Chapter 100: Heading to Mount Li
Mu Lichuan originally thought he was just an ordinary cultivator, with no connection to schemes and plots, free to do whatever he wanted. But after crossing paths with Mi Shen, not only did bad luck cling to him, but he also had to personally handle everything related to Mi Shen. If that wasn't a recipe for an early death, what was?
This was the lowest realm of the Three Realms. There were probably very few cultivators here, especially on a planet with such thin spiritual energy. Those who managed to reach great power must have had extraordinary fortunes, and they treasured their lives deeply.
But treasuring your own life doesn't give you the right to disregard others' lives. Since they haven't done anything for the country, they shouldn't get to enjoy all the benefits the country provides.
"Fine," Mi Shen agreed readily. Seeing the young man covered in dust and exhaustion, a look of concern crossed his face. "Go back and rest. I'll handle the rest."
Mu Lichuan then took a car home. He only gave a rough account of the giant tree and the demon creature—no need for too many details. Even if people knew, what could they do? They'd just panic for no reason.
Mu Lichuan didn't plan to get involved in high-level affairs. As soon as he got home, he washed up and crashed into a deep sleep. Sure, he could recover his energy through cultivation, but he was still an ordinary person at heart. He needed real sleep after all the shock he'd been through. As for the Bloodsucking Vine, it had slipped back into hibernation—clearly evolving again.
Meanwhile, back with Mi Shen, a storm was brewing. "Father, why?" His tone was ice-cold.
Mi Shen's father was a middle-aged man with a square face and deep furrows between his brows—clearly from years of frowning. "Because they are great cultivators. Our country still needs their protection," Mi Guozhi replied in a low, deep voice.
"Great cultivators? Protection?" Mi Shen's face twisted into a mocking smile. "What exactly have they protected our country from? Invaders? A demonic energy appeared in the capital, threatening ordinary people—and where were they? Hiding in their shells?"
These so-called noble, virtuous people enjoyed everything the nation had to offer, but when something threatened their lives, they sent others to die in their place.
Mi Guozhi didn't argue with his son. "It's the rule. They only act when the nation is in true crisis."
"When the nation is in crisis? If everyone's already dead, what use are they then?" Mi Shen struggled to contain his raging anger. No wonder Mu Lichuan was so furious. These so-called "great cultivators" used grand excuses to claim the best resources, yet turned out to be such cowards.
"Wasn't the problem solved in the end?" Mi Guozhi looked at his son's agitation and emphasized again, "Besides, since Mu Lichuan enjoys the protection of the nation's fortune energy, this is something he must bear."
Mi Guozhi himself had once completely dismissed talk of ghosts and gods. But after learning of deeper secrets within the country, he realized everything was handled in secret while science was presented to the public.
"Father!" Mi Shen's eyes were deadly serious. "The protection of the nation's fortune energy is nothing compared to the life-threatening danger he faced, don't you think?" He was sure his father understood all this. The only reason he sided with the great cultivators was that their interests aligned.
Mi Guozhi sighed softly. "You still have a lot to learn about the twists and turns of politics." In his view, sacrificing the individual for the greater good was inevitable. That was the price of being a leader.
"We have nothing more to say to each other," Mi Shen said coldly. Their core beliefs were fundamentally different. They had never been close, even since childhood, and this was exactly why.
Mi Guozhi pressed his lips together in silence. The conversation ended in discord.
When Mi Shen later resigned from his post as the guardian of the capital, Mi Guozhi and the other leaders finally realized how serious the situation was. There was too much to handle, and they couldn't just find someone else to replace him overnight.
Back at home, Mu Lichuan was enjoying a leisurely life. Watching the young man who kept showing up for free meals, he said in exasperation, "Don't you have work to do?" Weren't you the one who said you'd give me an explanation? What happened—did the talks break down?
He wasn't a naive child. Having lived through a past life, he understood perfectly well that politics was even murkier than business. One small misstep, and you became someone else's sacrifice.
"Nothing to do, nothing to worry about," Mi Shen replied calmly. For the first time, he felt the weight lift off his shoulders. It was liberating. As for the "Cleaning Company," it was a government agency—it would run just fine even without his oversight.
