Chapter 13: Mu Lingyan’s Invitation

Chapter 13: Chapter 13: Mu Lingyan’s Invitation

"Haha... alright, stop fooling around, you two," Lin Siyao said, stopping the two guys. "Xiao Heng, Mother is looking for you at home. Hurry back."

"Mother is looking for me?" Lin Siheng paused for a moment before quickly turning around to head home.

"Brother Yuan, the Mu Family and our family have never been in touch before, and the relationship between Madam Mu and my mother is only average. So she is her, and I am me. We are not the same," Lin Siyao said to Lu Yuan carefully.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine. When I say I don’t care, I really don’t care." Lu Yuan grabbed Lin Siyao’s hands and gently rubbed them. "It’s just the Mu Family. Marquis Weiyuan might be formidable, but that doesn’t mean Mu Lingyan is. In three years at most, she will be looking up to me."

What kind of skill was it to rely on one’s family’s prestige? Real skill meant relying on oneself!

"Uh—" Lin Siyao was taken aback. She didn’t expect Lu Yuan to be so confident and possess such lofty ambitions.

"She’s at the Seventh Grade."

"So what if she’s Seventh Grade?" Lu Yuan looked at Lin Siyao. "Do you not have faith in me?"

"No, I do!" Lin Siyao replied firmly and with certainty.

"Mhm, that’s right. Go on home." Lu Yuan gently patted Lin Siyao’s head.

"I’m heading back." Lin Siyao nodded and returned home.

SWISH!

Lu Yuan quickly returned to his own home, closed the door, and began practicing his punches. As long as he reached the Sixth Grade, even the aristocratic families would have to take him seriously! He needed to break through to the Eighth Grade as soon as possible, join the Demon Suppression Bureau, and then break through to the Seventh Grade, Sixth Grade...

Use 2 points of Innate Aptitude!

CRACK!

His body underwent another subtle transformation as the very essence of his bones changed. It was only a slight change, but the long-term accumulated effects would be nothing to scoff at.

Lu Yuan hadn’t used that Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill. Now that he had the system, the minor changes from the pill probably wouldn’t even match up to a few points of Innate Aptitude. Using it felt like a bit of a waste. Now wasn’t the right time, either... It was better to save it for a rainy day. Living in poverty meant he had to budget carefully.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

The sound of knocking rang out again. Lu Yuan frowned slightly. He walked to the door and saw a letter wedged in the crack. Taking it down, he noticed the character for "Mu" on the envelope, glaringly conspicuous.

Opening it, there was only a single line of small text inside: "Come to Lingjiang Pavilion for a chat."

"Mu Lingyan is inviting me to Lingjiang Pavilion..." Lu Yuan thought, feeling somewhat surprised.

The young lady had only just left not long ago, and now this... He could essentially guarantee that this wasn’t a good thing. But whether it was good or bad, he had to go. The Mu Family was not an entity they could afford to offend.

Lu Yuan turned around, stuffed the letter back into the envelope, and tucked it into a crevice between the wall tiles. Then, he grabbed a saber and headed out.

Lingjiang Pavilion was located between the Third and Fourth Rings, not far from the slave market. Half of it was built over the water. It was a mid-to-high-end leisure clubhouse, offering food, drinks, and singing and dancing performances. Many martial artists and wealthy individuals loved going there to play. It was open to both men and women.

To think Mu Lingyan would choose such a place.

"Lu Yuan!"

A loud shout rang out across the street. A familiar voice, a familiar person...

Liuu Zhao was standing in front of Lingjiang Pavilion with his guards, followed by two tall young martial artists. Seeing Lu Yuan, Liuu Zhao instantly grew excited and walked over briskly.

"They say enemies are bound to meet! You and I clearly have clashing auras. We’re true adversaries to be bumping into each other even here."

"Who is your enemy?" Lu Yuan spat, almost feeling nauseous. Adversary? Do you even deserve the title? "I have business to attend to. Stay away from me, or don’t blame me if you get hurt."

"Hurt me? Just you?" Liuu Zhao gloated. "Do you see these two brothers beside me? They are the Eldest Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother of the Dongxuan Martial Arts Hall. Each of them is a Peak Ninth Grade Martial Artist. If you want to hit me, you’ll have to get past them first."

"Young Master Liuu, this is the person you wanted us to deal with? He’s too green. He doesn’t look like much, does he?" The more heroic-looking young man shot Lu Yuan a disdainful glance, his eyes filled with oppression and provocation. He looked like a minor; how formidable could he be?

