Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Li Mu returned to the small yard with plenty of food in hand.
At the same time, Zhou Hua just happened to return too.
She looked absolutely depressed.
When she saw Li Mu, she quickly wiped the tears off her face. Walking over to Li Mu, she knelt down.
“Sir, I’m sorry. I lost your money.”
“It’s okay, I already got the money back. Get up and come here to eat.”
Li Mu acted as if nothing had happened and waved at Zhou Hua and her brother to join him for food.
“Sir!”
“You don’t need to explain yourself or pay back those few gold coins. Later, I have something to ask you. For now, come and eat! We are martial arts practitioners, how can we not eat well?”
“Sir, your food is…” Zhou Hua suddenly looked up.
Did he just say that he already got his money back?
How had he gotten the money back?
Just then, the smell of food wafted into her nose.
Looking up, she saw that the table was filled with various kinds of dishes.
Several of them were meat from some kind of beast.
Even the meat exuded prenatal qi.
Growl!
Zhou Hua swallowed her saliva and forced herself to look away.
“A’mu is a growing boy!” Li Mu said.
In the distance, Amu had stopped his sword practice. He looked at the stone table and then at his sister.
His eyes were full of longing.
Meeting her brother’s gaze, Zhou Hua bit her lip with shame.
Her brother had suffered for so many years.
“Thank you, sir!”
Zhou Hua kowtowed to Li Mu and got up from the ground.
“Come and eat the food while it’s hot!” Li Mu invited the siblings over.
A’mu didn’t need any further invitation and took a seat next to Li Mu.
While he was initially rather reserved, after eating a couple bites of the meat, A’mu gobbled up the rest of the food.
After eating, Zhou Hua washed the dishes and made up the bed while A’mu continued to practice his sword fighting in the yard.
Occasionally, he would glance at Li Mu.
“Keep practicing! Don’t look at me! You need to learn how to use the sword to kill.” Standing up, Li Mu took a stroll around in the yard.
This was his first time visiting Zhongzhou.
And this was the first time he had witnessed how cruel this world could be.
Many highly civilized people were terrorized by a group of barbarians.
Their lives were no better than death.
No wonder Old Demon Han often went back to the South Continent.
However, Li Mu felt that the South Continent’s people’s temperament was very familiar.
Everything was just so similar to that previous nation.
Li Mu subconsciously thought of himself as a South Continent person.
“I am a native of the South Continent. How can I stand by and not do anything? I belong to the South Continent.”
In the middle of the night, Li Mu returned to the small yard to sleep.
In Baishan City.
After half a day of investigation, the City Lord and other major families had finally figured out what happened in the Drunken Flower Parlor that day.
In the brightly lit mansion of the City Lord, the families of Baishan City sat around the City Lord.
Due to what had happened that day, everyone was extra cautious.
A master had appeared in Baishan City and, in front of an audience, killed many Zhongzhou people to avenge the people of the South Continent.
This was not a normal event.
“This person is not afraid to offend the Sacred Grounds. Don’t they know that the Drunken Flower Parlor is the property of the Wu Ma Family? Don’t they know the consequences of offending the Sacred Grounds?” Someone asked angrily.
“The Drunken Flower Parlor is the property of the Wu Ma Family. After Elder Wu Ma died, besides the Sectmaster, the other nine elders are trying to claim the Wu Ma Family and the Baizu Family’s property.” The City Lord thought for a long while, then said slowly.
“City Lord, do you mean that the Wu Ma Family was attacked by other elders?”
“Yes! This probably wasn’t an attack, but just a test! Who else would destroy the Drunken Flower House of the Wu Ma Family for an insignificant South Continent woman?”
“Then should we not get involved in this?”
“Do you dare to get involved?”
The main hall of the City Lord’s mansion fell quiet!
Thinking about it carefully, it was really possible that this was the case.
Hiss!
Someone took in a deep breath.
“City Lord, it’s getting late. I’ll take my leave first!” A family elder stood up.
This was an argument between the elders of the Sacred Grounds. Who were they to intervene?
They didn’t even dare not even talk about it, lest they get into trouble.
So, they quickly got up and said their goodbyes.
Soon, only a few people were left in the hall from the initial two dozen.
“City Lord, by saying that, aren’t you afraid that these people will harm you?”
“What am I afraid of? The Wu Ma and Baizu Families are now in decline and they have no chance of making a comeback. As for the other elders, they’re too busy fending for themselves. With the deaths of many of the Sacred Ground elders, their families will be uprooted soon. They’re probably too depressed right now.”
“When these elders were alive, didn’t they think about what would happen after they died?”
“Who said they didn’t think about it? Other than Elder Mu, the other elders have already joined forces since the beginning and passed on their affairs to their friends. But in the end, they were all backstabbed.” The City Lord sneered.
Life was hard in Zhongzhou.
Besides the South Continent’s people, they were also very tired.
There were just a few elders in the entire Sacred Ground.
Many elders didn’t trust then, but who else could help them to protect their family?
Only they were halfway to the Virtual Realm.
They didn’t even dare think about looking for other Sacred Ground elders.
So, they had no choice but to find other unreliable backers.
“Who doesn’t want their family to become stronger? The more resources one has, the more opportunities there are for the disciples in the family. What if one of them reached the Virtual Realm? Then, there would be no need to rely on their hypocritical friends from the Sacred Ground. This is why they choose to steal resources.”
“Uh… isn’t this a vicious cycle?”
“So, we middle-class people shouldn’t think so much about this. No matter how hard we try, we won’t be able to compete with them.”
“After some time, some families might start to become more established in the Sacred Ground.”
“In the end, another master of the Virtual Realm just like Qiu Honghai might appear. Then, the master halfway to the Virtual Realm would become the Sectmaster and they could secretly cultivate another master halfway to the Virtual Realm.”
“By then, won’t Zhongzhou be rather lively?”
“Of course! But let me tell you a secret. Some time ago, someone had broken through the Virtual Realm. Now, Qiu Shu has become really nervous and is working hard to suppress the elders who are snatching the Wu Ma Family’s property. He wants to regroup the Honghai Sacred Ground.”
“What? Someone broke through to the Virtual Realm?”
Thud!
They all stood up in surprise.
“Not only that! Apparently, this person has also mastered the thunder and lightning and also has a relationship with the South Continent’s Xia family.”
“What!”
They were all shocked.
Unexpectedly, someone had broken through the Virtual Realm at a time like this.
Even more surprisingly, this person had a relationship with the South Continent’s Xia family.
If this was the case, things might really change.
“So, everyone, we must maintain the peace. No matter what the South Continent people do, please endure it and don’t make trouble with them.” The City Lord stared at the remaining people.
“Thank you, City Lord!” They bowed deeply.
After they left, the City Lord slowly got up and entered the secret room behind him.
In the middle of the secret room, there was a portrait hanging.
The portrait was of a middle-aged man, who wore a golden crown on his head and a black robe with a five-clawed golden dragon.
“Ancestors, we unfilial descendants kowtow to you,” said the City Lord said as he knelt down and bowed.