Chapter 13: Lewdness

Seeing Mu Deyu suddenly transform from his earlier timidity into a murderous rage, Tang Qiluo’s heart leaped into her throat.

Although Tang Qiluo was very surprised by her son’s sudden surge in strength and had confidence in him, she never dared to hope that her son could actually defeat Mu Deyu.

After all, Mu Deyu had reached the Great Perfection of the Condensed Essence Realm as early as ten years ago and was likely to advance to the True Essence Realm at any time. Moreover, his combat prowess in the Mu Family was only below that of Mu Yuanshan and Mu Guitu, placing him among the top three in the family.

“Grand Elder, Xian’er is just a child. Why must you be so harsh with him? What if I hand over the authority of the Family Head, and you let Xian’er go this time?” As Mu Deyu’s sword energy and shadows were about to strike Mu Xian, Tang Qiluo sighed softly and spoke in a gentle tone.

As she said this, Tang Qiluo tightly held Mu Xian while repeatedly signaling with her eyes for him not to act impulsively. At this moment, she was no longer the shrewd and strong matriarch of the Mu Family, but simply a mother.

Seeing Tang Qiluo suddenly compromise, Mu Deyu’s soaring aura faltered. Just as he was about to refuse her, his gaze inadvertently swept over Tang Qiluo’s face, catching the delicate, infinitely charming allure mixed with a trace of vulnerability. His eyes immediately began to roll and shift.

“Madam, you speak too gravely. After all, you are the matriarch of the family and have made great contributions to its development. How could we truly seek to harm you and your son? If you are willing, not only will your status in the Mu Family remain unchanged, but I will also find a way to preserve Mu Xian’s life…”

As Mu Deyu spoke, his eyes shamelessly roamed over Tang Qiluo’s body, glowing with a burning intensity.

Hearing the first part of Mu Deyu’s words, Tang Qiluo thought he was recalling the gratitude she and her husband had shown over the years and was taking pity on her and her son. Her heart swelled with joy. Gradually, however, she detected a hint of frivolity and lewdness in his tone, and her expression turned extremely unpleasant.

But Tang Qiluo’s Yuan Power was nearly exhausted, and she had a “helpless” Mu Xian by her side who needed her care. Even though she was furious, she dared not show it. She could only grit her teeth and let tears well up in her eyes.

Feeling Tang Qiluo’s body stiffen and tremble, Mu Xian, who had been nestled in her embrace, slowly straightened up. His eyes once again turned sharp.

“Old dog, if you don’t control your eyes, I’ll gouge them out and feed them to the dogs, believe me?” Just as Mu Deyu was relentlessly persuading Tang Qiluo and expressing his admiration for her, Mu Xian’s sharp voice suddenly rang out in the courtyard, cutting Mu Deyu off.

At the same time, Mu Xian’s thin figure stood tall before Tang Qiluo, completely blocking Mu Deyu’s view.

“You… you…” Mu Deyu had never paid any real attention to Mu Xian, nor had he ever thought to look at him. But now, with Mu Xian blocking his line of sight, he couldn’t ignore him even if he wanted to.

“How dare you! I am old enough to be your grandfather. You keep calling me ‘old dog.’ Do you have no respect for your elders? Is this how Yunyang Academy teaches you?” Having developed thoughts about Tang Qiluo, Mu Deyu stopped threatening violence. Instead, he adopted the manner of an elder and scolded sternly.

“The family provides you with cultivation resources and a stipend every year, yet you do nothing for the family—that is disloyalty. As an Elder of the family, during a crisis, you do not contribute but instead conspire to rebel—that is dishonor. What right does such a disloyal and dishonorable person have to earn anyone’s respect?” Mu Xian coldly glanced at Mu Deyu and retorted without hesitation.

Mu Deyu clearly hadn’t expected Mu Xian to dare fight back, nor had he anticipated the retort to be so swift and sharp. He was stunned for a long moment, falling into a daze.

Soon, Mu Deyu flew into a rage.

“Mu Xian, you’ve certainly cultivated some courage at Yunyang Academy, and learned a sharp tongue as well. But no matter how clever or smooth-talking you are, it doesn’t change the fact that you’re a good-for-nothing.”

“If not for you holding him back, your father’s cultivation would have long broken through to the Earth Emperor Realm, even the Celestial Position Realm. He could have stepped into the Divine Mystery Realm within his lifetime and attained the path of immortality.”

“If not for you holding her back, your mother would have joined the Hundred Herbs Sect long ago, becoming the beloved disciple of Fairy Furong. She would have ascended in a single step, understood the principles of yin and yang, and become a master of Spiritual Medicine.”

“If not for you holding them back, our Mu Family could have had at least ten more True Essence Realm experts. With that strength, our family would have left Shitang Town long ago, dominating Yunmen County, even Yangyue Prefecture.”

