"Mountain-Protecting Array?"
At this moment, Master Yu also got out of the carriage and looked up at the mist-enshrouded Yinlong Mountain, his eyes narrowing slightly, his tone tinged with surprise.
He had realized that the thin mist enveloping Yinlong Mountain was formed by an array, hence his particular astonishment.
"I didn't expect to see such a grand Mountain-Protecting Array these days. The Dragon King truly is generous."
Master Yu took a few more glances at Yinlong Mountain, his surprise growing rather than diminishing, then he shifted his gaze to Mu Jinyu, speaking with profound implications.
"It's just a coincidence."
Regaining his composure, Mu Jinyu turned back to smile at Master Yu, modestly saying, "If it weren't for the flourishing era, I wouldn't have been able to set up this Mountain-Protecting Array in my whole lifetime."
"The Dragon King is too modest. Even in this golden age of martial arts, there are but a few who could create such a grand Mountain-Protecting Array. To seize the opportunity and rise with the tide is a strength in itself!" Master Yu said, laughing.
Qiu Bai stood by, nodding in agreement.
He still vividly remembered the scene of being trapped in the Misty Formation.
Not wanting to dwell on this topic and eager to repair the Dragon Vein, Mu Jinyu said with a smile, "Let's go, let's enter."
Afterward, Mu Jinyu led Master Yu and his two disciples through the Misty Formation surrounding Yinlong Mountain, arriving at the headquarters of Dragon King Hall at the mountain's outer peak.
"Knock, knock!"
"Come in."
Mu Jinyu opened the door, turned back to motion Master Yu and the others with a nod of his chin, and stepped into Mu Hongchen's office.
"Aunt Mu, I'm back."
"Mm." Upon hearing the voice, Mu Hongchen looked up, and seeing that besides Qiu Bai, there were two more people behind Mu Jinyu, guessed they were likely from Qiu Bai's sect, and asked, "Dragon Master, they are...?"
She faintly felt that Master Yu looked familiar, as if she had seen him somewhere before.
Mu Jinyu raised his hand to point at Master Yu, saying, "This is Qiu Bai's master, Master Yu. Yes, you heard right, it's that Master Yu who is ranked second in the Divine Rankings!"
As soon as Mu Jinyu mentioned the name Master Yu, Mu Hongchen's eyes widened, filled with disbelief, and upon Mu Jinyu confirming once again that this Master Yu was indeed the same one ranked second in the Divine Rankings, she was almost stunned.
Indeed, that sense of familiarity she had with Master Yu was not mistaken.
Because she had recently collected the Divine Rankings for Mu Jinyu, naturally, she had given the person ranked second a few more glances.
However, Master Yu's demeanor didn't quite match the information she had collected. He appeared cold, lacking that refined and amiable gentlemanly demeanor.
And the fact that Master Yu was Qiu Bai's teacher seemed utterly unbelievable.
"Aunt Mu, Master Yu and his disciples plan to stay with us for a while. Could you help them arrange rooms?" Mu Jinyu said with a smile.
"Oh, okay..." Mu Hongchen came back to her senses and subconsciously agreed, then realizing what she had agreed to, her beautiful eyes widened again, saying, "Master Yu... Master Yu is going to stay at our Dragon King Hall?"
"Yes, we're imposing on you," Master Yu said, nodding.
His words were polite, but the tone was quite cold and distant, which made Mu Hongchen feel rather odd.
"Okay, okay, I'll arrange it right away."
Mu Hongchen suppressed the odd feeling in her heart and took a few more glances at Yu Shenfeng, whose demeanor was cold. She thought to herself that the information must have been wrong; Yu Shenfeng, being the former Lord of the Killing Realm, indeed suited his assassin identity with such an icy temperament.
After that, she began to arrange accommodation for Yu Shenfeng and Chen Xiuying, naturally close to Qiu Bai, since they were all master and disciple.
"Thanks, we'll go back and rest."
Having arranged the accommodations, Yu Shenfeng said to Mu Jinyu and Mu Hongchen with a faint smile.
Mu Hongchen said, "Let me find someone to show you over."
Qiu Bai said, "No need to trouble yourself, my master and senior sister are just nearby, I can take them there."
"Uh..." Mu Hongchen hesitated for a moment, looked at Mu Jinyu, and then nodded, "That's fine then, take care."
After seeing off Yu Shenfeng and his disciples, Mu Hongchen looked at Mu Jinyu with a strange expression and said, "Dragon Master, you're really something, aren't you? Bringing over both master and disciple in one go?"
"It's not quite abducting." Mu Jinyu shook his head and said, "Strictly speaking, they're just here to have fun. It'd be impossible to call on them when there's work to be done. However, Qiu Bai has to work under me for five years, heh heh..."
With a strange laugh, Mu Jinyu continued, "If there's a task Qiu Bai can't handle, and they can't stand watching, plus living here without doing anything, they'll inevitably feel guilty and will surely lend a hand."
Hearing this, Mu Hongchen imagined the scene in her mind and nodded along, "Heh heh, you lured a disciple and deceived a master and senior sister, hiring three fighters for the price of one salary. Dragon Master, you've calculated this quite nicely."
Mu Jinyu said, "Now it all depends on San Liu and the others' aptitude, whether they can impress Yu Shenfeng, the former Lord of the Killing Realm. If they can, then we'll get Yu Shenfeng to take them on as disciples, and they will truly be tied to our Dragon King Hall."
Mu Hongchen hesitated, "To bind Yu Shenfeng with 'Slaughter Redemption'? That doesn't seem effective, does it? After all, he left 'Slaughter Redemption' back then because he was tired of that life... "
"Can you guess the true reason he left 'Slaughter Redemption'?" Mu Jinyu shook his head slightly, "Maybe, as you said, he grew tired of the assassin's life, or maybe he had to leave due to a serious injury. Who knows!"
Mu Hongchen, on hearing Mu Jinyu's words, thought there was some sense to them.
The information described Yu Shenfeng's demeanor in a certain way, but upon actually meeting him, he was clearly just a cold-hearted old stick in the mud.
And the information that said Yu Shenfeng left 'Slaughter Redemption' because he was tired of being an assassin— who could be certain it was true? Without being involved in the matter personally, nobody would understand the intricacies.
Perhaps Mu Jinyu might actually succeed in using 'Slaughter Redemption' to bind Yu Shenfeng, this powerful figure. If so, Dragon King Hall would become stronger than ever before!
Thinking this way, Mu Hongchen's gaze revealed a touch of yearning.
Mu Jinyu patted the Shennong Cauldron in his pocket and said to Mu Hongchen, "Alright, Aunt Mu, I won't keep you any longer, I have things to get to."
"Oh, take care," Mu Hongchen replied offhandedly.
She wasn't sure what Mu Jinyu was planning to do, but after all, he was the Dragon King, and she was in no position to question him.
Mu Jinyu left Mu Hongchen's office, stepped out in one stride, flew over the railing of the corridor, and headed toward the mountain veiled with evil Qi.
Soon, Mu Jinyu stood atop the peak where the Dragon Vein had been severed.
His face showed unprecedented seriousness. After all, it was his first attempt at restoring a Dragon Vein, and he wasn't sure if he could succeed.
He carefully took the Shennong Cauldron out of his pocket, opened its lid with careful movements, and then reached inside to grasp the weak Dragon Vein that wriggled like an eel.
After being sealed away in the Shennong Cauldron and removed from its birthplace of Yulong Snow Mountain, this Dragon Vein had become listless. Now grasped in Mu Jinyu's hand, it no longer struggled as desperately as before, seemingly resigned to its fate.