Chapter 355- Fierce and Ominous Top VS Pretend Weak but Actually a Big Boss (21)
Mu Shan turned to Wu Po and said, “Compete against this man from our tribe. If you win, I’ll acknowledge that you have enough strength and aren’t just spouting empty words.”
Mu Jin glanced at the man Mu Shan was pointing to and twitched the corner of his mouth. He recognized this person instantly. From a young age, this man had always been particularly tall and strong, with immense physical power. He even had a nickname, “Big Bear,” and was considered one of the strongest individuals in the Pingyuan Tribe.
Even compared to the original owner of Mu Jin’s body, Big Bear wasn’t far behind. It was obvious that Mu Shan had called him out as an intimidation tactic against Wu Po.
However, Mu Jin wasn’t worried. Even though Big Bear was formidable, he wasn’t a match for Wu Po. But as Wu Jin’s partner, Mu Jin felt it necessary to take a stand, even if he was confident in Wu Po’s abilities.
He immediately stepped in front of Wu Po, glaring at Mu Shan with displeasure. “Father, this isn’t necessary. I’m with him not because of how strong he is but because I like him. No matter who he is or what he’s like, I want to be with him!”
Mu Jin, ever mindful of any opportunity, subtly expressed his feelings once again. Turning to Wu Po, he was rewarded with the sight of the man’s deeply moved expression, unable to hide his emotions.
Mu Shan, seeing this, felt the wrinkles on his forehead deepen. He had no desire to witness this impromptu display of affection, least of all from his own son. Displeased, he shot Big Bear a meaningful look.
Big Bear stepped forward, immediately taking his stance and preparing to attack Wu Po. However, before Wu Po could react, Mu Jin instinctively blocked Big Bear’s advance. With a swift kick, he sent Big Bear tumbling to the ground.
Seeing the towering man, as big as a small mountain, get kicked to the ground by the much smaller Mu Jin, Wu Po didn’t know how to react.
So, the delicate, fragile partner he’d always believed needed his protection was actually this strong?
Wu Po turned stiffly toward Mu Jin, his expression a mix of shock and disbelief. Across from him, Mu Jin clearly realized he had accidentally revealed himself again. Feeling guilty, he rubbed his nose and quickly moved closer, tugging on Wu Po’s arm and whining, “Wu Po, my foot hurts!”
As he spoke, Mu Jin lifted the foot he had just used to kick the man. His ankle was spotless—there wasn’t the slightest mark on it. Yet hearing Mu Jin say it hurt, Wu Po immediately set aside all other thoughts.
The man crouched down slightly, gently massaging Mu Jin’s ankle. His gaze carried a trace of reproach, as if blaming Mu Jin for being careless. Such matters should clearly be handled by him.
At the same time, Wu Po found himself thinking that if his partner was a little stronger, that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Being strong meant Mu Jin was healthy, and he wouldn’t have to worry excessively about his well-being. Still, tasks like dealing with rough situations should be left to him.
Mu Shan, who had been eagerly anticipating Mu Jin’s blunder and ready to enjoy the show, now found himself at a loss for words. He cast an exasperated glance at his son, only to see Mu Jin sneaking a playful wink in his direction.
Looking at Wu Po beside him, who was tenderly massaging Mu Jin’s ankle with a face full of concern, Mu Shan suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for his future son-in-law.
However, sympathy was one thing—he couldn’t just skip the test of strength.
It was also clear that Big Bear hadn’t used his full strength earlier; after all, he knew that the opponent was their young chief’s future partner. Everyone in the tribe was well aware of how petty and vengeful Mu Jin could be, so nobody dared to cross him lightly.
Big Bear didn’t know exactly how strong Wu Po was, but he was certain of one thing: if he truly hurt the person their young chief favored, he would be in for a long period of suffering. Thankfully, he hadn’t even started fighting before the young chief himself kicked him to the ground.
