The Invitation of Cang Zhongyi

When Xu Mu heard the man mention his boss, a look of surprise crossed his face. “May I ask who your boss is?”

At first, he had assumed it was Tushan Rui. Since they were on the territory of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan, Tushan Rui would certainly know what had happened. After the incident earlier, it made perfect sense that she would send someone to bring them into the ruins.

However, the term “boss” proved that this person was not from the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan.

“Our boss opened a pill shop here, right around the corner up ahead.”

The middle-aged man smiled.

“If I don’t go, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?” Xu Mu asked as he ate a piece of beef.

“Of course not. The boss specifically instructed me that if you didn’t want to come, I wasn’t to force you.”

The middle-aged man nodded.

“Your attitude is pretty good. Then wait a little while. We’ll come over after we finish eating.”

Xu Mu gestured toward the food on the table, adding politely, “Would you like something to eat?”

Crash!

The instant Ying Weiyang heard this, she pulled several plates of roast chicken toward herself.

“You’re quite protective of your food.”

Xu Mu smiled and lightly tapped Ying Weiyang on the head.

“You bought these for me.”

As she spoke, Ying Weiyang stuffed another piece of meat into her mouth.

“Heh, no thanks. I’ll wait outside.”

The middle-aged man smiled, declined, and turned to leave.

Xu Mu took another sip of wine, wondering who the other party could be.

As he was thinking, he suddenly noticed Ying Weiyang reaching over with her chopsticks to pick up the beef on his side.

“Holy crap!”

Only then did Xu Mu realize that, aside from the heads and tails, the five roast chickens had already been reduced to skeletons.

“What’s wrong? You put that plate of meat in the middle. Wasn’t it for all of us to share?”

Ying Weiyang looked completely innocent.

Staring into those golden eyes, Xu Mu said sternly, “Ying Weiyang, are you lying to me?”

“No! What would I lie to you about?”

Ying Weiyang shook her head vigorously.

“You said earlier that you were eating so much to replenish your body quickly. But now that you’ve recovered, how can you still eat this much?” Xu Mu demanded. “Were you deliberately deceiving me so I’d keep feeding you? Is this actually how much you normally eat?”

“No, it isn’t. My body has recovered, but I can still store the energy. Once I eat my fill, I won’t feel hungry for several months.”

Ying Weiyang lowered her head pitifully. “Don’t send me away. I won’t eat so much from now on.”

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to send you away.”

Xu Mu pushed the beef on his plate toward Ying Weiyang. “Go ahead and eat.”

[Favorability +20]

Ying Weiyang’s eyes reddened slightly. “Xu Mu, you’re so good to me.”

Xu Mu merely gave a simple smile. He had only been saying it to tease her. How could he possibly drive Ying Weiyang away?

They had only known each other for such a short time, yet her filial piety value toward him had already reached Level 8.

Of course, Xu Mu also knew that she was in a state of amnesia right now. If she recovered her memories in the future, she would surely change.

After Ying Weiyang finished eating, Xu Mu left the restaurant with her.

The middle-aged man had been waiting outside the entire time. When he saw Xu Mu come out, he smiled and asked, “Can we go now?”

“Lead the way.”

Xu Mu followed the middle-aged man.

The man had said the shop was around the corner, but this street was a main road. They walked for a full two kilometers before finally seeing the pill shop.

Xu Mu had already used his perception to scout ahead. When he saw the old man inside, he immediately understood.

So it was him.

They entered the shop.

Behind the counter stood a tall cabinet covered with countless square drawers, much like those in a traditional Chinese medicine shop.

Each drawer was labeled with the grade of the pills inside and their uses.

As for the bearded, crew-cut old man, he was none other than Cang Zhongyi, Master of Tantai Quan and the leader of the Jiao rebels.

Xu Mu had never expected him to be hiding in the royal city of the Nine-Tailed Fox Clan. But it made sense. Qingqiu itself contained territory belonging to the Jiao Clan.

“Senior, I didn’t expect to find you here.”

Xu Mu and Ying Weiyang walked into the pill shop together.

“Heh, I didn’t expect you to come here either.”

Cang Zhongyi pointed toward a wooden staircase nearby. “Let’s go upstairs and talk.”

Xu Mu nodded and walked toward the staircase with Ying Weiyang.

The middle-aged man from before sat down behind the counter.

On the second floor, inside a room.

This was a place for resting. A wooden bed stood in the corner.

Cang Zhongyi gestured for Xu Mu and Ying Weiyang to sit at the table. Then he took a thermos of hot water from the side and poured it into a teapot.

“Senior, you went to the trouble of summoning me here. What is it about?”

Xu Mu used his perception to inspect the room and confirmed that Cang Zhongyi had made no hostile move.

“I saw your battle just now.”

Cang Zhongyi smiled. “I have a technique that allows me to see what is happening in distant places.”

He sat down at the table and poured tea for Xu Mu and Ying Weiyang.

“Heh, Senior, you really are impressive.”

Xu Mu gave him a thumbs-up. “I noticed an expert like Tushan Ju, yet I failed to notice you.”

“Perhaps I was simply farther away.”

Cang Zhongyi poured himself a cup of tea as well. “You and Tantai Quan are close, so I won’t beat around the bush. I hope you’ll join us.”

Previously, Cang Zhongyi had believed that a top-tier alchemist like Xu Mu should remain hidden in the shadows. Xu Mu did not need to do anything else; he only had to continuously provide them with pills.

But now, Cang Zhongyi had changed his mind.

Xu Mu’s strength was simply too formidable. He was only at the mid Transcendent Realm, yet he had already managed to kill a third-stage World-Breaking expert.

What would happen once he entered the World-Breaking Realm?

“Senior, what exactly would I be joining you to do?”

After learning that Cang Zhongyi had witnessed his battle, Xu Mu had already guessed most of the answer.

“Fight alongside us and overthrow the current Jiao King.”

As he spoke, Cang Zhongyi’s eyes burned with fervor. “I trust your character, and I can give you my word: if you choose to join us, I’ll prioritize you when distributing any natural treasures we obtain. I’ll help you reach the World-Breaking Realm in the shortest time possible.”

If Xu Mu reached the World-Breaking Realm, he would become a tremendous asset to the Jiao Clan.

“Senior, I’m sorry, but I need to return and discuss this with my master before making a decision.”

Xu Mu certainly could not agree on the spot. “As you know, this matter is extremely serious. It could even cost me my life.”

“Very well. I respect your decision. Everything comes down to benefits. At present, I don’t have much to offer. The only promise I can make is that you’ll receive priority when it comes to any natural treasures we acquire.”

Cang Zhongyi paused, then continued, “I can also persuade Tantai Quan to marry you.”

“Heh, that is indeed a tempting offer. Let me go back and think about it.”

Xu Mu gave an awkward smile.

…

The two of them returned to their lodging.

Ying Weiyang voiced the question that had been troubling her. “Who was he talking about marrying you? You said it was tempting. Do you like women who marry you? Would I do?”

“That depends on fate.”

As Xu Mu spoke, he suddenly noticed her beginning to take off her dress.

“What are you doing?”

“Going to sleep.”

Ying Weiyang rolled her eyes at Xu Mu.

Xu Mu felt that he needed to give her a lesson in basic biology.