Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Origins

Despite the objections from Song Cheng and Lu Han, Mu Chen still became a freshman at the Inscription Academy.

Xia Qingyan placed Mu Chen in the elite class of the Inscription Academy. Like Ye Shi, Mu Chen became one of the top students in the academy, enjoying a 40% discount on purchases. Now, he no longer needed to rely on Ye Shi to buy things for him.

"Fifty million." Mu Chen said, slightly surprised, as he held the elemental stone card passed by Ye Shi.

"This is the initial deposit. The master has reached an agreement with several major powers in the imperial capital. Every month, they are to provide them with five to ten Tier-3 Flame Runes, and the master will auction off thirty Flame Runes. So, you'll need to prepare around a hundred Tier-3 Flame Runes every month. Will it be difficult?" Ye Shi inquired.

Mu Chen shook his head, smiled, and said, "Not really." A hundred Flame Runes, if pushed, could be done in about two days.

Ye Shi nodded, letting out a sigh of relief, and said, "That's good to hear."

A typical third-level rune master could produce five to eight level-three runes a day working at full capacity. Ye Shi felt the task set by Jing Chiyang and Mu Chen was too demanding and even had an argument with Jing Chiyang about it. It was only after Jing Chiyang pointed out that Mu Chen was a prodigy and shouldn't be judged by ordinary standards, suggesting he might be several times more efficient than a regular rune master, that Ye Shi relented.

"Tomorrow's a day off. Would you like to visit my father with me?" Mu Chen proposed with a smile to Ye Shi.

Recently, Jing Chiyang negotiated trades with several major powers and released many Flame Rune into the market. Consequently, the hype around the Flame Rune cooled down considerably, and he no longer attracted attention when out in public.

"Sure!" Ye Shi nodded and then inquired, "By the way, Mu Chen, how's your life in the Inscription Academy?"

"It's been great. The art of inscription is vast and profound. In the Xuanfeng Empire, most inscriptions are engraved on weapons to enhance their power. However, the scope of inscriptions is much broader. They can be engraved on elixirs to increase their efficacy or even on the body to aid cultivation..." Mu Chen spoke with passion.

Rune artistry is somewhat niche; the Inscription Academy doesn’t have many students, but the atmosphere there is quite congenial. At least no one consistently challenges him.

According to ancient records, the Xuan Feng Empire was just a minor kingdom. Mu Chen believed he would eventually explore the wider world with Ye Shi. Ye Shi widened his eyes and exclaimed, "How do you know all this?"

Mu Chen smiled and replied, "It's written in books."

Looking at Mu Chen with admiration, Ye Shi remarked, "You're so knowledgeable."

"Not really," Mu Chen responded with a modest smile.

"..."

On their day off, Mu Chen and Ye Shi left the academy early to head to the Auspicious Moon Tavern.

"Chen'er," Mu Yuanfeng, upon seeing Mu Chen, was filled with emotion.

"Father," Mu Chen greeted affectionately. In his previous life, he was an orphan. After reincarnating here, he deeply cherished Mu Yuanfeng as his real father.

Looking at Mu Chen, Mu Yuanfeng felt an overwhelming sense of pride. The best student of the Saint Star Academy was none other than his own son.

"Uncle Mu," Ye Shi politely greeted, bowing slightly to Mu Yuanfeng.

Mu Yuanfeng gazed at Ye Shi warmly, commenting, "Shi, you've grown taller!"

Ye Shi nodded, rubbing his hands together nervously, and commented, "I've grown a bit taller."

Mu Yuanfeng smiled gently, noting that even though Ye Shi was now a disciple of a Martial King, he hadn't changed a bit around him.

Mu Chen couldn't help but chuckle at Ye Shi's apprehensive demeanor. Even in front of Jing Chiyang, Ye Shi was never this cautious, but in front of his father, he was... And it was all because of Mu Chen! Thinking this, Mu Chen playfully tickled Ye Shi's palm.

Ye Shi blushed and shot a playful glare at Mu Chen.

The four enjoyed a meal together and discussed recent events. After eating, Ye Shi left with Chen Da, while Mu Chen followed Mu Yuanfeng to his rented cultivation room.

Mu Chen handed over fifty Tier-3 Flame Runes to Mu Yuanfeng.

"What's this?" Mu Yuanfeng exclaimed in both shock and joy upon seeing a stack of Flame Runes.

"These are specifically for you, Father. While the Flame Runes can extract Solar Essence Fire, they are relatively weak. Still, they're better than nothing. I'll keep an eye out for other flame sources for you. Perhaps, in time, when I can craft a fourth-level Flame Rune, the extracted Solar Essence Fire will be much stronger," explained Mu Chen.

Mu Yuanfeng chuckled. He had indeed coveted the high-priced Flame Runes that Mu Chen made, hoping that being his father might earn him a few. Yet, here was Mu Chen, handing over fifty at once.

Seeing Mu Chen somewhat unsatisfied with his own Flame Runes, Mu Yuanfeng wondered if perhaps he was falling out of step with his prodigious son's pace.

"Chen'er, you've grown up," Mu Yuanfeng remarked with a contented smile.

"I still have much to learn, father," Mu Chen responded with a playful tilt of his head.

Mu Yuanfeng patted Mu Chen's shoulder, feeling a tinge of melancholy, "I'm afraid there's not much more I can teach you."

