Chapter Thirty-Two: A Fit of Pique

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Mu Wenfeng looked at Yu Qi and continued, “The destruction of the Yu family was something I never expected. In truth, I have some connection with your family. Yu Canglan was my sworn brother. By that reckoning, you are my nephew as well. From now on, you may call me Uncle Mu.”

Yu Qi was stunned by Mu Wenfeng’s words. He had never imagined that the patriarch of the Yu family had such a relationship with him.

“Yu Mo’s death dealt Nan’er a tremendous blow. Though he used to enjoy playing around, he never neglected his martial cultivation. But now…” Mu Wenfeng let out a heavy sigh. He did not want his son to continue wasting his life away.

Yu Qi nodded. When he had first met Mu Qingnan, he had already sensed the young man’s playful nature. He had never imagined that there was such a story behind it.

“Yu Qi, your appearance is no different from Yu Mo’s. Perhaps you can help him resume his cultivation.” As he spoke, Mu Wenfeng placed a hand on Yu Qi’s shoulder. “Consider it a request from your Uncle Mu. I do not want the Mu family to have no one to inherit it in the future.”

Yu Qi saw a trace of hope in his eyes. As a father, who would not wish for his son to become a divine dragon soaring through the nine heavens? Even a powerful man like Mu Wenfeng was no exception.

Yu Qi nodded. “Rest assured, Uncle Mu. Even if you had not said anything, as his elder brother, I would still urge him to cultivate.”

“Then Qingnan will be in your hands from now on. Move over here and live with us. Go back first and see whether there is anything you need to bring.” After saying this, Mu Wenfeng went to order the servants to prepare a guest room.

Watching him leave, Yu Qi pondered for a moment before finally asking what had been on his mind. “Uncle Mu, can you tell me who destroyed the Yu family?”

At the voice behind him, Mu Wenfeng stopped. He turned to look at Yu Qi. “Yu Qi, with your current strength, knowing this would do you no good. Trust your Uncle Mu. Once you reach a certain level, I will tell you everything with my own lips.”

Yu Qi could only agree, but his hands had already clenched tightly.

Strength!

He needed overwhelming strength!

Yu Qi felt deeply unwilling to accept this. Just how powerful were the people who had destroyed the Yu family, that he was not even qualified to learn the truth?

After returning to his residence, Yu Qi bade farewell to the guards, then followed Wu Kanghong toward the central district beneath their envious gazes.

As the heart of the Mu family, this area was clearly far better than the guards’ quarters.

Yu Qi’s room not only had a private washing area, but was also filled with a faint, secluded fragrance drifting from the bronze pot on the table. Just one gentle breath was enough to make a person intoxicated.

He lay on the bed, inhaling the fragrance, and before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

It was nearly evening when he awoke.

Knock, knock, knock!

A voice came from outside the room. “Young Master Yu, the master has asked you to join him for dinner.”

Yu Qi tidied himself up briefly before following the maid.

The corridors of the Mu residence were intricate and winding. Fortunately, the maid knew the way; otherwise, he would probably have wandered about aimlessly once more.

Before long, she led Yu Qi to a towering pavilion, then took her leave.

The moment he stepped inside, Mu Qingnan’s voice reached him. “Big Brother, come over quickly.”

Yu Qi followed the sound and saw that Mu Wenfeng and Murong Wan were already seated at the table. Mu Qingnan sat beside them, smiling at Yu Qi. Beside him were three others: two elderly men and a middle-aged woman.

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Of the two old men, one was Wu Kanghong, who had led Yu Qi into the Mu family. He had never seen the other.

Yet he could sense that both men were stronger than he was. In particular, the elder seated beside Wu Kanghong, though not capable of suppressing Yu Qi so completely that he scarcely dared to breathe as Mu Wenfeng could, still emanated an aura that made Yu Qi’s heart tremble.

“Yu Qi, you’re here. Come, sit down,” Murong Wan called.

After Yu Qi took his seat, Mu Wenfeng said, “Yu Qi, let me introduce everyone. You should already know Chief Steward Wu. The man beside him is Su Dongli, the Mu family’s grand steward. As for her, her name is Mei Yuhua, and she is in charge of the maids.”

Yu Qi rose and cupped his fists toward the two of them. “This junior, Yu Qi, greets both seniors.”

Su Dongli laughed heartily. “A hero truly comes from the ranks of the young. To possess such strength at such a tender age—excellent, excellent.”

Mei Yuhua smiled and nodded from the side, accepting his greeting.

“You flatter me, Senior.” Yu Qi sat down, and the meal began.

Mu Wenfeng was a renowned powerhouse of the present age and appeared extremely stern before outsiders. At home, however, he was very easygoing. He kept up a lively conversation with everyone at the table, and bursts of laughter rang out from time to time.

After eating his fill, Mu Qingnan pulled Yu Qi outside.

Yu Qi could only offer an awkward smile and follow him.

“Big Brother, I’ll take you to see Splendor City at night.” Mu Qingnan was naturally fond of having fun. Even at night, he still could not sit still.

There was no denying that Splendor City, one of the most prosperous cities in Bright Prefecture, was extraordinarily beautiful at night as well. Bright lanterns hung everywhere along the streets. Everywhere one looked was ablaze with light; though it was nighttime, not a single corner was dark.

