Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Mu Family

Yu Qi had not walked many steps when the voice of Mu Qingnan came from behind, "Big brother, where are you staying? I'll come find you to hang out tomorrow."

He stumbled, nearly falling to the ground, before breaking into a run. In the next second, he had vanished from Mu Qingnan’s sight.

Yu Qi went to a clothing store to replace his tattered garments, then found an inn to stay in. After walking such a long distance, a wave of exhaustion washed over him as he sat on the bed, and he soon drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, the inn was bustling with people, filled with various merchants peddling their wares. Yu Qi walked downstairs and, seeing that there were no empty seats left, had to instruct the waiter to bring some food to his room.

As he ate breakfast, his mind suddenly drifted to the chatterbox Mu Qingnan. Thinking of the boy’s incessant rambling, a faint smile played on the corner of Yu Qi’s lips.

"Though the kid looks cowardly, the influence behind him is quite surprising," Yu Qi muttered while chewing his food, picking up a wine pot to pour himself a cup.

Suddenly, as if something had occurred to him, his eyes widened in shock. "The kid’s surname is Mu. Could he be the son of Mu Wenfeng?"

The more Yu Qi thought about it, the more he felt he was right. Since the fall of the Yu family, there were only seventeen supreme experts in the world who had reached the Unified Essence state.

Mu Wenfeng was one of those seventeen, known as the "God of Generals." The very city where Yu Qi stood belonged to the Mu family.

"If that is truly the case, he is really lucky but fails to realize it. With such excellent resources for martial arts practice, he doesn't focus on his cultivation but runs around playing instead," Yu Qi chuckled, downing the wine in his cup.

After finishing breakfast, Yu Qi left the inn. Although he wanted to gather information, he could not simply ask about the Yu family. Besides, with his current strength, even if he knew who destroyed the Yu family, what could he do? He had no leads and could only take things one step at a time.

Fenghua City was worthy of being the seat of the God of Generals; it was incredibly prosperous. Even in the early morning, the sounds of street vendors filled the air, and the streets were packed with people.

Yu Qi wandered slowly through the crowd. Since the destruction of Huajiang City, where the Yu family resided, he had not seen such a prosperous scene in a long time. As he walked, the crowd around him thickened. Curious, he looked ahead and saw a massive circle formed by a throng of people, with more still rushing toward the spot.

Driven by curiosity, he pushed his way into the crowd. After some effort, he managed to reach the front, and the scene before them came into view.

It was a martial arts arena made entirely of marble, extremely spacious, appearing at least ten zhang wide. Standing to one side was an elderly man with snow-white hair. Yu Qi noticed him because the area around him was completely deserted, which seemed quite strange given the surrounding crowd.

"The Mu family is recruiting guards this time. I wonder who will be lucky enough to win," a middle-aged man beside him remarked.

"Indeed. They say the monthly salary for a guard is two taels of silver," another added, eyes filled with envy.

These people were just ordinary folks in Fenghua City looking for work. In this bustling place, they might earn three or four taels a year, but compared to a Mu family guard, they fell far short. To them, being a guard was a cushy job that paid well without requiring hard labor. After all, this was not just anywhere; it was Fenghua City, governed by the God of Generals. Who would dare cause trouble here?

These guards would at most patrol the city and resolve minor disputes among commoners; it was virtually devoid of danger. Given such comfort and high pay, it was no wonder they were envious. Naturally, such an easy way to earn money attracted many people of low ability to compete.

Hearing the chatter, a thought suddenly occurred to Yu Qi, who had previously been at a loss. As one of the seventeen top experts, Mu Wenfeng must know something about the fate of the Yu family. Perhaps he could use this opportunity to enter the Mu family and investigate.

However, Yu Qi did not know how to sign up for the recruitment, so he asked the middle-aged man next to him, "How does one register for the Mu family's guard recruitment?"

The man glanced at Yu Qi, realized how young he was, and advised, "Young man, you want to earn the Mu family's money too? I advise you not to. Many hot-blooded youths your age have tried before, only to be beaten black and blue. Not only did they get hurt, but they also had to pay for their own medical expenses. It’s not worth it."

Yu Qi calmly replied, "It's fine. Just tell me how to sign up."

Seeing that Yu Qi wouldn't listen, the man sighed and shook his head. "See that old man over there? Just go talk to him."

Yu Qi looked over and saw that the man was indeed the elderly fellow standing alone by the arena. After thanking him, he walked over.

