Eternal Life: Talent Grows with Age-Chapter 88 - 89: Hong Yuan’s Expectations and the Reason for Cultivation

Chapter 88: Chapter 89: Hong Yuan’s Expectations and the Reason for Cultivation

"Scholar Lu, this way please!"

Leaving Hong Yuan’s residence, someone was already waiting to guide him toward the cultivation chamber.

It wasn’t that Lu Chang’sheng didn’t know the way to the chamber, but the Five Treasures True Skill couldn’t be taken outside. After viewing, it had to be returned. If he still had questions next time, he could ask the institute instructors for help.

It would definitely be more effective learning straight from them. For now, this was just to give him a preview of the martial arts manual, so he’d have some foundation in mind.

This junior official was just there to supervise.

Soon, Lu Chang’sheng entered the chamber and opened up the True Qi Martial Manual.

"Five Treasures True Skill!"

He froze for a moment when he saw the name.

From what he knew, Pile Skill and True Qi Martial Arts were closely linked. Some special Pile Skills were even like prerequisites for True Qi arts. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

That’s why he’d been most interested in the True Qi Martial Art that corresponded to Flood Stake—Overlapping Waves Skill.

"Is there some hidden meaning here?"

Lu Chang’sheng wondered inwardly.

Hong Yuan was a top-tier True Qi Realm expert. There was no way he didn’t know these connections. And his practice of Flood Stake wasn’t a secret. Yet he was being given the Five Treasures True Skill, which corresponded to Divine Power Stake. Something was off.

"I’ll ask him about it next time I see him!"

For now, this was just an initial reading. There was still time before he began cultivation, so no need to get hung up on it.

Reading it once, he lost track until the next day.

The Five Treasures True Skill was insanely complex but also entrancing, so he read through it again and again until most of it was burned into his mind.

This was where his reading talent truly shined, letting him memorize almost all of it in a very short time.

······

The next morning, Lu Chang’sheng and Nangua arrived in front of a courtyard in West City.

"Black Monkey!"

"Dazhuang!"

Two sturdy men stood outside the gates, looking like they’d been there awhile.

"You’re here, Chang’sheng!"

The men were Niu Dazhuang and Wang Heihou. Zhao Hu had served in the Black Mountain Army for years and was now a Ninth Grade Captain. But rising higher would be no easy feat.

Their relationship with Zhang Village was good, so they’d all come together.

They kept silent as they entered the mourning hall.

A coffin lay across two long benches. A woman knelt by a spirit brazier burning paper money, holding a child, both of them crying as they burnt the offerings.

Hearing people come in behind, the woman turned and glanced at them, then began to cry even harder.

Lu Chang’sheng stepped forward, lit three sticks of incense, and looked at the kneeling woman and child, a hint of puzzlement on his face.

"The old man didn’t have any family, right? Who are they?"

"A few years back, the old man bought that woman out of the brothel. Later, he had a child in his old age," Wang Heihou explained, shaking his head in amazement.

The old guy sure knew how to enjoy life!

Lu Chang’sheng thought.

Once someone dies, that’s it—the light goes out. No need to say any more about it here at his altar. Still, he shot a glance at the kid, his brows furrowing—it didn’t look like the old man at all.

"And the guy who fought with the old man over the woman?"

Wang Heihou replied, "We roughed him up a little, but because of his background, we didn’t go too far."

They stepped outside and talked for a bit. Turns out, the guy who’d fought with the old man was an illegitimate son of the Lin Family patriarch. Since he had some ties with Lu Chang’sheng, they hadn’t pressed it further.

"What do you all think?"

Over the years, Wang Heihou had managed the Three Red Gang and Martial Artist Council with Liang Yun, extending their influence to every corner of Black Mountain Prefecture. He wasn’t the same kid who once depended on everyone else for ideas.

Lu Chang’sheng smiled and said, "We still have to look into it. The old man was one of ours. If it was just jealousy and he died by accident, then fine—but if there’s something more, we can’t just let it slide."

Wang Heihou smiled back. "Well said, Chang’sheng!"

Not long after he got home, Lu Chang’sheng received a visiting card from Lin Xiaowen. Since the guy had helped him in the past, he invited him in.

"Greetings, Scholar Lu!"

Lin Xiaowen bowed deeply with clasped hands.

"Patriarch Lin, you’re too polite. Please, have a seat!"

Lu Chang’sheng gestured to the chair beside him with a smile.

Lin Xiaowen glanced up, and for a moment his eyes met Lu Chang’sheng’s at the head seat. He quickly looked down, a bit shocked, remembering the boy who’d once been nervous in front of them—now full of feelings.

He offered his gifts and stated his purpose—he was there to plead for his illegitimate son.

"My son acts rash because of his youth, but after growing up in the brothel with his mother, he’s timid as a rabbit. Even if there was jealousy, he wouldn’t be capable of killing anyone. So I ask Scholar Lu to investigate and clear his name."

He said more, piquing Lu Chang’sheng’s interest even further.

According to Lin Xiaowen, after learning of the incident, he’d interrogated his son. It turned out, the dispute started because the woman from the brothel Zhang Village wanted had a friendship with the illegitimate son. One wanted a girlfriend, the other didn’t want to lose her—so they clashed.

The son, though, insisted he didn’t kill anyone in Zhang Village.

Lu Chang’sheng didn’t just take Lin Xiaowen’s word. He waited for news from Wang Heihou.

These days, in Black Mountain Prefecture, the Martial Artist Council couldn’t be called the most powerful, but when it came to information, they were absolutely the sharpest.

Of course, this rapid expansion meant their unity was pretty loose. As long as Lu Chang’sheng and Wang Heihou were around, there wouldn’t be any big problems. But if they left, things might fall apart.