Chapter 137: Shocking
Chapter 137: Shocking
"Marquis is here."
When Chen Mu arrived at Xu Hongyu's courtyard, a maid spotted him and quickly bowed in greeting. Some of the maids hurried inside to inform the mistress, while others bowed to Chen Mu, saying, "Marquis, the young mistress is not here at the moment."
"It's fine."
Chen Mu calmly spoke.
If Xu Hongyu wasn't in the courtyard, she was most likely deep within the Yu Clan's territory, studying the Water Conduit Diagram. And since a maid had gone inside to inform her, Xiao He should be there.
Indeed, a figure dressed in green, who was none other than Xiao He, soon emerged from within. It was rare for Chen Mu to see Xiao He wearing such a plain dress, usually reserved for ordinary maids. Most of the time, she wore gray robes or slightly less extravagant clothing to complement Xu Hongyu's attire.
Upon seeing Chen Mu, Xiao He led him to a quiet place and spoke in a hushed tone, "I heard that something happened in the young mistress's courtyard last night?"
The commotion in Chen Mu's courtyard the night before, although suppressed by him, had still caught the attention of many servants and the patrolling guards. With so many eyes and ears, it was natural for rumors to spread during the day. Xiao He, being well-informed within the Yu Clan, quickly became aware of the situation. However, since Chen Mu hadn't taken any action, she assumed he had his reasons. So, she didn't take the initiative to approach him until he came to her now, guessing that he might want to discuss the matter.
"It's nothing," Chen Mu shook his head, then proceeded to tell Xiao He about the Blood Concealment Tower. On the one hand, Xiao He, like Chen Yue, was no longer an outsider to him. On the other hand, Xiao He might have a better understanding of the Blood Concealment Tower and the He Clan than he did.
Xiao He was startled by what she heard, but quickly composed herself.
"It seems that the young mistress has kept your secret tightly guarded, not even telling the clan leader. That was the right decision."
When Chen Mu had displayed his strength, there was no news of the four great sects coming to Yu Prefecture. At that time, Xiao He thought that keeping the news secret or only informing the Yu Clan's higher-ups would have been suitable for Chen Mu. But with the subsequent developments and the current situation, it could only be said that Xu Hongyu had chosen the most prudent course of action for Chen Mu.
At this moment, Chen Mu's demeanor was calm as he said, "You probably know more about the Blood Concealment Tower than I do. What do you think they would offer for my publicly known strength?"
Xiao He observed Chen Mu, noting his relaxed and unhurried demeanor, showing no signs of the tension one would expect after surviving an assassination attempt the night before. A faint ripple appeared in her eyes as she admired his composure.
Among the younger generation in Yu City, none could match this level of poise.
"Around seven hundred thousand taels, I suppose," Xiao He estimated after some thought. "The Blood Concealment Tower values Blood Veil Without Trace and silent killings. Your strength is one factor, but the key lies in your identity as a White Guard of the Demon Slayer Bureau, your engagement to the young mistress, and your recent seclusion within the Yu Clan's compound."
Chen Mu stroked his chin.
Xiao He's assessment exceeded his own estimate of five hundred thousand taels. He had anticipated this amount, as his current Bone Forging cultivation required a significant financial investment. If not for his previous savings, he might have had to borrow silver from Xu Hongyu. That would have been a blow to his pride, but unfortunately, he couldn't easily access this silver. In any case, if he needed more, he would 'borrow' some from the He Clan.
"Then, what do you think the Blood Concealment Tower would offer for the strength I displayed last night, and what would the He Clan have to pay if they wanted to hire them again?" Chen Mu asked after some thought.
Xiao He continued to gaze at Chen Mu with her captivating eyes.
In just under three months, Chen Mu had officially entered the Bone Forging stage. Although Xiao He knew that Chen Mu's progress would be swift, she couldn't help but admire his cultivation speed, especially since he was simultaneously mastering two Intention Realms.
"I'm afraid it would be over ten million taels, possibly even more," Xiao He whispered after some thought.
The key factor was that Chen Mu wasn't alone; he was a White Guard of the Seven Mysteries Sect, an external force. The stronger his displayed strength and talent, the more geometrically the price to kill him would increase.
Even considering just Chen Mu's strength, for him to be killed silently, a Five Viscera Realm expert would likely be required, which already commanded a price of a million taels.
Moreover, Chen Mu was the Yu Clan's son-in-law, held in high regard. After surviving the first assassination attempt, the Blood Concealment Tower would likely anticipate him moving deeper into the Yu Clan's compound, closer to the Five Viscera Realm ancestor.
This would significantly increase the difficulty of a silent assassination.
Additionally, the Seven Mysteries Sect might intervene, making it even more challenging for the Blood Concealment Tower to accept the mission. The starting price for such an attempt could easily be over ten million taels.
"Indeed, as I expected. The He Clan probably can't afford this amount," Chen Mu said calmly.
