Chapter 110

Chapter 110: Coming out of Seclusion

Mu Chen headed towards the courtyard. Upon seeing him, the student in charge of cleaning immediately approached, "Mu, Miss Ye Rong visited again."

Mu Chen frowned slightly, saying with some impatience, "Understood."

Mu Chen couldn't understand Ye Rong's intentions. She constantly relayed a mix of bizarre stories.

For instance, it wasn't Ye Shi who was engaged to the Ye family, but her, Ye Rong. She claimed she didn't want to compete with Ye Shi and would willingly be his concubine. Mu Chen was almost sickened by her words.

"Just ignore her," Mu Chen advised impatiently.

Surprisingly, Ye Shi and Ye Rong share no blood relation. Even if they did, they are arch-enemies. The last time they conspired against Ye Rong, they were both banished to the quarry. Mu Chen was truly puzzled why Ye Rong continuously sought him out.

Failing to meet Mu Chen, Ye Shi returned to his dormitory looking rather disheartened. Having visited multiple times without seeing Mu Chen, Ye Rong, not being foolish, knew he was deliberately avoiding her.

"Ye Rong, there's a letter for you," a student announced.

"Oh, thank you," Ye Rong responded, trying to keep her composure.

Ye Rong had been eagerly awaiting letters from home, but lately, she's grown to dread them.

Her father had arrived in the Imperial City. Ye Rong had thought he'd discipline Ye Shi and restore her reputation. But things didn't go as she expected.

With Ye Shi in seclusion, even with all his cunning, Ye Xun couldn't do much if he couldn't see him.

Living costs in the Imperial City are astonishingly high. Ye Xun hadn't brought many spirit stones with him. Both Ye Shi and Wang Li enjoyed the finer things in life, so upon their arrival in the city, their spirit stones were quickly depleted.

Ye Rong opened the letter filled with words from Wu Yu. Shockingly, her parents were asking her for money, mentioning that most students from the Sacred Star Academy are wealthy.

Biting her lip, Ye Rong thought, while many students at the academy were well-off, like Tang Zhu'er, she certainly wasn't one of them.

Thinking of Tang Zhu'er made Ye Rong feel somewhat desolate. Despite not being as pretty as Ye Rong, Tang Zhu'er had everything she wanted thanks to her wealthy background. How much easier life would be if she too had a wealthy father.

Day off.

With Ye Shi in seclusion, Mu Chen had no choice but to search for Mu Yuanfeng alone.

Mu Yuanfeng had a solid foundation, accumulating slowly and striking fast. After advancing to the Martial Spirit realm, he wasn't short of resources. He quickly reached the two-star Martial Spirit level and showed signs of advancing to the three-star realm.

"Chen, you've arrived." The father and son often discussed alchemy when they met. With Mu Yuanfeng's rich experience, Mu Chen always found something to learn.

"Father, how have you been lately? Do you have enough spirit stones for expenses?" Mu Chen inquired with concern.

Mu Yuanfeng chuckled with a hint of resignation, "I'm managing just fine. Don't forget, I'm a third-grade alchemist. Providing for myself is not a challenge. Save your spirit stones for when you marry." Lately, his skills had improved rapidly, both in martial prowess and alchemy. His success rate in concocting pills had risen significantly.

Mu Chen dismissively said, "Ye Shi is still young. We can earn more spirit stones over time. I'm not in a hurry." In Mu Chen's eyes, at only fourteen, Ye Shi was but a child. Bringing him home so early felt premature.

"Even so, I shouldn't always be relying on your money," Mu Yuanfeng sighed with a shake of his head.

Mu Chen grinned, "It's only natural for a son to support his father."

"Oh, you!" Mu Yuanfeng chided affectionately. "Where's Ye Shi? I haven't seen him in a while. Is he still in seclusion?"

Mu Chen nodded, "Yes, he is."

"You should follow Ye Shi's example. Don't waste too much time on trivial matters. Focus on your training; strength is the foundation of our status," Mu Yuanfeng advised earnestly.

Mu Chen responded with a nod, "Father, I know my limits."

"Speaking of which, Ye Rong mentioned to me that she was the one engaged to me," Mu Chen said with evident distaste.

Mu Yuanfeng paused, then said with a hint of sarcasm, "Actually, it was supposed to be that girl." Mu Chen's early performance was disappointing, while Ye Rong stood out. Beautiful and talented, she naturally wouldn't settle for Mu Chen.

Confused, Mu Chen asked, "How could that be?"

The two families had arranged a childhood betrothal. A person from the Ye family marrying into theirs would be Mu Chen's primary wife.

People like Shuang'er, who could be male or female, were often looked down upon. Most of them could only serve as secondary partners.

Members of noble families rarely married such individuals, considering it beneath their status.

Mu Yuanfeng didn't have any bias against Shuang'er. Thus, when the Ye family chose Ye Shi for the marriage, he didn't object.

Mockingly, Mu Yuanfeng stated, "Originally, Ye Rong was the ideal match. However, her mother looked down on you, so they settled on Ye Shi."

"Ye Rong claims that she was my original fiancée, but Ye Shi stole the engagement through underhanded means," Mu Chen said with a sigh.

Mu Yuanfeng's expression darkened, "It's a good thing the Ye family didn't betroth her to you. One can tell she's not easy to deal with based on what she says."

Mu Chen nodded in agreement.

Considering how well his son had turned out, it was no surprise that Ye Rong had regrets. Ye Rong's parents must be regretting their decision, especially with the way things had turned out for her recently.

"By the way, Ye Xun is in the Imperial City," mentioned Mu Yuanfeng nonchalantly.

Narrowing his eyes, Mu Chen asked, "Father, how did you come to know that?"

