"Brother!" Yang Boxin, upon receiving the slap, had tears twinkling in his eyes, unable to utter a single word.
"Forget it, you’re only a burden following me; I can’t spare the effort to protect you. It’s safer to stay with everyone else," Mu Hanyan said with a reluctant smile.
Not every family was like the Mu Family, who let her do as she pleased. Many families on the Holy Court Continent had strict rules, especially some old lesser families that had survived turbulent times only by their stringent family laws, so she did not blame Yang Boxin.
"Young Master Mu, I’m sorry," Yang Boqiao said with a low voice, full of regret.
"You’ve done well enough," Mu Hanyan replied indifferently.
Yang Boqiao at least had some resolve, far stronger than those who would betray at the drop of a hat. Although they couldn’t be friends, there was no need to consider each other enemies.
Mu Hanyan, having lived two lives, indeed possessed a breadth of vision and magnanimity beyond ordinary people.
"Brother Mu, take care of yourself. I, Yang Boxin, will never forget this life-saving grace," said Yang Boxin with a face full of guilt, his voice choked with emotion.
Although Qu Fengting had not been able to make Mu Hanyan’s friends and relatives turn against her, he was quite satisfied with forcing Yang Boqiao and his brother to part ways with their lifesaver. He then ordered the gates to be opened, letting the Yang brothers in.
"Brother Mu, here is some wound medicine; you might need it," Yang Boqiao whispered to Mu Hanyan as they were leaving, his voice very low and filled with remorse.
"Thank you," Mu Hanyan said, accepting the wound medicine without rejection.
She had no prejudices against Yang Boqiao, and this small gesture actually endeared him slightly to her.
At that moment, Yang Boqiao had no idea that this small act of apology would save his life in the not-so-distant future. Of course, had he known, he wouldn’t have made the earlier decisions.
Turning around, Mu Hanyan and her companions strode away.
"Such ingratitude, I should never have saved them in the first place," Mu Cheng muttered angrily, still walking far ahead.
"The Yang Family has been dependent on the Qu family for years, and now with Qu Fengting’s call receiving so much response, they really didn’t have many choices, neither for their family’s sake nor for their own lives. Considering their situation, what they have managed is actually commendable. Members of a noble family often can’t control their own fate; it’s an unavoidable situation," Wu Qiuyun said insightfully, with a sense of lament.
"Sigh, family matters are really headache-inducing," Mu Cheng sighed. Coming from a similar background, he understood the squabbles and contentions among families very well; it was just a bit hard for him to accept and feel at ease.
"Let others handle the headache-inducing issues. Just focus on cultivating and use your strength to protect the family," Mu Hanyan said with a relaxed expression.
Hearing her words, both Mu Cheng and Wu Qiuyun felt enlightened. Being family members, they knew all too well how difficult it was for a family to survive in this world. Often, for the sake of survival, they had to resort to flattery, and even marrying off female members under the guise of alliance to ensure a decade of peace was commonplace. For more chapters visit noᴠelfire.net
Despite both being only in their teens or barely twenty, they already felt forced to feel helpless or confused about their futures.
Mu Hanyan’s words were a revelation to them. What really ensures a family’s long and lasting prosperity? It’s strength. With just one top-notch master, a family could ensure prosperity for a hundred years. Who then needs alliances through marriage or to endure indignities?