Chapter 83: Young Master Mu’s Confusion
Mi Shen felt an inexplicable sensation toward Mu Lichuan’s words. “Alright.” He chose to trust the young man before him. Judging by his demeanor, it seemed he had truly eliminated Mi Rong completely.
Soon after, they entered the villa. Zhao Decheng and the others inquired about the process of dealing with the demon. Mu Lichuan recounted the events and even mentioned the matter of Mount Sheng.
Mount Sheng was a tourist attraction, and the government had always restricted large-scale development. However, Mu Lichuan had discovered that the mountain carried an extremely strange aura, as if something sinister lurked within.
He knew that the capital opposed feudal superstitions, with Mi Shen being a prominent figure in this stance. Yet, the people they apprehended were only righteous cultivators who operated openly. As for those on the dark path, they remained deeply hidden, their actions completely invisible to ordinary people.
If dark practitioners wanted to cause trouble, it would be effortless. With so many traffic accidents and construction site incidents, they could easily use arrays to create disasters, leading to casualties. Most people would attribute these to mere accidents, never suspecting anything else.
“Mount Sheng?” Gu Yongsheng and the others exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected the demon to hide there. After all, the area had many tourists, though most stuck to designated routes. Straying off the path would lead to dense forests where one could easily get lost, not to mention the abundance of snakes and insects.
Mu Lichuan nodded. “Actually, even Mount Le had its oddities before. Now, it’s Mount Sheng.” Both mountains were tourist destinations in the capital. As for what exactly was happening, Mu Lichuan wasn’t sure.
Mi Shen was a man blessed with great fortune, a bearer of national destiny. Yet, the dragon energy around him had completely vanished - something highly unusual. According to the plan, Mi Rong’s attempt to steal the dragon energy had failed. So why had the young man’s dragon energy disappeared?
The moment these words were spoken, everyone present wore strange expressions. Though they didn’t know the specifics, one thing was certain, there was likely a conspiracy at play.
“Let’s leave it at that for now. Besides, no other cultivators have noticed anything amiss. Maybe I’m overthinking it.” Mu Lichuan spoke awkwardly. Perhaps his soul was simply more sensitive to dark energies, allowing him to detect malevolent auras more easily than others.
Tourist areas often had accidents, and lingering resentful spirits were common enough to affect the mountain’s aura.
“Young Master Mu, your instincts might be correct. But whatever is leaking out, those of us with shallow cultivation can’t detect it.” Zhao Decheng’s expression was grave. They had no idea what kind of scheme the mastermind behind this was plotting, but it was undoubtedly detrimental to their nation.
Mi Shen wanted to know about his father’s whereabouts. Upon learning he was at home, he finally relaxed. He had been genuinely worried, given Mu Lichuan’s tension, fearing something might have happened to his father.
Mu Lichuan observed Mi Shen’s aura once more and confirmed that there was no trace of dragon energy around him. Even if Mi Rong had stolen some of his dragon energy, it shouldn’t have vanished so thoroughly.
“Can I meet your father?” Mu Lichuan felt an inexplicable unease and finally made the request.
He didn’t want to meddle, but the fact that his own dragon energy remained while the young man’s had disappeared struck him as bizarre. Could the person before him be an imposter?
Mi Shen’s eyes showed no fluctuation upon hearing Mu Lichuan’s request. “No problem.” His tone was calm, revealing nothing amiss.
Mu Lichuan realized several days had passed since he last tracked the demon. Could this Mi Shen be fake? Had a trap been set for him the moment he returned? Whatever the case, he needed to investigate thoroughly—otherwise, he might die without even knowing how.
He didn’t rush to see Mi Shen’s father, as the latter was exceptionally busy. Besides, he wasn’t omniscient, perhaps he was mistaken due to his own cultivation.
Upon returning to the villa, the Bloodvine spoke up. “Master, that thing isn’t human. It’s a high-level puppet. I stayed silent because I feared detection.”
Mu Lichuan’s hand stilled. “What? A high-level puppet?” So, Mi Shen was in danger? Or had he been controlled? Was this all a trap to lure him in?
