Chapter 271: Harvest and Organization
Chapter 271: Harvest and Organization
In a certain mansion.
Although the courtyard was not extravagantly decorated, every detail exuded elegance. From the intricately carved artificial mountains and jade stones to the clear stream flowing through the courtyard, it was evident that this was the residence of a wealthy family.
This place was the residence of one of the six major families in the capital of Yu State, the Feng family. The Feng family had been prominent for over a hundred years, especially after the birth of Feng Hongsheng, a Grandmaster of the Seven Mysteries Sect. Their status rose rapidly, and they became one of the most influential families in the capital.
"Has Chen Mu arrived?"
Feng Hongan, the head of the Feng family, leaned on a polished purple spirit bamboo staff in the courtyard. He was the elder brother of Feng Hongsheng, only a year older, but his appearance was visibly more aged than Feng Hongsheng's, as he was not a Grandmaster. The Feng family had only one Grandmaster, Feng Hongsheng.
The attendant standing by respectfully answered in response to Feng Hongan.
Feng Hongan nodded slightly, leaning on his bamboo staff and taking a few steps. "Prepare a generous gift and send it to him. Remember to be courteous and thorough."
"Yes."
The attendant responded and then retreated.
Feng Hongan, leaning on his bamboo staff, took a few steps and looked up at the sky, sighing softly.
Chen Mu, the peerless genius of the Cold North, had, after nearly a century, reached the Organ Realms and comprehended the Heaven-Earth Concept. Unfortunately, he had been secretly plotted against by the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion, or else Feng Hongan would have considered marrying his direct granddaughter to Chen Mu to form an alliance.
The main reason was that Chen Mu already had a family. Otherwise, a young master on the Wind and Cloud Rankings, even if his path to becoming a Grandmaster was uncertain, would still be fully qualified to marry the Feng family's direct granddaughter as his wife. However, taking her as a concubine would make the Feng family seem too eager to curry favor and somewhat lose face, especially since the Feng family was a prominent clan in the capital, and they had Feng Hongsheng, a Grandmaster, in their midst.
In any case, Chen Mu bringing his family to settle in the capital meant it was better to maintain good relations rather than create animosity.
...
Another mansion.
This was the residence of one of the six major families, the Qin family.
The surname Qin immediately brought to mind a certain individual—Chen Mu's master, the Peak Master of the Spirit Mystery Peak, Qin Mengjun. Qin Mengjun did indeed originate from the Qin family, but she rose from a collateral branch, not the main lineage.
Of course, after Qin Mengjun attained the Grandmaster realm, her branch rose in prominence, becoming a significant part of the Qin family, on par with the main lineage.
"Has Chen Mu arrived?"
"Prepare a gift and send greetings."
Upon receiving the news, the head of the Qin family quickly instructed his subordinates.
As one of Qin Mengjun's direct disciples, Chen Mu's arrival was notable, especially since he was a high-ranking master on the Wind and Cloud Rankings and had even killed Situ Shu. It was only natural to pay more attention and greet him proactively.
...
In just half a day.
The six major families of the capital, as well as the lower-ranked Meng and Yan families, all reacted to Chen Mu's arrival, but their reactions varied. The Feng and Qin families, among the six major families, were notably more enthusiastic, and the Liu family, the last of the six, also showed initiative in seeking friendship.
The other three families' reactions were more subdued, merely sending representatives as a symbolic greeting.
The lower-ranked families were even more eager. The Meng family, where Meng Danyun and Meng Tianzhang belonged, and the Yan family, known for Yan Jingqing, were among them. These smaller families, located below the six major families, did not hide their eagerness to form connections with Chen Mu. Some even tested on the first day if Chen Mu had any intention of taking concubines, offering daughters of all ages, from fourteen to over twenty, regardless of their birth status.
Compared to the prestigious six major families, these smaller families maintained their status in the capital either through marriage alliances or by having influential figures like Yan Jingqing.
As a high-ranking master on the Wind and Cloud Rankings, surpassing even Yan Jingqing, Chen Mu was naturally the target of these smaller families' attempts to curry favor, especially since Chen Mu had only married a woman from a small family in a remote county, and he had yet to establish close ties with the capital's families.
Moreover, Chen Mu was still young, only thirty years old this year.
However.
Chen Mu ignored all such tests.
Having experienced family conflicts in Yu County, he had no interest in getting involved in another family power struggle. It would only waste his time and hinder his progress in sword cultivation.
Bringing Xu Hongyu, Chen Yue, and others to the capital was to provide them with a more stable environment and ease his mind when traveling, without worrying too much about their well-being. He could visit them on his way back to the Seven Mysteries Sect.
"The Qin, Feng, and Liu families... These three families' gifts are indeed substantial."
In the new mansion, Chen Mu reviewed the gift lists from the capital's families. The gifts from the Qin, Feng, and Liu families were the most valuable, each worth no less than a 'Earth Essence Jade', a high-level organ-refining spirit object.
Being the prominent families of the capital, they all had Grandmasters backing them, and their gifts were extraordinary, far surpassing what the Xue, Xie, and other families in the remote Yu County could offer. At least those families wouldn't easily present such high-level items as initial gifts.
