Chapter 546: Luring the Tiger Away from the Mountain
Mu Qingping sat in the reception hall. Across from her was a man in his fifties, a scowl on his face.
“Uncle Yuan, how could you be so careless as to be discovered by the people of the Yu family?” Mu Qingping asked with a frown.
Mu Yuan sighed. “The young miss just arrived at the Yu family when that Xia Fei began speaking rudely to her, putting the squeeze on Miss Fuping. While I was listening on the roof, I felt like my lungs were about to explode from rage! In just a few words, he recommended that Miss Fuping change her face, disguise herself as an ordinary person, and observe the people of another clan!
“The master was already very antsy when he allowed Miss Fuping to set up Unique Pavilion in Foundry City. If the young miss started disguising herself and running around, what would happen then? I was so frantic that I inadvertently revealed myself, causing Yu Hua and Xia Fei to discover me.”
Mu Qingping instantly jumped out of her chair in anger. “That Xia Fei! My sister is so precious, yet he dared to incite her to disguise herself and tour around! I’m going to explode!”
Mu Yuan added fuel to the fire, saying, “If the young miss really listened to Xia Fei and disguised herself to go out and explore about, that would be terrible! It would all be because of Xia Fei’s incitements!”
Mu Qingping impatiently waved her hand. “I don’t blame you for this incident. You’re dismissed for now.”
Xia Fei and Yu Hua had no idea that the so-called a.s.sa.s.sin was really someone from the Mu family. This man had followed Mu Fuping, causing the two of them to panic and to offend Mu Fuping. Of course, there was also the lamentable Yu Qiqi.
It was not long before Xia Fei and Yu Hua had escorted Mu Fuping back to Unique Pavilion.
Mu Qingping saw that her older sister had returned and hastily put on a smile and went to welcome her.
“Sister, why did you come back so soon?”
Mu Fuping looked at her younger sister very seriously. “Tell me the truth: Did you send someone to follow me in secret?”
Mu Qingping feigned shock and alarm. “Sister, you were followed? Could it be an enemy of our family?”
“It really wasn’t you?”
“How could I send someone to follow Older Sister? Just listen to yourself.”
Mu Fuping nodded, taking her at her word.
In truth, neither Yu Hua nor Xia Fei understood Mu Fuping’s secrets. All they knew was that she was a young miss of the Withered Mu Clan, who could bring out a lot of money to set up Unique Pavilion, so she probably had a rather high status in the clan. Yu Hua had even considered her as someone he could form a connection with and treated her with utmost respect.
The two of them did not understand Mu Fuping’s personality. Xia Fei thought that she was scholarly and timid, lacking experience in the ways of the world. She was modest and never sn.o.bbish, making her one of the better young misses from wealthy families.
However, Xia Fei had no idea that Mu Fuping had the stubbornness and obstinance of the Withered Mu Clan in her genes.
The Withered Mu Clan originally had the surname Mu. The reason the circle called this clan Withered Mu was not merely because of their original surname but also to describe their stubborn and inflexible personality. Withered mu (wood) could not be carved, and to the people of the Law Realm, those of the Mu family would push through a wall to get their way.
The more Mu Fuping thought about it, the stranger it seemed. Xia Fei and Yu Hua had so nervously sent her back not because they were disrespecting her but because they feared some mishap. However, she had yet to observe how warriors lived, and it was a matter which would continue to vex her.
…
After a night of cultivation, the white jade ape had consumed an entire precious grade 4 Origin Crystal. Xia Fei had made even more progress in the Law of Energy Purification and was on the brink of breaking through the threshold.
Just when Xia Fei was ready to make another attempt at a breakthrough, Yu Hua paid an unexpected visit.
“Hurry up and put down whatever you’re doing and come with me,” Yu Hua said upon seeing Xia Fei.
“What’s wrong? I’m in the middle of cultivation.”
Yu Hua sighed. “Miss Mu Fuping is back again.”
“Again?!”
“It’s all your fault for suggesting that she go incognito. This time, Mu Fuping changed her appearance and came to the Yu family. She’s observing the warriors train in the city right now.”
Xia Fei felt helpless. He had not expected Mu Fuping to have such a stubborn personality. Even though he had unreasonably sent her home yesterday, he failed to dispel her resolve to observe the daily routine of Law Warriors.
“I really can’t leave right now,” Xia Fei said. He was on the cusp of attaining a law, and he had no desire to split his focus at this time.
Yu Hua rolled his eyes. “You’re the one who caused all this. If not for you, Mu Fuping wouldn’t keep coming back. Let’s follow the same rules as last time. You stay by her side while I keep watch of the surroundings.
“This is no trifling matter. If something happens to Mu Fuping in the Yu family, both of us will be eating the consequences. It’s best if we keep this matter to ourselves unless absolutely necessary.”
Xia Fei sighed. Scooping up Furball, he followed Yu Hua to the dirt field where the warriors were training.
From a distance, he spotted Mu Fuping standing at the perimeter and watching. She was wearing men’s clothes today, blue leisure clothes. She looked like a pretty boy and was receiving quite a few looks from other girls.
Xia Fei frowned and walked over. Standing at Mu Fuping’s side, he appeared like a bodyguard.
“I understand now,” Mu Fuping softly said. “The reason you sent me back without a word yesterday is you’re worried that something might happen to me. You had good intentions.”
