On the rugged and muddy road, a spirit beast, resembling a bull yet more ferocious with dense fur, was grunting as it pulled the cart.

On the cart, five people were sitting.

One of them, a man, was sitting at the front driving the spirit beast.

The other four were sitting inside the carriage.

These four were Mu Qingge and Xie Ya, and the other two were Jing Hai and his playmate from the same village, who had excitedly told him yesterday that the Dou Family in Haiyu City was recruiting house servants.

The driver was the uncle of the other young man, who happened to be going to Haiyu City for business and had conveniently brought them along.

The two youths were chattering non-stop as they sat together.

Both were wildly imagining entering the Dou Mansion as house servants, catching the attention of the master with their intelligence, learning the Dou Family’s combat skills, and thus embarking on a path of cultivation to become strong.

The dreams of youths are always beautiful, and when Mu Qingge and Xie Ya heard their conversation, they didn’t mock their naivety.

Mu Qingge and Xie Ya were sitting side by side at the back of the carriage, the former with her eyes closed resting, and the latter occasionally glancing out the window as if appreciating the scenery outside.

However, this area was remote, the land barren and desolate, with no beautiful scenery whatsoever.

After a while, Xie Ya also found it boring and focused her attention on the conversation between the two youths.

"Little Hai, what if they don’t want me?" the other youth, called Shi Bo by Jing Hai, suddenly voiced his concern.

It seemed he also understood that dreams remain dreams, and reality wouldn’t proceed as they imagined.

"Shi Bo, it’s alright, let’s give it a try. At least there’s a chance of success. If it doesn’t work out, we can always return to the village and try again when there’s another opportunity," Jing Hai reassured Shi Bo, patting him on the shoulder.

His mindset was much calmer.

But Shi Bo remained worried, "But if we delay a few more years, we’ll miss the best time for cultivation. By then, even if we get into a prominent family, we’d achieve very little."

This statement seemed to hit Jing Hai’s sore spot. His smile slowly faded, and his tightly pressed lips showed a hint of determination and stubbornness. "I have to become strong!"

This statement caught Xie Ya’s attention. Even Mu Qingge, who had been resting, slightly opened her eyes, casting a clear glance at Jing Hai.

Shi Bo seemed to have heard these words from Jing Hai before.

He sighed, patting Jing Hai’s shoulder, "Ah, Little Hai, I know what you’re thinking. But I feel the hope is so slim!"

"Even if it’s slim, I must try!" Jing Hai declared firmly, unconsciously clenching his hands on his lap.

Perhaps it was the conversation inside the cart that alerted the man driving it. He waved his whip and turned his head to the two youths, "Stop overthinking it, and just treat it as a trip to the city. This time the Dou Family is said to have no threshold for recruiting house servants, so maybe you could get in. But, if not, it doesn’t matter. Being a servant is just serving others; what’s so good about that?"

"Uncle, you don’t understand! We don’t want to be house servants for life; we want to enter the family to cultivate!" Shi Bo retorted loudly.

Hearing this, the man chuckled, "Cultivation? With your wooden head? I think Little Hai might make it, but you better prepare to come back with me to the village."

Shi Bo responded in shame and anger, "Uncle, you can’t just put people down like that!"

"Shi Bo, Uncle Shi is just teasing you," seeing his friend angry, Jing Hai quickly held him back to convince.

The uncle smiled sheepishly when his nephew got angry and didn’t continue. He just swung the whip and gave the spirit beast’s back a hard strike to make it speed up.

Xie Ya quietly watched this, shifting her gaze to Mu Qingge and transmitted, "Why don’t I let Xiao Qing out?" This cart drawn by the spirit beast was too slow, unlike Xiao Qing who was fast.

Mu Qingge didn’t respond, only transmitted back, "It’s alright."

Seeing her response, Xie Ya said no more.

The carriage quieted down, and Mu Qingge’s spiritual sense entered the space, using this time to observe the expanded space after her advancement.

"Master Silver, look at those palaces over there, they can be used as guest rooms," Mengmeng said, hopping around in front, acting as a guide for Mu Qingge.

