Miao Yue's face flushed red and then pale. He had already made his threat in front of everyone, saying he would demand an explanation from Xue Mu. If he heard the surname Xue and tucked tail between his legs, how could he ever show his face in the jianghu again?
Seeing his face cycle through every color under the sun, Xue Mu suddenly smiled. "Xiao Chan, this Heart Intent Sect is rather interesting."
Yue Xiaochan didn't understand what he meant, but still played along. "How so?"
"They say they follow their heart, right?"
"That's right."
"And following your heart just means being a coward, doesn't it?"
"Pfft..." Yue Xiaochan doubled over laughing, and all the girls under the Star Moon Sect laughed without the slightest restraint.
Miao Yue pointed at him furiously. "You insolent brat!"
Xue Mu raised an eyebrow. What the hell did he have to be afraid of? They were on Star Moon Sect's turf. He'd like to see Miao Yue try anything. Even setting their personal ties aside, Xue Mu had just killed someone for Star Moon Sect. Star Moon Sect had its pride—would they really let him come here and throw his weight around?
Sure enough, a cool voice soon came from nowhere. "What a nuisance." It seemed to drift from some distant place in the sky, but when it reached people's ears, it carried a chill that seeped into their bones.
Miao Yue's expression changed in alarm.
As the words rang out, the sky suddenly lost all color. A streak of light shot across space like a meteor chasing the moon, arriving in the blink of an eye. Miao Yue poured all his power into a strike and met the streak head-on. An earth-shaking boom rang out, and Miao Yue was flung backward. He spat blood in midair before crashing heavily to the ground, where he clutched his chest and kept coughing up blood.
That righteous elder who'd looked so impressive had been casually taken out by Xue Qingqiu from an unknown distance away... Xue Mu couldn't help swallowing. Now he understood where her fearsome reputation came from.
After a long while, Miao Yue finally managed to choke out, "So... it was Sect Master Xue who was here all along... Cough, cough... we're leaving."
Someone came to help him up, and he slowly departed. As he passed through the gate, Miao Yue suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Xiahou Di. Xiahou Di's expression was blank. Miao Yue seemed to understand something, and his face twisted with resentment.
Xue Mu understood the silent exchange, too. Miao Yue hadn't known Xue Qingqiu was in the Capital City and had thought he could throw his weight around... Now he'd been beaten like a dog, and he was starting to resent Xiahou Di for not telling him.
Xue Mu shook his head. If he was going to blame anyone, shouldn't it be Xue Qingqiu for not sparing him any face? What did Xiahou Di have to do with it? Was this how the Righteous Path operated? Or was it only the Heart Intent Sect that followed its heart like this?
Whatever. At least they were safe now. He'd better swallow a pill first. Hadn't he noticed all the girls keeping well away from him? Being treated like a pariah felt awful... Xue Mu took a pill from his bottle and surveyed the scene.
The scene was rather interesting now. The righteous disciples who'd arrived in such a menacing crowd were retreating, battered and supporting one another. A few corpses lay on the ground, and several girls had been captured. They were clearly about to be stripped, and looked pitifully toward Xiahou Di, the only person there who might save them.
Xiahou Di hadn't come here to get involved in the conflict between the righteous and demonic paths. She could only turn her head away from the girls' pleading eyes and sigh. "Who came up with this nasty idea of wearing someone else's clothes? Was it Xiao Chan?"
Everyone from the Star Moon Sect, girls included, involuntarily looked at Xue Mu. Xiahou Di's gaze followed theirs, and the corner of her mouth twitched. She couldn't make sense of what kind of man he was, and had simply started treating him as Xue Qingqiu's brother. She said, "The Six Fan Gates has no interest in your feud between the righteous and demonic paths. Just have your girls change out of the Six Fan Gates uniforms and promise never to wear them again, and I'll leave at once."
Xue Mu spread his hands. As if he had any say in that.
Yue Xiaochan took up the conversation with a pitiful look. "Since Big Sister says so, we should obey. But our martial aunt is so miserable in prison. Could you please show her some kindness...?"
"Let your master discuss this with me," Xiahou Di said coolly. "You can't make that decision."
Xue Qingqiu's voice drifted over. "As long as Yin Ye remains in the Six Fan Gates, the girls of the Hundred Flowers Garden will let guests in the Capital City experience the charms of being a constable."
Xiahou Di was furious. "Xue Qingqiu, don't push it!"
Xue Qingqiu's voice turned cold. "We merely cost you a little face, while you've imprisoned a pillar of my sect. And Yin Ye clearly hasn't committed a crime. Which one of us is going too far?
"Does the Six Fan Gates really think my Star Moon Sect is so easy to bully?"
