Chapter 975: Perfect Resolution
Before coming to the God Realm, Yun Che had already learned the name "Mu Hanyi" from Mu Xiaolan. He knew that within the Ice Phoenix God Sect, and even throughout the entire Yin Xue Realm, Mu Hanyi was an extraordinary being, so transcendent that even figures like Mu Yizhou were absolutely incapable of reaching his level.
He never expected to meet this legendary figure—someone Mu Xiaolan described as practically mythological—so soon.
Mu Hanyi's arrival caused a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the entire world. He seemed to possess an innate ability to make others feel inferior. The overbearing Mu Yizhou, upon seeing him, instantly lost all traces of arrogance in his eyes and demeanor, even lowering his head subconsciously: "Mu Yizhou of the First Divine Phoenix Palace, greetings to Senior Brother Hanyi. What a coincidence to meet you here."
"Senior Brother Hanyi, you... why are you here?" Mu Luoqiu stared unblinkingly, her heart pounding wildly, her voice carrying a slight tremor.
"Senior Brother Hanyi... he's that... legendary Mu Hanyi?" Feng Mo exclaimed in surprise. Although he had only been at the Cold Snow Hall for three months, Mu Hanyi's name was already thunderously familiar to him. In fact, throughout the entire Ice Phoenix God Sect, there was no one who didn't know Mu Hanyi's name.
The Ice Phoenix God Sect was the highest sacred ground sought after by cultivators of the Yin Xue Realm. And Mu Hanyi, among the young disciples of this highest sacred ground, stood at the very peak—someone revered, admired, looked up to, and yearned for by all young cultivators of the Yin Xue Realm. He was truly a myth-like favored son of heaven.
Though Feng Mo never felt inferior, he had never dared to hope for any connection with someone of such stature. He never imagined that, three months after entering the Cold Snow Hall, he would personally meet the legendary Mu Hanyi.
"By my master's orders, I came to the Cold Snow Hall to visit Senior Su Shan." Mu Hanyi smiled faintly. "It's been a year since we last met, Junior Sister Luoqiu. Your progress in cultivation is remarkable—truly gratifying to see."
Being addressed correctly by name, even recalling the time of their last encounter, and receiving his praise, Mu Luoqiu was so thrilled and surprised she felt dizzy. Stammering slightly, she said, "Senior Brother Hanyi... you flatter me..."
Mu Hanyi shifted his gaze, looking at Yun Che, who still had Liu Hang in his grip. Following his gaze, Mu Yizhou quickly said, "Senior Brother Hanyi, he..."
Mu Hanyi raised his hand lightly to stop him. "Junior Brother Yizhou, there's no need to explain. I followed the sound here, so I've heard roughly what happened. Junior Brother Yun Che, how about putting down this junior brother first? Rest assured, I guarantee that Junior Brother Yizhou and Junior Sister Luoqiu will not attack you."
Even at their first meeting, Mu Hanyi addressed Yun Che by name. He wore a gentle, breeze-like smile, his gaze as calm as still water, exuding an indescribable yet subtly compelling charm that made one involuntarily want to submit.
Mu Hanyi's prestige within the Ice Phoenix God Sect was far greater than Yun Che could have imagined. With his words, even if they harbored gnashing hatred, Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu absolutely would not dare to attack Yun Che.
Without hesitation, Yun Che naturally relaxed his grip, and Liu Hang collapsed from between his fingers.
The force suppressing him and the hand clutching his head vanished simultaneously. Liu Hang, his courage shattered, let out a strange cry. Ignoring his leg injury, he scrambled frantically toward Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu, shrinking behind Mu Yizhou's legs, trembling and unable to speak.
Yun Che had lost his leverage. Although Mu Yizhou dared not act immediately, the fury he had been suppressing threatened to explode from his head. His hands clenched so tightly they cracked. Gritting his teeth, he forced out, "Senior Brother Hanyi, Yun Che is not only vicious—he severely injured my cousin Liu Hang—but also, relying on the protection of the Ice Cloud Palace Master, he repeatedly insulted us siblings and even tried to kill Liu Hang. This is unforgivable! No matter what... he cannot be forgiven!"
