Chapter 602: Stringent Defense

Chapter 602: Stringent Defense

After leaving Huan Tian City, Su Kexin planned to return to Tianling Mountain. The purpose of her outing was to find Lin Nuo, but not long after, Lin Nuo had vanished without a trace.

She sighed softly, missing her Senior Martial Brother quite a bit. Unfortunately, there were other girls around, leaving no chance for solitude—what a pity!

Clearly, she was the chosen one, meant to pair up with her Senior Brother, with the Water Spirit Heart and Phoenix Twin Swords being the best embodiments of that.

Time would prove everything, and she was certain that in the end, it would be her who walked alongside her Senior Brother to the very end.

Planning to stop by a city for a meal and rest, she unexpectedly ran into some Senior Brothers and Sisters from Xuanyun Sect, including Zhou Jianhu, who had previously accompanied her to Wind Sea Forest.

“Senior Brother Zhou, what a coincidence! What are you doing here?”

In the restaurant, Su Kexin casually took a seat with them.

“It’s Junior Sister Kexin! What a coincidence; please, sit down.”

Seeing Su Kexin approach, Zhou Jianhu and the others welcomed her and poured her some tea.

“Junior Sister Kexin, are you out on a mission?”

“No, I went to Huan Tian City to look for Senior Brother. I’m on my way back to Tianling Mountain now. What about you all?”

“Recently, it’s the birthday of Mu Yuanfeng, the head of Helong Hall. Various dark organizations and sects will gather for it, and such occasions are prone to chaos with dirty dealings and violent acts. Last year was just like this. So, we teamed up with Yulin Sect and Hunfeng Sect to keep a close watch on this area and maintain a stringent defense.”

“Oh, I see. Since that’s the case, isn’t this a great opportunity to eliminate them in one go? Why not take the initiative?”

Su Kexin suggested her thoughts after hearing this.

“Junior Sister Kexin, you’re being too optimistic. With all the factions gathered, their combined strength is still too strong. If we recklessly attack, it’ll be tough to prevail, and we’ll lose our men without gaining any advantage.”

Zhou Jianhu spoke seriously; this was no joke. They had to hold the line to prevent those hidden forces from plotting harm against the people.

But they wouldn’t storm the enemy’s stronghold; that was too extreme. If they weren’t careful, they could end up wiped out, bringing trouble upon themselves.

“Then I’ll stay as well, to contribute in whatever small way I can.”

Su Kexin said, thinking that since she would be alone training back home, why not stay and do something meaningful?

“Alright, that means we have an extra helper. But Junior Sister Kexin, you mustn’t act recklessly; you need to follow our arrangements.”

“Mm-hmm, I understand. I will definitely listen to my Senior Brothers and Sisters’ plans.”

Su Kexin nodded repeatedly; as a weaker cultivator, how could she go around acting rashly? Following their arrangements was all she needed to do.

…

Under the disdainful gazes of the crowd, Lin Nuo increasingly felt that something was off.

A question dawned on him.

What had been the standard when he chose his master upon joining Helong Hall?

Power, authority, someone capable of leading the charge in Helong Hall and gathering influence.

At that time, Mu Yiting had given him that kind of impression; he thought she had grown stronger, so he still chose to join her side, believing he had a chance to ascend the ranks and access the resources he wanted.

The plan seemed to be progressing step by step, without significant problems.

Yet now, upon reflection and observation of the current situation, something felt amiss.

What kind of problem?

Mu Yiting was not as formidable as he had imagined. It wasn’t just a matter of waving her hand like a king and having everyone pay homage.

Now, it seemed like she was in a weak position, being looked down upon.

If that were really the case, how had she dared to recruit under the banner of Helong Hall? How could she have had the audacity?

But now that he had crossed into her boat, he thought he’d just roll with it; it was quite comfortable. The main advantage was her Tingtian brand Cold Water, unique to her—something no one else could provide.

He also had no clue about her formula, which drove him crazy.

At this moment, Mu Yiting held her head high, completely indifferent to the outside world’s gaze, wrapping her arm around Lin Nuo’s as they walked forward.

“Greetings, esteemed elders. I am Mu Yiting, and this is my fiancé, Ni Daye.”

“Miss Mu, at the matchmaking tournament you held last time, is he the final victor?” someone asked.

“Yes, he is the victor.” Mu Yiting replied nonchalantly.

“I was present, but I didn’t hear about him. At that time, Xu Hu and Shi Kui were in the finals, yet they both ended up dead. Isn’t that strange?”

Someone began to stir the pot; the Hu Tian Gang and Li Huo Society members present listened with growing anger.

“Not strange at all; we are not the righteous path. Sudden death is not unexpected. Your doubts are valid, but this is recognized by my grandfather; he is qualified.”

Mu Yiting continued calmly. It was normal for these ordinary folks to be envious; today was a grand celebration, and there was no need to get angry with them.

Naturally, everyone was dissatisfied. So many had died during the matchmaking tournament, and yet she remained so composed—how could the sect members endure that?

“The leader has arrived.”

Someone called out, as a burly man walked in, flanked by two fierce-looking sons. All the sect members surged forward to greet him; this was a big shot, and if they could curry favor, it would surely be beneficial later.

The various leaders came in succession, but Helong Hall’s number two, the King, was still yet to arrive. Lin Nuo wondered if this guy knew he was the king and had intentionally chosen to appear last.

The hall grew increasingly lively, resembling a high society networking event, filled with various social interactions where wealth and power players tried to flatter each other.

Then Mu Yuanfeng arrived, and the hall erupted in cheers. Everyone flocked to him with blessings, and Mu Yuanfeng could only smile awkwardly throughout.

“I’m very glad you all could attend my birthday banquet; please, take a seat—no need to stand.”

At Mu Yuanfeng’s invitation, people from different sides gradually filled the banquet hall.

Several sect leaders and their descendants sat at one table with Mu Yuanfeng, while the less significant relatives occupied different seats.

“He is my fiancé and deserves to sit at the family table. Even if he can’t, he shouldn’t be seated with commoners.”

Seeing Lin Nuo being treated like an outsider and seated at a regular table, Mu Yiting felt indignant and determined to fight for his rights.

“There’s no list for him at the family table; he can only sit here. This is the Master’s arrangement,” said the subordinate preparing the seating.

“How could that be? He passed Grandpa’s test and is eligible to be my fiancé; have you made a mistake?”

“Not mistaken—this is how the list was arranged. You can take a look.”

The subordinate showed Mu Yiting a list, indeed confirming that Ni Daye wasn’t even on the guest list.

Just then, Mu Yuanfeng walked past, and Mu Yiting quickly asked, “Grandpa, this is Ni Daye. You should still remember him; he accepted your test, went to Tianyuan Domain to occupy territory, and he completed it on time. So he should qualify to be my fiancé. But Grandpa, why is he still seated with the commoners?”

“Tianyuan Domain? What Tianyuan Domain?”

Mu Yuanfeng feigned ignorance and asked.

Upon hearing this, Lin Nuo thought, “Wow, this old man really is pulling the rug out from under me.”