With the space unsealed again, Mengmeng, as the artifact spirit, was no longer the small girl unable to grow up. Now, she looked like a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl, slender and tall, full of spiritual energy and vitality.

When Mengmeng appeared before Mu Qingge and the others in this form, it came as a surprise, as they were not accustomed to it.

Especially Yuanyuan, who, while bickering with Mengmeng, would always call her ’Shorty’. But now that Mengmeng had grown taller, he still had the appearance of a three or four-year-old child.

This made Yuanyuan exasperated for a long time!

After accepting Mengmeng’s new form, Bai Xi, Yin Chen, and Yuanyuan also curiously followed Mu Qingge, getting familiar with this space that belonged to them.

"Wait." Mu Qingge suddenly stopped.

Mengmeng turned to look at her, her big eyes blinking as if asking ’Why did we stop suddenly?’

Mu Qingge looked at her and tentatively asked, "You mean the guest rooms? Can we now freely bring people in and out?" If so, that would be great; any issues could be solved by putting them inside, and no one would find them.

However, Mengmeng shook her head in answer to her expectant gaze, "Not yet. We have to wait until Master Silver breaks through the Golden Realm and reaches a higher level."

This statement struck Mu Qingge quite hard.

Mengmeng continued, "With this unsealing, most of what appeared were palaces. The only valuable thing is the cultivation tower over there." Mengmeng pointed with her slender finger to a seven-layered tower shrouded in mist.

Mu Qingge looked up at it.

Mengmeng explained, "That cultivation tower contains very pure spiritual power, and the time inside can be adjusted. Each layer has different spiritual power, and cultivating inside for a day in the outside world equals a month in there. If one can reach the highest layer, a day outside would mean a year inside!"

Mu Qingge gasped sharply.

A day and a year, what a difference!

This tower was practically a cultivation cheat!

Digesting this news slowly, Mu Qingge nodded, feigning calm, "It’s truly a treasure!"

"Master Silver, I must tell you something," Mengmeng suddenly became serious.

Mu Qingge turned her gaze towards her.

Mengmeng’s petite and exquisite face was filled with seriousness as she said, "The next unsealing will occur when you reach the Golden Realm. Next time, divine artifacts or even holy artifacts might appear, so Master Silver, you must strive!"

Divine artifacts! Holy artifacts!

Mu Qingge’s eyes narrowed slightly, deep in her eyes burned a flame!

She equally seriously and solemnly told Mengmeng, "Yes, I understand! I will seize the time to cultivate!"

Saying that, she headed towards the cultivation tower.

Since she knew there was such a treasure, she had to try it!

Watching Mu Qingge leave, Mengmeng sighed, "Indeed one needs temptation to have motivation! Go for it, Master Silver!"

...

On the muddy mountain path, the spirit beast was still struggling to pull the cart.

Haiyu City, not yet in sight.

Shi Bo lightly nudged Jing Hai, speaking in a volume he thought others couldn’t hear, "Little Hai, who are they really? They look so well-dressed and handsome, maybe they’re from a big family."

Jing Hai shrugged, "I truly don’t know. They were just passing by our village, and it so happened they also wanted to go to Haiyu City."

Shi Bo gave Jing Hai a ’can’t you be smarter’ look, gritting his teeth, "How can you be so dumb? They seem important, and you’ve helped them. If you asked them to take you with them, maybe they’d agree. Who knows, maybe their family is even stronger than the Dou family!"

Jing Hai shook his head repeatedly, "No way! I can’t do that! Don’t say that anymore!"

Shi Bo, however, dismissed it, "Why not? Getting a little house servant position with such big families is not a big deal. Who knows, they might be more prominent than the Dou family!"

This caused an unpleasant silence between the two youths, who seemed to be at odds, both growing quiet.

They had no idea that Xie Ya heard their conversation clearly. Unconsciously, she gave Jing Hai a few more glances.

Haiyu City was several hundred miles away from the small fishing village, and even with the spirit beast pulling the cart, it took half a day to reach the outskirts of Haiyu City.