"That's not true!" Mu Xiaolan quickly ran to Yun Che's side, hurriedly explaining, "Yun Che injured Junior Brother Liu Hang for a reason. Junior Brother Liu Hang was the one who first snatched resources from a fellow disciple in the same hall. He only took Junior Brother Liu Hang hostage just now... it was only for self-defense, not to actually kill him. Senior Brother Hanyi, you are the most reasonable and fair. You... you must help Junior Brother Yun Che."
"Alright, let's first check Junior Brother Liu's injuries." Mu Hanyi shook his head slightly, bending down in front of Liu Hang. His gaze swept over him, then he pushed a white pill into Liu Hang's mouth. Pressing his hand on Liu Hang's chest, he said calmly, "Rest assured, Junior Brother Yun Che acted with considerable restraint. Though he injured the bones in the leg and skull, with proper rest, recovery should take no more than half a month."
Liu Hang's wounds would be severe for a mortal, but for a cultivator on the divine path, they could heal within a relatively short time.
Mu Hanyi not only examined the injuries but also personally used his profound force to help dissolve the medicinal power. Liu Hang was so excited he felt as if in a dream, his voice ethereal: "Thank... thank you, Senior Brother Hanyi..."
"Hey! Aren't you going to say something?" Mu Xiaolan secretly tugged at Yun Che's sleeve. "He's Senior Brother Hanyi! Even in the Ice Phoenix Temple, he's the most formidable person. Almost no one in the entire Yin Xue Realm doesn't know him. He's not only incredibly powerful but also an exceptionally good person. He will definitely stand up for us. Whew, I thought I was going to be scared to death... How can you be so lucky!"
Yun Che responded: "...Oh."
As the medicinal power spread, Liu Hang's bleeding completely stopped, and his complexion improved significantly. Mu Hanyi removed his hand from Liu Hang's chest but didn't immediately rise. Instead, he asked, "Junior Brother Liu Hang, Junior Sister Xiaolan just said that this incident started because you snatched resources from a fellow disciple. Is that true?"
Liu Hang, who had just relaxed, was asked this question... and by Mu Hanyi no less. His face went pale again, cold sweat streaming down. His lips trembling, he stammered, "I... this..."
"Junior Brother Liu, there's no need to be nervous." Mu Hanyi smiled faintly, his eyes holding neither blame nor pressure. "Who among the young hasn't been arrogant and reckless? Who hasn't made mistakes? To admit it openly is not shameful—it is the act of a true man. If one can correct it, it is even more worthy of forgiveness and praise."
"I must confess, I'm ashamed to say that when I first entered the Ice Phoenix Palace, I, too, once gave in to greed and secretly stole a bottle of Jade Cup Cold Liquid from the Palace Master."
"Senior Brother Hanyi... you..." Liu Hang was stunned. Everyone was stunned. None of them had expected that Mu Hanyi had once stolen from the Ice Phoenix Palace Master... and he voluntarily revealed it himself.
"Fortunately, I eventually repented and voluntarily confessed to the Palace Master. The Palace Master severely punished me but didn't make it public. Instead, after the punishment, he bestowed that bottle of Jade Cup Cold Liquid upon me." Mu Hanyi sighed with emotion. "Stealing from the Palace Master is far more serious than snatching resources from a fellow disciple—several times worse. Yet after my repentance, the Palace Master still chose to forgive. If it's true that you snatched resources from a fellow disciple, then admitting it honestly and correcting the mistake will likely lead to forgiveness from both Junior Brother Yun Che and the junior brother you wronged. In the future, you will earn even more respect in the Cold Snow Hall. So, Junior Brother Liu Hang, what do you think?"
Yun Che's brow twitched... To console a junior brother of the Cold Snow Hall, Mu Hanyi was willing to expose his own past "scandal." This was a breadth of mind and courage that ordinary people simply did not possess.
With Mu Hanyi's past as a comparison and his soothing words, Liu Hang felt almost no resistance to admitting and apologizing. Instead, a warmth welled up in his chest. He raised his head with effort and said, "A few days ago, it was the day the Cold Snow Hall distributed monthly allowances, including Snow Silk. Di Kui and I planned to snatch Feng Mo's Snow Silk. When he refused to hand it over, we injured him... Today's incident was indeed... indeed caused by my snatching resources from a fellow disciple."
