As soon as Mu Changtian's voice fell, the escorting officers obediently stepped forward, unlocked the prison van with a clink of keys, and opened its doors to release everyone from Duke Mu's mansion.
Since their task involved transporting the noble family of Duke Mu, the officers hadn't been overly strict. Normally, upon reaching a resting stop, they'd open the carriage doors and allow them to stretch and rest.
At that moment, a messenger entered the inn and addressed the innkeeper. "Boss, we're staying here tonight. How many rooms do you have available?"
The innkeeper smiled courteously. "Sir, I'm afraid the inn is fully booked. You may need to find another place."
The officer frowned, clearly displeased. "What? It's full?"
He glanced around and scoffed, "Are you joking? There's not a village ahead or a store behind. In the middle of nowhere, how can there be so many guests?"
The innkeeper calmly replied, "Exactly because there's no village ahead or inn behind, every passerby on this road ends up staying here. So yes, we're full."
The officer clicked his tongue in annoyance but couldn't refute the logic. With no better option, he asked, "Fine then. Do you have a bigger space where we could at least rest for the night?"
The innkeeper rubbed his hands together and replied, "Our backyard is quite spacious. If you're not too particular, you can stay there."
Just as the officer was about to agree, the innkeeper added quickly, "And if you decide to stay, all food and drinks tonight will be on the house. What do you say?"
The officer's face lit up. "Alright, that works. Get someone to take care of our horses too."
The innkeeper nodded with a grin. "Absolutely. I'll have someone handle it right away."
With that settled, the officer exited the inn and returned to Mu Changtian's side, his expression slightly apologetic. "Duke Mu, my apologies. The inn is full. I'm afraid you'll have to rest under the open sky tonight."
Mu Changtian remained calm, unmoved. "It's fine. Go handle your duties."
"Understood. I'll have the shopkeeper send food for you shortly," the officer added, bowing before leaving.
Not long after, the Mu brothers—Mu Jingwu and Mu Xingping—walked over, surrounding their father with unease in their expressions.
"Father," Mu Xingping began, glancing around, "It's been two days and no one's made a move. Is His Majesty truly letting us go?"
Mu Changtian chuckled, a cold glint in his eye. "Why so anxious? Don't worry… they'll come soon enough."
Mu Xingping stiffened at his father's reply and instinctively looked around with growing anxiety. "Where? Where are they? Why can't I see them?"
Mu Changtian's gaze landed on the inn ahead. "They're inside. Waiting for us."
Startled, both Mu Jingwu and Mu Xingping immediately turned toward the inn. Through the half-open windows upstairs, a few figures stared at them.
The moment the observers realized they had been noticed, the windows slammed shut.
A chill crept down their spines.
The brothers had assumed the emperor had given up the pursuit. They never expected the true strike had yet to arrive. A sinking realization dawned upon them—tonight was the night.
Mu Jingwu leaned closer. "Father… what should we do?"
"We'll talk about that later," Mu Changtian replied, his voice heavy with intent. "I want to see who they'll send."
He knew in his heart that the emperor would never let the Mu family go so easily. This time, it was certain—an elite expert would come. The only question was who.
And there were plenty of people who bore grudges against him.
As the sky gradually dimmed and the final rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon, tension began to coil in the air like a sleeping snake about to strike.
Mu Changtian and his sons quietly prepared themselves for what was to come.
Then, without warning, a shrill whistle pierced the quiet night.
Immediately, a group of masked men clad in black scaled over the walls and landed silently in the courtyard.
The officers, now wide-eyed with sudden understanding, leapt to their feet and bolted into the distance. None of the men in black gave chase. Their objective was clear—it wasn't the officers.
Without wasting a moment, the masked assassins raised their bows, nocking arrows and taking aim at the members of Duke Mu's household.
The guards and retainers of the Mu family instinctively stepped forward, forming a human wall around the women and children. The women trembled in silence, paralyzed by fear.
The assassins slowly spread out, forming a wide semicircle. Then, a tall man stepped forward, separating from the group. He removed his mask, revealing a rugged, scarred face.
Upon seeing the man's features, Mu Changtian sneered. "I considered many names… but not yours. I didn't expect you to come see me off."
The scarred man smiled, his expression tinged with irony. "Teacher, if I hadn't volunteered for this task, how would His Majesty be willing to hand over command of the newly formed Dragon Guards to me?"
This man was none other than Chen Pengyi—once a student of Mu Changtian, and someone who had risen to power under his guidance.
Out of gratitude, Chen Pengyi had always treated the Duke Mu's Mansion with respect and generosity. Even a year ago, when they were implicated in the Zhou clan's rebellion, it was Chen Pengyi who had pleaded with Emperor Xia to spare them. In the end, the emperor had used the death-immunity iron scroll to pardon the family.
And now this same man stood here—crossbow in hand, prepared to kill.
Mu Changtian's gaze sharpened as he exhaled a long breath. "Ah… the human heart truly is the most unpredictable thing in this world."
"So that's why you pleaded for mercy that day? You just wanted us to hand over the death-immunity scroll. Let me guess—that was His Majesty's order, wasn't it?"
Chen Pengyi remained calm. "Teacher, at this point, what's the use in dredging up the past?"
"If you still have any final wishes, tell me. I may be able to grant them."
Mu Changtian burst into laughter, eyes burning with contempt. "Chen Pengyi… Chen Pengyi… You think you're different? Today I was discarded by Lu Xingqiu. One day, you'll be too."
"When that day comes, your end will be far worse than mine."
Chen Pengyi shook his head, unfazed. "I won't follow the same path you did."
"Well then, if you're done talking…" His voice turned cold. "Have a safe journey."
With a wave of his hand, Chen Pengyi shouted, "Shoot!"
But just as the archers released their bowstrings—shhhk!
A rain of arrows suddenly cascaded down from the rooftop of the inn, precisely targeting Chen Pengyi's assassins. Caught completely off-guard, several of his men collapsed without even realizing what hit them.
Chen Pengyi's eyes narrowed as rage surged through him. "Who dares interfere in His Majesty's affairs?!"
Before anyone could respond, red-robed warriors leapt down from the rooftops, landing silently like phantoms. Each one radiated the aura of a Fifth Rank warrior.
Mu Changtian's brows rose slightly. He had suspected that the mysterious prince who had gifted them the Great Huan Dan would eventually make a move—but he hadn't expected him to dispatch warriors of this caliber.
This wasn't just a gesture of goodwill. It was protection. Serious protection.
It seemed the prince placed great importance on the Mu family.
Chen Pengyi's tone turned icy. "Since you dare interfere in matters of the throne, be prepared to die."
Then, he roared, "Come out! Don't hide!"
As soon as his voice faded, two shadowy figures emerged from the darkness, followed by several warriors who lined up behind Chen Pengyi.
Each of them emanated a fierce aura—clearly masters in their own right.
Mu Changtian chuckled, shaking his head. "His Majesty really does honor me."
"To think that just to kill an old cripple like me, he'd send three masters!"
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