"Sister, look, that’s Haiyu City over there." Jing Hai introduced, pointing to the silhouette of the city ahead for Xie Ya.

Xie Ya looked out the carriage window and indeed saw a very large city.

"In Haiyu City, the largest family is the Dou Family, who are also responsible for guarding the city gates. There are two other families, one is the Bai Family and the other is the Li Family." Jing Hai introduced to Xie Ya.

Xie Ya nodded slightly, turned her eyes to Mu Qingge, and softly called, "Hus...husband, we have arrived." Earlier, Jing Hai had misunderstood her relationship with Mu Qingge, and the latter didn’t correct the misunderstanding, forcing her to maintain the pretense in front of Jing Hai.

Just as she finished speaking, Mu Qingge slowly opened his eyes.

For some reason, Xie Ya felt that in just this short journey, Mu Qingge’s aura seemed to have strengthened a bit.

Mu Qingge looked at the distant city, which didn’t appear much different from the city of Linchuan. If there were differences, it was that these cities seemed grander, and on the city walls and gates were engravings of patterns similar to family totems.

"Let’s get off here." As they were about to reach the city gate, Mu Qingge suddenly said.

Jing Hai was stunned, surprised he asked, "Brother Mu, we haven’t arrived yet. Why not get off after entering the city?"

Mu Qingge slowly shook his head, smiled at him, and said, "No need, we’ll alight here." Then she said to Jing Hai, "Xiao Hai, thank you for your hospitality. Hope to meet again."

After speaking, she got off the cart with Xie Ya, thanked Uncle Shi of the Jia Family for driving the cart, and then gracefully left.

Jing Hai watched the two leave with a sense of reluctance, while Shi Bo next to him couldn’t help but urge, "Stop looking, they’re gone. Let’s head to the Dou Mansion quickly."

After saying that, he muttered softly, "So stingy, not even giving a little something before leaving."

Jing Hai heard this and turned seriously to him, "Even if they gave something, I wouldn’t want it. Besides, help between friends doesn’t require repayment!"

Shi Bo rolled his eyes, speechless, "I’m impressed with you, Jing Fool."

The cart of Jia Family’s uncle slowly moved towards Haiyu City.

Meanwhile, Mu Qingge and Xie Ya didn’t rush to enter the city but waited outside for a bit.

Xie Ya, not understanding why, saw that Mu Qingge was paying close attention to the city gate. After a while, she heard him say, "Let’s go."

Xie Ya was somewhat surprised, but after thinking carefully, she understood.

They were not from the Middle Ancient Realm, so entering the city rashly might bring trouble. That’s why Mu Qingge specifically observed for a while, watching how the gatekeepers managed those entering and exiting before they went in.

Fortunately, the entry and exit management of Haiyu City didn’t appear too strict.

No family proofs were required, nor were they questioned.

Mu Qingge, with Xie Ya, boldly walked towards the city gate. As they passed the guards, the latter gave them a few scrutinizing glances. Perhaps because their faces were unfamiliar, the guards wanted to approach and inquire but were suddenly pulled back by a companion who shook their head secretly.

Afterwards, the guard subtly reminded Mu Qingge and Xie Ya about their attire.

Luxurious clothing and beautiful apparel weren’t something an ordinary family could afford.

Moreover, they were both outstanding in appearance, with an exceptional aura, and young. Naturally, they were easily mistaken as young members from a big family out for training, possibly protected by experts in secret.

In such cases, guards generally wouldn’t seek trouble.

Under their companion’s discreet reminder, the guard who wanted to stop Mu Qingge and Xie Ya retracted their steps. This all happened in an instant, and Mu Qingge and Xie Ya had already walked into Haiyu City.

"Young Master, where should we go now?" It was Xie Ya’s first time in such a human society, and seeing the bustling crowds and the numerous shops, she felt a little out of place for a moment.

Mu Qingge’s gaze swept around, locking on a teahouse at the corner of a busy street. She took a step towards it, "Let’s have some tea first." No matter where you are, teahouses and taverns are always the most widespread sources of information.