“But because of you, your father’s cultivation was crippled, with no hope of ever breaking through to the True Essence Realm. Your mother spends her days busy and scheming over trivial family matters. The family’s standing in Shitang Town is dangerously precarious. If you had even a shred of shame, you wouldn’t be standing here spouting nonsense. Instead, you’d quietly find a corner and end your own life…”

Mu Deyu stared darkly at Mu Xian, scolding him word by word.

As Mu Deyu berated him, waves of malevolent energy spewed from his mouth, enveloping Mu Xian.

Unbeknownst to others, while scolding Mu Xian, Mu Deyu had secretly activated an unorthodox technique, launching a Divine Soul attack on Mu Xian.

If this had been the old Mu Xian, under such a fierce Divine Soul assault, he would surely have been left with severe psychological scars, perhaps even driven to secretly end his life.

But now, Mu Xian was already a Nourishing Soul Realm Spiritual Master. If Mu Deyu had attacked him directly, Mu Xian might have had to exert some effort. However, Mu Deyu chose a Divine Soul attack, which meant his efforts were doomed to fail.

The requirements for a Spiritual Master’s Divine Soul were inherently stringent. Once one became a Spiritual Master, their Divine Soul was famously sturdy. Mu Deyu only had a superficial understanding of Divine Soul attacks. He thought he could eliminate Mu Xian unnoticed this way, unaware that his Divine Soul attack caused Mu Xian no harm whatsoever.

Even so, Mu Deyu’s words deeply moved Mu Xian, making him fully appreciate the actions of the couple, Mu Yuanshan and Tang Qiluo. As a result, he remained motionless for a long while, as if truly affected by Mu Deyu’s sinister technique.

“Mu Deyu, that’s enough. If you continue to bully the child, don’t blame me for being merciless.” Tang Qiluo had been immersed in shock at the dramatic change in her son. When she suddenly realized Mu Deyu was launching a Divine Soul attack against him, her expression turned cold, and she hastily interrupted Mu Deyu.

Hearing Tang Qiluo’s threat, Mu Deyu sneered, his face twisting into a grimace. “Tang Qiluo, don’t keep putting on airs as the matriarch with us. At this point, use whatever tricks you have left. Since we’ve torn off the pretenses, I might as well make things clear. You now have only two choices: either marry me, and I’ll ensure the safety of you and your son; or you and your useless son can die together, leaving us with no future worries.”

“Before you make your choice, let me tell you one more thing. Those Condensed Essence Realm mid-level guards by your side have all been captured by me. So, your plan to threaten us with our families is likely to fail. For that, we must thank your personal maid, Tao Hong. If not for her betrayal, today’s events might have fallen short. We could never have believed that someone as merciful as you could have such a vicious side.” Seeing Tang Qiluo hesitate to speak, Mu Deyu curled his lips into a mocking smile.

Mu Deyu’s words were the final straw that broke Tang Qiluo. She never imagined that her last resort for survival would fail. Stepping out into the courtyard, a look of panic appeared on her face for the first time.

“I must say, your understanding of human nature is too simplistic. Over the years, you’ve been charitable, treating almost every clan member like family, earning you good rapport within the clan. But you’ve forgotten human greed. When you failed to treat everyone equally, you doomed yourself to a tragic end.”

Seeing the despair on Tang Qiluo’s face, Mu Deyu wore a look of smug satisfaction. For the first time ever, he had gained the upper hand in a confrontation with Tang Qiluo, and this victory was decisive. “Tang Qiluo, I must say, you are only fit to be a mother, not a Family Head.”

Tang Qiluo no longer had any strength to counter Mu Deyu. She simply held Mu Xian tightly, her eyes filled with sorrow and despair, causing everyone in the courtyard to feel a pang of pity.

“Old dog, are you done blabbering?” Just as Mu Deyu thought the situation was settled, Mu Xian, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly asked softly.

Mu Xian’s words were like a large hand suddenly clutching Mu Deyu’s throat, cutting off his voice mid-sentence. Mu Deyu’s face turned red with stifled anger.

Seeing Mu Xian look at him with a sneer and without a trace of fear, Mu Deyu was taken aback. Could there be some flaw in his plan today?

“Boy, still talking tough when death is at your door? Have you turned into an idiot like that ugly freak beside you?” Another Elder beside Mu Deyu, uncomfortable with Mu Xian’s expression, grinned cruelly. “Since your mind isn’t clear, let me sober you up!”

The one who scolded Mu Xian was the Mu Family’s Fourth Elder, Mu Siping, at the high level of the Condensed Essence Realm. Mu Siping always followed Mu Deyu’s lead. Seeing Mu Xian repeatedly disrespect Mu Deyu, Mu Siping, who had been hidden in the shadows and silent, finally couldn’t hold back.

As soon as Mu Siping finished speaking, his body shot toward Mu Xian like lightning. At the same time, the sharp sword in his hand emitted clear, dragon-like whistles. Heavy sword shadows roared from the blade, eventually coalescing into a green dragon in mid-air. It tore through space and time, heading straight for Mu Xian’s head.