Chu Feng’s Death

Xiang Xiang’s arrival gave Lin Mu Yu a headache. The fact that she was staying behind to eat made it even worse.

……

Behind Xiang Xiang were two maidservants, each carrying a tray with dishes of exquisite food. The vessel was made of pure silver and called the Silver Gui. There were a total of 5 dishes of meat and vegetables, along with two pots of fine wine.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gui_(vessel)

Chu Yao was dumbstruck. The Silver Gui was something that only n.o.bles would use. Commoners often only had bronze guis, while the imperial family would only use Gold Guis.

There was a dining method in the Empire called the “Bell-Chime Cauldron Feast” that only aristocrats would use. Aristocratic families were always accompanied by music as they ate, and they would line up a row of Dings with food inside. Dings were a type of food container that were actually quite similar to Guis. Of course, Chu Yao had naturally never seen the Cauldron Feast formation before, and even the 5-Gui formation before her was rare seen. The Lord’s treatment of her and Lin Mu Yu was rather extravagant.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ding_(vessel)

“Sir, this is the manor’s best wine. It is only served to important guests of the house, so don’t miss this chance to try it.”

At the dining table, Xiang Xiang knelt down on the carpet and enthusiastically poured out the wine for Lin Mu Yu. After offering him several cups of wine, she suddenly asked, “Sir, I heard that you’re an emerging legend who is capable of synthesizing level 5 and even level 6 drugs at your young age. There is a rumor going around that your alchemy skills came from an old book called the Medicine G.o.d Index. Is that true?”

Lin Mu Yu couldn’t help but feel a chill go down his spine. There was no explanation as to why the Lord had to support both him and Chu Yao, unless Hua Tian and Hua Wan really wanted to obtain something from him after all.

“What Medicine G.o.d Index? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He replied with indifference. Although Lin Mu Yu was as proud as a n.o.ble steed, he also knew that it was better to keep some secrets. An ignorant man would be blameless and a person’s treasure would arouse the envy of others.

Xiang Xiang chuckled, “That was a funny joke. The rumor was that Bai Ling Pharmacy’s head apprentice w.a.n.g Ying had drunkenly said that Bai Ling Pharmacy had obtained a copy of Medicine G.o.d Index, or else you and your master Chu Feng’s alchemy proficiency would not have improved so quickly.”

Lin Mu Yu faintly smiled, “Perhaps it is so, but I don’t know.”

Xiang Xiang nodded, “So it’s like this.”

Chu Yao furrowed her brows and asked, “Xiang Xiang, did the Young Lord tell you to spy on us?”

“No way, what is Miss Chu Yao saying!”

Xiang Xiang still had that pleasant smile on her face as she said, “Xiang Xiang was only curious because legends about Mister Lin Mu Yu were circulating about in the streets. Since he doesn’t know anything about a Medicine G.o.d Index, then I’ll just stop asking. Come again, Xiang Xiang will give you a toast again.”

……

After eating and drinking to their hearts’ content, Lin Mu Yu continued to practice his swordsmans.h.i.+p, Sonic Punch and Sonic Blade. At the same time, he was also training his energy s.h.i.+eld. It was the special ability of an Earth realm pract.i.tioner that could protect him at all times, so it was a must-have survival technique. In the meantime, Chu Yao also did not go to bed early, instead opting to accompany Lin Mu Yu and practiced the Silver Needle Technique.

“Pew pew pew!”

Three silver needles soundlessly shot into the wooden board. Chu Yao smiled with satisfaction and walked up to remove the needles.

Lin Mu Yu watched from the side and noted, “This amount of power would be enough for acupuncture, but it’s clearly not enough if it’s used to kill. It might not even break through an Earth realm pract.i.tioner’s energy s.h.i.+eld.”

Chu Yao nodded, “Yeah, I know.”

As she spoke, she took out her daggers and channeled energy into the daggers’ blades. She challenged with a smile, “Ah Yu, come and fight with me? I know you’re really strong right now, but I don’t know exactly how strong!”

“Alright!”

Lin Mu Yu pulled out his steel sword and said. “Chu Yao, just focus on attacking then.”

Chu Yao smirked and speedily closed the distance. She started out with two consecutive strikes with her daggers and followed up with a pincer attack. Although her initial attacks were very quick, Lin Mu Yu’s attack was even faster. After two quick swings of his sword, the two daggers were swept away. He did not stop there, and countered with a Lightning Chop. It was about four tenths of the normal power because he didn’t want to go all-in.

“Ah?”

Chu Yao did not expect Lin Mu Yu’s speed to be this fast. Hastily putting up the daggers in defense, she only heard a loud crash before a numbing sensation came from her arms. She groaned as she was forced to take several steps back. She opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, “Wow, Ah Yu… You are so strong now, I couldn’t even block that hit!”

Lin Mu Yu humbly smiled, “Sister Chu Yao, your base strength was already lacking and your Violet Mink isn’t helping much with its frail growth. The most important thing to know is that you’re not fast enough. Before you could even strike at your opponent’s weakness, you would have already shown your own weaknesses. I might actually have a way for you to raise your speed.”

“What, What? Teach me!” Chu Yao excitedly said.

Lin Mu Yu explained, “Try to feel for the lightning essence in the air. Then, infuse it into your weapon and use it to execute high speed attacks. This should greatly improve the effect of your attacks.”

“This is…” Chu Yao’s eyes brightened, “Could this be Flame Cauldron Qu Chu’s Lightning Chop?”

“Oh, no…” Lin Mu Yu shook his head, “Lightning Chop’s speed requirement is too much for your current ability, so I won’t teach you the ‘soundless’ Lightning technique. I’m just teaching you how to make use of lightning essences. Furthermore, I promised Elder Qu that I will never teach anyone the techniques that he had taught me.”