Mu Qingge wanted to learn about the Middle Ancient Realm or understand Haiyu City, so going to a teahouse or tavern was the simplest way.

"Welcome! Please come inside... ah!" The waiter who was standing at the door to greet guests skillfully invited them in. However, upon lifting his eyes towards the pair, he was so amazed by their looks that he let out an exclamation.

This shout instantly drew the attention of everyone in the teahouse.

The originally bustling tea house suddenly fell silent, and eyes were drawn to the entrance.

When they clearly saw the two people standing at the doorstep, sparks of remarkable beauty quickly gathered in their eyes. Some were even so captivated that they let the hot tea spill from their cups without noticing.

So many admiring gazes landed on Xie Ya, causing her to frown slightly.

Yet, Mu Qingge remained calm, tossing a piece of gold into the waiter’s hand, instructing, "Arrange a corner in the hall, and don’t let anyone disturb us."

"Ah, yes, yes, please come in!" The waiter, startled, caught the gold and quickly led Mu Qingge and Xie Ya to a secluded corner of the first-floor hall.

As they passed, all eyes followed them.

Fortunately, they appeared to be a man and a woman, so they didn’t provoke any ill-intentioned confrontations. Had they both appeared as women, it might have been difficult to smoothly reach the table and sit down.

After Mu Qingge and Xie Ya sat down, the waiter immediately pulled up a screen, blocking the prying eyes of the crowd and encircling the corner they sat in.

This wasn’t unusual; often, when tea houses and taverns were crowded and lacked private rooms, screens were used to create relatively independent spaces in the hall.

While the view was blocked, the sounds were not.

Having lost sight of the beauties, the other patrons of the tea house reluctantly withdrew their gaze.

Soon, discussions surrounding Mu Qingge and Xie Ya began.

"To see such a beauty once in a lifetime is enough to boast about for a lifetime!"

"What a pity! There’s another beauty accompanying her. I mean, it’s rare to see a woman so beautiful, but that red-clothed gentleman is even more stunning. Compared to him, our looks are absolutely unremarkable."

"That’s why the two of them standing together are such a perfect match! Alas, such incredible beauty is not something we can dream of; it’s enough just to look."

The discussions ensued, yet there was nothing too offensive said.

Naturally, they weren’t afraid of the two beauties behind the screen hearing them.

In fact, they hoped the people inside would hear. After all, everyone loves praise. If they were pleased, they might remove the screen, allowing everyone a glimpse of the beauties again, wouldn’t that be wonderful?

However, no matter how much they discussed, there was complete silence behind the screen, with no reaction.

This caused the people in the hall to cast curious glances at it once more.

Behind the screen, Mu Qingge drank her tea calmly, the discussions outside entering her ears without causing any ripple. Xie Ya sat beside her, occasionally pouring tea for both of them, and remained silent as well.

After a while of discussion, with no response from behind the screen, the crowd gradually lost interest and returned to their previous topic.

"I heard that the Dou Family is recruiting house servants today."

"The Dou Family being the first family of Haiyu City, what’s strange about recruiting house servants?"

"Ah, you don’t know, right? The Dou Family wasn’t planning to recruit at first, but recently, it was heard that the Bai Family and the Li Family recruited quite a few Floating Guests into their families, which forced the Dou Family to recruit house servants."

"What? The Bai Family and the Li Family recruited Floating Guests into their families? Then what’s the point of the Dou Family recruiting house servants?"

"Who knows? But I heard that the Dou Family’s recruiting house servants is just a facade. Behind the scenes, their steward is moving around the residences of the Floating Guest clans, also recruiting Floating Guests."

"Could it be that something’s going to happen if all three families are doing this simultaneously?"

"Hey, in the Middle Ancient Realm, families manage all the cities big and small. The Dou Family has dominated Haiyu City for so many years, sitting firmly as the number one family in Haiyu City, but it seems the Bai Family and the Li Family can’t stand it anymore and want a fight. After all, whoever sits as the first family will get the major share of the profits when it comes to dividing the spoils."

