That Year, That Matter

Mu Hongli and Mu Zhiyun.

Somewhat unexpected.

When Xu Yuan saw the clan emblems embroidered on the chests of the two men, he didn't pay much attention to it at first.

The history of the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate spans hundreds of years, with countless collateral descendants. Each of these people could have a clan emblem embroidered on their body to signify their status, but no one expected to encounter the two direct descendants of the Mu Family here.

However, Xu Yuan had actually misjudged the situation.

Although the crests of the Aristocratic Clan families have a fixed design, the patterns carved on the robes of the Aristocratic Clan scions vary slightly depending on their lineage and seniority within the family.

Judging someone's identity by the subtle differences in their family crest is a required skill for scions of the Aristocratic Clan, but this ability is unnecessary for him; being able to recognize which family someone belongs to is enough.

He dared to point his finger at the prince and say he wanted to have sex with his mother, so naturally, he made no difference to the direct or collateral branches of other Aristocratic Clan families.

As their eyes met, a fierce and malevolent intent surged towards Xu Yuan.

Sensing the unfriendly gaze, Xu Yuan didn't take it to heart; instead, he found it amusing.

Well, after all these years, Mu Hongli still the same.

Like the Young Marquis Young Marquis grew up in the Beifeng Army before being sent to Di'an as a hostage. His military life made him unlike those young masters from the Aristocratic Clan; his eyes and brows revealed a fierce and decisive nature.

This look was not offensive at all; in fact, it was the opposite of offensive. It was a look that Mu Hongli would unconsciously reveal when she was serious.

Unfortunately, who would know about this habit upon first meeting him? Most people would simply assume it's a provocation.

His gaze shifted slightly to the side, looking at Mu Zhiyun.

The girl's appearance and demeanor were completely opposite to her brother's fierce and tough image.

Mu Zhiyun is a very gentle woman, but not the kind of gentle that is intellectual and poised. She is timid in her demeanor and can blush and lower her head when she makes eye contact with a stranger.

It's hard to imagine that two people with such contrasting personalities are siblings.

Oh no, I should say they are half-siblings.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan couldn't help but feel a little amused.

Although outsiders say that Mu Zhiyun is the legitimate daughter of Marquis of Martial Achievement who was lost and living away, in fact Mu Zhiyun is only Marquis of Martial Achievement's illegitimate daughter.

Because he had been misled into forcing himself on Mu Zhiyun several years ago, the Black Scale Guard conducted a thorough investigation into this illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate's family, essentially digging up her entire background.

Therefore, Xu Yuan had a fairly thorough understanding of the romantic and gossipy affairs of the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate.

The fact that the Marquis of Wucheng concealed Mu Zhiyun's background was actually a form of compensation from the Marquis of Wucheng to Mu Zhiyun.

Everyone knows that Marquis of Martial Achievement held a powerful army throughout his life, yet he remained loyal and devoted, loving only his first wife, the Lady of the State.

This is a fact, and yet it isn't a fact.

That Marquis of Martial Achievement of the Great Yan Dynasty, indeed never took a concubine in his entire life, and doted on only the Lady of the State.

Talented men are often womanizers.

After being injured and left to wander, she was cared for meticulously for months. Overwhelmed with emotion, she was overcome with unspoken feelings.

Given Marquis of Martial Achievement's personality, it's impossible for him to shirk responsibility. However, the problem is that the Lady of the State is an absolute jealous woman who cannot tolerate her husband having other women.

Although Marquis of Martial Achievement loved his wife, he was not afraid of her.

Expecting a killing machine to be afraid of his wife is somewhat disrespectful to him.

Marquis of Martial Achievement forcefully brought Mu Zhiyun's mother back to the Marquis's residence, where she gave birth to Mu Zhiyun.

The Lady of the State was no pushover either. Taking advantage of the Marquis of Martial Achievement's absence on a campaign, she directly kicked out the infant Mu Zhiyun and her mother.

When Marquis of Martial Achievement quelled the war and returned to the capital by imperial decree, he learned of this matter. The Lady of the State directly gave him a choice between the two.

