A Great-Grandmother Fell from the Sky

Ci Xie had no idea what Qian Renxue and Chen Feng had discussed before making this decision.

He didn't intend to investigate further, because he was just a henchman.

"Your Highness, if that matter is stopped, what will happen to Yang Wushuang?"

"That is a problem." Qian Renxue fell into thought.

"Since we don't need him anymore, should we..." Ci Xie raised his palm and made a light sweeping motion, his meaning quite clear.

"... No, this person is quite talented. Let's keep him for now; he might come in handy later." Qian Renxue pondered for a moment and then rejected the suggestion.

"Yes." Ci Xie had no objection.

In his view, Yang Wushuang's value lay only in his skill in mixing poisons, which allowed him to discreetly eliminate certain troublesome individuals, but the downside was that it took a very long time.

But to be honest, in Ci Xie's opinion, there are very few on the entire continent that would require the Young Lord to spend a long time eliminating, so the practicality of this technique is not very high.

Therefore, when Yang Wushuang surrendered to them in order to save his life, they did not force Yang Wushuang to hand over this skill.

Those who surrender need to feel some sense of security.

"Also, could you do something else for me?" Qian Renxue said.

"Your Highness, please speak."

"I need some orphans. Go find me some reliable ones... no, let's just get them all at once." As Qian Renxue spoke, she suddenly had a new idea.

Searching and selecting all over the world is too troublesome. Why not simply establish an institution to raise orphans, and then train and select capable personnel within it?

Moreover, this would also bring a good reputation, but the issue of money... Qian Renxue fell into thought.

She had already experienced the benefits of thinking things through more deeply and quickly realized a crucial problem: a stable source of funding.

Whether it's establishing the Crown Prince Credit or adopting orphans on a large scale, a stable source of funding is essential. Although she has her own slush fund, relying on that is clearly not a healthy way of operating.

Not to mention there might be other plans in the future, so the money issue definitely needs to be resolved.

"How do you plan to solve the funding problem?" Chen Feng stood by the window, watching the carriage slowly depart outside the school, and wondered to himself.

He was well aware that money was a major driving force, and that raising funds was the top priority, regardless of the type of reform.

But there are rules for how to make money.

Whether it's extortionate and exploit the Commoners, targeted anti-corruption campaigns, or the "whoever has money, I'll make money from" approach...

They're all just going around in circles on top of the original cake.

Only technological change can create a new pie.

The reason Chen Feng provided those plans was not only to solve Qian Renxue's problem, but also to create demand.

With demand, Chen Feng had the opportunity to build a base of interests that supported the new law, centered on Soul Tool Technology, just like Shang Yang's Reforms, giving people new channels for advancement.

Of course, to prevent himself from following in Shang Yang's footsteps and turning from Chen Feng into a small hill, sufficient military strength was also essential.

So after talking with Qian Renxue, Chen Feng resumed his diligent cultivation.

But his cultivation was interrupted by an unexpected event a few days later: his master, Chen Xin, returned.

"Master, have some water." Inside the dormitory, Chen Feng handed his master a glass of water, which Chen Xin drank in one gulp, then let out a long sigh of relief.

"Xiao Feng, I've found my people."

Chen Feng raised an eyebrow. "Where are they? How are they doing?"

"In a secluded little mountain village north of Crimson Sand City, I couldn't find the place at first. I waited at the tomb of my Ancestor Chen Yang for a while before someone came to pay their respects."

"As for how they are doing, I wouldn't say it's good, because I only observed them from a distance and didn't get close," Chen Xin said, shaking his head.

After his great-grandfather killed his son Chen Yang, he did not want his daughter-in-law to find out, so he did not take the remains back with him. Instead, he buried them in a beautiful place near the Death Desert.

But as we all know, the truth couldn't be hidden.

"Master, why didn't you go and check on things? Are you worried about something?" Chen Feng asked.

"Sigh, I do have some concerns. After all, what happened back then, I'm worried they might hold a grudge against my lineage," Chen Xin sighed softly.

"Understood. Then I'll go with you, Master. I'm also quite curious about my origins."

Chen Feng said.

Unsure of the specifics of his lineage, Chen Feng didn't plan to bring anyone else. He simply told his companions that he had something to do and then set off with his master.

The two traveled quickly, and when they were almost at their destination, they made a point of finding a city to wash up and change into new clothes so they would look more presentable.

