Chapter 47: Luo Family.

Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Luo Family.

The next morning, the Chen Family woke to a completely different landscape.

The two mountains that had once stood several dozen miles away were now standing beside the Main Peak, towering over the family grounds and completely changing the appearance of the territory.

The three had spent the remainder of the previous day finishing the work.

After moving the mountains, they had stabilized their foundations, filled the uneven sections of earth, slightly reshaped the surrounding terrain, and carved several paths connecting the three Peaks to the family grounds.

They had deliberately avoided changing the mountains too much.

The forests remained untouched, the natural cliffs were still there, and the streams continued flowing down their slopes.

Only the bases and surrounding terrain had been adjusted enough to make the three Peaks feel like a natural part of the Chen Family’s territory.

But there was one more change.

Chen Feng had apparently decided that his mountain was not impressive enough. That was why, shortly before sunset, he had stood before Swordheart Peak and stared at it for a long time.

Then he had drawn his sword.

Nobody knew what he was planning. The next thing they knew, the entire mountain had begun changing beneath his sword intent.

The entire mountain trembled.

With every movement of his sword, enormous sections of stone were carved away.

He reshaped the summit into a vast, flat platform surrounded by steep cliffs, while the slopes were carved into enormous terraces that naturally led toward the peak.

By the time he finally stopped, Swordheart Peak had been completely transformed.

It was still a mountain, but its shape and surroundings now carried the distinct atmosphere of a place dedicated to the sword.

Chen Feng looked over his work for several breaths before slowly shaking his head.

"It still lacks something..."

He looked toward the empty summit.

"...A sword."

He raised his ancient sword.

A gigantic sword suddenly appeared above the mountain, and the clouds burst apart as the gigantic existence came into view above the heavens.

Its enormous blade stretched a kilometre into the sky, while its tip pointed directly toward the summit below.

Chen Feng lowered his hand.

The gigantic sword descended toward the mountain, and the enormous blade plunged into it.

BOOM!

The entire Swordheart Peak trembled.

Rocks rolled down its slopes, birds fled from the forests, and a massive cloud of dust spread across the surrounding land. When the dust finally settled, the gigantic sword remained embedded within the mountain.

Its blade towered above the summit, surrounded by faint strands of sword intent.

Chen Feng looked at his creation.

He nodded.

"Now that’s a Sword Mountain."

Nobody knew what to say after that.

Even Chen Yan stared at him for several breaths.

"...You really went all out."

Chen Feng rubbed his beard.

"If we’re calling it Swordheart Peak, shouldn’t it actually look like a sword mountain?"

Chen Yuan simply stared at the enormous sword.

"How long can you maintain that?"

Chen Feng looked at him.

"As long as I want."

Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The technique was no longer something Chen Feng needed to continuously maintain through active control.

He had reached a point where his sword intent had become almost instinctive, allowing him to maintain the gigantic construct without constantly supplying spiritual energy.

Chen Yuan understood immediately.

Just as his mastery over Flaming Fireflies had long surpassed the ordinary boundaries of cultivation techniques, Chen Feng’s mastery over his sword techniques had now reached the same level.

Transcendent.

The thought made Chen Yuan smile faintly.

Chen Yan glanced between them.

And now, the following morning, the rest of the Chen Family finally got to see what had happened.

Chen Haoran had just stepped out of his residence. He had intended to begin his morning cultivation, but the moment he opened the door, he stopped.

He stared toward the horizon.

His expression slowly became blank.

"...What happened?"

Qingxue walked out behind him with a basket in her hand.

"What?"

Haoran raised a hand and pointed.

Qingxue looked.

She froze.

The Main Peak stood where it always had.

But now two enormous mountains stood beside it, and one of them had a gigantic sword embedded directly into its summit.

Qingxue stared at the enormous sword for several breaths before subconsciously dropping the basket she was carrying onto the ground beside her.

"..."

Haoran remained silent as well, his eyes fixed on Swordheart Peak.

"..."

Qingxue finally let out a long sigh.

"The revelation of the three Ancestors was already shocking enough."

She glanced toward the other two Peaks.

"Then we found out that our family actually has three High Lords."

Her gaze returned to the enormous sword embedded in the mountain.

"And now this..."

She fell silent again.

Haoran could only sigh in agreement.

At this point, the two of them felt as though their capacity to be surprised had already been exhausted.

Especially after Haoran had received the reports from Blue Cloud Mist City and Chen Guanshan’s message informing him that Chen Yuan had appointed him as the new City Lord.

Three hidden High Lords.

A demon invasion.

The destruction of an entire group of High Lords.

Chen Guanshan becoming the City Lord of Blue Cloud Mist City.

And now Chen Feng had apparently decided to put a gigantic sword into a mountain.

Haoran slowly rubbed his forehead.

"...I’ve stopped trying to understand what this family is becoming."

