Chapter 53: An Old Acquaintance

Tiandu Kingdom was among the nations, though it was only a small country. Still, traveling across it on foot would take quite some time. The five of them did not ride any mounts, but on this day, they arrived at a place called Fenghua City!

Fenghua City was already a sizable city within Tiandu Kingdom, with a thriving economy, abundant goods, and a prosperous populace. Countless merchants came and went, and there were numerous shops everywhere. The group found an inn to stay in the city. Old Daoist Danhuo sent Hua Xin and Jin Yun out to see if there were any unusual items, while he himself secluded in his room at the inn to cultivate in peace.

Mu Yuan was also bored. Having arrived in such a bustling place, he naturally couldn’t sit still. He originally intended to call for Qi Wei, but unexpectedly, Qi Wei coldly said one word, “Cultivating,” and shut him out. Disheartened, he went out on his own.

The streets were crowded with people, and shops lined both sides, filled with noisy shouts and commotion. Mu Yuan watched everything with great interest. Though it was a bit chaotic, he found it comfortable and pleasant. Suddenly, he saw a crowd gathered ahead, and his curious nature stirred again. He quickly approached, only to find it was a medicine shop.

Mu Yuan stood on tiptoe at the edge of the crowd and saw a commotion in the center. It was Hua Xin and Jin Yun, surrounded by several young soldiers in armor. Mu Yuan tugged at an elderly man with white hair who was watching and asked, “Uncle, what’s going on inside?”

The old man sighed and said, “What else could it be? Those soldiers just took a liking to that young lady’s looks and started teasing her with words. Oh, how times have changed, how times have changed!”

Mu Yuan chuckled to himself and echoed a few words, criticizing the soldiers’ behavior. He thought to himself, no wonder—even among cultivators, Jin Yun stood out with her exceptional beauty. Moreover, her practice of cultivation added an ethereal, otherworldly aura to her. No wonder these soldiers stepped forward to harass her. But judging by Hua Xin’s temperament, these guys were surely going to get what they deserved!

Sure enough, the soldiers were not satisfied with just teasing. One of them, with his armor askew, stepped forward and tried to get handsy. Hua Xin’s face darkened. He flicked his sleeves, and a strong wind arose from the ground, enveloping the bold soldier. The wind swirled like a tornado, spinning the soldier round and round in place countless times. Hua Xin lightly flicked his fingers, and a series of sharp cracking sounds echoed. When the whirlwind dissipated, the soldier’s face was swollen like a pig’s, and he staggered around, disoriented and unable to tell east from west.

The surrounding soldiers cried out in shock, shouting, “Sorcery!” Hua Xin’s expression turned even colder. He firmly took a step forward, surrounded by countless tiny swirling winds. His clothes fluttered, and the dust and paper scraps on the ground danced and spun around him.

The soldiers scattered in a panicked rush. Hua Xin was about to capture and teach each one a lesson when Jin Yun tugged at his sleeve and shook her head. “Senior brother, forget it. They’re just a bunch of ignorant commoners. Why bother with them?”

Hua Xin said angrily, “These people are soldiers, yet they show no respect for the king’s laws or teachings. They all deserve to be executed and remade from scratch!”

Although the two spoke in low voices, Mu Yuan heard every word clearly. Upon hearing Hua Xin’s remark, he couldn’t help but let out a snort of laughter. He thought to himself, how typical—people always talk like their profession. If it were him, wouldn’t he say something like, “Take them all to be buried as fertilizer”?

Hua Xin and Jin Yun heard Mu Yuan’s laugh. Hua Xin looked up angrily, but when he saw it was Mu Yuan, his anger subsided slightly. He cupped his hands and said, “So it’s Daoist Mu. You’ve come out too.”

Mu Yuan smiled and said, “It was really stuffy and boring in the inn, so I came out for some fresh air. I never expected the soldiers of Tiandu Kingdom to be so rude.”

