Chapter 2423: Mu Yinfeng
Every Mu Clan meeting was very strict and serious. Every member of the clan had to obey the rituals and ceremonies that were planned. Even those who had no right to take part in the meeting had to wait outside the room if they did not have any urgent business.
While a meeting took place, the members of the clan were forbidden to contact outsiders. They also had to make sure no one interfered with the meeting.
The monthly meeting was scheduled to last from one to five in the afternoon.
When the door of the room opened at the end of the meeting, the people who were closely related to the clan would gather around their representatives and ask whether they had managed to convince the clan to allocate more resources for them, if the clan had assigned them the positions they had striven to gain for years, or if they were being punished for the mistakes they had committed in the previous month.
Many people called the Mu Clan the Ice Element Dynasty of the country, as their clan meeting was similar to the morning assembly of the officials before the emperor during the era of ancient dynasties. The people involved in the meeting would dress nicely and prepare their speeches for the meeting. They would be mindful of their actions and words while competing for the resources allocated during the meeting.
The meeting today had not started yet. The participants were having lunch in the Clan Hall to prepare for the meeting in the afternoon.
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"What did you just say? Mu Ningxue has already forced her way to the main buildings?!" Mu Feiluan lost his temper after hearing the update from his men.
Mu Feiluan was one of the elders of the clan, in charge of the clan's internal affairs. He was solely responsible for the arrangement, discipline, training, and punishment of the young disciples.
The Mu Clan had too many branches and vassal clans. Not every elder was familiar with the details of what had happened to Mu Ningxue. It was Mu Feiluan who had the most say in how the clan dealt with Mu Ningxue.
Thus, it was Mu Feiluan who had decided to cripple Mu Ningxue's cultivation and expel her from the clan!
Pan Xi was Mu Feiluan's subordinate. He had chosen Mu Ningxue when she was still in Bo City and recommended her to Mu Feiluan. Mu Feiluan used to think Mu Ningxue had the potential to lead the new batch of disciples, and had treated Mu Ningxue like a pearl in the palm. Many young disciples had been jealous of her.
If Mu Feiluan decided Mu Ningxue had to go and have her cultivation taken away, Mu Ningxue was not allowed to resist. Everyone had to obey his orders!
It was also Mu Feiluan who had brought Mu Zhuoyun to Mu Clan Mountain.
However, the situation had now exceeded Mu Feiluan's expectations.
First, Mu Ningxue had managed to retain her cultivation. Second, Mu Ningxue had never surrendered herself and asked for the appropriate punishment so she could return to the clan. Lastly, Mu Ningxue was not defeated at the entrance to the clan. She had reached the main buildings instead!
She would soon be at the Clan Hall if she went only a little deeper!
If Mu Ningxue reached the Clan Hall, the Patriarch was obviously going to scold Mu Feiluan and hold him responsible. He would lose a lot of influence in the clan meeting!
Most importantly, Mu Feiluan had many powerful Mages under his command. How had they failed to stop the petty woman?
Were they trying to make him the laughing stock of the clan and ruin his reputation?!
"Why did I even bother taking care of Hou Ze? He can't even bite the person I want him to!" Mu Feiluan cursed.
"Mu Ningxue has really gone crazy. She dares to stir up trouble in the Mu Clan Mountain. Humph, I can't wait to see who's going to protect her this time!" Mu Yinfeng spoke up.
They had gone easy on Mu Ningxue in recent years because she had won the World College Tournament.
Mu Ningxue had been a member of the national team. On the other hand, the Mu Clan was closely affiliated with the country's powerful organizations. Some of the seniors in the clan were very concerned about the clan's reputation. They were worried that the public might condemn them if their Disciplinary Mages were too harsh on Mu Ningxue.
As a result, Mu Ningxue's punishment had been put on hold over the years. Mu Feiluan and Mu Yinfeng had used other ways to keep Mu Ningxue in check, instead of threatening her directly.
A few years had passed since the last World College Tournament, and the next World College Tournament was already around the corner. People's attention on Mu Ningxue had diminished over the years. It was time for the Mu Clan to settle their debt with Mu Ningxue!
"Don't worry, if she keeps behaving unscrupulously, we will have an excuse to cripple her cultivation on the spot. I will be able to justify myself in the meeting too," Mu Feiluan said reassuringly.
It turned out that he would have to take care of the threat that Pan Xi had left behind!
"What a pity. Even if we crippled her cultivation, she still has a pretty face. Some stupid men are fond of her aloof personality," Mu Yinfeng commented coldly.
"Sister, the clan meeting is extremely important to me. She must have come today to interfere with the meeting. You have to take care of her in the main garden for my sake… you can deal with her however you like," Mu Feiluan told her.
"Humph, are you asking me to do your dirty jobs again, while you enjoy your flourishing fame in the clan?" Mu Yinfeng grumbled.
"Didn't you have high hopes for Nanrong Ni? If you help me take care of Mu Ningxue, I will try to secure Nanrong Ni a spot in the clan meeting," Mu Feiluan proposed.
"That sounds more like it!" Mu Yinfeng nodded in satisfaction.
As a matter of fact, even without Mu Feiluan's promise, Mu Yinfeng had still been planning to take care of Mu Ningxue.
Some women would turn the clan into a mess if they stayed around, as if they were the only women in the whole clan.
Mu Yinfeng was annoyed when she heard Mu Ningxue's name. She was as troublesome as her mother!
That being said, Mu Yinfeng had managed to banish her mother to the wilds, so she would have no trouble getting rid of Mu Ningxue either!
"Nanrong Ni, do you want to go with me to the main buildings?" Mu Yinfeng asked her.
"Sure, I heard Tingying was seriously injured. Her face is covered in blood," Nanrong Ni mentioned.
"It won't be as simple as crippling her cultivation if I am told to deal with her..." Mu Yinfeng grinned.
She had been troubled for not having a legitimate excuse to get rid of Mu Ningxue, but the woman had come looking for trouble and broken the Mu Clan's rules. She felt more comfortable now that the conservative elders of the clan no longer had a say in the matter!
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The main buildings numbered over twenty palatial structures. They looked like the residences of ancient emperors, generals, or officials on the outside, but inside they had elevators, French windows, and marbled floors. All of the lighting and decorations were extremely expensive. Even the paintings and rhyming couplets on the walls were no ordinary works.
Dueling grounds for the disciples were built close to the main buildings. They were planted with grass, and maintained in great condition, with little snow adorning them.
When Mu Ningxue reached the main buildings, a different path had been opened. It was guiding her to take it, sparkling like diamonds before her.
The special path was only opened when the Mu Clan had organized an important duel. The path would lead the guests straight to a big dueling ground, the Battleground at the Peak.
It was obviously not open to receive any guests. It was directing Mu Ningxue to the Battleground at the Peak. Someone was waiting for her there!
The Battleground at the Peak was very close to the main buildings. People would see the duel from inside them.
Mu Ningxue followed the path to the dueling ground without any hesitation. She did not care who was waiting ahead for her.
She would beat anyone who tried to stop her!