After calming herself, and seeing that when she mentioned avenging herself on Ouyang Ke none of the three before her showed any strange reactions, Mu Nianci realized they were not on the same side as Ouyang Ke.

Rising from the ground, she cupped her fists and asked, «May I ask who you are, Young Master? How do you know about me and my foster father?»

«I know quite a bit,» Xuan Yuan   replied with interest, sizing her up. «As for my identity, I’m not someone from the martial world, so you wouldn’t have heard of me.»

He studied her for a moment and then said, «Mm… I think I understand. Rong’er and Mochou must have found you near the Cheng family estate, meaning you were probably trying to warn Miss Cheng Yaojia about Ouyang Ke targeting her, right?»

«Judging by your current state, I’d say you’ve been following Ouyang Ke all the way down from the north to avenge Yang Tiexin?»

Mu Nianci’s heart was instantly filled with awe. She regarded Xuan Yuan   with reverence as if he were a celestial being—how could he know her intentions so clearly?

Without hesitation, she suddenly knelt on the ground and banged her head to the floor three times.

«Young Master, your insight is like a torch. I, Nianci, beg you to help me avenge my foster father and mother. I am willing to be your servant or maid, to serve at your side!»

She knew her martial arts were limited. Killing someone like Ouyang Ke was as hard as reaching the heavens, not to mention Wanyan Honglie, who was a prince of Jin—someone she might never even get close to. At this point, she could only plead for Xuan Yuan  ’s help.

Xuan Yuan   gave a small, amused laugh. «You don’t even know who I am, and you’re willing to gamble everything like this?»

Mu Nianci bit her lip in silence, unable to respond.

Xuan Yuan   was curious—if he hadn’t intervened, this would be the point in the original plot where Guo Jing and Huang Rong would join Yang Kang at the Lu Family Manor to kill Duan Tiande and avenge their fathers. But in that version, Yang Kang would’ve been captured by Lu Guanying, prompting Mu Nianci to seek out Mei Chaofeng to rescue him—only to be found by Ouyang Ke.

Naturally, Ouyang Ke wouldn’t let a beauty like Mu Nianci slip through his fingers. Intending to take liberties, he confined her in a stone coffin at a shrine in Baoying, believing that, in time, she would submit.

Eventually, it was Guo Jing and Huang Rong who, while pursuing Wanyan Honglie, accidentally discovered and rescued a starving Mu Nianci from that coffin.

And yet, despite all the twists and turns, here she was—still arriving in Baoying because she’d been tracking Ouyang Ke.

«So persistent is the pull of the original plot…» Xuan Yuan   murmured thoughtfully, then suddenly asked, «Miss Mu, do you know Guo Jing?»

Mu Nianci didn’t understand the purpose of the question, but answered frankly, «I’ve heard my late father mention Brother Guo, but we’ve never had the chance to meet.»

She then remembered something she’d overheard while following Ouyang Ke and added, «But I did hear recently that Brother Guo killed the corrupt official Duan Tiande at Xingyun Manor near Lake Tai. Not only did he eliminate a threat to the people, he also avenged the massacre at Niujia Village over ten years ago.»

That bit of news, she’d gathered from eavesdropping on Ouyang Ke’s conversations with his maids and concubines.

That genuinely surprised Xuan Yuan  —so Guo Jing still ended up at Lu Guanying’s territory and fulfilled his quest for revenge?

He gave Mu Nianci another look and smiled. «Miss Mu, do you know how to care for children?»

Mu Nianci was only a year or two older than Huang Rong and found the question embarrassing. Even with ash smeared on her face, a shy flush bloomed through.

«There’s no need for you to become a servant or maid,» Xuan Yuan   said, smiling faintly. «But I do have a child in swaddling clothes who needs care. You don’t have to worry about Ouyang Ke anymore. Wanyan Honglie’s time is almost up too. I can even help you retrieve Yang Tiexin and Bao Xiruo’s remains from the Jin capital and have them reburied in Niujia Village, so they can rest in peace in their homeland. All I ask is that you care for the child well from now on.»

Neither Huang Rong nor Li Mochou were suited to take care of Long’er. One was mischievous and unruly; the other, stubborn and playful. As for Nuwa, the AI, she had limitations. For any real care, Xuan Yuan   would have to summon celestial soldiers from Jin.

But Mu Nianci? She was a perfect fit.

Mu Nianci glanced shyly up at Xuan Yuan  . To her, this noble and radiant young man was the most handsome person in the world. How could such a celestial-like figure, surrounded by power and resources, possibly lack people to care for his child?

And yet he knew even the secret that she had only hastily buried her adoptive parents outside the Jin capital. Something that no one but herself should’ve known.

Could he truly be… a celestial?

No matter what the truth, this was a glimmer of hope in her darkest hour. Mu Nianci immediately knelt again, bowed three times, and tearfully declared, «To be favored by you, Young Master—if I can avenge my loved ones, I will follow you unto death!»

«Alright, alright,» Xuan Yuan   waved her off with a smile. «Rong’er, Mochou, take her to get cleaned up and changed.»

«Got it, Brother Xing!» Huang Rong responded brightly.

She hadn’t expected that their little adventure would result in finding a nurse for Little Dragon Girl—though technically, Mu Nianci didn’t have milk. Still, she waved cheerfully, «Sister Mu, come with Rong’er. We were a bit rough earlier when bringing you in.»

Mu Nianci hadn’t expected this mischievous young girl to suddenly be so kind to her. It was all because this celestial-like man had accepted her. 

She was exquisitely beautiful, with radiant eyes and pearly teeth, a delicate and graceful bearing rare in the world. Her cheeks were tinged red, her eyes shimmering with emotion, and she now carried a reserved, gentle air—though her gaze still held awe and nervous wonder.

She had truly encountered celestial beings!

Li Mochou ran and threw herself behind Xuan Yuan.Now familiar with him, she wasn’t the least bit shy and even stuck her head out to make faces at Huang Rong.

Their playful teasing and laughter finally allowed Mu Nianci to truly relax. The tension in her heart melted away.

Watching this version of Li Mochou—so lively and unlike the infamous Red Practice Celestial from his memories—Xuan Yuan   couldn’t help but chuckle.

It seemed that ever since he brought her out of the Ancient Tomb, this little girl was slowly being pampered into uselessness…