Facing Jiang Zhao's Rushing Thunder Fist, Xu Mu simply extended a palm dismissively.
*Boom!*
The fist met the palm, held firmly in place. Before anyone could react, Jiang Zhao's figure had already been sent flying backward.
Jiang Xiang fell silent.
The young man he had looked down upon had defeated Jiang Zhao with just one palm.
Could such strength bring shame to the Jiang family?
"You won't bring shame, you'll have a place even at the Myriad Races Alliance. I misjudged you," Jiang Xiang said with a slight smile after a long gaze. He was old and felt no embarrassment.
"Thank you for your praise, Senior," Xu Mu replied with a smile, cupping his fist in return.
"Young man, go to the ancestral shrine and release your father. Since his money wasn't wasted, there's no need to keep him confined," Jiang Xiang nodded and then said to Jiang Sheng.
Jiang Sheng, still kneeling on the ground and trying to process what had happened, immediately kowtowed three times to the elder upon hearing that his father was to be released. He then hurried towards the ancestral shrine.
Qian Qian stood up, glanced at Jiang Zhao, who was being helped up, and then at the calm Xu Mu. His expression was peculiar.
When he first met this Mu Xu, he had judged him to be no ordinary person, but he hadn't expected him to be so powerful, defeating Jiang Zhao in one move!
"We've struck gold," Qian Qian said, looking at Xu Mu and sighing. This Mu Xu's strength likely surpassed his own by a considerable margin.
But why did this name sound so familiar?
Qian Qian frowned, feeling something was amiss but unable to pinpoint what it was.
As the hall remained silent, Jiang Zhao rose from the ground.
He looked at Xu Mu, then at Jiang Sheng, who had already rushed to the entrance of the ancestral shrine. His expression changed dramatically, and he clasped his hands again, saying,
"Elder Jiang, Jiang Sheng's father, Jiang Li, was imprisoned under my uncle's direct orders. Is it really appropriate to release him just like this?"
At these words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly grew tense. Jiang Xiang turned around and gazed silently at Jiang Zhao.
Yet, Jiang Zhao could feel an invisible pressure bearing down on him, as if trying to crush his bones.
Just as Jiang Zhao's body began to tremble violently and he could barely endure it, Jiang Xiang withdrew the pressure, clasped his hands behind his back, and left.
"If Jiang Li Yun has any objections, he can come find me himself. If he still has the nerve!"
Jiang Zhao understood the meaning of the latter half of the sentence and immediately trembled, burying his head even lower, remaining kneeling until Jiang Xiang was gone.
"Let's go!" A moment later, Jiang Zhao shakily stood up from the ground. He cast an angry and fearful glance at Xu Mu and Qian Qian.
"You wait, Jiang Zhao remembers this!" Jiang Zhao threatened with a false show of bravado, then quickly led his guards away from the ancestral shrine.
Xu Mu and Qian Qian remained calm, unperturbed by his words.
"Do Jiang Xiang and Jiang Zhao's uncle have some past grievance?" Xu Mu turned to Qian Qian, asking doubtfully. He could sense that the seemingly gentle Elder Jiang Xiang harbored a subtle hostility towards Jiang Zhao.
"I told you earlier, Elder Jiang Xiang retired to the mountains because his dao companion was buried here,"
Qian Qian sighed and said softly, "And Jiang Zhao's uncle was the key figure responsible for Elder Jiang Xiang's dao companion's death.
Reportedly, Jiang Zhao's uncle, in order to save his own life during a dangerous pursuit, abandoned Elder Jiang Xiang and his companion midway. Elder Jiang Xiang managed to break through the encirclement, but his dao companion was lost forever.
After that incident, Elder Jiang Xiang repeatedly sought to hold Jiang Zhao's uncle accountable, but in the end, nothing came of it.
"Oh, I see," Xu Mu listened to the old story and nodded in silence.
He had long since become accustomed to such tales of self-preservation in times of crisis.
…
Meanwhile, while Xu Mu and Qian Qian were talking, Jiang Sheng, who had rushed to the ancestral shrine, had already helped Jiang Li out.
