"This Fusha City truly lives up to its name!" Dragon Teeth covered his mouth and nose, his eyes full of disdain.
Mu Chen, who was walking behind him, glanced over with a low warning: "Luofeng, watch your words."
A trace of coldness flashed in Dragon Teeth’s eyes, but no one could see it. He turned his gaze, already displaying a submissive and obedient demeanor. "Uncle, I’m only speaking the truth. Look at how a gentle breeze stirs up so much sand and dust here—it indeed matches the city’s name."
Mu Chen looked at him indifferently, sighing in his heart. Still, he explained: "Fusha City is dominated by the Sang Family, an Ancient Clan with inherent talent in artifact refining. Their city is naturally centered around refining. Most shops in Fusha City focus on selling refining materials, crafting weapons, and selling weapons, so the dust here is naturally more than in other cities. Additionally, being in the Western Land, where wind and sand are abundant, it’s not surprising to see some dust blowing around."
"Understood, Uncle." Dragon Teeth said with a forced smile.
But from his expression, Mu Chen could tell that he hadn’t truly listened. Or rather, he wasn’t interested in listening.
Mu Chen shook his head silently, reminding: "Since you want to propose to the Sang Family and marry the first beauty of the West Continent, if you can’t even show the minimum respect to the Sang Family and Fusha City, then I see no reason to propose this marriage to the Sang Family for you."
"Uncle, please no!" Dragon Teeth grew anxious immediately. His eyes flashed as he said to Mu Chen: "You promised me that if I break through, you’d help me arrange a marriage. I’m not young anymore; without a woman to take care of me, how can I fully devote myself to cultivation?"
"If you could break through to the Silver Realm and then talk to me about this, I’d be much more relieved," Mu Chen said helplessly.
What nonsense about not being able to focus on cultivation without a woman? It’s clearly youthful infatuation, wanting a wife! Mu Chen wasn’t clueless—how could he not see it?
He simply didn’t want to find just any woman to serve Dragon Teeth, distracting him from cultivation, thus he proposed that if he wanted a wife, he must choose well.
Unexpectedly, Dragon Teeth himself suggested that the first beauty of the West Continent, Sang Xuewu of the Sang Family, was a good choice.
This is the reason they left their secluded place to visit the West Continent.
"Uncle, I’m already at the sixth layer of the Gray Realm, only a step away from the Silver Realm. It’s just a matter of time before I enter the Silver Realm. You’ve always taught me that cultivation can’t be rushed, it’s a matter of course. Why rush now?" Dragon Teeth replied impatiently.
How could he not harbor resentment in his heart? He wondered if Mu Qingge had perished at the hands of the Su Family and Yan Family in Anmo City. If not, that’s perfect! Once he breaks through to the Silver Realm, he will seek him out, humiliate him severely, and then kill him. He’ll reclaim those two stunning servants and show them who their real master is!
"Great Elder, there’s an inn up ahead," Mu Peng suddenly interjected, interrupting the unpleasant conversation between Mu Chen and Dragon Teeth.
Mu Chen looked up at the inn, which was simply decorated but not shabby. He nodded and instructed Mu Peng, "We’ll settle here for now, and visit the Sang Family tomorrow."
Once he decided, Mu Peng signaled the accompanying guards to handle the arrangements.
Dragon Teeth also looked towards the inn, wearing an expression of disdain. He thought to himself: ’Can such a rundown place accommodate someone like him? He’s the Young Master of the Mu Clan! Why not choose a luxurious inn?’
However, he dared not go against Mu Chen’s decision, so despite his immense distaste, he reluctantly followed along.
His attendant noticed his displeasure and whispered, "Young Master, you will see the legendary first beauty of the West Continent tomorrow. Don’t sweat the small stuff."
Dragon Teeth’s eyes lit up, and the displeasure over the choice of inn vanished instantly. He turned to the attendant and quipped, "If the Sang Xuewu you spoke of isn’t as beautiful as you described, see how I’ll deal with you!"
The attendant grimaced and replied, "Young Master, I... I only heard others say so! She’s called the first beauty of the West Continent; she can’t be too unattractive, can she?"
"Hmph." Dragon Teeth snorted coldly, raised his chin, and followed Mu Chen into the inn.
