Chapter 339 - 311: A 3-Year Agreement and the Great Chu Royal Family

Chapter 339: Chapter 311: A 3-Year Agreement and the Great Chu Royal Family

As Chu Mu’s figure appeared, the sounds of weeping in the hall abruptly ceased.

Confusion, terror... A multitude of gazes gathered upon him.

The silence lasted only a moment. The middle-aged housekeeper, who had been kneeling by the main hall’s entrance, immediately scurried over and prostrated himself before Chu Mu.

"This humble servant respectfully welcomes the Immortal Master!"

His cry jolted everyone in the hall from their stupor.

"We respectfully welcome the Immortal Master’s arrival!"

One cry followed another as everyone in the hall dropped to their knees.

Chu Mu was surprised, but then he remembered the far-reaching influence of the Longevity Sect in the Northern Border and Elder Li’s own status as a Cultivator, and it all made sense.

"Chu is an old friend of Elder Li. There is no need for this, everyone."

He spoke slowly, his gaze lingering for a moment on a young boy before returning to the wooden coffin before him.

His tone was tinged with sorrow. The past was still vivid in his mind, yet now, after a long and difficult search, he found that they were separated by death.

Fate was truly cruel!

When Chu Mu finished speaking, the kneeling crowd seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief, but they all remained prostrated on the ground, not daring to move.

"All of you, rise. Elder Li was a benefactor to Chu, and this visit was meant to repay that debt. It would be improper to have my benefactor’s family and friends kneel in welcome."

He waved his sleeve, and everyone kneeling in the hall rose to their feet involuntarily. Even so, they all remained slightly bowed, their attitudes deeply respectful.

Seeing this, Chu Mu couldn’t be bothered to say any more.

’This seems to be how things are in the Northern Border.’

’The influence of the Cultivation Immortal Realm extends directly into the mortal world. With the lines of the Immortal Dao blurred, perhaps extreme humility and deference is the best way for mortals to survive in the presence of Cultivators.’

"When did Elder Li pass away?"

Chu Mu spoke slowly. Though he was asking a question, his gaze wasn’t on the housekeeper but had settled on a beautiful woman in the crowd.

Seeing his gaze, the beautiful woman was startled for a moment, then quickly replied, "Reporting to the Immortal Master, my husband passed away at the *zishi* hour the day before yesterday. Before his passing, my husband passed the family inheritance to Jing’Er. He also left behind some personal effects, saying they should be given to Jing’Er once he is old enough to understand..."

The beautiful woman dared not be disrespectful, recounting every detail.

Chu Mu nodded slightly, not particularly surprised.

Beside this woman was a young boy of about ten, holding her hand.

Of the three children in the hall, only this eldest boy possessed Spirit Root Talent.

’Since he had an heir with a Spirit Root, it’s clear Elder Li pinned all his hopes on this boy.’

He beckoned to the boy. The child was still fearful, but he struggled free from the woman’s grasp and tried to put on a grown-up expression.

The beautiful woman glanced cautiously at Chu Mu. Although hesitant, she didn’t dare to delay. After a few words of comfort, she guided the boy to stand before him.

Three Spirit Roots, with a sixty percent affinity for the Fire Attribute.

Within his Divine Sense Perception, what had been a rough assessment of the boy’s Spirit Root Talent instantly became clear.

Although the boy’s bone age was only eleven, his physique was quite extraordinary. Not only were all his meridians open, but his foundation of Qi Blood was also considerably deep.

This state clearly indicated he had been cultivating Qi Blood for a long time.

Evidently, the boy must have been nurtured by Elder Li since he was very young to have developed such a solid foundation.

"Do you want to become an Immortal Master?"

Chu Mu ruffled the boy’s hair, his voice gentle.

"I do!"

The boy was a little scared, but he mustered his courage and shouted loudly.

"Father said Jing’Er must become an Immortal Master!"

"Good."

Chu Mu nodded, a decision already forming in his mind. He looked at the beautiful woman, who was watching him nervously, and spoke slowly, "Elder Li was a benefactor to Chu. This visit was meant to repay that debt, but alas, fate is cruel, and we are now separated by death."

