnetic voice, like a light gauze brushing against the skin on a moonlit night. It's slightly rough to the touch, yet it softens the heart.

"...Mu Xia Qiao not only trusted the two of them, but also trusted everyone in this Qingyu Dao Guan. There was an incident here a couple of years ago, and now almost everyone left are devout Taoist priests who practice sincerely. There aren't those with impure secular hearts anymore."

Mu Wanchen walked in and said.

I looked up at him, and he naturally sat down on the edge of the bed, leaning in to gently press his forehead against my temple.

" ... It's my fault that you've been running around, worrying and afraid. Don't work so hard in the days to come, take good care of yourself during your pregnancy." He sighed softly, not paying any attention to Liang Xiaoger beside him or Chu Ling waiting outside with things.

"Taking care of the baby is fine, and I'm not going anywhere...the problem is, are you staying with me You need to be here calmly by my side, otherwise I wouldn't have the patience to run around like this I'm almost failing out of school, alright..." I said helplessly.

Mu Wanchen smiled and raised her head, "In this state of yours, do you still intend to study"

I lowered my head and looked at my body. My stomach was already too big to hide.

The most urgent thing doesn't seem to be thinking about studying or anything like that, but rather, going, checking...

Having returned from the ethereal realm, I've once again tumbled into a world of worldly affairs. Xiaoqiao is naturally quiet and well-behaved, unlike you who has always been restless at heart.""Tut tut tut, so what If you dislike me so much, return me then Can you even return me The venom gu is...