"Ye Xun came to see me. I was in the middle of alchemy and didn't meet him," Mu Yuanfeng explained.

Mu Chen nodded, "You needn't concern yourself with him."

Agreeing, Mu Yuanfeng replied, "Indeed."

…………

Ye Xun's temporary residence.

"Has Mu Yuanfeng not shown up yet?" Wang Li asked, looking at Ye Xun.

Ye Xun's face flushed with embarrassment. Initially, upon arriving in the Imperial City, he had hesitated to approach Mu Yuanfeng.

But as their spirit stones dwindled, Ye Xun's pride took a backseat. When he finally sought Mu Yuanfeng's help, the latter was conveniently unavailable.

"He must be doing this on purpose," Ye Xun grumbled bitterly.

"I've approached Mu Yuanfeng three times now. Twice he was in seclusion for training, and once for alchemy. It's clear he's deliberately avoiding me," Ye Xun fumed.

Wang Li added indignantly, "It's outrageous, considering our families are related by marriage!"

"That Mu Yuanfeng, always looking down on others." Ye Xun responded angrily.

Seeing the fierce expression on Ye Xun's face, Wang Li couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"Has there been any news from Ye Shi? Is he still in seclusion?" Ye Xun inquired.

Wang Li nodded, saying, "It seems so."

"Always in seclusion. What's the use for him? No matter how powerful he becomes, he'll still get married someday," Ye Xun said with disdain.

"Isn't that the truth?" Wang Li chimed in.

"Where's Rong? Did she transfer the Yuan stones? Have they arrived?" Ye Xun asked with a hint of irritation.

"Rong said she's broke. Life hasn't been easy for her either," Wang Li responded with a pitiful tone.

"No money? Can't she borrow some? Mu Chen is loaded, isn't he?" Ye Xun said jealously.

"But, Mu Chen pays no attention to Rong," Wang Li lamented.

"We've taken care of her for so long, and yet she's nowhere near as crafty as Ye Shi when it comes to charming men. Useless!" Ye Xun said with evident annoyance.

Wang Li's face changed colors hearing Ye Xun's words but she didn't dare to retort.

……

Once Ye Shi reached the rank of an eight-star martial artist, he ended his seclusion and emerged.

"Junior brother, you've finally come out," Xin Ruge greeted happily.

Ye Shi nodded with a hint of pride, "I've advanced to an eight-star martial artist."

"An eight-star martial artist!" Xin Ru Ge's expression briefly contorted. "Such an innate talent is against the heavens! It took Ye Shi just under a month to rise three ranks. It's terrifying. It seemed to have taken me three years to go from five-star to eight-star."

Of course, while Ye Shi's progress was astounding, it was still bearable. In contrast, Mu Chen's pace was simply unbearable.

"Yesterday, your fellow Mu Chen underwent a level-three inscriptionist certification at the Inscriptionist Association. He's now a third-level inscriptionist," Xin Ru Ge shared.

Ye Shi responded nonchalantly, "Oh."

Xin Ru Ge, noticing Ye Shi's nonchalant expression, frowned, "Aren't you surprised?"

Ye Shi replied with genuine bewilderment, "Should I be? It's Mu Chen, after all!"

Xin Ru Ge sighed, "Indeed, if it's Mu Chen, then there's no need for astonishment."

"Speaking of which, where is Mu Chen?" Ye Shi inquired.

"Mu Chen should be taking a test now," Xin Ruge informed.

"Testing?" Ye Shi questioned with confusion.

Xin Ru Ge nodded and said, "Exactly. Today, various faculties of the academy are applying for educational funding. Prominent faculties have the capital to apply. Being a third-level inscriptionist, Mu Chen naturally has to participate."

Ye Shi squinted and speculated, "Given that Mu Chen is a student of the Inscription Faculty, they should be able to secure a considerable amount of funds with his presence, right?"

Xin Ru Ge agreed, "Indeed. They might get at least 20 million more. The emergence of a third-level practitioner among freshmen could double their funding."

Ye Shi's eyes widened in surprise, "That much? They're making a fortune!"

"The Yuan stones will be used for the regular teaching activities of the Inscription Faculty," Xin Ru Ge replied regretfully.

Ye Shi shrugged, "If it's not for Mu Chen, it's wasted effort."

"While you were in seclusion, Ye Rong came looking for you several times," Xin Ru Ge remarked.

Ye Shi, squinting his eyes and clearly annoyed, responded, "What did she want now?" He thought of Ye Rong as an annoying fly — not harmful, but irritating.

"She mentioned that your father has arrived in the imperial city," Xin Ruge disclosed.

A look of deep disgust crossed Ye Shi’s face. Every time Ye Xun came around, it never spelled good news.

Although Ye Shi was still young, he held a certain level of respect and expectation for Ye Xun until he learned the truth. After that revelation, his hopes for Ye Xun vanished into thin air.

Ye Shi mused, if Ye Xun ever tried to assert dominance over him like before, he would retaliate instantly.

"There's something I'm not sure whether I should share with you," Xin Ru Ge said hesitantly.

"Speak up! What can't you say?" Ye Shi blinked inquiringly.

"I fear you might overreact," Xin Ru Ge replied, a glint of interest flashing in her eyes.

Ye Shi dismissively replied, "That won't happen. I have a good mindset. I won't get worked up."

With a playful glint in her eyes, Xin Ruguo smirked, "Here's what I heard: Ye Rong approached Mu Chen, telling him that she was originally the one betrothed to him from the Ye family. But you, it seems, took her place."

Ye Shi's face turned pale instantly. "That wretched woman!" Infuriated, he struck a nearby towering tree with his fist. The tree, a meter thick, crashed down, sending splinters flying.

Xin Ruguo teased, "Little junior brother, didn't you once claim to be calm and collected?"