"Since this child is Elder Li’s legacy and the vessel for his hopes, then this debt of gratitude shall be repaid to him."

"Chu will stay here for three years to guide him onto the Path to Immortality and bestow a legacy upon him."

"Immortal Master, you are truly righteous!"

After a respectful bow, the beautiful woman immediately turned to the middle-aged housekeeper and said hurriedly, "Housekeeper Li, hurry and make preparations!"

"That won’t be necessary. Chu will just stay on the back mountain."

Chu Mu shook his head, refusing. Then, he raised his hand and formed a seal. His Divine Sense swept over the entire estate, and a flow of memories was altered. Except for the mother and son, every memory anyone else had of him was erased completely.

At the same time, his figure vanished, and a voice transmission sounded in the beautiful woman’s ear.

"Have Jing’Er come up the mountain at the third quarter of the *haishi* hour."

The beautiful woman froze, but when she saw the scene of weeping in the hall seemingly repeat itself, her pale face could not hide her utter shock.

"Mother, that..."

The boy, confused, started to ask a question, but his mother quickly clamped a hand over his mouth and pulled him into an embrace, her unease palpable.

Chu Mu went to the back mountain. After finding a secluded slope, he swiped his hand, and a spider-shaped Puppet landed on the ground. The Puppet then swung its sharp claws, and a cave began to take shape on the mountainside at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He gazed down at the grand estate below, his eyes flickering with an expression of unconcealable complexity.

He stood there alone for a long time, watching for just as long.

Chu Mu himself didn’t know what he was looking at. Perhaps, in his heart of hearts, he felt this should have been... a reunion between master and disciple?

It should have been a rare moment for him to let down his guard and find some peace...

As the third quarter of the *haishi* hour approached, a figure moving with swift, sure steps entered Chu Mu’s field of vision.

The back mountain was rugged and perilous, like an impassable chasm for an ordinary person, but for someone with even a little Cultivation, it was like a smooth, open road.

The boy’s Qi and Blood Cultivation was decent and his foundation was solid, so it naturally posed no difficulty for him.

"Master!"

The boy reached the top of the mountain, came before Chu Mu, and knelt respectfully on the ground.

Chu Mu raised his hand, and an invisible force lifted the boy to his feet.

"Chu is used to being alone and has no intention of taking a disciple yet."

The boy started to speak, but upon seeing Chu Mu’s unquestionable gaze, he fearfully swallowed his words.

"Did your father ever tell you about the Cultivation Immortal Realm?"

Chu Mu asked.

"Replying to Mast... Senior, Father told me a lot."

Chu Mu asked, "What is Cultivation Immortal?"

"Father said that Cultivation is about seeking the truth..."

Hearing these long-unheard words, Chu Mu was lost in a daze for a moment, scenes from the past seeming to play out before his eyes once more.

After a long while, he looked at the boy before him and said slowly, "I have two arts: one is Artifact Refining, the other is Alchemy."

"You have three years. You may choose one to learn."

"This junior wishes to learn Alchemy!"

The boy didn’t hesitate in the slightest, answering the very moment Chu Mu finished speaking.

Chu Mu glanced at the wooden box on the boy’s back, nodded, and asked again, "Of mortal medicine, how much do you know?"

"This junior has already read twenty-eight medical texts..."

"Within three months, commit the contents of these books to memory."

After this round of questions, Chu Mu waved his hand, and a thick stack of books landed in front of the boy.

He then walked into the cave, laid down several Array Prohibitions, and tossed out a dozen or so Spirit Stones. Under the effects of the Array Prohibitions and Spirit Stones, the concentration of Spiritual Qi inside the cave increased with extreme speed.

The boy, clutching the stack of books, followed closely behind Chu Mu.

Watching Chu Mu cast one Technique after another, the excitement in his eyes was palpable.

"The Spiritual Qi environment in this cave is enough for you to reach Qi and Blood Perfection within a month."

"You will stay here for now. In three months, I will test you."

After speaking, Chu Mu turned and walked out of the cave. Once outside, however, he suddenly stopped. He looked back into the cave, pondered for a moment, then turned to Wangcai, who was following behind him.