Either divorce her, or get that mother and daughter out of here!

Marquis of Martial Achievement was furious, but ultimately chose to compromise.

When Xu Yuan first read the case file and got to this point, his blood pressure spiked. But after reading the annotations and analysis below, he felt relieved.

There were many reasons why Marquis of Martial Achievement compromised; once he reached his position, he could no longer act based on momentary impulses.

Because of his only legitimate son, because of the power behind the Lady of the State, because of the Lady of the State's abilities, and also because he truly loved his first wife.

Aside from being jealous, Lady Fuguo was an absolutely virtuous and capable wife. She managed the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate's estate and the logistics of the 300,000 Beifeng Army in an orderly manner.

Of course, in addition to this, it was also because the lady who was in charge of the state left a way out.

Unlike those within the imperial palace, she didn't simply make Mu Zhiyun and her daughter disappear without a trace.

However, Mu Zhiyun's current timid personality owes some credit to the Lady of the State.

Perhaps because of this incident, Mu Hongli was extremely protective of his half-sister.

When Mu Zhiyun first arrived in the capital, Xu Yuan abducted her to a guesthouse next to the Prime Minister's Estate. Upon Mu Hongli went berserk and, instead of using a carriage, used his physical body to speed through the air to the scene of the incident.

If it weren't for the two Grandmaster experts who risked their lives to protect him, and because Mu Hongli was mindful that Mu Zhiyun was also a mortal and dared not use his full strength to kill him with the aftershocks, he might have died directly from Mu Hongli's rage.

Of course, these are secondary reasons; the main reason is that Xu Changge intervened in time.

At the time, the elder brother was handling official business in his study in the inner courtyard when he received a telepathic message from the Grandmaster Guard and immediately rushed to the scene.

Even though it arrived so quickly, Xu Yuan was still nearly killed by Mu Hongli's exquisite energy. In fact, if one of the energies that was aimed straight at his thigh hadn't been blocked by Xu Changge, he would have been able to enter the palace as a eunuch.

Vague memories flashed through my mind; now that I think about it, those two siblings were actually quite pitiful.

Because Xu Changge seemed to be angry at that time as well.

Xu Yuan narrowed his eyes, a hint of reminiscence in his pupils.

The two Grandmaster guards who were sent flying backwards crashed through several city blocks, eventually raising a cloud of dust in a tavern, while the other crashed directly into the protective array of the Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion, creating ripples.

The ruins of the old residential building were filled with sawdust and smoke.

The sudden collapse of the guest building in the Prime Minister's Estate turned the once bustling but orderly street into chaos, with the roars of Demon Beast and the screams of terrified people mixed together.

Some fled, while others watched out of curiosity.

Amidst a cacophony of noise, Xu Yuan, half-naked, struggled to stand up.

He didn't know what was happening; the noisy crowd made his already dazed mind even more confused.

Everything around me seemed to be shaking, but the pain from my internal organs shifting was unbearable.

"Wow"

He finally managed to sit up, and a mouthful of blood gushed out onto the wrecked ground.

Looking at the sticky, bright red liquid beneath him, Xu Yuan's body began to tremble uncontrollably, and fear crept into his heart little by little.

die.

Am I going to die?

His lips trembled, and his eyes darted around in a panic, but all he could see was smoke and dust.

But the next moment, he saw a figure in the rising dust.

run.

He wanted to run.

The sharp tinnitus continued to linger, and his confused mind was almost at a standstill, but Xu Yuan still managed to suppress this thought that came from the depths of his heart.

Although I've never seen a high-level cultivator make a move, this person is clearly not a low-level cultivator. If someone wants to kill him, he can't resist at all.

So, he spoke up instinctively.

They found the best option for survival.

talk.

His weak body made his voice sound feeble.

"If you dare to kill me, my father will not..."

"You beast, shut up!"

A voice filled with murderous intent came from the dark figure. His steps were steady, each one seemingly treading on Xu Yuan's heartbeat.

"I've long heard the rumors of your exploitation of the people and your abduction of women, but you dare to even covet my Mu Hongli sister?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Yuan opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment a powerful force from the opposite side arrived instantly.

