Helping From Behind the Scenes
Everybody in Clearwater City heard about Mu Clan moving into their cemetery, earning condescending opinions from the masses. They couldn’t even walk the streets without fingers pointed at them and gossip flitting into their ears.
When Mu Rongxuan went out to buy domestic necessities, he hid his face under a hood and hurried similarly to a scurrying rat. His elder brothers usually handled those chores as their cultivation warded off troublemakers. Unfortunately, they were occupied today. Even though Mu Rongxuan jumped over the cemetery wall, thinking nobody would notice, Liu Tu, the owner of an item production store, confronted him in an alleyway, pushing the latter around with his Golden Core Realm Eighth Layer cultivation.
“Mu Rongxuan, when are you going to settle our debt?”
“Proprietor Liu, we will pay what we pay. Please give us a few more days,” begged Mu Rongxuan, forcing a smile.
“It seems to me that you intend to dodge. I’m not going to expect a hundred thousand when you’ve moved into your cemetery. I just want to make sure you can’t leave it again.”
Liu Tu shoved Mu Rongxuan to the ground. Mu Rongxuan guarded his head with his arms, but the hammer fists never rained down. Perplexed, Mu Rongxuan lowered his arms. Somehow, Liu Tu had vanished. He got up and surveyed the surroundings. Nothing was visibly suspicious. Though it was bizarre, he pulled his head over and scampered back to the cemetery.
“Ouch!”
Mu Yu dropped Liu Tu mercilessly on the ground. Liu Tu saw a huge cut scar on Mu Yu’s face because the latter cast a formation. In addition, Mu Yu, used his cultivation to suffocate Liu Tu.
“How much does Mu Clan owe you?”
“On-one hundred thousand.”
Mu Yu poured a mountain of spirit stones onto Liu Tu, burying the latter. “There are hundred thousand spirit stones there. The next time I catch you hassling Mu Clan will be the end of you, clear?”
Voice muffled, Liu Tu responded, “Loud and clear. Please spare me.”
Once Mu Yu departed, so did the pressure pinning down Liu Tu, allowing the latter to crawl out. Mu Yu headed back to ensure Mu Rongxuan safely returned to the cemetery.
“Mu Yu, this is ridiculous. If you’re going to play bodyguard for all eleven of them, you might as well just forgive them and save yourself the trouble,” conveyed Xiaoshuai.
“Protecting them and forgiving them are two separate things. This is about principle,” Mu Yu justified in a low voice.
“This isn’t going anywhere. They aren’t aware you’re helping them in the shadows,” the dragon vine said.
“At least, I know.”
Mu Yu watched over the cemetery and escorted the clan members, thwarting those who confronted Mu Clan.
***
Until Mu Clan moved into their spacious cemetery, they used to hire a worker to take care of it. The house for the cemetery guard wasn’t small unless comparing it to their luxurious rooms in the past. Thus, setting up a few tents next to the small house was enough for their family of elven.
Among the eleven Mu Clan members were Mu Mingda’s wife and son, Mu Qingfan. Mu Jitong had his two wives and kids go back to his mother-in-law’s place, but they were rejected because of Sikong Qiwen. Mu Rongxuan’s family chose to stay with Mu Tianhe regardless of the circumstances. Mu Zhexing was still in a drunken stupor all day at the cemetery. Mu Clan dismissed all of their workers. Howbeit, Uncle Bo decided to stick with them through thick and thin.
Owing to Mu Clan’s financial pickle, Uncle Bo sponsored their lives since moving out. The problem was Uncle Bo only had so much in savings.
Upon returning, Mu Rongxuan notified, “Dad, a creditor just confronted me on my way back.”
“Did he hurt you?”
“No, I am fine. This is the third time we have been helped. I still do not know who the kind-hearted individual is,” replied Mu Rongxuan, taking a seat.
“I really want to know who is kindly taking our side to give him my thanks.”
“Dad, I bring good news!” Mu Mingda came racing in.
“What is it?”
“I went to inquire about our debts and found out someone has paid off almost half of our remaining debts!”
“Almost half of it? That’s almost a million we’re talking about! Did you ask who helped us?”
“I did. Strangely, everyone is giving a different story. The owner of the herb store told me a pure-looking girl he didn’t recognise paid off our debt. The owner of Heavenly Fragrance Store told me it was a scholar. The tailor store owner told me it was an aggressive man with a cut scar on his face.”
“Where are all these people coming from, and why are they helping us?” Mu Tianhe said to himself.
“Maybe we helped them in the past but do not want to reveal themselves in case Sikong Gaoming badgers them,” Mu Mingda guessed.
“I have a feeling it is one person sending different people to avoid detection from even us,” Mu Tianhe hypothesised.
“Dad, do you reckon it could be Feng Mu?” Mu Rongxuan proposed.
“I’m not sure, but we’re not friends by any account; I can’t see any reason for him to go so far for us. Moreover, he left without a word. Therefore, I can only assume he does not want to have anything to do with us. I doubt he turn himself into a flame to draw those moths in for our sake.”
“Grandpa, do you think it could be Brother Mu Yu?” Mu Xin gleefully questioned.
Mu Xin was the only cheerful individual left in Mu Clan for she was happy no matter where she was or the conditions as long as she was with her family.
Mu Clan certainly hoped Mu Yu would be their saviour. At the same time, they were cognisant that he might not be so forgiving if he found out what role Mu Tianhe played in his mother’s demise.
“Xin, don’t pin your hopes on him. He won’t come to our rescue,” Mu Hao voiced.
“Hao, aren’t you Mu Yu’s biggest fan?” Mu Rongxuan questioned, brow hiked up.
“I’m fine, Dad. I just don’t want to depend on others anymore. He’s not our clansmen, either. I won’t blindly idolise him anymore.”
“Why the sudden change?”
“Feng Mu told me to learn to be strong instead of depending on others. Plus, if Brother Mu Yu learnt of our current mire, he’s unlikely to help us since…” Mu Hao glanced Mu Tianhe’s way.
“When did Feng Mu say that to you?” Mu Rongxuan asked, focused more than before.
“The same day after Gu Clan demanded we call of my wedding. I bumped into him on the streets. He told me to learn to get things done with my own hands instead of praying someone I don’t even know comes to my rescue if I want to protect my family,” Mu Hao answered and then rolled up his fingers.
“Do you know where Feng Mu is now?”
“Even in the scenario I did know, I wouldn’t ask him to help – not after what he told me.”
Comforted, Mu Rongxuan scrubbed Mu Hao’s head, grateful to Mu Yu at the same time.
Adversary was not the end of the world. Not learning anything from adversaries would be the end of one’s world, though. One person who managed to turn failure into a lesson was Mu Hao.
When Mu Hao said, “Plus, if Brother Mu Yu learnt of our current mire, he’s unlikely to help us since…” it struck Mu Tianhe’s senses awake as the boy was spot on. It had Mu Tianhe thinking, If my grandson has learnt to change to weather the new status quo, why am I obstinately shielding my pride when it’s not going to help my understanding grandson? He changed to protect even me, yet I’ve only been trying to protect my pride.
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