"Master, you only get to watch sister Bi Liu's dance once in a month!" Xue Ling giggled.
"I'll watch it if I have another chance next time." Chu Li smiled. "Thanks, Miss Bi Liu. But I should be on my way."
"Master—!" Xue Ling yelled.
Chu Li smiled as he got up to his feet and left the place.
Xue Ling stomped her feet helplessly, then she sat down heavily. She looked frustrated.
"What's keeping Master Chu so busy?" Bi Liu asked with regret. "Why the hurry?"
"Cultivating. Cultivation all day and all night!" Xue Ling replied.
Although she was close to Bi Liu, some secrets were better left unexplained. She was wary not to spill the beans.
Bi Liu smiled. "No wonder he's so skilled in the martial arts. For someone like my Little Brother, he'll never get to his level!"
"I wouldn't necessarily say that it's a good thing. Once you're into it, you'll be addicted!" Xue Ling sighed, looking dispirited. "No matter how much I advise him, he wouldn't listen!"
She still could not understand why Chu Li was acting that way as he was already a top-notch Innate Master at such a young age. He only had to wait until the time was right for him to break through the Grandmaster's boundary. Why did he need to work so desperately?
The most important thing was that he was already a Chief himself. Whatever he wanted to get done, he could just issue orders and ask someone else to accomplish it for him. He did not need to do everything himself, especially the elemental formation. Something like that could harm his body a lot. More so, it would reduce his lifespan!
Bi Liu said, "Xue Ling, I really don't know how to repay Master Chu."
Xue Ling smiled as she looked at her. Her eyes rested on her chest.
Bi Liu gave her a pat.
Xue Ling smiled. "Don't worry about it. It only took him a sentence to fulfill that favor of yours. If you really want to thank him, then help me to collect more intel… He's too engrossed in cultivation so he won't have time to go outside. However, he still cares very much about what's happening outside. You do that for me, and I'll pass on the information to him when we have our meals together."
"Intel?" Bi Liu smiled. "Well, that's convenient. There are all sorts of information in the New Moon Brothel."
"Find me something interesting and I'll tell him the story by then."
"No problem."
…
Chu Li returned to the Thousand Herb Garden. He sat in the gazebo while his eyes gazed at the green bamboos. He was soon immersed deep into his thoughts, as each of the elemental formations started to emerge in his mind.
Then, he heard knocks on the door. Su Ru, who was donned in a yellow gown, pushed the door open and walked in.
She saw that Chu Li had remained still in his seat and both his eyes stared into blank space. It seemed that his mind had already traveled elsewhere. She shook her head and sighed. Then, she gracefully made her way to the gazebo and pushed his shoulder. "Chu Li! Chu Li!"
Chu Li was startled when he snapped back to reality.
"Yang Xu has something to tell you."
"Oh—?" Chu Li stood up and walked outside. "How is she lately?"
"After her son arrived, she looks like a completely different person." Su Ru smiled as she replied, "She looks happy all the time."
"That's good then." Chu Li's mind quickly wandered back to the elemental formation as he started to walk towards the outside.
Seeing that the situation was amiss, Su Ru hurriedly continued, "The Lady and I will leave here very soon."
Chu Li suddenly stopped in his tracks. Almost immediately, he continued to walk again. However, he looked unbothered by that and smiled. "When?"
"I think in seven or eight days," Su Ru replied.
Chu Li stopped walking and frowned. "Why so sudden?"
Su Ru said, "There's a change in the condition over there. Both of us are required to head there earlier than expected."
Chu Li remained silent and continued walking forward.
"Once we leave, it might take years before we would come back."
"Based on my knowledge of the Lady's ingenuity, I believe that she wouldn't take long to break through the boundaries of an Innate Master."
"No one could really say for sure." Su Ru sighed. "The Lady wanted to delay the departure for another year."
Chu Li raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.
Su Ru continued, "But the Lady has no control over the matter. She still needs to listen to what they have to say on the other side."
"This is a rare opportunity. Why don't you seize the chance to become an Innate Master as well, Chief?" Chu Li smiled.
Su Ru waved her hand and said, "I have no ambitions for that. It's not easy to achieve Innate Mastery!"
"It all comes down to how you deal with it," Chu Li said. "Chief, the stars had always shined upon you and I believe you'll succeed. If there is an emergency, please do not hesitate to send me a message!"
"Sure, I'll think of a way to send you a message." Su Ru smiled.
Chu Li nodded slowly, even though he remained silent.
When the two of them arrived at the Symphony Island, they saw Xiao Qi and Xiao Shi at the gazebo that was in the middle of Floral Sea.
