Chapter 435: Chapter 434 What a Coincidence
Muyun City had a permanent population of over eight hundred thousand, and although the city gates would close at night, there was no curfew. The ancient city, illuminated by the gleam of lights, bustled with prosperity and liveliness at night, giving Yang Fei the illusion that he was in the Prosperous Tang Dynasty Chang’an.
Although he had never visited Chang’an during the Tang Dynasty, he believed that Muyun City was not far behind in comparison.
He entered the city at dusk and wandered around for a long time, paying certain attention to the lives and businesses of the inhabitants. He found that most of the residents were well-off, with even those living in the most remote outskirts of the city having their own small independent courtyards.
Most of the people in the city practiced martial arts, and Yang Fei once saw a couple in a courtyard yearning for a bright future.
They had three children, the eldest and the second being of mediocre talent, but the third was detected to have an exceptionally good martial arts talent. The couple managed to get their child admitted to the Martial Arts School established by the Duanmu Family within the city, and the father even spent a decade’s worth of savings to buy a Body Shaping Pill for the child. It was said that after taking this elixir, the child’s physical foundation would become stronger, laying a more solid foundation for future martial arts training.
Because of the third child, their family didn’t have to worry about being driven out of Muyun City.
After all, Muyun City is one of the Eight Major Cities, their family had lived there for generations and bore the mark of the Duanmu Family. If they were to leave, they could only go to relatively backward towns, and whether their descendants could return to Muyun City in the future would be a big question.
Since the third child was selected by the Martial Arts School of the Duanmu Family, he would be able to serve the Duanmu Family in the future. According to the rules of the Duanmu Family, from the third child’s generation onward, they could reside in Muyun City for three continuous generations.
If no one succeeded in the following three generations or gained the favor of the Duanmu Family, they would have to leave.
One could say that although Muyun City was a free city where people from the Hidden Sect World could come and go for business and life, it was, in fact, dominated by the Duanmu Family’s people, and the majority of the permanent residents were affiliated with the Duanmu Family.
This was a private city that honored the Duanmu Family.
The Duanmu Family owned a city and controlled all resources within a hundred kilometers around Muyun City, basically constituting their own country.
After wandering around the city for a few hours and when night fell, Yang Fei arrived at the northernmost area of Muyun City.
This place, relative to the whole city, was the highest terrain. A continuous mountain range spanned across this area, from north to south.
Midway up the mountain, there was a vast, flat area that was either naturally formed or carved out by successive generations of the Duanmu Family. The headquarters of the Duanmu Family were situated here. The vast complex of buildings, magnificent like ancient palaces, lay across the broad mountainside. At night, the brilliant lights from the pavilions formed a chain, looking from a distance like a fire dragon coiled around the mountainside, overlooking and protecting the vast Muyun City.
The foot of the mountain was heavily guarded, with several accessible spots to the mountain even stationed by masters at the Innate Realm level.
This astonished Yang Fei.
Although he knew that the Hidden Sect World primarily focused on cultivation, and there were many more martial arts experts than in the outside world, still, the fact that those who would be considered at the National Guardian Level in the outside world were as common as dogs here, being merely at the Innate Realm, was almost too "that" to believe.
Just within the Duanmu Family, he had already seen no fewer than fifteen Innate Realm masters.
What’s more important, he had not yet entered the core area of the Duanmu Family.
Though boldness often follows mastery, Yang Fei remained discreetly cautious.
With the Duanmu Family alone possessing such strength, going against the entire Hidden Sect World on his own was tantamount to courting death.
He finally understood why his master, even as an inheritor of the Taoist teachings and possessing such strength, could not find his place in the Hidden Sect World.
While the peak combat power here might not be significantly stronger than his current self, the number of those at the Unique Tier and National Guardian Level was simply too great.
Moreover, the quantity of peak combat power was probably not small either.
While cultivation may have declined in this world and the height of individual power reached by cultivators was confined and restricted, within those bounds, there were still numerous cultivators who could reach the ceiling level of this world.
After much consideration, Yang Fei still snuck into the territory of the Duanmu Family.
To cause a big stir, leave his name, and depart.
