Chapter 42
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Chapter 42 Dangerous Journey
Just after leaving the Yun residence, Mu Xiaofeng ran into his father. Upon seeing his son, Mu Taigu immediately rushed over and hugged him tightly, his voice tinged with panic: “I went to the academy to look for you, but Dean Kaga told me you might have gone to the Yun residence. Sure enough, here you are.”
Mu Xiaofeng remained silent, a bit surprised that his father had come here. Aside from annual family visits during holidays, he rarely saw his family.
He looked up at his father and smiled slightly, saying, “Dad, I’m fine! I just got a little hurt during the exam.”
Not far away, an elderly man approached—Mu Xiaofeng’s grandfather, Mu Longtian. His arrival shocked Mu Xiaofeng even more. Ever since Mu Xiaofeng refused to become a Jiujiu Master, Mu Longtian had shown him nothing but coldness. Mu Xiaofeng never expected his grandfather to visit. Could it be that Mu Longtian had learned about Mu Xiaofeng’s conflict with the Six Great Families?
In fact, Mu Longtian knew nothing of the matter. He walked over, gently patted Mu Xiaofeng’s head, and sent his vital energy through Mu Xiaofeng’s body. Mu Xiaofeng felt a wave of gentle energy flow through him, soothing and healing most of his injuries.
Mu Longtian’s tone was much softer than in their previous encounters. “Xiaofeng, I heard from Dean Kaga that you did exceptionally well in this exam and have received an invitation from the king to visit the capital. Remember to be respectful and not disgrace the Mu family.”
Hearing this, Mu Xiaofeng realized that his family knew nothing of his conflict with the Six Great Families. Although the Mu family was not one of the most powerful, they held a significant position as a frontier defense family. The fact that the Six Great Families had managed to conceal everything, even from the Mu family, showed just how vast their influence was.
Mu Xiaofeng felt somewhat relieved that his family was unaware, sparing them the worry. Remembering Yun Yuhan’s stern expression, he didn’t want his father and grandfather to share the same concerns.
Mu Xiaofeng lied with a smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t disgrace the family when I meet the king.” Hearing this, both Mu Longtian and Mu Taigu were visibly reassured. They had come simply to check on Mu Xiaofeng’s condition after hearing he’d been injured.
After a brief conversation, Mu Xiaofeng saw them off. As he watched their retreating figures, a pang of bitterness rose in his heart. He feared this might be the last time he would see them, that this journey would be one from which he would never return.
Feeling down, Mu Xiaofeng returned to his room. Upon opening the door, he found Dean Kaga already waiting for him. Startled, Mu Xiaofeng lowered his head, saying nothing. He knew the dean understood everything and had even helped him keep the truth from his family.
Dean Kaga, however, seemed unconcerned with Mu Xiaofeng’s entanglement with the Six Great Families. Instead, he asked, “I didn’t come to discuss those unpleasant matters. I’m here to ask about your Yuan Jie. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve already unlocked the Yuan Jie in your right hand?”
The question caught Mu Xiaofeng by surprise. He had never expected Dean Kaga to start with this topic. He searched his memory, recalling fragments of the battle in which he had unlocked his right-hand Yuan Jie and crippled several members of the Six Great Families.
Mu Xiaofeng nodded quietly. “I think so. If I remember correctly, my body felt drained, but the Yuan Qi from my right hand kept flowing into me. I felt energized, and my strength kept increasing.”
Dean Kaga shook his head and explained, “That’s my fault. I never expected students these days to unlock their Yuan Jie so early. You kids are getting better and better. Usually, after unlocking a Yuan Jie, the user automatically remembers the corresponding skill. Typically, a teacher guides students through this process, choosing the most suitable skill for them.”
Dean Kaga paused, stroking his beard as he sighed. “At Heavy Sword Warrior School, the first Yuan Jie skill is always the Yuan Qi Slash. This standardization helps when students join the military later on—it simplifies management.”
