In the wine house, Ye Han and his companions glared menacingly.
"Let's go together!"
A young man finished accumulating his power, drew a large saber, and then charged forward with a shout.
"This isn't about capturing; it's about killing." Xu Mu sighed inwardly. He was just an ordinary diner, yet these people wanted his life.
Were all people from the Ye family like this?
Xu Mu gazed at the approaching saber, his expression chilling. Just as he was about to make a move, someone suddenly stepped in front of him.
"My business with Qian Qian has nothing to do with others. Don't harm the innocent!" The young man who had been drinking with Jiang Sheng suddenly stood before Xu Mu.
His expression was calm. With a tremor of his arm, his slender body unleashed a fierce power that directly clashed with the sharp saber.
Boom!
Blood surged. The attack was as wild as a maddened bull. The young man wielding the saber was forced back several steps by the immense force. He lost his balance and fell to the ground.
Xu Mu raised an eyebrow at the sight.
Meanwhile, the other three young men who had missed their attack hadn't even reacted to what had happened when Qian Qian had already rushed in front of them.
He used a whip kick, a straight punch, and a sideways elbow, taking down all three. His movements were swift, ending the fight in an instant.
Ye Han was shocked and was about to make a move, but the next second, Qian Qian was already standing before him.
He raised his arm, a crossbow bolt held in his right hand, its tip pointed directly at Ye Han's forehead.
"Move again, and I'll kill you."
Qian Qian's gaze was cold as he spoke softly.
"You!" Ye Han's eyes widened. He had never expected that this friend of Jiang Sheng's would be so powerful, even more so than Jiang Sheng himself!
"Release Young Master Ye!" At this moment, the four men who had been defeated by Qian Qian got up, groaning, and slowly surrounded Qian Qian.
"Put down the crossbow in your hand now, and I'll spare your life." Ye Han said menacingly, his face contorted. As a direct descendant of the Ye family, he had never been threatened like this!
"Three seconds. Order them to disarm their powers, or I'll kill you." Qian Qian said, not waiting for Ye Han's opinion, and began to count down, "Three, two, one."
"Put it down!" Seeing the countdown end, Qian Qian's index finger, which held the crossbow bolt, seemed about to press the trigger. Ye Han's pupils shrank to their absolute limit, and he shouted in terror.
He had spoken. The four men behind him, though unwilling, could only dispel their powers.
Seeing this, Qian Qian's eagle-like eyes fixed on Ye Han for a moment before he slowly lowered the crossbow.
"My name is Qian Qian. If you want revenge, challenge me at the preliminary selection for the Ten Thousand Races Assembly." Qian Qian turned and surveyed them one by one, then swaggered out of their encirclement and returned to his seat.
"Hoo." The four men's bodies tensed. Perhaps they hadn't even realized it themselves, but after just one encounter, they had begun to fear Qian Qian.
"Young Master Ye, are you alright?" Seeing that the fight seemed to be over, the one who had first swung the saber stepped forward solicitously, looking at Ye Han with concern and fear in his eyes.
If anything happened to Ye Han, they would all be in serious trouble!
"I-I'm fine." Ye Han stood frozen, and after a long while, he slowly came back to his senses, his pupils gradually returning to their normal size.
He looked at Qian Qian, who was sitting there drinking, and silently swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
If he had shot that crossbow bolt just now, he would truly have died.
"Qian Qian, I've noted you." Ye Han glanced at Xu Mu, then, filled with shame and anger, he waved his sleeve and turned to leave.
"Let's go!"
The other four, seeing this, first glared at Qian Qian with lingering fear before quickly slinking downstairs.
After they all left, the other diners on this floor, fearing trouble, also departed. Thus, only Xu Mu, Qian Qian, and Qiongqi remained.
"Good skills." Xu Mu stood where he was, not going downstairs, but turning to face Qian Qian with a smile.
The man's combat techniques were clean and precise, without any wasted movements. It was evident he possessed true skills honed in the crucible of life and death.
"You're too modest. Even without me, you would have been fine, wouldn't you?" Qian Qian stood up, wiped his palms with his cloth, then extended his hand to Xu Mu and said with a smile, "My name is Qian Qian. Let's be friends."
"My name is Mu Xu. It's a pleasure to meet you." Xu Mu smiled, fabricating a false name. "You said earlier that I would have been fine. What makes you say that?"
"Intuition." Qian Qian invited Xu Mu to sit and poured him a cup of wine. "Most people would be trembling with fear if they encountered people from the Ye family causing trouble. Or, if they had a fiery temper, they would have fought back. But you stood there calmly, your expression unchanging the entire time."
"There are only two explanations for this. The first is that you are a fool. The second, however, is that you are undoubtedly a strong individual who doesn't take them seriously at all."
