Chapter 61: The Young Master Who Won’t Take No for an Answer
"If Lichuan needs it, I will supply blood." Mi Shen answered solemnly, without a trace of jest in his tone.
Mu Xiaoran had no choice but to slam the door shut with a loud bang, deciding it was better not to deal with the young master at all.
Meanwhile, on the rooftop, Mu Lichuan, who had been recovering his spiritual energy, noticed something unusual. The soul energy circulating in his meridians was moving much faster than before. Moreover, apart from the thin spiritual energy in the air, there was also a faint golden aura that felt incredibly soothing.
Wait—golden aura?
The moment this thought crossed his mind, Mu Lichuan abruptly opened his eyes. With a soft pop in his meridians, he had broken through to the third level of Qi Refining. It seemed misfortune had turned into fortune, his meridians had even expanded slightly. Though the change was minuscule, it delighted him.
"A few more experiences like this wouldn’t be bad, though the exhaustion was unbearable." Mu Lichuan felt his mental state was excellent. While he couldn’t gauge the exact growth of his soul energy, it was undoubtedly stronger than before.
"Hmm?" His vision had sharpened considerably. From this distance, he could clearly see a young man standing rigidly in front of the villa like a wooden pole. Blinking a few times confirmed it wasn’t an illusion. The golden light he had sensed earlier was real, and so was the figure before him.
His heart trembled slightly. What kind of cursed fate was this? He had been reluctant to accept any favors from this person, yet now he had unknowingly used the golden aura to break through.
Previously, his soul energy had been tainted with a faint golden glow as a price for suppressing the evil energy in the ink-wash painting. Now, having benefited from it again, would he have to pay with his life? It felt like a blessing he couldn’t afford.
When Mu Xiaoran saw his great-grandson descend, he noticed an air of weariness about him. "Lichuan, are you…?" He trailed off, sensing the increased spiritual energy radiating from the boy.
"Grandfather, I’m fine. I’ve reached the third level of Qi Refining." Mu Lichuan steadied his emotions and spoke gently.
Mu Xiaoran beamed. "Lichuan, you truly are a cultivation genius!" Even among single-spiritual-root prodigies, breakthroughs in such a short time were unheard of. It seemed they had all underestimated him before. The Mu family’s spirit-testing stone might have been accurate, but a so-called "waste" wasn’t necessarily doomed—sometimes, they were simply late bloomers.
"Grandfather, you know what my spiritual roots are like. No need to flatter me." Mu Lichuan scratched his head sheepishly. Without the resources from Xiao Mo’s space, his progress wouldn’t have been this rapid. Yet, ever since their last encounter, Xiao Mo seemed to have vanished without a trace, leaving a faint unease in his heart.
Though Xiao Mo had initially used him, he had never harmed him. In fact, he had helped him through many crises, without him the current Mu Lichuan wouldn’t exist.
"Come, let’s have lunch." Mu Xiaoran had prepared meals daily, fearing his great-grandson would wake up hungry.
Typically, only after reaching Foundation Establishment would one truly transcend the "mortal" realm and undergo rebirth. He believed it wouldn’t be long before Lichuan officially stepped into the world of true cultivation.
[To transcend the mortal realm and undergo rebirth: to break free from human limitations and achieve a fundamental spiritual/physical transformation, typically through cultivation, marking the transition from an ordinary mortal to an immortal or higher being.]
Mu Lichuan felt a pang of guilt. His great-grandfather had once been a formidable cultivator, yet now he was reduced to this state. Even life-extending pills would no longer work on him.
"You silly child, your grandfather is perfectly content as things are." As if reading his thoughts, the old man chuckled.
Just as they were setting the table, the doorbell rang. Clearly, someone outside knew he had awakened.
Sure enough, when the door opened, the young master stood there, his expression as indifferent as ever. "You…" Mi Shen wanted to ask how he was, but the words stuck in his throat.
"I’m perfectly fine, Young Master. You may leave now. Such ‘favors’ from you are more than I can handle." Mu Lichuan stated matter-of-factly, without a hint of sarcasm.