"That’s true. Currently, half of the shops in Haiyu City have the Dou Family’s name on them. And those mines are mostly controlled by the Dou Family. The Bai Family and the Li Family have probably long been unable to bear it."

"Does this mean that Haiyu City is about to become chaotic?"

"Let it be chaotic then, it doesn’t affect people like us anyway."

"Exactly! Whoever runs the city, we’ll keep drinking big bowls of wine and eating big chunks of meat. Once we’ve rested enough, how about we go to the Floating Guest clan and see if there’s a suitable task? Choose one that’s a bit longer, leave for a while, and come back when the dust settles."

"Alright, let’s go together later."

The discussions within the tea house gradually subsided, while Mu Qingge toyed with the teacup in her hand, the steam forming a mist before her. "Floating Guest clans..."

It seems this word has piqued her interest.

Those discussions, Xie Ya also heard them. The talks about the Dou Family made her think of the young boy Jing Hai.

If the recruitment of house servants by the Dou Family is really as people say, then I’m afraid Jing Hai will be disappointed.

Xie Ya slowly lowered her eyes, her long lashes hiding the emotions in her gaze.

She didn’t feel pity for Jing Hai, nor did she sympathize. It was just someone she knew, hearing issues related to him made her pay a little more attention.

"Prepare a private room for this young lady!" Suddenly, an arrogant voice rang out in the teahouse.

The owner of the voice seemed to be used to indulgence, speaking with a very rude tone.

"Oh! Miss Li. You came at a bad time, all the private rooms are gone. I wonder..."

Smack!

"Ouch!"

The waiter’s words were cut off by a loud slap, making him cry out in pain.

This scene immediately silenced the teahouse.

Mu Qingge slightly raised her eyes but then lowered them again. She leaned back against the chair, holding a tea cup in her hands, making it hard to tell what she was thinking. Xie Ya just glanced back at the screen, took a look at the blurred figure cast on it, and then withdrew her gaze.

The people at the table near them started whispering.

"Did you see that, that’s Miss Li from the Li Family, Li Fu. A master at the Gray Realm First Layer. Look at them, the people from the Li Family are all like this, always domineering. Those who don’t know might even think the Li Family is the number one family in Haiyu City."

"So young and already at the Gray Realm First Layer, while we’re still lingering at the Purple Realm Peak. It’s really incomparable!"

"Well, you can’t compare. They’re from a family with so many cultivation resources waiting for them, while we have to rely on our own efforts and opportunities."

"I’ve heard the head of the Li Family is a master of the Gray Realm Fourth Layer, while the Dou Family’s is at the Gray Realm Third Layer. No wonder the Li Family can be so arrogant."

"Indeed! The head of the Li Family seems to be the top master in Haiyu City! But then, it’s just this remote Haiyu City. If they went to a bigger city, those so-called Gray Realm Third or Fourth Layer masters wouldn’t seem so extraordinary."

"Heh heh, you can’t really say that. Those who reach the Gray Realm Second Layer either get absorbed by a family or become Floating Guests, having resources and opportunities alike, naturally results in more and more strong warriors. But, most people remain at the Purple Realm Peak, at a higher rank or something like that."

"You’re right."

The two were whispering, occasionally sighing.

But Mu Qingge listened, her eyes shining.

At the very least, their conversation let her know about the power distribution in Haiyu City, and she could roughly gauge the common strength level in the Middle Ancient Realm.

"You two stinking rats in the corner, what are you saying behind my back?" Suddenly, a violent and delicate shout echoed.

Then, Mu Qingge and Xie Ya heard the sound of a table breaking.

Along with it, there were the exclamations of the two who had been speaking just now.

Outside the screen, shadows flickered.

The sounds of many tables and chairs being moved were heard, indicating that the previous patrons had all stood up to avoid the conflict.

"Miss Li, we didn’t say anything." One of the previously discussing individuals explained.

Indeed, they were merely mentioning things that everyone knew, without particularly slandering Miss Li in front of them.