Letting out a sigh of relief, Big Bear silently acknowledged that Mu Jin’s strength was formidable. Even though Mu Jin had held back, the force of his kick was still enough to knock him down awkwardly, though he wasn’t actually injured.
Big Bear thought he had escaped the situation unscathed, but to his dismay, Mu Shan wasn’t ready to let him off the hook. Reluctantly, he got back on his feet, prepared to face Wu Po in a proper bout.
This time, however, Wu Po wouldn’t allow Mu Jin to intervene again. He stepped forward alone to face the warrior from the Pingyuan Tribe.
The location of their duel was behind the tribe’s tents, a secluded area where few people would pass by. Any noise from their sparring wouldn’t draw attention, which is why Mu Shan felt at ease letting them fight there.
What happened next, though, surprised him greatly—Wu Po won. And not just won, but won with remarkable ease.
Mu Shan had heard from Mu Jin that Wu Po was very strong, even stronger than Mu Jin himself. Still, he had taken the claim with some skepticism, believing Mu Jin might have exaggerated in his fondness for Wu Po.
But after witnessing Wu Po go head-to-head with one of the tribe’s strongest warriors, Mu Shan realized how wrong he had been. Wu Po was genuinely powerful.
Mu Shan also knew that Big Bear wasn’t entirely helpless against Mu Jin; earlier, Big Bear had held back out of respect for Mu Jin, with more playful than serious intent given their history of growing up together.
When facing Wu Po, Mu Shan could tell that Big Bear initially intended to hold back. However, once Wu Po displayed his true strength, Big Bear gave it his all. Yet even then, he was no match for Wu Po.
Mu Shan noticed that during the fight, Wu Po appeared relaxed and unhurried. It seemed as though he was merely humoring Big Bear, finding it rare to encounter a somewhat challenging opponent and wanting to prolong the sparring for fun. Had Wu Po been serious from the start, Big Bear likely wouldn’t have lasted more than twenty moves against him.
The match ultimately ended with Wu Po’s clear victory. However, both sides exercised restraint—Wu Po released Big Bear after fully subduing him, and Big Bear emerged from the fight without any injuries.
When Mu Jin saw Wu Po’s victory, he immediately leaped into his arms, beaming with joy. Mu Shan let out a resigned sigh. It seemed his son truly was grown and no longer under his control.
Despite the defeat of the tribe’s warrior, Mu Shan refused to let the tribe’s dignity falter. Maintaining a stern expression, he approached Wu Po and said gravely, “This time, you’ve indeed won and proven your strength. But remember, no matter how strong you are, you’re dealing with the entire Pingyuan Tribe. If one day you betray Mu Jin, it will mean you’ve made an enemy of the entire tribe.”
Instead of being angered by Mu Shan’s words, Wu Po nodded earnestly. He raised his hand and solemnly swore, “If I ever betray Mu Jin, let the gods punish me. For the rest of my life, I will have only Mu Jin as my partner. Even in death, I will become a spirit and remain by his side to protect him.”
Hearing Wu Po’s heartfelt oath, Mu Shan finally nodded in satisfaction. He then removed the beast-tooth necklace from around his neck and placed it on Wu Po.
This necklace, passed down from Mu Shan’s father, symbolized duty and protection.
Mu Jin knew how much Mu Shan valued the necklace. The beast teeth on it came from a ferocious predator deep within the forest. Only a warrior who successfully defeated such a beast in single combat could claim its fangs to craft a necklace. Over the years, only Mu Shan’s father had managed to accomplish this feat.
The beast teeth had been polished smooth from years of wear, a clear testament to the love and importance the necklace held for its wearer. By giving it to Wu Po now, Mu Shan was entrusting him with the duty of protecting Mu Jin.
When Mu Jin saw his father hand over the necklace, he realized that Mu Shan had finally relented and given his blessing for their relationship. Moreover, in the Pingyuan Tribe, the significance of this necklace was well-known, making Mu Jin deeply moved.
Although Wu Po didn’t fully know the necklace’s origins, he could tell from Mu Jin’s expression and Mu Shan’s careful gesture that it was of great significance.
