Chapter 185: Who Is the Father, Who Is the Son

Chapter 185: Chapter 185: Who Is the Father, Who Is the Son

Lu Yuan opened the door and stepped out to take a look. Down the street, a large, elaborately decorated float rolled by, carrying over a dozen beautiful women in sheer, gauzy dresses dancing gracefully. Each of them was one in a thousand, exuding an irresistible, enchanting charm as they moved with seductive grace. Banners hung from the sides of the float...

"The Moon Washing Courtesan invites you tonight," read one.

"Young heroes, come share a beautiful evening," read another.

The calligraphy was bold, eye-catching, and unapologetically provocative, drawing a massive crowd of onlookers.

"The girls from Moon Washing Tower are absolutely gorgeous!"

"Yeah, every single one of them is stunning, definitely one in a thousand!"

"I heard they all know Dual Cultivation Secret Techniques. Spending a night with them can make a man experience unparalleled ecstasy."

"That’s for sure. A buddy of mine..."

"I heard that only those with Seventh Grade Cultivation can become the courtesan of Moon Washing Tower..."

"A female courtesan with Seventh Grade Cultivation... I wonder what it feels like to have her writhing beneath you?"

"Her pure Primordial Power alone would completely transform a person’s body..."

"Stop dreaming. You wouldn’t even get through the door without tens of thousands of silver taels."

"The courtesan doesn’t choose her partners based on silver..."

The crowd gossiped animatedly, eagerly sharing whatever rumors they had heard.

"I know a Seventh-Grade Expert who went there and disappeared afterward," someone mentioned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean exactly that. He vanished and hasn’t been seen since."

"Maybe they drained him dry? Hahaha..."

"He probably eloped with one of the girls."

There were also slightly unsettling rumors mixed in, but the crowd paid them no mind. In the eyes of ordinary people, a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist was already an immensely powerful figure. Normally, nothing bad could happen to someone like that. Moreover, it made no sense for Eighth Grade and Ninth Grade Martial Artists to visit without issue, only for a Seventh-Grade Martial Artist to go missing. It was far more likely that the man had just left town on his own business.

Lu Yuan’s heart stirred upon hearing this. Perhaps because he had been dealing with the Yanyue Sect so much lately, merely seeing the word "Moon" in Moon Washing Tower made him suspicious of a connection. He could be wrong, but the Yanyue Sect’s worship of the Moon God was ingrained in their very bones, often manifesting in various minute details. Incorporating it into a brothel’s name made perfect sense. As an evil cult, they were known for acting in extreme, completely unreasonable ways, and a brothel provided an excellent hiding spot.

"Don’t even think about it! You’re already engaged," a neighbor teased, interrupting his thoughts.

"That’s right, Lu Yuan. You’d better hurry back inside and keep your fiancée company."

"Though, if Lu Yuan actually went, the courtesan might just take a liking to him!"

"Get lost!" Lu Yuan retorted with a smile, turning back toward his house.

Just then, Lu Ming returned.

"Did you see the Moon Washing Tower’s float?" Lu Ming asked.

"Yeah," Lu Yuan nodded. "Are you paying attention to this too?"

"There have been recent rumors that Seventh-Grade Experts have disappeared after visiting Moon Washing Tower. And it’s not just one," Lu Ming answered.

"Quite a few?" Lu Yuan’s brow furrowed.

"I’ve heard of no less than three."

Lu Ming looked at his son. "What do you think someone would do with a captured Seventh-Grade Martial Artist?"

"Turn them into puppets, or use them for cultivation," Lu Yuan said, clenching his fists.

The Human Weapon Sect had a faction specializing in human puppets. A Seventh-Grade Martial Artist possessed a powerful physical body; if refined with Earth Qi and infused with certain metals, their flesh could withstand runes and unleash tremendous combat prowess. Alternatively, their abundant Primordial Qi and vitality made them excellent fuel for practicing the Blood Evil Demon Technique. In this brutal world, the strong were not just formidable individuals—they were also a twisted kind of resource.

"Yeah," Lu Ming nodded, having arrived at the same speculation.

"You guys need to investigate this thoroughly. If it’s true, it’s a massive hazard, an absolute cancer in the city."

"I’ll go check it out tonight," Lu Yuan decided.

"You..." Lu Ming paused his steps. "It’s best if you bring a Sixth-Grade Martial Artist along."

