"Mm." Mu Fei gave a small reply, indignation she could not suppress threading her tone. "The reason Mo Bai can press us is that he holds leverage. He has hinted to Guard One and the others that if my sister does not agree, he will refuse to represent the Mu Manor in this tournament... unless..."
She did not finish, yet the meaning was plain.
"So that's how it is." A thought stirred in Mu Yun, a cold light flashing in his eyes. "No wonder Mu Lin's expression was so odd yesterday in the Treasure Gathering Pavilion — it was because of this hidden matter."
Mu Fei continued: "This afternoon, I meant to reason with my sister once more. But when I reached outside her courtyard, I heard the sound of fighting from within. She and Mo Bai had actually come to blows. I saw my sister losing the upper hand, so I rushed in and fought alongside her."
She gave a bitter laugh. "But that Mo Bai's cultivation is simply too strong. Even though my sister has already reached the Minor Subtle Realm of Qi Refining, the two of us together could not shake his edge."
"Afterward, my sister and I fled in different directions. He ignored me entirely and pursued her all the way. I escaped through the city gate and, from a distance, saw you taking your leave of Lei Yu — so I followed."
The two ran like the wind, the trees streaming past. As their feet skimmed the ground, their words did not cease.
Mu Yun and the others had never been far from Qingchuan City; in but half an hour, the city came back into view. In the sunset it looked heavy and majestic, yet to Mu Yun's eyes it grew ever more oppressive and cold.
As Mu Fei's account grew detailed, Mu Yun's expression darkened further. That Mo Bai dared make a move against Mu Lin within the Mu Manor itself, in broad daylight, plainly meant he had something to rely on. And those called City Lord Mu Feng's personal guards — Guard One, Guard Two, Guard Three — were famed throughout Qingchuan City as three great experts, yet now they actually obeyed him... This was no longer merely a household quarrel, but seemed to point to a deeper design.
"Where is your father, City Lord Mu, now?" Mu Yun asked suddenly, his voice low.
"Father..." Mu Fei replied softly, a trace of suppression in her tone. "Since that day he entered seclusion, he has not appeared for nearly two years."
Her expression dimmed, a faint loss rising in her eyes. How could she not know the hidden truth of it? She simply dared not think too deeply.
At this, a sudden chill ran through Mu Yun's heart, and an ominous premonition surfaced in secret.
...
After entering the city, the two did not linger. They found a quiet inn to rest, changed out of their traveling clothes, and moved through the city low-key under cover of night.
As the night deepened, the lamps of Qingchuan City gradually thinned. Mu Yun and Mu Fei quietly reached the outer side of the Mu Manor. The streets were silent, the night breeze stirring, and the two hid in the shadows, observing.
The main gates of the Mu Manor stood shut; not a soul stood at the door. Even the usual guards had all been withdrawn — it was as silent as the grave.
Mu Fei was about to step forward to scout when a hand suddenly stopped her. She looked down to see Mu Yun gripping her wrist tightly.
"Not so fast." Mu Yun said in a low voice. "Observe first, then decide."
A faint ache tingled in Mu Fei's wrist, but she did not pull away. She knew he had done it to protect her. Though startled, she did not blame him — only turned her eyes gently and said nothing.
After a moment, Mu Yun turned to her and said in a low voice: "I intend to slip inside and look around. You return to the inn and wait for me."
Before he finished, he caught sight of Mu Fei rubbing the wrist he had held. A pang of guilt rose in him, and he said hurriedly: "Miss Mu, I was rough just now — I have offended you..."
"It's nothing." Mu Fei shook her head with a smile. Her tone was light, but the smile was somewhat forced. "Saving my sister is what matters."
Mu Yun nodded and withdrew quietly with her. When they reached the end of the street, he lowered his voice and said: "The Mu Manor's layout is complex. If I rush in blindly, I fear I will be lost within moments. Do you have a map of the estate?"
Mu Fei nodded slightly. "I did not bring a scroll, but I can sketch the rough layout from memory."
Before long, Mu Yun spread out a sheet of xuan paper. In the faint moonlight, a simple layout diagram had taken shape upon it. The lines were not elaborate, yet the key points of the Mu Manor were clearly marked — the dwellings of Mu Lin and Mo Bai especially conspicuous.
