Chapter 134 Deep Sibling Affection

Mu Wanning froze instantly, her mind going blank. The scorching touch on her waist, the brazen and incredibly distinct sensation against her chest, and the scent of a man lingering at the tip of her nose—all of it struck like bolts of lightning, slamming into her nerves before she could even recover! She could even feel the burning temperature of his palm.

"You...!" Boundless shame and anger erupted like a volcano, instantly crushing all her composure and pride. A raging fire ignited in her pale golden eyes, and her stunningly beautiful face flushed with a shade of embarrassed fury that was visible to the naked eye, spreading all the way to her ears and snow-white neck. Almost without thinking, the spiritual Qi within her body instinctively surged, ready to blast away this daring scoundrel who dared to take such liberties with her!

However, Xiao Ming's movements were faster than hers.

The very moment before her spiritual Qi erupted, the arms Xiao Ming had wrapped around her waist and chest released her almost simultaneously. He nimbly stepped back two paces, re-establishing a safe distance, his face revealing an expression that was a mix of "awkwardness," "apology," and a hint of irrepressible "amusement."

"Sis, Sister! Are you alright?" Xiao Ming's voice sounded somewhat "flustered," as if he had only just realized where he had touched. He waved his hands hurriedly, looking at Mu Wanning's eyes, which were practically spitting fire, with an "innocent" expression. "I, I didn't mean to! The situation was urgent just now; I only thought of pulling you back, and as a result..."

As he "explained," his gaze seemed to inadvertently sweep across Mu Wanning's chest, which was heaving violently from shame and anger; the clothing there seemed to still retain a subtle, barely noticeable wrinkle.

Mu Wanning's chest heaved violently, her whole body trembling with rage, her fingertips icy cold. She glared daggers at Xiao Ming, her usually cold and arrogant pale golden eyes now filled with incredulous shame and fury, along with a trace of fluster she herself hadn't noticed, born from that overly intimate contact just now. She wished she could immediately tear this lecher to pieces (if only he weren't her younger brother), but her remaining sanity told her that just now... it really seemed to be to pull her back? Moreover, Xiao Ming's current appearance of being "flustered" and "purely accidental" didn't seem to be faked. (Of course, it was faked.)

Mu Wanning opened her mouth, wanting to rebuke, wanting to interrogate, but the words stuck in her throat due to the extreme shame, anger, and that indescribable sense of chaos. For a moment, she couldn't even form a complete sentence, and could only glare fixedly at Xiao Ming, her eye rims slightly reddened, whether from anger or something else, she didn't know.

Under the moonlight, the two stood facing each other. One was "awkward" and at a loss, his eyes "innocent"; the other was filled with shamed fury, her killing intent and confusion intertwined. The air was filled with an extremely subtle, tense, and slightly eerie, ambiguous atmosphere.

Watching Mu Wanning's ice-mountain-collapsing look of shamed fury, the sense of pleasure in Xiao Ming's heart from his successful prank was almost overflowing. He suppressed his laughter, maintaining a look of "sincere" apology on his face, and spoke "cautiously" once again: "Sister, just now was truly an accident. Are... are you hurt? And that black Qi... how about I take a look for you?"

He asked the last sentence extremely "naturally," as if he were truly worried about her.

Mu Wanning, struck by this question that "hit a sore spot," was so angry that her vision went black. Look? Look at what!

"Get out!" She squeezed the word through her teeth, her voice trembling slightly from extreme anger and some indescribable emotion. "Get out immediately! If you dare to say a single word about tonight's events, I... I will never let you off!"

She didn't strike in the end; the pressing matter was to drive this "good brother" of hers away first!

Upon hearing this, Xiao Ming not only didn't leave, but instead reined in the slightly exaggerated "fluster" and "innocence" on his face. He lightly brushed some non-existent dust off his dark cyan brocade robe, his posture becoming composed again, even carrying a hint of leisurely ease. Under the moonlight, the smirk at the corner of his mouth reappeared, his gaze landing on Mu Wanning's face, which was still flushed but forcefully maintaining a cold, angry expression.

"Why must you be so angry, Sister?" Xiao Ming's voice returned to its previous steadiness, even carrying a hint of amusement. "Your younger brother was concerned for your safety in your Cultivate; in my haste, I committed an offense. With your magnanimity, surely you won't hold such an 'unintentional mistake' against me, right?"

He stressed the four words "unintentional mistake" slightly, his gaze sweeping meaningfully over the arms Mu Wanning had subconsciously crossed in front of her, as if savoring the soft touch from just moments ago.

Mu Wanning felt extremely uncomfortable under his frivolous gaze, and the shame and anger she had just suppressed threatened to surge again, but she forced herself to calm down. Something was wrong, very wrong! This "younger brother," from his eyes and tone to his actions, was like a completely different person from the impulsive and shallow Mu Changge of the past!

"What exactly are you trying to do?" Mu Wanning took a deep breath, forcing down her surging Qi and emotions, her voice returning to its habitual coldness. Only by listening carefully could one detect a subtle, barely perceptible tension. "If there is nothing else, please leave; I am going to rest." She tried to regain control of the situation, issuing an order to leave.

"What am I trying to do?" Xiao Ming chuckled and slowly took a step forward. Mu Wanning immediately stepped back half a step in vigilance, her spine straightening slightly; she suppressed the surging Qi in her body (her Cultivate had been interrupted), like an ice phoenix ready to strike.

