Yu Mugao sat in a high position in the hall, with two peak Qi Cultivation Realm guests standing respectfully beside him. The vast hall was silent, with not a single person daring to speak. Yu Mugao's expression was slightly weary, clearly having suffered greatly during this period. His deep voice reverberated through the hall when he spoke.
"Muyuan... is there still no news from Mujian?"
The person seated below him was tall and thin. His features bore a resemblance to Yu Mugao, albeit lacking his dark and venomous demeanor. It was one of the two men who used to follow him, and they nodded and replied respectfully, "Fourth brother said he went north to seek a place to sharpen his sword's edge.... It's been several months, and there's still no sign of his return."
"Damn fool!" Yu Mugao hissed as he cursed under his breath. As annoyed as he was, he felt powerless regarding his brother's situation, who was wholly devoted to the path of the sword. He sighed softly.
"Muyuan, it's fortunate I have you to watch over things... Otherwise, with so many troubles at home, I would be driven to my grave."
"I dare not... I'm merely alleviating my big brother's worries," Yu Muyuan responded.
Just then, a person hurried up from below, holding a letter in his hands. He handed it to Yu Mugao, whispering, "Family Head, we've received a secret letter from Ma Haiji of Mount Huaqian!"
Yu Mugao raised an eyebrow, his expression darkening. He took the letter, broke the wax seal, and read the letter twice over.
His face contorted angrily at once as he gritted his teeth and exclaimed, "An Jingming... that cunning fox! I've overlooked him these days, only to find that he has reached such a level..."
He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before handing the letter to Yu Muyuan, who took it with both hands.
After glancing at it, he was unable to contain his shock and exclaimed, "H-...How is this possible?! It's only been a few years! An Jingming has reached such a realm of cultivation..?!"
The eighth heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm... How can this be possible? What's with that monstrous cultivation speed? Is this information from the Li Family reliable? Our family is currently on good terms with the An Family... could this be a divisive strategy to make us turn against the An Family?
Yu Mugao closed his eyes and thought deeply for a while, then shook his head. He spoke gravely. "It doesn't seem possible... The Li Family has always been reserved, and Li Tongya is not one to stir up trouble. According to the spy, acquiring this information was a near-death experience. This likely isn't a ploy by the Li Family."
Neither Li Yuanxiu nor Yu Mugao could have anticipated that Ma Haiji, in his desire to highlight his own contributions, had embellished the letter, describing the process of obtaining the information as fraught with deadly peril. Unfortunately for him, this had influenced Yu Mugao's judgment, making him more certain and decisive of the news's authenticity.
Yu Muyuan cupped his fist and said through gritted teeth, "If that's the case, this man must not be allowed to live!"
Yu Mugao's expression was ominously dark as the progress of An Jingming's cultivation had far exceeded his expectations. He sighed deeply and spoke in a low voice, "Indeed... he cannot be left alive. Our family must kill him. With his rate of cultivation, he could break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm in just a few years. There could be unforeseen consequences then... It would be best to suppress both the Li and An families together."
Yu Muyuan watched his elder brother ponder on, knowing that Yu Mugao was likely concocting some sinister plan. His brother had always been capable of outlandish and ruthless schemes and had never failed in his machinations against various figures. Hence, he remained silent, waiting patiently below.
Yu Mugao pondered only briefly before his plans took shape in his mind. He spoke softly, "The An Family has revealed the locations of the Li Family's towns and has arranged for our people to be placed there, which couldn't be better."
"I already have a plan. First, we'll strike at the Li Family to curb their influence, then catch the An Family off guard. We've allowed these two families too much freedom for too long... it's time to rein them in."
Yu Mugao smiled faintly as he spoke, clearly confident of his strategy. He then said softly, "Go fetch Master Jiang."
The servant below hurried to make arrangements, and soon, an old man with a head full of white hair was brought over. Judging by the wrinkles on his face, he was likely over one hundred and fifty years old. Yet, his cultivation was only at the third heavenly layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Despite his weak vitality, he laughed heartily and cupped his fist.
"Head of Yu Family, it's been a long while! How many people do we need to eliminate today?"
"Master Jiang!"
Yu Mugao was exceedingly polite, clearly holding Master Jiang in high regard. He then continued with a beaming smile, "I do need your assistance to eliminate one person..."
Master Jiang sat down casually on a rosewood chair, kicking up his feet. Yu Mugao showed no sign of annoyance but instead gestured to Yu Muyuan with a smile. "Fifth Brother, I'll have to trouble you to accompany Master Jiang!"
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Ma Haiji lit a fire and carefully wrapped the letter before placing it in the flames. Watching as the paper vanished into ashes, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. He looked around, gathered his belongings, and prepared to go home.
After taking a few steps, Ma Haiji stopped in his tracks. He turned back to extinguish the fire pile and covered it with dirt, nodding to himself in reassurance. After walking several dozen steps, he suddenly felt uneasy.
He squatted to the ground and murmured to himself, "The Li Family values this message so highly, so surely, they must have their own plans... I've already relayed this message home, and Yu Mugao will surely act to disrupt it. Eventually, the Li Family will realize the message has leaked..."
"If Tian Zhongqing returns to the courtyard and sees the paper on the ground and inquires from his servants, they will surely know I was the only visitor... Wouldn't that expose me?!"
Ma Haiji was greatly shaken and extremely distressed, his expression darkening the more he thought about his predicament.
"There's no turning back now! I can never return to the Li Family... they've probably laid a trap by now, and going back would be walking into certain death."
With his bag on his back, Ma Haiji was overwhelmed with panic as he mumbled, "I can't wait for a reply from home... I need to leave now! I need to escape here and return home!"
Ma Haiji still had some sense in him left. He quickly pieced together the sequence of events, picked up his bag, and dashed into the woods. Heading north for the duration of the time it took to burn an incense stick, his body was thoroughly scratched by branches and thorns.
Unexpectedly, a figure suddenly landed before him, interrupting his escape.
The man, dressed in a plain gray robe with a sword at his waist, exuded a dignified demeanor. His eyes fixed on Ma Haiji as he smiled and asked, "Where do you intend to go?"
Ma Haiji was terrified, his legs beginning to shake uncontrollably.
"Who are you..?!" he cried out.
"I am Chen Donghe!"
Chen Donghe smiled slightly, glancing at Ma Haiji and saying softly, "You're quite perceptive... Had we not been waiting here already, you might have indeed escaped."
"Chen Donghe... a Qi Cultivator!"
Having been with the Li Family for many years, though only as an ordinary official, Ma Haiji knew well of Chen Donghe's reputation. He drew a dagger from his waist and slashed his own throat.
However, Ma Haiji was merely a mortal. With a flick of his finger, Chen Donghe effortlessly knocked the dagger in Ma Haiji's hand with a forceful blow, sending it flying out of his grasp and landing by the riverbank. Then, with a wave of his hand, Ma Haiji collapsed to the ground, completely limp.
Chen Donghe looked at Ma Haiji with a slight pang of pity for the helpless man before picking him up. He took to the winds right away, heading toward Mount Lijing in the west.