The village that Chen Xin mentioned is located in a small mountain range, which blocks the sandstorms from the Death Desert, so that it is not affected by the desert too much.

"Are we just going to go straight there? Master, how about we go to pay our respects at the tomb of our Ancestor Chen Yang first?" Chen Feng asked, looking at the mountain range in front of him.

"Alright," Chen Xin said after thinking for a moment.

He led Chen Feng through the winding mountains until they arrived at a tomb paved with blue stone bricks. The tombstone was also blue, with the words "Tomb of my son Chen Yang" written on it in bold, vigorous characters.

Because the entire tomb is made of blue bricks and blue stele, it is very inconspicuous in the mountains, indicating that the people who built the tomb did not want it to attract attention, and only those who know the exact location can find it.

There were some relatively fresh offerings and burnt incense sticks in front of the tomb, which must have been left by people from the small mountain village who came to pay their respects.

Chen Feng bowed three times before the grave, stared blankly at the tombstone for a while, and then said, "Master, let's go."

Chen Xin glanced at him and nodded, "Okay."

The two strolled through the mountains in silence for a while before Chen Xin finally spoke, "Xiao Feng, what are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking..." Chen Feng glanced back at the grave, "Will I end up like that Ancestors?"

"No, don't think such nonsense. Master will not let you go down that path," Chen Xin said in a deep voice.

"Don't worry, Master, I was just saying it casually." Chen Feng smiled at Chen Xin. "Besides, think about it, there are still people left in my lineage, which means the problem might not be so serious anymore. Maybe that small mountain village has a way to solve the defect of the Demonic Sword Spirit."

"Yes, it will definitely happen," Chen Xin agreed, but there was still some worry in his eyes.

It's a very simple logic: if this lineage in the small mountain village had a way to resolve the flaws in their Martial Soul, why would they continue to live in seclusion here?

The fact that they live in seclusion suggests two possibilities: either they are helpless against the defects in their Martial Soul, or they are able to solve Martial Soul defects but with certain limitations, such as treating the symptoms but not the root cause.

Regardless of the reason, Chen Xin must take Chen Feng there to see for himself.

Soon, the two traversed mountains and valleys to reach a small village not far away. At this moment, Chen Xin frowned and said, "There are experts here."

"How tall?" Chen Feng asked curiously.

"Titled Douluo." Chen Xin's tone was somewhat incredulous.

Chen Feng:?

Is this place home to Titled Douluo? Another Tang Hao?

Just as he was about to say something, he sensed a strong Fire Attribute aura approaching. This Fire Attribute was extremely pure, even stronger than Ma Hongjun's Flame Phoenix.

"What brings you two here?" A slightly hoarse female voice rang out, and a mature red-haired woman dressed in a tight-fitting outfit appeared before Chen Feng.

"I've come to find my relatives," Chen Xin said.

"Looking for relatives?" The red-haired woman sized up the two, her gaze lingering on Chen Feng's face. "Child, what's your name?"

"Junior Chen Feng."

Do you know who your father is?

"I don't know."

"I see..." A hint of sadness flashed in the red-haired woman's eyes. "Child, you can call me Great-Grandmother."

Chen Feng blinked, somewhat bewildered.

He knew that the woman in front of him was a Titled Douluo. Although she looked young and beautiful, her real age was unknown. But he really couldn't bring himself to call her Great-Grandmother."

You are...

"Let's go inside and talk. This isn't the place to talk outside." The red-haired woman glanced back; some villagers were already looking in their direction with curiosity.

Chen Xin and Chen Feng had no objections and followed the red-haired woman into the village. Along the way, they learned the woman's name: Cang Xiao.

Cang Xiao led the two to the village, which was not large, with about ten households.

Upon entering the village, two young men greeted them.

"Grandma Village Chief, who are these two?" one of the young men asked curiously, looking Chen Xin and the other man up and down.

"They are guests. You two little brats, stop loitering around here and get to training. How old are you to be afraid to participate in the ceremony? It's embarrassing." Cang Xiao shooed the two young men away like flies.

The two young men looked helpless and had no choice but to leave obediently.

"Ritual? "Chen Feng caught a key word, but didn't rush to ask.

Cang Xiao led the two to a Wooden House. The Wooden House had two floors and was the largest in the village; it must be the village chief's house.