Inside the inn, once they settled down, Mu Chen called Mu Peng to his room.
The two engaged in a low conversation.
"Great Elder, are we really to propose on behalf of the Young Master? Young Master Mu Feng is a few years older yet hasn’t thought of marrying; he’s focused on cultivation," Mu Peng expressed some discontent.
Mu Chen sighed silently, "He made the request, and I used the advancement in cultivation to challenge him. Now that he’s broken through, how can I go back on my word?"
"But... aren’t you worried that once he’s married, he might indulge in romance and neglect his cultivation?" Mu Peng asked with concern.
"That’s precisely why the choice of wife must be prudent. A wise marriage is essential, and choosing the wrong wife could ruin Luofeng’s life," Mu Chen said in a serious tone.
After a moment of silence, he continued, "Sang Xuewu is on the Cub Phoenix List of the West Continent, with strength and talent not to be underestimated. Moreover, she possesses the artifact-refining bloodline of the Sang Family and is highly valued there. If we could indeed form an alliance with the Sang Family, it might become a great support for us. Additionally, I’ve heard that Sang Xuewu has a good temperament, is pragmatic, and very resilient. Such a woman is exactly what Luofeng needs. Tomorrow we will visit the Sang Family and see for ourselves. If she is indeed as described, Luofeng marrying her would be the right choice."
"After all, the Sang Family is an Ancient Clan. Would they consider our Young Master?" Mu Peng still felt uneasy.
The Mu Clan, although having a long history, hasn’t been prominent in the Middle Ancient Realm lately. Besides, since this faction is a split-off, how could they convince the Sang Family to marry their daughter?
Mu Chen pondered for a moment and said, "If it were the old Sang Family, it wouldn’t be possible. But now, the Sang Family has fallen, teetering on the brink, and is no longer brilliant. It’s a time that requires the injection of new strength. Luofeng has good talent, and with our people, it’s not entirely impossible."
Seeing Mu Chen’s mind was made up, Mu Peng said no more.
A moment later, Mu Chen said to Mu Peng, "Since we’ve come out, send someone to the Floating Guest Clan to investigate if anything major has happened recently in the Middle Ancient Realm. Also, check Mu Qingge’s whereabouts. The map is with her, and we must cooperate with her no matter what; otherwise, Luofeng’s opportunity is indeed slim."
Mu Peng lowered his eyes, bowed his head, and said, "Yes."
...
Fusha City, Sang Family.
The Sang Family’s mansion lacked luxurious decorations and instead gave a sense of simple yet profound solidity. Inside, any random pillar’s age might be older than even the elders of the Sang Family.
A stable and grand mansion, who would have thought that inside, talents had long withered and the bloodline had faded?
Entering the Sang Family, the sounds of artifact refining are ubiquitous, and even the air tastes of refining materials.
Outsiders entering might feel uncomfortable. However, for the Sang Family members, this environment is the most comforting to them.
After returning from the Sunset Grassland, the Third Elder would report to the Family Head. Before leaving, he specifically invited Sang Xuewu.
Sang Xuewu had no choice but to hand over the Earth Emperor Pill brought back from Wuyin Mansion to Sang Yichen, letting him return home first and give it to their mother. As for Mu Qingge’s matter, it was left unsaid, waiting to be discussed after she returned.
Sang Xuewu followed the Third Elder to her grandfather’s courtyard, waiting outside.
Soon, a servant from the clan came out to summon them.
Before entering the room, Sang Xuewu took a deep breath before following the Third Elder inside.
The study of the Sang Family Clan Leader looked very much like a small weaponry. Various weapons hung on the walls everywhere, but these were merely molds and lacked lethality.
Sang Xuewu knew that in this room, the only weapon capable of killing was the broken blade placed on the stand at her grandfather’s desk.
Upon entering, King Sang Shun was carefully wiping that broken blade and was seemingly oblivious to the two who had entered.
The Third Elder and Sang Xuewu quietly waited, not disturbing him.
After the time it takes for a stick of incense to burn, King Sang Shun put the polished broken blade back into its stand on the desk and looked up at the two standing in the room.
On his handsome but frost-haired face, the most memorable feature was his profoundly deep eyes, like zircon.
