Immortal Style and Profound Character, Unrivaled Master ( Part 1 )

Just at this moment, a vigorous and powerful voice came from outside the hall, "Why is the leader Xiao rejecting guests?"

As soon as the voice fell, an old man had already walked into the hall. Although he was over seventy years old, his face was red and his body was full of Daoist spirit. His hair was white, and a strand of green beard swayed in the wind. However, there was a kind expression between his eyebrows.

Behind the old man were four strong men, all about thirty years old. One of them was dressed like a scholar, showing a bit of refinement, while the others were rough and powerful, like the Four Heavenly Kings in a temple.

Chen Yuanyuan was so frightened that she screamed and hid behind Mu Linfeng when she saw them. After entering the hall, the old man kept his eyes on Mu Linfeng, and his expression was strange. He quickly asked, "What's your name, young man?"

Mu Linfeng saw that the old man looked kind, and quickly replied, "I have the same surname and ancestry as the old man. My name is Mu Linfeng."

The old man showed a strange look on his face and asked, "You also have the surname Mu? Where are you from?"

Mu Linfeng answered, "I am from the South Seas."

The old man was even more surprised. Before he could think carefully, he heard Xiao Yuanqiao coldly say on the side, "Mr. Mu, what brings you to our stronghold so late?"

The old man smiled slightly and said, "Xiao leader is really forgetful. Don't you remember me?"

Xiao Yuanqiao carefully looked at the old man and shook his head, "I'm sorry, I can't recall having any acquaintance with you."

The old man continued to smile and said, "We don't have much of a relationship. I'm just here to collect a debt."

Xiao Yuanqiao was slightly taken aback and asked, "May I ask who you are?"

The old man smiled and said, "I am Mu Ren, does Mr. Xiao remember me?"

Xiao Yuanqiao muttered, "Mu Ren?"

Mu Linfeng had planned to take the opportunity to escape with Wu Xing and the others, but the defenses outside the hall were too tight, so he could only watch the situation unfold. When he heard that Mu Ren had come to collect a debt, Mu Linfeng was overjoyed and did not make any moves, quietly watching the situation unfold. Chen Yuanyuan held Mu Linfeng's hand tightly.

Mu Ren saw that Xiao Yuanqiao remained silent for a long time and continued, "Do you know Xiao Jiaoyuan, a customer of the Mu Wangfu in Yunnan, fifteen years ago?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuanqiao's face immediately turned pale, his fists clenched, and his voice trembling as he asked, "Who are you?"

Mu Ren did not answer him, and continued, "Fifteen years ago, the prince of Mu Wangfu in Yunnan, Mu Feng, met a destitute warrior named Xiao Jiaoyuan on the street and gave him a few taels of silver. Later, this Xiao Jiaoyuan, grateful for Mu Feng's help, stayed on as a guard at the palace. Who knew that on the day Mu Feng left the province to visit his relatives, this warrior violated his beloved concubine and then killed thirteen people in the palace before fleeing..."

Before Mu Ren could finish his words, Xiao Yuanqiao shouted, "That's enough. I don't know this Xiao Jiaoyuan. Mr. Mu can leave now."

Mufeng listened as Muren spoke the name "Xiao Zhaoyuan" and couldn't help but murmur it to himself a few times before understanding. "Oh? So Xiao Dadang is actually Xiao Zhaoyuan, who changed his name to Xiao Yuanqiao today by simply reversing the last two characters for a homophone."

Muren nodded slightly upon hearing Mufeng's words and continued, "I was traveling outside at that time and only found out about this after returning home. The Prince of Mu was so angry that he spat blood and fell ill soon after. He couldn't live for more than a few months and passed away. I have been inquiring about Xiao Zhaoyuan's whereabouts for fifteen years, only to find out a few days ago that he has become a king of the mountains at Shuiboliang..."

Xiao Yuanqiao didn't wait for Muren to finish and loudly asked, "Who are you in the Mu Wang Mansion?"

Muren still smiled slightly. Even though he was talking about killing more than a dozen people, he was still able to maintain his demeanor and smile. This was truly rare. He replied, "I am Mu Feng's uncle."

Mufeng nodded and said, "So you are the old Mu Wang." Mufeng naturally knew about the Mu Wang Mansion in Yunnan, as it should be the descendants of Mu Ying, a great general of the Ming Dynasty. Mu Ying was a foster son of Zhu Yuanzhang, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty, so after he helped pacify the country, he was appointed as a king to guard Yunnan.

Xiao Yuanqiao stared at Muren and asked angrily, "Why did you come here today?"

Muren smiled and replied, "There is no other reason except for this matter."

Xiao Yuanqiao roared, "You brought four people to attack our stronghold. You must be very skilled, aren't you?"

Mu Ren laughed and said, "Are you talking about those four behind me?" He pointed to the four people behind him and added, "They're just here to watch the fun with this old man. Although I'm not talented, I have learned some swordsmanship over the years."

Mu Linfeng saw that Mu Ren did not have a sword in his hand, and the other four people also had no weapons on them. He couldn't help but wonder, "If he's a swordsman, why doesn't he have a sword on him?"

Xiao Yuanqiao also felt strange. Was Mu Ren hiding a soft sword at his waist? He couldn't be careless. He saw that Mu Ren's footwork was floating, which violated the cardinal rule of martial arts. In addition, there was no killing intent in his eyes. He didn't seem like a martial artist at all, so he decided to take the initiative to attack. He immediately took a step forward and threw two punches, one aimed at Mu Ren's forehead and the other at his lower abdomen. His fists were so fast that he thought he could defeat Mu Ren with just a few moves.

Mu Linfeng watched nervously from the side, but he saw that the four seniors remained calm and natural. His heart settled slightly. However, he saw that Xiao Yuanqiao's fist was about to hit Mu Ren, and he immediately shouted, "Senior Mu, be careful!"

As soon as Mu Linfeng finished speaking, Xiao Yuanqiao felt a flash in front of him, and Mu Ren had disappeared from his sight. Xiao Yuanqiao was shocked and immediately withdrew his fists to protect his chest. He looked around but couldn't see Mu Ren's trace. He had never seen such skill before and was sweating profusely.

Mu Linfeng watched carefully from the side, but he didn't see how Mu Ren disappeared from in front of Xiao Yuanqiao. He couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. Xiao Yuanqiao stood in the hall, at a loss for what to do. He quickly shouted, "Come out, you...!" Before he could finish his sentence, he felt a gust of wind on his forehead. He looked up and saw Mu Ren descending from the air, with a palm strike aimed at his face. The speed was like a shooting star. Xiao Yuanqiao was shocked and immediately put up his palm to block it. However, Mu Ren's palm strike contained an invisible force that suppressed him to the point where he couldn't even breathe, let alone move his hand.

Mu Linfeng thought to himself, "What kind of world is this at the end of the Ming Dynasty? There are people with such amazing skills. They are even more exaggerated than the martial arts movies made with computer special effects that I have seen before. Moreover, the Ming Dynasty has always emphasized literature over martial arts. How come there are so many martial arts masters?"

Another idea came to his mind, "If I could become this person's disciple, then..." With this in mind, he looked closely and saw that when Mu Ren's palm was about to hit Xiao Yuanqiao's face, he immediately retracted his palm and turned it into a single finger, lightly touching Xiao Yuanqiao's forehead. With this force, Mu Ren jumped up and landed on the ground. Xiao Yuanqiao was unable to move and stood there dumbfounded.