The Mu Family's Compensation, Return to the Lineage

The story split into two threads.

After the middle-aged man in yellow chose to pursue Zhou Chun, Mu Ziying's side was naturally able to escape safely.

She knew the situation was urgent. Though she worried about the safety of those Mu Family cultivators and Zhou Chun, she still spurred her horse into a mad gallop, racing straight for Biyun Mountain.

After changing horses and speeding onward for nearly two hours, she finally returned to the Mu Family.

Before the Mu Family cultivators guarding the mountain gate formation could even ask what had happened, she hurriedly told them about the Mu Family cultivators and Zhou Chun falling into danger.

Hearing that several Mu Family members were trapped in peril, and that Zhou Chun, the honored guest invited by the Lineage, was likewise in danger, the Mu Family cultivators guarding the mountain gate formation immediately realized the gravity of the situation. They hastily rang the alarm bell and awakened several Mu Family Foundation Establishment cultivators who were in the midst of cultivation.

"Quick! Ziying, come with me to save fellow Daoist Zhou. Grand Elder, go to Wild Wolf Ridge first and assess the situation. We'll decide what to do after I join you!"

On Biyun Mountain, after hearing the entire sequence of events from Mu Ziying, Mu Xuanfeng, Clan Leader of the Mu Family, changed color dramatically and immediately made the decision to rescue them.

Then he and Mu Jianghe, the Mu Family's Grand Elder, split into two groups and swiftly flew away from Biyun Mountain on their artifacts.

The speed of Foundation Establishment cultivators flying at full strength on artifacts was far beyond that of Qi Refinement cultivators. A distance of two or three hundred li took less than two hours.

Thus, guided by Mu Ziying and enjoying the advantage of looking down from above, Mu Xuanfeng quickly discovered the charred corpse of the Ink Scale Colt, as well as the bloodstains the middle-aged man in yellow had left behind.

"The blood hasn't dried yet, and there are no signs of a corpse being burned here. It seems fellow Daoist Zhou escaped."

Mu Xuanfeng looked at the bloodstains on the ground, then swept his gaze over the traces Zhou Chun had left when departing, swiftly reaching his conclusion.

He then raised a hand and sent out a stream of mana, drawing a pinch of bloodstained soil from the ground into his palm. Next, he formed hand seals and chanted an incantation, using the blood aura on the soil as a medium to perform a tracking secret art.

Secret arts of this kind, which tracked targets through residual auras left on things such as hair and clothing, were also one measure of whether a Cultivation Family or sect possessed deep foundations.

For Cultivation Families and sects that mastered such secret arts, if one of their members was harmed outside, so long as a foundation establishment cultivator reached the scene in time, they would most likely be able to locate a murderer who had not fled far by following the murderer's remaining aura at the scene.

Of course, that was on the premise that the murderer did not possess any corresponding countermeasures.

Once the secret art was cast, Mu Xuanfeng quickly sensed the direction in which the culprit had fled.

"He went that way!"

His gaze shifted toward the direction the culprit had taken, and he immediately pursued him with Mu Ziying.

After chasing for several dozen li, Mu Xuanfeng's eyes turned icy as he looked down at a certain mountain peak below.

"Hmph. You think hiding in these desolate mountains and wilderness means you can escape danger? How naive!"

With a cold snort, Mu Xuanfeng led Mu Ziying directly down outside a concealed cave on the mountain peak, then strode into the cave.

Not long afterward, Mu Xuanfeng emerged from the cave carrying the unconscious middle-aged man in yellow, whose robes were stained with blood.

After leaving the cave, Mu Xuanfeng turned his gaze toward Mu Ziying, who stood behind him. "Ziying, you heard it just now. Daoist Zhou should be unharmed at present. You'll have to trouble yourself next and search for him through the mountains by calling out to him. I'll go to Wild Wolf Ridge first and meet up with the Grand Elder."