Yet, this arrogant and domineering Miss Li refused to believe it. "Hmph! Surely whatever you two sneaky people were saying wasn’t anything good! I will give you one more chance to repeat what you just said, or else I won’t let you leave Haiyu City alive!"

Her words were extremely arrogant and unreasonable.

The bystanders all tried their best to lower their visibility, fearing that calamity would befall them and they would be targeted by this young lady.

"Miss Li, we really didn’t say anything. Why do you have to be so aggressive?" the other person said.

Who could have known that this sentence would completely enrage Li Fu.

There was a flash of coldness in her eyes as she sneered, "Fine! I’m aggressive, yes? I’ll show you what aggression means!"

After saying that, she drew her Treasure Sword, gripping it tightly, and slashed at the two without regard.

A gray sword light emitted from the sword, forming a fierce arc, and cut towards the two.

The Sword Qi carried a ferocious momentum, making people too afraid to face it head-on.

Those two instinctively scrambled to either side, avoiding the Sword Qi. They escaped it, but the Sword Qi, losing its target, headed towards the screen blocking Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

Scratch——!

In the eyes of everyone, the screen was sliced in half, shattering.

With the screen destroyed, Mu Qingge and Xie Ya, who were seated inside, were once again exposed to everyone’s view.

Beside the square table, two stunning figures, one in red and one in white, sat quietly. Especially the red-robed young master, impossibly handsome. Despite such events, he remained unperturbed and neither startled nor enraged. He casually leaned against the chair, holding a tea cup, as if these happenings were less enticing than the cup of tea in his hand.

Everyone in the teahouse was momentarily stunned. The two who had been attacked looked pale, still frightened.

The aggressive Miss Li was also momentarily taken aback, her eyes flaring with stunning light as she looked at Mu Qingge. Even Xie Ya, sitting beside Mu Qingge, equally beautiful and ethereal, was automatically overlooked by her.

In her eyes, it seemed as though only Mu Qingge remained at that moment.

So casually sitting there sipping tea, as if the world outside could fall apart, yet it wouldn’t disturb her calm and unruffled presence.

"What a handsome young master!" The cold and ruthless corner of Li Fu’s eyes suddenly softened with a hint of warmth, making her fierce features instantly soften. Even her previously arrogant voice became gentle and light.

The blatant scrutiny made Mu Qingge slowly lift her gaze.

A clear and transparent light shot from her eyes, striking Li Fu’s heart, causing it to flutter wildly like a startled deer.

At this point, Mu Qingge clearly saw the features of Miss Li from the Li Family.

To be honest, Miss Li wasn’t unattractive. It’s just that her aura was too sharp and domineering, detracting from some of her inherent beauty.

When Mu Qingge looked over, Li Fu slightly calmed herself.

She ignored the two who had offended her earlier, raising her chin as she directly walked towards Mu Qingge and Xie Ya.

As she approached, she finally noticed Xie Ya.

Xie Ya was beautiful, and her beauty was one-in-a-million. However, the principle of like-repels-like among females is universal, unaffected by different regions.

Upon seeing Xie Ya, Li Fu felt no admiration, but rather disgust.

Her detest was even deeper due to Xie Ya’s positioning beside Mu Qingge!

Li Fu cast a cold glare at Xie Ya, then turned to Mu Qingge, suppressing her sinister expression with a sweet smile and softly asked, "May I ask the young master’s name?"

Her shy demeanor was a stark contrast to how she had entered.

Everyone in the teahouse held their breath, watching and eagerly anticipating the development of the situation.

Mu Qingge remained silent, showing no intention to speak.

Li Fu’s smile froze slightly, prompting her lackey to step forward, pointing at Mu Qingge’s nose and cursing, "Hey! Did you not hear our young lady asking you something? Are you deaf?"

The need to live under the thumb of another, Mu Qingge didn’t mind.

She merely responded with a simple, "Noisy."

The crowd gasped, admiring her. It seemed they respected her audacity to provoke the Li Family, to provoke the young lady of the Li Family.

The two words, ’Noisy,’ could be interpreted as referring to the young lady of the Li Family, or to the lackey who was emboldened by their master’s power. Of course, it could refer to both.