Under the gaze of those eyes, Sang Xuewu softly called, "Grandfather."
King Sang Shun slowly nodded, his powerful cultivation preventing time from leaving marks on him. Yet, the future of the Sang Family had turned his temples white.
Otherwise, from his appearance, no one would guess he was currently one hundred and eight years old; he seemed more like a middle-aged man in his thirties or forties.
"Xuewu happened to cross paths with the Old Third," King Sang Shun spoke, his voice steady, carrying the authority of the Family Head.
The Third Elder smiled slightly and respectfully said, "Big Brother, Xuewu heard about the grand hunt at Wuyin Mansion, so she went to Liuhuo City where she ran into us."
"Hmm." King Sang Shun hardly noticeably nodded, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. He only asked, "How was the harvest this time?"
The Third Elder sighed with a complex smile and said, "This time it was really a blend of risks and surprises!"
"Oh?" King Sang Shun’s eyes inquired.
Immediately, the Third Elder began recounting everything that happened at the Sunset Grassland.
This included Sang Xuewu encountering Ying Chuan at Wuyin Mansion, leading to a dispute, and the subsequent trouble caused by Ying Ze of the Ying Family at the Sunset Grassland, all the way until the grand hunt ended.
The entire account took the Third Elder over an hour to tell.
After finishing his speech, his mouth was dry. Sang Xuewu, understanding, poured a cup of tea and handed it to him. The Third Elder took it and said to her, "Xuewu is always considerate."
Then, after drinking all the tea in the cup, he finally felt a little more comfortable.
"Old Third, this trip must have been hard on you. Go back and rest first." King Sang Shun, after listening, didn’t seem particularly interested, only telling the Third Elder to go back and rest.
The Third Elder was taken aback, gave an awkward smile, put down the teacup and left the room.
Sang Xuewu was about to leave as well, but King Sang Shun’s voice came, "Xuewu, stay."
The Third Elder gave her an assuring look and left with big strides. Sang Xuewu had no choice but to turn around and face her grandfather again.
Honestly, when facing King Sang Shun alone, Sang Xuewu felt uneasy. Not just because of the aura King Sang Shun possessed, but also because Sang Xuewu was afraid of being asked about her sister.
Sure enough, King Sang Shun slowly walked over to her. His tall and upright figure standing before Sang Xuewu gave her a strong sense of oppression. "Mu Qingge?"
Sang Xuewu lowered her eyes, her long and curled eyelashes hiding the emotions within them.
King Sang Shun’s deep eyes gazed at her in silence. After a long time, he slowly nodded, "To have the perseverance and strength to come from Linchuan, she’s a good child."
Sang Xuewu suddenly raised her head, staring at her grandfather in astonishment.
King Sang Shun snorted coldly, reproaching, "Your mother is my daughter. Do you think I, as a father, don’t know the name of my daughter’s child?"
Sang Xuewu’s face turned pale. She had never been able to understand her grandfather since she was a child, unable to guess his thoughts, only certain that he truly cared for their siblings and their mother. But what about her sister?
The sister who was left behind at Linchuan Mu Mansion, whom she had never met, what was her grandfather’s sentiment towards her?
"Go see your mother."
Just when she didn’t know how to answer, King Sang Shun suddenly let her leave.
Sang Xuewu nodded and turned to leave.
As she stepped out of the door, King Sang Shun’s voice came again: "If anyone dares to disrespect you in the future, just kill them. The Sang Family isn’t what it used to be, but a lady of the Sang Family isn’t someone everyone can bully."
Sang Xuewu’s back stiffened, a layer of moisture welled up in her eyes.
She bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying, took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in her heart, and replied, "Yes, Grandfather!"
Sang Xuewu left, her footsteps gradually fading from King Sang Shun’s hearing.
At this moment, a complex expression flashed deep within his eyes. He sighed, whispering, "Mu Qingge..."
...
In the vast mansion of the Sang Family, there is a place most secluded.
The courtyard there was once abandoned.
Later, when Sang Lanruo returned from Linchuan, it became their home.
This wasn’t King Sang Shun’s decision; it was Sang Lanruo’s own choice. She said she didn’t want to be disturbed by the outside world and wanted peace and quiet.