"And not just Feng Mo. Before him, I had snatched Snow Silk from many junior brothers from the lower realms..."
He poured out all his shameful deeds in one breath and lowered his head. "Today's matter was entirely my fault... Please punish me, Senior Brother."
"Excellent." Mu Hanyi patted Liu Hang's shoulder and smiled. "There's no need for punishment. The injuries you bear are already punishment enough for today's mistakes—sufficient. I hope you will remember these wounds well. If you can take this as a warning and reform, then many years from now, you will surely be sincerely grateful for the scars Junior Brother Yun Che left on you."
"I... will definitely remember Senior Brother Hanyi's teachings." Liu Hang was not only sincerely convinced but even a little teary-eyed.
Mu Hanyi stood up, gently pushing his palm forward. A white pill, carried by a light breeze, floated slowly toward Feng Mo. Feng Mo caught it instinctively, momentarily dazed.
"Junior Brother Feng Mo, this Net Snow Pill can aid in your recovery and will greatly benefit your profound cultivation. Its effects are several times that of Snow Silk. Consider it my apology on behalf of Junior Brother Liu Hang. The Cold Snow Hall is an extremely important place in our Ice Phoenix God Sect, and no one wishes to see conflict among fellow disciples. It would be wonderful if you could set aside past grievances."
Feng Mo was stunned for a long moment before awkwardly stammering, "I-I-I... Thank you, Senior Brother Hanyi... I... I no longer hold a grudge against him."
Mu Hanyi nodded and smiled, then turned to Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu. "Junior Brother Yizhou, Junior Sister Luoqiu, this incident began with Junior Brother Liu Hang's mistake. Yun Che's act of injuring him was a matter of principle, and the injuries are not irreversible. If Junior Brother Liu Hang can reform as a result, then it is actually a good thing. Since that's the case, let today's matter end here—mutual non-prosecution, how about it?"
"Yes! Good! I'll follow Senior Brother Hanyi's wishes." Mu Luoqiu nodded like a chick pecking at grain, her sparkling gaze fixed on Mu Hanyi, barely leaving him at all.
"Senior Brother Hanyi's words are my command." Mu Yizhou bowed slightly. After speaking, his lips moved, and he gritted his teeth, finally looking at Yun Che with hatred. "However, this brat Yun Che is far too arrogant and vicious! If we just let it go like this, I... I am truly unwilling."
"Haha, of course, it can't just end like this."
Mu Hanyi laughed, then suddenly looked at Yun Che, his expression turning slightly serious. "Junior Brother Yun, while Junior Brother Liu Hang was at fault and it's acceptable for you to injure him in stopping his bullying of a fellow disciple, you were too heavy-handed when you took him hostage afterward. You nearly killed him—this was excessive, which is why Junior Brother Yizhou finds it hard to accept. So, if Junior Brother Yizhou is to let today's matter go... you must give Junior Brother Yizhou a promise."
"What promise?" Yun Che replied directly, his eyes completely calm.
Mu Hanyi's aura was too dazzling; against his radiance, everyone else's presence seemed faint.
Mu Hanyi said, "You must guarantee that you will never tell anyone about how you took Junior Brother Liu Hang from Junior Brother Yizhou and Junior Sister Luoqiu!"
This brief statement from Mu Hanyi caused Mu Yizhou, whose gaze was fierce and heart full of hatred, to freeze, unable to speak for a long time. Yun Che's eyes also flickered.
Two late-stage Divine Soul Realm cultivators, having a person snatched right from under their noses by a cultivator who had not even entered the divine path—if this got out, Mu Yizhou and Mu Luoqiu would definitely become a huge laughingstock... Especially within the Ice Phoenix Palace, they would hardly be able to show their faces.
This promise sharply reminded Mu Yizhou of this fact. It protected him, but also served to protect Yun Che.
What had been a tense, completely hostile situation was effortlessly resolved by Mu Hanyi. This one "promise" inserted a perfect balance point of mutual non-prosecution between Yun Che and Mu Yizhou.
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[The first female protagonist of the God Realm is about to make her entrance.]
(This chapter ends)