Xia Fei said nothing. He knew that he was in a hurry to send Mu Fuping away not out of kind intentions. Rather, if she had died in the Yu family, the blame would have fallen on him. Mu Fuping was so simple-minded that Xia Fei did not know whether he should laugh or cry.
“Do you really want to know how warriors train and live?” Xia Fei asked.
Mu Fuping firmly nodded. Without another word, Xia Fei took Mu Fuping to a human-shaped target and took out a dagger from his spatial ring: October Flying Snow.
Thrust!
Thrust again!
For the rest of the morning, Xia Fei constantly repeated this action. The essence of the Sly Thrust was in this single thrust. As he had recently been studying law powers, Xia Fei had not practiced the Crafty Approach. Since Miss Mu wanted to watch today, Xia Fei might as well give her a show!
Mu Fuping’s eyes grew more and more astonished. Xia Fei’s movements were very fast. For four whole hours, he repeated this one movement. This sort of harsh training left her in disbelief. She could not even keep count of the number of times Xia Fei had thrust his dagger.
Putting away October Flying Snow, Xia Fei wiped off his sweat and walked up to Mu Fuping’s side. He softly said, “I’m going to eat and rest for thirty minutes.”
The food at the Yu family was rather decent, but to this lady who had been raised like a princess, she could not stomach it. She barely managed to eat a few fruits, but Xia Fei wolfed twenty-four bowls of food.
For the entire afternoon, Xia Fei practiced the footwork for Crafty Approach. Like a gust of wind, he constantly changed directions and turned over and over.
By the time the sun was setting, all of Mu Fuping’s curiosity had been replaced by shock.
“This is one day of your training?”
Xia Fei shook his head. “It’s been a long time since I trained my body, so I did a little review. At night, I still have to cultivate law powers and martial techniques. I go to sleep at 3 AM and get up at 5 AM to cultivate my special abilities.”
Mu Fuping’s body froze. Such cruel and spartan training was simply unimaginable!
“I understand. Warriors are so harsh on themselves that they can’t be sloppy when it comes to their armor. Even a tiny flaw will cause them a lot of trouble. After all, every movement has to be repeated tens of thousands of times.
Xia Fei nodded. “Miss Mu, it’s good as long as you understand. My ideals don’t forbid decorations, but decorations can’t impair the function.
“It’s late now. I’ll send you back to Unique Pavilion.”
As he spoke, seven dazzling colors appeared over the horizon, even more resplendent than the artificial sunset!
“Seven Dragons Split the Heavens!” Xia Fei exclaimed in shock. “Not good! This is Yu Hua’s ultimate technique! He’s fighting with someone else! It might be the person who was following you yesterday!”
At the same time, a giant purple net descended from the heavens, capturing Yu Hua’s seven spatial fissures. The two sides were fighting!
“Violet Wood Lightning Array! This is a special technique of our Mu family. Yu Hua might be fighting with a warrior of our Withered Mu Clan.”
Mu Fuping found it very strange. Why had someone from the Mu family come over to the Yu family and started fighting with Yu Hua?
The battle in the distance was very obvious, and large numbers of Yu family warriors rushed over. Xia Fei grabbed Mu Fuping and quickly led her to the Spatial Gate.
Regardless of the reason Yu Hua started fighting with that Mu Family’s Law Adept, Mu Fuping’s safety was paramount. Xia Fei was keenly aware of this point.
“Let’s leave this place.”
“No, I need to see which person of our clan came to the Yu family and if they were following me,” Mu Fuping shook off Xia Fei’s hand and stubbornly said.
Xia Fei allowed no explanation, nor did he cared about the difference between men and women this time. He carried Mu Fuping’s body and rushed for the Spatial Gate. Yu Hua was smart enough to deal with the situation, so there was no need to worry about things on his end.
Xia Fei’s keen senses were making him extremely uneasy, but he could not pinpoint exactly what was strange. However, the sensation left him very uncomfortable.
Suddenly, when he was five hundred meters from the Spatial Gate, Xia Fei stopped. The Spatial Gate was an important location of the Yu family and heavily guarded, but at this moment, there was not a single person around. This was very strange! Very unusual!
“Miss Fuping, we meet again,” an elderly voice suddenly spoke. A short and thin elder suddenly appeared behind Xia Fei, blocking them from going back.
“Seventh Grandpa, it’s you!” Mu Fuping exclaimed.
The elder had a healthy complexion, and if not for his white hair, one would mistake him for a child.
Xia Fei could sense fear in Mu Fuping’s voice. It seemed like this was an unwelcome visitor from her clan!
…
“Stay your hand! I am an Ironguard of the Mu family, Mu Yuan!”
Yu Hua froze in shock. The Ironguards were an elite division of the Mu family which served as trusted security. He could already see from the move Mu Yuan had used that this man was from the Mu family, but he remained cautious.
Many of the Yu family’s warriors were coming over. Yu Hua and Mu Yuan’s battle had drawn everyone’s attention.
“I was chasing someone, but when I got close and used my attack, it turned out to be you!” Mu Yuan said in frustration.
Yu Hua was incredibly sharp, and upon hearing these words, he instantly paled!
“I was also chasing someone, a short and thin elder, to the foot of the mountain, but it turned out to be you!”
The two of them were flabbergasted. Mu Yuan asked, “White hair, 1.4 meters tall?”
“Precisely!”
Mu Yuan turned ghastly pale. “Oh, no! That’s Mu Qiubo, the sc.u.m of our Withered Clan! Three months ago, he was banished from the Mu family by the young miss’s father! The young miss! Where is the young miss?!”