Chapter 104

Chapter 104: Ye Xun's Arrival in the Imperial City

"Stone," Mu Chen said, arms crossed, standing on the stone steps below Lan Ruofeng and Ye Shi, his gaze playful.

Upon seeing Mu Chen, Ye Shi swiftly brushed off Lan Ruofeng and walked briskly towards him, tightly gripping his arm.

From the elevated steps, Lan Ruofeng looked down at Mu Chen, feeling a tumult within him.

Lan Ruofeng squinted. Logically, being above Mu Chen gave him an advantage. Yet, for some reason, he felt overshadowed by Mu Chen's presence.

Mu Chen looked up at Lan Ruofeng with mocking eyes tinted with disdain.

Lan Ruofeng's eyes narrowed sharply. That expression from Mu Chen... was it a challenge? He felt looked down upon by Mu Chen, that rascal.

Ye Shi held Mu Chen's arm, his gaze constantly shifting, lost in thought.

Seeing the pallor on Ye Shi's face, Mu Chen felt an unusual emotion. Ye Shi's grip was so tight that it began to hurt Mu Chen's arm.

"Let's go," Mu Chen said with a smile.

Ye Shi nodded and followed Mu Chen.

"What did Lan Ruofeng tell you?" Mu Chen inquired.

Frowning, Ye Shi replied, "He's delirious, spouting nonsense."

Mu Chen chuckled, "Maybe he's not delirious, but has ulterior motives."

Realization dawned on Ye Shi, "I get it. He sent someone to kill me before and now he's taking matters into his own hands. He's quite persistent! He can't fool me, so he tries to sow discord. What a jerk!"

"Forget him. He's got screws loose," Mu Chen said irritably.

Ye Shi nodded, "I understand."

Ye Shi accompanied Mu Chen to his residence.

The Inscription Academy provided Mu Chen with a single room, but valuing his privacy, he rented a private courtyard with a substantial payment.

Ye Shi placed a box on the table, "Uncle Chen said the password is my father's birthday."

"Do you know your father's birthday?" Mu Chen asked.

Ye Shi nodded, "Yes, he would remind me from time to time. It seemed strange back then, but now it makes sense."

"Your father was truly visionary," Mu Chen remarked with a smile.

Ye Shi entered a sequence of numbers on the box, which promptly opened.

Gazing at the assortment inside, Ye Shi blinked in surprise.

"Is this a pill?" Ye Shi picked up a bottle to examine.

"It's a Grade Four Pill, 'Bone Refining Elixir'. It can enhance one's constitution. Consuming it should elevate you to a Seven-Star Martial Artist," Mu Chen pondered.

Ye Shi narrowed his eyes, "If it's so potent, you should keep it."

"No need. I have a unique flame to temper my body. This pill won't be as effective for me. Keep it. However, wait a few days before taking it. Combined with a 'Nine-turn Body Refinement Liquid' I recently came across, it will produce miraculous effects. I'll prepare it for you," said Mu Chen.

Ye Shi nodded, "Alright."

"This also has the formula for the Bone Refining Elixir! It's a Grade Four recipe!" Mu Chen exclaimed with excitement.

Grade Four recipes are valuable treasures. Grade Three recipes can still be bought with a hefty sum, but Grade Four recipes are priceless and rare.

Mu Chen told Ye Shi that the pill was ineffective, but he was misleading him. With the formula, once he has the ingredients, he could make his own.

Mu Chen bowed his head in contemplation. If he hadn't intervened, the items in this box would likely have ended up with Lan Ruofeng. After all, in the original story, Lan Ruofeng had produced the Bone Refining Elixir and enhanced his own physique.

"What is this?" Ye Shi picked up a crystal bottle. "It looks like ordinary lake water."

"Be careful. It's probably Soul Condensing Water, which can strengthen one's soul," Mu Chen cautioned.

Ye Shi's eyes widened, "If it strengthens the soul, then it's useful for you?"

Mu Chen nodded, "Indeed."

"Then keep it," Ye Shi said.

Mu Chen glanced at Ye Shi, nodded, and remarked, "Alright."

Inside the box was a protective suit and some third and fourth-grade talisman records.

"There's a Yuan Stone card!" Ye Shi exclaimed, his eyes sharp.

Mu Chen took out the card and looked at it. "There's twenty million Yuan Stones on it," he commented.

"Only twenty million? I always thought my grandfather was wealthy," Ye Shi said with a smirk.

Observing Ye Shi's expression, Mu Chen chuckled helplessly, "Be content. Twenty million is still quite a lot. You can buy lots of roast chicken with it."

Ye Shi pondered for a moment, then nodded, "True that."

...

A carriage traveled along the official road. When it reached a checkpoint, it was stopped.

"Toll fee is two thousand."

"Toll fee? You dare to charge me? Do you know who I am?" Ye Xun declared proudly, looking down on the checkpoint guard.

"Who are you? Why should I care?" The city guard responded coldly.

"I am Ye Shi's father. Do you know Ye Shi? He's a freshman at Saint Star Academy and is under the protection of the Martial King's guards. My son is the disciple of the Martial King," Ye Xun boasted.

"Sure, and I might as well be Ye Shi's grandfather. The toll is two thousand, not a penny less," the city guard retorted.