Chu Li performed a fist salute from afar.
After that, Xiao Qi pointed towards the small building opposite of them.
Chu Li raised his head, signaling her that he understood before he gave her another fist salute. He rowed through the Floral Sea alone.
Su Ru, on the other hand, made her way to the gazebo.
"His expression looks strange. What's wrong?" Xiao Qi frowned at her.
Su Ru stuck out her tongue and said, "I told him that we're leaving."
"What?!" Xiao Qi furrowed her brows.
Xiao Shi smiled. "Little Sister, I think it's about time you tell him. Once you leave, a lot of burdens will fall on his shoulders. He needs the mental preparation."
"I've already told him everything I should," Xiao Qi replied.
She had told Chu Li the names of their contacts and the things he would need to do in the future. She wanted to leave without alarming him so that he would not feel too emotional.
Xiao Shi said, "You're really cold-hearted!"
"Second Sister, give me a break already!" Xiao Qi replied in frustration. She turned her glance to Su Ru and asked, "So, what did he say?"
Su Ru shook her head. "He didn't say anything."
Xiao Shi grinned. "His usual reaction."
Xiao Qi rolled her eyes at her. Then, she looked at the small building. "I don't know what Yang Xu wants to tell him."
"I reckon it's some royal secrets," Xiao Shi said.
…
"Uncle Chu!" When Chu Li stepped onto the second floor, Zhu Quan rushed towards him.
A smile was etched on Chu Li's face as he reached out his arms and hugged him.
Zhu Quan smiled and said, "Uncle Chu, why did it take so long for you to come and visit me?!"
"Uncle had something to do. Do you like it here, Little Quan?"
"I do!"
"What do you like here the most?"
"The Sisters here are all very pretty, and the dim sum here tastes good as well!"
Chu Li carried Zhu Quan into the house. Meanwhile, Yang Xu was sat by the window knitting. The windows were wide open, and when sunlight shone on her body, it added a layer of soft glint on her.
She looked calm and quiet.
"Mom!" Zhu Quan broke free from Chu Li's embrace and ran into Yang Xu's arms.
Yang Xu hugged him and smiled back at Chu Li. "Master Chu."
Chu Li sat opposite her and said, "Miss Yang Xu, you look great."
"I've enjoyed my stay here these few days." Yang Xu looked adoringly at her own son. "Master Chu, something came up in my mind and I feel that I should discuss it with you."
Chu Li nodded.
Yang Xu said, "I heard this story a while back, but I'm not sure if it's credible."
Chu Li continued to look at her.
Yang Xu continued, "I heard that there's a supreme being living on the Rising Sun Mountain."
"Rising Sun Mountain…" Chu Li mumbled.
Yang Xu added, "A few top-notch martial artists from the Imperial House went there once, but they couldn't find anything. If the Imperial House is interested in this man, I bet he's not a small character."
"Who's this man?" Chu Li asked.
"I think he's called Multiform Demon Lord."
"Multiform Demon Lord…" Chu Li searched through his mind palace and quickly found archives of that name.
There were two books which mentioned his name. One was the "Ji Dynasty Tales", the other was the "Martial Arts World Anecdotes". This Multiform Demon Lord had phenomenal martial arts skills. The deadliest thing about him was that his face could change into different forms and expressions. He could fake a true expression and that makes him extremely hard to anticipate.
He should have cultivated a type of strange technique like the Shrinking Bone Art, which allowed him to change faces. It was a pity that he had retreated into the deep mountains and nobody could track him down. Thus, this strange technique vanished along with him; it never resurfaced again.
Yang Xu asked, "Do you know this, Master Chu?"
"I've heard of him. He was a very powerful man. But that was about three hundred years ago and I believe that he been dead long ago."
"They intend to look for his inheritance."
"Inheritance… Rising Sun Mountain…" Chu Li nodded slowly. "Thank you, Miss Yang Xu. I'll go there and have a look myself!"
A smile etched on Xu's face as she replied, "I'm glad I could help."
"If I can really find the Multiform Demon Lord, there would be many benefits." Chu Li smiled. "No matter what happens, I still need to thank you, miss."
"There's no need to be so polite between us both." Xu smiled sweetly. "I'll try to recall if there are any more useful information."
Chu Li shook his head. "No need to think too hard. There's still a lot of time ahead."
Yang Xu smiled and nodded.
After that, Chu Li exited the building feeling inspired. He went straight back to the Thousand Herb Garden. He then prepared for his trip to the Rising Sun Mountain.