"Senior Brother Chen, as long as you can beat him to the ground, I’ll treat you to a good time on the second floor of Lingjiang Pavilion!" Liuu Zhao immediately upped the stakes.

"Are you serious?" Chen Bin’s eyes instantly lit up.

The private rooms on the second floor meant they could hire beautiful women to accompany them. The beauties at Lingjiang Pavilion were incredibly gorgeous. Even if he could only hug their waists and hold their hands, it would be extremely thrilling and satisfying.

"Nonsense, would I lie to you?" Liuu Zhao affirmed.

"Alright!" Chen Bin readily agreed. He looked at Lu Yuan happily, only for his body to suddenly stiffen.

At some unknown point, a long saber had come to a halt right at his neck. A faint, almost imperceptible sharp edge enveloped him.

"Bro... brother, let’s spar bare-handed. It’s... not good to use a saber, right?"

"Do you think I’m playing house with you guys?" Lu Yuan asked indifferently.

"You dare to hurt me?" Chen Bin gathered his breath and gritted his teeth.

Hurting someone bare-handed versus using a weapon in broad daylight were entirely different matters. The former was merely a brawl, while the latter was a criminal offense. Patrolling guards and constables from the Government Office would immediately suppress it if they saw it.

SWISH!

The long saber in Lu Yuan’s hand moved, SMACKING flat against Chen Bin’s face. The strike instantly knocked him to the ground, sending two of his teeth flying out at the same time.

"You..." The other young man tried to step forward.

SHING!

Lu Yuan twirled the long saber in his hand, immediately locking onto him. "If you dare to make a move, I’ll chop off one of your hands!"

"You... I..." The young man didn’t dare to move anymore. He could sense the formidable power of Lu Yuan’s Saber Technique. With a long saber in hand, even if the two martial brothers teamed up, they probably wouldn’t be a match for him. If his hand got chopped off, he would essentially be crippled for life.

"Very good. Step aside."

Lu Yuan used the flat of his blade to swat him aside, then walked over to stand in front of Liuu Zhao...

SMACK!

A vicious slap landed heavily, sending Liuu Zhao stumbling.

"You... you..." Liuu Zhao covered his face in sheer disbelief.

"If you come looking for trouble with me again, I’ll cripple you, believe it or not?" Lu Yuan’s gaze was piercingly cold and icy as iron.

"Do... do you dare?" Liuu Zhao’s eyes darted away, not daring to meet Lu Yuan’s gaze as his voice trailed off. He felt that Lu Yuan might actually do it.

"You can try me. This is the last time. Remember, the last time." Lu Yuan delivered the indifferent warning, sheathed his saber, and walked toward Lingjiang Pavilion. He had spotted Mu Lingyan’s maidservant.

"He, he, he..." Liuu Zhao pointed a trembling finger at Lu Yuan, entirely incredulous. "He’s actually going to Lingjiang Pavilion? Where did he get the money? Oh, right, the one hundred taels he robbed from me yesterday..."

"Didn’t you say he had just reached the Ninth Grade? How is he so powerful? Is this what you call just reaching the Ninth Grade? Huh?!" Chen Bin walked over, grabbed Liuu Zhao by the collar, and questioned him with a low growl.

He had just lost a tremendous amount of face; he probably wouldn’t be able to hold his head high for a long time to come. To draw a saber so silently and effortlessly suppress both martial brothers—he had to have been in the Ninth Grade for at least two years, and a genius at that.

"He did just reach it! He wasn’t even ranked a few months ago," Liuu Zhao hurriedly explained.

"His Saber Technique is incredibly formidable!" Xiong Wu chimed in. His Cultivation might have just reached the Ninth Grade, but his Saber Technique was fierce. It might even be Superior Martial Arts.

"He..." Liuu Zhao wanted to explain, but he didn’t know how.

Luu Er hadn’t moved or said a word this whole time. His perception was much more intuitive. Having not seen him for just a single day, it felt as though Lu Yuan’s strength had suddenly skyrocketed several times over.

"You’re treating me to the second floor in a few days, and I want two girls!" Chen Bin spat through gritted teeth. He had lost his teeth, and his face was swollen; he needed to go back and recover.

"One is enough for me." Xiong Wu wasn’t greedy.

"Definitely, definitely!" Liuu Zhao nodded repeatedly.