212: Chapter 212 Hit a brick wall

Mu Yuanqing's actions were even faster than Lin Tian had anticipated. In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a dense and heavy sound of footsteps came from the entrance of the alley,

and over a dozen figures swarmed into the alley, completely blocking the front and back doors of Liu's Herb Shop.

Leading them was a middle-aged man wearing the attire of a Mu Family steward. He was lean with high cheekbones, and his triangular eyes carried an innate authority. The plump figure following behind him was none other than Mu Yuanqing,

whose cheek was still swollen and the blood scab at the corner of his mouth had not been wiped clean. However, the fear on his Face was now gone, replaced by the excitement of a dog flaunting its master's power.

Liu Yunfeng peered outside through the crack in the door, and his Face instantly turned pale. There were over a dozen people from the Mu Family, and none of them had weak auras. He couldn't see through the cultivation of the leading middle-aged man at all.

He instinctively blocked Lin Tian, the veins on the back of his hands bulging. His lips trembled as he tried to say something to save Face, but he couldn't squeeze out a single word.

Lin Tian remained seated on his chair, holding his teacup without even lifting his eyelids.

Mu Yuanqing rushed into the shop ahead of the others. Seeing Lin Tian still sitting there drinking tea in such a grandiose manner, his arrogance flared up even more. Pointing a chubby finger at Lin Tian's nose,

he shouted in a sharp, loud voice, "Kid! Can you still fight? Soon you'll be kneeling on the ground, kowtowing and apologizing to me!" Having said that, he stepped aside,

and bowed to the lean middle-aged man behind him. "Fourth Uncle, it's him! He impersonated a distinguished guest of our Mu Family and even laid hands on me!"

The middle-aged man crossed the threshold unhurriedly. His gaze swept around the shop and landed on Lin Tian, who was sitting by the table. Just as the cold sneer at the corner of his mouth began to form, before he could even speak, his entire body froze in place as if someone had cast a binding spell on him.

His triangular eyes suddenly widened, and the coldness and arrogance on his Face instantly shattered into pieces.

He had seen this Face in the Mu Family's Steward Hall—just yesterday afternoon, this young man had personally handed a red sandalwood box to Elder Mu Huaiyuan. The five-pound, ten-year-old Treasure Fish inside the box,

had been personally inspected by Mu Huaiyuan, who praised it endlessly. Afterward, he warned all the stewards: this Young Master Lin from the Qixia Sect is a distinguished guest of the Mu Family, and no one is allowed to neglect him.

"Young Master Lin?" His voice involuntarily pitched higher. He then bowed deeply, cupped his fists, and performed a standard Junior's salute to Lin Tian. "Greetings, Young Master Lin!"

The entire shop instantly fell so silent that a dropped needle could be heard. Mu Yuanqing's smile froze on his Face, his mouth gaping wide enough to fit a fist. Liu Yunfeng's hand gripping the counter suddenly tightened,

his knuckles turning white, his mind a complete blank. He had thought they were dead for sure, so how did the situation suddenly turn around like this?

Mu Yuanqing snapped out of it, his voice sharp and panicked, "Fourth Uncle! Why are you bowing to him? Hurry up and slap this kid to death—" Before he could finish, the middle-aged man suddenly spun around and slapped him hard across the Face.

This slap did not use Internal Energy, but it carried immense force, spinning Mu Yuanqing halfway around. A clear five-finger print immediately swelled up on his left cheek.

The middle-aged man practically roared, "Open your dog eyes! This is Young Master Lin! A distinguished guest from the Qixia Sect, an honored guest whom Elder Mu personally ordered us to treat with the utmost respect! Apologize to Young Master Lin right now!"

With that, he kicked the back of Mu Yuanqing's knee. With a thud, Mu Yuanqing fell to his knees, his flabby flesh trembling violently.

The fierce look on his Face finally turned from arrogance to deathly pale—he now fully understood that he hadn't kicked a steel plate, but a steel mountain.

Kneeling on the ground, his voice shook like chaff, "Young Master Lin... I'm sorry! I was wrong! I was blind! I deserve to die!" With that, he began to slap himself left and right, each slap ringing loudly. In just a few blows, both sides of his Face swelled up like steamed buns.

He kowtowed as he slapped himself, his forehead thudding against the bluestone floor. By the third kowtow, a large bruise had already formed.