"Yes, Ziying obeys."

Mu Ziying answered, watching as Mu Xuanfeng rose into the air with the middle-aged man in yellow in hand and swiftly flew beyond her line of sight.

After watching Mu Xuanfeng depart and recalling his instructions, she immediately began walking through the surrounding ridges, loudly calling Zhou Chun's name as she searched.

It turned out that, according to the middle-aged man in yellow's account, after bandaging his wounds and pursuing Zhou Chun for some time, he had lost his target in these mountain ridges.

Since he was injured and feared that he might encounter Mu Family cultivators coming to reinforce Wild Wolf Ridge if he returned there, he had hidden himself in these mountains.

What he had never expected was that the Mu Family would value Zhou Chun so highly that Mu Xuanfeng himself, their patriarch, would personally come to search for and rescue him.

As a result, hiding in that cave, he had become a turtle in a jar, with nowhere to run.

After learning this, Mu Xuanfeng judged that Zhou Chun must have used some method to conceal his aura and hidden somewhere in the nearby mountains.

That was why Mu Ziying was now calling for him all over the mountains and plains.

Though this method was somewhat clumsy and rather tiring, it was indeed very effective.

Beneath a pile of earth and rocks formed by a mountain collapse somewhere, Zhou Chun heard Mu Ziying's familiar voice. He quickly had the Rock Earth Turtle covering him above shift its body aside, then climbed out of the earthen pit.

He had originally hidden in this earthen pit, relying on the Rock Earth Turtle's innate aura-concealing ability to cover his own aura and evade the middle-aged man in yellow's search.

Qi Refinement cultivators had a limited range when extending their divine sense, and its effectiveness was greatly reduced when encountering obstacles such as earth and stone.

Once the Rock Earth Turtle entered its Tortoise Breath State, it became like a motionless mountain stone, completely losing all signs of life. Even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment stage might fail to detect it with divine sense if they were not paying attention.

Therefore, unless Qi Refinement cultivators saw it with their own eyes at close range, they would have no chance of recognizing a Rock Earth Turtle in its Tortoise Breath State.

But the place where Zhou Chun had hidden was beneath a cliff, with weeds and shrubs growing nearby.

Not to mention that the middle-aged man in yellow had injured legs, even if his legs had been perfectly sound, he would never have walked all the way to the end of the cliff just to inspect a pile of stones.

After emerging from his hiding place and listening carefully for a moment, Zhou Chun immediately called back loudly in response to Mu Ziying's cries.

Before long, he saw Mu Ziying, dressed in purple, appear atop the cliff.

"Daoist Zhou, it's wonderful that you're unharmed. The person who pursued and killed us has already been captured by the patriarch. The patriarch specifically instructed me to search these mountain ridges for you."

On the cliff, after Zhou Chun used the Wind Riding Technique to reach the top, Mu Ziying, glistening with fragrant sweat, immediately smiled at him and recounted what had happened.

After hearing her account, Zhou Chun also relaxed. He nodded lightly and said, "So that's what happened. I've troubled Fellow Daoist Mu."

"What hardship is this? If fellow Daoist Zhou hadn't drawn that man away, Ziying would likely have already turned to ash. Ziying should be the one thanking fellow Daoist Zhou."

As Mu Ziying spoke, she solemnly bowed to Zhou Chun to express her gratitude.

Seeing this, Zhou Chun had no choice but to accept her bow.

Then the two of them walked back to Biyun Mountain together.

When Zhou Chun and Mu Ziying returned to Biyun Mountain, they quickly sensed the change in atmosphere within the Mu Family.

Every Mu Family cultivator they encountered wore a heavy expression, as though something weighed upon them. Even the number of people greeting him had decreased considerably.

This immediately made him realize that what had happened at Wild Wolf Ridge was likely far more serious than he had imagined.

It was very possible that the Mu Family's strength was simply insufficient to resolve the matter.