"This is my home. You just heard me. I'm the village chief here, and also their elder, so everyone calls me Grandma Village Chief. You're not from here, so you don't need to call me that," Cang Xiao said to Chen Feng with a smile.

Chen Feng nodded, but still didn't say "Great-Grandmother".

Cang Xiao didn't mind, led the two into the house, and poured two glasses of water.

Please make yourself at home.

Chen Feng and Chen Xin each found a seat, and Chen Xin spoke first, "Senior Cang, could you elaborate on the form of address you just used?"

"You've come looking for relatives because this child is Bloodline of someone who left the village, and indeed, some of our people have left. Judging from his age, this child is most likely my great-grandson," Cang Xiao asked.

"May I ask what your relationship is with Ancestor Chen Yang?" Chen Xin continued to ask.

"Ancestors? You're also Chen Clan members?" Cang Xiao asked in surprise.

"Yes," Chen Xin readily admitted.

Cang Xiao frowned. "Are you from another branch of the Chen Clan?"

"Yes."

"This is interesting. I didn't expect you to come looking for me. Let me see your Seven Kill Sword."

Without hesitation, Chen Xin released his Martial Soul, and Cang Xiao nodded in approval.

Chen Xin put away his Martial Soul and said, "Senior, my great-grandfather went out to search for you many times back then, but he couldn't find you."

Cang Xiao waved his hand, "You're wrong. Your great-grandfather actually found us back then, and I even met him."

"What?" Chen Xin was taken aback, and Chen Feng was also somewhat surprised.

"It's just that for some reasons, my mother-in-law doesn't want to go back with him, and neither does A Yao," Cang Xiao said, arms crossed.

"Could it be that you are..., senior?" Chen Xin had a guess.

"I am A Yao's wife, and also the daughter-in-law of your senior Chen Yang." Cang Xiao's words confirmed Chen Xin's guess.

"Greetings, Aunt." Chen Xin stood up and bowed, followed closely by Chen Feng.

"I've met... uh, my Great-Grandmother."

Cang Xiao smiled. "Alright, I don't like those formalities. Sit down."

The two sat down, and Chen Feng began to estimate the age of this Great-Grandmother in his mind.

His master, Chen Xin, was around ninety years old, and this Great-Grandmother was a generation older than Chen Xin, so she must have been over a hundred years old.

But it's completely undetectable from the outside. Is this the rejuvenation of Titled Douluo?

"Great-Grandmother, I want to ask about my background," Chen Feng said, finally voicing the question he had always wanted to ask.

He wasn't quite used to being addressed as "Great-Grandmother" at first, but after learning her identity and age, he was able to bring himself to call her that.

"Your background... to explain that, we need to first talk about the Martial Soul passed down through your Bloodline." Cang Xiao sighed softly.

"I know that my lineage's Martial Soul has a flaw."

"Yes, back then, my mother-in-law took A Yao and left her sect. On one hand, she couldn't accept my father-in-law's death, and on the other hand, it was because he was... you know."

"Hmm." X2

"On the other hand, we want to solve A Yao's Martial Soul problem, but it is not an easy task. Grandma tried to prevent A Yao from awakening his Martial Soul, but A Yao's talent is too good and his Martial Soul soul awakened on its own."

"Later, I met and got to know A Yao. At that time, he didn't have Soul Ring. He was just cultivating his Soul Power. This was another method that my mother-in-law came up with. But it wasn't a long-term solution because neither of them had the ability to protect themselves. So A Yao eventually obtained Soul Ring." Cang Xiao recounted the events of that year.

Chen Feng and Chen Xin listened silently, waiting for a turning point. Without that turning point, this village would not exist.

Cang Xiao continued, "A Yao's Martial Soul defect is exactly the same as his father-in-law's. His mother-in-law is very worried about this, A Yao is also anxious. He wants to have the strength to protect us and does not want to waste his outstanding talent, but he is also worried that something terrible will happen in the end. He is a very greedy person. Fortunately, he was lucky enough to have a fortuitous encounter."

"That fortuitous encounter granted him some ancient knowledge, and he wanted to use this knowledge to develop technology that could improve the defects in his Martial Soul."

Chen Feng's eyes lit up; this was exactly what he had been waiting for. "Did Great-Grandfather succeed?"

"It's a success."