"Wu Yuan." Clan Leader Wu Qiming still wanted to persuade him.
"Clan Leader." Wu Yuan cut him off directly. "I understand what you mean. The main clan is still part of the Wu Clan. If I went there, they'd value me just as much and provide me with plenty of resources for cultivation. It'd be better than cultivating alone."
"Then why?" Wu Qiming asked, puzzled.
"I don't like trouble." Wu Yuan shook his head. "There are only a little over nine months until next year's Martial Academy Grand Competition. Even if I went to the main clan, how many resources could they provide me in that time?"
"If it's too little, it won't do me much good."
"If it's too much, there'll probably be arguments within the main clan, and not everyone would necessarily welcome me. Why bother?" Wu Yuan said. "I might as well go straight to Cloud Martial Hall when the time comes."
"Cloud Martial Hall's resources are limited too." Wu Qiming furrowed his brow. "The main clan could support your cultivation for the next few years."
"Clan Leader, resources are only secondary in martial cultivation. What matters most is oneself." Wu Yuan smiled. "Besides, Cloud Martial Hall's resources are limited only for ordinary disciples. What if I shine brightly enough?"
"It's only been a little over three months, and I already have the strength of a Martial Master."
"Who knows how much further I might advance in another nine months? Wouldn't it be better to get the sect's finest training directly then?" Wu Yuan said with a faint smile.
He'd have to reveal his strength eventually. He was even thinking of challenging the pinnacle of martial arts in this world!
Besides, his trip to Nine Cloud Mountain had also given Wu Yuan the idea of joining a major power.
Joining Hengyun Sect might not be a bad choice.
"Advance even further?" Wu Qiming's pupils contracted slightly.
He knew full well that the Wu Clan's higher-ups had only disclosed part of Wu Yuan's strength to the outside world, and that alone was enough to shock everyone.
Advancing further would mean becoming a Proficient Expert?
A fifteen-year-old Proficient Expert? Wu Qiming found the thought terrifying.
His first instinct was that Wu Yuan was being a little arrogant. But when he considered how steady Wu Yuan had always been and how quickly he'd progressed over the past few months, he didn't dare dismiss the possibility outright.
After a long pause.
"All right." Wu Qiming suddenly sighed. "Wu Yuan, you've always had a mind of your own. From now on, you can make your own decisions about cultivation. If you ever need anything from the clan, just ask."
"Also..."
"Starting this month, the clan will give you one thousand taels of silver every month until you enter Cloud Martial Hall." Wu Qiming's voice was low. "You decide how to spend it. The clan won't interfere."
"Clan Leader, that's far too much..." Wu Yuan frowned.
"Don't refuse!" Wu Qiming glared at him. "That thousand taels isn't just my decision. It's what the clan's higher-ups agreed on together. Don't think it's too little; this is the most the clan can do for you."
"This help isn't without expectations, either. When you grow stronger, remember to give back to the clan," Wu Qiming added.
Wu Yuan looked at the clan leader, who was covered in wounds yet wore a solemn expression.
He immediately understood that if he didn't accept the money, the clan leader would truly worry and feel unsettled.
"All right, Clan Leader. I'll accept it," Wu Yuan agreed.
"That's more like it." Wu Qiming smiled.
After Wu Yuan left the ancestral residence, a large group gathered in Clan Leader Wu Qiming's room. Wu Long, Sixth Master Wu, Wu Dongyao, and the others were all there.
"Wu Yuan doesn't want to go to the main clan," Wu Qiming said quietly.
"Really?"
"Good!"
"What a pity." The group reacted in different ways. Some seemed relieved, while others looked regretful.
"I explained all the pros and cons to Wu Yuan."
Wu Qiming swept his gaze across the room. "But that boy Wu Yuan is sentimental. He doesn't want to move his name into the main clan's genealogy."
"This is his sacrifice for the clan."
"From now on, I don't want to hear any dissenting voices within the clan." Wu Qiming's voice was stern.
"Haha, don't worry, Clan Leader." Sixth Master Wu, his beard white with age, chuckled. "None of us has your foresight. It was only because you supported him single-handedly that we got to see Wu Yuan's potential finally bloom."
