Chapter 11: Despair

The noise in the courtyard suddenly quieted down. Everyone’s gaze shot towards the direction of the North Courtyard gate. Their eyes held a trace of fear and a hint of feverish heat.

The speaker was none other than the mistress of the North Courtyard, Tang Qiluo, also the only wife of the current Mu Family Head, Mu Yuanshan.

Tang Qiluo appeared to be just over twenty, but her actual age was well past thirty. Her demeanor was cold, like frost under the moon, keeping others at a distance.

Yet, her tall and full figure, her captivating eyes like stars in the night sky, and her elegant face that no painter in the world could hope to replicate even a fraction of, gave her an irresistible charm.

Under Tang Qiluo’s gaze, Mu Deyu guiltily lowered his head. The others, after a single sweep of her eyes, all avoided her gaze, their faces filled with fear.

It was important to know that the Mu Family’s prosperity today was not only due to Mu Yuanshan’s formidable strength, but also inseparable from Tang Qiluo’s intelligence and capability.

Especially after Mu Xian’s birth. Mu Yuanshan had been almost constantly running around for Mu Xian’s health problems, and all the affairs of the Mu Family, big and small, fell into Tang Qiluo’s hands. Tang Qiluo did not disappoint Mu Yuanshan. Using the family’s limited resources, she managed the Mu Family in an orderly manner.

Over more than a decade, Tang Qiluo had already established absolute prestige within the family.

Seeing Tang Qiluo come out, the crowd behind Mu Deyu subconsciously started to bow in respect. It was only after Mu Deyu snorted coldly that these people awkwardly straightened up one by one, cold sweat beading on their faces.

“Madam, if I guess correctly, your Spiritual Power is not unsealed at this moment, right? I wonder what gives you the confidence to speak to me like this.” Mu Deyu’s expression turned grave as he glanced at Tang Qiluo. Discovering not the slightest fluctuation of Yuan Power on her, his heart finally settled, and he asked with a cold sneer.

“This is the Mu Family. I am the mistress of the household. Is that not enough?” Hearing this, Tang Qiluo’s beautiful face turned cold as she spoke sharply.

Seeing Tang Qiluo’s calm and composed appearance, Mu Deyu became suspicious again. He looked at the several guards beside Tang Qiluo, then weighed the strength on his own side. After confirming there would be no mishap, he straightened his posture once more.

“If the Family Head had not met with misfortune, with your status as the matriarch, you could naturally speak to us like this. But now, the Family Head is missing, and you have no cultivation whatsoever. If you want to keep putting on the airs of the matriarch in front of us, it would only invite ridicule.” Mu Deyu looked straight at Tang Qiluo, his face full of a cold, mocking sneer.

“Madam, don’t say we are kicking someone when they are down or being ungrateful. Ever since you and your husband poured all your attention onto that good-for-nothing Mu Xian, Mu Yuanshan was no longer fit to continue sitting in the position of Family Head. Yet, because you coveted the family’s cultivation resources and for your own selfish desires, you refused to give up the position. That is why we had no choice but to resort to this. Please understand.” After a pause, Mu Deyu, perhaps remembering the various kindnesses Tang Qiluo had shown him in the past and feeling his previous tone was too harsh, added.

Tang Qiluo originally wore a calm expression, but after hearing Mu Deyu’s words, her face lost its color, and her eyes grew dim.

Mu Yuanshan and Tang Qiluo were originally heaven’s favored ones, their personalities extremely proud. But after Mu Xian was born, this pair of heaven’s favored ones was cast down into the dust.

Mu Yuanshan rose to the True Essence Realm at a young age, was accepted as a disciple by the immortal sect, the Xuanmen Palace, becoming a legend of Shitang Town. In the end, to prolong Mu Xian’s life, he stole his sect’s treasure, the Dragon Whisker Icefire Fruit. Not only was his cultivation crippled, but he was also expelled from the sect.

Although Mu Yuanshan later cultivated back to the strength of the True Essence Realm, he was forbidden from using any martial skills or techniques related to Xuanmen Palace. His actual strength was not much different from an ordinary True Essence Realm expert.

Tang Qiluo similarly gave up the chance to join an immortal sect because of her son, missing the precious opportunity to become a Spiritual Master.

“Madam, I understand your feelings and sympathize with your situation. But I ask you to think of us, to think of the family. Because of your selfishness, all the family’s cultivation resources were tilted towards Mu Xian. The resources shared by the rest of the family were pitifully small, greatly affecting the family’s overall combat strength. This directly led to the Mu Family being suppressed by the Wang and Li families…”

Seeing the change in Tang Qiluo’s face, Mu Deyu seemed quite satisfied with his eloquence. He continued in an orderly manner, “Madam, if you are willing to hand over the power in your hands, I not only guarantee Mu Xian’s safety, but will also send experts to search the Poison Mist Swamp for the Family Head’s body. This is good for you, good for everyone. What do you think?”

Hearing Mu Deyu mention her husband and son, Tang Qiluo’s eyes finally regained their focus. She quietly stared at Mu Deyu for a moment, a sorrowful smile appearing on her face as she asked softly, “Does the Grand Elder speak truly?”