"You... You're all so ungrateful!" Ye Xun glared at them with frustration.

"Watch your tone, fatty," the leader of the city guards snapped.

Ye Xun's face reddened, "My son won't let this go."

"Let him come then! Now, are you going to pay or not? If not, then get out of here," the guard leader said impatiently.

"Fine," Ye Xun replied through gritted teeth.

"Now it's three thousand Yuan Stones," the guard leader said lazily.

Ye Xun's face turned crimson, "Wasn't it two thousand just now?"

"It was. Now the price has gone up. Are you crossing or not? If you don't decide soon, the price might increase again," the guard leader smirked.

Ye Xun's face turned pale and flushed alternately.

Regardless of his anger, in the end, Ye Xun reluctantly paid the three thousand Yuan Stones.

"Dear, stop trying to pull rank using Ye Shi's name," a captivating beauty inside the carriage said resignedly.

That beauty was Wang Li, Ye Rong's mother. All along the way, whenever Ye Xun encountered city guards, he'd try to impress them with Ye Shi's name. Initially, it worked, but as they reached larger cities, the guards became indifferent.

Grinding his teeth, Ye Xun said in frustration, "That good-for-nothing kid. Even after becoming the Martial King's disciple, he's of no use."

Wang Li comforted Ye Xun, "Calm down, dear."

Taking a deep breath, Ye Xun finally managed to steady himself, "How many Yuan Stones do we have left?"

"Two hundred thousand," Wang Li replied.

"Only two hundred thousand? Ye Ming said it costs several million Yuan Stones to stay a day in the Imperial City," Ye Xun said hesitantly.

"Did you receive any reply to the letter you wrote to Ye Shi?" Wang Li inquired.

Ye Xun shook his head in anger, "No. That ungrateful brat seems to have forgotten us. After all I've done for him!"

Wang Li felt disappointed upon hearing this. She had heard from Ye Rong that Ye Shi was now wealthy, spending millions freely and buying several large space rings.

Upon hearing this, Ye Xun had immediately written to Ye Shi, asking him to transfer one million Yuan Stones to his card.

He had wanted to ask for ten million, but knowing Ye Shi's current attitude, he didn't dare.

Yet, his letter went unanswered.

Ye Xun clenched his teeth in anger, "The stingy brat, a mere million is nothing to him now."

"Dear, I don't think Ye Shi values you anymore. I heard that last month, Mu Chen spent hundreds of thousands to send a Breakthrough Elixir. Mu Yuanfeng used it to reach the Martial Spirit realm and has already gone to the Imperial City," Wang Li shared, leaning into Ye Xun.

The news about Mu Yuanfeng had caused quite a stir.

Upon joining the Saint Star Academy, Mu Chen never forgot his father at home, epitomizing the ideal dutiful son.

When Ye Xun heard the news, jealousy kept him up for several nights. Thinking of Mu Chen's filial piety and Ye Shi's frequent association with Mu Chen, he wondered if Ye Shi might be influenced. Regrettably, Ye Shi showed no sign of change.

"I've heard that Ye Shi constantly targets Ye Rong at the academy. Poor Rong, who finally made it into Saint Star Academy, now finds it hard to stand firm due to Ye Shi's constant antagonism," Wang Li said, holding back tears.

Upon reading the letter sent by Ye Rong, Wang Li felt a deep pain in her heart. She initially believed that Ye Rong would flourish once inside the academy. Little did she know the competition was fierce, with Ye Rong struggling and Ye Shi thriving effortlessly.

"Captain, could that guy really be Ye Shi's father?" one city guard remarked, watching Ye Xun's carriage pass by.

"How could that be? Ye Shi has level-eight aptitude. As the saying goes, 'Dragons beget dragons, and phoenixes beget phoenixes.' Looking at that fat man, how could he possibly father a son with such talent?" the captain replied dismissively.

"Wise words, captain," a guard remarked flatteringly.

"The audacity of some people, pretending to be the father of the Martial King's apprentice. He's asking for trouble," another guard said with disdain.

"Had we known he was a fraud, we should have charged him extra. It would have been justice served."

……

Ye Shi bid farewell to Mu Chen and headed towards his own quarters.

Out of the blue, Ye Rong darted out.

Ye Shi's face darkened instantly upon seeing Ye Rong.

"Ye Rong, what are you up to now?" Ye Shi asked, clearly displeased.

With narrowed eyes, Ye Shi thought, "The dean has probably lived too long and lost his senses. Mu Chen did nothing wrong last time, yet he was confined. On the other hand, Ye Rong, the real culprit, stands here without a scratch."

"I'm here to ask if you received a letter from our father," Ye Rong inquired.

Crossing his arms, Ye Shi replied lazily, "A letter from Ye Xun? Haven't seen it."

Ye Rong frowned, displeased, "You dare to address father by his name?"

"He's your father, not mine," Ye Shi retorted nonchalantly.

Ye Rong sighed, "Just check when you get back."

"Fine, I got it. Now, off you go," Ye Shi said dismissively.

Observing Ye Shi's indifferent attitude, Ye Rong clenched her fists, thinking he'd grown too arrogant, even neglecting their father.