Lin Tian held his teacup, his posture unchanged from beginning to end. He watched Mu Yuanqing, who was kneeling and continuously slapping himself, with neither smugness nor pity in his eyes. He just watched calmly, as if observing a trivial, insignificant matter.

Only when Mu Yuanqing reached his sixth kowtow did Lin Tian finally set down his teacup. His voice wasn't loud, and his tone was flat. "This is my friend's shop. You are not allowed to come here again. Do you understand?"

Mu Yuanqing's kowtowing abruptly stopped, and then he nodded frantically, his voice muffled but his response incredibly swift. "Understood! Understood! Even if I were beaten to death, I wouldn't dare come here again!"

Lin Tian turned his head and looked at Liu Yunfeng, who was still dazed behind the counter. "Brother Liu, is this resolution acceptable?"

Liu Yunfeng felt as if he were dreaming, his mind completely blank.

Hearing Lin Tian ask him, he opened his mouth, but no sound came out. He could only nod blankly. Lin Tian then waved his hand at the middle-aged man. "Alright, you may leave. I want to chat with my friend for a while."

As if granted a great amnesty, the middle-aged man bowed to Lin Tian once more, grabbed Mu Yuanqing—who was still kneeling and trembling—and led the dozen or so people out of the shop in a flurry. The sound of their footsteps gradually faded, and silence returned to the alley.

Liu Yunfeng slumped into a chair and pinched his thigh hard—it stung sharply. It wasn't a dream.

He suddenly looked up, his voice trembling, "Lin Tian, what on earth is going on? How did you become so powerful? Even the Mu Family has to bow to you?"

Lin Tian smiled, not boastfully, but with a slight curve of his lips. He shook his head. "It's not what you think. I came on behalf of the Qixia Sect. The Qixia Sect is a major School, so they aren't giving me Face; they are giving Face to the School behind me."

Liu Yunfeng nodded, but the shock in his heart did not diminish in the slightest because of this explanation. Being able to represent the Qixia Sect spoke volumes—this youth, who once needed the support of his Liu Family in Heishan City, had now reached a height where even looking up at him was difficult.

He wanted to say more, but in the end, he just shook his head and laughed, his smile filled with both deep emotion and heartfelt relief.

The two chatted for another half-day before Lin Tian stood up to take his leave. Liu Yunfeng escorted him all the way to the entrance of the alley, watching Lin Tian's figure disappear around the corner, standing there for a long time before turning back to his shop.

After returning to the Mu Family Villa, Lin Tian's life returned to a brief period of leisure for a few days.

Su Xiaoyue was still sulking. She left early and returned late every day, exploring every corner of Qingshan City with several female Disciples of the Mu Family. Occasionally, when she ran into Lin Tian in the corridors, she would pretend not to see him.

Lin Tian was happy to have some peace. Every day, he sat in his guest room to Cultivate the Wanling Seal, occasionally practicing his swordplay a few times in the bamboo forest on the back mountain of the Mu Family. The birthday banquet quietly approached amidst these calm and uneventful days.

On the day of the birthday banquet, the Mu Family Villa was decorated with lanterns and colored banners. Over a hundred tables for a flowing feast were set up on the martial arts arena in front of the main hall. Large red lanterns hung along every corridor, and the air was filled with the mixed aroma of fine wine, delicious food, and spiritual tea.

Lin Tian changed into the formal robes of a Qixia Sect Personal Disciple. Hanging from his waist was the purple jade token personally carved by Peak Master Su Hanyan, and he took his seat alongside Su Xiaoyue.

They were seated at the VIP table right next to the main table. Mu Huaiyuan personally came over to offer a toast, and amid the clinking of glasses, the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.

Just as the atmosphere of the banquet reached its peak, a sudden commotion came from the direction of the villa's main gate. A gatekeeping Disciple hurriedly pushed through the crowd, ran to the main table, and whispered a few words to Mu Huaiyuan.

The smile on Mu Huaiyuan's Face faded slightly. He set down his wine cup and stood up.

Outside the villa's main gate, a group of people was slowly walking in. They wore matching dark green martial attire, their steps orderly and their breathing steady. Leading them was a hawk-nosed Elder with a sinister expression. His gaze swept across the Faces of the guests, a faint, mocking sneer playing on his lips.

The chests of this group of people were all embroidered with the same clan crest,

and they had come uninvited.