While the crowd speculated that the young lady of the Li Family would erupt in anger, she instead swiftly turned and slapped the lackey hard while scolding, "Did you hear that? You disturbed my conversation with the young master. Get lost!"

Tsk tsk~!

The onlookers silently complained in their hearts: Why are you so confident? Maybe the young lord dislikes you! Didn’t you see there’s a beautiful woman sitting beside him?

The Li family’s servant shrank his neck and quickly stepped back a few paces, bowing.

After dealing with the servant, Li Fu turned around to look at Mu Qingge, a shy smile reappearing on her face, "Young master, now no one will disturb us."

Mu Qingge’s heart flickered with a cold sneer, and he rudely said, "Except for you."

Pfft!

Someone in the teahouse couldn’t help but laugh.

Mu Qingge’s ’recklessness’ made them want to cheer aloud! Finally, someone to handle this female tyrant!

However, their true thoughts did not dare to show.

The person who unintentionally laughed quickly covered his mouth and blended into the crowd, fearing that Li Fu would settle accounts later.

Fortunately, at this moment, Li Fu was infuriated by Mu Qingge’s words, and she paid no attention to the reactions of others.

"What did you say?" Li Fu’s expression suddenly turned cold, her brows clouded with gloom.

Mu Qingge slowly raised his eyes, a hint of inexplicable coldness at the corner of his mouth, "What’s the use of ears?" The implication being ’Are you deaf!’

Mu Qingge’s attitude made Li Fu’s expression fluctuate unpredictably.

Just when everyone thought she was about to lose her temper, and Mu Qingge was about to be unlucky, she suddenly laughed. The look in her eyes towards Mu Qingge was filled with an even more certain momentum. "Good! I like someone with character like you!"

This statement made Mu Qingge frown slightly.

Why did it sound so awkward? Wasn’t this the line of a spoiled tyrant forcefully taking a woman on the street?

"Listen to me! No matter who you are, what your name is. Today you must come with me! Be my husband!" Li Fu arrogantly declared.

Mu Qingge looked at her, the clear gaze faintly amused. His lips slightly curved as he slowly uttered two words, "You’re sick."

Everyone gasped!

They had seen reckless ones, but never anyone so eager to court death!

Didn’t he know the influence of the Li family in Haiyu City? Didn’t he realize that this Miss Li was not only a Gray Realm First Layer expert but also had the strongest father in Haiyu City?

Offending the Li family, unless he was one of the Dou family, the outcome wouldn’t be favorable!

Indeed, Li Fu’s face had fully darkened after Mu Qingge’s words. Her eyes filled with hostility as she looked at Mu Qingge, gritting her teeth, "Don’t try to provoke me! Considering your face, I can tolerate you once, twice, but definitely not a third time. If you don’t want to die tragically on the street, and you don’t want this beauty beside you to suffer, you’d better stand up obediently and come back to the mansion with me. Tonight, we’ll get married!"

Xie Ya frowned and prepared to stand up to teach a lesson.

But she remembered Mu Qingge’s identity and looked at her in inquiry.

Mu Qingge’s lips slightly curved, and she said faintly, "As long as she doesn’t die." Since the so-called top expert in Haiyu City was inferior to her, why should she suffer any grievance?

Did they really think she could be easily taken back for marriage?

Receiving Mu Qingge’s order, Xie Ya’s lips slightly curled as she stood up, and before Li Fu could react to Mu Qingge’s words, she made her move.

It was the first time Mu Qingge saw Xie Ya make a move.

Xie Ya stood up and waved her hand, a gray light directly heading for Li Fu’s chest, her actions were clean and nimble, without a trace of sloppiness.

This made Mu Qingge’s brow slightly raise.

Li Fu hadn’t expected anyone in Haiyu City to dare attack her, and when Xie Ya struck, she had no time to dodge.

Moreover, she was only Gray Realm First Layer, while Xie Ya was Gray Realm Fourth Layer.

Even if she wanted to dodge, she couldn’t.