Qingxue nodded.

"Me too."

More doors began opening throughout the family grounds, and one person after another stepped outside, all wearing the same stunned expression.

None of them could even bring themselves to shout anymore, as they were slowly realizing that they would have to get used to the occasional shock their Ancestors might bring them from now on.

Above them, the three ancestors remained suspended high above the family grounds, quietly looking over the newly established Peaks.

Chen Yuan’s gaze moved between the three mountains.

"We’ll need a second-grade formation to protect these Peaks."

Chen Yan nodded.

"Preferably one that can cover all three Peaks while connecting them to the Main Peak. Our previous formation needs to be replaced too. Since it’s only a first-grade formation, there’s little point in spending resources repairing it."

Chen Feng stroked his beard.

"Can’t we make one ourselves?"

Chen Yan immediately gave him a blank look.

"We don’t have a Formation Master."

Chen Feng paused.

"...Right."

Chen Yuan sighed.

"That’s one of the problems we still need to solve."

The three fell silent for a moment.

The Chen Family had finally begun expanding, but their lack of specialized cultivators was already becoming apparent.

They had no Formation Master capable of creating a second-grade formation, and relying on outsiders for something as important as their family’s defensive formation was far from ideal.

Chen Yuan looked toward the distant city.

"We’ll have to buy one."

Chen Yan nodded.

"The largest city in the region should have a merchant association capable of selling second-grade formations. We can go there and see what they have."

"If not, I will have to make a trip to the capital."

Chen Feng glanced at him.

"How much do you think it’ll cost?"

Chen Yan thought for a moment.

"A second-grade formation capable of protecting three Peaks won’t be cheap. I am guessing around several hundred thousand low-grade spiritual stones..."

Chen Yuan remained calm.

"Then we’ll pay for it."

Since the matter involved money, Chen Yuan immediately thought of someone.

He raised his hand.

"Haoran."

A gentle wave of spiritual energy spread across the family grounds.

Several breaths later, Chen Haoran and Qingxue appeared in the air before the three ancestors.

Haoran looked around in confusion.

"Ancestor?"

Chen Yuan gestured toward Chen Yan.

"This old man needs something from you."

Haoran turned toward him.

Chen Yan looked at Haoran with a completely serious expression.

"I need you to supply this old man with one million low-grade spiritual stones."

Chen Haoran immediately went stiff when he heard the words, stuttering, "...O-one million?"

Chen Yan nodded seriously, raising his fingers as he gestured in front of Chen Haoran’s face.

"For the formation and some other expenses."

"Come on, lend this old man some money."

Seeing the hesitation on his face, Chen Yan hurriedly scooted closer and wrapped his arm around Chen Haoran’s shoulder.

"Imagine it, boy."

Chen Yan waved his hand exaggeratedly in front of him.

"It is like an investment. You give this old man one, and this old man will flip it into ten in a matter of seconds!"

Haoran’s expression twitched as he hurriedly glanced at Chen Yuan and Chen Feng for help. However, the two simply looked away as if they weren’t there in the first place.

Chen Haoran’s expression turned sour as he swallowed hard, slowly turning his gaze back toward Chen Yan.

One million low-grade spiritual stones...

That was not exactly a small amount for the Chen Family. It was actually almost half of the family’s current treasury.

But since the Ancestor himself had demanded it, he didn’t dare to say no. Chen Haoran took a deep breath, his heart aching.

"...U-understood, Ancestor."

Chen Yan smiled.

"Good."

"Don’t worry, boy... I will extort Guanshan too. He made a lot of money by plundering the major families in the city."

Qingxue looked at her husband with a hint of sympathy.

Haoran’s face remained stiff.

"Y-yes..."

He had barely recovered from everything that had happened over the past few days, and now another million spiritual stones had suddenly been taken from the family’s reserves.

Just as Chen Yuan was about to send the two away, Haoran suddenly raised his hand as he remembered something important.

"Wait, Ancestor."

"This junior has something to say."

"You want to give me some spiritual stones too?"

Chen Yuan turned to look at him, his hand already outstretched with his palm facing upward as he slowly gestured toward Haoran.

"What a kind boy. Your father must be proud for you to donate to the elderly..."

Chen Haoran’s entire body went stiff. He stared at Chen Yuan’s outstretched hand before slowly looking at the ancestor’s face.

"...Ancestor."

Chen Yuan continued holding out his hand.

Haoran’s expression twitched.

After a few seconds, he finally sighed.

"Ancestor... this is something important."

Chen Yuan lowered his hand.

"Fine. What is it?"

"There is something else."

Haoran reached into his storage ring.

"Chen Meilan has returned from the capital."

Chen Yuan’s expression became slightly more serious.

"Oh? Has the matter I asked her to investigate been completed?"

Haoran nodded.

"She returned several days ago and gave me the report."