Sure enough, upon learning that he and Mu Ziying had returned, Mu Xuanfeng, Clan Leader of the Mu Family, personally summoned him.

"This time, fellow Daoist Zhou was endangered outside because of the Mu Family's poor care. We failed to uphold the promise we made to Clan Leader Zhou. On behalf of the Mu Family, I offer fellow Daoist Zhou my apologies."

Inside the Mu Family Patriarch's office hall, when Mu Xuanfeng saw Zhou Chun arrive, he spoke of nothing else. He first rose to his feet and cupped his hands toward Zhou Chun in apology.

A cultivator in the mid Foundation Establishment stage was apologizing to him. Zhou Chun did not dare accept it as carelessly as he had accepted Mu Ziying's bow.

He immediately stepped aside and repeatedly waved his hands. "Senior Mu, you are far too courteous. How could this junior possibly be worthy of receiving a bow from you?"

Mu Xuanfeng did not press the matter. He merely nodded lightly. "The mistake has already been made. An apology truly serves little purpose now."

As he spoke, he looked at Zhou Chun with relief and sighed. "Fortunately, fellow Daoist Zhou is blessed with deep fortune and possesses exceptional methods. You did not let the Mu Family commit an irreparable mistake, allowing this old man and the Mu Family the chance to apologize and compensate you in person!"

Those words truly pleased Zhou Chun.

A verbal apology was nothing more than a sound to hear. How could it compare to real, tangible compensation?

Naturally, he could not reveal such thoughts on his face. Instead, he also showed lingering fear and said with relief, "This junior was indeed fortunate. If that man had not been careless and allowed this junior's Spirit Pet to injure his legs, this junior might not have lasted until Senior arrived."

At his words, a cold gleam flashed through Mu Xuanfeng's eyes. He said in a deep voice, "Daoist Zhou, rest assured. That scoundrel is now imprisoned in the Mu Family dungeon. If Daoist Zhou wishes it, the Mu Family can let you personally cut off his head and avenge yourself."

Then, with a wave of his hand, a Storage Bag flew from one of the storage shelves in the hall into his hand, and he held it out to Zhou Chun.

"Moreover, this Storage Bag contains all that scoundrel possessed, including his entire fortune. Consider it compensation from this old man and the Mu Family for the fright fellow Daoist Zhou suffered this time. Please do not refuse it."

Refusing was impossible.

After the previous battle, Zhou Chun had deeply felt the gap between his own strength and wealth and those late Qi Refining stage cultivators.

Moreover, the several magical artifacts of the middle-aged man in yellow had left a deep impression on him. They were undoubtedly rare and precious treasures.

Now that these things were all his, how could he refuse?

He did not even have time to be modest. He directly seized the Storage Bag and gave Mu Xuanfeng a deep bow. "Thank you for your generous favor, senior Mu. Then this junior will accept it with shame."

As for dealing with the middle-aged man in yellow, Zhou Chun naturally would not truly overstep his bounds and take someone else's place.

He believed that the Mu Family would certainly not let that scoundrel off easily.

"It is good that fellow Daoist Zhou accepts it."

Mu Xuanfeng waved his hand, then fixed his gaze on Zhou Chun and slowly said, "The Mu Family may encounter some matters soon. If fellow Daoist Zhou continues staying with the Mu Family, the Mu Family may be unable to care for you properly. Therefore, this old man would like to ask fellow Daoist Zhou to return to the Zhou Family first."

"As for teaching the Beast Taming Arts, the two families can discuss it again in the future."

Thank you to all readers for your rewards, votes, and continued reading support. During the new-book period, there will be two updates a day. This author is helpless too—I also want to post more, but if the word count exceeds two hundred thousand, the book can no longer be listed on the new-book rankings. Those rankings provide a major boost to a new book's exposure during that one month, so please bear with it for now. Once it goes premium, there will be ten thousand words a day for everyone to enjoy to their heart's content!