Langya Xing obviously noticed it as well, a cold smile curving the corners of his lips: It seems some people can't sit still anymore.
Almost simultaneously, a silvery, tinkling laugh drifted from outside the pavilion: "Brother Xing didn't even tell me when he returned. How very heartless of you~"
Accompanied by a wave of fragrant wind, a young girl dressed in pink gauze skirts drifted gracefully inside.
She was around sixteen or seventeen years of age, her beauty as bright and charming as a flower, and a single cinnabar dot between her brows added a touch of allure.
Yet Mu Bai noticed the faint, shimmering chill at her fingertips—that was clearly poison-laced hidden weaponry!
"Langya Mei." Langya Xing didn't even turn his head, his tone icy. "Who gave you permission to enter my Starlight Pavilion?"
The girl's smile stiffened, but she immediately chimed coquettishly: "Why is Brother Xing being so cold? This one heard you returned injured and specially came to..."
Her gaze shifted to Mu Bai, and she suddenly froze.
Only now did Mu Bai see clearly that three young men were following behind the girl.
The lead figure wore a purple robe; his handsome face carried a hint of sinister cunning, and right now he was assessing Mu Bai with a scrutinizing gaze.
"Langya Xin." Langya Xing finally turned around, a trace of wariness flashing in his eyes. "You certainly get news fast."
The purple-robed youth smiled slightly, cupping his fists. "Third Brother, you are mistaken. This elder brother merely heard you were severely injured and specifically came to visit." As he spoke, he turned his gaze to Mu Bai at the side and offered a slight fist salute. "I am Langya Xin. I wonder how this brother is addressed?"
Mu Bai was just about to return the courtesy when Langya Xing abruptly blocked in front of him: "Mu Bai is a guest I invited. There's no need to trouble First Brother's concern."
The atmosphere instantly froze. The smile on Langya Xin's face gradually faded, and a trace of biting coldness flashed in his eyes.
Seeing this, the young girl named Langya Mei hurriedly smoothed things over: "Brother Xing, don't be so serious~ Brother Xin meant well, too. By the way..."
She suddenly leaned in close to Mu Bai, her breath orchid-sweet: "I hear Young Master Mu comes from the Great Yan Kingdom?"
Mu Bai's heart gave a violent jolt—how could this girl know he came from Great Yan?
Langya Xing suddenly slapped the table and stood up: "Enough!" A powerful aura erupted from his body. "If you don't get out right now, don't blame me for being discourteous!"
Langya Xin's expression shifted, and he finally let out a cold snort: "Third Brother puts on quite a display of might. Let's go!"
With that, he flicked his sleeve and stalked off.
Before leaving, Langya Mei cast Mu Bai one last meaningful look, a gaze that made him feel as though needles were pricking his back.
After they left, Langya Xing reined in his aura and said in a deep voice: "You must be careful from now on. Langya Xin is my eldest brother, and also the most formidable contender for the next head of the lineage. Just now, he was clearly targeting you."
Mu Bai was thoughtful: "Because I am on good terms with you?"
"More than that." Langya Xing shook his head. "Your talent is astonishing, and you also returned in my company. Naturally, they are unwilling for any extra strength to emerge by my side, so they will naturally come to vie for you."
This news struck like a thunderbolt, stunning Mu Bai into speechlessness for a long moment. He suddenly understood why Langya Xin's gaze towards him had been so bizarre.
"It seems..." Mu Bai gave a wry smile, "I appear to have stumbled into quite a considerable storm."
Langya Xing gazed toward the towering mountain outlines in the distance—the true location of the Langya Family lay there: "The storm has only just begun. When the people from the lineage arrive three days from now, that will be the real test."
The night breeze swept past, carrying the distant laughter and clamor of the marketplace.
Within this bustling Langya City, undercurrents were already beginning to surge.
When the first thread of morning sunlight spilled through the glazed windows of the Starlight Pavilion, Mu Bai had already completed two hours of morning training.
