CHAPTER 866: CHAPTER 866: THAT BACK FIGURE LOOKS FAMILIAR

"Han Yan, Han Yan, I will never let him off!!!" In the Fifth Prince’s residence, the floor was littered with broken vases, and the Fifth Prince clenched his fists tightly, roaring in anger.

Qu Fengting stood aside with his head hanging low, still wearing a look of misery.

"Brother Fengting, I apologize for burdening you earlier." After smashing a few more vases, the Fifth Prince finally calmed down a bit and spoke to Qu Fengting.

Though he held quite a grudge against Qu Fengting, he couldn’t afford to discourage his sole confidant too much.

"Your Highness, you speak too seriously. It’s true I didn’t plan thoroughly, not expecting Han Yan to gain such fame after arriving in the Capital, thus inadvertently ruining your major plans." Qu Fengting replied respectfully, like a dog wagging its tail to please.

It’s impossible for him not to hold resentment against the Fifth Prince, but without the Prince’s support, he wouldn’t have a foothold in Anyun, so he had to swallow his grievances, not letting the Prince perceive his dissatisfaction.

"Enough, it’s not your fault." The Fifth Prince pretended to be magnanimous, waved his hand and said.

"Your Highness, what should we do next?" Qu Fengting asked.

Though they harbored resentment and were in superficial harmony, Qu Fengting knew they were inextricably linked, needing to firmly support the Prince to stand strong in Anyun and exact revenge on Han Yan.

"I didn’t expect Song Zhe and others to be so incompetent. Relying on them might be problematic. I’ll accompany you to the Qu family in the next few days; if you can secure a foothold there, it would be a great help to me." The Fifth Prince suggested.

He brought Qu Fengting back to the Capital precisely because of the Qu family. As one of the Eight Great Families, their prestige is significant; helping Qu Fengting secure a foothold would provide strong leverage in his later bid for the throne.

"Relying solely on the Qu family might not be enough." Though Qu Fengting hoped the Fifth Prince would succeed, he knew even if he gained a place in the Zong Family, aiding the Prince to the throne was a fool’s dream.

"Hmm, we can’t count on Song Zhe and others. Let’s try other families." The Fifth Prince decided to settle for less, noting that though other wealthy families didn’t match the Great Families, they were still important and had indirect ties to them, where sometimes a small tug could cause larger repercussions.

By drawing in more wealthy families, he could significantly boost his prestige, possibly with unexpected surprises.

"Yes, Your Highness." Though Qu Fengting held some dissatisfaction toward the Fifth Prince, he appreciated his idea and replied heavily.

...

While the Fifth Prince and Qu Fengting were scheming, at the Mu Residence, two sneaky figures were plotting a major affair.

"Second... Second Young Master, if the elders find out about this, it’s a death penalty." Mu Zhong, with a horse-like face, was pale and trembling all over.

"What are you afraid of? Heaven knows, earth knows, you know, I know, if we don’t speak, who will know?" Mu Chengyang was also shaking, not from fear but excitement.

"But... but..." Mu Zhong felt his heart was about to leap out of his chest.

"But what? The Supreme Elder is about to come out of seclusion; quickly go, there will be benefits for you after this affair, dare to dilly-dally, and I’ll kick you out of the Zong Family." Mu Chengyang nervously glanced afar and threatened.

"Yes, yes, I’ll go, I’m going now." Mu Zhong gritted his teeth and jumped into the courtyard.

"Han Yan, this time I’ll make you unable to defend yourself, you’ll never rise again." Mu Chengyang’s mouth curled into a sinister smile as he muttered to himself.

Quickly, Mu Zhong leapt out, and the two hurried back to their residence.

...

Upon returning to the Mu Family, Han Yan sensed something was amiss.

Today, the Mu Mansion was unusually quiet; even the guards and maids intentionally lightened their footsteps, as if afraid of crushing an ant.

Han Yan initially wanted to stop someone to ask but was dissuaded upon seeing the fearful gazes of the maids and guards directed at her.

She was familiar with such gazes; when Mu Siyi’s name first spread across Heishi City, the servants in the Mu Residence bore similar expressions, and Han Yan wished to avoid causing alarm with any abrupt actions.

Her courtyard was already secluded, and the journey there grew increasingly desolate. As she neared the courtyard door, Han Yan faintly saw two figures quickly retreating into the distance.

The silhouette seemed somewhat familiar. Though puzzled, Han Yan chose not to dwell on it.

"Buzz" A long bell tolled, suddenly invigorating the entire Mu Residence.

"Oh, what’s happening?" Han Yan asked in surprise.

"I know, it’s the Supreme Elder coming out of seclusion!" Han Yunyun exclaimed excitedly.

"The Supreme Elder coming out of seclusion?" Han Yan looked at Han Yunyun in confusion, unsure why such a commotion accompanied the Elder’s emergence.

"Brother Han Yan, you may not know, the Supreme Elder remains in seclusion for years, only emerging occasionally. While in seclusion, only the Family Head and direct disciples may visit him; others must not disturb.

Every emergence of the Supreme Elder is of great significance. Any Mu Family’s disciples present must pay their respects, and the servants dare not make noise for fear of angering the Elder." Han Yunyun explained.

"Such a grand affair, why was I not informed?" Han Yan asked, suspecting someone might have deliberately withheld the news to embarrass her.

"The timing of the Supreme Elder’s emergence is unpredictable, only occurring shortly before omens appear. Besides, the Elder dislikes formalities, so they usually don’t notify anyone, whoever’s there goes, if they miss it, no one blames them." Han Yunyun, with a simple mind, hadn’t considered complex motives as she explained to Han Yan.

"Should I go now?" Han Yan asked.

Though unimpressed with the Third Elder’s family, the Supreme Elder held a highly esteemed position in the Mu Family, thus she couldn’t afford to lack courtesy.

"Hmm... best not to go, the Supreme Elder appreciates tranquility and is strict with juniors; if you go now, he’d likely criticize you for not cultivating sincerely, instead devising clever schemes.

I recall years ago, during the Elder’s emergence, Young Master Zexian was consulting with a Court Swordsmanship Master about swordsmanship. Upon hearing the news, he promptly returned, unwittingly receiving severe censure from the Elder for missing such an opportunity, indicative of sinister intentions with little prospect.

This caused the Fifth Elder to be reprimanded alongside, leading to him withdrawing from Young Master Zexian’s affairs thereafter." Han Yunyun, after some thought, remarked.