Just as the halberd was about to strike, the shadow hurriedly shouted, “Stop! It’s me!”
The mist dispersed, and moonlight poured down. A handsome face appeared, long hair loosely tied behind his head, giving him an air of effortless grace.
Seeing this, Mu Zian twisted his wrist midair, narrowly avoiding the man’s face, and smashed the Fangtian Halberd heavily into the ground. With a loud boom, the bluestone slab shattered into pieces, leaving a large crater.
Mu Zian retrieved his halberd, looking at the man before him with a playful expression. “Well, well, Li the Great Sword Immortal? What are you doing sneaking into my house in the middle of the night? Don’t you know that according to the laws of the Great Li Empire, those who trespass may be killed without consequence?”
The man before him was none other than Li Jiuxuan, known as the First Sword of the Great Li Empire and one of Mu Zian’s childhood friends.
Li Jiuxuan looked at Mu Zian as if he had seen a ghost. “When did you get so strong?!”
Mu Zian slung the Fangtian Halberd over his shoulder and laughed, “There are plenty of things you don’t know. Just get to the point. Why are you here?”
Li Jiuxuan plopped casually onto the stone chair in the courtyard and chuckled, “Why can’t an old friend drop by for a chat?”
As he spoke, Li Jiuxuan pulled out a jar of wine and placed it on the table. “Top-grade Peach Blossom Brew. You’re lucky tonight.”
Mu Zian casually thrust the Fangtian Halberd into the bluestone slab next to him, the heavy weapon sinking into the stone like it was made of foam. Li Jiuxuan stared in shock; such strength was beyond imagining. Had he really been hit earlier, he would have gone straight to the afterlife.
Mu Zian sat down opposite Li Jiuxuan, grabbed the Peach Blossom Brew, and took large gulps. “Catching up? I think you came to see me make a fool of myself.”
Li Jiuxuan wore a strange expression but quickly snatched the wine back and took a hearty swig. “Hmph! If you knew it would come to this, why bother in the first place? You were once a peerless martial prodigy. If not for her dragging you down, you’d have long made a name for yourself on the battlefield!”
Mu Zian laughed freely. “The past is past; why bring it up again? As the saying goes, ‘Drink and be merry today, worry about tomorrow when it comes.’”
Hearing this, Li Jiuxuan was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. “Everyone says you’re good-for-nothing, but now I see you were just hiding your talent! I was fooled so badly!”
Mu Zian smiled. “There are countless flowers in the world. Why cling to one weed? I used to be narrow-minded. With a whole garden before me, why waste time on a single wild grass?”
“Well said! Since you’ve made up your mind, I can rest easy. Now that you’ve severed ties with Lu Yunxue, I’ll also stop teaching Lu Ming swordsmanship.”
“Those Lu siblings—one arrogant, one heartless—are two of a kind. If it weren’t for your sake, I’d never have dirtied my swordsmanship teaching them.”
Lu Ming was Lu Yunxue’s elder brother, the sole son of the Lu family’s generation. Back then, to curry favor with Lu Yunxue, Mu Zian had begged Li Jiuxuan for three months, almost kneeling before he reluctantly agreed to teach.
Mu Zian took another gulp of wine and said indifferently, “Do as you see fit. From now on, I have nothing to do with the Lu family.”
Li Jiuxuan looked at Mu Zian with slight surprise. “The world said you were a man of deep affection, but now it seems you are refreshingly heartless.”
Mu Zian rolled his eyes at him.
The moonlight was like water, and the cold night cut like a blade. After a long silence, Mu Zian suddenly spoke, “The State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence has been dormant for too long. It’s time to bring it back to life.”
Li Jiuxuan, drinking, nearly choked on his wine. “You’re reopening the State-Stabilizing Duke’s residence?”
“That’s right.”
“What did the Emperor say?”
“The imperial decree will come in the next two days.”
Hearing this, Li Jiuxuan burst into laughter. “Good! Good! Looks like we brothers will have the chance to fight side by side again!”
“Refreshing! Truly refreshing!”
No one knew how long they drank. When Mu Zian woke up at dawn, Li Jiuxuan was already gone.
Before Mu Zian could shake off his hangover, a loud knocking sounded from the door.
“Open up! Open up!”
“Mu Zian, stop playing dead! I know you’re in there!”
“You have three breaths! If you don’t open the door, I’ll smash it down!”
“Three!”
“Two!”
The racket outside made Mu Zian frown. He knew the voice all too well—it was Lu Yunxue’s beloved elder brother, Lu Ming.
Just as he was about to open the door, it was kicked down with a loud crash.
The next moment, dozens of men stormed into the courtyard. The leader was a burly man with a thick neck and a big head, looking like a black gorilla. Yet he wore a scholar’s robe and held a folding fan, making him look absurd, like some kind of avant-garde performance artist.
Who else but Lu Yunxue’s dear brother Lu Ming?
Mu Zian couldn’t help but think, truly a family of oddballs.
Seeing Mu Zian, Lu Ming immediately pointed and cursed, “Mu Zian, you despicable, shameless scoundrel!”
“A wolf-hearted, dog-lunged bastard like you is unworthy to be my sister’s husband!”
“Bah! My sister must have been blind to fancy you!”
“Look at you—sneaky and rat-faced! What can you do besides playing dirty tricks?”
“If you don’t give me an explanation today, I’ll beat you so badly you won’t get out of bed for three months!”
Lu Ming’s arrogance was outrageous. Mu Zian’s gaze turned cold as he pointed at the fallen door. “Pick up the door, or I’ll break your leg.”
Lu Ming was momentarily stunned, then sneered, “Mu Zian, you hypocrite! You’ve disgraced the name of the State-Stabilizing Duke—”
Before he could finish, Mu Zian flashed forward and stomped down. It happened so fast that none of the dozens of thugs around had time to react.
With a cracking sound, Lu Ming’s leg bent at a ninety-degree angle, and a wail pierced the sky.
“Ahh! My leg! Mu Zian, how dare you hit me!”
Agony and rage twisted Lu Ming’s face. He thought Mu Zian would endure as before for Lu Yunxue’s sake. Unfortunately, that was the past. Now was a different story.
If you dared insult him, Mu Zian would teach you a lesson.
“Pick up the door.”
Lu Ming couldn’t hold it in anymore and roared at the thugs, “Are you all blind?! Can’t you see I’ve been beaten?! Get him! Break his legs—both of them! I’ll take responsibility! Whoever strikes first gets fifty taels!”
With this offer, the thugs were instantly riled up. Lu Ming glared venomously at Mu Zian. “You got me expelled by Master Li! I won’t let you have it easy!”
At his command, a dozen burly men charged at Mu Zian.
These were notorious thugs from the capital, all ruthless and experienced in violence.
“Sorry, Young Master, but we’re just doing a job. You heard Lu Ming—let us break your legs, and this will be over. If you resist, don’t blame us for what happens.”
Mu Zian’s lips curled into a cruel smile.
He remembered the last person who had said something similar—Shen Congwu, the Commander of the Imperial Guards.
Had Mu Zian not held back then, it would’ve been Shen Congwu’s funeral by now.