Guo'er's eyes were red and swollen, clearly having cried.
She followed closely behind Nalan Chaoge, a look of reluctance etched all over her face.
Many of the Nalan Family's junior members also stepped forward one after another to greet Nalan Chaoge.
The commotion made by the Nalan Family immediately alerted the Jia Ma Holy City, and in less than a moment, the gates were already packed with onlookers wanting to watch the excitement.
Nalan Chaoge glanced around vaguely, though it was somewhat regrettable that he never caught sight of that figure who used to make him drool years ago.
The Jia Ma Imperial Family truly was a wavering piece of chess. It seemed his strength was still not worth mentioning in their eyes, and since that was the case, he would raise it until they were filled with awe.
Withdrawing his thoughts, Nalan Chaoge patted the back of Guo'er's hand. Hesitating no longer, he turned and walked toward the distant avenue.
Facing the rising sun, his silhouette was drawn out long.
This genius, monstrous as a fiend, had returned to the Holy City once more-what kind of waves would he stir up this time?
Jia Ma Holy City, the Mu Family.
"Good news, good news!" A side-whiskered youth rushed over at a run.
He pushed the door open with a loud bang.
The Mu Family's council hall was already packed with people.
Seeing Mu Tong rush in, everyone could not help but frown.
"Mu Tong, what is all the fuss about?"
"Good news, that little trash of the Nalan Family has finally come out! And this time I heard he's heading out for experiential training. Heh, he can't even wait for his coming-of-age ceremony before coming out to court death!" Mu Tong was filled with pleasant surprise.
He had waited for this day for a very long time.
"Nalan Chaoge is heading out for experiential training at a time like this? Why does it feel a bit wrong? Is he by himself?"
"Of course not, the Nalan Family's Lion Army guards are following him, but they're merely four Da Dou Shis. Right now is the absolute best opportunity to wipe out that little trash Nalan Chaoge!" Mu Tong was so excited he was incoherent.
The Mu Family's elders in the hall looked at one another, exchanging glances.
"I always feel like there are traps hidden in this. It's better if we don't act rashly. Killing that little trash is easy, but if we alert that old fellow Nalan Jie, our Mu Family will have quite the trouble on our hands. After all, the retaliation of a six-star Dou Wang is not something we can digest!"
"The patriarch makes sense, and what's more, the Nalan Family's Lion Army is no pushover either. We've just taken over the Silver Armored Army, and military morale is unstable-we'd better not stir up extra trouble!"
"Are we just going to let Mu Lu die in vain like that? The opponent only has four Da Dou Shis, so we'll just bring four Da Dou Shis as well! As long as we pin down the opponent's guards, I will personally step out and slaughter that little beast!"
"No, even if this matter is to be done, it must be done completely under the radar so that old fellow Nalan Jie can't find any excuse!"
"Patriarch, I actually have an idea!"
"Oh? Let's hear it!"
"Brother Mu Lu was killed by Nalan Chaoge, and the Jia Ma Imperial Family clearly favors the Nalan Family. Furthermore, our best bet at an alliance with Yaoye no longer exists. Why don't we do this: our family still has Mu Tong. Even though Mu Tong is a few years older than Yaoye, Mu Tong still has talent. We just need to fabricate evidence that Mu Tong is not here, and then secretly wipe out Nalan Chaoge. The Jia Ma Imperial Family might not necessarily refuse to ally with us then!"
"Once we bind Yaoye, won't the imperial family belong to our Mu Family sooner or later?"
"How can we fabricate an alibi?"
"It's very simple. Mu Tong will go pester Yaoye. If it works, great; if it doesn't, we'll preemptively step in and ground Mu Tong, claiming he isn't allowed to come out for a year. That way Mu Tong will have an alibi. If Nalan Chaoge dies while Mu Tong is grounded, the blame won't be pinned on us, right?"