"Should we go back?" Xu Hongyu stood beside Chen Mu, pondering for a moment before asking in a soft voice.
A thick gift was still different from a thin one; a thin gift was just a gesture, while a thick gift involved social etiquette and favors.
"No need, I'll accept everything," Chen Mu replied, shaking his head slightly.
He accepted gifts from everyone, and now he lacked resources. Before leaving, he visited the Yu family's treasury and took some items that were valuable but not easily accessible to the Yu family.
These items, when combined, would be exchanged at the Seven Mysteries Sect for the nurturing spirit artifacts he needed.
In reality, whether he accepted the Qin family's gift or not made little difference. His master, Qin Mengjun, was from the Qin family, and there was already a connection between them. If the Qin family needed something from him, he would naturally consider their request.
As for the Feng family's gift, there was no harm in accepting it, even though he seemed to have no connection with them. Previously, Feng Hongsheng had even intervened to stop Elder Fu Jingyuan from the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion. After clearing out the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's branch, he and Yan Jingqing had 'shared the spoils' with Feng Hongsheng, giving him a portion of the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's resources. However, as a Grandmaster, Feng Hongsheng would not be bothered by such trivialities, and personally accepting the gift would be beneath his status. Therefore, this portion of the resources was directly delivered to the Feng family.
Lastly, the Liu family...
This family was quite interesting, their situation somewhat similar to the Yu family's. They were backed by Elder Liu Zongsheng of the Seven Mysteries Sect, but this Elder was already very old, seemingly over 170 years old. Even if he was a Marrow Washing Master, he was nearing the end of his life.
In this situation, it was quite normal for them to show goodwill and try to win him over, even though he was not a Marrow Washing Master. His position on the Gale Wind Rankings was solely due to his strength. For the Liu family, if they could successfully recruit him, it would be a tremendous boost to their clan.
After all, he was incredibly young, only thirty years old.
Therefore, the Liu family's gift was the most generous, comparable in value to three Organ Refining Spirit Artifacts. Chen Mu accepted it all while politely declining the Liu family's attempt to arrange a marriage alliance.
In any case, he had no shortage of resources now. He would accept whatever was offered without worrying about being entangled in favors. With his innate talent and aptitude, it wouldn't be long before his cultivation reached new heights, even challenging the Grandmaster realm and the pinnacle of the Martial Path.
By then, even if someone sought his help, it would be a matter that could be resolved with a single word.
As for marriage alliances, he preferred to avoid them. Being bound by bloodlines was a different matter. Although he possessed a decent dual cultivation technique, it wouldn't turn him into a hedonist like those from the Harmony Sect, indulging in pleasures every night. At the end of the day, this technique was merely a means to satisfy his desires without hindering his cultivation.
"The great families of the Prefecture Capital are indeed far wealthier than those in Jade Jade Province."
Xiao He was also nearby, going through the gift list, and couldn't help but sigh.
Most of Jade Jade Province's resources, including taxes, various medicinal herbs, spirit artifacts, and many official businesses, were transported to the Prefecture Capital and eventually absorbed by the Seven Mysteries Sect.
In contrast, the great families of the Prefecture Capital had a significant degree of independence. They managed their businesses and discovered resources on their own, without needing to hand them over to the Seven Mysteries Sect. They were, in a sense, extensions of the Seven Mysteries Sect, with Peak Masters and Elders backing them, making them the top beneficiaries in Crystal State.
To put it bluntly, the influence of the six great families was no less than that of the Seven Peaks under the Seven Mysteries Sect. They also had numerous Six Viscera Realm experts and many Five Organs Realm masters. In essence, they could be considered the 'Outer Six Peaks' of the Seven Mysteries Sect.
If Chen Mu weren't just thirty years old, these six families would have been less enthusiastic about him. If he hadn't defeated Situ Shu and was merely at the bottom of the Gale Wind Rankings, their enthusiasm would have been even less. If he hadn't made it onto the rankings at all and was just an ordinary Six Viscera Realm cultivator, these six great families might not have paid much attention to his arrival, except for the Qin and Meng families, who had prior connections.
A moment later, Chen Mu organized the gifts from each family, along with some resources he obtained while dealing with the Mystic Mechanism Pavilion's branch and those he took from the Yu family. After tallying everything, he estimated that he could exchange them for five to six nurturing spirit artifacts at the Seven Mysteries Sect.
"Five to six is not a small number," Chen Mu thought to himself.
This was already a significant amount, as nurturing spirit artifacts were rarer and more precious than Organ Refining Spirit Artifacts. Despite the fact that the Frost Soul Spirit Blade and the Evil Exorcising Thunder Spear in his possession were worth far more than several nurturing spirit artifacts, acquiring them was no easy feat. The Evil Exorcising Thunder Spear was a stroke of luck, and the Frost Soul Spirit Blade was taken from a high-ranking cultivator on the Gale Wind Rankings.
He summoned the system interface and took a look.