“Woman Tang, Mu Yuanshan is dead anyway, and Mu Xian is a useless piece of trash. You don’t need to remain a widow for Mu Yuanshan. How about considering my elder brother instead? My elder brother has been stuck at the Great Perfection stage of the Condensed Essence Realm for many years and will soon advance to the True Essence Realm. With my elder brother guarding the Mu Family, it will surely become the number one family in Shitang Town.” Seeing his brother signal him, Mu Deguang greedily glanced at Tang Qiluo’s ample chest and spoke with a frivolous smirk.

Hearing Mu Deguang’s shameless words, Tang Qiluo trembled with rage. She was about to shout a rebuke when Ling Zhan, standing beside her, acted first.

“How dare you! Insulting Aunt, you deserve to die!” Ling Zhan roared. His long halberd then transformed into a black torrent, heavily chopping towards Mu Deguang.

Poor Mu Deguang had all his attention focused on the breathtakingly beautiful Tang Qiluo standing opposite him. He was completely unprepared for someone to suddenly attack him, and especially someone like Ling Zhan, a Flesh Body Realm expert.

If it were any other Flesh Body Realm martial artist, Mu Deguang certainly wouldn’t have cared. But facing Ling Zhan, Mu Deguang was exceptionally wary.

The reason was simple. Although Ling Zhan was ugly, he was born with divine strength. The weight of the fine steel long halberd Ling Zhan was currently using had already reached ten tiger forces. One tiger force was about a hundred pounds. That meant Ling Zhan’s current physical strength exceeded a thousand pounds, a strength many early-stage Condensed Essence Realm martial artists could not possess.

Unfortunately, Mu Deguang happened to be an early-stage Condensed Essence Realm martial artist, and he had been beaten up by Ling Zhan once before.

Hearing Ling Zhan’s voice, his body shivered with a chill. When he turned and saw the black torrent rushing towards him, he was scared pale, completely forgetting to dodge.

“Ugly devil, you’re looking for death!” Just as the long halberd was about to land on Mu Deguang, Mu Deyu snorted coldly. Raising his sharp sword, he was about to slash at Ling Zhan’s head.

Ling Zhan acted as if he didn’t see Mu Deyu’s attack at all, his long halberd continuing to smash towards Mu Deguang.

Seeing this, a trace of mockery and pity flickered across Mu Deyu’s face. He was certain that if Ling Zhan ignored his attack, Ling Zhan’s head would be separated from his body before his attack even landed on Mu Deguang.

Seeing Ling Zhan in mortal danger, Ling Tian’s eyes nearly burst with fury. He let out a furious roar, wanting to use his own body to block Mu Deyu’s sword aimed at Ling Zhan.

But just as Ling Tian lifted his foot, the wounds on his body were pulled. He stumbled and fell to the ground unwillingly.

Tang Qiluo wanted to go help, but the two maids beside her held her body tightly. She could only watch with tear-filled eyes as Mu Deyu’s sword slashed towards Ling Zhan’s head, her face full of despair.

At the critical moment, the sharp sword in Mu Deyu’s hand suddenly changed direction, stabbing directly at Ling Tian’s neck. At the same time, he kicked out hard, landing a heavy blow on Mu Deguang’s backside, saving Mu Deguang from being smashed into pulp by Ling Zhan.

“Ling Tian, I already gave you a chance. You didn’t know how to cherish it yourself. Don’t blame me for being merciless on the road to the underworld.” Seeing his great enemy about to be killed, a cruel smile appeared on Mu Deyu’s face.

“No!” After Ling Zhan’s halberd strike hit empty air, he turned and saw the resolute look on his father’s face. He couldn’t help but let out a hysterical roar. Then his iron tower-like body merged with the long halberd in his hand, turning into a torrent of steel that heavily crashed into Mu Deyu’s back.

Hearing Ling Zhan’s desperate cry, a ferocious smile appeared on Mu Deyu’s face. With Ling Zhan’s speed, it was almost impossible for him to stop Mu Deyu from killing Ling Tian.

Just as Mu Deyu’s sword was about to pierce Ling Tian’s throat, an extremely sharp sound of something cutting through the air sounded without warning in the courtyard. At the same time, a blood-red figure descended from the sky like an arrow shot from a bow. Heavy sword shadows bloomed in the hands of the bloody figure, crashing down towards Mu Deyu’s sword-wielding arm.

Mu Deyu was already on guard against a trick from Ling Tian to lure him close, so his nerves were highly tense. Sensing a blurry shadow rushing towards him, his heart skipped a beat. He no longer cared about attacking Ling Tian and, without hesitation, swung his sword to block the blade attacking him.

Only the sound of clang, clang, a series of crisp clashes was heard as two sharp swords slammed together, sparking a string of fierce sparks.

From the violent impact, Mu Deyu’s body staggered back five or six steps, and even his right hand holding the sword shook slightly.

At the same time, the bloody figure in mid-air crashed heavily to the ground, countless cracks spreading out from under his feet.

The sudden change made people on both sides in the courtyard tremble. Had the Family Head returned?

But when the people in the courtyard clearly saw the face of the figure that fell from the sky, they were all stunned, their eyes wide and mouths agape, completely unable to believe what was happening before them.

“Old dog, did you think you could take my Uncle Ling’s life?” Mu Xian stuffed several Tiger Blood Pills into Ling Tian’s mouth before straightening up again, his voice cold as he questioned.