"I've already said it. Yin Ye's abilities are too terrifying. I've seen that her divine art is close to completion. I absolutely can't let her roam the jianghu, or the whole world will be thrown into chaos."
Xue Qingqiu sneered. "What a joke. I could just as well say that you, Xiahou Di, are the cause of chaos because you wear clothes. Why not strip and run around the Capital City? The world would surely be at peace."
Xue Mu's mind was filled with nothing but a string of 6666s...
Xiahou Di was livid. "You're the master of a great sect, yet you say such shameless things. Aren't you afraid of disgracing yourself?"
Xue Qingqiu couldn't be bothered to argue with her. "There's no point saying more. I really don't believe the Six Fan Gates is run by you, you madwoman. Xiao Chan, see her out!"
Xue Mu finally understood the crux of the matter. He also understood why Xue Qingqiu called Xiahou Di a madwoman. She'd arrested someone over something that hadn't happened yet. How was he supposed to put it...? He couldn't exactly say there was anything wrong with planning ahead. It just depended on whose side you were on.
"There's no need for the young sect master to leave just yet." Xiahou Di turned away in anger, about to go, but caught sight of the righteous girls being held captive. She felt that ignoring them completely would make her look truly awful, so she softened her tone. "Even though I won't interfere in your feud, I still advise you not to hurt innocent people. At least let those few go."
Yue Xiaochan smiled seductively. "That won't do. I still need to find two pretty ones to wait on our Lord Xue."
She'd only said it offhandedly to brush Xiahou Di off, but Xue Mu heard her and spoke up instead. "Actually, it would be better to let them go. Otherwise, the righteous crowd will keep coming to stir up trouble, and we won't have a moment's peace. You beat the young ones and the old ones show up—how are we supposed to do business? Letting them go at least gives us some room to maneuver. We can let them come discuss the clothes properly. It's not as if we can't negotiate." Then he lowered his voice. "We still have two or three more steps to take. The clothes are only a temporary measure."
Yue Xiaochan paused, then happily agreed. "I'll listen to you. Strip their clothes first, then let them go."
Xiahou Di had already reached the gate. Hearing those words, she turned and looked at Xue Mu with a thoughtful expression.
Xue Mu smiled back, then suddenly called out, "Chief Constable Xiahou..."
Xiahou Di raised an eyebrow. "Yes? What can I do for you, Young Master Xue?"
Xue Mu pointed at the street outside. "There are lots of people out there about to commit lewd acts. Is the Six Fan Gates going to do anything?"
Xiahou Di had never imagined Xue Mu would say something like that. She stared at him in astonishment. "Where did you get that idea?"
Xue Mu blinked. "They all have tools for lewd acts, don't they? We can't let them run rampant. We should arrest them all, just in case."
Xiahou Di finally understood what he was getting at. The comparison left her speechless for a moment, and she didn't know how to refute him. After a long pause, she could only say, "The situations are different. You can't compare them." Then she strode out.
Yue Xiaochan had let the captives go. She edged happily over to Xue Mu. "Well, our Lord Xue certainly has a way with words. You even left a madwoman like Xiahou Di speechless."
Xue Mu smiled. "We were in the right to begin with."
That made two times he'd said "we." Yue Xiaochan was even happier. She pointed at the tragic heroines filing out in their undergarments, looking utterly miserable, and laughed. "Aren't you sorry to let them go just like that? If you want a couple to play with, I really can make the decision for you."
Could this little girl stop bringing that sort of thing up all the time? Xue Mu was at a loss. He replied, "With all these dazzling pearls around me, those common flowers are like fireflies beside the bright moon—utterly dull."
The Star Moon Sect disciples all beamed at that, and Yue Xiaochan was smiling too, though there seemed to be a hint of jealousy in her smile. Perhaps it was because he'd said "all of you" instead of "Xiao Chan."
Just then, Xue Qingqiu's voice drifted over. "Chan'er, bring Xue Mu to see me. Fill him in on some things along the way."
Xue Mu let out a breath. He knew that, starting with killing those people today, he'd earned Xue Qingqiu's basic trust. And what he'd said to Xiahou Di just now had clearly struck a chord; at last, Xue Qingqiu had decided to consult with him.
Thanks to Imperial Uncle Liu, and thanks to Jian Yong... Though history from a different world couldn't be used directly here, history itself was a treasure trove, full of endless inspiration. A simple historical anecdote could come in handy just like that.
This was a far more important "interview" than the one in the carriage back then. It could already be considered a request for counsel. Whether he could enter the Star Moon Sect's inner circle from here on out would all come down to this.
Before you continue