"How can you say that? You're a Martial Spirit, while I'm just a Martial Master," Mu Chen replied playfully.

Mu Yuanfeng shook his head in resignation, "You'll catch up to me in no time."

Were it not for Mu Chen gifting him the Spirit Breaking Pill, he would never have advanced to the Martial Spirit level so swiftly. Mu Chen's rapid growth fills Mu Yuanfeng with pride, yet also a sense of helplessness.

His son, at merely fourteen, is already an 8th-level martial artist. Breaking through to the Martial Spirit level is surely within Ye Shi's grasp in the near future.

Mu Chen pulled out a spiritual stone card, handing it to Mu Yuanfeng, saying, "Father, you need to step up your game. Don't let me surpass you too easily!"

"Chen'er, I... I can't accept this." Mu Yuanfeng, looking at the amount on the card, frowned.

"Father, please take it. Don't you trust in your son's ability to earn money? As a Martial Spirit now, your requirements for cultivation resources have risen. You should not be polite with me," Mu Chen said with a smile.

Looking at Mu Chen, Mu Yuanfeng smiled fondly, finding himself at a loss for words.

"By the way, how are things between you and Ye Shi?" asked Mu Yuanfeng.

"Great!" Mu Chen responded without hesitation.

Mu Yuanfeng narrowed his eyes, his face turning serious, "Actually, Ye Shi's background is somewhat mysterious."

Confused, Mu Chen echoed, "Mysterious?"

Mu Yuanfeng nodded, "When you asked me to investigate Ye Shi's origins, I found some unusual information."

"Unusual? What is it?" Mu Chen inquired with a stern face.

Mu Yuanfeng, narrowing his eyes, said, "Before Ye Shi's mother married Ye Xun, she was already three months pregnant."

"Father, are you suggesting Ye Shi's mother was pregnant before marriage?" Mu Chen's eyes also narrowed.

"No, what I'm saying is that Ye Shi might not be Ye Xun's son," clarified Mu Yuanfeng.

Mu Chen's eyes widened, "How is that possible?"

Mu Yuanfeng shook his head, "It's just my speculation. Ye Shi's mother has a mysterious background. There might be some hidden truths about her marriage to Ye Xun."

Grinding his teeth, Mu Chen realized there was more to Ye Shi's identity than meets the eye.

Mu Chen knew of Ye Shi's formidable grandfather, but the story never mentioned that Ye Xun wasn't Ye Shi's biological father. However, it wasn't surprising since the story ended abruptly.

Even if the story was incomplete, typical romantic fantasy novels tend to end with the main characters living happily ever after.

The problem is, he now resides in a real world, not a fictional one.

...

"Uncle Chen, why did you want to speak to me alone? Without Mu Chen?" Ye Shi asked, puzzled.

Chen Da looked at Ye Shi with a gentle gaze, "You've grown up. It's time you knew some things."

Seeing Chen Da's serious demeanor, Ye Shi felt increasingly baffled.

"Uncle Chen, what exactly do you want to tell me?" Ye Shi, biting his lip, inquired.

Chen Da sighed softly, lifting his gaze to meet Ye Shi's, "Stone, you are not Ye Xun's son."

In disbelief, Ye Shi widened his eyes, "I'm not? Then who's my father?"

"Your mother doesn't even know who he is. He wasn't from the Xuanfeng Empire. When he left, he gave your mother an identity token and then disappeared without a trace," Chen Da explained with slight irritation.

Ye Shi, still puzzled, asked, "If that's the case, why did my mother marry Ye Xun?"

Chen Da's face turned slightly angry, "The Ye family is untrustworthy. Your grandfather once saved Ye He, who promised undying gratitude in return."

"After your grandfather disappeared, your mother sought refuge with Ye He. Initially, Ye He was very hospitable and took great care of her."

"Knowing about your mother's abandonment, Ye He tried hard to matchmake her with Ye Xun."

"At first, Ye Xun treated your mother wonderfully, swearing to take care of her and treat you as his own."

"Being naive and unfamiliar with the duplicity of major families, your mother soon placed full trust in the Ye family."

"Your mother, being too gullible, eventually gave all of your grandfather's possessions to the Ye family. After exploiting her, the Ye family showed their true colors. They kept you around partly due to fearing your missing grandfather and partly suspecting you might possess something from your mother."

Ye Shi bit his lip, finding it hard to believe that the grandfather he knew was such a person.

However, as the truth unraveled, Ye Shi realized many things made sense now.

No wonder! No wonder when his siblings called him a bastard behind his back, Ye Xun never interfered. No wonder, regardless of what he did, Ye Xun always looked at him coldly. It turned out he wasn't his child at all.

As for his grandfather, although he was somewhat kind to him, it was just in comparison to Ye Xun.

When my parents had just passed away, Ye He was particularly kind to me. I initially thought he was sympathizing with my pain of losing my mother. Now, it seems he might suspect that my parents left something for me.

"Uncle Chen, why are you telling me all this now?" Ye Shi asked, puzzled.

"Your parents instructed that you shouldn't know too much until you're capable of protecting yourself," Chen Da replied, shaking his head.

Ye Shi lowered his head, his expression complex. Everything he learned today upended his understanding of the past decade.

Since Ye Xun isn't actually my father, that means Ye Rong isn't my sister. If the Ye family messes with me again, there's no need to be polite.