Chapter 65 Calling for Reinforcements

"You two, dressed in rags and covered in dirt, are not permitted to enter the city!" A guard at the city gate barred their way.

In truth, this was hardly surprising. After all, this was Fenghua City, the domain of the General God. Only those of proper appearance were allowed inside, and naturally, they would never admit two vagrants.

Dongyun, standing nearby, looked somewhat stunned to see the General God's son blocked at his own doorstep.

Mu Qingnan was also momentarily taken aback. The grime on his face had completely obscured his features, preventing the guard from recognizing him.

At that moment, another man approached. His attire was clearly superior to that of the ordinary guard, and he asked, "Chen Pinghe, what is going on with these two?"

The guard hastily replied, "Commander Liu, these two are dressed entirely inappropriately. According to the rules, we cannot let them into the city."

The commander in question was none other than Liu Jiangsheng.

He cast a suspicious glance at the pair, harboring a nagging feeling that he had seen this filthy man somewhere before.

"The two of you can pay ten silver taels here, and we will provide you with washing facilities and clean clothes," Liu Jiangsheng said, offering a solution. In truth, his primary motivation was to find out the identity of this familiar-looking man.

Mu Qingnan smiled helplessly. He was well aware of this rule and could hardly fault them.

He walked over to Liu Jiangsheng and suddenly shouted, "Liu Jiangsheng, do you not recognize me?!"

Upon hearing this voice, Liu Jiangsheng immediately realized who it was. He quickly bowed respectfully, pulling the other guards down with him. "This humble one was blind and failed to recognize the young master. Please forgive my transgression."

Chen Pinghe, standing behind him, turned completely pale. Just moments ago, he had actually barred his own master outside the gates. Should the young master hold a grudge, the light punishment would be losing this lucrative job, while the severe punishment might involve brutal penalties.

"Forget it, forget it. After all, this is a rule set by my father." Mu Qingnan waved a hand dismissively and led Dongyun into the city.

The surrounding onlookers burst into muffled laughter upon seeing the General God's son dressed in such a state, prompting Liu Jiangsheng to glare fiercely at them.

Frightened, the onlookers quickly fell silent. While they had no fear of Mu Qingnan, an approachable young master, they were exceedingly terrified of the guards belonging strictly to the Mu family.

Upon returning to the Mu residence, Mu Qingnan directly revealed his identity and rushed inside. Skipping any attempt to clean up, he ran straight to the main hall to find his father.

Mu Wenfen was still discussing the household's income and expenditure management with Su Dongli when he suddenly saw two ragged youths dash into the hall.

Su Dongli frowned and opened his mouth to speak, but the youth spoke first, "Father, Uncle Su."

"Hmm? Nan'er, why have you ended up in such a state? Where is Yu Qi?" Su Dongli asked.

Mu Wenfen, meanwhile, merely frowned. "As my son, Mu Wenfen, what kind of spectacle is this, dressing like this? Go wash up and make yourself presentable before coming to see me!"

Dongyun stood to one side, nervous to the extreme. This was her very first time standing in the presence of a supreme powerhouse.

Although the man did not deliberately release any pressure, her heart felt as though it were pinned beneath a massive mountain, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

"There's no time! We must go save Big Brother quickly; he is being hunted by the Vulture Sect!" Mu Qingnan said, his face etched with anxiety.

Hearing this, Mu Wenfen and Su Dongli both narrowed their eyes sharply.

However, Mu Wenfen remained unhurried. Calmly, he said, "Get yourself cleaned up first. Judging by the distance of your journey, it has been a few days. If Yu Qi is being hunted, even if we rushed over right now, it would still take time; we cannot reach his side instantly. Moreover, the fact that he is being hunted means he possesses the ability to escape. Clean yourself up properly, and then come talk to me about this matter."

Though anxious, Mu Qingnan knew his father's analysis made perfect sense. With no other choice, he had to take Dongyun outside.

Naturally, he arranged for Dongyun to stay with Aunt Mei, while he returned to his own chamber to wash.

Concerned for Yu Qi's safety, they naturally wasted no time in cleaning up.

Before long, Mu Qingnan had changed into a set of pristine garments and went to find Dongyun.

By the time Mu Qingnan arrived, Dongyun had also finished bathing and was dressed in the clothes provided by Aunt Mei.

Though it was merely the attire of a maid, wearing it still lent her a unique and graceful aura.

The two of them returned to the main hall once more.

While they were away, Mu Wenfen had already learned from Uncle Su about third-rate factions like the Vulture Sect. Seeing his son return before him, he instructed, "Speak, what is this all about?"

Mu Qingnan briefly recounted the ins and outs of the entire affair. When Mu Wenfen learned that this young woman's melody had actually enabled his son to enter the realm of observing might, he felt a flicker of curiosity, but right now, the utmost priority was finding Yu Qi.

He ordered, "Uncle Su, accompany Qingnan to the Vulture Sect."

Su Dongli nodded. "There is no time to lose. We depart immediately."

The group left the city once again. Because Yu Qi's safety was at stake, Su Dongli grabbed both of their arms and said, "Circulate your inner energy to protect yourselves."

As soon as he finished speaking, his body instantly dissolved into a blur and surged forward.

Though he was carrying two people, the martial arts he practiced made his speed extraordinarily swift. After a few brief rests along the way, in a mere two days, they arrived outside Anlong County.

Coming to a halt, Dongyun immediately rushed over to a nearby tree, clinging to it as she gasped for breath. Throughout this entire journey, she had truly witnessed what it meant to move like lightning.

Had she not followed the old man's instructions to circulate her inner energy for protection, she likely would have been shredded by the fierce gales generated by their high-speed travel.

Mu Qingnan fared somewhat better. This was not his first time experiencing such movement, so he was long accustomed to it. Furthermore, his personal strength far surpassed Dongyun's, making the impact much less severe for him.

Once Dongyun had recovered her breath, Su Dongli spoke, "Let's go. We're heading straight to the Vulture Sect to demand answers!"

Dongyun hesitated slightly, lingering anxiety still gripping her heart. "Ge Tao, the master of the Vulture Sect, is said to be quite powerful. We should still be careful."

"Don't worry, Miss Dongyun. With Uncle Su here, nothing will go wrong," Mu Qingnan said with a reassuring smile before following closely behind Su Dongli.

Uncle Su also added softly, "Young lady, there is no need to worry unduly over a third-rate faction like the Vulture Sect."

Seeing their insistence, Dongyun had no choice but to follow along.

In truth, these doubts arose simply because her exposure to the wider world was far too limited. Everyone knew that the Seventeen Powerhouses were the strongest in the world, but she had never imagined that the subordinates of such powerhouses could possess such terrifying might.

After all, having lived in Anlong County since childhood, aside from the world-renowned Seventeen Powerhouses, the strongest individuals she had ever encountered were merely the mistress of the Yuchun Pavilion and Ge Tao.

Before long, the trio arrived before a towering flight of stone steps. A few patrolling figures stood guard near the summit. This was the mountain gate of the Vulture Sect.