"Master, you only get to watch sister Bi Liu's dance once in a month!" Xue Ling giggled.
"I'll watch it if I have another chance next time." Chu Li smiled. "Thanks, Miss Bi Liu. But I should be on my way."
"Master—!" Xue Ling yelled.
Chu Li smiled as he got up to his feet and left the place.
Xue Ling stomped her feet helplessly, then she sat down heavily. She looked frustrated.
"What's keeping Master Chu so busy?" Bi Liu asked with regret. "Why the hurry?"
"Cultivating. Cultivation all day and all night!" Xue Ling replied.
Although she was close to Bi Liu, some secrets were better left unexplained. She was wary not to spill the beans.
Bi Liu smiled. "No wonder he's so skilled in the martial arts. For someone like my Little Brother, he'll never get to his level!"
"I wouldn't necessarily say that it's a good thing. Once you're into it, you'll be addicted!" Xue Ling sighed, looking dispirited. "No matter how much I advise him, he wouldn't listen!"
She still could not understand why Chu Li was acting that way as he was already a top-notch Innate Master at such a young age. He only had to wait until the time was right for him to break through the Grandmaster's boundary. Why did he need to work so desperately?
The most important thing was that he was already a Chief himself. Whatever he wanted to get done, he could just issue orders and ask someone else to accomplish it for him. He did not need to do everything himself, especially the elemental formation. Something like that could harm his body a lot. More so, it would reduce his lifespan!
Bi Liu said, "Xue Ling, I really don't know how to repay Master Chu."
Xue Ling smiled as she looked at her. Her eyes rested on her chest.
Bi Liu gave her a pat.
Xue Ling smiled. "Don't worry about it. It only took him a sentence to fulfill that favor of yours. If you really want to thank him, then help me to collect more intel… He's too engrossed in cultivation so he won't have time to go outside. However, he still cares very much about what's happening outside. You do that for me, and I'll pass on the information to him when we have our meals together."
"Intel?" Bi Liu smiled. "Well, that's convenient. There are all sorts of information in the New Moon Brothel."
"Find me something interesting and I'll tell him the story by then."
"No problem."
…
Chu Li returned to the Thousand Herb Garden. He sat in the gazebo while his eyes gazed at the green bamboos. He was soon immersed deep into his thoughts, as each of the elemental formations started to emerge in his mind.
Then, he heard knocks on the door. Su Ru, who was donned in a yellow gown, pushed the door open and walked in.
She saw that Chu Li had remained still in his seat and both his eyes stared into blank space. It seemed that his mind had already traveled elsewhere. She shook her head and sighed. Then, she gracefully made her way to the gazebo and pushed his shoulder. "Chu Li! Chu Li!"
Chu Li was startled when he snapped back to reality.
"Yang Xu has something to tell you."
"Oh—?" Chu Li stood up and walked outside. "How is she lately?"
"After her son arrived, she looks like a completely different person." Su Ru smiled as she replied, "She looks happy all the time."
"That's good then." Chu Li's mind quickly wandered back to the elemental formation as he started to walk towards the outside.
Seeing that the situation was amiss, Su Ru hurriedly continued, "The Lady and I will leave here very soon."
Chu Li suddenly stopped in his tracks. Almost immediately, he continued to walk again. However, he looked unbothered by that and smiled. "When?"
"I think in seven or eight days," Su Ru replied.
Chu Li stopped walking and frowned. "Why so sudden?"
Su Ru said, "There's a change in the condition over there. Both of us are required to head there earlier than expected."
Chu Li remained silent and continued walking forward.
"Once we leave, it might take years before we would come back."
"Based on my knowledge of the Lady's ingenuity, I believe that she wouldn't take long to break through the boundaries of an Innate Master."
"No one could really say for sure." Su Ru sighed. "The Lady wanted to delay the departure for another year."
Chu Li raised an eyebrow as he looked at her.
Su Ru continued, "But the Lady has no control over the matter. She still needs to listen to what they have to say on the other side."
"This is a rare opportunity. Why don't you seize the chance to become an Innate Master as well, Chief?" Chu Li smiled.
Su Ru waved her hand and said, "I have no ambitions for that. It's not easy to achieve Innate Mastery!"
"It all comes down to how you deal with it," Chu Li said. "Chief, the stars had always shined upon you and I believe you'll succeed. If there is an emergency, please do not hesitate to send me a message!"
"Sure, I'll think of a way to send you a message." Su Ru smiled.
Chu Li nodded slowly, even though he remained silent.
When the two of them arrived at the Symphony Island, they saw Xiao Qi and Xiao Shi at the gazebo that was in the middle of Floral Sea.