He raised his right fist to tap his left shoulder and bent down to perform a deep bow to Mu Shan, expressing his gratitude for being accepted as Mu Jin’s partner.
With this, Mu Jin was reunited with his family, and Mu Shan had accepted Wu Po. The atmosphere was joyful as they stood together, chatting happily for a while.
Mu Jin recounted some of the events that had taken place in the Pingshan Tribe recently and informed Mu Shan that there were still some unresolved matters there requiring his attention. He promised that after finishing those tasks, he and Wu Po would return to the Plains Tribe to stay for a while.
Hearing that Mu Jin would return with Wu Po after handling his affairs, Mu Shan’s mood visibly improved.
Even though their conversation was brief, and Mu Jin soon needed to return to the Pingshan Tribe, Mu Shan wasn’t upset. He casually nodded and, with a stern expression, waved Mu Jin off to handle his business.
Only after Mu Jin left did Mu Shan allow a smile to spread across his face, unable to hide his joy.
The tension that had been building for so long finally eased. His child had returned to him unharmed and even received blessings from the gods. Mu Shan felt immense joy, so much so that he almost didn’t want to let Mu Jin leave.
But his child had grown up and found a partner. As a father, he needed to maintain his dignity.
Oh, right. Mu Jin had mentioned that after the gathering, they might hold a bonding ceremony. He needed to start preparing for that and ensure that no one looked down on his precious son!
After meeting his father, Mu Jin, together with Wu Po, went to inform the Pingshan Tribe’s chief about the situation.
The Pingshan Tribe’s chief was shocked upon learning Mu Jin’s true identity. Although the Ping Mountain Tribe was not small, it was still incomparable to the Pingyuan Tribe.
What astonished him even more was that, not long after, the Pingyuan Tribe’s chief, Mu Shan, personally arrived with his people to visit. This left the Pingshan Tribe’s chief feeling both honored and flattered.
While the two sides engaged in friendly discussions, Mu Jin noticed someone standing beside Mu Shan: Mu Xiong, the same person who had previously helped the female lead escape her arranged marriage. However, Mu Xiong now seemed to be in poor physical and mental condition.
Back when Mu Xiong decided to help Mu Xuan escape the Pingyuan Tribe, he had taken care of her throughout their journey in the forest. He was genuinely willing to give up everything for her, just to stay by her side.
But when they encountered a ferocious beast, Mu Xuan abandoned him and fled on her own. Mu Xiong narrowly escaped death but injured his leg in the process. Later, he was found unconscious by passing Pingyuan Tribe members, who brought him back to the tribe.
Later, although Mu Xiong’s leg injury healed, the bone had set improperly, leaving him with a limp. He could no longer walk normally, let alone join the hunting parties like he used to.
Mu Xiong initially didn’t want to attend the gathering, but Mu Shan insisted on bringing him along, saying there might be herbs or remedies from other tribes that could heal his leg.
Mu Shan hoped that Mu Xiong, once one of the strongest warriors in the Pingyuan Tribe, could recover and return to his former self.
Mu Xiong hadn’t expected that, even after helping Mu Xuan escape, their tribal chief would still care enough to help him. He was deeply moved by Mu Shan’s kindness.
However, Mu Xiong bore no resentment toward Mu Xuan. The beast they encountered back then was incredibly fierce, and the situation was dire. Mu Xuan was just a defenseless woman with no fighting skills. Mu Xiong reasoned that even if Mu Xuan had stayed, she wouldn’t have been able to help him and might have even lost her life.
But ever since his return to the tribe, Mu Xiong had been mentally unwell. Part of it was because of his crippled leg, which made him feel like a useless burden, and part of it was because he couldn’t stop worrying about Mu Xuan.
After recovering somewhat, Mu Xiong had ventured into the forest several times in search of Mu Xuan but never found any trace of her.
Who would have thought that just yesterday evening, while wandering around the gathering, he would see Mu Xuan—together with someone else.