He was a middle-aged man of average height, rather thin, wearing a dark gray brocade robe. There were clear muddy marks on his knees, indicating he had knelt for a long time.
Even more striking was the man's black and white streaked hair.
Xu Mu watched him silently from a hundred meters away, guessing that his graying hair was not due to natural aging.
Could it be related to him?
Xu Mu suddenly had this thought. He always felt that the matter of Jiang Li selling his assets to find him was very strange, but he would have to ask to know if there were any hidden circumstances.
"Father, do you remember, next time something happens, you must call me, otherwise I won't go to the preliminary selection for the Myriad Races Alliance!" Jiang Sheng said solemnly as he helped Jiang Li, walking slowly towards the group.
"Alas, it's not a big deal. The ancestral shrine is clean. Being confined for a couple of days gave me some peace," Jiang Li replied with a sad expression and a hoarse voice.
"That won't do. The ancestral shrine, put simply, is where the dead reside. How can the living stay there!" Jiang Sheng said quietly, making Jiang Li frown.
He looked around for a long time, and when he saw no one, he glared at Jiang Sheng with a troubled look. "Kid, watch your words next time. Don't be disrespectful. Your ancestors reside in there!"
"No ancestor is an exception. And I don't understand, since you found a helper for the Myriad Races Alliance, why did you also look for that mysterious swordsman? Isn't one person enough?" Jiang Sheng asked, puzzled.
"What helper? What are you talking about?" Jiang Sheng was taken aback and then asked.
"It's him, didn't you hire him as a helper?" Jiang Sheng said, pointing in Xu Mu's direction. Seeing them look over, Xu Mu cupped his fist in greeting.
"Greetings, my name is Mu Xu. I've met Lord Jiang."
"Uh, hello." Jiang Li looked at Xu Mu, stunned, wondering who this person was.
"You don't know him?" Even if Jiang Sheng was slow, he could tell something was wrong now.
"Never seen him before," Jiang Li shook his head and continued, "And I never looked for any helper. I paid money only to find the swordsman who went to the Elven Kingdom."
"Then who are you?" Jiang Sheng's eyes widened as he stared at Xu Mu, then asked Qian Qian in surprise, "Brother Qian, what is going on?"
Seeing this, Qian Qian stepped forward with Xu Mu and bowed to Jiang Li again. He then recounted the entire process of how he and Xu Mu met.
Only then did Jiang Li and Jiang Sheng understand the whole story.
"You kid, you dared to bring him before Elder Jiang Xiang without seeing him in action once. You're quite bold," Jiang Li said, looking at Qian Qian and Xu Mu with a speechless smile.
He had initially thought his own family members had ordered his release, but it turned out to be because of Qian Qian and this young man.
"Qian Qian, listen carefully. I won't allow you to take such risks in the future," Jiang Sheng said with a serious expression.
He considered Qian Qian a brother and didn't want him to be implicated because of his affairs.
"Yes, you were too risky today. If you had misjudged and encountered someone other than Jiang Xiang, the consequences would have been unimaginable," Jiang Li also nodded in agreement.
"Don't worry, it won't happen again," Qian Qian said with a warm smile.
"So, young brother, your name is Mu Xu, right?" Jiang Li said, turning his gaze back to Xu Mu. The sadness in his eyes slowly receded, and he said calmly, "There's something I need to make clear to you beforehand.
If you can accept it, stay with my Jiang family. If not, then please feel free to leave."
"Please speak, Senior," Xu Mu said, cupping his fist.
"You should have heard about my situation, but I think you've misunderstood something. I was looking for the swordsman who saved the slave, not for the Myriad Races Alliance. Therefore, if you are now participating in the Myriad Races Alliance on behalf of my Jiang family, I cannot pay you any reward.
Because I have no money left," Jiang Li said faintly.
"It's alright, I'm not here for money," Xu Mu said with a smile, and then he took the opportunity to ask the question he had been wanting to know. "May I ask, Senior, if I can know your purpose in seeking that swordsman? Perhaps I can offer some assistance."
"Yes, Father. Since you weren't looking to participate in the Myriad Races Alliance, what exactly were you trying to do?" Jiang Sheng also asked, puzzled.
