Mu Feng hesitated for a moment before the Great Elder interrupted him.
"Don't say anything. If you still recognize me as your grandfather, then just heal your wounds and I'll take care of everything." The Great Elder sighed and continued, "I'm not young anymore. I may not have many years left to live. What's the point of doing all this? It's all to preserve our branch of the Mu family's fortune, for you."
Mu Feng fell silent and couldn't say anything.
It's true that Grandfather had some selfish motives, but they weren't for himself. In his eyes, even the main branch of the Mu clan was considered half-outsider. Ultimately, he wanted the Mu family in Blackrock City to remain in the hands of this branch, unwilling to let it fall into the hands of others. Even Mu Hanyan was just an excuse for him to attack Mu Ruian.
This is also his lifelong wish. If he is not allowed to try it, he will not be able to rest in peace even in the afterlife.
Although he had no hope for the final outcome of the matter, Mu Feng decided not to stop him. Regardless of success or failure, he had to let him feel at ease.
…
Shishanling is located hundreds of miles north of Black Stone City. Mu Hanyan originally thought it was just a barren mountain range, but after arriving there, she realized that it was a mountain range that stretched for thousands of miles.
Compared to the Longyan Mountains, a mountain range of just a few thousand miles was nothing to mention, but finding a single household deep within it was no easy task. Fortunately, Mu Cheng knew the way.
"I remember there is a village ahead. Huayue's home should be there." When they arrived at the foot of the mountain, Mu Cheng pointed to a rugged path ahead and said to Mu Hanyan.
"I understand. Either you go back first or stay here and wait for me." Mu Hanyan said.
Worried about the safety of Huayue and the others, the two of them rushed out like crazy. After hundreds of miles, even Mu Hanyan was a little tired, and Mu Cheng was certainly even worse off. Huayue had originally brought his grandmother to live in the city, but for some reason they had moved back to the village.
"I'm fine. I'll go with you first. I'll come back if there's any danger." Mu Cheng said.
"Okay." Mu Hanyan took a closer look. Although Mu Cheng was sweating profusely, his breathing was still even and steady. It seemed that his strength had improved significantly, so she was no longer worried.
The two of them did not stop and rushed along the path towards the village.
The moon was dark, the stars were sparse, and the shadows of the trees swayed along the road. Strangely, as we hurried along, we heard very few insects or birds chirping. The closer we got to the village, the quieter it became, a quiet that felt eerie.
The village that Mu Cheng mentioned appeared in sight. The village was not big, with only about twenty or thirty households. It had low and old earthen walls, black tiles covered with green grass, and a scene of poverty and decline.
When interacting with Hua Yue on a daily basis, Mu Hanyan only felt that he was calm and dignified, yet reserved and introverted. In his coldness, he had a certain pride. He was definitely more dignified than many young men from different families. When seeing this dilapidated village, Mu Hanyan found it hard to imagine that he grew up here.
It was not very late yet, but there was no light in the village and it was eerily quiet; not even a rooster crowing or a dog barking could be heard.
"No!" Mu Hanyan quickened her pace and flew towards the village.
Mu Hanyan stopped as soon as she entered the village.
Two bodies were lying on the stone road leading to the village, and another was lying by the well not far away. Looking around, there were cold bodies everywhere, by the door, outside the yard, in the corners of the house... The village, which was not big to begin with, was littered with cold bodies.
From the white-haired old man to the toddler, hundreds of villagers were killed, not even a single one was left alive, not even a single chicken or dog was left.
Mu Hanyan only heard Mu Feng say that Hua Yue Zirong was in danger, but she didn't know that the entire village had suffered a devastating disaster. Seeing those cold corpses and those eyes that were open until death, full of despair and helplessness, she felt a pang of sadness and anger in her heart.
Who on earth could be so cruel that he would not even spare the unarmed elderly, children, women or young children?
Behind him, Mu Cheng clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.
"Who is so cruel? I want to kill him." Mu Cheng looked at a mother holding her baby tightly, but the two were cut in two by a sword. He was furious and said fiercely.
"Let's find Huayue and the others first." Although Mu Hanyan was angry, she remained calm.
The village was dead silent, with no sound of fighting. Either Hua Yue Zirong had lost her life like these villagers, or she had escaped.
The village was not big, and it only took the two of them half a quarter of an hour to search the entire village. They did not find the bodies of Huayue and Zirong. It seemed that their guess was correct, and they had indeed escaped.
"There are signs of fighting here. They should have escaped from here." Mu Cheng found clues in the grass at the end of the village and said to Mu Hanyan.
Almost at the same time as he spoke, a cold star flashed on the hillside behind the village, and then there was a sound of metal clashing. Although the distance was still far, it was particularly clear in the silent night.
"Let's go quickly." Mu Cheng cheered up and rushed towards the hillside.
"Wait, go over quietly." Mu Hanyan pulled Mu Cheng.
Huayue and Zirong were still alive, and Mu Hanyan finally breathed a sigh of relief, but the more times like this, the more she had to stay calm.
Hua Yue's beauty, coupled with the elusive Jiang Yuzhe, forced the three of them to flee in panic, leaving no one to know how strong the enemy was. Mu Hanyan, after all, hadn't yet reached the level of Sword Master, and was unaware of the enemy's strength, so she didn't want to reveal her whereabouts easily.
She is here to save people, not to die. It would be best if she could stab someone in the back successfully.
Mu Cheng nodded. Seeing that Mu Hanyan could remain calm at such a moment, he couldn't help but admire her even more. If he had Mu Hanyan's strength and faced such a situation, he would have been arrogant and out of control. How could he remain so calm?
The two men walked lightly and took cover of the weeds and bushes as they ran quickly towards the hillside.
There is a small temple built on the hillside. The ancient red bricks are as dilapidated as the village at the foot of the mountain. Even the clay statue is only half left, and it is impossible to tell whether it is a mountain god or a land god.
Huayue and Zirong were leaning against the corner of the small temple, their hair disheveled and their clothes tattered. There were scars of varying sizes on their bodies, and blood at the corners of their mouths. It was obvious that both of them were seriously injured during their escape.
The two men's faces were pale, they were gasping for breath, and their fingers holding the swords were trembling slightly, but their expressions were still resolute and cold.
An old woman with white hair was hidden behind them, her wrinkled face full of sadness.
"Huayue, please go away. Why would you sacrifice your life for an old woman like me who is half buried in the ground?" the old woman said tearfully.
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