Chapter 656: 656 because he felt lost in his heart
Mu Hanyan’s heart suddenly skipped a beat, sensing something as he looked up in the direction where Ye Lanfeng had left, but he saw nothing.
"Brother Han Yan, what’s wrong?" Mu Cheng, noticing Mu Hanyan staring into the distance motionless, asked with some confusion.
"It’s nothing." Mu Hanyan withdrew his gaze, not understanding the sudden sense of loss in his heart. Turning his head, he saw the surrounding area in ruins; the inn had partially collapsed during the previous fight.
"Shopkeeper, Mo Yanhong suffered such a loss, he may not take it lying down. Maybe you should come with us to Heishi City," Mu Hanyan said to the inn’s shopkeeper. After all, the inn had collapsed because of her, and she naturally wanted to make amends.
Someone like Mo Yanhong, a true playboy, definitely wouldn’t give up after such a loss. Furthermore, during the previous act of revenge, the shopkeeper had also rushed up and struck him several times. Being beaten by someone without any cultivation, a so-called "lowly commoner," was an extraordinary humiliation for him, and he would never let it go.
His background, as well as Wu Qiuyun’s and Yan Yuchu’s, were not weak. If Mo Yanhong wanted revenge, he would have to plan carefully, but dealing with a humble shopkeeper was all too easy.
"Alas, it has to be this way." The shopkeeper knew that staying in Cangshan City meant certain death for him, so he did not refuse Mu Hanyan’s kindness. However, when he looked back at the old inn, his gaze was somewhat complicated.
"I will compensate you for the loss of the inn. If you still want to be in this business, once we’re back in Heishi City, I’ll build a new one for you," Mu Hanyan, aware of the commoners’ hardships and seeing his complicated gaze, guessed that this modest inn probably represented his life’s work and thus comforted him.
"There’s no need, no need at all. The inn isn’t worth much, and I have some savings. After a lifetime of toil, it’s time to enjoy my old age. Young Master Mu need not go to such lengths." The shopkeeper hurriedly declined, but his gaze flickered, as if hesitating over something.
"We can discuss this matter later." Mu Hanyan, seeing his flickering gaze and thinking he was just being modest, did not press the matter further. They would decide once they reached Heishi City. Whether he wished to live out his old age in peace was irrelevant; with her current status, couldn’t she afford to provide for an ordinary person?
Mu Hanyan also didn’t mention selling the inn. After such an incident, who would dare take over the business? That would be like waiting for the Mo Family to send someone over to smash it up.
"What exactly happened before?" Yan Yuchu asked with a frown.
He had noticed the injuries on Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun earlier and guessed that something may have happened during his advancement. However, with the Mo Family’s people having fled in a panic and Mu Hanyan and the others not pursuing them, he assumed everything was alright, so he had not asked. It was only after hearing Mu Hanyan’s conversation with the shopkeeper that he realized the situation might have been more dangerous than he imagined.
"Mo Yanhong brought reinforcements, trying to save face..." Mu Cheng briefly recounted the recent events.
"So that’s what happened. I’ll go kill them right now," Yan Yuchu said, suddenly seething with rage.
Though Mu Cheng had described it lightly, glossing over the details of how he and Wu Qiuyun had fought desperately to protect them, seeing their injuries allowed Yan Yuchu to imagine how fierce the battle had been. What’s more, he had been cultivating and advancing; had it not been for Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun risking their lives, not only Mu Hanyan but also he might have been seriously harmed, perhaps even losing control and becoming demonized in Cangshan City.
Yan Yuchu was filled with fear and gratitude toward Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun, and with guilt, he was ready to chase after and kill Mo Yanhong. His temperament was impulsive; when his blood was up, he never considered the consequences, let alone being a son of the Wu Family, even if it were a royal family member who had angered him, he would dare to kill.
"Forget it, since we’ve already spoken out, let him go this time. Besides, it’s thanks to Brother Han Yan’s timely assistance that I was able to get revenge. I’ll keep him alive; I hope one day I’ll have the strength to trample him underfoot by myself." Mu Cheng spoke firmly, his expression unyieldingly resolute, the very image of pride and honor.
Yan Yuchu looked at him, nodded, and in the end, he didn’t go after him.
Mu Cheng’s experiences, he had witnessed with his own eyes. To be able to step out of the shadows and even consider the colossal Mo Family as a rival with a lofty ambition and spirit, he felt happy for him and naturally wouldn’t dampen his fighting spirit.
Having packed up their belongings, the group retrieved their previously stored carriage and set back on the return journey.
At the city gates, watching the fading silhouette of Han Yan’s carriage, Cui Zhixing heaved a long sigh of relief: "Those scourges have finally left."
Cui Zhixing’s heart was filled with dread. Thankfully, Han Yan didn’t settle scores with him, otherwise, he really would have been in a predicament with no place for burial.
Thinking of Dai Songling, who had been severely wounded by Han Yan and was carried away by several guards in a disgraceful escape, and then recalling Yan Yuchu’s imposing grandeur as if a War God had descended, along with his gratitude towards Han Yan, Cui Zhixing’s back was soaked with a cold sweat.
Once they were outside the city, Wu Qiuyun and Yan Yuchu said their goodbyes and left. After all, Yan Yuchu was a City Lord, and the current unclear situation between the Yan Family and the Mu Family meant that close association might lead to trouble. As for Wu Qiuyun, he had to rush back to deal with Mo Yanhong’s case and dared not delay any longer.
After parting ways with the two, Han Yan chatted leisurely for a while with Mu Cheng and the shopkeeper. However, the journey was still long, and they couldn’t afford to waste time chatting endlessly, so she said to Mu Cheng, "I’m going to cultivate to consolidate my cultivation. It’ll be up to you to take care of the journey for now."
"No need, no need, I can handle the driving just fine. You all go ahead and cultivate." Before Mu Cheng could respond, the shopkeeper snatched the reins.
"How could I impose this trouble on Manager Han?" Mu Hanyan said. During the earlier chat, she had learned that this shopkeeper’s name was Han Jinglun.
"What trouble? Since I’ve been in Cangshan City, I haven’t left in decades, and I’ve almost forgotten what the outside world is like. It’s the perfect opportunity to enjoy the scenery along the way," Manager Han said with a hearty laugh.
She didn’t know if it was because of the Elixir he had taken, or because he was no longer bound by that inn, but he seemed to have become much more spirited than before, rejuvenated.
Initially, Han Yan had thought he was of an advanced age, but now she realized he was only in his fifties, still vigorous if sustained, a true case of thriving in older age.
"From what Manager Han has said, you’re not originally from Cangshan City?" Mu Hanyan pondered his words and curiously asked.
"Ah, no, I’m not a local. I moved here later on." Manager Han’s eyes flashed with a hint of panic, as if he was hiding something.
Mu Hanyan remembered his evasive gaze from before; she had thought it was just heartache for the inn. Seeing him this way now, she realized her assumptions may have been too simple.
Could it be that he was holed up in Cangshan City to take refuge? Mu Hanyan secretly speculated.
Seeing that Han Jinglun was vague and reluctant to say more, Mu Hanyan did not pry further. Speaking of secrets, she had the most secrets herself, so she had no interest in gossiping about others’ secrets.
(Look here, please make sure to read! The novel’s updates have changed to four times a day, but the word count remains the same. The Chapter length has been increased from one thousand words per Chapter to two thousand words per Chapter, so the update frequency remains unchanged.)