【Martial Path: Heaven-Earth Concept (Second Step)】
【Experience: 6827 points】
【Six Viscera Scripture (44%)】
【Experience: 0 points】
After escorting Xu Hongyu's group from Jade Jade Province to the Prefecture Capital, Chen Mu spent about a month and a half constantly comprehending the essence of heaven and earth, eventually gaining over three thousand experience points, a substantial amount that would soon allow him to continue his cultivation of the concept.
The Six Viscera Scripture's refinement, after consuming the Yellow Crow Vine, only increased by 1% over a month and a half, going from 43% to 44%. It was a meager improvement, but thankfully, Xu Hongyu and Xiao He's progress was significant. Xu Hongyu should be able to enter the Organ Realms soon, and Xiao He's Bone Forging cultivation should steadily reach completion. Chen Yue should also be close.
"If I had five or six Nourishing Spirit Artifacts, I wonder how much I could improve."
Chen Mu looked at his system panel and spoke to himself.
If each artifact were as effective as the Yellow Crow Vine, increasing his progress by 10%, he could almost max out his cultivation. However, the refinement of the Six Viscera Scripture was likely similar to that of the Organ Realms, becoming more challenging the closer he got to the limit.
Even if he only managed to increase to over 70%, it would still be a significant boost for him. After all, most Six Viscera Realm cultivators would consider themselves 'perfect' if they reached 70-80% refinement.
If Chen Mu could reach that level of cultivation, with a substantial increase in his Primordial Essence, he could easily defeat someone like Situ Shu in just a few moves, shattering their domain without expending as much energy.
As Chen Mu was thinking this, a timid voice suddenly spoke up from beside him.
"Brother Mu, tea."
Chen Mu turned to see Yu Ru approaching with a pot of tea, calling out to him softly but hesitantly, not daring to look up at him. The others in the room, including Xu Hongyu and Xiao He, had disappeared without a trace.
These guys...
Chen Mu couldn't help but find it amusing. On their journey from Jade Jade Prefecture to the Prefecture Capital, Xiao He and Chen Yue's secret plan couldn't escape his notice. But as soon as they arrived and settled down, they were already scheming to set him up.
To be fair, Xu Hongyu was the one who started it all. Compared to Yu Ru, who was like a little sister to him, the cool and beautiful Xu Hongyu was more attractive to him.
"Mmm."
Chen Mu picked up the teacup, took a sip, and then carefully examined the girl before him.
In terms of appearance, Yu Ru was slightly more charming than Xiao He, but because she was too young before, Chen Mu had always treated her like a little sister, without any romantic feelings. Now, the little girl had indeed grown up.
Taking a closer look, he noticed a red string around Yu Ru's neck, with a delicate and exquisite jade pendant hanging in the gap, the Clear Spirit Pendant he had given her.
The quality of this jade accessory was not actually high, just a low-grade Clear Spirit Jade, but Yu Ru had worn it all this time.
"You and Yue'er are both close to me, and Hongyu also considers you family. Even if you don't marry me, I'll always be your brother, protecting you from anyone who tries to bully you. But if you want to marry me, it'll be difficult to have any proper status."
Chen Mu looked at Yu Ru and spoke gently.
At his current level of cultivation, with his unwavering will, it was difficult for desires to influence him. He could ignore all the outside world's tests, but he had always been straightforward and wouldn't pretend to be sentimental. Whether Yu Ru had come up with the idea herself or was encouraged by Chen Yue and the others, since she had taken the initiative, he wouldn't dismiss her lightly.
As Yu Ru listened to Chen Mu's words, scenes from their first meeting and their time together at the Yu family and Chen Manor flashed through her mind. She didn't know where she found the courage, but she said, "I... I don't care about those things."
After saying this, the usually timid girl lifted her head to look at Chen Mu, as if mustering all her courage, and said, "Having Hongyu Sister, you, Ning Sister, and Yue'er is already enough for me. Even if you don't want to marry me, it's fine."
If it weren't for Chen Yue constantly encouraging her, and with Hongyu's knowledge of her feelings, as well as Xiao He's support, she probably wouldn't have been so bold in expressing her feelings to Chen Mu. For her, being able to live together as a family was already enough, and sometimes she couldn't even tell if her feelings for Chen Mu were those of a brother or romantic love, they had become so intertwined.
"You..."
Hearing Yu Ru's words, Chen Mu smiled, put down his teacup, and patted her head, saying, "If that's the case, it's all good. There isn't much difference, really. It's just that they're always worrying about you."
Yu Ru's gentle nature was such that even if she saw him marry Xu Hongyu, she wouldn't feel jealous. This was why Chen Yue, Xu Hongyu, and Xiao He all took care of her, and Chen Mu did the same.
This gentle nature would make it difficult for her to survive in a chaotic world. If it weren't for Chen Mu, Yu Ru's fate in the Yu family would be uncertain, and even Xu Hongyu might not have been able to protect her. But for the current Chen Mu, protecting her was as easy as lifting a finger. Even without showing any talent in martial arts, no one in the Yu family dared to decide her marriage; it was up to her.
Chen Mu was willing to indulge her.
(End of Chapter)
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