Chapter Thirty: Henpecked

"Sir, among those recruited as guards today, there is one youth who participated in the trials whose behavior is extremely peculiar," Wu Kanghong reported respectfully.

"Peculiar?" Mu Wenfeng’s expression remained flat, as if the news could not stir even a ripple of emotion within him.

"Yes." Wu Kanghong then detailed the martial arts techniques and the level of strength the youth, Yu Qi, had displayed.

Upon hearing this, a subtle flicker finally crossed the middle-aged man’s eyes. "You may step down."

Once Wu Kanghong had departed, the man fell into deep thought.

A martial art that bordered on both righteousness and demonic arts was something he had truly never heard of before; it was rare indeed. Furthermore, judging by the youth’s prowess, he seemed to have already crossed into the realm of conceptual realization. To be so young and possess such strength—he must have come to the Mu household with ulterior motives.

He could not help but feel anxious. After all, his son had only recently been the target of an assassination attempt by the Ghost Gate, which was the very reason he had suddenly decided to recruit these guards. The task of this new batch of recruits was, specifically, to keep watch over Mu Qingnan.

"Guards?" At the mention of guards, he suddenly recalled what his son had told him—that when he was ambushed, the "Big Brother" he spoke of had saved him, and the techniques that savior used seemed identical to what Wu Kanghong had just described.

With that thought, he stood up and headed outside.

Just then, Mu Qingnan happened to be walking toward him, but upon seeing Mu Wenfeng, his eyes darted away with a look of evasion.

"Nanan, where are you going?" Mu Wenfeng stood still, his gaze fixed on Mu Qingnan like a judge examining a prisoner.

Mu Qingnan offered an awkward smile. "Father, I was just heading back to practice my martial arts."

Mu Wenfeng knew his son’s temperament well. He kept his eyes locked on him. "Is that so? What is that in your hand? Let me see."

At these words, Mu Qingnan hurriedly stepped backward, his arms tightly clutching a book behind his back. "Father, look! Mother is coming!"

Having said that, Mu Qingnan turned and ran.

Mu Wenfeng knew the boy was lying to him again. Suddenly, a strange luster flickered within his eyes.

The light pulsed rhythmically, and the space in front of him began to twist rapidly. Streaks of golden light coalesced, gradually outlining the phantom image of a common soldier.

As the phantom formed, an overwhelming aura of battle surged from it. Under the pressure of this intent, Mu Qingnan’s steps faltered, and he began to tremble.

The phantom soldier stepped directly through the pillars of the corridor and reached out to grab Mu Qingnan.

"It's over," the thought flashed through Mu Qingnan’s mind. The next moment, he was hoisted up by the phantom soldier and brought back before Mu Wenfeng.

Mu Wenfeng snatched the book from his son’s hand and glanced at it. His eyes immediately flared with anger. "'Blood Soul Spirit Master'? What is the use of reading these stories all day long? Can you not show some ambition? Go back and cultivate properly. Don't even think about stepping one foot outside this house for the time being."

Mu Qingnan hung his head, looking as though he had lost all spirit, and began walking toward his room step by step.

"Nanan." Just then, a gentle female voice came from behind. Mu Qingnan looked as if he had found a savior; his body seemed to surge with energy, his dejection vanishing instantly. He turned and ran toward the woman behind him. "Mother!"

The woman had a kind face. Although she was no longer young, time had left no marks upon her, and one could still see the beauty she once possessed. While she lacked the vigor of a young woman, she carried the serene, graceful air of a mother—kind and beautiful.

Mu Qingnan hid behind her and complained, "Mother, Father took my book."

Upon hearing this, the woman’s previously gentle expression vanished, replaced by a fiery sharpness. She suddenly shouted at Mu Wenfeng, "Give the book back to Nanan at once!"

Though Mu Wenfeng was an untouchable figure to outsiders, in front of this woman, he was like a docile lamb. He had no choice but to follow her command and return *Blood Soul Spirit Master* to Mu Qingnan.

Who would have thought that Mu Wenfeng, one of the seventeen greatest powerhouses, was actually afraid of his own wife?

Once Mu Qingnan received the book, a happy look appeared on his face, and he skipped away joyfully.

"You, you just spoil him too much. He was almost assassinated not long ago, and you let him run about. What if he sneaks out of the city again?" Mu Wenfeng sighed helplessly. He truly had no way to deal with his wife. "If that youth hadn't helped him last time, I fear Nanan would never have made it home to us."

The woman looked at him with a stubborn expression. "I don't care. Our son should live his life however he pleases. Besides, can't you just keep him from leaving the city?"

Mu Wenfeng could only laugh helplessly as he walked with his wife toward the garden.

