Mu Tianzheng struggled to break free, but the two men holding him weren't ordinary cultivators. They were the patriarch's best guards. Mu Tianzheng was nothing before them. He looked like a child in their grasp.
"Let go of my daughter!" shouted Mu Tianzheng.
He kept trying to break free. With just one blow, Mu Tianzheng coughed up blood. His whole body went numb. He could only watch as his daughter lowered her head in shame in the middle of the wide courtyard, observed by many.
Mu Tianzheng loved his daughter dearly. Seeing Mu Yueran treated like that, he was furious. Tears fell from his eyes.
"I'll kill you all!"
The Qi inside his body surged. At the same time, he pulled something out from his pocket. He threw it and swallowed the round object like a pill.
In just one second. Suddenly, Mu Tianzheng's body grew larger. The Qi inside him overflowed. He became several times stronger.
"Isn't that similar to…" Lin Xian was shocked to see Mu Tianzheng's transformation.
He became five times stronger. It was very similar to the Mad Demon Pill. However, there were some differences—Mu Tianzheng's body changed with small horns growing on his forehead, his eyes turned red, his pupils resembled a snake's, and his entire body was covered in bulging dark red veins.
He immediately attacked the two patriarch's guards. He actually managed to knock them away and injure them.
Lin Xian saw it. He squinted. "This has never happened before."
***
Mu Tianzheng rampaged like a mad dog. He attacked anyone nearby. He was so strong that even several teachers and elders were injured. Uncontrollable. He lost all consciousness.
The two guards tried to get up, but Mu Tianzheng had already lunged again. One punch made the first cough up blood and fall unconscious. The second managed to block the strike, but his arm bone broke from Mu Tianzheng's wild punch.
Several teachers and elders tried to stop him, but one by one, they were knocked down. The atmosphere turned terrifying, filled with fear.
"Die. Die. All of you die!" The words kept spilling from Mu Tianzheng's mouth.
His eyes met the patriarch's. He dashed toward him. But a tremendous pressure swept across the entire courtyard. The wind stopped, all sounds vanished. Everyone held their breath.
Mu Tianzheng's body collapsed. He couldn't stand, even though it was just the patriarch's gaze and Qi pressure.
"You've broken sect rules, Mu Tianzheng. The punishment is death," said the patriarch.
The voice was deep, calm, but it shook everyone's soul, including Mu Tianzheng.
He raised a single finger. A massive sword appeared in the sky. When he moved his finger, the sword came down and struck Mu Tianzheng. His body was slammed into the ground.
When the sword vanished, Mu Tianzheng's body was full of wounds. The effect of the pill he consumed was gone. He was now on the verge of death.
The patriarch leapt down. He stood near Mu Tianzheng. "You are guilty, Mu Tianzheng."
"Forgive me, patriarch. But I didn't—"
Before he could finish his words, a smaller sword pierced Mu Tianzheng's body. He died right then.
***
Everyone who saw it was stunned. It was the first time they had witnessed the patriarch's true power. An old man whose age no one knew. A hundred years? Maybe more. No one truly knew how old that old man was.
"Father, why did you leave me?" screamed Mu Yueran.
She cried loudly. But no one cared about her. Her family's good name was completely destroyed. Not only branded as a shameless family, Mu Yueran was also considered the daughter of a traitor.
It became a heavy burden for her. Her once peaceful life would never be the same.
[Mental Stability -95%. Emotion]
Lin Xian had been watching all of it unfold. He smiled widely. His plan had succeeded. Though some parts were unexpected. He turned and walked away.
He would return to his room. "It's over. Now I just wait for the mission notification to appear."
He was sure, within a few days, Mu Yueran would be destroyed on her own. He was completely sure because the environment was already too hostile for her.
However, as he walked, someone suddenly stood before him. The person stared at Lin Xian with suspicious eyes. Lin Xian tilted his head. He didn't understand why he was being blocked like this.
"Why is Senior Qingran blocking this junior?" Lin Xian asked politely.
In front of him was no ordinary man. He was an elder highly skilled with the spear. Possibly one of the best in Misty Sky Sect.
He had a handsome face, a solid build, and red eyes and hair.
"You planned all of this, didn't you?" Qingran accused.
Lin Xian's eyes widened. A direct hit. He wanted to say something, but instead, Lin Xian took a deep breath. Then he tilted his head and showed an innocent expression.
"Why do you think so?" He tried to probe for information while denying the accusation aimed at him. "Do you really think I could do that? I'm just a 14-year-old kid. How could I possibly pull all that off?"
Qingran was silent for quite a while. He stared at Lin Xian's face without turning away. He didn't even blink for three minutes. It made Lin Xian more anxious. He'd be finished if Qingran had proof that he was the mastermind.
"I saw you going to Senior Mu Tianzheng's house a few days ago. You snuck in," he said.
Lin Xian wanted to smile, but he held it back and kept his innocent face in front of Qingran.
"Ah, that. I was going to meet Mu Yueran and tell her our engagement was still on." Lin Xian laughed awkwardly. "What did you think I was doing? I was just visiting the girl I love."
Qingran continued to stare at Lin Xian for four more minutes, but eventually, he turned and walked away. He waved his hand.
"Forgive me! I thought you were the one who set this all up." He kept walking, but after some distance, he looked back. "But if I find proof, I'll kill you. I'm not afraid of your father, Lin Xian."
After saying that, Qingran truly left. Lin Xian stood still, unmoving. But once Qingran was far enough, a wide grin appeared on his face. He looked very pleased for having deceived Qingran.
"Senior Qingran, you may be strong, but you're not smart. It's impossible for you to find proof because I've set everything up perfectly," he said with a terrifying smile.
[Mental Stability -97%. Emotion]
Lin Xian saw it and felt victory was already his. "What will I get? I hope it's something useful."
[Reward: Random item, random skill, and XP]