Chu Li performed a fist salute from afar.
After that, Xiao Qi pointed towards the small building opposite of them.
Chu Li raised his head, signaling her that he understood before he gave her another fist salute. He rowed through the Floral Sea alone.
Su Ru, on the other hand, made her way to the gazebo.
"His expression looks strange. What's wrong?" Xiao Qi frowned at her.
Su Ru stuck out her tongue and said, "I told him that we're leaving."
"What?!" Xiao Qi furrowed her brows.
Xiao Shi smiled. "Little Sister, I think it's about time you tell him. Once you leave, a lot of burdens will fall on his shoulders. He needs the mental preparation."
"I've already told him everything I should," Xiao Qi replied.
She had told Chu Li the names of their contacts and the things he would need to do in the future. She wanted to leave without alarming him so that he would not feel too emotional.
Xiao Shi said, "You're really cold-hearted!"
"Second Sister, give me a break already!" Xiao Qi replied in frustration. She turned her glance to Su Ru and asked, "So, what did he say?"
Su Ru shook her head. "He didn't say anything."
Xiao Shi grinned. "His usual reaction."
Xiao Qi rolled her eyes at her. Then, she looked at the small building. "I don't know what Yang Xu wants to tell him."
"I reckon it's some royal secrets," Xiao Shi said.
…
"Uncle Chu!" When Chu Li stepped onto the second floor, Zhu Quan rushed towards him.
A smile was etched on Chu Li's face as he reached out his arms and hugged him.
Zhu Quan smiled and said, "Uncle Chu, why did it take so long for you to come and visit me?!"
"Uncle had something to do. Do you like it here, Little Quan?"
"I do!"
"What do you like here the most?"
"The Sisters here are all very pretty, and the dim sum here tastes good as well!"
Chu Li carried Zhu Quan into the house. Meanwhile, Yang Xu was sat by the window knitting. The windows were wide open, and when sunlight shone on her body, it added a layer of soft glint on her.
She looked calm and quiet.
"Mom!" Zhu Quan broke free from Chu Li's embrace and ran into Yang Xu's arms.
Yang Xu hugged him and smiled back at Chu Li. "Master Chu."
Chu Li sat opposite her and said, "Miss Yang Xu, you look great."
"I've enjoyed my stay here these few days." Yang Xu looked adoringly at her own son. "Master Chu, something came up in my mind and I feel that I should discuss it with you."
Chu Li nodded.
Yang Xu said, "I heard this story a while back, but I'm not sure if it's credible."
Chu Li continued to look at her.
Yang Xu continued, "I heard that there's a supreme being living on the Rising Sun Mountain."
"Rising Sun Mountain…" Chu Li mumbled.
Yang Xu added, "A few top-notch martial artists from the Imperial House went there once, but they couldn't find anything. If the Imperial House is interested in this man, I bet he's not a small character."
"Who's this man?" Chu Li asked.
"I think he's called Multiform Demon Lord."
"Multiform Demon Lord…" Chu Li searched through his mind palace and quickly found archives of that name.
There were two books which mentioned his name. One was the "Ji Dynasty Tales", the other was the "Martial Arts World Anecdotes". This Multiform Demon Lord had phenomenal martial arts skills. The deadliest thing about him was that his face could change into different forms and expressions. He could fake a true expression and that makes him extremely hard to anticipate.
He should have cultivated a type of strange technique like the Shrinking Bone Art, which allowed him to change faces. It was a pity that he had retreated into the deep mountains and nobody could track him down. Thus, this strange technique vanished along with him; it never resurfaced again.
Yang Xu asked, "Do you know this, Master Chu?"
"I've heard of him. He was a very powerful man. But that was about three hundred years ago and I believe that he been dead long ago."
"They intend to look for his inheritance."
"Inheritance… Rising Sun Mountain…" Chu Li nodded slowly. "Thank you, Miss Yang Xu. I'll go there and have a look myself!"
A smile etched on Xu's face as she replied, "I'm glad I could help."
"If I can really find the Multiform Demon Lord, there would be many benefits." Chu Li smiled. "No matter what happens, I still need to thank you, miss."
"There's no need to be so polite between us both." Xu smiled sweetly. "I'll try to recall if there are any more useful information."
Chu Li shook his head. "No need to think too hard. There's still a lot of time ahead."
Yang Xu smiled and nodded.
After that, Chu Li exited the building feeling inspired. He went straight back to the Thousand Herb Garden. He then prepared for his trip to the Rising Sun Mountain.