The four great families of Yu Prefecture had a deep foundation, but in these turbulent times, hoarding silver was as good as having useless iron. The only way to make it valuable was to invest it in cultivating talents or hiring skilled fighters.
The Hao family's stockpile of silver ingots was unlikely to be substantial, as in the event of any unforeseen circumstances, silver would be useless. However, cultivating a group of elite knife masters in the Sinew Transformation Realm would be a highly useful force.
"It's probably impossible. Miss Xiao He mentioned that the Yu Clan's circulating silver ingots are usually only a few million taels... But it's still best if you go to the Ancient Academy to cultivate for a while."
After some thought, Xiao He spoke.
The Ancient Academy was the deepest part of the Yu Clan's compound and the residence of their great-grandfather. It was also where the Yu Clan stored their treasures and fundamental items like the Water Conduit Diagram.
In Xiao He's opinion, it was highly unlikely that the Hao family would go bankrupt to hire assassins from the Blood Concealment Tower. The reason was simple: even if the Hao family could produce such a large amount of silver, a movement of this scale would never escape the Yu Clan's notice. Such an action couldn't be considered an assassination; it would be foolish to the extreme.
If they were to make such a move...
Chen Mu could directly go to the Inspector Bureau and stay there!
As a White Guard of the Demon Slayer Department, Chen Mu was part of the Seven Mysteries Sect's forces. With his demonstrated talent and strength, even if the Seven Mysteries Sect didn't promote Chen Mu to the inner sect, the Inspector General would never let Chen Mu come to harm.
If the Hao family were to take such an action, they would essentially be making enemies on all sides. Not only would they anger the Inspector General, but they would also exhaust themselves, fail to kill Chen Mu, and even face subsequent retaliation from the Yu Clan. Even if they didn't collapse immediately, they would still be left in tatters.
Compared to hiring assassins from the Blood Concealment Tower...
Xiao He actually thought that it would be better if the Hao family broke the pot and smashed it, asking their great-grandfather, who had reached the Organ Realms, to take the opportunity to make a move against Chen Mu. This seemed more likely, so she felt that it would be better for Chen Mu to move to the Ancient Academy and cultivate with Xu Hongyu.
"The Ancient Academy?"
Chen Mu looked at Xiao He and nodded slightly, saying, "Yes, actually, I've recently encountered a bottleneck in my understanding of the Thunder Intent. I also want to take a look at some other diagrams."
Xiao He looked at Chen Mu and blinked, comforting him, "The second step of the Intention Realm is very difficult. Marquis, you only have one copy of the diagram, so encountering a bottleneck is normal. With your talent, it's more suitable to switch to cultivating other Intention Realms. If you can cultivate four or five different Intention Realms, it might not be much worse than the second step."
"If I can cultivate four or five Intention Realms among the Eight Aspects, then in terms of power, it might indeed rival the second step. But in other aspects, it's still inferior," Chen Mu said.
The Intention Realms were not ordinary; each of the Eight Aspects Diagrams was quite powerful. Compared to the branches of the 'Five Element Intention Realms', like Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth, they could hold their own and even be slightly superior. It just so happened that the 'Heart Sword' and 'Blood Slaughter' he had encountered recently were of a higher level.
If Wind, Thunder, Water, and Fire could be combined into four or five Intention Realms, then in terms of pure power, they could indeed rival the ordinary second step. But it was only in terms of power... After all, controlling the simultaneous eruption of four or five Intention Realms would cause tremendous strain, and one would collapse after only a few moves. In contrast, the second step of the Intention Realm directly draws upon the power of heaven and earth, ensuring an endless supply.
...
At the center of the Yu Clan's compound.
"He finally wants to go to the Ancient Academy to study the Intention Realm diagrams?"
Standing in the courtyard, Yu Zuyi listened to Xiao He's report and couldn't help but smile.
Understanding the second step of the Intention Realm was incredibly difficult, especially before reaching the Organ Realms. Although there were people in Yu Prefecture who had achieved this, they were in the twilight of their lives, and their insights came from a lifetime of experiences. But by then, their vitality had declined, their muscles and bones had decayed, and even if they understood the second step of the Intention Realm, it would already be their later years, and they would have no strength left.
In his opinion, with Chen Mu's talent, it would be best to start cultivating other Intention Realm diagrams earlier. If he could understand two or even three different Intention Realms, he would be nearly invincible in the Bone Forging Realm. If he entered the Organ Realms in the future, he would undoubtedly be formidable.
But it was good for young people to have ambition.
So previously, he hadn't forced Chen Mu to go to the Ancient Academy to study other Intention Realms.
Now that Chen Mu had encountered a challenge and wanted to study the Yu Clan's diagrams, Yu Zuyi also considered it a good thing. The young man knew when to advance and retreat, and Yu Zuyi was quite satisfied with this grandson-in-law.
"There's one more thing to report..."