"Good idea, we'll do just that. Come, Mu Tong, this is the Grade 2 Pill, the Joyful Union Pill. Take it, and tomorrow I will take you into the palace to see Yaoye. As long as you find a way to make Yaoye consume this pill-"
Heh, I guarantee that even a Dou Huang expert will lose all self-control!
A burst of chuckling suddenly echoed throughout the entire hall, the laughter filled with many implications that only men could understand.
Though he called it experiential training, once Nalan Chaoge left the Jia Ma Holy City, he was not in a hurry to press on. He stayed at inns to rest, took in the scenery of mountains and rivers, and when he encountered novel things, he even had the mood to stop and watch the excitement.
Rather than calling it experiential training, it was more like going on a tour.
This journey lasted for two full days, filled entirely with eating, drinking, and making merry.
Even with such a slow itinerary, the group had unknowingly walked into the outer perimeter of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
Under the pitch-black night sky, a lone crescent moon hung in the heavens. A faint, chilly moonlight spilled over the earth, coating the group gently like a layer of silver sand.
Outside the patch of woods closest to the Magical Beast Forest, a campfire flickered with a faint glow.
A few people sat around the campfire-precisely Nalan Chaoge and his company.
"Young Master, are you... waiting for someone?" One of the four personal guards, Number Two, could not help asking in bewilderment.
"On a dark night with a biting wind is a fine time for killing and arson. Having a tail trail behind us the whole way during experiential training is also a nuisance. I'm waiting for an old friend. If I guessed correctly, he should be able to catch up tonight!" Nalan Chaoge picked up a slice of stir-fried first-order Magical Beast wind-walking duck meat, popped it into his mouth, and chewed slowly.
"Are you talking about Mu Tong?" Hearing Nalan Chaoge's words, Number Two snapped to his feet, looked around in all directions, and sat back down. "The young master isn't joking, are you? I heard Mu Tong is already at the two-star Dou Shi level! Although his cultivation isn't too high, I heard that several of Mu Tong's brothers are experts at the Dou Ling level..."
"That's right, several of my brothers are Dou Lings. Did you really think you'd be fine after offending our Mu Family?"
An abrupt voice rang out, causing the few people seated around the campfire to leap to their feet in a start.
Someone had approached, yet none of them had even sensed it. Could it be that the newcomer was a Dou Ling expert?
Following the voice, they looked over, and it truly was Mu Tong.
Following closely behind Mu Tong was a middle-aged man clad in a white robe. He possessed an elegant demeanor and flowing, handsome hair, with his hands clasped behind his back as he looked at the few people before him the way one would look at prey.
A Dou Ling?
Damn it, the Mu Family really thinks highly of me to have actually dispatched a Dou Ling?
The moment Nalan Chaoge saw everyone's reactions, he knew things were looking rather ominous.
His original plan had been to lure Mu Tong out and single-handedly fight Mu Tong, provided his guards could stall Mu Tong's guard.
Yet looking at it now, even if A'da was a Seven-Star Great Dou Master, he would still be completely negligible in front of a Dou Ling.
Nalan Chaoge exchanged a glance with the others, his lips parting slightly as he whispered a single word: "Run."
A'da slowly shook his head, speaking in an equally low voice: "You guards take the young master and leave first. I'll stall them!"
"No, you guys leave first. Hurry up, don't worry about me!" Nalan Chaoge and the others had just exchanged those words when Mu Tong arrived right in front of them. Nalan Chaoge gave a faint smile and stood up from the ground.
"Oh my, if it isn't Brother Mu Tong! I truly never expected that we would run into each other here. What a coincidence!"
"It's no coincidence; I came specifically looking for you, Nalan Chaoge. A life for a life, a debt repaid in coin-are you still going to hide today?" Mu Tong sneered, looking at Nalan Chaoge as if he were already trapped in his pocket.
He was a two-star Dou Shi. If he still couldn't wipe out Nalan Chaoge, he might as well go die.
Before you continue