“Mm-okay!”

Chu Yao was a fair and considerate girl, so she began to earnestly learn the lightning gathering technique.

Xiang Xiang leaned against a tree and mused with mirth, “It’s quite surprising that Flame Cauldron Qu Chu had taught you so many fighting skills. How strange, I’ve already heard that Flame Cauldron Qu Chu had always been haughty and proud, and never imparted anyone with fighting knowledge.”

Lin Mu Yu snickered. If it wasn’t for him using high cla.s.s alchemy techniques as a collateral, that old fellow would have never taught him Sonic Punch or Verdant Sh.e.l.l!

……

Lin Mu Yu had actually wanted to use the alchemy cauldron to refine a new martial spirit for Chu Yao, but he did not know if it was even possible. If it didn’t work, he might even hurt Chu Yao’s ability. Her Violet Mink’s growth was truly too lacking as it only contained about three tenths that of Lin Mu Yu’s spirit power. This was the main reason as to why Chu Yao’s strength was so weak.

We will just take it slowly. When the time comes, I should be able to help Chu Yao greatly improve her ability.

They practiced all the way until midnight, and then went to their rooms.

Xiang Xiang insisted on staying behind to attend on Lin Mu Yu. There was no way for him to refuse, so she was allowed to stay. As before, she slept on the bed while Lin Mu Yu slept on the bench. After training for a whole day, he dizzily fell asleep.

Right as he was sleeping soundly, someone loudly knocked on his door, “Mister Lin, Miss Chu, something bad has happened!”

“What’s going on?”

Lin Mu Yu quickly got dressed and ran out the door. A guard stood panting as he said, “Quick…Go to the manor’s lobby. Something terrible has happened. The team that we sent to the Capital was ambushed by vagrant mercenaries. Many had died and all the merchandise onboard were lost. Your Bai Ling Pharmacy’s master… Elder Chu Feng had died after being gravely wounded…”

Chu Feng… died…

Lin Mu Yu’s mind blanked out while Chu Yao’s face turned ghastly white. She mumbled in confusion, “How can that be… You’re lying, Grandpa isn’t dead! Grandpa isn’t dead…”

……

The lobby was lit up with torches while at least a thousand soldiers had surrounded the Lord’s manor. Hua Tian had summoned the city’s militia. With this many soldiers around, something had definitely happened.

Several horse carriages were covered in bloodstains. Lin Mu Yu recognized it as the carriage that Chu Feng had rode in for the journey to the Capital. They were originally carrying gifts and Silver Fir’s specialties to be presented to the Imperial family in Lanyan City, but now it was filled with blood-covered corpses. Many of the corpses were caked with blood.

Lifting up the gray cloth, Chu Feng’s peaceful face was exposed. Some kind of sharp weapon had bored through his chest and pierced his heart, so he had probably died a long while ago from such a wound.

Seeing Chu Feng’s face, Chu Yao broke down into forlorn sobs and leaned over Chu Feng’s body as she cried. Grandpa Chu Feng had raised her from when she was a toddler, so seeing her sole relative pa.s.sing away like this, Chu Yao felt as if the world was about to collapse down on her.

Lin Mu Yu stood nearby but did not try to comfort Chu Yao. It was better for her to mourn now, or else she might crumble down completely.

Looking around, Lin Mu Yu saw that many of the surrounding soldiers were covered in wounds.

Lord Hua Tian shouted angrily as he grasped his iron sword, “Chu Feng is an elder of the Panacea Department, so why is it that this trip would end up with him dead? What happened exactly?”

General Zhu Dao Rong clenched his spear tighter. His face was ashen while his chest was reddened by the blood that was dripping from two arrows sticking out in his chest plate. He abruptly knelt down and said, “Lord… We tried everything we could, but we were ambushed by a pack of mercenaries when we pa.s.sed Dagger Gorge. There was a Saint Realm warrior amongst them so I was no match for him as I was seriously injured. I could only look on helplessly as Elder Chu Feng was killed and as the goods were robbed… I beg for your highness to punish me!”

“You!”

Hua Tian clenched his teeth and abruptly placed his sword at Zhu Dao Rong’s neck. He exclaimed angrily, “General Zhu, don’t think that I don’t dare to kill you. It is your failure that lead to the tragic death of one of the Empire’s pillars of alchemy!”

Zhu Dao Rong mumbled, “Lord, I will have no regrets if I were to die at your hands. I have failed the Empire and failed Silver Fir City!”

Right at that moment, a crowd of wounded soldiers knelt down one after another and begged forgiveness for the general. Hua Tian sighed, “Cease! This won’t bring anyone back. Zhu Dao Rong, I’ll be deducting two years of grain pay and dropping you by one rank to moral officer. Do you have any objections?”

“I have no objections!”

Hua Tian walked over and placed his hand onto Lin Mu Yu’s shoulder. Looking deeply into his eyes, Hua Tian sternly said, “Boy… Elder Chu Feng’s death is ultimately Silver Fir’s responsibility. Don’t be too distressed, I will definitely try and satisfy all of yours and Chu Yao’s needs. Rest a.s.sured, Silver Fir and the Panacea Division will never abandon you guys.”

Lin Mu Yu’s eyes were slightly bloodshot as he answered, “I understand. Thank you, my lord!”

He turned around and hugged Chu Yao’s shoulders. He then opened up Chu Feng’s s.h.i.+rt and looked at the wound. The hole was in the shape of a triangular-pyramid. This heart piercing blow was definitely from some kind of unusual weapon.

……

“Don’t be too sad, Chu Yao. Let’s quickly lay Grandpa Chu Feng to rest so he can sleep in peace.”