Chapter 11: Superficial, Mu Family

Chapter 11: Chapter 11: Superficial, Mu Family

Lu Yuan hurried to the market several miles away and bought a roast chicken, two pounds of braised beef, a packet of cold-tossed pig ears, and some fried peanuts. He then spent five silver coins on a ten-year-old jar of Blazing Fire liquor before returning to the east gate of the Demon Suppression Bureau.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Lu Yuan knocked on the door again.

It was quiet inside, with no response. He didn’t knock again. Instead, he uncorked the liquor jar and fanned the aroma through the crack in the door.

CREAK!

The door suddenly opened a crack. A hand reached out and swiftly snatched the jar from his grasp.

SLAM!

The door shut tightly. Once again, there was no movement and no response.

"Food without wine lacks respect, but wine without food is hard to swallow!" Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Sir, it’s no fun just drinking without anything to eat. I brought you some ready-made dishes. Let me pass them in."

The door cracked open again.

CREAK!

SWISH!

All the food in Lu Yuan’s hands vanished.

"Take your time enjoying it, sir. No rush. Eat and drink well," Lu Yuan smiled. He then stood by the door, neither leaving nor speaking.

"You think you can bribe me with a little food and drink? I’ve lived for nearly a hundred years. Do you think I care about this pocket change? Young people nowadays are so naive." The old man’s voice drifted from inside, full of disdain and mockery. He was undoubtedly shaking his head while eating and drinking.

"Thank you for the guidance, sir. In that case, how long do I need to deliver food and wine to bribe you?" Lu Yuan asked with a smile, cupping his hands in respect.

"Even if you delivered it every day for a hundred years, it wouldn’t work," Wu the Cripple shook his head.

"I don’t have that many silver coins. Today’s meal already cost me most of my savings. Besides, it’s uncertain if I can even live another hundred years," Lu Yuan smiled bitterly.

"And you still want to take a shortcut with just this? Hurry up and go back. Stop wasting your energy. That path isn’t meant for everyone." Wu the Cripple stood up, took the food and wine, and walked deeper into the courtyard.

"Well... you are clearly a man of firm principles, sir. Since you’ve eaten my food and drunk my wine, surely you can offer me a pointer or two?" Lu Yuan drew his blade. Without caring whether the old man could see him or not, he immediately began to practice.

Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes!

It was the Superior Martial Art he had just upgraded. From the first slash to the sixth, he rapidly completed a full cycle.

"It’s a decent Saber Technique, but unfortunately, your execution is still far off," Wu the Cripple shook his head.

"Just yesterday, this Saber Technique was called the Wind-Breaking Slash. It’s the ancestral art of the Lu Family. It had some unique traits, but it couldn’t be considered a Superior Martial Art. Fortunately, I experienced an epiphany yesterday and upgraded it to the Wind-Breaking Nine Slashes..." Lu Yuan explained.

"An epiphany!" Wu the Cripple’s body suddenly stiffened. "Boy, you can play your little tricks, but playing too many will easily bring you big trouble. I know the reputation of an epiphany, but not just anyone can bear its weight or be worthy of it."

"Does an epiphany require qualifications? Is it about who is worthy and who isn’t? Can anyone reserve one in advance? You either have it or you don’t. I wouldn’t spout nonsense in front of you, sir," Lu Yuan offered a different perspective. To him, Prodigy Time was absolutely the equivalent of an epiphany. In fact, a regular epiphany might not even compare to it.

"A Ninth Grade epiphany? I’ve never heard of such a thing," Wu the Cripple said, clearly unconvinced.

An epiphany was relatively easier to achieve the higher one’s cultivation level was, simply because they had accumulated more experience. The lower the cultivation level, the harder it was to occur due to a lack of accumulation. Of course, epiphanies were also divided into major and minor ones. A major epiphany meant undergoing a complete transformation, elevating one’s mind, body, and spirit. A minor epiphany might just be a sudden gain, a flash of insight. People often mistakenly believed they had an epiphany when, in reality, it didn’t count at all.