Seventh Grade strength was still a bit too weak for this. If that place truly was a Demon Cave, all they had to do was activate an Array and surround him with a few experts, and he wouldn’t even be able to escape.

"I know what I’m doing. Don’t worry," Lu Yuan smiled. His actual combat power was no weaker than an ordinary Sixth-Grade Martial Artist. Furthermore, a Life-taking Talisman was safely hidden within his Purple Mansion.

"Alright." Lu Ming felt reassured enough to agree. He found himself increasingly unable to see through this son of his, and he was already aware that Brother Lin had given him a Talisman.

"How is your Profound Skill cultivation coming along?" Lu Ming asked.

"I’ve reached minor mastery. I should achieve major mastery in a little while," Lu Yuan said, looking back at his father. "What about yours?"

"Mine? HEH HEH." Lu Ming’s smile turned smug. "I’m almost at major mastery."

"That fast?" Lu Yuan was surprised. Before switching to the new Profound Skill, Lu Ming had opened over ninety acupoints. It had only been a dozen days since then. According to Lu Yuan’s calculations, reaching 110 acupoints by now would already be considered incredibly fast.

"It’s probably just highly compatible with me," Lu Ming said, unable to hide the joy on his face. With over a decade of solid foundation and an ample supply of pills, his cultivation speed was naturally swift. But the key factor...

"Especially after being struck by your hammer, it felt like all my acupoints were opened up. My cultivation has been incredibly smooth, advancing rapidly every single day..."

Lu Yuan was momentarily stunned. Improving one’s innate aptitude naturally loosened the acupoints. The Spiritual Power from the Celestial Derivation Hammer had fundamentally altered his father’s physique and activated his origin essence. Since Lu Ming had already been practicing his Cultivation Technique, Lu Yuan had intentionally guided the hammering process to align with it. Additionally, achieving major mastery in Lu Ming’s Profound Skill only required opening slightly over 180 acupoints, far fewer than the 248 required for the Cyan Dragon Technique. The inherent difficulty was entirely different.

"How many acupoints have you opened?" Lu Yuan asked.

"Two-thirds of them. Over a hundred and twenty," Lu Ming replied. This was already a dozen more than what was required for major mastery in his previous technique.

"A hundred and twenty..." Lu Yuan rolled his eyes. He had assumed his father had surpassed a hundred and fifty. "You’re still far off. You’re over sixty away from major mastery. Cultivate diligently, and I’ll give you a couple more hammer strikes in a while."

"What do you mean ’far off’? It’s only sixty more! I’ll have them done within two months!" Lu Ming protested. Reaching major mastery in two months—how was that not considered "almost there"? How fast did it need to be? It was already soaring speed!

"But you promised to hit me a couple more times!" Lu Ming added eagerly. He deeply hoped for a few more strikes from the hammer to elevate his innate aptitude to the top tier. When that happened, his combat potential would increase drastically once again.

"Two months..." Lu Yuan looked at his father thoughtfully. For a normal Martial Artist, two months was indeed an incredibly short time. But to him, it still felt a bit too slow. And if he expected his father to reach perfect mastery and break through to the Sixth Grade on his own, it might take at least several years.

Lu Yuan considered giving Lu Ming the Yin Yang Dragon Essence Pill. Since he himself had the System, once his technique reached perfect mastery, his Cultivation would naturally break through, everything falling into place seamlessly. Coupled with the Celestial Derivation Hammer enhancing his innate potential, the Yin Yang Dragon Essence Pill truly wasn’t of much use to him.

However, Lu Ming breaking through held immense significance for Lu Yuan at this stage. It would not only boost their overall strength and ensure their safety, but his father could also help him complete missions to earn more rewards. As long as his father reached major mastery in the Profound Skill, consuming the Yin Yang Dragon Essence Pill would practically guarantee a one hundred percent success rate for a breakthrough while greatly increasing his potential. Although taking the pill at the peak of the Sixth Grade would yield far greater benefits, Lu Yuan knew that once he grew stronger, he would undoubtedly secure even more and better treasures.

So...

"Once you achieve major mastery in your Profound Skill, I’ll give you a good item. Consider it a surprise gift," Lu Yuan said.

"A surprise? A gift?" Lu Ming looked at his son in bewilderment. What other good items could he possibly have? And a surprise?

Then, he felt something was slightly off.

What was going on here?

A son presenting a surprise gift to his old man...

Who was the father here, and who was the son?

Why did it feel like their roles had been entirely reversed, and he was the one being raised and nurtured?