Xiao He looked around at the surrounding maids and servants.
Yu Zuyi waved his hand calmly, and the servants retreated, leaving only Xiao He in the courtyard.
Yu Zuyi had no idea what Xiao He was about to report, but he listened quietly. However, as soon as he heard the mention of Blood Veil Tower's assassination attempt, his expression changed, and he was even more surprised when Xiao He revealed that Chen Mu had repelled a Blood Veil Tower assassin.
Blood Veil Tower was one of the four major sects established in the outer states.
As the head of the Yu Clan, Yu Zuyi was well-acquainted with Blood Veil Tower. Long ago, intelligence reports about Blood Veil Tower had poured in like snowflakes, all converging on him.
Blood Veil Tower's assassination attempts rarely failed, with a success rate of one hundred percent. Yet, Chen Mu had survived an assassination attempt the previous night... No, according to Xiao He, he had even repelled a Blood Veil Tower assassin, which left Yu Zuyi in utter shock.
He even began to doubt the veracity of Xiao He's words.
Perhaps it wasn't a Blood Veil Tower assassin at all, but someone Chen Mu had mistaken for one.
Yu Zuyi furrowed his brows and said, "With his strength, an assassin from Blood Veil Tower should be at least Bone Forging Realm or above, and possess mastery over Intent Realms. How did he manage to repel them?"
Xiao He sensed Yu Zuyi's skepticism and bowed her head towards him. She said, "Guye has long since reached Sinew Transformation Perfection and mastered Soothing Wind and Thunder Quake Intent Realms. However, Miss was worried about Sir's situation, so she kept it hidden. Even the Hao Family was unaware. This time, Guye has already broken through the Bone Forging Realm, and his strength far exceeded Blood Veil Tower's expectations, allowing him to repel the assassin."
Yu Zuyi stood frozen in place.
Bone Forging Realm... Mastery of Wind and Thunder Intent Realms?
Xiao He's words gave him the feeling of a fantastical tale, leaving him momentarily unable to process the information. But soon, he suddenly recalled an incident at the Yu Clan compound where someone had intervened to stop an attempt to obtain a Yu Clan bloodline using Thunder Quake Intent Realm techniques. The intervention had stopped the attempt midway, and the perpetrator was never found.
At the time, the identity of the intervener remained a mystery, and there was even suspicion that it might have been someone from the Xue or Xie Clans.
Yu Zuyi fell silent for a moment, then slowly spoke, "So, the spotted man, Tian Jifeng, was likely killed by him..."
"Yes."
Xiao He kept her head lowered and said, "Actually, Miss didn't know about it at the time either. Although it was concealed, there was a reason for it. I hope the Clan Head will forgive me..."
The courtyard fell into a brief silence.
Yu Zuyi looked up at the sky.
At this moment, as he connected the dots, he even recalled Hao Mingxuan from the Hao Family, who had been killed by Thunder Quake Intent Realm techniques, and the murderer was never found. At that time, Chen Mu was working under Xu Hongyu, and as he pieced together these events, he finally linked them to the persistent troubles that had plagued him.
He never imagined that this invisible hand was right beside him.
Time passed slowly.
Yu Zuyi sighed and said, "How could you be at fault? I was the one who underestimated him. His talent is far beyond that of Yichuan. If he were to join the Seven Mysteries Sect, he might even have a chance at True Lineage."
After a while, Yu Zuyi waved his hand towards Xiao He, indicating that she could leave. Xiao He respectfully bowed and then turned to exit the courtyard, leaving Yu Zuyi alone.
Bone Forging...
Wind and Thunder...
Yu Zuyi looked up at the sky, and even now, the waves in his heart continued to ripple without end.
His grandson-in-law had truly given him a huge surprise.
However...
If the Hao Family could obtain accurate information from within Blood Veil Tower, they would likely be in complete disarray as well.
With Chen Mu's talent, if he could reach the Five Viscera Realm in the future, the balance between the Hao and Yu Clans would completely shift.
After all, the Hao Clan's Five Viscera Realm expert was quite old, though not yet in decline. Compared to the Yu Clan, there was a significant gap, but when measured against Chen Mu, the difference was too vast. Moreover, the Hao Clan had suffered consecutive losses in the past two years, and even Hao Mingzhen, a late-stage expert, might have fallen to Chen Mu's hand.
The Hao and Yu Clans had been vying for supremacy for many years, but the gap between them had been silently erased by Chen Mu alone.
As Yu Zuyi thought about it now, it still felt like a dream. After all, Chen Mu's background was common knowledge, as he truly rose from the bottom, initially just a humble and unassuming individual. He was discovered and promoted by Xu Hongyu from the city district.
And now, without realizing it, he had reached such heights.
"You were born into the Yu Clan, and indeed, you are the Yu Clan's blessing and fortune..."
Yu Zuyi muttered to himself.
(End of Chapter)
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