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"What do you mean I can't get my money back?" Mu Chen muttered, furrowing his brows. "Hmm... Elder Liang should have the answer to this puzzle."
He paused for a moment, thoughtful.
"Did he give me the scroll because of those soldiers... or was there something he already knew?"
He exhaled slowly, then spoke to himself again, "Looks like I should return to the temple."
Just as he finished speaking, the scroll's glow gradually dimmed and, as if exhausted, floated down. Mu caught it mid-air and studied it for a while. Then, without saying another word, he stepped off his bed and gave a long stretch.
"Eerr... the weather in Northland keeps getting colder these days," he whispered, his voice low and dry.
As he descended the stairs, the sounds of clattering plates and metallic clinks reached his ears. A moment later, Xinyin's voice called out from below.
"Mu Chen, the food is ready."
He didn't reply—just exhaled deeply, folding both arms behind his head with a relaxed air.
"Hmph... smells delicious," he said at last.
"Heh, I haven't even tasted it yet, but I can already tell. I'm starving."
He made his way over to the table, took a seat, and crossed one leg over the other, waiting with barely restrained hunger.
Soon, Xinyin appeared from the kitchen, holding two plates of food—fragrant jollof rice and crispy chicken. As soon as Mu Chen saw the dishes, his jaw dropped. A thick string of drool even began to form at the corner of his lips.
"Eww, Mu Chen! What's wrong with you? Close that mouth already."
Startled, he quickly shut his mouth and tried to regain his composure, but his eyes stayed fixed on the food in front of him. Xinyin stood there, watching him closely with a puzzled expression.
Noticing her still standing and doing nothing, Mu tilted his head slightly.
"Ah, Sister Xinyin, could you please just put the food down already? I'm seriously starving."
"Tch... sorry."
She gently set the plates on the table and sat down beside him. The room was soon filled with the quiet sound of chewing and utensils against plates.
In less than a few minutes, Mu Chen had already cleared his plate. He stood up with a drawn-out yawn, stretching as if waking from a nap.
Xinyin was still eating. She paused, then looked up at him with disbelief and a hint of dismay.
"Wait... how did you finish all that so fast? Are you turning into some kind of wild beast?"
She gave him a side glance and rolled her eyes.
Embarrassed, Mu scratched the back of his head with an awkward grin.
"Ah... um... I guess I was just... extremely hungry."
She didn't look convinced. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she blinked and stared at him for a moment longer.
"Are you sure about that?"
Mu gave a short remark.
"Mm… sure."
She gave a silent nod and returned to her meal.
Without another word, Mu Chen stepped out of the house. His gaze drifted across the quiet streets, as though searching for something beyond sight—perhaps even a sign that fate itself awaited him here in Northland. A faint smile curled on his lips.
"Haa… Northland is peaceful."
In one fluid motion, he leapt into the air, landing effortlessly atop a roof—as if the wind had lifted him. He repeated the motion, bounding from rooftop to rooftop until something caught his attention.
Down below, on the street, a woman clutched her child tightly in her arms. Her eyes were red from crying, her voice desperate.
"Tai, please don't take her from me. She's all I have in this world after you left us…"
Tai raised his hand and struck her across the face with no hesitation. Then he pointed a firm, accusatory finger at her.
"Shut up, you wretched woman! You'll live a miserable life, but my child won't suffer alongside you. I'm taking her."
Panicking, the woman scrambled backward on the ground. The man advanced again, lifting his hand to strike her once more—but before his palm could descend, a sudden cloud of dust exploded around them.
Mu Chen had landed between them in a flash, his hand tightly gripping the man's wrist.
"How dare you," Mu said coldly, his voice sharp with fury. With one forceful shove, he pushed the man backward.
"You raise your hand against a woman—without remorse, without hesitation. Do you not feel even the slightest shame?" His finger jabbed into the man's chest. "You strike her as if it means nothing. You're a disgrace. A man of such shallow worth—no bigger than an insect underfoot."
Mu's tone deepened, his glare unwavering.
"If I ever witness you lay a finger on a woman again… I swear, you won't walk away."
Tai staggered slightly, shaken by the weight behind Mu's words. Still, arrogance flickered in his eyes as he tried to recover his pride.
"And who are you to lecture me on how I treat my wife?"
"Who am I?" Mu crossed his arms slowly. His face hardened.
"I could ask you the same. Just a pitiful man with no dignity. Trash who doesn't even know what respect means."
"Five seconds," Mu continued, his tone like stone. "By the count of five, disappear."
The man scoffed, laughing hollowly as he clutched his stomach.
"You? Are you serious?"
Mu Chen didn't react. His expression didn't change. He began counting.
"One."
"Two—"
"Wait, wait," Tai interrupted. "What's your issue here?"
Mu ignored him.
"Three."
"Four."
Before he could say "five," Tai had vanished into the shadows.
Mu Chen exhaled lightly and turned toward the woman. He offered his hand to help her up.
"Thank you, my son… truly, I'm so grateful."
Mu Chen nodded respectfully.
"Don't mention it, ma'am. I simply did what anyone should. Watching a man strike a woman—it leaves a foul taste in my mouth."
She smiled through her tears.
"Thank you. May I ask for your—"
But before she could finish, Mu Chen was gone. He had leapt to the rooftops once more, vanishing into the cityscape.
She paused, holding her child close, then smiled and turned away.
"Oh… never mind."
She walked off peacefully, her baby resting in her arms.
—
At the temple, Mu Chen arrived with a faint smile tugging at his lips. His eyes scanned the grounds and noted the gate was shut tight. He paused, sensing the quiet, and felt no trace of danger.
Approaching the gate calmly, he summoned the Phoenix Flame into his palm. With one solid strike, the gate shattered into fragments.
"Wow… this Phoenix Flame is really something. Surprisingly easy to control."
He stepped into the temple with complete ease, his demeanor as calm as if he owned the place.
"Brother Mu, you're back! I've missed you!"
The voice came from Ling Tian, who sat perched atop a rock behind one of the temple's pillars.
"Yeah, I'm back. Where are the others?" Mu asked casually.
"They're inside. What happened back there? You vanished as soon as the soldiers arrived."
Mu smiled awkwardly. He couldn't quite find the words to explain.
"Oh… that. I'll tell you later."
"Where's Elder Liang?"
"He's meditating at the back, near the courtyard grounds."
"Alright. Head on in—I'll catch up soon."
Ling Tian nodded and ran inside.
Mu turned in the direction of the courtyard and walked calmly toward it. A sudden burst of radiant gold light flared from beyond—a powerful aura emanating from Elder Liang as he cultivated in silence.
Without hesitation, Mu Chen sat beside him, crossing his legs and beginning to cultivate as well.
Then, in the stillness, a voice echoed inside his head. Mechanical. Hollow. Like a machine speaking into his mind.
"Mu Chen, your daily tasks have been completed.
1. Jumping.
2. Saving someone.
3. Cultivating.
A new task is now available."
Mu Chen frowned deeply.
"Huh?! What in the world was that?"