Chapter Four: Whoever Takes a Step Forward Shall Meet Their Doom

Outside the door, a clamor of cursing voices rose and fell. By rough estimate, there were more than a dozen of them.

Bang!

The door was suddenly shoved open.

A group of more than ten men stood at the entrance, all of them pointing into the courtyard and hurling abuse.

“You blind hag, if you still don’t get your ugly face out here, I swear I’ll—”

The moment they saw Mu Feng, they were so frightened that they bent low in hurried salutes, none daring to raise their heads.

The Mu family enforced strict discipline. Even though Mu Feng no longer enjoyed his former glory, as the young master, he was not someone ordinary disciples could insult.

“Something you need?”

Mu Feng’s expression was somewhat cold.

He recognized the leader, of course. It was Mu Kuo, a guard of the Mu family and one of the Great Elder’s men.

His strength was only at the first level of Qi Condensation.

The people behind him were merely low-ranking disciples of the Mu family.

Then, all at once, the dozen or so men led by Mu Kuo spoke in unison, their momentum fierce and imposing:

“We are here, young master. Please divorce Xiao Yutong to preserve the reputation of the Mu family!”

At that, Mu Feng narrowed his eyes, a trace of cold ridicule curling at the corner of his mouth.

This group had clearly come prepared.

Otherwise, with nothing but their status as lowly disciples, even if they had ten times the courage, they would never dare challenge him.

“A joke. My marriage is none of your business. Not even my parents had any objections. Since when is it your turn to give advice?”

Your parents really did have no objections.

After all, neither of them had even been gone for a year.

But those words, they only dared to keep to themselves. To say them aloud would be to insult the former family head, and that was a charge they could not bear.

Still, in front of Mu Feng, they had clearly lost all patience.

Mu Kuo’s eyes were icy as he said darkly, “Young master, do you know that marrying that blind woman has already made us the laughingstock of Yuanzhou City? And now you still want to keep her. Could it be that you do not care about the dignity of the Mu family at all?”

“We call you young master because we keep the rules and show you respect!”

“Without that respect, you are nothing!”

His tone brimmed with contempt, and it was obvious he had long been dissatisfied with Mu Feng.

Not only him, but the other disciples were also whispering among themselves, every word dripping with disdain.

In the North, strength ruled all. Without power, how could mere status earn anyone’s respect?

Much less in the Mu family, which had never lacked for blood and pride.

But Mu Feng was no longer the useless wastrel he had once been. How could he possibly allow this group to take Xiao Yutong away?

“I’d like to see exactly how you plan to show me no respect.”

Mu Feng narrowed his eyes, his gaze growing even colder, and sword qi quietly gathered in his palm.

“Since the young master refuses to hand over Xiao Yutong, then we have no choice but to do it ourselves!”

A vicious gleam flashed in Mu Kuo’s eyes. With only a glance, the men behind him surged forward, intent on dragging Xiao Yutong out and expelling her from the Mu family.

Just as their steps were about to cross the courtyard threshold, a fierce burst of sword qi shook the air around them. Like a bolt of lightning, it sliced across Mu Kuo’s cheek.

A terrifying gust howled past, whipping up waves of force that battered the ears of everyone present.

A thin red line appeared on Mu Kuo’s face. Blood seeped out and dripped slowly to the ground.

Everyone froze in shock, too stunned to move even a little.

Hadn’t they said the young master had become a waste? Then where did this kind of power come from?

Especially Mu Kuo, who had shouted the loudest earlier. His whole body trembled now, and even his trousers were wet.

This time it was the face; next time it might be the throat.

A cold voice rang out, causing everyone’s minds to shake violently.

“Whoever takes one more step forward dies.”

They understood then that Mu Feng was not bluffing. In the Mu family, defying the young master was close enough to treason to be judged as such.

Today they had already come without reason on their side. If Mu Feng truly chose to pursue it, not one of them would survive.

Thinking of this, Mu Kuo hurriedly dropped to his knees and began to explain.

“Young master, we were sent by the Great Elder. It has nothing to do with us!”

“He said that Xiao Yutong has brought shame upon the Mu family and ordered us to drive her out. It really has nothing to do with us!”

Better to be punished by the Great Elder than killed here by Mu Feng.

“Get lost.”

Mu Feng had no patience to listen to Mu Kuo’s excuses and immediately told him to scram.

Driving them off, Mu Feng shut the courtyard gate and returned to the room.

With all that noise outside, Xiao Yutong had long since been awakened. At that moment she sat quietly on the bed, her hands twisting nervously in her lap.

She seemed extremely tense.

“Mu Feng!”

Hearing the sound, Xiao Yutong hurriedly rose to her feet, feeling around for Mu Feng’s figure.

“I’m here.”

Taking her hand in his, Mu Feng’s warm palm seemed to calm her down. Her earlier panic gradually subsided.

“You haven’t had breakfast yet. I’ll go get you something to eat.”

Seeing that the sky outside was already bright, Mu Feng smiled and tried to comfort her before heading to the kitchen.

“Don’t...”

Just as he stood up, she caught hold of him.

“What is it?”

Sensing that Xiao Yutong had something to say, Mu Feng obediently sat down beside her.

After a long while, Xiao Yutong finally spoke in a soft voice.

