Ch 121

Chapter 121: Inside the Story

Ye Xun looked at the two of them with a cold expression, as if everything was their fault.

Wang Li stood to the side, disheartened, her face a bit gloomy.

"Father, you have three million. Give me one million," Ye Rong couldn't help but say.

Ye Xun suddenly became angry and yelled loudly, "I raised you to this age and sent you to Saint Star Academy, and now you're still asking me for money?" Ye Xun glared at Ye Rong in fury and said, "I sent you to Saint Star Academy hoping you'd achieve something and revitalize the family. But in the end, you became a slave. Useless!"

Ye Rong bit her lip sadly. This wasn't what she wanted! There were countless outstanding students at Saint Star Academy, and she didn't stand out in any way. Without excellence, she wouldn't receive resources, and she would fall further and further behind those who performed well.

"Rong'er is struggling. Anyway, since you have three million, you can give her half a million," Wang Li said from the side.

Ye Xun shouted angrily, "Shut up! You're the one who got us into this mess by getting involved with counterfeit goods. In the end, we lost everything—wife, money, reputation.

He owes nearly 1.5 million to the casino now, and who knows how much more is owed with interest. How can I spare that many yuan stones for Ye Rong? Besides, there are so many other expenses. Three million yuan stones aren't enough!"

Wang Li looked good, but compared to the seductive women of the Imperial Capital, she was quite lacking.

Ye Xun had also considered using the primordial stones to hire a courtesan, but now that the primordial stones had shrunk so much in number, it was questionable whether he could even afford a decent one.

Mu Chen had spent the entire morning settling Ye Xun's issue before going to see Mu Yuanfeng. Mu Yuanfeng had advanced quickly and was now a Three-Star Martial Spirit.

"Father, you've really accumulated a lot. You're a Three-Star Martial Spirit now. I'm proud of you," Mu Chen smiled at Mu Yuanfeng.

"It's all thanks to you," Mu Yuanfeng smiled gently.

When it comes to cultivation, resources are the most important thing. Mu Yuanfeng now had primordial stones in hand. In the past, he was reluctant to buy even a third-level spirit herb, but now he could easily buy a fourth-level one. He even spent a large amount of money to acquire a new martial arts manual.

In the Imperial Capital, as long as you have money, you can buy anything.

Mu Yuanfeng had been held back for a long time and had a solid foundation. Now that the opportunity was here, he advanced rapidly.

Mu Ke had written several times urging him to return, but Mu Yuanfeng ignored them.

Compared to his father, Mu Yuanfeng valued his son more. After all these years, if the family hadn't dragged him down, he would've reached Martial Spirit long ago.

Even so, Mu Yuanfeng still had feelings for the Mu family and sent a regular monthly sum of primordial stones.

Mu Yuanfeng looked at Mu Chen with a complicated expression.

"Father, why are you looking at me like that?" Mu Chen asked with a smile, noticing the look on Mu Yuanfeng's face.

Mu Yuanfeng hesitated for a moment, then couldn't help but say, "Chen'er, that Ye Xun provoked you and wasted so much of your time—not only sending someone to seduce you but also leaving behind gambling debts."

"He deserved it," Mu Chen replied calmly with a smile.

Mu Yuanfeng looked at Mu Chen in a daze. He didn't know when that playful son of his had changed so much—so intelligent and bright, yet unrecognizable.

"Chen'er, the Ye and Mu families have been close for generations. If Ye Xun didn't go too far, try to forgive and forget," Mu Yuanfeng frowned. After all, Ye Xun had almost become Mu Chen's father-in-law.

Mu Chen rested his chin on his hand, looking at Mu Yuanfeng with deep eyes, "Father, it's all his own fault. You don't need to pity him. Without me, in this Imperial Capital full of dangers, someone like Ye Xun—so ambitious yet incapable—would have ended up like this sooner or later. I only gave him a push."

Mu Chen didn't tell Mu Yuanfeng much about Ye Shi's biological father. Sometimes, knowing too much wasn't a good thing.

Mu Yuanfeng sighed helplessly as he looked at Mu Chen. With a sense of relief, he thought: This child has grown up. I can't control him anymore.

"As long as you know what you're doing," he said.

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes, a cold light flashing within. If it weren't for Ye Xun's insatiable greed, who opened his lion's mouth wide with demands, why would he have gone so far?

He was too busy to waste time on trash like this.

"By the way, there's one more thing," Mu Yuanfeng added.

Mu Chen looked up, "What is it?"

"Someone is investigating the body cultivation technique formula. It seems to be a major power," Mu Yuanfeng said seriously.

"Really?" Mu Chen narrowed his eyes.

Mu Yuanfeng nodded, "Yes. The other party seems to be going to great lengths to find the formula. Although the technique is good, it shouldn't cause such a commotion."

Mu Chen smiled, "Maybe that formula is of great value to them."

Could it be Lu Yao making a move?

In the original timeline, Mu Chen died at this person's hands! Even Ye Shi was affected.

