His entire family perished in battle; he rose from the ashes to conquer the world.

While seemingly asking Gao Yan to tell the truth, they were actually reminding him that this was their territory and he had no need to fear Mu Yuan's questions.

Understanding the meaning behind his father's words, Gao Yan instantly gained confidence.

"I've been in Diancheng these past few days. What does the Commander mean by asking this? Do you suspect I went there to cause trouble?"

Gao Yan said this with a mocking smile on his face.

Qin Hongxiu couldn't stand his despicable face and said coldly, "Whether you've been causing trouble behind the scenes or not, you know perfectly well."

"Young lady, don't make false accusations. I can't argue with you." Gao Yan teased Qin Hongxiu with a wicked grin, seemingly oblivious to everyone else.

However, he had barely finished speaking when...

But then Mu Yuan slowly stood up, walked straight to Gao Yan, and suddenly stretched out his right hand and slapped Gao Yan across the face.

The slap was extremely powerful, and the sound was crisp and loud.

A clear handprint was visible on Gao Yan's face. He first felt numbness and loss of sensation on his right cheek, followed by a burning pain.

"You dare hit me?"

Gao Yan covered his cheek, his eyes wide with disbelief and resentment as he stared intently at Mu Yuan.

"His mouth is full of foul language, and he has no respect for hierarchy. He deserves to be beaten!"

No matter what, Qin Hongxiu was the wife of her deceased elder brother. Gao Yan openly flirted with her and said some filthy things. Mu Yuan slapping him was already a lenient punishment.

After punishing Gao Yan, Mu Yuan turned to look at Gao Song.

The latter had a gloomy expression, seemingly trying to suppress his inner emotions.

"Clan Chief Gao, you're not angry that I disciplined your son today, are you?" Mu Yuan asked.

"How could that be?"

Gao Song, who had just had a gloomy face, immediately put on a smile, pretending not to care, and took the opportunity to reprimand Gao Yan on the spot:

"You beast, how dare you speak so disrespectfully to General Qin! She is the wife of the Marshal's elder brother, and comes from a military family. How dare you, a mere child, speak so rudely to her?"

At this point, Gao Song cupped his hands to Qin Hongxiu and said, "General Qin, my son was rude to you just now, and I apologize to you here."

Considering that this was Gao's territory, Qin Hongxiu was worried that things would escalate and harm Mu Yuan, so she did not intend to investigate further.

"Chief Gao will need to keep a close eye on your son in the future, lest he utter something disgraceful!"

"That's right, that's right." Gao Song nodded repeatedly. "Please rest assured, General Qin and Commander-in-Chief, I will definitely discipline them more strictly in the future."

After saying that, Gao Song solemnly instructed Gao Yan to apologize to Qin Hongxiu.

Gao Yan, who had been slapped by Mu Yuanzhong, saw his father's livid face and finally gave in, bowing his head and apologizing to Qin Hongxiu.

"What are you doing here making a fool of yourself? Get back to your room and reflect on your actions!" Gao Song roared at Gao Yan.

"Wait a minute."

Mu Yuan called out to Gao Yan, who was about to leave.

"General, is there something about my son that displeases you?" Gao Song asked cautiously, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes.

In Gao Song's eyes, Mu Yuan was nothing more than a hothead.

If it weren't for the fact that Mu Yuan held military power in the Western Prefecture Army, and that the Mu family hadn't completely fallen yet, he would have intended to kill Mu Yuan when Mu Yuan attacked Gao Yan in front of him. Why would he have been pretending to be a grandson and smiling obsequiously?

"With so much fine wine and food, it would be a waste for just the few of us. Let your son join us."

Mu Yuan said with a smile.

There was an unexpected incident, but that doesn't mean Mu Yuan has been fooled.

Gao Song deliberately sent Gao Yan back to his room, ostensibly to reflect on his actions, but in reality, he was worried that if Gao Yan stayed there, he would give himself away.

How could Mu Yuan let Gao Yan go so easily?

Gao Song was startled. He hadn't expected Mu Yuan to be so experienced at such a young age.

Gao Song beckoned to Gao Yan: "What are you standing there for? The Commander-in-Chief has invited you to have drinks and dinner with him; it's an honor for you. Hurry up and come back to sit down!"

Gao Yan was extremely frustrated, but he still obeyed his father's wishes and sat down at the table.

Although what just happened made the atmosphere very tense.

However, as Gao Song took the initiative to lighten the mood, the tension eased.

During the meal.

Mu Yuan and Gao Song had a very pleasant conversation.

It was as if nothing had happened.

After several rounds of drinks and five courses of food,

"Clan Chief Gao, there are frequent incidents in the southwest right now. Your Gao family is also a prominent family in the southwest. You must work with me to stabilize the situation," Mu Yuan said earnestly.

"That's right, that's right." Gao Song agreed readily, but his expression was somewhat unnatural.

The southwest is indeed going through a turbulent period, but he also secretly orchestrated some of the incidents.

"Oh, right." Mu Yuan suddenly remembered something and pointed to Gao Yan: "If your young master doesn't have anything to do recently, he shouldn't go out, lest something bad happen to him."

Young Master Gao Yan, his mind troubled, said with dissatisfaction:

"General, aren't you being far too pessimistic? Looking across the entire southwest region, who dares to lay a hand on me?"

Mu Yuan narrowed his eyes and said, "Given your temper, it's hard to say."

"Even if I really cause trouble, I can just go home. I don't believe anyone would dare to come to my door and assassinate me!"

Gao Yan's words were clearly meant for Mu Yuan, implying that this was his territory and that even if Mu Yuan discovered clues and wanted to confront him, he would have no power to enter the Gao residence.

Mu Yuan smiled and shook his head, saying:

There are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding.

Gao Yan coldly snorted:

"General, forgive my disrespect, but my mansion is impregnable. Let alone an assassination attempt, even a well-trained army would find it impossible to breach it!"

Seeing his confidence, Mu Yuan took out a bird whistle from his pocket, put it in his mouth and blew it.

A series of bird calls rang out.

The father and son, Gao Song and Gao Yan, were puzzled. They looked at each other, their faces blank.

However, strange things soon happened.

Birds chirped outside, seemingly responding to Mu Yuan.

"Did you hear that?" Mu Yuan pointed outside, looking at the Gao family father and son with a playful expression.

The Gao family father and son quickly realized that the Gao family residence was located in Diancheng, far from the mountains and forests, and they rarely heard birds chirping during the day, let alone at night.

The birdsong outside sounded exactly like the sound Mu Yuan was playing.

It is obvious that someone broke into the Gao family mansion.

He is currently responding to Mu Yuan.

Someone can sneak into a mansion without anyone noticing and carry out an assassination silently.

Gao Song and Gao Yan felt their scalps tingle and a surge of fear welled up inside them. At this moment, their faces were pale, their eyes filled with terror, and they looked at Mu Yuan in disbelief.

The smile on Mu Yuan's face gradually faded, and his tone became full of warning:

"Nothing is absolute, so don't make any overconfident statements. No matter how heavily guarded a mansion is, I can still send people in to infiltrate it. Also, you'd better keep my words in mind, lest you lose your lives for nothing."

Mu Yuan's words were almost a direct warning to the Gao family father and son, telling them not to cause trouble in secret.

Otherwise, he could have taken their lives at any moment.