***

The next morning, in the guard’s courtyard, Yu Qi and the others were lined up with Wu Kanghong standing before them.

"Your task is to follow the Young Master. If you discover he intends to leave the city, you are to report back to me immediately. Do you understand?" Wu Kanghong said with a stern expression.

The group replied in unison, "Understood!"

"Yu Qi, you are to lead the team. You may depart now. The Young Master is currently at the East Street market; do not lose sight of him." Once Wu Kanghong finished, he walked away.

Yu Qi led the others out of the Mu estate, heading straight for the East Street market.

As for why their mission was structured this way, he could deduce the reason with a little thought.

Since Mu Qingnan had been ambushed outside the city, Mu Wenfeng was determined to keep him under watch. Although he had assigned these guards to keep an eye on him, Yu Qi did not believe for a second that there weren't other, hidden protectors lurking in the shadows.

Upon arriving at the East Street, they found a crowd gathered. Among them, Mu Qingnan’s voice could be heard. Yu Qi ordered the others to wait while he blended into the crowd.

"You have no idea how dangerous the situation was. Hundreds of silver needles were flying at us from all directions!" Mu Qingnan was gesticulating wildly as he told his story. Yu Qi couldn't help but smile inwardly; this kid was really exaggerating the tale.

Mu Qingnan looked at the expectant faces of the passersby, paused, and cleared his throat with the flair of a professional storyteller. "Just as it was too late to react, my Big Brother and I showed no fear. I unleashed a technique my father taught me, 'Point the Troops on the Battlefield,' and with one move, I scattered all the surrounding needles!"

"Pfft," a sound of derision rippled through the crowd. Although they knew Mu Qingnan was the young master of the Mu family, they also knew his true level of skill. He would struggle to handle ten needles, let alone hundreds.

"Young Master Mu, stop pulling our legs. Go play, we have business to attend to. Everyone, move along," someone in the crowd shouted, and the people began to disperse.

In Fenghua City, there was no one who didn't know Mu Qingnan. Every time he encountered something, he would tell stories to these people. They knew the tales were fake, but they enjoyed listening anyway.

"Hey, hey! I haven't finished yet, don't leave!" Mu Qingnan shouted, but no one paid him any mind. "You don't believe me, do you? Just wait until I find my Big Brother, I'll have him tell you the story himself!"

"Fenghua City is so big, I wonder where Big Brother is staying," Mu Qingnan mused. Just as he was about to walk away, he spotted a man in the uniform of his family’s guards heading in the other direction. He shouted, "You there, come here!"

The guard ignored him and continued walking.

The guards waiting for Yu Qi saw him ignoring Mu Qingnan, and one of them whispered, "Our leader is bold, isn't he? He didn't even acknowledge the Young Master."

Seeing the guard ignore him, the young master grew indignant. He strode over and grabbed Yu Qi by the shoulder. "I said, come here!"

Yu Qi smiled, turned around, and said, "Young Master, is there something you need?"

When Mu Qingnan saw the familiar face appear in his line of sight, his annoyance vanished instantly. His face lit up with excitement, and he lunged at Yu Qi. "Big Brother! I’ve missed you so much!"

"Big Brother! The Young Master called our leader Big Brother!" The nearby guards watched this scene with their eyes wide, their mouths hanging open wide enough to fit an egg.

The passersby were equally stunned. A Mu family guard being called "Big Brother" by their master—what kind of person was this?

Yu Qi was startled by the action and pulled at Mu Qingnan. "Kid, get down."

Mu Qingnan realized it might be inappropriate in public and quickly hopped down. "Big Brother, how did you become a guard for my family?"

"It’s a long story. Let's not get into it," Yu Qi replied. He couldn't exactly tell Mu Qingnan that he had joined the Mu family to gather information on the Yu family.

"That's fine, that's fine! Now that you're here, you'll be staying at my house. I can come find you to play every day! Come on, Big Brother, let me show you around," Mu Qingnan said, his face brimming with excitement.

Due to his family situation, his father rarely let him spend time with peers, forcing him to seek out adults in the city to tell him stories just to pass the time. His childhood had been quite lonely.

Although other youths had approached him, their eyes always held a sense of deference when they looked at him, and he hated that feeling.

Only with Yu Qi did he feel that the gaze he received was devoid of any pretense. Mu Qingnan could feel that this man had no ulterior motive in approaching him.

"I still have work to do," Yu Qi refused.

Mu Qingnan knew what kind of work Yu Qi meant. He turned to the other guards standing nearby.

The guards saw him approaching and hurriedly bowed. "Young Master!"

"Go back and tell Uncle Wu that I am going out with my Big Brother," Mu Qingnan commanded, then turned back to walk with Yu Qi.