章 133: Chapter 133: The Forging Duel

Chapter 133: The Forging Duel

As the young man entered the hall, it became clear that this was Liu Xu, the infamous fourth son of the Liu family. The Liu family patriarch had three sons and one daughter: the eldest son had died young, the second son was the family heir with extraordinary talent, the daughter was a renowned beauty in Xihuang City, and the fourth son had earned the nickname "Liu Family's Villain."

Unlike his siblings, who were known for their talents and beauty, Liu Xu was infamous for his misdeeds, including the abduction of women. Despite his notorious reputation, the people of Xihuang City could only grumble in silence due to the Liu family's power.

When Liu Xu entered the hall, the patriarch, Liu Ye, frowned. He had little fondness for this son, who only indulged in vices and never accomplished anything meaningful. Just yesterday, Liu Xu had caused another incident by harassing a woman, which resulted in him being thrown off a flying beast. Although he was spared serious injury due to his assailant's restraint, the event had brought great shame to the Liu family. If word got out, the Liu family would become the laughingstock of Xihuang City.

"What are you doing here instead of resting?" Liu Ye's voice was cold as he addressed Liu Xu.

"Father..." Liu Xu, seeing the displeasure on his father's face, became fearful. He had always been afraid of his strict father. But when he turned to see Mo Yu, the memory of being thrown from the flying beast came rushing back, and his eyes filled with a deep, bitter hatred.

"Father, didn't you want to know who threw me off the flying beast yesterday? I can tell you now." Liu Xu's cold voice echoed in the hall, drawing everyone's attention.

Xue Mei's expression shifted when she heard this, recalling the incident on the flying beast. She began to panic, but when she saw Mo Yu's calm demeanor, her heart settled. She thought to herself that if Mo Yu dared to throw Liu Xu from the flying beast, he must have a way to resolve the situation. After all, in the Jia Ma Empire, this young man had even brought down the Mo family. Compared to that, the Liu family was insignificant.

"You know the identity of the person who threw you off the flying beast?" Liu Ye was startled by his son's revelation and asked for confirmation. Although he didn't favor Liu Xu, as the head of the Liu family, he couldn't let such an offense against his son slide easily.

"Who dared to treat you like that, little brother? Tell me, and I'll make sure they pay!" Liu Xing, holding the Ice Soul Sword, slammed his right hand on the table in righteous anger.

The Liu family members in the hall were also curious. Although they didn't like Liu Xu much, he was still the son of the patriarch, and his status was high. Whoever dared to humiliate Liu Xu by throwing him off a flying beast must be very bold. Such audacity hadn't been seen in years.

"Hmph, the one who threw me off the flying beast, showing no regard for our Liu family, is him!" Liu Xu sneered as he pointed directly at Mo Yu.

The Liu family members followed Liu Xu's gaze and were shocked. Their eyes darted between Liu Xu and Mo Yu. Liu Xu was always accompanied by Liu family guards, who were at least Dou Shi-level fighters. How could a young man, who didn't even look twenty, have managed to overpower them and throw Liu Xu off the beast?

Only the senior members of the Liu family knew the details of what had happened on the flying beast. The guards had reported that a young man had overwhelmed them and thrown Liu Xu off. The high-level members were stunned to hear that such a young man possessed such strength. No one in the Mulan Empire had heard of a young genius with such power.

When Liu Xing realized that this young man was Mo Yu, his expression changed to one of disbelief. "Are you saying that Mo Yu was the one who threw you off the flying beast?"

In shock, Liu Xing stared at Mo Yu, who remained calm. The fact that Mo Yu could defeat even a nine-star Dou Shi from the Liu family filled Liu Xing with jealousy and anger. The idea that his fiancée might be taken by Mo Yu only fueled his resentment.

Liu Ye was also surprised. During the brief exchange between Mo Yu and Liu Xing earlier, he had recognized Mo Yu's exceptional abilities, but he hadn't expected that even the Liu family's nine-star Dou Shi guards were no match for him. Such talent was truly terrifying. A person like Mo Yu, if not dealt with early, would become a major threat.

"Mo Yu, not only did you try to steal my fiancée, but you also attempted to murder my brother. Today, the Liu family will teach you a lesson!" Liu Xing's expression darkened as he waved his hand. Several of the Liu family's experts stood up, all looking at Mo Yu with hostility.

These Liu family elites were all at the Dou Shi level. Liu Xing, having learned of Mo Yu's capabilities, was cautious and decided not to face him alone. Instead, he used his position as the family's young master to summon the family's experts.

Seeing this, Liu Xu smirked coldly at Mo Yu. Although Mo Yu was indeed talented, he couldn't possibly stand up to several Dou Shi experts. Liu Xu imagined capturing Mo Yu, torturing him, and then claiming the women at his side to avenge his humiliation.

"Hmph, does the Liu family only bully others with numbers?" Lin Fei suddenly stepped forward, her voice clear and resolute as it echoed in the hall. "Where was your sense of justice when Liu Xu was harassing us? My father is the lord of Heiyan City, and my master is the Four-Star Alchemist Master Otto. If they hear that I was harassed on a flying beast, I'm sure they'd have a few words to say to your esteemed family!"