Xu Yuan collapsed to the ground like a kite with a broken string. His half-naked, slender upper body bones collapsed one by one. The excruciating pain made him want to scream, but he couldn't make a sound under the immense pressure.

Upon seeing Xu Yuan's pained expression, the dark figure in the dust seemed to chuckle softly, its tone filled with cold anger:

"Since you have such a fondness for women, then I'll let you enjoy them properly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a burst of energy shot straight towards his groin with lightning speed!

Xu Yuan couldn't sense this force; shattered bones would be fatal for a mortal like him.

I felt nothing else either.

It felt like a fleeting moment, yet also like eternity.

"Buzz--"

A burst of energy erupted in front of Xu Yuan without any warning, and the shockwave it generated cleared away all dust within a hundred feet.

Then,

A familiar figure in green robes slowly appeared in Xu Yuan's gradually blurring vision.

After staring at his younger brother's collapsed body on the ground for several breaths, Xu Changge's thin lips twitched slightly, but he held back.

Calmly shifting his gaze to the burly young man in a purple-black outfit standing three zhang away.

Looking at the Young Marquis of the Marquis of Martial Achievement Estate's mansion, Xu Changge spoke softly, his question brief, containing only three words:

"You did this?"

"."

Mu Hongli forcibly suppressed his anger, looked at the calm-looking Xu Family son of the Xu family, and retorted with a sneer:

"You kidnapped the eldest daughter of the Mu Family. She has no manners, so I'll discipline her for you. Is there a problem?"

As he spoke,

Mu Hongli glanced at the guest retainers of the Prime Minister's Prime Minister's Mansion who were already hiding around, knowing that it was inconvenient to continue to take action, and gave a light snort:

"You've gotten off easy, Zhi Yun. Come back to the manor with me."

Having said this, Mu Hongli off his outer robe, turned his back to Mu Zhiyun and walked towards her, while coldly saying to Xu Changge:

"Also, Xu Changge, take Xu Yuan back and teach him a lesson in manners and morality. I don't want me, Mu Hongli to discipline your family members again."

"I don't think I asked you those questions, nor do I think I asked you to leave."

Staring at Mu Hongli, Xu Changge's narrow phoenix eyes remained devoid of emotion, her voice maintaining an extreme calm:

"As long as you admit it's you, that's enough."

"."

Upon hearing this, Mu Hongli paused for a moment, then turned his gaze back with slight surprise.

Because after he finished speaking, he felt his Qi lock onto him.

How dare Xu Changge, a Grandmaster, use Qi to lock him at the Origin Beginning?

Somewhat amused, Mu Hongli let out a soft breath, a smile spreading across his rugged face as he grinned:

"It seems your Xu Family truly lacks any manners. Even you, a Grandmaster, want to be disciplined by me, Eldest Young Master?"

Maybe.

As soon as he finished speaking, the ground sank, Xu Changge's figure suddenly disappeared from the spot. When he reappeared, he was already in front of Mu Hongli, and he chopped at Mu Hongli's left shoulder with a hand chop.

In a flash, a hint of amusement appeared in Mu Hongli's eyes. He took a slight step to the side and dodged to the left, while simultaneously circulating his Cultivation Method to gather power in his left arm.

The Grandmaster said that one full-force punch should be enough.

"Bang!"

The shockwave was visible to the naked eye as it spread out from the collapsed residential building, crushing the surrounding ruins once again.

The commotion came quickly and went quickly.

Strands of blood gushed, splashed, and fell to the ground under the dazzling, waterfall-like sunlight.

Kneeling in the sunken pit, Mu Hongli frowned as he looked at the knife embedded in his left shoulder, a look of confusion in his eyes.

He clearly dodged that chop to the neck.

Why is this?

Just then, the calm voice of the Xu Family son came through again.

He calmly withdrew his palm strike, casually flicking away the blood seeping from his fist. Xu Changge's narrow eyes looked down at him, and he spoke slowly and deliberately:

Mu Hongli,

"In the end, Changtian was at fault first, so if you don't escape, I won't draw my sword."

Day 1 of update...