"Perhaps I am the first kind," Xu Mu said, taking a sip of wine, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
"That won't do. The atmosphere is already set. Even if you aren't the second kind, you have to be," Qian Qian said earnestly and then raised his cup to Xu Mu.
"Haha, alright, alright." Xu Mu returned the toast with a wry smile, then naturally took his seat. After several rounds of toasting, Xu Mu casually asked, "Brother Qian, earlier when we were drinking, you mentioned the world of dwarves. Have you heard of someone named Nan Feng?"
"Nan Feng?" Qian Qian's expression changed upon hearing the name. After thinking carefully, he suddenly realized and said, "Ah, he was one of the key figures in that rebellion against dwarf enslavement. He's very famous now and has been met by the strong individuals of each major family."
"Is that so? Where is he now?" Xu Mu's eyebrows twitched as he continued to ask.
"Where... I don't know. I only heard that he's very close to the people of the Ye family. That's all I know." Qian Qian replied.
"Oh, alright." Xu Mu nodded and didn't ask further. His expression immediately became solemn.
If Nan Feng was close to the Ye family, it was highly likely that the Ye family already knew he was Xu Mu, which was why they had resorted to such underhanded tactics to capture him.
"Brother Mu, why are you asking about him? Do you have any grievances with that Nan Feng?" Qian Qian asked, drinking his wine.
"Just a little. Not a major feud," Xu Mu replied absentmindedly.
"That might be a bit difficult. He's probably with the Ye family now, and he's quite powerful himself. If you want revenge, you'll need to enlist outside help," Qian Qian said, looking at Xu Mu with a thoughtful gaze.
"Does Brother Qian have any advice?" Xu Mu met his gaze, his expression calm.
He could tell that Qian Qian's words held an unspoken implication.
"It's not advice, just suggestions," Qian Qian smiled and continued, "Since you're here, you must know that this Peach Blossom Domain is the territory of the Jiang family."
"The Jiang family and the Ye family have always been at odds. Since that Nan Feng has defected to the Ye family, why don't you ally with the Jiang family? This way, you can ensure your safety and have a legitimate opportunity to use the Jiang family's power for revenge."
Xu Mu pondered for a moment before answering. He first opened the map of the Hundred Clans Alliance.
"This is too far from the Nangong family and the White Cloud Daoist Temple." Xu Mu looked at the map, at the two places that were practically at opposite ends of the earth, and couldn't help but smile wryly. The Hundred Clans Alliance territory was vast, far larger than their Great Xia.
Going to the Nangong family or the White Cloud Daoist Temple would take too much time, and it would move him further away from Nan Feng. How long would it take him to get revenge then?
"Joining the Jiang family is indeed a good option." Xu Mu put away the map and asked Qian Qian, "But Brother Qian, a great clan like the Jiang family isn't something one can just join, is it? Are there any conditions?"
"The Jiang family is powerful in itself and rarely accepts outsiders. But you're lucky; you've stumbled upon something." Qian Qian said mysteriously.
"What is it?" Xu Mu asked.
"I can tell you, but there's a condition." Qian Qian paused at this point and then pointed at the food on the table with a hint of embarrassment. "Brother Mu, if I tell you, can you help me pay for the wine? Jiang Sheng, that scoundrel, left too quickly, and the bill hasn't been settled..."
Xu Mu was amused. "I thought it was something serious. Of course, I can."
"Generous." Qian Qian's face lit up with joy, and he immediately said, "Actually, this matter concerns Jiang Sheng's father. He's looking for that swordsman, the ink blade white cat, and has almost gone bankrupt. His goal, it seems, is to enlist the swordsman's help to participate in the Ten Thousand Races Assembly."
"There are so many geniuses in the world, why would he specifically seek him out?" Xu Mu asked in surprise. The man's actions seemed somewhat irrational.
"I don't know about that. It's also because of this reason that the Jiang family felt disgraced and confined him to the ancestral shrine as punishment." Qian Qian paused, then continued, "But I believe that since he's preparing for the Ten Thousand Races Assembly and wants to prove himself among the collateral branches, he just needs someone strong to fight for him."
"I'm friends with Jiang Sheng, so it's convenient for me to help with this. You can try going to the Jiang family. If you succeed, you can also save Jiang Sheng's father some trouble, at least proving that the money he spent was worthwhile." Qian Qian said.
"So that's how it is." Xu Mu nodded thoughtfully, then smiled. "I agree, Brother Qian. Let's give it a try. Although my strength isn't great, I should barely be acceptable to the Qian family."
"Someone who can say such things can't be that weak," Qian Qian smiled slightly and then patted Xu Mu's shoulder. "Without further ado, let's head back now."
"Brother Jiang Sheng is probably causing trouble at home right now."
Xu Mu nodded, also got up, went downstairs to the first floor of the tavern, settled the meal bill, and then followed Qian Qian, embarking on the road back to the Jiang family.