Swish!
Mu Zi pointed a finger in the air, and a beam of energy shattered the flying arrow to splinters.
Sighing, she leaped from the tree to the ground, glaring coldly at the people of the Xie clan.
"Who are you? Why are you blocking the path of the Xie clan?" a master at the Earth Yuan level roared.
Seeing that the opponent was acting so recklessly, Mu Zi gave a cold sneer. "Hmph! And why did you attack me?"
The man from the Xie clan declared with arrogant pride: "Obstructing the Xie clan's affairs is a grave crime! "Based on your suspicious appearance, you must be related to the Lin clan. Sir, let's capture her! "Such a beauty! The brothers haven't had fun with one like this yet! Haha!"
Mu Zi's eyes narrowed, and Yuan Power began to gather on her fingers, ready to teach this insolent loudmouth a lesson.
But at that moment, the head of the Xie clan, Xie Qian, suddenly raised his hand, stopping his subordinates' further provocations.
He cupped his fist in his palm, addressing Mu Zi with a serious expression: "My men have forgotten their manners and have offended the lady. I beg you not to hold a grudge!"
Seeing this, Mu Zi was surprised; a flash of astonishment passed through her eyes. "You are the head of the Xie clan?" she asked.
Xie Qian replied with a smile: "That is correct, it is I."
Mu Zi nodded and said without ceremony: "Such ignoramuses as this one—how are they punished according to the Xie clan's rules?"
Hearing this, Xie Qian's face darkened, but as if remembering something, he forced a smile. "Suspension from duties and a year of confinement," he replied.
His words caused a stir among the Xie clan's ranks. Was their master really going to punish an Earth Yuan level master?
Even if it wasn't a real punishment, such a reply in front of a stranger was tantamount to admitting weakness.
What did their master mean? The Xie clan was already strong, and in alliance with the Lei clan, was there anything to fear in Qingyang City?
Fortunately, Xie Qian's authority within the clan was high, and despite their dissatisfaction, none of the Xie clan's men dared to openly object.
At this moment, Xie Qian felt helpless. He didn't want to back down, but noticing Mu Zi's actions, he understood part of her strength, which made him wary.
Late-stage Earth Yuan at such a young age was a rarity, and a late-stage master was an exception.
Such a talent was almost certainly not from Qingyang. She was most likely from some major power outside.
Although a late-stage Earth Yuan's power didn't impress Xie Qian, he feared the forces behind the girl and didn't want to offend her too much.
Of course, under normal circumstances, he wouldn't have humiliated himself like this, but now, with his clan and the Lin clan at loggerheads, capturing the women of the Lin clan was a top priority.
"Is the lady satisfied with this resolution?" Xie Qian asked.
He didn't want to create unnecessary trouble at this critical moment, so he lowered his tone.
So accommodating? Mu Zi thought.
Xie Qian's behavior surprised her. A Heavenly Yuan master was apologizing to her, who had only reached Earth Yuan. This slightly tempered her anger.
Noticing that Mu Zi's expression had softened, Xie Qian breathed a sigh of relief and waved his hand, ordering his men to continue the pursuit of the Lin clan's group.
At their master's command, the Xie clan's men rushed out of the forest, fiercely attacking the passing Lin clan group.
However, some of the Xie clan's men remained in place, continuing to face Mu Zi alongside Xie Qian.
The Lin clan's people, suddenly under attack, were shocked. Seeing that their assailants were from the Xie clan, they counterattacked with burning eyes.
In an instant, both sides clashed, and the air filled with the frequent clanging of blades.
However, the Lin clan's guard force was clearly outmatched. Under the pressure of the well-prepared assault from the Xie clan, they quickly began to retreat.
Seeing this, Liu Yan was increasingly filled with anxiety. Suddenly, her gaze fell upon the girl confronting the Xie clan in the forest.
Liu Yan was struck by Mu Zi at first sight. With her refined taste, she noted that the girl's appearance and aura were the most outstanding she had ever seen.
Even compared to her adopted daughter, Qing Tan, Mu Zi was a step ahead.
But at this moment, the girl's position looked dangerous, and Liu Yan's heart tightened.
Liu Yan was not accustomed to interfering in other people's affairs, especially since she herself could barely protect herself right now.
However, she felt that the girl had been dragged into the conflict between the Lin and Xie clans because of her, and this filled her heart with a sense of guilt.
But she was powerless now. The Lin clan's guards were barely holding on, and Liu Yan felt the cold wind from the swings of the Xie clan's swords.
Swish!
A sharp whistle suddenly sounded. An arrow, like a bolt of lightning, broke through the guards' defensive line and shot straight towards Liu Yan's head.
Looking at the rapidly growing light of the arrow in her pupils, Liu Yan turned pale. Powerless to do anything, she slowly closed her eyes, sighing in her soul.
"Dong-er... Xiao-ge..." she whispered.
Clang!
But at the moment Liu Yan closed her eyes, preparing for death, a black flash suddenly flew out from the dense forest in the distance and forcefully collided with the arrow, shattering it into splinters.
"Who?!" Xie Qian exclaimed coldly, his face darkening.
"Your grandpa!" came the reply.
Xie Qian's shout was answered with a cold snort. Then, a fiery-red shadow, like lightning, with a low tiger's roar, burst from the dense forest and landed with imposing might in front of Liu Yan.
All eyes turned to it. On the back of the tiger, a young man stood straight as a spear, with an icy expression on his face, and a sharp aura of killing intent slowly spread around him!
"Lin Dong!" they exclaimed, recognizing him.
Xie Qian's face changed. He knew of Lin Dong's feat of cutting down two Heavenly Yuan masters from the Lei clan, which made him treat this young man from the Lin clan with caution.
At this moment, as the tension between the sides grew, a clear and melodious voice rang out: "Master Xie Qian, have you forgotten about me?" Mu Zi said.
Lin Dong, following the voice, saw Mu Zi and was slightly surprised.
Is that her? he thought.
Although their meeting was brief, the mysteriousness of this girl had left a deep impression on Lin Dong.
Seeing her here again, he was astonished. What amazed him even more was that she seemed to be in conflict with the Xie clan.
Looking at the fierce Xie clan members in front of Mu Zi, Lin Dong couldn't help but worry about her.
But in the next instant, the girl's words stunned him. "You attacked me without reason, and you think an apology will be enough?" Mu Zi said coldly.
Xie Qian frowned: "What else do you want?"
Xie Qian thought he had already shown enough respect, but it seemed Mu Zi wasn't going to stop there.
Even a clay man has three parts of anger. Did the Xie clan really fear her, an Earth Yuan level master?
Mu Zi scanned the Xie clan's group and pointed a snow-white finger at one of them. "The one who attacked me, let him sever his own arm. Then I won't interfere in your Xie clan's business," she declared.
Her words caused a wave of astonishment.
Attacked her—and immediately sever his arm? That was too domineering!
Lin Dong was dumbfounded. He had previously thought of Mu Zi as a mischievous girl next door, but he hadn't expected her to have such a dominant side.
Hearing her blunt demand, Xie Qian's face finally turned completely dark.
He realized that there would be no peace today.