Chapter 3936: Exchange Of Trust

The chief remained silent for several moments before finally looking directly into Lin Mu’s eyes. "You’ve asked many questions, and we’ve shown you our greatest secret."

"We’ve trusted you." His expression grew serious.

"Now..." He slowly folded his arms. "...tell me. What do you know about our benefactor?"

Lin Mu quietly looked between the chief and the crystal.

He had received far more than he originally expected, as the chief had hidden nothing. He had shown Lin Mu the mural, the shrine and the crystal. He had even admitted the truth regarding the array.

That sincerity deserved honesty in return.

Lin Mu slowly nodded. "You’ve trusted me so I’ll return that trust."

The chief waited quietly as Lin Mu looked once more toward the ancient mural visible through the open hatch above.

Then he spoke.

"The person you call your benefactor..." He paused for a single breath. "...was a renowned cultivator from ancient times."

The chief unconsciously leaned forward.

Lin Mu calmly revealed the name. "His name... was the Virtuous Calamity Daoist."

The words echoed through the underground shrine. But for the chief it was the first time in over twelve hundred years that the mysterious benefactor who had shaped the fate of his entire village, finally possessed a name.

The village chief remained silent for a long while after hearing the name.

"Virtuous Calamity Daoist." He slowly repeated the title under his breath as though committing every syllable to memory.

His rough fingers unconsciously rested upon the stone pedestal beside the crimson crystal while his eyes wandered between the ancient mural and Lin Mu. The title certainly sounded grand.

Even someone who had been isolated from the outside world for over a millennium could tell that it belonged to an extraordinary individual. Yet beyond the impressive sounding name, he understood very little.

Twelve hundred years spent inside the Mad Demon Depths had long severed his connection to the immortal world. Dynasties could rise and fall several times during such a period, while sects flourished before disappearing into obscurity.

A figure who had lived hundreds of thousands of years ago belonged to an era that was unimaginably ancient even by immortal standards.

He slowly exhaled before looking toward Lin Mu again.

"Tell me about him." the chief requested sincerely. "If he truly was our benefactor, then our people deserve to know who he was."

Lin Mu had already anticipated such a request. But there was no chance he would reveal everything. The Virtuous Calamity Daoist was one of the greatest mysteries Lin Mu had ever encountered.

Even now, he himself only knew fragments of the truth.

More importantly, there were certain truths that simply could not be revealed. The circumstances surrounding the Daoist’s death remained dangerous even after so many hundreds of thousands of years.

The idea that one of the greatest righteous experts had ultimately been eliminated by members of the righteous path because he stood in the way of their interests was the sort of revelation that could shatter the faith of many cultivators.

Whether the chief believed him or rejected the story entirely, neither outcome would help Lin Mu accomplish his goals.

There was another concern as well.

The more people knew about the Virtuous Calamity Daoist, the greater the possibility that someone would eventually connect the hidden vault to him. Lin Mu intended to keep that knowledge hidden until he personally understood what lay inside.

He therefore chose his words carefully.

"I do not know everything." Lin Mu admitted honestly. "The Virtuous Calamity Daoist lived during an ancient era that predates nearly every written record still preserved today. Most information regarding him disappeared together with the passage of time."

The chief listened attentively.

"What little I managed to uncover came from scattered records left behind in forgotten libraries and damaged ruins." Lin Mu continued. "From those fragments, one thing became very clear. The Virtuous Calamity Daoist was once considered a peerless expert. His strength stood among the highest of his era."

The chief’s eyes widened slightly.

"He spent much of his life hunting cultivators of the unorthodox and evil paths. Many notorious experts met their end beneath his hands. Entire organizations feared his appearance because he pursued them relentlessly."

Lin Mu paused briefly before continuing.

"That was hundreds of thousands of years ago. Whatever happened afterward has largely vanished into history. By the present age, only a handful of scattered mentions remain. Most younger cultivators have never even heard his title."

The chief slowly nodded.

"So even the outside world has forgotten him..." he murmured softly.

Lin Mu gave a slight nod. "Time eventually buries nearly everyone."

He deliberately stopped there. There was no mention of betrayal, no mention of the hidden conflicts among righteous powers or the mention of the vault or the inheritance beyond vague hints.

Everything he said remained truthful while omitting the most dangerous pieces.

"I eventually discovered references suggesting that the Virtuous Calamity Daoist had left behind traces of his legacy." Lin Mu continued. "That discovery brought me here. I have been following those clues ever since."

The chief looked toward the mural again before lowering his gaze to the crimson crystal.

His expression gradually became more complicated and the silence lingered for nearly half a minute.

Finally, he asked something entirely different. "You seek his legacy."

Lin Mu nodded and the chief’s eyes slowly shifted toward the crystal resting upon the pedestal. His large hand unconsciously settled over it as though shielding it.

"Then..." He hesitated. "...are you after this crystal?"

The question carried obvious concern and Lin Mu immediately understood why. To these people, this crystal was more than a treasure.

It was their means of survival.

Without it, the village would gradually become like every other settlement in the Mad Demon Depths. Their vitality would weaken and their strength would disappear. Generations of careful preservation would come to an end.

Lin Mu shook his head. "This crystal is indeed an extraordinary treasure," he admitted. "Its value exceeds my expectations."

The chief became slightly tense.

"But it is not what I seek."