Chapter Forty-Six: The Moyun Family

The torrential rain poured down, yet the two groups seemed to spark against each other amidst the storm!

Over twenty men and women, all clad in identical family-standard armor, dismounted one after another. The leading few were young men with a roguish air. They sauntered forward with grinning faces, revealing rows of yellowed teeth, their eyes glancing askance at the indignant, youthful boys before them. “Well, well, quite the crowd of gallant defenders. Come on, let’s see if you’re up to the task.” At first, the sheer number of people spilling out from the carriages had startled them, but now, faced with these naïve and inexperienced youths, the newcomers could easily sense their true strength—at best, only at the initial level of Three-Star rank, hardly worth any concern.

“You—”

The seventeen male students from Sylan Academy faltered slightly. Their initial charge had been fueled purely by hot-blooded impulse and an instinct to protect their female companions. But now, faced with the organized sword-bearing descent of the other group, their ruffian expressions up close, and the striking family insignia on their armor, these fledgling boys lost all confidence…

A few of the senior Three-Star warriors still tried to maintain a tough front, demanding apologies for their female classmates, but Xu Wen had already noticed the shift—the Sylan Academy side no longer had the spirit they’d shown at first.

“Apologize?”

The leaders of the other group broke out in laughter, as if they’d just heard the world’s funniest joke. Their unrestrained demeanor both enraged and quietly intimidated the Sylan students, some of whom swallowed hard, while a few of the girls whispered, urging everyone to return to the carriages—these men were clearly trouble, and if provoked further, who knew what worse deeds they might commit.

“Did you hear that? These little brats want someone from the Moyun Family to apologize?” The lead ruffian, “Yellow Teeth,” grinned as he spoke, but suddenly his expression twisted, a flash of menace in his eyes. “Do you have any idea what death means!” With a flicker of earthy yellow battle energy, he lashed out, kicking one of the Sylan boys and sending him tumbling to the roadside. The boy clutched his stomach, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

That was too much. The Sylan group burst forth, about to retaliate, but the opposition was faster—their swords shimmered, a wave of deep yellow light enveloping their blades. In an instant, a dozen swords were drawn, each emanating intense battle energy, halting the Sylan students in their tracks.

“Three-Star Advanced!”

The Sylan swordsmen were stunned by the display. From the visible aura of battle energy, it was clear that all these opponents had reached the level of external projection, a minimum of Three-Star rank, and with a solidity far beyond that of the student who’d just been struck—at the very least, Three-Star Advanced, possibly even Four-Star.

“Heh heh!” Yellow Teeth swaggered into their midst, his eyes flickering mockingly over the group of boys and girls now thoroughly cowed by his side’s overwhelming presence. He sneered, “A bunch of kids, and you think you can act tough in front of the Moyun Family? Go back to your school and drink more milk!”

But before he finished, his brow furrowed sharply—a crack of thunder split the air. His battle energy was scattered by a streak of lightning, and he lurched backward as if struck by a bolt, stumbling several meters before regaining his footing.

“So, this is the kind of trash the Moyun Family raises?”

A clear, melodious voice cut through the scene, edged with barely suppressed fury. Yellow Teeth and the Moyun Family members scowled, searching for the source of the attack, but then paused in surprise.

A young woman had stepped out onto a carriage behind them, her figure tall and graceful. She wore a fitted warrior’s cuirass overlaid with a faint purple battle aura. In her hand, a slender sword crackled with blue arcs of lightning, rumbling softly even in the downpour, and her very presence radiated the formidable bearing of a Three-Star swordsman.

It was clear the recent blow had come from her.

“A Light Thunder Sword?”

“A real treasure!”

Two voices from the Moyun crowd couldn’t help but swallow, whether at the sword or the girl herself, it was hard to say.

A stir ran through the group.

“So, a beauty was hiding in the back after all,” Yellow Teeth sneered, stung by his earlier embarrassment. He reignited his battle aura, leveling his sword at the girl on the carriage. “But offending me has serious consequences!”

As his lecherous gaze roamed brazenly over Irene, preparing to attack, the Sylan students grew indignant once more.

“Irene, get back! Leave this to us.”

“Don’t you dare touch her! She’s the daughter of Blackwater City’s lord!”

“If you so much as harm a hair on her head, the Moyun Family will answer for it!”

At these warnings, Yellow Teeth hesitated, a flicker of doubt crossing his eyes. He had indeed been tempted to take advantage of this remarkable beauty—and to seize that Light Thunder Sword, its lightning-enhancing powers worth thousands of gold coins. But if she really had such a background, things could get tricky. Then again, who could tell if it was true?

His eyes darted shrewdly. Grabbing a nearby Sylan boy with only Two-Star strength by the collar, he threatened, “Think you can scare me? Want to see if I’ll toss you in the river?” He began dragging him toward the riverbank.

“Stop!”

Irene turned anxiously toward the head of the convoy, her eyes blazing. “Members of the Horton-Klein Family, are you really going to just stand by and watch us be bullied?”

“Horton-Klein Family?”

At the mention of the name, Yellow Teeth and the Moyun Family group faltered, loosening their grip on the boy and glancing nervously toward the front of the convoy. They hadn’t realized the Horton-Klein Family was present; their brashness had been fueled by the academy insignias on the carriages behind them.

Though the Moyun Family was roughly on par with the Horton-Klein Family, the latter was a recognized branch of the Flame Clan—a pyromancer family renowned for their alchemy and smithing. Among the mid-tier families, they commanded high respect and prestige.

Provoking the Horton-Klein Family would bring nothing but trouble.

Looking ahead, both sides saw a youth step away from a horse handler. Several Horton-Klein guards didn’t even glance their way; instead, at the youth’s command, they righted the overturned carriage and cleared the road, pushing the wreckage into the river to restore the flow of traffic.

“So,” the youth said coldly as he approached with his guards, “do you intend to continue harassing these children, or will you pay for the medicine and leave at once?”

At the sight of the rain-washed family crest and rank badges on the Horton-Klein group’s chests, the Moyun Family men quickly sheathed their swords and changed their attitude completely.

“Ah, a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding. We didn’t realize the Horton-Klein Family was here. Here, this is for the injured boy, to buy medicine. The rest is for everyone to have some tea on us… We’ll take our leave now!” Fearing a change of heart, Yellow Teeth hurriedly ordered his men to remount and they vanished into the rain.

…

Xu Wen shook the rain from his cloak before climbing back into the carriage, only to be greeted by a melodious, unfamiliar voice:

“Well done.”