Chapter 30:
Chapter 30:
When the masked traveler entered the door.
The gray-clothed old man, who had been resting with his eyes closed, finally opened them and glanced at the masked traveler without showing any clear reaction.
The gray-clothed old man was a martial artist ranked 7th. He could tell that although the masked traveler spoke boldly and had a decent presence, they were ultimately just a martial artist ranked 9th.
"Although this person is ranked 9th, their vitality is depleted and they are far from reaching the peak of the 9th rank. It’s not worth mentioning."
He remained composed, and his strength gave him confidence.
As the saying goes, one higher level of official can crush people. The rankings among officials represent a distinct difference in status and hierarchy, while the 9th rank system among martial artists represents the gap in their strength.
However, Childe Guo and the others were not as composed.
Everyone’s attention was drawn to this unexpected guest, who walked in and gently lifted off his hat, revealing his face.
At the moment when the face was exposed to the sunlight, everyone was startled, their souls trembled.
Qiao Mu’s coffin was still lying there beside, the lid of the coffin had not been closed yet.Another Qiao Mu emerged under the bright daylight?
"Qiao Mu?!"
"Boss?"
"Impossible!"
Among them, Childe Guo was particularly shocked, and he immediately took two steps back.
As soon as he removed his hat and revealed his face, Qiao Mu moved, astonishing everyone.
The long spear appeared in his hand from behind, with a swirling aura around its tip, aimed directly at Childe Guo’s throat!
Without hesitation, he directly attacked Childe Guo, emitting a strong and intense sense of killing intent.
However, at that moment, a grey figure quickly regained composure from the shock, flew in front of Childe Guo, and slapped the spearhead from the side with both palms.
Buzz!
With a dull sound, the long spear in Qiao Mu’s hand violently trembled, causing his hands to bleed as the skin on his palm split open.
The grey-clothed old man blinked his eyes and withdrew his hands behind his back.
Childe Guo behind him turned pale, as a strand of his hair was grazed by the aura of the long spear, causing a slight cut on his forehead.
However, Qiao Mu completely ignored the grey-clothed old man, his eyes fixed firmly on Childe Guo behind him, emanating a strong and intense sense of killing intent.
This made Childe Guo feel as if he was being stared at by a fierce beast, causing goosebumps to rise on his body and a chill to run down his spine.
He instinctively took a step back, but his mind once again recalled the scene when he was violently assaulted by Qiao Mu on the long street.
"Qiao Mu is dead, who are you?" The old man in gray clothes was the first to react, his gaze fixed on Qiao Mu’s face.
There is a difference in appearance between the ages of 20 and 28. At this moment, Qiao Mu’s facial features appear more mature and profound, with a hint of maturity. There is also a thin stubble on his chin.
Compared to the difference in appearance, the gap between the two in the martial arts is more evident.
Qiao Mu had just broken through the 9th rank before his death, while Qiao Lin in front of him, although also at the 9th rank and with some depletion in his energy and blood, is clearly not a beginner at the 9th rank.
Moreover, the old man in gray clothes had seen Qiao Mu practice the spear at the military camp. It was obvious that he was trying the spear for the first time, and his talent in spear technique was only average. It was impossible for him to make such progress in just a few days.
"Seems like he’s not the boss… He’s a bit tougher and more reckless than the boss."
Old Huang beside him had cleverly moved to the side and quietly discussed.
"My name is Qiao Lin, Qiao Mu is my younger brother." Qiao Mu glanced at his own body in the coffin, his eyes revealing a perfect amount of grief.
"Disrespecting the body of my little brother… I, Qiao Lin, am willing to risk my life to take all of you down with me!"
The old man in gray clothing remained unchanged in expression, and even had a slight desire to laugh.
"You’re talking nonsense, making empty boasts…"
The old man in gray clothing didn’t finish his sentence, but his expression froze as he turned his head to look behind him.
Childe Guo, who had been protected by him all along, seemed unable to withstand Qiao Mu’s gaze and had already retreated to the entrance of the courtyard.
"Uncle Fu, let’s come again next time."
Childe Guo’s voice trembled slightly.
It wasn’t that he was timid, but in the previous encounter on the main street, he was also subdued by Qiao Mu while being surrounded by guards.
And now… Childe Guo touched a spot of blood on his head, feeling that it would be better to play it safe this time.
"Retreat!"
Childe Guo came and went quickly, and the nearby servants exchanged glances and hurried to catch up.
The old man in gray clothes, Ah Fu, remained silent for a while, and in the end could only turn and leave.
Qiao Mu watched them leave, but his heart was still tense.
He knew that the gray-clothed old man was only escorting Childe Guo away. The situation had developed to the point where once Childe Guo returned to the Lord’s Manor, the Lord’s Manor might send someone to attack….
He wasn’t afraid of death, he even kind of wanted to die.
But there were still people behind him, and this place wasn’t suitable for a battlefield.
So, Qiao Mu gripped his long spear and, watching the figures of the people leaving, said loudly:
"Tomorrow."
"I, Qiao Lin, will bury my younger brother Qiao Mu’s body in a mound outside the city."
From his words, it meant that tomorrow I will leave the city and if he wants to have a fight, he can come.
The gray-clothed old man, Ah Fu, paused slightly in his footsteps and laughed.
"This Qiao Lin indeed has some courage. He and his brother Qiao Mu are truly blood brothers with the same bad temper. It’s a pity that they only have youthful bravery in common."
He didn’t linger and turned around to leave.
Qiao Lin put away his spear and turned to look at the other people in the courtyard.
After Childe Guo and his group left, there were only Qiao Canxue, Old Huang, and a few other soldiers left in the courtyard. However, all of them were stunned and hadn’t recovered from the shock just now.
Next to it was an open coffin, and there were two cups of tea and a pot of soup on the stone table in the courtyard.
"I happen to be hungry." Qiao Mu smelled the scent and walked over, still grumbling in his heart.
Wang Songhe has no manners at all. He invited me to his cottage but didn’t even offer me a meal before I left. I had to rush and eat my own meal quickly.
Most of the soup was drunk by Old Huang, only a little less than half a bowl was left in the pot.
Old Huang and the others were still puzzled. When they saw Qiao Mu going to ladle the soup, they immediately rushed over to stop him.
"You can’t drink this soup!"
"You can’t let me drink? It’s just a bowl of soup, why be so stingy?" Qiao Mu stared angrily.
"This is not an ordinary soup, it’s… Hero Courage Soup," Old Huang briefly explained.
Just as he was halfway through his explanation, he himself felt nauseous and bent over, dry retching.
Qiao Mu frowned for a moment, but quickly relaxed.
He ignored the obstruction of Old Huang and the monks and helped himself to a bowl, swallowing it down in big gulps.
Unexpectedly, he drank the soup, his face remained normal, without any discomfort.
"This is pig liver, pig heart, not the kind of thing you imagined."
Old Huang was stunned for a moment, stopped retching, and said, "But Childe Guo said…"
"Childe Guo? Are you talking about that wastrel just now? This person seems to be full of lies, not trustworthy. Most likely just trying to scare you."
Qiao Mu spoke, glancing at his own body, pretending to be sorrowful.
"Besides, I heard that my younger brother Qiao Mu died in a gruesome manner, with his organs all shattered. How can that be enough to make soup?"
"Besides, it doesn’t taste the same."
When he said these words to Old Huang, Qiao Canxue, who had been silent all along, somehow came up behind him with a look of doubt.