Though Mu Xiaofeng didn’t fully understand the significance of this, he knew it wasn’t what he wanted to know. Hastily, he asked, “Dean, I’m not interested in that. I want to know if it’s true that a Blood Spirit envoy has asked us to go to the Beast Tribe capital.”
Concern clearly etched on his face, Mu Xiaofeng focused on the pressing matter at hand. He sensed his time in Huguan City, and even the entire Jun Kingdom, might be running out.
Dean Kaga couldn’t avoid the question any longer. He met Mu Xiaofeng’s gaze seriously and replied, “Yes, it’s true. But keep a close eye on Zhang Wenyu.”
Dean Kaga’s expression left no room for doubt, and it was eerily similar to Yun Yuhan’s before. It confirmed for Mu Xiaofeng that this journey would be fraught with danger. But why did Dean Kaga specifically emphasize Zhang Wenyu?
As Dean Kaga turned to leave, Mu Xiaofeng wanted to ask more questions, but before he could speak, the dean waved him off, saying, “I know you have many questions, but you’re still young. Some things you’ll understand with time, and some things you may never know. Being a keeper of secrets is not easy.” With that, Dean Kaga left the room, leaving Mu Xiaofeng filled with uncertainty.
The next morning, Mu Xiaofeng woke up early and, upon opening his door, saw Yun Jie standing outside. She seemed startled by his sudden appearance, her expression flustered as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t.
Surprised by her presence, Mu Xiaofeng calmly greeted her. “Good morning. Is there something you need?”
Yun Jie, her head slightly bowed, replied softly, “I heard you came to my house yesterday, but I only found out afterward, so I came early to see if you were okay.”
Mu Xiaofeng stretched a little, indicating he was fine, and smiled at her in gratitude. Yun Jie nodded silently in response and then left.
Just then, Zhang Wenyu’s familiar voice came from behind. “Hey, when did you and the Yun family’s eldest daughter get so close?”
Zhang Wenyu was clearly teasing him. Mu Xiaofeng turned around and, seeing Zhang Wenyu in his tight-fitting combat gear, gave a wry smile. “Don’t make fun of me. Don’t you realize the situation we’re in? We’re all in big trouble.”
But Zhang Wenyu seemed unbothered, even excited. “I know we’re heading to the Beast Tribe’s territory. I’m just here to tell you we’re about to leave. Hurry and get ready. I’ve been eager to see what the Beast Tribe’s land looks like.”
Mu Xiaofeng was both shocked and concerned. Not only did Zhang Wenyu seem unafraid of the upcoming journey, but Dean Kaga’s earlier warning also echoed in his mind—he feared Zhang Wenyu might cause trouble in the Beast Tribe’s land.
After packing a few belongings, Mu Xiaofeng donned his light armor and grabbed his heavy sword before leaving with Zhang Wenyu. They arrived at the city gate, where several people had already gathered. In addition to the Blood Spirit envoy and the other nine, five more individuals had joined the group. Upon closer inspection, Mu Xiaofeng realized these five were from the remaining five families of the Six Great Families, likely sent as their respective envoys.
As Mu Xiaofeng prepared to join the group, a short envoy suddenly waved his hand, and countless small iron men rushed toward him. Recognizing this as the work of the Mo family, Mu Xiaofeng immediately understood it was an attempt at revenge.
He quickly swung his heavy sword to fend off the iron men, but there were too many. A dozen of them broke through his defense, piercing his body and causing him immense pain.
At that moment, a silver spear appeared at the Mo envoy’s throat. It was the Chen family envoy, who sternly said, “Mo Huaichou, I know you want revenge for your brother. We all do. But for the sake of the Six Great Families’ reputation, it’s best to stop here. You’ll have plenty of opportunities later.”
The Chen family envoy managed to stop Mo Huaichou, who coldly withdrew his iron men before casting a final glare at Mu Xiaofeng. At that moment, everyone understood that this journey would not only be dangerous from external threats but also from within.