This time… Who would win?

---

"Tio Chen, why are you dragging me?" Ye Shi was puzzled as Chen Da pulled him forward.

"That bastard Ye Xun is bothering you again?" Chen Da asked with a serious expression.

Ye Shi nodded, "Yes. He had something that belonged to my biological father. He offered to sell it to me for sixty million. I agreed, but then he tried to give me a fake. Mu Chen got angry and counter-offered with three million."

"Three million?" Ye Shi said bluntly, "That wasn't good. But he accepted."

"Ye Xun really had something that belonged to your father?" Chen Da asked, surprised.

Ye Shi nodded, "Yes."

"Mu Chen made a counter-offer of three million and Ye Xun agreed?" Chen Da asked again.

"Yes! I heard Ye Xun owed money to a gambling house and if he didn't pay by the deadline, he'd be dead. Otherwise, he would've toyed with us for a while. Lucky break," Ye Shi said cheerfully. When Mu Chen said he would handle it in two days, he had actually been worried.

Chen Da sneered and looked at Ye Shi helplessly, "Shitou, you really think it was just luck?"

Ye Shi blinked, puzzled, "If not luck, then what?"

"Mu Chen orchestrated everything. He incited someone to seduce Ye Xun and manipulated the gambling house into targeting him," Chen Da sighed.

Ye Shi widened his eyes, shocked, "No way! Uncle Chen, you must be mistaken. Mu Chen isn't that kind of person!"

Chen Da shook his head, deeply concerned, "You always assume the best of others…"

Chen Da didn't know how to judge Mu Chen. He was qualified, talented, capable—flawless.

And that was the problem. His perfection made him dangerous. Could someone as simple as the young master really handle that?

At first, Chen Da thought gentleness might be Mu Chen's weakness. But now, he saw that Mu Chen was gentle on the surface yet ruthless when touched at the wrong spot.

Ye Shi puffed his cheeks and looked aside, "No matter what kind of person Mu Chen is… he's Mu Chen."

Chen Da looked at Ye Shi helplessly. With Ye Shi like this, there was no way to protect him from Mu Chen. He could only hope that Mu Chen was sincere. Otherwise, Ye Shi might end up like his parents—dying depressed and heartbroken.

---

Mu Chen looked at Ye Shi and asked lightly, "Where did you go with Uncle Chen?"

Ye Shi lowered his head with some guilt, "Nowhere really. Just out for a walk."

"Did you like anything?" Mu Chen could tell Ye Shi had something on his mind, but didn't press.

Ye Shi shook his head, "No."

He held up a card of yuan stones and looked at Mu Chen, "Since we only paid three million yuan stones for my dad's torn book, I still have over sixty million left."

Mu Chen replied, "Keep it. Buy whatever you want. Don't feel guilty about spending yuan stones."

"But I can't possibly spend that much," Ye Shi said anxiously.

Mu Chen dismissed it, "It'll always come in handy."

Ye Shi nodded, "Okay."

He took the book from his space ring, frowned, and said, "Ye Xun better not be lying again. This book looks like trash."

Mu Chen said disapprovingly, "Do you even know what it's made of?"

Ye Shi paused. He couldn't tell.

Mu Chen looked at the book and said, "Don't underestimate it. I have a feeling it's not so simple."

"What a loss," Ye Shi pouted, holding the book.

Mu Chen smiled faintly. Even if he'd paid sixty million, Ye Shi would have agreed. Three million was cheap. Fortunately, Ye Xun was a soft target. If he were stronger, he'd be harder to deal with.

---

"Tio Chen," Mu Chen called faintly as he entered the kitchen and saw Chen Da busy.

"Young Master Mu, why are you here? Where's the young master?" Chen Da asked with a smile.

"Ye Shi is sparring with Mu Yuanfeng." Of course, Ye Shi wasn't his match—it was more like Mu Yuanfeng guiding him.

"I see," Chen Da murmured.

Mu Chen looked at Chen Da, his eyes flashing strangely. He always felt he couldn't see through Chen Da. He seemed like an ordinary man, but sometimes he gave off a dangerous aura.

"Young Master Mu…" Chen Da lowered his head.

"Tio Chen, what is it?" Mu Chen asked lightly.

"If possible, please stay away from him," Chen Da frowned, hesitating a long time before finally speaking.

Ye Shi was stubborn and simple-minded. Mu Chen was too complicated. If he didn't know how to control himself, Ye Shi might end up like his parents—dead and broken.

Mu Chen asked, "Why?"

"I just don't think you're right for the young master," Chen Da said.

Mu Chen smiled indifferently, stepped closer, and said, "Whether we're right for each other isn't for you to decide. Ye Shi has grown up. You can't control him anymore. And there are some things he shouldn't hear too much about."

Mu Chen narrowed his eyes slightly. Chen Da might mean well, but he was meddling too much.

Looking at Mu Chen's gentle smile, Chen Da suddenly felt that… maybe it had been a mistake to bring Ye Shi to meet Mu Chen.

---