Bam—!

With a loud crash, everyone saw Li Fu’s figure fly out of the teahouse, directly hitting the street.

Accompanied by Li Fu’s heartrending scream.

Li Fu crashed through the teahouse’s doors and windows, landing embarrassedly on the outer street, attracting the crowd to gather. But once they recognized the Li family’s eldest daughter, they quickly avoided her as if she were a scammer, afraid of being conned.

"Cough, cough...!"

"Miss!"

Li Fu lay on the ground, searing pain in her chest, spitting a large mouthful of blood. Her strength seemed to be drained, unable to move. The servants she brought were also startled by the incident, and after coming to their senses, they rushed to her side with changed expressions.

At this moment, Mu Qingge walked out of the teahouse with Xie Ya.

The crowd that had been watching the drama quickly made way, unwilling to provoke or to let the Li family misunderstand that they were involved in any way, thus avoiding trouble.

"You...!" Li Fu lay on the ground, looking up with a vicious gaze at Mu Qingge and Xie Ya. 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

The killing intent in her eyes was undisguised.

Mu Qingge coldly said, "A fall into the pit, a gain in wisdom. Remember not everyone is someone you can provoke. Go back and tell your father, the so-called top expert of Haiyu, that if you’re not satisfied and dare to come again, I won’t show mercy next time."

With that, she gracefully left with Xie Ya.

The direction they left was not out of the city but inward. Their steps were light, with no intention of fleeing.

Especially the words Mu Qingge left behind, making the crowd’s eyes sparkle with admiration, all wondering which family’s noble young master he was? He didn’t make a move, but his words were incredibly cool!

Daring to speak such words to the Li family’s eldest daughter and even to the head of the Li family in Haiyu City.

Countless citizens oppressed by the Li family silently gave Mu Qingge a thumbs up in their hearts!

"Mi... Miss..." After Mu Qingge walked far away, the Li family’s servants cautiously helped Li Fu up.

Just halfway up, seemingly pulling at her wound, she screamed and cursed, "Ah! You useless waste, are you trying to kill me?"

The servants, shocked by her outburst, let go of her, causing her to fall back down.

"Ah—!" The street echoed with Li Fu’s wailing cries.

Then, the cursing came. "Damn servants! I will skin you all! Carry me back, I will find my father! I will find my father to take revenge! Everyone who bullies me will meet a terrible end—ah ah ah ah ah!"

...

Li Fu’s cursing voice faded away in the bustling streets of Haiyu City.

Mu Qingge and Xie Ya continued to walk unperturbed.

"Young Master, if the head of the Li family comes himself, would you really kill him?" Xie Ya curiously asked.

Mu Qingge lightly smiled, saying calmly, "He won’t."

Xie Ya’s eyes flashed with a hint of doubt, pursing her lips into silence. She didn’t rush to ask for specifics, instead pondering herself. She was clever and could understand human nature. What was lacking was the experience of the world.

After a while, Xie Ya seemed to figure it out and nodded, "The biggest enemy of the Li family is the Dou family. But the fact that he can endure for so many years shows he is a person with deep schemes. His daughter’s arrogance might be something he deliberately allows to confuse his enemies. Someone like him wouldn’t retaliate just because his daughter tangled with someone formidable. More likely, he might seek out the Young Master, hoping to draw you into his camp."

Her analysis made Mu Qingge glance and smile.

"Not bad. This Li family’s head is reputed as the top in Haiyu City, too prominent. Deliberately fashioning the family to be arrogant and overbearing reduces opponents’ wariness. His adversaries might subconsciously think such a person is just a brute, not worth fearing. Moreover, the Li family’s arrogance is also due in part to the other two families. Killing by inflating one’s reputation is killing without blood," said Mu Qingge.

Xie Ya nodded in agreement, "If the head of the Li family comes, what does the Young Master plan to do?"

"We’ll see when he comes," Mu Qingge casually replied.

Suddenly, she paused at the gate of a courtyard.

Xie Ya looked up at the plaque hanging above the courtyard and softly said, "Floating Guest Clan."