He took out a sealed scroll.

"The investigation you ordered has been completed."

Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"The investigation into the Luo Family?"

Qingxue also looked toward Haoran.

Haoran nodded.

"Yes."

He broke the seal and slowly unfolded the scroll. He glanced over the first few lines before beginning to read.

"The investigation found no obvious signs of demonic infiltration within Qingxue’s family."

Qingxue’s expression relaxed slightly.

Haoran continued.

"The family has maintained relatively stable relations with the surrounding cultivation families, and there are no unusual changes in their cultivation records, businesses, or known members. Chen Meilan also investigated the family’s recent activities and found nothing that would suggest they are connected to the demons."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly.

"So there’s nothing wrong with them?"

"According to the investigation, no."

Haoran lowered his eyes toward the scroll.

"The family itself appears normal."

He paused.

"However..."

Qingxue’s expression immediately became more serious as she sensed what was coming. Haoran continued reading.

"Chen Meilan did discover something unusual concerning the Patriarch’s recent behavior."

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow.

"The Luo brat?"

Haoran nodded.

"Yes."

Chen Yuan frowned.

"What’s wrong with that brat?"

Haoran continued reading.

"According to the report, the current Patriarch has recently become extremely close to a strange woman who has been appearing within the family’s territory."

Qingxue’s eyes narrowed, seemingly trying to remember something.

"A strange woman?"

Haoran nodded.

"Chen Meilan was unable to determine her identity."

He continued reading.

"The woman does not appear to be a member of the family, nor does she appear to hold any official position within it. However, she has been seen entering and leaving the Patriarch’s residence on multiple occasions."

Chen Yuan’s expression remained calm, but his tone gradually grew colder.

"And the Luo brat allows this?"

"More than that."

Haoran looked at the next section, trembling slightly as he sensed the faint pressure coming from Chen Yuan.

"S-several members of the family reportedly noticed that the Patriarch has become unusually obsessed with this woman."

"The report says that his behavior toward her is unlike anything his family has seen before. He frequently meets with her in private, and whenever someone attempts to investigate her background, the matter is immediately stopped by the Patriarch himself."

Chen Yuan’s brows furrowed slightly.

"That’s strange."

Haoran lowered the scroll slightly.

"There’s something else."

Everyone looked toward him.

"Chen Meilan wrote that the woman is not completely unfamiliar to the Luo Family."

Qingxue’s expression changed.

Haoran continued.

"She has apparently been seen around the family before."

Qingxue stared at the scroll before slowly speaking.

"I’ve seen her."

Everyone turned toward her. Chen Yuan’s gaze settled on Qingxue.

"You have?"

Qingxue nodded slowly.

"I’ve seen that woman before, Ancestor."

Haoran looked surprised.

"Do you know who she is?"

Qingxue shook her head.

"No. At least, not personally."

She lowered her gaze.

"But I’ve seen her with my father."

Qingxue hesitated before continuing.

"My relationship with my father has always been... rather awkward."

She gave a faint, bitter smile.

"Ever since my mother passed away, we haven’t been particularly close. There were periods when we would speak regularly, and then there were times when we wouldn’t see each other for years."

Haoran remained silent.

Qingxue looked toward the distant mountains.

"I remember seeing that woman during one of those periods."

Chen Yuan’s eyes narrowed.

"When?"

Qingxue thought for a moment.

"It was several years ago."

She paused.

"I don’t remember her name. My father never introduced her to me, and the woman didn’t seem to like me either because of my connection to this family."

"But in a way, due to her presence, I became even more distant from my father. And I suppose she might have been able to ease his pain from..."

She hesitated, seemingly unsure why she was saying it at all, before continuing.

"...from my mother’s death."

Chen Yuan remained silent. His gaze seemed to drift somewhere far beyond the family grounds.

For some reason, an old memory surfaced in his mind.

A woman with a gentle smile.

A quiet voice.

Long black hair moving in the wind.

Chen Yuan’s expression softened almost imperceptibly.

"...Luo Lianhua... That little girl..."

Qingxue looked at him.

"Ancestor?"

Chen Yuan seemed to return to the present and gently looked toward Qingxue.

"Your mother."

Qingxue’s expression changed.

"You remember her?"

Chen Yuan was silent for a few breaths before giving a faint smile.

"That little girl was difficult to forget. Perhaps... she was the kindest soul I’ve ever met in my life."

He looked toward the distant horizon.

"Your father was quite lucky to have met her."

But then, gradually, his expression became slightly strange, almost angry.

"And now that she’s gone, that Luo brat has somehow become obsessed with another woman?"

The atmosphere became noticeably quieter.

Chen Haoran slowly rolled the report back up as he swallowed hard, sensing Chen Yuan’s gradually worsening mood.

"S-should we investigate further, Ancestor?"