His eyes swept over it once, then he tucked it into his robe and turned to Mu Fei. "Miss Mu, do not worry. Mu Lin once showed me kindness; now that she is in danger, I will naturally do my utmost to help."
His tone was grave, brooking no doubt. Then he added: "Your identity is delicate. The most important thing right now is to avoid being seen. Return to the inn at once — do not expose yourself."
With that, without waiting for Mu Fei's reply, his figure blurred into an afterimage and vanished into the pitch-black night.
...
There was no moon tonight; the sky lay heavy and dark. The vast Mu Manor had sparse lamps — none of the brightness such a residence should have, instead looking gloomy and oppressive. It was the perfect moment to slip in unseen.
Mu Yun wore night-clothes, his form pressed close between the rooftops, moving like a shadow. He had run through the forests since childhood, and his footwork had been strengthened with the System's aid; accustomed to moving silently beneath the trees, he now walked the roofs like a stalking cat, soundless.
Scouting his way forward, Mu Yun kept his will still, his aura concealed, his breath nearly inaudible. Yet after repeated circuits, he found no trace of Mu Lin. Mo Bai, Guard One, Guard Two, and the others were all absent as well — the entire Mu Manor was like an empty shell, dead silent.
"Where is everyone?" His gaze was cold and heavy, his steps not slowing.
At last, he reached the place where Mu Lin dwelt. The courtyard was strewn with rubble, the eaves tilted and broken, wooden beams snapped and charred — battle marks plainly laid bare.
"It seems Mu Fei spoke truly." Mu Yun thought to himself.
Just as he was about to leave, an extremely faint sound reached his ears. Had he not already activated his "Ear-Clearing Art," he would likely have missed it.
It were footsteps — light, yet forceful, approaching from afar, their steady rhythm hiding killing intent. A chill ran through Mu Yun. "Whoever comes is an expert."
At once he held his breath, gathered his spirit, and leapt into the shadow of a broken pillar at the side. His robes stirred lightly, not a sound escaping, as he waited to see whether this person was foe or friend.
Several breaths later, a figure swept into the courtyard from the darkness. This person also wore night-clothes, their face covered by black cloth. The night was deep, no light anywhere; for a moment Mu Yun could not make out who it was, only feeling that the figure's outline seemed somehow familiar.
The man's steps were impossibly light, his aura flickering like a ghost. In two or three strides he burst through a door, paused briefly, then slipped back out of the building. Glancing left and right, his form blurred as he leaped to the rooftop, threading the eaves like a lynx, and vanished in an instant.
Only after the figure had gone far did Mu Yun emerge from the shadows. His brow furrowed, his gaze sharpening, he moved swiftly and trailed quietly after.
He followed all the way. The two passed through the city like two wispy ghosts of wind, in the blink of an eye crossing more than half of Qingchuan. A thought stirred in Mu Yun: "The direction he is heading... is it the Wind and Cloud Martial Hall?"
The thought had barely risen when the dark figure suddenly changed direction, veering instead toward the city's outskirts.
Mu Yun did not hesitate, matching him step for step, hanging back at a distance. Moments later, they reached an open stretch of land outside the city. Before them lay the endless dense forest — leaves thick, shadows layered, like a great beast crouching in wait for its prey.
The black-clad figure did not pause, vanishing into the trees in an instant.
Mu Yun was just about to step forward when a sudden alarm prickled through him, and a flash of inspiration struck his mind. He stopped dead at once, a cold sweat breaking out on his back.
He narrowed his eyes and gazed into the forest. Within the deep shadows, the wind stirred, branches swaying — countless dark shapes seemed to gnash their teeth, as though mocking his recklessness.
Mu Yun slowly sank his body down, hiding beside a broken eave atop the city wall, his face as still as an ancient well. He murmured: "That was close... nearly walked into a trap."
His gaze, sharp as an eagle's, fixed on the spot where the dark figure had vanished. A cold light flickered in his eyes: "This person can slip past the Mu Manor's defenses and knows of the upheaval there — he is no ordinary man. We shall see just who, exactly, you are."