Mu Ze returned to his residence, thinking about how to get the Heavenly Maiden True Scripture from Mu Xue.
But as soon as he walked through the door, Tang Yi came running over.
"Guess what I managed to do today?" Tang Yi asked her husband excitedly.
Mu Ze shook his head.
"I don't know."
"Mu Xue agreed to teach Yalin the Heavenly Maiden True Scripture. All these days of effort weren't wasted after all.
"By the way, you have to make sure nothing happens to Mu Xue during this time. Otherwise, we'll lose the scripture," Tang Yi said seriously.
Mu Ze was a little surprised. They had already gotten the scripture.
After a pause, Mu Ze asked, "What do we do with Mu Xue once we have the scripture? You know how an ordinary person is treated in the Mu Family."
Tang Yi furrowed her brow, then said, "Take over that courtyard and lock Mu Xue inside forever. Don't let her leave for the rest of her life.
"Let her stay there for a few decades. We won't lose out, and it won't be too heartless.
"If we let her go, who knows whether someone else might get the Heavenly Maiden True Scripture. What do you think?"
Mu Ze nodded.
"Let's do that."
Lu Shui gazed at the starry sky outside and found the night beautiful.
"Tomorrow's bound to be sunny. Should I think up a few lines for breaking off the engagement?
"Maybe I'll shout, 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river'?
"No, that's what someone whose engagement was broken off would say.
"I'm the one breaking it off." Once he stopped his train of thought, Lu Shui fell into deep contemplation.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling watched Lu Shui, not quite understanding him. Still, tomorrow was the day of the engagement break, and they were worried.
Given their young master's temperament, there was a good chance he'd pick a fight with the Mu Family. That would be a terrible outcome.
They hoped their young master could keep a low profile.
As long as he didn't unleash every taunt he could think of.
At the thought, Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling sighed.
Their young master seemed like a complicated person, but his temperament didn't seem to be an act.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling exchanged glances, both seeing the helplessness in the other's eyes.
They could only take things as they came.
After thinking for a long while, Lu Shui closed his eyes and went to sleep.
Tomorrow was the main event. He needed to be well-rested.
By the time Lu Shui woke, it was already broad daylight. He checked the time: a little after seven.
"Young master, we'll arrive in another hour," Zhen Wu said when he saw Lu Shui wake.
Lu Shui nodded. He glanced at the Water Cloud Bead and saw that it wasn't time for a breakthrough yet.
Because of yesterday's unexpected events, and because he'd slept too long, he began reading the Heaven and Earth Array Patterns. He hadn't studied them much yesterday, so he had barely any Heaven and Earth Power left.
That wasn't good.
He could only hope nothing unexpected happened.
The hour passed in the blink of an eye.
"Young master, we've arrived," Zhen Wu reminded him.
Lu Shui put away the Water Cloud Bead, then stowed the Heaven and Earth Array Patterns as well.
Then he stepped off the train.
Once he was off, Lu Shui raised a hand to shield his eyes from the sun. He saw a mountain, its scenery beautiful and its waters clear. Countless houses stood at its foot, their architecture a blend of classical and modern styles.
The streets were bustling with people, and there were plenty of Spirit Beasts too. It was quite prosperous.
He knew this place: the Mu Family Direct City Academy. Unlike the Lu Family's Qiuyun Town, most of the people here were Mu Family Members.
The family really was flourishing.
Even with his mother included, there were only six people in the Lu Family.
Tsk, terrifying.
"Is anyone here to meet us?" Lu Shui lowered his hand and asked.
Zhen Wu shook his head.
"No one, young master. But the letter announcing our visit has been delivered. Once we explain why we're here, they'll know."
Explain why we're here? Lu Shui looked at Zhen Wu in surprise. Were they really going to say outright that they'd come to break off the engagement? Was Zhen Wu that brazen too?
Zhen Wu noticed Lu Shui's expression and looked confused.
"Young master, is something wrong?"
Lu Shui shook his head.
"You go tell them."
Zhen Wu had been about to agree, but after thinking it over, he realized something was off.
Tell them our young master is here to break off the engagement?
It felt like they'd offend the Mu Family the moment he opened his mouth.
"..."
In the end, Zhen Ling found the person in charge of visitors at the mountain and told him that members of the Lu Family wished to pay a visit.
Only then were they escorted inside.
The Mu Family Direct Descendants lived halfway up the mountain.
"Young Master Lu, our clan leader has matters to attend to this morning, so he hopes you can wait until the afternoon," a middle-aged man said apologetically to Lu Shui.
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling both furrowed their brows. The Mu Family Members were obviously doing this on purpose.
But Lu Shui was the only one who'd come to break off the engagement. If they received him immediately, it really would make them look bad once word got out.
What worried Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling, though, was that their young master might storm in with his people.
If the Mu Family found an excuse to act, their young master would definitely get a beating.
Zhen Wu was just about to remind Lu Shui, but Lu Shui replied first.
"No problem. I just hope the Mu Family won't make me wait until tomorrow."
Zhen Wu and Zhen Ling were surprised. Their young master wasn't going to charge in?
They'd felt all along that he was impatient to get here.
Had they been mistaken?
The middle-aged man immediately smiled.
"Rest assured, Young Master Lu. The clan leader gave specific instructions. No matter how busy he is, he wouldn't make you wait a whole day. Something very important came up this morning."
Lu Shui didn't seem to care. The middle-aged man had assumed Lu Shui would ask what had happened, but the young master didn't show the slightest interest.
Then the middle-aged man continued, "This way, Young Master Lu. Please rest at the foot of the mountain. As soon as the clan leader and the others are finished, we'll come invite you.
"If you need anything in the meantime, just let us know. We would never dare neglect you, Young Master Lu."
Lu Shui merely nodded. A little time to wait was fine, really. It gave him a chance to read.
Otherwise, he wouldn't feel very secure.
Of course, he didn't think the Mu Family actually had something important to deal with. Only he, a junior, had come, which clearly meant the Lu Family looked down on the Mu Family. The Mu Family was just trying to save face.
Lu Shui didn't care about that. The one he'd come to trouble was Mu Xue, not the so-called Mu Family.
The two weren't on the same level.
He had no reason not to wait.
Mu Family Hall.
After hearing the report, Mu Yuan said with a self-mocking smile, "The Lu Family's young master is showing us old folks quite a bit of respect. He hasn't made a fuss at all."
They had indeed hoped Young Master Lu would kick up a fuss. Then they could make a show of intervening, bring up the purpose of his visit themselves, and, once he agreed, send Lu Shui and the others away.
That would settle the engagement break.
In the eyes of outsiders, at least, they would have driven Young Master Lu out.
The Lu Family wouldn't say anything.
Unfortunately, the other side had shown them so much respect.
"It seems that even though Young Master Lu is ignorant, he still wouldn't dare act on impulse in a matter this important. The Lu Family Couple must have specifically warned him too," Mu Jiang said after thinking it over.
Mu Ze spoke up.
"Should we keep dragging this out until the other side makes a scene?"
"There's no need," Mu Yuan said with a sigh. "Since they're willing to show us this much respect, there's no need for us to play the villain.
"We have to face it eventually."
"But what if Young Master Lu is only holding back for now, waiting to blow up this afternoon?" Mu Jiang said with some concern.
"Be prepared for it. If things come to it, we can give him a little warning. It's just a matter of losing a little more face or a little less." Mu Yuan's self-mocking smile held a hint of bitterness.
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