"Wangcai, you stay here and watch over him. If there is danger, protect his life as long as it’s within your abilities."

He gave the order, and Wangcai seemed to understand his words. It whimpered twice, then silently returned to the cave entrance, found a comfortable spot, and lay down.

Chu Mu leaped into the air. A Flying Boat materialized, and as he stepped onto it, it shot across the heavens and vanished over the horizon.

A thousand miles was not a long journey at the speed of the Flying Boat. Before long, a magnificent, giant city situated on a plain came into Chu Mu’s view.

The capital city of Great Chu... the Chu Capital.

The giant city was majestic. Though it was merely a mortal capital, its grandeur was in no way inferior to the former giant city of Jingmen.

He had heard the name Chu Capital long ago, even back when he was in the Jade Emperor Valley.

Later, as his knowledge grew, he heard more and more rumors about this Great Chu Capital City.

The rumors varied, but without exception, they all revolved around a single source: the Chu Kingdom’s Royal Family.

Logically speaking, the royal family of a mortal dynasty should be insignificant in the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World.

But the Great Chu Royal Family, being able to rule the mortal world on behalf of the Longevity Sect, could not possibly be ordinary people.

He remembered reading in the history books, back in the mortal world, that the Great Chu dynasty had a legacy of seven hundred years.

’Compared to the Longevity Sect’s legacy of tens of thousands of years, this record seems somewhat unreal.’

’But in a sense, the record is also true.’

Although Great Chu was established alongside the Longevity Sect, its so-called great ancestor was rumored to be the No Spirit Root youngest son of a Late Stage Nascent Soul Great Cultivator from when the Longevity Sect was first founded.

The Longevity Sect has maintained a stable legacy for tens of thousands of years, and Great Chu has also had a stable legacy for tens of thousands of years. However, the succession of the Royal Family has not been as peaceful as mortal history books record.

The reason for this is that while the tendrils of the Great Chu Cultivation Immortal World reach into every aspect of Great Chu and control almost everything...

...given the vastness of Great Chu’s territory, the resources the Great Chu Royal Family could gather, even as nominal rulers of the world, were clearly not a small amount.

And the Great Chu Royal Family, backed by the Longevity Sect, obviously held an extraordinary position.

Would a royal family with such a transcendent status, nominally ruling the entire mortal world, be content to be merely a puppet-like mortal Royal Family?

The possibility was clearly very low.

And reality proved this to be true.

The Longevity Sect has a legacy of tens of thousands of years, and Great Chu has a legacy of tens of thousands of years, but the number of times the Great Chu Royal Family has been replaced is already difficult to count.

From what he understood, be it the Longevity Sect or the various Clan forces, all of them seemed to maintain absolute vigilance against the Royal Family transitioning from mortals to immortals.

At the slightest sign, they would be suppressed with ruthless efficiency.

Then, a new Royal Family would be supported to take the throne.

The so-called seven-hundred-year history of Great Chu refers to the fact that the current Royal Family has ruled Great Chu for seven hundred years.

Before this current Royal Family, over tens of thousands of years, an unknown number of Great Chu Royal Family generations had been suppressed and slaughtered by the Cultivation Immortal Realm.

It was said that before the Righteous Alliance’s rebellion, the one sect and Five Races each had a Golden Core True Master stationed in the Chu Capital to keep Great Chu in check.

’The situation is very clear, yet it seems surreal.’

’After all, given the way Cultivators operate, if they can’t solve the problem of the Great Chu Royal Family’s recurring ambitions, can’t they just eliminate the root of the problem?’

Just abolish the Great Chu Royal Family and stop establishing new ones.

’The problem is easy to solve, so why go through so much trouble?’

Endless cycles of suppression, followed by establishing a new Royal Family, and then painstakingly guarding against them...

"What could be the reason..."

Gazing at the increasingly clear and majestic giant city, Chu Mu muttered to himself in obvious confusion.

’It’s such an obvious point. If I can think of it, other Cultivators couldn’t have possibly missed it.’

’Since they haven’t done so, there must be some unknown reason.’

’But this reason... what could it possibly be?’

...