The Liu family members in the hall were taken aback by Lin Fei's statement. They hadn't expected this silent beauty to have such a powerful background. Heiyan City was a major city in the Jia Ma Empire, and even the people of the Mulan Empire had heard of it. The city's lord must be a man of considerable power, and on top of that, Lin Fei's master was a Four-Star Alchemist. Such a background wasn't something the Liu family could easily dismiss.

The Liu family's experts, who were about to attack Mo Yu, hesitated. Lin Fei's words had indeed shaken them. In the past, the people Liu Xu had bullied were from insignificant families, so the Liu family hadn't had to worry about consequences. But now, they were facing a city lord and a Four-Star Alchemist. Mishandling the situation could lead to serious repercussions.

Seeing the family's hesitation, Liu Ye frowned slightly. He hadn't expected that Xue Mei's friends would include someone with such a strong background. This made it difficult to use force. After all, Liu Xu had been at fault in the first place. While the Liu family was powerful enough to ignore minor grievances, dealing with people of significant power required a more diplomatic approach.

What concerned Liu Ye even more was Mo Yu's talent. If Mo Yu was this powerful at such a young age, what kind of background did he come from? Liu Ye recalled the dominant power in the Jia Ma Empire, the Yun Lan Sect, which held a position similar to that of the Mulan Valley in the Mulan Empire. It was highly likely that Mo Yu was a disciple of the Yun Lan Sect. If that were the case, the Liu family might be biting off more than they could chew.

"Stand down," Liu Ye commanded the family's experts. "Xue Mei and her friends are our guests. We must not be rude."

"Father!" Both Liu Xing and Liu Xu cried out in protest.

"No more words," Liu Ye's tone was stern, leaving no room for argument.

Lin Fei's eyes brightened with relief, and she smiled at Mo Yu. But Mo Yu, observing Liu Ye's unreadable expression, felt a sense of foreboding. He knew that the matter wouldn't be resolved so easily.

Sure enough, Liu Ye turned to Xue Mei and asked calmly, "Xue Mei, does your father know about your relationship with Mo Yu and your desire to break off the engagement?"

Caught off guard, Xue Mei bit her lip. "No, my father doesn't know. I came here on my own, hoping that Uncle Liu would agree to my request."

"Is that so? Since your father hasn't been informed, then I must ask you to return and discuss it with him first. This engagement was personally arranged by our elders. Even though they have passed away, we must respect their wishes and get both families' consent before making any decisions. This is not something I can easily decide on my own," Liu Ye said as he sipped his tea.

"And this Tiger Strength Pill, you should take it back. I cannot accept it without merit. Furthermore, this matter is between the Xue and Liu families. It's best if your teacher does not get involved." Liu Ye pushed the jade box back toward Xue Mei.

"Uncle Liu…" Xue Mei tried to persuade him, but Liu Ye waved her off, signaling that the conversation was over. The incident with Liu Xu had ruined any chance of a peaceful resolution to the engagement.

Liu Xing and Liu Xu exchanged relieved looks, pleased that their father had found a way to block Mo Yu's request while still maintaining the family's dignity. Liu Xing sneered at Mo Yu, relishing the thought of taking back Xue Mei and humiliating Mo Yu by inviting him to their wedding. Meanwhile, Liu Xu eyed Mo Yu with contempt, eager to see his plans foiled.

"Mo Yu, what do we do now?" Lin Fei asked, worried. She had expected her powerful background to resolve the issue but hadn't anticipated Liu Ye's refusal.

"Don't worry, I'll handle it," Mo Yu replied calmly. He ignored the mocking looks from Liu Xing and Liu Xu, remaining focused on the task at hand.

"I agree that Xue Mei and I were impulsive. Today, I'm willing to step back and not interfere with the engagement, but I have a condition," Mo Yu said.

"What condition?" Liu Xing asked, frowning.

Xue Mei and Lin Fei exchanged surprised glances, having heard nothing about any conditions before. Now they could only trust Mo Yu to pull off a miracle.

"I want to challenge you to a duel. Whoever wins gets to be with Xue Mei," Mo Yu declared.

"You…" Liu Xing's face twisted in anger. He had already seen that even the Liu family's nine-star Dou Shi guards couldn't defeat Mo Yu. Was this guy trying to humiliate him?

But Mo Yu shook his head and clarified, "I want to challenge you to a duel… in weapon forging."

As soon as the words left his mouth, the hall fell silent. Everyone stared at Mo Yu in disbelief. He wanted to challenge Liu Xing, the Liu family's top talent in weapon forging, in his own specialty?

Everyone in the Liu family knew that Liu Xing was a prodigy in weapon forging, surpassing even some of the elders. And here was Mo Yu, challenging him in his own field. Was he out of his mind?

Liu Xing was taken aback at first, but then he burst out laughing, his disbelief turning to disdain as he eyed Mo Yu.

"Fine, I accept your challenge!" Liu Xing declared, his eyes gleaming with the anticipation of crushing Mo Yu in the one area where he was unbeatable.

(End of the Chapter)

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