The Qinglin Sword fluttered and flew in his hand, the trajectory carved by its tip leaving faint cyan afterimages in the air.
When he concluded his stance with the final movement of the Tornado Rain Strike, the sword wind whipped up the fallen leaves in the courtyard, forming a miniature whirlwind.
Because Mu Bai didn't use true qi, it didn't cause any massive destruction.
"Your sword intent has grown more refined."
Langya Xing's voice drifted from beneath the corridor.
Mu Bai withdrew his sword and looked over to see that today he had changed into a moon-white broidered robe, with a suet jade pendant hung at his waist. He looked much more spirited than yesterday.
Only a trace of fatigue remained between his brows, showing that the injuries inflicted by the Blood Spirit Martial King had not yet fully healed.
"How are your injuries?" Mu Bai took the sweat towel handed over by a maid and wiped his forehead.
Langya Xing waved a hand: "No matter. Today I'll take you to taste the specialty delicacies of Langya City."
When he uttered those two words, his normally aloof eyes suddenly lit up, looking like a child anticipating candy.
Mu Bai couldn't help but smile.
This proud and cold Young Master Langya in front of others actually possessed such a side to him.
Stepping out of the Starlight Pavilion, Langya Xing didn't take a carriage, instead leading Mu Bai on foot as they wove through the streets and alleys.
The morning Langya City was already bustling and extraordinary; breakfast stalls of all varieties lined both sides of the street, and rising billows of steam wrapped around enticing aromas rushed out to greet them.
"First stop, Old Chen's Family's Spirit Rice Cake." Langya Xing familiarly ducked into a small alley, pointing at an inconspicuous little stall in the corner.
The stall owner was an old man with a hunched back, but upon seeing Langya Xing he didn't show the terrified deference of others, merely nodding with an easygoing chuckle: "Young Master Xing, the usual rules?"
"Two portions, extra Honey Spirit Nectar." As Langya Xing spoke, he actually pulled up a small wooden stool for himself and sat down, completely disregarding his luxurious robes dragging on the ground.
Mu Bai watched with curiosity as the old man retrieved two crystal-clear rice cakes from the steamer and drizzled amber-colored honey nectar over them.
That honey nectar cast a bizarre, flowing luster in the sunlight, evidently no ordinary item.
"Taste it." Langya Xing handed over a piece. "This Honey Spirit Nectar is brewed from the Seven-Colored Bees unique to the Qingming Mountain Range, producing only a dozen or so catties a year."
The rice cake melted upon the tongue, and amid the sweet fragrance of the honey nectar came a hint of coolness. The moment it slid down his throat, Mu Bai actually felt the circulation speed of the true qi within his body quicken by a fraction.
"This..." Mu Bai looked at Langya Xing in astonishment.
"That's right, it can temporarily enhance cultivation speed." Langya Xing finished his portion in three or two bites, licked the corners of his mouth with lingering satisfaction. "Old Chen used to be a spirit planter for the Langya Family, and opened this small stall after retirement. Don't look at him like this now, back in his youth he was quite the ruthless character."
Leaving the rice cake stall, Langya Xing led Mu Bai wandering through the streets and alleys, able to recount the origins of the stall owners and the intricacies of the food at every single stop.
Mu Bai gradually discovered that this seemingly high-and-mighty aristocratic young master possessed such a profound understanding of ordinary street life.
"You often come out to stroll like this?" Mu Bai couldn't help asking.
Langya Xing was cradling a bowl of Ice Crystal Lotus Seed Soup, taking small sips. Hearing this, he paused: "When I was young... I often sneaked out."
His gaze drifted into the distance. "Back then I hadn't yet mastered the Pure Lotus Heart Sutra and didn't receive much regard within the lineage, so it was actually more carefree."
Mu Bai acutely noticed that as he spoke these words, his fingers were unconsciously rubbing the jade pendant at his waist—a tiny lotus flower was carved upon it.
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