Mu Lichuan poured the young man a cup of tea. "Given your position, even if you give up all your political duties, you can't change your bloodline." He wasn't trying to plead for Mi Shen's father—just stating a fact.
Truth be told, the leadership hadn't necessarily made the wrong choice from their perspective. They were trying to achieve the greatest results with the smallest cost. Unfortunately, he was neither willing to be their pawn, nor happy to be treated as one.
"Even if I can't change it, I can't just stand by and watch you be used as a target," Mi Shen said seriously. At that moment, he deeply realized just how small his own power truly was.
People might think that as the Young Master of the Mi family, he had great influence. But when it came to real decisions—like the Yin-gathering site—he had no say at all.
"A target? I'm a moving target. And if I don't want to play that role, who's going to force me?" Mu Lichuan laughed. Truth be told, facing off against that demon creature wasn't without its gains. It had been good training.
Next time he encountered a demon creature, he'd know how to handle it. No more floundering.
"That's true," Mi Shen smiled. He knew Mu Lichuan's personality inside and out. If he didn't want to do something, even holding a knife to his throat wouldn't work.
Mu Lichuan stood up. "I'm leaving the capital for a while. Keep an eye on my grandfather, if you can." Mount Li had something pulling at him. He needed to go find out what it was. Maybe the reward would be unexpected.
"You're going to—" Mi Shen didn't finish the question. He knew well that cultivators hated being asked about their whereabouts.
Mu Lichuan smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Maybe you mean well. But that could still bring me endless trouble."
Mi Shen silently conceded the point. Without even realizing it, he might let slip where the young man had gone.
Mount Li was a remote, treacherous peak in the north. Despite its name, Mount Li was steep and rugged, drawing adventurers from far and wide.
Though it wasn't yet deep winter, by the time Mu Lichuan reached the foot of Mount Li, he saw people around him bundled in thick down jackets—proof of just how cold it was.
"Little one, you're going up the mountain?" The boy had rented a room at a farmhouse. An elderly woman brought him a bowl of hot soup and asked.
Mu Lichuan nodded. Thanks to the spiritual energy within him, just cycling it once was enough to completely ignore the bitter cold. "Yes, Grandma."
The old woman's face showed clear disapproval. "The snow's so heavy right now. Going up is very dangerous. A while back, a couple didn't listen to the warnings and got lost on Mount Li. By the time they were found, they were already gone." She didn't understand the so-called spirit of adventure. But she also knew that all these adventurers brought good business to local farmers.
"Grandma, I'll just follow the main path a bit. I won't go near the summit," Mu Lichuan said, watching the snow outside the window. In previous years, snow hadn't fallen on Mount Li this early. This year seemed much colder.
The old woman wanted to say more, but she knew adventurers wouldn't listen. Besides, if there were no challenge, they wouldn't come to Mount Li at all.
In spring, Mount Li's scenery was stunning, drawing many tourists.
"Here's some beef jerky I made. It keeps a long time. Take it up the mountain with you. If the snow gets too heavy, don't push yourself," the old woman said earnestly. Since she couldn't stop him, she wanted him to be careful.
Mu Lichuan felt a warmth in his heart. "Thank you, Grandma. I know what I'm doing." If he weren't a cultivator, he wouldn't be foolish enough to go sightseeing in the snow right now. That would be asking for trouble.
Early the next morning, Mu Lichuan left the farmhouse under the old woman's watchful gaze and began his journey up Mount Li.
Snow had already blanketed the entire mountain, making it look even steeper. The path was barely visible. But a sharp-eyed observer might notice that the young man's feet barely disturbed the snow—he seemed to walk on level ground. The snow never even touched him, parting naturally before it could land.
Mu Lichuan walked steadily. His goal was the cliff he'd seen before. It wasn't close. Even with spiritual energy, he needed time.
Flying on a sword was still too difficult for him—he didn't have enough spiritual energy yet and would probably fall. The snow had buried almost every path, so he followed the general direction.
"Grrr... growl..." Mu Lichuan heard snarling. But all he could see was snow. No beast in sight.
"Grrr... growl..." There it was again. Not his imagination. Somewhere in those steep cliffs, a beast really was out there—one unafraid of the heavy snow.
Mu Lichuan realized something had locked onto his spiritual sense. His interest piqued.
So this beast is targeting me? And it might even be a demon beast.
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