A hundred years ago on a day after the rain when a rainbow appeared, a male infant was born in the western courtyard of the Mu Family.

Because he was born to a concubine as a legitimate son, from childhood to adulthood, the infant never received care from his father or family, as if abandoned by the entire world.

It was this ordinary child who rose from humble beginnings, and in just a hundred years, not only broke through to Martial Emperor but also took control of the massive Mu Family, becoming the new City Lord of Heavenly Edict City.

That’s right.

He was Mu Changhong, Mu Honglian’s father.

This was a powerful figure with great ideals and ambition. Under his management, Heavenly Edict City developed rapidly, its strength rising steadily, and was finally designated as a Royal City!

After reaching middle age and losing his entrepreneurial passion, Mu Changhong immersed himself in martial studies, pursuing higher realms.

What the world talked about most was this:

Although Mu Changhong possessed supreme power and wealth, throughout his life he only deeply loved his wife—forget about concubines, he didn’t even have female confidantes.

Such a person had absolutely no flaws to pick on.

However, when he drank too much, he liked to boast, which was why his daughter still hadn’t married.

Because he had no sons, after gradually withdrawing from politics, he handed power to Mu Honglian, hoping his daughter could inherit his will and make the Royal City even more prosperous.

After emerging from seclusion, his first question was whether Southwest Yang Province was peaceful, clearly showing his time in seclusion had not been short.

“Father.”

Mu Honglian said, “It’s not peaceful.”

“Not peaceful?”

Mu Changhong frowned and said, “Could it be that Zhuo Chaoqun of True Yang Commandery waged war while I was in seclusion?”

Truly worthy of being a city lord.

Even in seclusion, he could sense that the True Yang Commandery’s commandery governor was not someone who would peacefully abide by the rules.

“Father.”

Mu Honglian quickly said, “I just received intelligence that the Demon Fiend Sect and God-Slaying Hall have sent four peak Martial Emperors who are heading toward our Southwest Yang Province.”

“Demon Fiend Sect? God-Slaying Hall?”

Mu Changhong laughed coldly and said, “These two evil sects have no grievances with our Southwest Yang Province. Why would they send powerful experts here?”

“Because…”

Mu Honglian paused and said, “Father, this matter has a long story. Your daughter needs to explain it to you slowly.”

She needed to tell him all about Jun Changxiao and his Eternal Sect, but the information was vast and couldn’t be summarized in just a sentence or two.

Actually.

A single word “handsome” could also summarize Sect Master Jun’s entire life.

“Swish!”

Mu Changhong raised his hand, and space immediately condensed, as if torn by some force.

Crack, crack, crack—

Mu Honglian in the academy suddenly felt a suction force roaring toward her. Her entire body merged into the distorted space and appeared in the City Lord’s Manor’s great hall.

“Spatial Transfer!” Situ Haoyun’s eyes filled with envy.

He was now a peak Martial Emperor. Although he was only a tiny bit away from Half-step Martial Saint, he still couldn’t comprehend this ability to manipulate space.

…

“What?”

In the City Lord’s Manor’s great hall, after hearing from his daughter about the Ironbone Stubborn Sect, hearing about Jun Changxiao, and especially upon hearing about his Sword-Martial Dual King cultivation, Mu Changhong directly stood up, his sharp eyes filled with wild joy.

The boast he had made when drunk—he never expected it would actually come true one day!

“Daughter!”

He stopped Mu Honglian from continuing and quickly asked, “Are you certain that kid is only about twenty years old?”

“Yes.”

“What does he look like?”

“Sect Master Jun has a heroic appearance and is extraordinarily handsome.”

Jun Changxiao truly did look quite good—on this point, Mu Honglian had to admit it.

“What about his character?” Mu Changhong asked.

Instead of asking how he became so strong or how the sect rose, he asked about appearance and character, which immediately made Mu Honglian realize something. Her pretty face flushed red as she said, “Father, what are you thinking?”

“Hahaha!”

