CHAPTER 48: PATRIARCH’S DECISION

The path to the guest courtyard was silent.

Mu Yanyu walked beside Kyrian, but the stiffness in her shoulders and the way she sometimes bit her lower lip clearly showed she had many things on her mind.

Kyrian, noticing this, decided to break the silence.

"If you’re curious, you can ask."

Mu Yanyu stopped for a moment, surprised. Then she clenched her fists, her gaze fixed ahead.

"You... used my technique in your attack, didn’t you?" She began to speak in a low voice, with a tone of frustration.

"How did you do that? I trained so much for it to finally be useful to me..."

Kyrian glanced sideways at her, his eyes calm and unhurried.

"I didn’t attack earlier because I had never fought against someone who used a style like yours." Kyrian said with a faint smile. Rurik used brute force. Wei Feng wasn’t very skilled with weapons, he only seemed to have great combat experience from being alive for many years. Kyrian didn’t know exactly how many.

"I found it fascinating. Fun, even. And I realized it can be very useful in certain situations. Your style has advantages... but also too many flaws." Kyrian said, having fully analyzed it, that if she had used all her strength from the start, it wouldn’t have been so easy. But when she finally had to use it, she was already within his reach.

She clenched her teeth but listened in silence.

"If you train more and refine some movements, you could create a truly powerful fighting style." Kyrian added, his voice sounding sincere, with the same smile he had during the fight, but without any trace of arrogance.

The more time passed, the more Kyrian enjoyed fighting, especially when he learned something new that could make him stronger.

Mu Yanyu then realized. Suddenly, the simple smile Kyrian carried during the fight made sense.

It wasn’t disdain, it wasn’t pride. He simply didn’t see it as a threat. For Kyrian, that whole fight was nothing more than a study of her combat style. And in just a few minutes, he had used her own move better than she had.

Her fists clenched tightly, her nails digging into her palms.

’Is this the difference between a true genius and me? Am I really that far behind? If he had actually used his special physique from the beginning...’

Kyrian observed her out of the corner of his eye in silence. His eyes could clearly see her feelings fluctuating.

Frustration, shame, but in the end, something else always took shape, determination.

After a few minutes of walking, they finally arrived at a simple yet elegant building. A private courtyard, with a small garden and a room just for him.

Mu Yanyu stopped before his door. Her face was serious.

"Thank you for accepting to fight me. I will take care of everything you need while you are here. You can ask me anything." Her voice rang with sincerity.

Kyrian nodded slightly and began to enter. But he stopped when he noticed she still hadn’t moved. He turned, raising an eyebrow slightly.

"Anything else?"

Mu Yanyu hesitated for just an instant before lifting her gaze to him firmly.

"Can we fight again? No... could you train me?"

Kyrian looked at her in silence. He saw the expectation and determination in her eyes.

After thinking for a few seconds, he replied.

"Alright. When I’m not busy."

A smile blossomed on Mu Yanyu’s lips, highlighting her beauty. She bowed slightly before stepping back.

Kyrian then entered the room, observing everything around him. The place was simple but comfortable, with light wooden furniture.

The outer garden conveyed tranquility.

He then sat in the courtyard. Looking up at the sky that, in an instant, seemed to glow with thousands of Qi particles. They soon began descending upon his eyes like an invisible whirlwind.

He was happy. Things had turned out in the best possible way.

Now he had a place to stay, and soon the information he needed would arrive.

His future plans began to take shape in his mind.

Three hours quickly passed in silence. His cultivation continued without problems. Soon, he would have a breakthrough. He exhaled a sigh as he stood.

’I need to sell the violet serpent’s corpse, it’ll fetch me some low-grade spirit stones. With them, my cultivation will progress faster.’

It was at that moment he heard a knock at his door.

Kyrian returned to the room and opened it.

On the other side was Mu Yanyu. Unlike before, she wasn’t wearing Mu family clothes. Instead, she was dressed in a simple white dress.

However, her sword still hung at her waist. In her hands, she carried some books.

Kyrian stepped aside, allowing her to enter.

"Come in."

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, her eyes moving from the room to him. But she eventually stepped inside. She placed the books on the table.

"I was thinking... of showing you the city. Then we could talk. What do you think?" She asked slowly.

Kyrian observed her for a few seconds before answering.

"Alright. But I’ll take a bath first."

"I’ll wait outside," she said, already turning.

"You can wait right here. I’ll be quick." Kyrian said, entering the bathroom before she could say anything else.

Inside, he found a bathtub already full. The water was warm. When he had explored the room earlier, he had seen it. It seemed to have been prepared before he arrived.

He washed quickly, then put on a red robe. As soon as he adjusted his appearance, he frowned.

’Old Wei Feng practically only had red clothes. I urgently need to buy new ones... I don’t feel comfortable wearing the dead old man’s clothes.’

He then left the bathroom. His hair is still damp.

Mu Yanyu, who had been sitting, rose silently, looking at him. Her face had taken on a slightly reddish hue.

Kyrian noticed but decided not to care about it for now.

"I’m ready. I need to sell the violet serpent’s body. I also need a clothing shop... and finally we’ll eat at the Silver Moon Restaurant. I was interested when we passed by earlier." He said, already fully planning.

Mu Yanyu blinked, surprised that he had already chosen everything, but gave a slight smile.

"Alright. Let’s go. I know the perfect clothing shop, and the restaurant really is good. Though it’s expensive. I’ll take you there."

Kyrian simply nodded.

And so, the two left the courtyard toward the city.

***********************************

In the main hall of the Mu family, the patriarch remained seated in the main chair, while the two oldest elders and Mu Lin stood before him.

The atmosphere seemed heavy. But not from tension, rather from reflection.

About a truly special guest who was in their family.

"Patriarch... what do you think of that young man?" asked one of the elders.

"He has a special physique. And his way of fighting is far beyond any genius in our city or the nearby cities." The patriarch answered, thoughtful.

Another elder frowned.

"Isn’t his name far too strange? I’ve never heard anything like it in the region."

"It may not be his real name. Perhaps he comes from a greater force and is hiding his true identity. Perhaps he has a protector in secret."

The elders agreed in silence.

"Regardless of the truth, we must form a friendship with him at all costs. This is a unique opportunity." Concluded the patriarch with a determined expression. Thinking that, if this truly happened, it would undoubtedly benefit his family.

At that moment, a servant hurried in.

"Patriarch! Young Lady Yanyu went out to the city with the guest."

The patriarch gave a small smile, understanding something.

’Yanyu... as I thought, she will definitely want to get closer to him to train. That’s good... I must talk to her later.’

The patriarch’s decision seemed already made. If all went well, perhaps soon Kyrian would have a true connection with the Mu family.