So, King Sang Shun ordered that no one was allowed to step foot there unless necessary.
Gradually, over nineteen years, it became a forbidden area in the Sang Family.
And Sang Lanruo seemed self-restrained, rarely stepping out. Every time she appeared, it was for the revival of Mu Liancheng.
As Sang Xuewu and Sang Yichen gradually grew up, they took on more interactions with the outside world, while she focused more on staying in the courtyard, accompanying Mu Liancheng.
As Sang Yichen stepped into the small courtyard at home, having been away for over a month, he almost couldn’t adjust to the home’s temperature.
It was very cold here, the coldest place in the Sang Family, or rather the entire Fusha City.
Because here, underneath this courtyard, was an ice cellar where his father’s body was kept. It was also where his mother spent the most time daily.
Sang Yichen shivered, and upon adjusting, he headed toward the room.
"Mother, I’m back!" As soon as he entered the house, Sang Yichen shouted loudly.
But there was no response from inside.
"Mother?" Sang Yichen looked around again, confirming there was no one in the room. Only then did a hint of resigned helplessness appear in his eyes. He clenched the box containing the Earth Emperor Pill and walked toward his mother’s room.
The entrance to the ice cellar connected directly to his mother’s room.
Skilled at opening the secret door, he descended the steps, and the penetrating cold air kept closing in, making his limbs stiff.
Sang Yichen circulated the Spiritual Power within his body to dispel the coldness surrounding him, walking into the deepest part of the ice cave.
As he approached, he heard his mother’s voice—
"Liancheng, you’ve been asleep for so long and if you don’t wake up, I’m going to grow old."
Sang Yichen’s eyes showed a trace of heartache as he slowed his steps to enter.
As he walked down the steps, he saw his father lying on a millennium-old Mystic Ice, and next to him, his mother sitting there, using a cloth to wipe his father’s arm, cleaning him.
In fact, there wasn’t any dust that could reach his father while he lay here.
However, his mother stubbornly believed the wind and sand in Fusha City were too much and feared his father would find it dirty, so almost daily she would come back to wipe his body.
And she would say the same words.
For so many years, she repeated them daily without giving up.
"Mother." Sang Yichen called out.
The woman with her back to him paused her hand movements and slowly turned around, revealing a breathtaking face.
You can’t deny, a woman who could give birth to children with looks like Mu Qingge, Sang Xuewu, and Sang Yichen, couldn’t be ugly! But, on her breathtakingly beautiful face was overly pale skin, and haggardness.
Sang Lanruo saw Sang Yichen and gave a slight smile, raising her hand to beckon, "Come."
Sang Yichen walked forward and knelt down beside his parents.
His father’s sleeping face was as it always was. And his mother seemed even more haggard.
Sang Lanruo took Sang Yichen’s hand, looked at Mu Liancheng, and said, "Liancheng, our Yichen is back. Would you like to hear what interesting things he encountered on this trip?"
Saying this, she turned her gaze to Sang Yichen and said, "Why don’t you tell your father about the things you encountered on this trip? Did you cause any trouble?"
Sang Yichen, heart full of pain for his mother, with tightly pursed lips that trembled slightly.
Under his mother’s gaze, he turned his head to look at his father. The secret in his heart could no longer be hidden, nor wait for Sang Xuewu’s return. "Father, on this trip, I saw sister. Our sister, Mu Qingge!"
Bang!
The basin of water beside Sang Lanruo fell, the water splashing onto the ice cellar, instantly crystallizing into ice flowers.
Her eyes widened, filled with shock and excitement, breathing rapidly as she said, "What did you say? Who did you say you met?"
Sang Yichen’s clothes were gripped by his mother, forcing him to look at her.
Sang Yichen’s gaze landed on Sang Lanruo’s hands, reddened and swollen from the cold, pulling at his heartstrings. He lifted her from the cold ground, saying, "Mother, let’s go out first, we’ll talk outside."
"No! I want you to tell here, with your father and I present, make it clear, who did you meet?" Sang Lanruo insisted.
Sang Yichen understood his mother’s temperament and could only say, "I met sister, Mu Qingge. She’s come from Linchuan!"
Sang Lanruo staggered as if all her strength had been drained.


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