Chapter Twenty-One: The Mu Family

Hearing the young man’s words, the other seven immediately surrounded Li Xingyu, who remained standing calmly as the young man leapt from his horse and approached him. Although Li Xingyu could not yet discern the cultivation levels of true cultivators, it was clear these men were merely martial artists, none of whom had reached the innate realm, nor were they even close. The one with the highest cultivation appeared to be the middle-aged man, who seemed to possess about thirty years of pure internal strength. Therefore, Li Xingyu did not panic but simply stood there with a calm demeanor.

The middle-aged man had not intended to act immediately. Upon hearing the young man’s words, he frowned slightly. Seeing his subordinates surround Li Xingyu, he thought for a moment but did not stop them. However, noticing Li Xingyu’s composed bearing and the way he regarded him, the middle-aged man realized this was no ordinary man. When he saw his son dismounting, about to approach, he raised his hand to stop them.

“Friend, we mean no harm,” the middle-aged man said, having regained his composure. “We are searching for someone, and that person was riding a horse identical to yours, bearing the direct bloodline mark of our family. Could you tell me how you came by this horse?”

Li Xingyu now suspected they were from the Mu family as well. He had intended to answer truthfully, but after the young man’s earlier words and now the middle-aged man’s questioning, he grew wary. Perhaps they were enemies of Mu Jial, whom he already considered a friend; telling the truth could bring Mu Jial danger. Thus, he replied with a question of his own, “Whom are you searching for? You must first tell me why you questioned me upon seeing this horse and explain the circumstances before I can answer you.”

At his reply, the middle-aged man’s expression darkened, and the young man’s face flushed with anger as he restrained himself from acting, seeing his father’s lack of reaction. After some consideration, the middle-aged man spoke succinctly, “We are looking for someone who stole an important item from our family and also took a horse bearing our family’s mark. Your horse bears that mark.”

Li Xingyu instinctively felt their target was not Mu Jial. To confirm, he asked, “When did this happen?”

“Just about an hour ago. That’s all I can tell you. Now, shouldn’t you answer me?” The middle-aged man’s words showed a certain wariness toward Li Xingyu, yet also revealed his aptitude for taking the initiative.

Li Xingyu weighed the truth of his words. Judging by their hurried pursuit and the urgency in their expressions and the middle-aged man’s tone, he concluded they spoke honestly and that this matter had little to do with Mu Jial. So, he briefly explained the origins of his horse.

“So, you say Mu Jial gave you this horse? Can you tell me why he gave it to you?” The middle-aged man did not know Mu Jial, but guessed he might be a member of a family branch.

“It’s because I helped him on the Divine Prairie and lived with him for a time,” Li Xingyu replied, without revealing the full story.

After a moment’s thought, the middle-aged man said, “This matter is of great importance to me. You must come with us. Once I’ve investigated thoroughly, you’ll be free to leave.” He was somewhat convinced, but caution was necessary given the circumstances.

Li Xingyu, of course, could not follow them without cause, for he knew nothing of their situation, and going with them would be dangerous and leave him passive. “Sorry, I have other matters and cannot go with you.”

At his refusal, the middle-aged man’s face clouded with anger—no one in this border city had ever dared refuse him so directly. The young man, already furious, could no longer restrain himself; he drew his sword and charged at Li Xingyu.

As the young man lunged forward, the others, seeing the middle-aged man offer no objection, closed the encirclement further, ready to assist in the attack. The middle-aged man, noting his son’s fighting spirit and concerned he might go too far, said only, “Tian’er, don’t injure him—capture him alive.” Whether the young man did not hear his father, was naturally aggressive, or simply disregarded the warning, he launched a fierce assault.

Due to his cultivation, Li Xingyu’s senses were now greatly enhanced. What seemed fast to others was merely average to him, allowing him to spot and exploit vulnerabilities that ordinary martial artists could not see or attack due to speed. He saw the young man’s sword technique was excellent, but not yet mastered, and his internal strength was insufficient.

Li Xingyu was also deeply versed in unarmed combat, having practiced the most effective, simplest attacks perfected by scientific calculation and computer simulation on Earth. These techniques maximized effect with minimal effort, and disregarding internal strength, Earth’s martial arts—both armed and unarmed—had reached a high level, thanks in part to their inclusion in the Olympics, which spurred global investment and scientific research into martial arts.

Confident, Li Xingyu remained unflustered and made no rash moves. He infused a thin layer of true essence into his palm and, as the young man’s sword neared, moved suddenly. He followed a precise trajectory, drawing close along his body. With a soft thud, just as the sword was about to reach him, he sidestepped and struck the young man’s shoulder from the side, sending him flying. As his palm made contact, Li Xingyu felt the young man’s internal energy gather defensively at the shoulder, but with a slight push of true essence, he dispersed it. Surprised at how easily he breached the defense, Li Xingyu quickly withdrew half his force, striking the young man without causing severe harm.

The young man flew aside, only to be caught mid-air by the middle-aged man, who had swiftly left his horse. The middle-aged man swayed slightly as he landed, and the young man spat blood. Even with only half his strength, Li Xingyu’s power was not something the young man or his father could easily withstand—such was the gap between ordinary martial artists and even the early-stage cultivators or innate martial artists.

The others, shocked for a moment after the young man was injured, quickly rallied and attacked together. Though stronger than the young man, they were still no match for Li Xingyu, who moved among them with ease, felling each with a single blow. This time, with experience, Li Xingyu controlled his true essence precisely, only incapacitating them temporarily without causing real harm, unlike the young man who had been injured.

The middle-aged man checked his son’s wounds and found them not serious—just some disruption of internal energy and slight damage to the meridians, a clear sign that Li Xingyu had shown restraint. When he looked up, the others were all on the ground, while Li Xingyu stood calmly as though none of this concerned him.

The middle-aged man knew he could defeat these men himself, but not as effortlessly and gently as Li Xingyu. Seeing none of his subordinates injured, he held Li Xingyu in higher regard, knowing that in martial arts, it was easy to incapacitate an opponent, but far harder to do so without injury, especially when facing first-rate experts.

Though he realized he might not be Li Xingyu’s match, they were in the street, watched from a distance by many. As the current head of the Mu family, he could not retreat without a fight, yet recognizing that Li Xingyu meant no harm, he decided to test the young man’s strength personally.

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