After finishing breakfast, Qin Mu saw Lu Shuanger walking out of the forest.
“No wonder I didn’t see you just now. Where did you go?” he asked.
From her vantage point, Lu Shuanger looked down at the half-crouching Qin Mu and happened to see a trace of red on his collarbone.
Instantly recalling last night, the blush that she had barely managed to calm down resurfaced.
“Hmph, I’m very familiar with this place. Do I need to report to you wherever I go?”
Having said that, Lu Shuanger quickly ducked into the tent.
If she stayed any longer, her bath earlier would have been for nothing.
“What’s with that? I only asked one question.”
Qin Mu muttered to himself.
He hadn’t provoked her, so why was she so angry?
Qin Mengyu heard the conversation, looked toward the tent, then stood up and went inside.
Lu Shuanger turned around while tidying up and saw Qin Mengyu enter.
“Sister Mengyu, why are you here?”
She stammered.
After this period of hardship, Lu Shuanger had made some progress and could now address Qin Mengyu as “Sister Mengyu.”
After all, they were both women.
If a man dared to call Qin Mengyu that, his fate would be…
Qin Mengyu held a bowl of soup and smiled.
“I didn’t see Miss Shuanger when I woke up. Have some medicinal congee to replenish your strength.”
“No, no.”
Lu Shuanger quickly waved her hands.
“Sister Mengyu, I just ate some wild fruits I found in the forest. I’m not hungry.”
Lu Shuanger hadn’t expected that Sister Mengyu, who usually seemed so gentle, would be so… bold, actually letting Qin Mu… slurp, and even tilting her long neck.
‘Aaaah!!’
More images surfaced in her mind.
Lu Shuanger quickly turned her head away, not daring to look at Qin Mengyu.
Seeing this, Qin Mengyu guessed that Miss Shuanger definitely hadn’t slept properly last night.
Actually, it was her own mistake.
She had only remembered to cast a deep sleep spell on Mu’er, forgetting there was someone else—Lu Shuanger.
Outside the tent, Qin Mu watched Sister Mengyu go inside as well.
Since he had nothing to do, he sat down cross-legged and began circulating his True Qi.
Thanks to Divine Dragon Senior, he was now just one step away from Foundation Establishment.
Foundation Establishment, as the name implies, meant beginning to build one’s own Foundation of the Way.
This step was extremely critical, determining one’s future cultivation, Dao Heart, and even the reason for entering the Dao.
The reasons for entering the Dao varied.
A thousand people had a thousand reasons.
Some sought longevity, some sought power.
Regardless, if one didn’t think through their own Dao, they were destined not to go far.
Also, one must firm their Dao Heart, never wavering.
If it wavered, at best one’s cultivation would drop, at worst the Dao Heart would shatter.
The more fortunate would have a drop in cultivation and never improve again; the worse would revert to being a mortal.
Why enter the Dao? Qin Mu didn’t know that reason yet.
‘Longevity?’
After all, at least half of people did it for that reason.
Although he longed to live as long as heaven and earth, having been educated in his past life, he was open-minded about birth, aging, sickness, and death.
All things are bound to die, even the seemingly eternal sun.
Once something is born, it naturally cannot escape the fate of destruction.
Entropy increase was unavoidable.
To maintain the original state, energy was needed to sustain it, but energy was not infinite.
‘Is it power?’
With power, he would be the rule, and everything in the world would bow at his feet.
But Qin Mu had no such ambition.
Apart from being a bit of a lecher, his only other hobby was eating.
He opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in them.
Before, he thought he was still far from reaching the Foundation Establishment Stage and had plenty of time to consider these matters.
But now, he was suddenly about to achieve Foundation Establishment…
Qin Mu patted his butt, stood up, and walked over to Sister Ruoshuang.
Qin Ruoshuang, who was flipping through a sword manual, sensed Mu’er’s approach.
She put down the manual and looked at her dear Mu’er with beautiful eyes.
Qin Mu scratched his head.
“Sister Ruoshuang, I want to ask you a question.”
Qin Ruoshuang nodded, indicating he could ask.
Qin Mu didn’t beat around the bush.
“Sister Ruoshuang, how did you enter the Dao?”
Rather than rack his brains in confusion, it was better to ask his two sisters.
After all, Sister Ruoshuang and Sister Mengyu were super geniuses; for them, this was absolutely a piece of cake.
Qin Mu had thought Sister Ruoshuang would say something profound and mysterious, but she simply stated,
“It’s you, Mu’er.”
“Me?”
Qin Mu pointed at himself.
Qin Ruoshuang hummed in affirmation.
“Mu’er, you are my reason for entering the Dao.”
Hearing Sister Ruoshuang say this, Qin Mu felt both touched and troubled.
He had thought Sister Ruoshuang entered the Dao through the sword.
He was touched because Sister Ruoshuang actually took him as her Dao.
Wuwu… little brother has no way to repay, so he’ll have to give himself to her.
But what was troubling was that this made things difficult.
He might as well not have asked.
Was he supposed to take Sister Ruoshuang as his own Dao?
Qin Ruoshuang naturally saw her younger brother’s confusion.
She had also been confused for a time.
Her jade hand stroked Mu’er’s little head, and her cold beautiful eyes revealed a hint of tenderness.
“It’s fine. Mu’er’s Dao is for Mu’er to decide.”
Though she said that, Qin Mu was still confused.
It seemed he’d have to find time to ask Divine Dragon Senior and see what he had to say.
Actually, if one couldn’t figure out how to enter the Dao, there was a method: sever all emotions and walk the Emotionless Dao.
But the further one walked this path, the colder and more ruthless one’s humanity became.
Over time, it would be no different from a machine.
Qin Mu didn’t like this.
Since humans had emotions, emotions had a reason to exist.
Rather than wipe out emotions, if one had no emotions, would they still be human?
So no matter what, Qin Mu would not choose this path.
“Is Mu’er worried about the reason for entering the Dao?”
A gentle voice sounded behind him.
Qin Mu turned around.
Sister Mengyu had arrived, he didn’t know when.
“Mn. Does Sister Mengyu have any words of experience?”
“This…”
Qin Mengyu curved her lips and pinched Mu’er’s tender cheek.
“Big sister can’t help much. Everything depends on Mu’er himself. After all, this is the Great Path Mu’er has decided to walk; it shouldn’t be decided by others.”
Qin Mu nodded thoughtfully.
“I understand, Sister Mengyu. I’ll think it over carefully.”
Seeing this, Qin Mengyu wrapped her arms around Mu’er and pulled him into her embrace.
“No matter what reason Mu’er uses to enter the Dao, big sister will unconditionally support you. Even if you don’t want to enter the Dao, big sister can support Mu’er.”
Hearing this, Qin Mu’s nose tingled.
Smelling the floral scent mixed with a milky fragrance, his cheek was covered by softness.
He wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
“Big sister… thank you…”
The faint whisper was heard clearly by Qin Mengyu.
A doting smile appeared on her stunning face, as if a glow of maternal love emanated from her.
She stroked Mu’er’s little head.
“Silly boy, what’s there to thank? You’re my little brother…”