"Alas, it's not really a secret. It's related to your mother," Jiang Li sighed and continued, "A month after you went into seclusion, she inexplicably fell ill. Her symptoms were very strange: pale complexion, body cold, unable to get out of bed for days."
"What? What happened? How is Mother's condition now!" Jiang Sheng exclaimed, his face filled with anxiety, asking a string of questions.
While he was in seclusion, had his mother become so seriously ill!
"No wonder I've seen apothecaries coming and going these past few days," Qian Qian said with sudden realization. He hadn't seen Madam Jiang for quite some time.
Jiang Li sighed, "Alas, her condition is very bad. I used my connections to find Master Gongsun from the Medicine King Valley. He said your mother has accumulated pill toxicity from consuming too many pills, which has invaded her limbs and bones, and her Yin fire is attacking her heart. Even he can only prescribe herbal decoctions for relief, not a cure.
And to cure her completely, he said, either feed her a sixth-stage immortal pill, which would guarantee a cure, but we can't afford such a thing. Or, prepare the herbs listed on this prescription, and he can risk refining a batch of pills to see if it can cure her."
As Jiang Li spoke, he took out Master Gongsun's prescription from his怀. The few of them glanced at it together. It was filled with precious spiritual herbs, including those of the fourth and fifth stages.
However, no matter how precious the spiritual herb, there was a mark behind it, indicating that the herb had already been gathered.
The only herb not marked on the prescription was the 'Immortal Dew,' which was rumored to be found only in the Elven Kingdom!
"Now you know why I was looking for him," Jiang Li sighed with a worried expression. Even Jiang Sheng's face turned pale.
Immortal Dew, that was only found in the Elven Kingdom. Before the appearance of that mysterious swordsman, elves were mostly legends to humans.
Even now, with the elves and dwarves appearing, and the supreme powerhouses of countless great clans entering Alfheim, they hadn't found any trace of them.
This meant that currently, the entire human race seemed to have only that young swordsman who was confirmed to have entered the Elven Kingdom, as he was taken there by the elves.
And if his mother needed Immortal Dew to survive, she had to go through him.
But the whole world was looking for him, so where was he? Even if they found him, why would he give them the Immortal Dew?
Jiang Li and Jiang Sheng sighed repeatedly. Qian Qian remained silent. They were helpless in this matter now. Jiang Li's family had lost all their wealth, and whether Jiang Sheng's mother would live depended on fate.
"He is quite devoted," Xu Mu said, touched after hearing the story.
He hadn't expected that in this chaotic world where lives were as cheap as grass, someone would be willing to go bankrupt for his wife, gambling on a slim, illusory chance of survival.
"Senior Jiang, may I go and see your wife's condition?" Xu Mu pondered for a moment, then decided to help them.
"What do you mean by that, little brother Mu?" Jiang Li did not immediately agree and sighed, "Little brother, Master Gongsun said to limit her visitors as much as possible, fearing it might worsen her condition. So, unless it's something important, it's best not to see her."
Hearing this, Xu Mu smiled and said:
"Senior Jiang, I actually know some medicine and might be able to help you."
"I haven't personally treated a patient with these symptoms, but a friend of mine once cured someone with a similar condition, so I think I can try."
Xu Mu said calmly. The friend he was referring to was naturally Hui Bai Tong, and the patient was Nangong Maoguan.
Back then, that fellow had been able to cure the blood stasis and toxins in Nangong Maoguan's body with acupuncture. Now, he should be able to do the same.
Jiang Li was taken aback and exchanged a disbelieving glance with Jiang Sheng.
"Little brother, it's a disease that even Master Gongsun of the fifth stage from Medicine King Valley cannot cure. Are you sure you have a way?"
"Whether I have a way or not, we'll know after I see," Xu Mu said thoughtfully. Although he was confident, he wouldn't dare to make a definitive promise without seeing the condition.
"Brother Mu, you are truly a hidden dragon. You told me earlier that your strength was not great, and yet you defeated Jiang Zhao in one move. So, what does this 'not great' mean?" Qian Qian eyed Xu Mu suspiciously, his voice prolonged.
"I don't know either. Anyway, it's just a little bit," Xu Mu said, scratching his head with a hint of embarrassment.
…