Chapter 85: Airport Turmoil
Zhao Dayong’s face was twisted in bitterness, as if he couldn’t believe his own mother would do such a thing. "Young Master Mu, I…" He didn’t even know what to say. Having his family’s disgraceful affairs exposed was extremely embarrassing.
"These ancient symbols must have been buried underground for a long time before being unearthed for some reason. The child sensed the yin and evil energy, which is why he was so unsettled. Fortunately, the exposure was brief—otherwise, your family would be dealing with more than just a crying child," Mu Lichuan explained calmly.
Children possessed the purest souls and were the most sensitive to foul energies.
Zhao Dayong and his wife momentarily forgot their earlier argument. "Young Master Mu, what about our child now…?"
"He’ll be fine. Take these talismans to ward off evil. They’ll cleanse the lingering malevolent energy. As for these ancient symbols, they’re ominous. Do you still want them?" Mu Lichuan shook the object in his hand, making the couple recoil in fear.
They wanted nothing to do with such cursed items. Who knew what misfortune they might bring?
Zhao Dayong bowed respectfully. "Thank you for your help, Young Master Mu. Please, take this harmful object and dispose of it." As for his family issues, he’d deal with them after Mu Lichuan left.
Mu Lichuan nodded. "Mm."
"Young Master Mu, let me drive you back. The payment will be transferred to your account." Zhao Dayong no longer held even a trace of his earlier condescension. Despite the youth’s age, his abilities far surpassed those of so-called "masters."
Mu Lichuan didn’t refuse. In his view, he couldn’t just help people for free, some compensation was only fair.
By the time he returned to the villa, it was already evening. His great-grandfather, Mu Xiaoran, had kept dinner warm for him, soothing his restless heart.
The pendant’s yin and evil energy needed gradual purification, but Mu Lichuan lacked the strength to do it immediately. For now, he sealed it away. After all, Xiao Mo had mentioned the "Two Realms Mountain"—this was likely more complicated than it seemed. Could such a small pendant really serve as a gateway? Or was it a key? Regardless, sealing the evil and yin energy was the priority.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t purify yin energy, but when it came to evil energy, the risk of backlash was too high. Overestimating his abilities would only bring disaster.
"Grandfather, you don’t need to wait for me every day. What if I don’t come back? You’d have waited for nothing," Mu Lichuan gently chided.
In his past life, he’d never imagined he could have such a relationship with his great-grandfather.
"It’s fine," Mu Xiaoran replied with a smile, pride shining in his eyes. Even if the Mu family had declined and nearly vanished from Chuan City’s history, as long as this young man kept moving forward, their ancestors would be at peace.
____
Life in the capital was as ordinary as ever, but the airport was unusually lively. Mu Lichuan stood expressionless, baffled as to why he had to welcome foreign "exchange students."
He was supposed to have been transferred to the elite class, but in his opinion, the regular class was just fine. The homeroom teacher didn’t pester him about his absences, likely having accepted that moving him to the elite class would only invite trouble.
After all, he’d dethroned the former top student, relegating them to second place. Their displeasure was obvious, and he had no interest in sharing a classroom with them.
"Classmate Mu Lichuan!" Shao Xiaoya beamed, thrilled to see him after so long. She hadn’t expected they’d be paired as representatives.
Mu Lichuan’s expression remained indifferent. Though the girl seemed familiar, he couldn’t quite place her. But the yin energy around her… "You—"
"Mu Lichuan, I’m Shao Xiaoya! The one who collapsed during the sports festival, don’t you remember?" She reintroduced herself cheerfully, unbothered that her idol had forgotten her.
To her, Mu Lichuan was perfect - athletic, brilliant in academics, and still her idol even if he’d taken third place.
"Oh, it’s you?" Her reminder jogged his memory. He’d sensed something odd about her yin energy back then, and now it felt even stronger.
"Yep, it’s me!" Shao Xiaoya hadn’t planned on attending this exchange student reception, but the moment she heard Mu Lichuan would be there, she changed her mind.
Mu Lichuan tilted his head, studying the girl’s unnaturally pale face. "Have you always been frail?"
"Yeah. Even mild exercise leaves me breathless. Without medication, I can’t handle it. The doctors say I’m healthy, but my body just… can’t keep up." She sighed. Running was a luxury for her.
"May I see your hand?" Mu Lichuan asked politely. He wasn’t sure why he offered, perhaps it was her clear innocent eyes.
Shao Xiaoya’s cheeks flushed pink as she extended her hand—only for another to intercept it.
"Classmate Mu." Shao Yu’s expression darkened. Despite being a student at their school, Mu Lichuan’s background was untraceable. That made him dangerous. There was no way he’d let him near his sister. Who knew what hidden motives he had?
Mu Lichuan’s gaze remained impassive. "President Shao." His tone was icy.
"Stay away from my sister." Shao Yu rarely pulled rank as student council president, but his sister wasn’t like others. Her fragile health couldn’t handle any stress.
"Brother!" Shao Xiaoya’s face burned with embarrassment at her brother’s rudeness.
Mu Lichuan glanced at the flustered girl, then at the overprotective brother. "President Shao is overthinking it. I was merely curious about your sister’s condition." Had he not crossed paths with her multiple times, he wouldn’t have bothered offering free diagnosis.
"You know medicine?" Shao Yu sneered.
Mu Lichuan shook his head. "I don’t. But I can see things others can’t. Your sister seems to have attracted something unclean." Before, he hadn’t been certain, his cultivation wasn’t refined enough. But now, the sinister aura was unmistakable.
Mild yin energy didn’t harm ordinary people, but excessive absorption led to illness or chronic weakness.
"Unclean? Mu Lichuan, my sister’s condition is none of your—"
Before Shao Yu could finish, Shao Xiaoya cut in, her face scarlet. "Mu Lichuan, I’m sorry! This is my fault, I made my brother misunderstand!" She’d finally found someone to admire, and her brother was ruining it.
"It’s fine." Mu Lichuan dismissed it. If they refused to believe him, there was no point insisting. He wasn’t the type to force his help.
As Mu Lichuan straightened, his gaze fixed ahead, Shao Yu found himself at a loss for words. Besides, the foreign students would be arriving soon.
"Ah—!"
Suddenly, screams erupted. A man was slashing wildly with a knife, blood splattering everywhere. The crowded airport descended into chaos as people scrambled away, the panicked crowd surging toward Mu Lichuan’s group.
Shao Xiaoya stumbled and fell, nearly trampled—until Mu Lichuan pulled her up. Somehow, the space around him remained eerily calm.
He wanted to assess the situation, but the girl was still with him. "You—" As for Shao Yu, he’d been swept away in the crowd.
"Go! I’ll hide over there!" Shao Xiaoya pointed to a corner. She didn’t understand trust or security, but something about Mu Lichuan made her feel safe.
Mu Lichuan glanced at the spot, then handed her a talisman. "Keep this with you. It’ll protect you." With that, he rushed toward the chaos.
Airport security struggled to subdue the frenzied attacker, who wielded a long, bloodied machete. Several victims lay groaning on the ground.
Mu Lichuan saw the injured guards. The man’s strength was unnatural, his movements driven by a malevolent force that had stripped him of reason.
He had no desire to play hero or become a spectacle, but letting this continue would only lead to more deaths. His hands moved in a complex seal, and a surge of spiritual energy shot toward the assailant.
Amid the chaos, the sight of a lone teenager performing strange hand gestures stood out bizarrely.
"Ah—!"
The moment the spiritual energy struck, the evil energy within the man burst forth and lunged straight at Mu Lichuan.
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