Standing beside the elder, Yu Qi sized him up. The man wore a pale purple robe, his face etched with the marks of time. His silver hair was held by a snow-white crown, and his demeanor was somewhat lazy, yet Yu Qi could see a sharp glint in his eyes. He could sense that this elder was undoubtedly a powerhouse, and one with strength far superior to his own.

Yu Qi cupped his hands and said, "Senior, I would like to participate in this recruitment."

"Name," the elder said, casting a casual glance at Yu Qi.

Although the man’s tone was indifferent, Yu Qi respectfully stated his name.

"You may enter the arena. There are twenty guard positions available, divided into twenty rounds. You are in the tenth round. Each round consists of ten people. If you are the one standing on the stage at the end, you pass. After winning, you may move about freely, but you must return here before the trials conclude, or it will be voided." Having finished stating the rules, the elder said nothing more.

Yu Qi nodded and leaped onto the arena. There was no one else on the stage yet; it was clear he was the first to sign up for the tenth round. Since the Mu family’s guard position was such a comfortable job, many competed for it, and within a short time, ten people had gathered.

"Begin," the elder’s voice echoed from below.

However, no one on the stage moved. They all knew that whoever attacked first would become the target of everyone else. Among them were several who had participated in previous years.

Suddenly, a slightly chubby middle-aged man laughed and said to another shirtless man, "Yo, isn't this Lu Renjia? What, didn't make it last year and you're here to try again?"

Lu Renjia’s face twitched at the remark. "Fatty Niu, aren't you the same? Even though I didn't pass last year, I at least defeated you."

"I only let you win a few moves back then, and you really thought you were invincible? Today, Grandpa will teach you a lesson!" Provoked by Lu Renjia, Fatty Niu’s temper flared, and he leaped forward to attack.

The two instantly clashed. Once the first blow was struck, the others did not hold back and began attacking one another, with three of them forming a small group.

The arena descended into chaos. The others, seeing that a group had formed, naturally aligned themselves with the remaining participants, attacking one another, leaving only Yu Qi and one other man who had not yet joined the fray standing to the side.

Outside the arena, the spectators cheered at the battle. For these commoners, witnessing a free fight was no less than watching a grand performance.

The group of three, who were already fighting fiercely, suddenly noticed Yu Qi watching from the sidelines. One of them shouted, "Stop fighting! Let's clear out the kid watching the show first, so he doesn't reap the rewards of our struggle."

The others agreed and nodded, even Lu Renjia and Fatty Niu stopping their fight to join in.

Facing the sudden hostility, Yu Qi did not show any emotion, unlike the other man, who looked nervous.

"Kid, if you want to be the fisherman, go do it outside the arena!" Fatty Niu looked at the lone man, waved his hand, and he and three others attacked him simultaneously.

Although the man had decent strength, he was no match for the four of them combined. Before long, he was defeated and cleared from the stage.

"One more left. Clear him out quickly!" Fatty Niu and the others gathered together, eight of them walking toward Yu Qi at once.

Yu Qi looked at them, his expression tranquil. He dusted off his clothes and stood up. "That’s fine. It saves me from having to take you out one by one."

Hearing this, a look of disdain crossed Lu Renjia’s face. "You’re not afraid of biting your tongue with such big talk?"

The eight of them then channeled their internal energy, unleashing their respective techniques against Yu Qi.

"Is the wind strong? Then let me show you what a strong wind really is." As he spoke, a thousand ghost-like, malevolent energies suddenly materialized around Yu Qi from thin air. The previously sweltering air turned icy cold.

At that moment, a violent gust of wind erupted on the calm arena, causing the clothes of the eight attackers to flap wildly. Before they could react, they felt a surging force slamming into them. Under this gale, not only could they not advance, but they were also forced backward.

They struggled to resist, but within moments, they were blown right off the arena.

The once-raucous crowd fell silent for a few seconds before erupting into even louder cheers. Fatty Niu and the other seven scrambled to their feet, looking at the black-robed youth on the stage with expressions of disbelief. To defeat eight people with the strength of one—what kind of terrifying power did that require?

While shocked, they also felt a sense of contempt. With such strength, why not do something else instead of competing with them for a guard position?

The lazy elder saw this scene, and a strange light flashed in his eyes. He muttered to himself, "Is this youth a practitioner of the demonic arts?"

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than the elder dismissed it. "No, although the aura he emits has some demonic quality, it also contains threads of righteous energy. Strange, why have I never heard of such bizarre martial arts in this world?"