Chapter 102: Confusing the Enemy
Chapter 102: Confusing the Enemy
Mu Feng's gaze was resolute. Now that he had learned the truth, he would turn it into his greatest motivation.
A man born under heaven must bear its weight and shoulder his responsibilities.
Crushed by pressure? Only cowards succumb to it. Mu Feng was no coward.
"Don't worry, I won't be crushed. One day, I will march into the Celestial Clan, make the heavens tremble before me, and slaughter everyone who dared harm my loved ones," he said, his blood-red pupils glinting with a chilling sharpness.
"For now, focus on recovering from your injuries," Xiyue advised. "Since your bloodline has awakened, I'll teach you some skills of the Asura Clan later. Also, you must never reveal your Asura form to outsiders."
"Though this remote area is unlikely to harbor anyone familiar with the Asura Clan, there are Celestial forces on this continent. If they discover you, you won't survive."
Mu Feng nodded solemnly.
At the Mu Family Courtyard
Bodies lay in neat rows in the hall, each covered with white cloth. A crowd of Mu family members stood around, their faces heavy with grief. Many were weeping inconsolably beside the corpses.
"Patriarch, last night's attack left 283 dead or injured. Half of our cultivators were lost, and Elder Mu Zhong and another elder fell in battle," Fu Bo reported somberly.
Mu Hai gazed at the bodies, his eyes filled with rage, sorrow, and a profound sense of helplessness.
"Did you send a letter to the main family?" he asked, his voice heavy.
"Yes, I dispatched someone overnight. The main family should receive it by the day after tomorrow," Fu Bo replied.
Mu Hai sighed deeply. "Young Master Feng's presence here has been exposed. It's no longer safe for him to stay."
His voice was laden with grief and frustration. He knew who the culprits were, yet he was powerless to seek vengeance.
This feeling of impotence gnawed at him.
Fu Bo shared the sentiment, sighing deeply but saying nothing.
"Last night, South Hao lost a Core Formation-level enforcer here. He won't let us off easily. What should we do?" Fu Bo asked after a moment.
"We have too many people to relocate. There's nothing we can do but wait for the main family's response. Besides, with all the assassins dead, South Hao won't immediately learn what happened," Mu Hai said, though his voice betrayed lingering fear as he recalled Mu Feng's frenzied rampage the previous night.
"And about Young Master Feng…" Fu Bo hesitated.
"Seal all information about last night. Anyone who leaks even a single word will face punishment under family law," Mu Hai said gravely. Though he didn't fully understand Mu Feng's transformation, he recognized the gravity of the situation.
Fu Bo nodded solemnly and went to issue the orders.
Three Days Later, Mu Family Manor in the Capital
Bang!
Mu Chen slammed the table, his face pale with fury. Rising abruptly, he roared, "South Hao, you've gone too far!"
His shout echoed through the manor, startling the Mu family members, who turned to look toward the patriarch's quarters.
"What could have happened to make the patriarch so furious?" they wondered.
Elder Mu Hua and Mu Ye quickly made their way to Mu Chen's chambers, sensing that something serious had occurred.
"Brother, what's wrong?" Mu Ye asked.
"Patriarch, what happened?" Elder Mu Hua inquired, his face filled with concern.
"See for yourselves!" Mu Chen said, tossing them a letter.
After reading its contents, both men's expressions darkened with anger and disbelief.
"South Hao has truly gone too far, sending assassins to kill members of the branch family," Mu Ye fumed.
"But he sent Zhang Ju, a Core Formation expert. How did Mu Feng manage to kill him? Mu Feng is only at the Purple Mansion stage, isn't he?" Elder Mu Hua asked, astonished.
Mu Chen gradually calmed himself, narrowing his eyes. "This likely has something to do with my brother's wife. You both know of her identity, don't you?"
The two nodded gravely. Mu Tian's wife, with her astonishing cultivation, had once shocked the entire Mu family.
Mu Ye's face turned conflicted. The animosity between him and Mu Tian stemmed from their shared affection for her. Both had fallen in love with the stunningly beautiful woman they encountered during a military campaign. In the end, she chose Mu Tian, souring their relationship and leaving Mu Ye resentful of both Mu Tian and his son, Mu Feng.
Her story had become a taboo topic within the Mu family, known to only a few.
"Xin…" Mu Ye murmured, lost in memories of the past.
"If Feng'er managed to kill Zhang Ju, it must be due to her. A woman of her strength would have left behind safeguards for her son," Mu Chen reasoned. The other two nodded in agreement.
"Now that the assassins have been wiped out, Feng'er's presence at the branch family is exposed. Should we bring him back? Leaving him there could be dangerous," Mu Ye suggested.
Mu Chen fell silent, steepling his fingers as he considered their options.
"I have an idea," Elder Mu Hua said suddenly. "We don't need to bring Feng'er back. Instead, we can create a diversion to confuse South Hao."
"Oh? Let's hear it," Mu Chen said, intrigued.
After hearing the plan, Mu Chen and Mu Ye both broke into smiles.
"Brilliant! This way, Feng'er will remain safe as long as he stays hidden," Mu Chen laughed.
Mu Chen Visits the Branch Family
Mu Chen, a Core Formation Stage expert at the fifth level, personally flew to the branch family. Covering the thousand-mile journey in just over an hour, he arrived at An Nan City.
Keeping a low profile, he went straight to the branch family to meet Mu Feng.
Mu Chen gazed at Mu Feng, who lay on the bed, his face pale and his hair stark white. The sight filled his heart with pain.
"Feng'er, I'm sorry. I didn't expect your time with the branch family to lead to this," Mu Chen sighed.
"I'm fine, Uncle. But since I've been exposed here, should I stay?" Mu Feng asked, forcing a weak smile.
"You'll remain here. I'll spread rumors of your death to confuse South Hao. But you must not act publicly or reveal your identity in An Nan City," Mu Chen instructed.
Mu Feng nodded, understanding his uncle's intentions.
Mu Chen then took Zhang Ju's corpse and flew back to the capital. Before leaving, he ensured that news of Mu Feng's "death" was leaked from the branch family.