“Qingnan,” Yu Qi suddenly said.

“What is it, Big Brother?” Mu Qingnan looked at him.

“Starting tomorrow, Big Brother won’t be able to accompany you on outings anymore. I need to devote myself to cultivation. There are still matters I must deal with in the future.” Yu Qi’s voice was solemn. To learn the truth about his enemies as soon as possible, he needed to improve his strength without delay. If he continued wasting his time like this, he did not know when he would be able to avenge his family and offer their spirits peace in the afterlife.

At these words, disappointment immediately appeared in Mu Qingnan’s eyes. “If you’re going to cultivate, Big Brother, then I’ll be all alone again.”

His mood visibly darkened. Like a deflated ball, he lowered his eyes to the ground and walked on by himself.

“Ouch!”

Mu Qingnan suddenly collided with someone. Already in a foul mood, he shouted, “Don’t you have eyes when you walk?”

The person he had struck was a man dressed strangely. A loose white robe concealed his body, while a strip of white cloth covered his face.

Only his eyes were exposed, and they flickered with faint traces of killing intent as he looked at Mu Qingnan.

Mu Qingnan’s hair stood on end. It was as though the gaze before him belonged not to a man, but to a ferocious beast that had slaughtered countless lives.

Already depressed, and now glared at so abruptly, Mu Qingnan’s stubborn temper flared. “What are you looking at?”

He truly did not believe that anyone in Splendor City would dare lay a hand on him.

The man said nothing. The killing intent in his eyes only grew denser, and the hand hidden within his sleeve clenched into a fist, preparing to strike.

Walking behind them, Yu Qi suddenly sensed the murderous aura and hurriedly looked toward Mu Qingnan.

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The moment he saw that the man was about to attack, Yu Qi’s figure flashed. He reached Mu Qingnan’s side in an instant and pressed down the arm the man had just raised.

“Friend, there is no need for this. My younger brother has always been hot-tempered. He offended you, so allow me to apologize on his behalf.”

His attack thwarted, the man’s killing intent grew even stronger, and a surging aura erupted from his body.

At the same time, a thousand strands of strange, sinister energy spread around Yu Qi. The two auras collided, sending invisible waves of force sweeping through the surroundings.

Seeing this, the passersby hurriedly scattered.

The two sides faced one another for only a few seconds before simultaneously withdrawing their auras. Yu Qi also released the man’s arm.

The man walked past them and continued forward. As he passed beside Mu Qingnan, a cold voice came from beneath the cloth covering his face.

“If he had not been here, you would already be dead.”

Mu Qingnan and Yu Qi remained where they were. Watching the man’s figure gradually disappear into the crowd, Mu Qingnan said, “Big Brother, why didn’t you teach him a lesson?”

“That man is very strong, roughly equal to me. If we fought, it would be difficult to determine the victor. Besides, this was our fault to begin with.” Yu Qi’s expression was grave. The killing intent the man had released during their confrontation had even made his heart tremble.

That was someone who had fought his way out of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood. His hands must have been stained with the lives of countless people.

“I refuse to believe that anyone would dare bully me on my own turf.” Mu Qingnan was furious. It was the first time he had ever suffered such humiliation within Splendor City.

Seeing that Mu Qingnan still wanted to pursue the matter, Yu Qi sighed. “Qingnan, not everyone fears your father. Cultivating diligently and improving your own strength is the best way to avoid being bullied.”

“Big Brother.” Anger burned in Mu Qingnan’s eyes. “It’s bad enough that you won’t accompany me anymore. Now you’re lecturing me too.”

Mu Qingnan was furious. It was bad enough that his father kept urging him to cultivate; he had never expected Yu Qi to say the same thing.

He felt disappointed and hurt. Ignoring Yu Qi, he ran off.

Yu Qi did not chase after him. He knew that Mu Qingnan would not face any real danger within Splendor City. During his confrontation with the man, he had sensed several powerful auras nearby, none weaker than his own. They had been placed there by Mu Wenfeng specifically to protect his son.

Besides, Mu Qingnan could not continue living like this. For the sake of the Mu family’s future, he had to improve his strength.

Yu Qi returned to the Mu residence alone. After learning from the guards that Mu Qingnan had already come back, he entered.

Before he could reach his room, Murong Wan came to him, worry filling her eyes. “Yu Qi, Qingnan seems to have encountered something upsetting. After coming back, he ran to the garden and sat there. He won’t speak to anyone. Why don’t you go and take a look?”

Yu Qi smiled at her. “Aunt Murong, don’t worry. You should go back and rest. I’ll talk to him.”

After bidding farewell to Murong Wan, Yu Qi headed toward the garden. He might not have been familiar with the other parts of the residence, but he had stumbled into the garden by accident once before. After passing through several corridors, he soon reached its entrance.

Before he even entered, Mu Qingnan’s voice drifted out.

“Stupid Big Brother, rotten Big Brother—you help outsiders instead of me.”

Mu Qingnan sat alone beside the stream, tearing petals from a flower and tossing them one by one into the water.

Watching him from outside, Yu Qi could only shake his head and smile helplessly. He lifted his foot and walked inside.

“Qingnan, what are you sulking about?”

“Hmph.” Mu Qingnan snorted coldly, turned around, and presented his back to Yu Qi.