“Yes. High-level puppets are incredibly skilled at imitation. With your current cultivation, you wouldn’t notice. But as a plant, I’m highly sensitive to non-living entities, so…” The Bloodvine trailed off, but the implication was clear.
“Are you certain?” Mu Lichuan narrowed his eyes, a cold aura emanating from him.
The Bloodvine, sensing its master’s doubt, protested, “Master, how can you doubt me? Besides, I’ve evolved now. Even cultivators stronger than you are no match for me.”
Truthfully, it had acted out of self-interest. Without its master, it wouldn’t have known how long evolution would take. But following him, even at the cost of damaging its foundation, had paid off. This was the best decision it had ever made.
“You can handle a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator?” Mu Lichuan was astonished. He hadn’t expected this ancient Bloodvine to be so formidable.
The Bloodvine, pleased by his shock, explained, “Yes. Plant cultivation is inherently harder than other species, so many perish midway. But at the same level, we’re far stronger than human cultivators and can even fight above our rank.” It wasn’t boasting, just stating facts. Without the young man, it would’ve taken ages to reach this level.
Mu Lichuan couldn’t help but marvel at the fairness of the heavens. The harder a species’ cultivation path, the stronger its combat prowess. Take the Bloodvine, even ancient cultivators would avoid it, or face certain death.
After dinner with his great-grandfather, Mu Lichuan went to bed. Though a cultivator, he still followed a mortal’s circadian rhythm - a habit from his past life that was hard to break.
“Mu Lichuan!” Xiao Mo’s voice suddenly echoed in his spiritual sea, his soul flickering faintly, as if restrained.
All drowsiness fled Mu Lichuan. “What’s wrong with you?” To him, Xiao Mo was omnipotent. Even as a soul, he should’ve been formidable.
“Pull me back into your body, now!” Xiao Mo urged.
Mu Lichuan frowned. “I need to know how.” What had this guy done to be so frantic?
“Willpower! Soul energy!” Xiao Mo shouted, clearly in dire straits.
Mu Lichuan focused his will, grasped Xiao Mo’s soul, and channeled his own soul energy. Instantly, a terrifying presence brushed past him before vanishing. Xiao Mo safely returned to his spiritual sea.
“Shameless bastard! That was mine, yet you forced it to stay!” Xiao Mo, who was usually so detached, actually cursed - a side of him that completely took Mu Lichuan by surprise
Mu Lichuan felt Xiao Mo was hiding much from him. But since they were merely allies, knowing too much wasn’t beneficial. Still, that terrifying presence demanded an explanation.
“What was that energy just now?” Mu Lichuan asked within his spiritual sea. “And why do you keep disappearing?”
Xiao Mo showed no anger. “The Dragon God. I was reclaiming what’s mine.”
The young man wondered if he’d misheard. “The Dragon God? Your thing?” He couldn’t even begin to imagine what the Dragon God was, let alone Xiao Mo’s identity or how he’d ended up like this.
“Just a wisp of the Dragon God’s consciousness. Don’t overthink it, if it were more, you wouldn’t have been able to pull me back.” As if reading his thoughts, Xiao Mo explained coolly. “Forget it. If I can’t take it back now, I’ll demand something else later.”
Mu Lichuan didn’t respond. He suspected Xiao Mo’s disappearances were related to the Dragon God. But something still felt off.
He then brought up the matter of Mi Shen being a high-level puppet. “Can you deal with this?”
“He won’t involve you anymore. Besides, isn’t the Dragon God here? Some things aren’t for you to handle.” Xiao Mo replied dismissively.
“Really? Are you hiding things from me?” Mu Lichuan said resentfully. “If you’re staying with me, you follow my rules.”
“I’m keeping secrets for your own good. Knowing would only trouble you.” Xiao Mo sighed when the young man fell silent. “Fine. I was inside Mi Shen before, that’s why the dragon energy protected you. You’re just too weak.”
So that was it. Mu Lichuan had wondered why the power of faith alone granted him a national fortune-bearer’s protection. “Then the high-level puppet? And the sinister energy from Mount Len and Mount Sheng?”
“The Two Realms Mountain,” Xiao Mo uttered three words.
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