As long as he could kill a strong opponent and retreat entirely unscathed, he could leave behind a formidable reputation. Then, other forces that wanted to deal with him would have to weigh their own strength.
His intention this time was to establish his reputation, not to linger in battle. Now that both of his feet had undergone Foundation Establishment tempering, he was confident in his escape.
Half an hour later, Yang Fei arrived at the grand manor built by the Duanmu Family.
During this half hour, Yang Fei was on high alert. Fortunately, he could hide his Inner Qi very well; otherwise, he would have been discovered by the various secret guards along the way.
With no precise target in mind, Yang Fei entered the manor and, taking advantage of the night’s cover, began to search through the grand palace-like estate. After some time passed while he wandered, he suddenly stopped in front of a courtyard.
From inside came the worried voice of a woman, "It’s been so long since the third son went to the outside world, and there has been no news. My eyelids have been twitching fiercely lately, and you won’t even go to inquire about him."
"What’s the rush? He is among the best of the younger generation in the Hidden Sect, and besides, he went out with Duanmu Yun. With the two brothers working together, who could easily threaten them?" A calm voice of a middle-aged man soon followed.
Yang Fei’s eyes lit up.
He had stumbled upon the very people he was looking for.
This courtyard must be where Duanmu Hai’s parents lived.
Duanmu Hai killed my second uncle, so I will kill his father in return.
"But I’ve been feeling uneasy recently, with severe eyelid twitching, and he has been out for so long without returning; naturally, I am worried," the woman’s voice continued with concern.
The middle-aged man said, "He must have succeeded, perhaps delayed to avoid other aristocratic families and Sects."
Yang Fei listened for a moment but, hearing no useful information and growing impatient with their worries about Duanmu Hai’s delayed return, he decided not to keep listening.
He hid his presence and quietly descended into the courtyard; the couple inside were oblivious to his presence.
Yang Fei silently shook his head.
Duanmu Hai was not weak, possessing the combat power of the Innate Realm at such a young age, yet his parents were too feeble.
From his observations just now, Duanmu Hai’s father was only at the Late-stage Energy Transformation Realm.
"Who’s there?"
Inside the room, Duanmu Xin suddenly became alert and sensed a dangerous aura. He quickly turned his head toward the window and faintly saw a blurred figure flash by in the courtyard.
He hurriedly pursued out of the room to find, under the dim light, a figure standing proudly in the courtyard.
Duanmu Xin’s pupils contracted, and he asked warily, "Who are you to dare trespass upon the Duanmu aristocratic family?"
His wife also quickly followed behind him.
Looking at the couple, a flash of murderous intent appeared in Yang Fei’s eyes, but in the end, he decided to kill only Duanmu Xin. He said, "I am the Yang Fei your son went looking for. Since your son shows no righteousness and brings disaster to the innocent, I’m returning the favor. I generously offer to send his father to join him on Huangquan Road."
"What, you... you’re spouting nonsense. How is my third son now?" The woman, catching the implications of Yang Fei’s words, was greatly shocked and shrieked in anger.
Duanmu Xin was also terrified and blurted, "What are you saying? You... you’re Yang Fei, the Taoist Inheritor, Yang..."
Before he could finish his sentence, his vision blurred as Yang Fei was already by his side.
The disparity in strength between the two was too great, and Duanmu Xin had underestimated Yang Fei’s power, especially on his home ground. Yang Fei vanished in an instant and reappeared the next moment right before him. Duanmu Xin tried to dodge, but he found he couldn’t make a sound; his throat was already seized by a hand as hard as steel.
"Crack!"
The sound of a crushed windpipe rang out.
Yang Fei directly killed Duanmu Xin and casually tossed the body toward the woman.
The woman was also a martial artist, with strength that was even greater than that of Duanmu Xin. She tried to save Duanmu Xin but saw her husband’s body hurtling towards her, forcing her to catch it.
"Ah!"
Lowering her head to see her husband was already breathless, the woman was shocked and angry, letting out a furious and mournful cry. When she looked up, Yang Fei had already vanished from the courtyard.
"Someone come, a thief has broken into the manor!"