Chen Yuan looked at the sealed scroll for several breaths before his expression slowly returned to normal.

"No."

Haoran blinked.

Chen Yuan turned toward Chen Yan.

"Forget about buying the formation here in this region. You will have to go to the capital instead."

Chen Yan’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"The capital?"

Chen Yuan nodded.

"You have several reasons to go there now."

Chen Yan’s expression slowly changed as he understood what Chen Yuan meant. A faint smile appeared on his face.

"Then this old man will make sure to pay the Luo Family a very good visit. I wonder how the Luo brat is doing now. Or... has he changed?"

Qingxue’s expression immediately changed.

Chen Yuan continued, his gaze becoming distant.

"By now, the news should have already reached the capital."

He glanced toward the three Peaks behind them.

"The Chen Family now has three High Lords."

His voice remained calm.

"We’ve destroyed an invasion force from the Blackmoon Demonic Kingdom, taken control of Blue Cloud Mist City, and established ourselves as one of the major cultivation families in the kingdom."

Chen Yuan paused.

"And yet..."

His eyes narrowed.

"The capital still hasn’t sent a single delegation here. Or did that Zhao brat die before she reached the capital?"

Chen Yan nodded slowly.

"That is indeed rather strange. She should have arrived by yesterday already."

The atmosphere around them gradually became heavier.

Qingxue immediately understood where the conversation was heading and hurriedly stepped forward.

"Ancestor, I..."

Chen Yan looked at her.

"Yes?"

"I’ll go with you."

Chen Yan raised an eyebrow.

"You?"

Qingxue nodded quickly.

"Yes."

Her voice was slightly hurried.

"I think it would be better if I accompanied you to the capital. After all, the Luo Family is my family, and I can help explain certain things if necessary."

Chen Yan stared at her for several breaths.

Then he smiled faintly.

"You are not a part of the Luo Family, Qingxue. For most of your life, you’ve grown under the roof of the Chen Family since you were young. And..."

He paused.

"Do you doubt this old man’s judgment, little girl?"

Qingxue’s face stiffened.

"No, I d-don’t."

"That’s not very convincing. Then why are you so eager to accompany me?"

"I..."

She hesitated.

"I just think that..."

Her voice became increasingly uncertain.

"...it would be better if I was there."

Chen Yan continued looking at her.

Qingxue swallowed.

After all, the person staring down at her was a High Lord.

Just because Chen Yan, Chen Yuan, and Chen Feng acted harmless and sometimes joked with them did not change their status in the cultivation world as High Lords.

"Because... because I know my family better?"

Chen Yan’s smile widened slightly.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

"I see."

He nodded slowly.

"Then don’t worry."

Qingxue looked at him.

"I will allow you to follow me."

"If there is truly nothing wrong with your family, this old man will not do anything to them."

Qingxue’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

But then the atmosphere suddenly changed, and the faint smile disappeared from Chen Yan’s face.

"However..."

His voice remained calm, yet the words that followed caused the air itself to seem to stagnate.

"If there is something wrong..."

Chen Feng, who had been silently listening from the side, stopped rubbing his beard.

Chen Yuan’s expression also became solemn.

Chen Yan continued.

"Then this old man will purge the wrong and leave the kind."

Qingxue’s face paled.

She understood exactly what those words meant.

Chen Yan wasn’t threatening her family. He was telling her exactly what would happen if they were found to be corrupted.

In this kingdom, anything that had to do with the demons had to be eliminated. Even if the Luo Family were found guilty, Chen Yan’s willingness to spare the innocent because of Qingxue’s relationship with them was already more than enough to show his restraint.

Otherwise, he would have simply ordered the entire family purged.

Chen Feng slowly nodded.

"That’s the right approach."

Chen Yuan remained silent for several breaths before speaking.

"It is."

Qingxue’s fingers tightened slightly.

Chen Yan looked toward her.

"Think about it carefully, little girl."

He gestured toward the scroll in Haoran’s hands.

"If the Luo Family is truly corrupted, then the strange woman we know nothing about may not be an isolated matter."

"The capital contains countless cultivation families, merchants, officials, and sects. If something has managed to reach your family, we have reason to suspect that something may be wrong with the others as well."

Chen Yuan nodded.

"Especially when the capital has remained silent despite everything that happened in Blue Cloud Mist City, and considering that demons had been allowed to take important positions across the kingdom, resulting in a large-scale invasion without them knowing."

"You’ve read the reports, haven’t you? I assume Chen Guanshan has already sent the full report?"

"Y-yes..." Qingxue nodded, and Chen Haoran cast a worried glance at her.

Chen Yan looked toward the distant horizon.

"We aren’t going there simply to visit your family."

His eyes narrowed.

"We’re going to see what kind of place the capital has become."

He paused.

"If there truly is something wrong with the capital, then I wonder... just how far has the Great Yan Kingdom fallen?"