Chapter 57: Bloodshed at the Inn
As dusk fell, the Mu family convoy arrived at a roadside inn and decided to take a break. The carriages were parked outside, with two guards staying behind to watch over them, while the rest entered the inn to eat and rest.
"Welcome, esteemed guests! Please, come in!" the innkeeper's assistant greeted them warmly as they stepped inside.
"Waiter, bring us three jars of your best wine and your finest dishes," the Mu family's Fourth Elder commanded. This inn was a familiar stop for them during their travels.
"Right away, Mu Lord," the waiter responded, retreating to the kitchen with a courteous bow before heading to the wine cellar. There, his friendly demeanor shifted, and he poured a packet of powdered drugs into the wine jars, shaking them thoroughly. A sinister grin spread across his face before he carried the tampered wine to the dining hall.
The Fourth Elder and his companions uncorked the wine jars and began pouring the drinks. "Cheers!" they toasted, their movements deliberate as they subtly avoided drinking the wine themselves.
The waiter smirked, confident his scheme was working.
After some time, plates of food were served alongside the drugged wine. One of the Mu family guards suddenly clutched his head, swaying on his feet. "What's… happening…? My head…" he stammered before collapsing to the floor.
"Hey! Are you alright? Wake up!" another guard exclaimed, but one by one, the Mu family members began to falter, slumping over tables or collapsing to the ground as if unconscious.
The Assassins Strike
From the upper floor, a group of black-clad men descended, their leader laughing coldly. "Good job, waiter," he sneered, tossing a golden bank card to the accomplice. The waiter quickly pocketed it and disappeared.
The assassins drew their weapons, stepping closer to the seemingly unconscious Mu family members. "Mu family," one of them muttered darkly, "you should've known better than to harbor someone you shouldn't."
The leader gave a sharp nod. "Kill them all," he ordered.
One of the assassins raised his blade over the Fifth Elder's neck, ready to decapitate him. But just as the blade descended, the elder's eyes snapped open. His fist shot out, wrapped in golden energy, smashing into the assassin's head.
Boom!
The man's skull exploded in a grotesque spray of blood and brain matter.
At the same time, the other "unconscious" Mu family members leapt into action, grabbing their weapons and attacking the startled assassins.
"What the—?!" the leader exclaimed, his face contorting with shock. He glanced around for the treacherous waiter, but the man was nowhere to be found.
The Fifth Elder smirked coldly. "Yellow Master, why don't you take off your mask and stop pretending?"
The leader froze, his heart sinking. With a resigned growl, he tore off his mask, revealing himself to be Huang Tai, patriarch of the Huang family.
"You knew we'd attack?" Huang Tai demanded, his voice icy.
"Of course," the Fifth Elder replied. "Do you think we'd fall for the same trick twice? Your pathetic attempts to sabotage us have been exposed, and now it's time for you to pay."
Huang Tai's expression hardened, but he sneered defiantly. "Even if you know, what of it? You think you can stop us with just the few of you here? I brought four Condensed Qi Stage experts and thirty skilled warriors. Do you truly believe you can leave here alive?"
The Fifth Elder laughed. "Oh, Huang Tai, you underestimate us. Did you really think we'd come unprepared after learning of your plans?"
The inn's door burst open with a resounding crash. Mu Hai strode in, flanked by Fu Bo, Mu Zhong, Mu Feng, and several Mu family elders and guards. Their combined presence filled the room with an intimidating aura.
Huang Tai's heart sank further.
"Did you really think you could take on the Mu family without consequence?" Mu Hai's voice was as cold as ice. "Your petty grudge has led you to a fool's end."
"You call this petty?!" Huang Tai roared, pointing at Mu Feng. "That brat crippled my son! Does that mean nothing?"
Without waiting for a response, he bellowed, "Kill them all! Break through the encirclement!"
The Battle Erupts
Swords clashed, and the room erupted into chaos. Huang Tai's men charged, their blades glinting in the dim light. The Mu family warriors met them head-on, their coordinated strikes cutting down their enemies with ruthless efficiency.
Mu Feng leapt into the fray, his movements fluid and precise. A Huang family guard swung his blade at Mu Feng's neck, but the young warrior sidestepped with ease. Forming a sword-finger gesture, Mu Feng channeled golden energy into his fingertips and drove them into the attacker's skull.
Thud! The guard crumpled to the ground, lifeless.
Another Huang family warrior, wielding a sword infused with blue energy, launched an attack. Mu Feng grabbed the body of his first victim, using it as a shield to absorb the strike. The corpse absorbed the impact, its torso nearly cleaved in two.
"Golden Severing Finger!" Mu Feng shouted, releasing a golden energy strike that pierced the second warrior's forehead, leaving him dead on the floor.
Clashing Titans
On the other side of the room, Mu Hai and Huang Tai clashed with explosive force. Their energy blasts shattered nearby furniture, sending debris flying. Mu Zhong and Fu Bo engaged the remaining Condensed Qi Stage experts, while the Fourth and Fifth Elders cut through the lesser Huang family fighters.
Amidst the chaos, Mu Feng's combat prowess stood out. With his Golden Severing Finger perfected, he dispatched two more enemies in rapid succession, earning astonished glances from his allies.
One particularly strong opponent, a Purple Mansion Fifth Stage warrior, charged at Mu Feng with a flurry of sword strikes, each infused with yellow energy. Mu Feng's agile movements turned the opponent's offensive into a futile effort. Drawing his Tier-One Yuan Blade, Mu Feng invoked the Tiger Savagery Blade Technique.
"Tiger's Roar!"
A golden blade projection materialized, accompanied by a thunderous roar. The force of the strike sent the Huang warrior stumbling back, his arms lacerated by the energy's shockwaves.
"Tiger's Pounce!" Mu Feng growled, crouching low before springing forward with blinding speed. His blade pierced through the enemy's chest, emerging blood-soaked from the other side.
The dying warrior's eyes filled with terror before he collapsed, lifeless.
The battle raged on, but the tide was turning irrevocably in the Mu family's favor. Huang Tai, his forces dwindling, could only watch in despair as his carefully laid plans unraveled.