Getting entangled with the dragon energy of someone blessed by national fortune? That was practically courting death. The Heavenly Dao would surely make his cultivation path a thorny one, and who knew what disasters awaited? The end result would likely be annihilation.
"You resent me, don’t you?" Mi Shen asked, frustrated. He hadn’t known the painting harbored such a malicious force. His own uncle, whom he had trusted, had tried to harm him through it.
Mu Lichuan shook his head with a smile. "No, I don’t resent you." He meant it, as long as he kept his distance, everything would work out fine.
"You do resent me." Mi Shen’s voice carried a hint of grievance. "Then let me take the painting back." If he discarded it, perhaps the evil energy would vanish too.
Mu Lichuan nearly laughed at the grown man’s almost petulant expression. "Are you out of your mind? A gift given cannot be taken back." He understood Mi Shen’s intentions, but having accepted it, he couldn’t let it harm others.
In his view, whoever picked up that painting would suffer - minor misfortunes at best, utter ruin at worst. Since he hadn’t found a way to destroy it yet, the painting would continue wreaking havoc indefinitely.
"If the painting is so sinister, why would you want to keep it?" Mi Shen immediately regretted his words. The boy didn’t like the painting, he was keeping it precisely because of its evil energy. No wonder his grandfather had been furious.
"None of your business. It’s mine now. Goodbye, and let’s pretend we never met." Mu Lichuan wanted to sever all ties before things escalated.
Mi Shen frowned. "You do blame me. For dragging you into this." Though the boy’s face was impassive, he could sense Mu Lichuan’s aversion.
While he wasn’t universally adored, most people either treated him with deference or avoided him like the plague. This indifference stung more than he cared to admit.
"No, really, I don’t. Why must you overthink everything?" Mu Lichuan’s patience wore thin. His priority was cutting all connections.
"Then return the painting. I’ll have it disposed of." As a man of science, he shouldn’t even be entertaining this superstitious nonsense. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, he couldn’t walk away.
"Dispose of it? Easy for you to say. Should we let it curse some innocent bystander instead?" Mu Lichuan wasn’t a saint, but he couldn’t turn a blind eye to such dangers.
"Then what do you propose? If you keep the painting, you can’t cut ties with me." Mi Shen’s tone was calm, but his words were razor-sharp.
"After all, I was its original owner." He delivered the final blow.
Mu Lichuan studied him intently. The golden aura around Mi Shen had grown denser - a clear sign that Master Mi’s ascension as the next leader was all but certain. Previously, the ink painting’s evil energy must have been draining this dragon energy.
But why target Mi Shen instead of Master Mi directly? Perhaps the evil energy couldn’t approach the elder statesman without being obliterated.
"Do as you please, Young Master." Reasoning was futile. If the man insisted on being unreasonable, what could he do? In this modern world, he was just an ordinary middle schooler, while Mi Shen wielded considerable influence in the capital. Only a fool would pick a fight with him.
He moved to shut the door, but Mi Shen blocked it with his hand. "In that case, starting today, both you and the painting will reside at my estate. For observation purposes."
His villa’s location was excellent, and no "supernatural" incidents had ever occurred there - proof that malevolent forces couldn’t penetrate its grounds.
"What?" Mu Lichuan’s eyes widened at the audacity. "I’m a student! This is abduction!"
What rotten luck, to be entangled with someone bearing the nation’s fortune.
"You’re a superstitious cultist. As a champion of scientific progress, it’s my duty to reform you and prevent self-destructive behavior." Mi Shen’s justification was flawless, his expression all bureaucratic solemnity.
Mu Lichuan nearly swore aloud but swallowed the words. Forcing a smile, he said, "Young Master, surely you know I have an eighty-year-old grandfather to care for? I can’t possibly move in with you. And when have I ever spread superstitious beliefs?"
"Look at this." Mi Shen produced a thick folder and thrust it at him, the bold headings impossible to miss. "Your influence extends far beyond this family."
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