He looked up and saw that the two were standing in front of a medicine shop. He realized they were selecting herbs, so he started talking about medicinal plants. Fortunately, Longevity Palace had plenty of herbs, and Mu Yuan had grown up there, so he was very familiar with them. He chatted happily with the two disciples of Medicine God Valley and went into the shop with them to browse.

It had to be said, this medicine shop truly had many rare herbs, like Blue Spirit Grass, White Lotus Flower, and Drunk Ganoderma. Hua Xin and Jin Yun ended up with quite a haul. Mu Yuan knew well that spiritual treasures often hid their nature. Many precious spiritual essences grew in wild mountains and fields, not necessarily in places rich with spiritual energy. After all, the value of medicinal herbs depended on their inherent quality, not on spiritual energy.

After leaving the shop, the three were about to head off to find a tavern for a meal when they heard a commotion and saw dust rising in the distance. Looking over, they saw a troop of officers and soldiers, armed with spears and clad in armor, following a young man in dark brown iron armor, marching straight toward them in a grand procession!

With just one glance, Mu Yuan spotted the soldier whose face Hua Xin had swollen into a pig’s. He understood their purpose but remained calm. Then he looked at the officer and felt a surge of delight!

Jin Yun, however, acted as if she hadn’t noticed, her expression still calm. Hua Xin, on the other hand, was furious. He growled under his breath, “These fools who don’t know when to quit! Now they leave me no choice but to be ruthless! Watch me burn them to ashes with a single flame!”

The approaching group moved very quickly. The young man at the front rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and loudly shouted, “Who dared beat my comrade into this state? How dare you offend the might of our army? Come with me to the barracks to face punishment at once! Otherwise, don’t blame me for being merciless! If you dare resist, I won’t care about casualties!”

Hua Xin was truly enraged. An indescribable aura emanated from his entire body, and a faint, flickering halo of light shimmered around his fingertips, like a flame. Mu Yuan stepped forward to block his way, laughing as he scolded, “Young Master Chu, what impressive authority you wield!”

The fierce young officer turned out to be none other than Chu Fei, whom Mu Yuan had parted with back in Juyong City. And judging by his appearance, he had been doing quite well lately, already commanding his own squad of underlings.

Chu Fei marched over grandly, but when he saw it was Mu Yuan, he was overjoyed. “Xiao Mu, it’s you!”

Mu Yuan smiled and gave Chu Fei a warm hug, patting him on the back. “Not bad! You were just a lowly soldier back then, and now you’re already a decent officer!”

Chu Fei chuckled without pause. The soldier who had been beaten by Hua Xin stepped forward, pointing at Hua Xin and Jin Yun. “Squad Leader Chu, it’s these two! They attacked me.”

Chu Fei looked up, and when his eyes fell on Jin Yun, they couldn’t help but flicker with admiration. He said to Mu Yuan, “Xiao Mu, are they your friends?”

Mu Yuan nodded and explained what had happened. After hearing the story, Chu Fei was furious. He turned around and shouted, “How dare you! You knowingly break the law and then try to deceive your superiors, tarnishing our army’s reputation! Take these men back and give each of them forty heavy strikes with the rod!”

The pig-faced man looked miserable, and the others who had teased Jin Yun immediately began pleading for mercy. But Chu Fei’s expression remained stern and unyielding. The soldiers who had come with Chu Fei had not expected such a sudden turn of events, but they obeyed and escorted the five soldiers who had harassed Jin Yun away to receive their forty lashes.

“Come, come, come! Now that you’re here in Fenghua City, I can’t let you go unreceived. There’s something I need your help with, as it happens!”

Mu Yuan was very curious, but Chu Fei turned to Jin Yun and Hua Xin and said, “Please come with me to my residence as well. I’ll prepare a simple meal to apologize on behalf of my subordinates!”

Seeing that he was Mu Yuan’s friend, Jin Yun and Hua Xin did not refuse. They followed Chu Fei and Mu Yuan as they left together.