“Maybe I should leave after all. Staying here will only make things difficult for you.”

“I know I’m blind. I was never worthy of you to begin with. What I asked last night was too much.”

As she spoke, tears gathered at the corners of her eyes.

She wanted to stay by Mu Feng’s side too, but she had heard everything outside just now, every word clearly.

If she stayed, Mu Feng would only be attacked more.

She liked Mu Feng, but she did not want him to be made miserable because of her, or to fall out with his own clan.

A large hand gently wiped away her tears.

“Nowhere is where you need to go. Just stay by my side.”

“If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up.”

Although they had not yet become husband and wife in name and deed, Mu Feng already regarded Xiao Yutong as his true wife.

Long ago, he had made up his mind that no matter what became of this life, he would protect her completely.

“Oh my, how touching. This immortal maiden is almost crying from being moved.”

“Shut up!”

This so-called immortal maiden really did love talking nonsense, with none of the poise one would expect.

Bang, bang, bang—

Suddenly, knocking sounded once more from the great courtyard.

“Well, well, more people have come. Go beat them up! Heave-ho, heave-ho!”

The immortal maiden swung her fists with great fighting spirit, as if she were about to leap out and take action on Mu Feng’s behalf.

Mu Feng could only sigh again and again.

The courtyard gate opened. When he saw who had come, his brows furrowed.

“Mu Kuo, what are you doing here again?”

Mu Kuo raised both hands in obvious trepidation.

“Young master, I’m not here to cause trouble this time. It’s the family head and the elders who want to see you, and also... the young madam.”

...

Mu family main hall.

Mu Feng held Xiao Yutong’s hand and slowly stepped over the threshold.

“Greetings to the family head. Greetings to the elders.”

With clasped fists, Mu Feng politely saluted those in the hall. Xiao Yutong did the same, though she kept her head lowered timidly.

“No need for such ceremony. Sit.”

Mu Qingcheng smiled faintly and motioned for the two of them to take their seats.

As Mu Feng’s uncle, he had always cherished him. Even when Xiao Yutong’s matter had stirred up a storm across the city, he had never said a word against him.

Now that he saw how close the two were, the smile in his eyes only deepened.

“Xiaoyu, take the young madam to have breakfast.”

“Yes, master.”

Xiaoyu stepped forward obediently and gently took Xiao Yutong’s hand.

She was Xiao Yutong’s maid dowry, and one of the few friends Xiao Yutong had in the Xiao family.

Yet Xiao Yutong’s hand clung tightly to Mu Feng’s, unwilling to let go.

“Go on. I’ll be fine here. Just tell Xiaoyu whatever you want to eat.”

“I want osmanthus cake.”

Xiao Yutong said timidly.

Mu Feng gave Xiaoyu a look, and she tactfully led Xiao Yutong out of the hall.

After Xiao Yutong left, the atmosphere in the hall immediately grew heavy.

With the Mu family head and all six elders present, the pressure was no small thing.

“Uncle, if there’s something you want to say, just say it.”

Seeing that Mu Qingcheng seemed a little troubled, Mu Feng took the initiative.

Mu Qingcheng could only shake his head with a苦笑.

“Xiaofeng, after discussion among the clan, we want you to go to Yellow Sand Town and take over the business your father left behind. Think of it as a way to pass the time and relax.”

A way to pass the time and relax was merely a polite expression.

In the Mu family, any disciple lacking sufficient talent would, once they reached a certain age, leave the main household and go manage the family’s affairs. In other words, they were being sent away from the center of power.

This was not unique to the Mu family. All the major clans were the same. It had become an unwritten rule.

Mu Feng had no objections to this.

He carried secrets of his own, and cultivating in a place crowded with people and full of prying eyes would be difficult indeed.

Besides, the Mu family as a whole was already dissatisfied with Xiao Yutong. Staying here would only invite more trouble.

Going to Yellow Sand Town would at least let them breathe a little easier.

“Since it is the family’s decision, I’ll go.”

Mu Feng smiled lightly, calm and composed.

“However...”

His tone shifted, and a sharp light flashed in his eyes.

“I know there are people here who are dissatisfied with Yutong.”

“If anyone has any complaints about her, bring them to me. If you use any more underhanded tricks against her—”

“Don’t blame this junior for disregarding Mu family decorum!”

With that, he turned and left.

Watching Mu Feng’s departing figure, Mu Qingcheng could not help but laugh.

“Great Elder, you really went too far this time. If you weren’t an elder, given Xiaofeng’s temper, he would already have come to fight you to the death.”

The Great Elder on the side slapped the table in anger.

“Wasn’t it all because of his father? He went around every day saying how much he loved his wife, and kept telling us to make sure we taught the boy properly. How could I not test this brat’s attitude toward Yutong? Otherwise, I wouldn’t have wanted to play the villain. It’s just a pity for Mu Kuo—after being scared like that by Xiaofeng, I doubt he’ll recover for months.”

If they had truly been opposed to the two of them being together, the men sent out would not have been Mu Kuo and his band of rabble.

After grumbling, the Great Elder leaned on his cane and slowly rose, his face full of helplessness.

“To break first and then stand anew—that is Xiaofeng’s fate. How far our Mu family can go now depends on him...”