Xiao Ming stopped, no longer pressing closer, and simply looked directly at Mu Wanning with those deep, dark eyes, saying slowly, "I came because I want to invite you, Sister, to go to the Wandao Sword Sect with me tomorrow."

"What?" Mu Wanning was stunned, almost thinking she had misheard. During the day, in front of Elder Di Jian, she had already been "sentenced to death," deemed not to be good material for the Sword Dao. What did he mean by bringing this up now? Mockery? Or...

"You heard me correctly, Sister." Xiao Ming's tone was flat, yet carried an unquestionable air. "Tomorrow, I will be heading to the Wandao Sword Sect with the Elder. You, Sister, will go with me."

"Absurd!" Mu Wanning refused flatly, her willow-leaf eyebrows arching in anger. "You heard Elder Di Jian's words today; my Dao path is not compatible with the sword, so what would I go there for? Mu Changge, what kind of trick are you playing again?" Alarm bells rang in her heart once more; this request was bizarre and definitely had no good intentions.

"A trick?" Xiao Ming shook his head, his smile carrying a trace of mockery. "Sister, why are you so silly? The Wandao Sword Sect is one of the four major Sects in the Eastern Region; its resources, foundation, and Legacy, how can they be compared to the mere Mu Family? Even if you don't Cultivate the Sword Dao, within the Sect, are there no other Cultivation Technique, secret arts, or Heaven And Earth Treasure that are suitable for you?"

Xiao Ming's words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, sending ripples spreading through Mu Wanning's heart. What he said... was not entirely without reason. As a giant of the Righteous Path, the Wandao Sword Sect's Scripture Pavilion contained everything; apart from the core Sword Dao Legacy, other Cultivation Technique, secret arts, and Heaven And Earth Treasure were also things the Mu Family could never compare to. Moreover, leaving the Family and developing on a larger platform meant more opportunities and a broader world.

This thought rose slowly. But Mu Wanning immediately became vigilant; this younger brother taking her with him must have other reasons.

A colder light shone in her beautiful eyes as she stared at Xiao Ming, attempting to see clues on his face: "Even if that's the case, you are so 'enthusiastic,' what exactly are you plotting?" She absolutely did not believe that this younger brother, who had always been at odds with her, would suddenly change his nature and purely consider her future.

"Plotting?" Xiao Ming smiled, the smile appearing somewhat inscrutable under the moonlight. "Sister, those words are truly hurtful. We are brother and sister, connected by Bloodline. With your younger brother about to travel far away, I am concerned for you, Sister, and want to go to the Immortal Sect with you so we can look out for each other. Isn't that just human nature?" He brought out the "Deep Sibling Affection" rhetoric again, his tone so sincere it could almost be convincing, but the hint of amusement in his eyes betrayed him.

Mu Wanning sneered inwardly. Deep sibling affection? It was a colossal joke! In the past dozen years or so, had there ever been even a shred of warmth between them? There was only coldness, alienation, and the subtle opposition generated by resource allocation. His behavior now must have an ulterior motive! And the motive was not small!

Was he coveting something of hers? She couldn't figure it out no matter what, but remembering the purple-black Qi that had just been seen, Mu Wanning's heart sank. Forget it, he now held a handle on her!

Mu Wanning's thoughts raced, countless ideas flashing through her mind. In just a few short breaths, she had weighed the pros and cons. Although her guard and vigilance against Xiao Ming had not diminished in the slightest, and she even felt a few more points of shame and anger due to the "accident" just now, she ultimately made a decision.

Mu Wanning slowly lifted her eyelids, the rage and shame in her eyes forcefully suppressed, covered once again by a layer of frost. Yet beneath that frost lay deep vigilance and calmness. She looked at Xiao Ming, her voice returning to its usual coldness, revealing no excessive emotion: "Do you truly wish for me to go with you?"

Xiao Ming raised an eyebrow, seemingly unsurprised by her reaction, and smiled: "Naturally. With you, Sister, by my side to guide and look after me, your younger brother can also be at ease and relaxed within the Sect." This was said with extreme hypocrisy.

Mu Wanning sneered inwardly, but it didn't show on her face. She simply said indifferently: "Since that's the case... very well. I do indeed want to go and see the Wandao Sword Sect. It's just that, regarding Elder Di Jian..."

Xiao Ming said loudly, clearly having already prepared his argument, "Regarding Elder Di Jian, I will also 'plead' with him. Presumably, for the sake of our Mu Family, taking one extra person along should be of no major issue."

The words were seamless, but Mu Wanning knew that this "younger brother" had a terrifyingly deep mind.

"Fine." Mu Wanning said no more and agreed readily, as if the shameful conflict from just now had never happened.

Xiao Ming obtained the answer he wanted and did not stay any longer. He gave her a deep look, that gaze seemingly piercing through her cold disguise to see the vigilance and calculation in her heart. He hooked his lips into a meaningful arc and waved his hand slightly: "Then I, your younger brother, will not disturb your rest, Sister. See you tomorrow, my dear Sister."

After speaking, he turned gracefully, his dark cyan figure blending into the night, disappearing from sight.

Not until Xiao Ming's aura completely disappeared did Mu Wanning's tense body slowly relax. She looked down at the place where she had been touched just now; even through her clothes, there seemed to be a lingering, burning, and strange sensation.

"Mu Changge..." She whispered the name, a strange look flashing through her pale golden eyes.