"Of course I can. I like reading the news too. We can read the daily headlines together," Fang Kui said with a sweet smile.
Xu Mu was dumbfounded. He couldn't tell if this woman was truly that innocent and clueless — or just pretending.
Either way, he had no intention of getting between her and Chen Xuan.
"Sorry, miss," Xu Mu said with a polite smile. "I won't be going to Kunlun Mountain, and I won't let you be my girlfriend either."
He pointed to Jiang Huihui, who was standing nearby with her hands in her pockets, blowing bubbles with her gum.
"You saw the tournament — it'd be rude to say such things in front of my fiancée."
[Favorability +10]
Jiang Huihui kept chewing her gum, pretending not to care, though her gaze shifted away.
This Xu Mu… really knew how to talk.
[Favorability +3]
Fang Kui's own favorability meter rose as well. She couldn't help but admire Xu Mu's composure and decency.
Still, she said stubbornly, "Our sect isn't like the outside world. I could still marry you."
Xu Mu sighed theatrically. "Don't be fooled by my build — I'm actually quite weak. One wife might already be more than I can handle, let alone more."
He clapped Chen Xuan on the shoulder. "Old Chen, chat with her a bit more. We'll wait in the car."
Then he walked off with Jiang Huihui, heading down the mountain.
"Brother Mu…" Chen Xuan muttered, then shook his head. Better to be honest.
Like Jiang Huihui before, and Xia Sihan earlier — being upfront had always been the right choice.
"Fang Kui," he said seriously, "I'll be honest. I already have someone I like. The marriage arranged between us was decided by our elders — my master and your grandfather — without our consent."
He took a deep breath. "My master passed away three years ago. Our engagement should be null and void."
"…Alright."
Fang Kui nodded softly, but her eyes filled with tears. "My grandfather is gone too. He died a year ago."
Chen Xuan froze. He remembered his master telling him that Fang Kui's grandfather was a Kunlun Mountain elder — her parents had both died fighting foreign races long ago.
Now her grandfather was gone too. Just like him, she was alone.
No wonder her personality seemed different — once proud and spoiled, now subdued. Her backing was gone.
"My condolences," Chen Xuan said quietly. "I know that feeling. I went through it three years ago."
"It's fine. It's all in the past."
With that, Fang Kui turned and left, disappearing quickly into the distance.
Her black-robed escort stayed behind for a moment. "Young Kui's grandfather's spirit fields and cultivation grounds were seized by the other elders. She's now beneath even ordinary disciples."
Chen Xuan sighed deeply.
No wonder she was alone — all her inherited resources were gone.
"Not just that," the man continued, "her cultivation resources are being withheld. To recover her status, she'll have to marry one of the elders' descendants."
"So much for Kunlun Mountain being a model for other sects," Chen Xuan growled. "It's disgusting."
"Easy to meet the King of Hell — harder to deal with his little devils," the black-robed man said darkly. "Kunlun's sect master isn't the problem. It's those petty elders with a bit of power."
After saying that, he added, "Chen Xuan, I hope you'll help her. She's liked you since childhood."
Before Chen Xuan could respond, the man vanished.
"Sigh… Women really are troublesome creatures," Chen Xuan muttered with a long exhale.
Meanwhile, Xu Mu and Jiang Huihui were already sitting in the car.
Jiang Huihui, seated in the passenger seat, glanced over curiously. "You really belong to the Righteous Demon Sect?"
"That's right." Xu Mu nodded.
"Then how come I've never heard of it?" she said, scrolling through her phone. "There's no record of it even in the Sanitation Bureau's database."
"There are countless sects in the world. You think you've heard of them all?" Xu Mu replied lazily. "We just keep a low profile. Our numbers are small — mostly because our entry requirement is too strict."
"What kind of requirement?"
"Looks. If your looks aren't up to standard, you can't get in."
Xu Mu made it up on the spot. Then he looked out the window. "Ah, Old Chen's back. Time to go."
"Brother Mu," Chen Xuan said as he climbed into the back seat with his woven bag.
"Everything settled?" Xu Mu asked with a grin.
"All good." Chen Xuan shook his head.
"Then let's head home. It's been a long day." Xu Mu started the car and drove off.
He dropped Jiang Huihui off first at the Sanitation Bureau in Yang City.
She wanted to return to her dorm and get some proper sleep — she'd barely rested for days.
Then Xu Mu drove Chen Xuan back to Jiang City.
During the drive, Xu Mu glanced at him through the rearview mirror. "Old Chen, you look off. Something wrong?"
"No," Chen Xuan muttered.
"Come on — what happened with Fang Kui?"
Xu Mu had already guessed.
"Sigh, can't hide anything from you, Brother Mu."
Chen Xuan sighed and recounted everything.
When he finished, Xu Mu smiled faintly. "You want to help her?"
"I grew up on the mountain," Chen Xuan said softly. "Didn't have many playmates. Other than Senior Sister, she was the only girl I used to see often."
He looked out the window. "Brother Mu, what do you think I should do?"
"That's for you to decide," Xu Mu said calmly. "But whatever you choose, I'll back you up."
"Brother Mu, honestly… if I were a woman, I'd definitely be part of your harem," Chen Xuan said with conviction.
Then his tone hardened. "I'll ask her what she needs. If it's about taking back her grandfather's land, we can't help. But if it's something else, I've decided — I'll help her."
"Good." Xu Mu nodded lightly.
Back in Jiang City, he dropped Chen Xuan off at his rented courtyard, then drove back to his villa.
A lot had happened today, and he needed a good rest.
When he arrived, a quick scan told him the house was empty — even Feng Yue wasn't home.
Xu Mu lay down on the sofa, thinking. Should he tell Xu Shou about Jiang Mingzhuo?
After pondering a moment, he stood up and headed for the company.
Since Jiang Mingzhuo knew he was Xu Shou's son, it wouldn't take long for them to find his father.
And with his father's meridians only recently repaired and his strength not yet recovered, Jiang Mingzhuo could easily kill him.
Xu Mu had to warn him to prepare in advance.
At Xu Corporation, Xu Mu knocked on the chairman's office door.
Inside, Xu Ningbing was holding a stack of documents, about to leave.
When she saw him, she turned back and sat down on the sofa again.