"You must be joking, sir. The world is vast and full of wonders. Many geniuses wouldn’t go around announcing their epiphanies to the world. I am merely too shallow, and this is an act of desperation. I just want a chance to be assessed, and I hope you can recommend me, sir," Lu Yuan said respectfully.

"When can you break through to the Eighth Grade?" Wu the Cripple asked.

"Two months! I can definitely do it within two months!" Lu Yuan answered quickly and with absolute certainty.

"Then come back in two months." Wu the Cripple walked over to a recliner and placed the food on a table. He sat down, drinking his liquor while occasionally picking at the dishes.

Lu Yuan didn’t want to wait that long. If he didn’t complete the mission, he wouldn’t get the rewards. But the other party had made it very clear: without sufficient cultivation, giving him a chance would be useless.

"Then I shall take my leave." Lu Yuan departed.

"Two months, huh?" Inside the courtyard, Wu the Cripple shook his head. With that boy’s current skill, he wouldn’t necessarily break through in half a year, or even a full year. Two months was truly shooting off his mouth. His talent might be slightly better than his father’s, but his temperament was lacking...

On his way home, Lu Yuan paused in surprise as he passed by the main entrance of the Lin Family. He saw the carriage of Marquis Weiyuan’s Mansion, belonging to the Mu Family, parked right in front of the gates.

He wondered what connection the Mu Family had with the Lin Family. Had Mr. Lin joined the Mu Family? Given Mr. Lin’s peerless talent that would allow him to reach the Second Grade in twenty-five years, it was impossible for him to submit to any family, not even a Marquis’s mansion. Furthermore, at this point in time, Mr. Lin shouldn’t even be home. Only Mrs. Lin, Lin Siyao, and Lin Siheng were around. So, who had come?

WHOOSH!

Lu Yuan hurriedly returned to his house, took two deep breaths to calm his mind, and began practicing his boxing in the courtyard.

THUD! THUD!

He intentionally made loud noises as he practiced to attract Lin Siheng. The brat had nothing to do at home and was always bored, so he loved pestering Lu Yuan to play.

"Lu Yuan..." Sure enough, it didn’t take long for Lin Siheng to pop his head over the wall and jump down. "Where did you just go? You were out for over two hours. I just told Siyao that you went out to fool around."

"Fool around? Do you want me to smack you?" Lu Yuan bristled instantly, raising a hand.

"Hey!" Lin Siheng quickly ducked backward. "Just wait until my martial arts surpass yours. I’ll beat you up every day!"

"Beat me up?" Lu Yuan instantly thought of the system’s introduction and the subsequent mission narrations. This little brat had planted the seeds of trouble long ago...

"I’ll beat you up right now!" Lu Yuan reached out to grab him.

SWISH!

Lin Siheng hastily dodged and ran away. "Hehe, you can’t catch me! Let’s see how you catch me!"

SWISH! SWISH!

Lu Yuan shifted his stance and, in just two moves, grabbed the back of Lin Siheng’s collar, lifting him into the air. Did this punk think he was still the same person as yesterday?

SMACK!

Lu Yuan delivered a swift kick to Lin Siheng’s backside. It was a bit heavy.

"Are you for real?" Lin Siheng’s little face changed instantly. "You dare hit me? I’m going to tell Siyao!"

"Tell her? Where are you going to tell her?" Lu Yuan dragged Lin Siheng into the house.

"What... what do you want to do?" Lin Siheng was a little scared. He wondered, "Has he gone crazy? Is he going to beat me to death?"

"Who came to your house? Speak!" Lu Yuan demanded, his gaze serious and stern.

"Ohhh!" Lin Siheng suddenly understood and flashed a sly grin. "So this is what it’s about. You saw someone visit our house. No wonder you have such a big temper!"

"Spit it out, or else I’ll keep hitting you," Lu Yuan set Lin Siheng down and straightened him up.

"Ahem, is this how you beg someone?" Lin Siheng instantly put on airs. "At the very least, you have to show me some sincerity first."