Chapter 555: Chapter 554: Forcibly Taking the Lead

Mu Keqing laughed. "It seems you still don’t understand the rules of the Divine Domain. If the Ximen Family dared to monopolize the treasures, they would become the public enemy of all of Shazhou, and perhaps even the entire Divine World!"

"Originally, this secret realm was supposed to be reclaimed by the Red Sand Family, as they own everything in Shazhou," she continued. "However, they’ve relaxed the conditions this one time, which is why all the young prodigies are gathering here!"

Ye Fan didn’t really understand the rules of the Divine Domain and couldn’t even tell where he was. Although he was the number one expert of the Secular World, he could only start from the very bottom of the Divine Domain and claw his way up.

"Where are we going now?" Ye Fan asked.

"To the Ximen Family, of course!" Mu Keqing declared.

Ye Fan’s legs immediately went weak. I almost died at the hands of the Ximen Family. Isn’t going there now just asking for death?

Mu Keqing shot him a disdainful look. "Look how pathetic you are. With me here, what are you afraid of? The Ximen Family won’t dare to touch you!"

"They really won’t dare?" Ye Fan asked, highly skeptical.

"Stick with this young lady," Mu Keqing said, puffing out her chest, "and no one in all of Shazhou will dare to mess with you!"

"Alright," Ye Fan said, immediately choosing to believe her bluster.

In truth, I have no idea why she wants me as her follower, or rather, her lackey. It feels strange going from being a boss to a subordinate. But if Mu Keqing wanted a follower, even a Divine General would probably come running, nodding and bowing, at the mere snap of her fingers.

"Let’s go! We leave now!"

At her command, an immense Advanced Spiritual Bird descended. Though it lacked pure Divine Blood, its power was terrifying. It had experienced at least one great Nirvana, a stage achieved after undergoing numerous small Nirvanas. Of course, while powerful, Spiritual Beasts were no match for true Divine Beasts; without pure Divine Blood, they could only be called Spiritual Beasts. This particular Spiritual Beast, at the great Nirvana level, served as both Mu Keqing’s mount and her enforcer. No wonder she was so arrogant.

The two of them immediately set off for the Ximen Family estate. Upon their arrival, they were greeted personally by the Family Head himself, Ximen Qing. Despite Mu Keqing’s youth, her status was so lofty that he had no choice but to receive her personally.

He smiled warmly at her. "So, the bright pearl of the Red Sand Main God has graced us with her presence! It’s no wonder I dreamed last night that a Spirit Bird had landed on the roof of my Ximen Family home. Your visit truly brings radiance to our humble abode!" 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

This old guy’s flattery is so smooth, I almost want to applaud him, Ye Fan thought.

Mu Keqing, however, replied coolly, "Family Head Ximen, no need for such ceremony. I extend my father’s greetings to you."

"I am honored, I am honored!" Ximen Qing said at once.

Just then, Ye Fan saw a brother-sister pair standing behind Ximen Qing. They saw him at the same instant. It was true that when enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred. At that moment, however, the siblings’ faces were pale. They clearly hadn’t expected Ye Fan to be connected to someone of such importance.

Mu Keqing spoke up. "Uncle Qing, my friend here accidentally offended your precious son and daughter the other day. In return, they beat him quite severely."

Instantly, Ximen Qing’s expression soured. What a pair of idiots! How could they have provoked this girl? Mu Keqing was the most infamous little witch in all of Shazhou. Even the Red Sand Main God was helpless against her. Now, how am I supposed to explain this?

In reality, Mu Keqing truly was a little witch; otherwise, she wouldn’t have stood up for Ye Fan, an act that deeply moved him. Looks like following this boss wasn’t a bad idea. She might like to bully her underlings sometimes, but when she protects them, it feels damn good.

Meanwhile, Ximen Hengcheng and his sister, Ximen Yanlan, looked absolutely mortified.

"They are completely at Miss Mu’s disposal! Even if you were to beat them to death, this old man would not have a single word of complaint!" Ximen Qing declared.

He was truly an old fox. If he handled the punishment himself and was too lenient, he feared Mu Keqing would be displeased. If he was too harsh, he would be hurting his own children. By handing the decision to Mu Keqing, he was gambling. I’m a Divine General, after all. I still have some standing with the Red Sand Main God. Surely Mu Keqing won’t go too far with my children.

But when had the little witch ever cared about such considerations? If she did, she wouldn’t be who she was. She turned to Ye Fan. "Ye, you handle it. I’ve got your back!"

Ye Fan had been hesitant, but with Mu Keqing’s backing, what was there to fear? He strode forward immediately. Seeing the siblings glaring at him with such hatred, his own temper flared. If their attitude had been even slightly better, he would have made a token gesture and let it go. But since they were so hostile, he no longer felt the need to be merciful.

With that, he channeled his power and swung his hands.

SLAP! SLAP!

Two resounding slaps echoed. Mu Keqing nearly cheered, and Ye Fan himself felt a surge of satisfaction. The sting on the siblings’ faces was nothing compared to the searing pain of humiliation, and the hatred in their hearts intensified inexplicably. Even Ximen Qing’s expression soured, but with Mu Keqing present, he didn’t dare to lash out. He had already committed Ye Fan’s face to memory. As a Divine General, how could he tolerate a nobody humiliating his Ximen Family like this?

Ye Fan was one who feared neither heaven nor earth. Seeing the siblings still glaring at him, he slapped them twice more. This time, they meekly lowered their heads. Ye Fan then walked back to Mu Keqing’s side.

"Since he’s slapped them and vented his anger, let’s consider this matter settled," Mu Keqing announced.

"Excellent!" Ximen Qing immediately agreed, though his acceptance was purely verbal.

Then, putting on a smiling face, he arranged for Mu Keqing and Ye Fan to stay in a courtyard within the Ximen Family residence.

「Later that night.」

Ximen Qing and his two children were gathered in the main hall.

"Father, we can’t let what happened today just slide!" Ximen Hengcheng was the first to speak.

"He’s right, Father!" Ximen Yanlan added. "That Mu Keqing is too insolent. You gave her a way out, and she just walked all over you! If it weren’t for the Red Sand Main God, what would she be?"

"Silence!" Ximen Qing snapped, and Ximen Yanlan immediately fell quiet.

"Watch your words," Ximen Qing said, his voice low. "I may not think much of Mu Keqing herself, but she is, after all, the Red Sand Main God’s most beloved daughter. For that, we must endure."

"Then what about that boy?" Ximen Yanlan demanded.

"I’ve already investigated his background," Ximen Qing said with a sneer. "He’s a nobody, a small fry without any backing. If he hadn’t latched onto Mu Keqing, I would have killed him long ago. While you are in the Ximen Family estate, act as if nothing happened and do not provoke him. But inside the secret realm... there will be times when he is alone.

"We will find a way to kill him then. As long as we leave no evidence, Mu Keqing will have no grounds to cause trouble!"

"Yes!"

The two siblings looked at their father with admiration. With just a few words, he had made everything clear. Indeed, an old fox is the craftiest of all.