Seeing his daughter’s shy appearance, Mu Changhong slapped the table and laughed loudly, “Your father will prepare betrothal gifts right away and go to Qingyang Commandery to propose marriage.”

Mu Honglian said helplessly, “Father, does anyone have the woman’s side go to the man’s side to propose marriage?”

“Daughter.”

Mu Changhong said very seriously, “People with two legs are easy to find, but three-legged toads are hard to find. For your lifelong happiness, even if we take the initiative, it doesn’t matter.”

“Father!”

Mu Honglian frowned and said, “I’m talking about serious matters here!”

“Hahaha!”

Mu Changhong laughed and said, “To be able to make my daughter so embarrassed is rare. This fellow called Jun Changxiao must become my Mu Family’s son-in-law!”

Mu Honglian was about to cry.

Actually, she didn’t know that City Lord Mu felt too guilty.

Now that he had finally encountered a three-legged toad, a chance to fulfill the boast he had once made, how could he let him easily escape!

Jun Changxiao: Ribbit ribbit ribbit~~~

…

“This kid beat up the five fourth-rate sects that came to fight from West Transportation Province?”

Continuing to listen, learning about what Jun Changxiao had done recently, Mu Changhong almost flew directly to the Eternal Sect to warmly grasp his hand and say, “My good son-in-law, you did splendidly!”

“There’s more.”

“There’s more? Quickly tell me!”

Mu Honglian told him about the events in Northeast Lu Province.

Having experienced great storms and waves, City Lord Mu still frowned upon hearing that the Extreme Cold Palace was nearly destroyed, saying, “This is a hothead!”

Leading people to another province to smash the place—although it was satisfying, if not handled well, it could directly escalate into a confrontation between two provinces!

“What does this have to do with the Demon Fiend Sect and God-Slaying Hall?”

Mu Changhong asked in confusion.

Mu Honglian said, “Just yesterday, Sect Master Jun led people and completely wiped out both sects’ branches in Southwest Yang Province.”

Mu Changhong shot to his feet and said, “This kid actually did what your father didn’t dare to do!”

Under one’s own bed, how can one allow others to sleep soundly?

After Heavenly Edict Royal City was promoted to Royal City, he had considered clearing out all the branch headquarters that external provincial forces had established within the province.

But he never took action because his strength was insufficient to resist third-rate evil sects. He had to wait for the right opportunity.

After emerging from this seclusion with cultivation reaching Half-step Martial Saint, City Lord Mu would definitely plan to find some trumped-up excuse to pull out all these thorns embedded under his nose.

Who would have thought.

This fellow called Jun Changxiao had beaten him to it!

“Hahaha!”

Mu Changhong laughed heartily and said, “His temperament and style suit me perfectly—if he doesn’t become my Mu Changhong’s son-in-law, how can that be!”

“Father.”

Mu Honglian said reproachfully, “We’re discussing serious matters here.”

Mu Changhong sat back down and said, “Daughter, your future happiness is your father’s greatest serious matter in this lifetime.”

As parents, don’t they all think about their children’s future?

So even if this was just City Lord Mu’s one-sided wishful thinking, there was nothing wrong with it.

Mu Honglian didn’t want to get tangled up with her father on this issue and said, “The two third-rate evil sects have sent four peak Martial Emperors who will soon arrive. What does Father plan to do?”

“Need you even ask?”

Mu Changhong stood up, clasping his hands behind his back, his eyes cold as he said, “If they dare touch a single hair of my Southwest Yang Province’s martial artists, I’ll make them pay a hundredfold price!”

Stand up.

Give City Lord Mu a round of applause!

“Hm?”

Just then, his spiritual念 sensed ripples in the sky’s space, and a streak of light was advancing at extreme speed, radiating an aura on par with his own!

The direction it was heading was precisely—Qingyang Commandery!

Could it be that the Demon Fiend Sect and God-Slaying Hall hadn’t only sent peak Martial Emperors, but had also sent a Half-step Martial Saint?

“Swish!”

Mu Changhong’s figure flickered, and he appeared in the sky outside the Royal City, pursuing at a speed invisible to the naked eye.