Mu Chen answered without a shred of hesitation. "I believe you. Why wouldn't I?"
Hearing Mu Chen's resolute tone, the Profound Old Ghost faintly saw the image of a figure who had once looked to the sky and thrown himself recklessly at the Nine Heavens Thunder Tribulation. "Good!" he boomed. "The path to power is fraught with hardship and peril. As you grow stronger, you will face countless dangers and could perish at any moment. Do you have the resolve?"
Mu Chen laughed and retorted, "Would someone who has already stared death in the face be afraid of perishing?"
"Haha! Excellent. Acknowledge me as your Master," the Profound Old Ghost boomed with laughter.
Mu Chen froze for a moment, then struggled to his feet and dropped to his knees. "Master!"
Though he couldn't see the Profound Old Ghost's form, his cry of "Master" and the gesture of respect came straight from the heart. This being had given him a new lease on life. He was worthy of this bow.
"Good! Good! Good! My good disciple, rise. A hundred thousand years! I, Old Xuan, finally have a disciple! HAHAHAHA..." The Profound Old Ghost laughed with unrestrained joy, and a violent, Barbaric Aura erupted from Mu Chen's room, sweeping outward like a tidal wave.
In the main hall of the Mu Family, a man who looked to be in his middle years, with stern features and sharp eyes, sat upon the central seat of honor. He calmly regarded the five people below him and asked, "Feng'Er, what happened?"
This man was the current Patriarch of the Mu Family, Mu Gu Tian—Mufeng's father and Mu Chen's grandfather. Though he appeared to be a middle-aged man, he was, in truth, over sixty years old.
"Father," Mufeng said respectfully, his voice heavy, "Chen'Er just tried to take his own life. He lost too much blood and almost..."
"What?" Mu Gu Tian, seated on the main throne, was suddenly furious. "What kind of father are you? You didn't even know Chen'Er was suicidal?"
Mufeng's face filled with shame, and he spoke with even greater deference. "I was indeed at fault in this matter, Father. But it wasn't without reason."
Mu Gu Tian paused, his icy gaze sweeping over the people below. "What exactly happened?" he demanded.
Mufeng's voice was grave. "It was because Rongxuan first insulted Chen'Er, and then ordered Mu Hu to humiliate him in public."
"You, Mufeng, don't you dare make such vicious accusations!" snapped a sullen man standing below, a few years older than Mufeng. This man, who bore a strong resemblance to Mufeng, was none other than Mu Rongxuan's father, Mu Yufan. Behind him, Mu Rongxuan stood with a detached air, feigning innocence as if the matter had nothing to do with him.
Seeing Mu Rongxuan's attitude, Mufeng's expression darkened instantly.
Mu Gu Tian's eyes flashed, his face turning cold in an instant. He looked at Mu Rongxuan and asked, "Rongxuan, is this true?"
Mu Rongxuan quickly bowed. "Grandfather, it wasn't like that," he said respectfully. "I hadn't seen my fourth brother all winter, so I just wanted to play a little joke on him. Who would have thought his temperament was so fragile that he'd try to take his own life? Had I known, I never would have joked with him. As for Mu Hu, I would certainly never let him bully my fourth brother."
Mufeng was enraged. "Nonsense! Chen'Er has always had a strong will. How could he try to kill himself over a single joke from you? You must have humiliated him!"
Mu Yufan was about to speak in Mu Rongxuan's defense, but just then, three black-robed elders emerged from the side. Each carried an air of arrogance. The one in the center, an old man with a wrinkled face and a red mark by the corner of his eye, spoke coolly, "Patriarch, this is no time to be discussing such trivial matters."
Hearing this, Mu Gu Tian's brow furrowed slightly. "Grand Elder, this is not a trivial matter. Chen'Er is a child of the Mu Family, after all..."
"Enough. He's a good-for-nothing from our Mu Family. What is there to discuss? Even if someone did humiliate him, he deserved it. In this world, if you don't want to be humiliated, you need strength! If you can't even endure a little shame, you're just a disgrace." Another elder, this one with a white beard, angrily cut off Mu Gu Tian. With a flick of his sleeve, he sat down in the second seat to Mu Gu Tian's left.
"Second Elder, Chen'Er is my grandson, and a descendant of the Mu Family's Direct Lineage. Don't you think you've gone a bit too far?" Mu Gu Tian's expression changed, his voice turning grim.
Below, Mufeng was seething with uncontrollable rage. Mu Chen was his son, yet this Second Elder had dared to call him a disgrace right in front of him and his father.
The last elder, a man with black hair, tried to smooth things over. "Let's put this matter to rest. While it's true the boy, Mu Chen, cannot practice Cultivation, he is still a child of the Mu Family's Direct Lineage. How about this? Feng'Er, go to the Medicine Pavilion later and fetch some good medicinal herbs to help Mu Chen recover."
"Mufeng, do as the Third Elder says," Mu Gu Tian conceded. Seeing the three Mu Family Elders intervene, he felt a pang of displeasure but dared not openly defy them. "It's also that child Mu Chen's fault for being too emotionally fragile."
Mufeng's face was a mask of fury. 'If this had happened to Mu Rongxuan,' he thought, 'it wouldn't have been brushed aside with just a few medicinal herbs. In the end, they just look down on my Chen'Er.' Gritting his teeth, Mufeng heaved a long sigh and stepped aside, his eyes filled with weariness.
Mu Yufan chuckled smugly and said nothing more.
"Since everyone is here, I'll take this opportunity to make an announcement. There are six months until the Xuanling Imperial Academy begins recruiting. Rongxuan, Xiao Tian, step forward." Mu Gu Tian's gaze swept over the crowd. Seeing Mufeng standing below with a dark expression, he could only let out a silent, bitter laugh.
The Xuanling Imperial Academy was the best Martial Artist Academy in the entire Xuanling Empire, gathering the most brilliant, genius Martial Artists from hundreds of towns and cities. Any Martial Artist who managed to enter the academy was guaranteed to become a powerful figure after graduation and earn respect throughout the Xuanling Empire. If their performance was truly outstanding, they could even join the Empire's official ranks. In that case, the family backing them would see its status soar to incredible new heights.