"If he doesn't join the main clan, then once Wu Yuan grows strong, our Li City Wu Clan is bound to rise," Wu Dongyao said with a smile.
"One day, our branch can become a great clan in its own right, no less than the main clan," someone said.
Once a great clan branched out, its branches might share the same blood, but if the main clan failed to help them or keep them firmly in hand, estrangement was inevitable.
As the saying went, "One generation shares the same bed, the next is cousins; by the third or fourth, they don't even meet."
Many within the Li City Wu Clan didn't care much for the Nanmeng Wu Clan. To them, it was just a distant name.
"The Nanmeng Wu Clan?" Wu Yuan shook his head slightly.
He felt a sense of belonging to the Li City Wu Clan.
It came from the memories of his father's earnest guidance, from the clan's support for him and his widowed mother over the years, and from the clan leader's guidance along the way.
The main clan? What was that to him?
And they wanted him to transfer his name in the genealogy?
Wu Yuan knew full well how much this world valued the passing down of bloodlines.
A clan genealogy was sacred and important. Even powerful martial artists were no exception.
If I grow strong one day, letting the main clan ride on my coattails will be repayment enough. Wu Yuan remained calm.
They want me to toil for the main clan? Dream on!
"Strength!"
"I've only been conscious for a few months. I pretended to have achieved Martial Dao Enlightenment, and now that I've revealed the strength of a Martial Master, people can still chalk it up to talent. I've already drawn plenty of attention." Wu Yuan saw the situation clearly. "But what if I reveal everything and let the world know I'm a First-class Expert?"
Anyone who saw it would know something was wrong.
The word "genius" couldn't explain it.
"There's still time. I'll reveal my strength bit by bit. Once I'm strong enough, I won't have to worry about anything." Wu Yuan thought to himself.
If he had the strength of the legendary Heavenly Ranking Experts and could roam the world at will, who would dare ask questions?
If he wasn't strong enough, he had to follow the rules of this world to live more comfortably.
"Still..."
"I didn't expect the Xu Manor to be behind this. I backed down before, yet they still pressed me." A trace of coldness flashed through Wu Yuan's eyes. "This score will have to be settled."
After returning from Nine Cloud Mountain and seeing the way of the world clearly, Wu Yuan's last few scruples and restraints had also faded away without his noticing.
He went straight home.
"Mom!"
His younger sister, Wu Yijun, dashed out and turned back to shout in delight, "Mom, my brother's home!"
"Xiao Yi."
Wu Yuan smiled and continued their little sibling game. With one hand, he easily scooped his sister up and walked into the kitchen. "Mom, I'm home."
"You're back?"
His mother, Wan Qin, was busy, but looked delighted. She chided him, "Cultivation is important, but you can't go several days without coming home from the Martial Academy and not even let anyone know."
"Got it. I'll remember, Mom." Wu Yuan smiled.
It sounded like a complaint, but it was really concern.
"Now that you're home, I'll make some extra noodles." Wan Qin bustled about.
"Great. I've been craving your pork noodle soup, Mom," Wu Yuan said with a smile.
"The house is much cleaner than before." Wu Yuan looked around the kitchen.
The walls had been freshly painted and looked much better overall. His mother also seemed livelier than she had when he'd first regained consciousness.
The family of three enjoyed a warm breakfast together.
"Mom, the clan leader is back." Wu Yuan set down his bowl and chopsticks. "I just came from the ancestral residence this morning."
"I figured."
Wan Qin sighed. "You're nearly as strong as a Martial Master now. The clan values you, so there's no way they wouldn't summon you over straight away."
"Mom, you knew?" Wu Yuan was a little surprised.
"I'm your mother." Wan Qin glanced at Wu Yuan, then smiled. "The news has spread throughout the clan. How could I not know?"
Wu Yuan smiled.
"Yuan'er, you have incredible martial talent—so incredible it's frightening. I've heard other clan members say that you're probably the greatest martial arts prodigy in Li City Prefecture in the past decade. You'll likely do great things one day, and I'm happy for you." Wan Qin looked at Wu Yuan. "But you must be careful."
"I don't ask that you become a great general or a noble and bring glory to the family. I only want you to stay safe." Wan Qin's face held a trace of worry.
"I understand, Mom." Wu Yuan answered solemnly.
He understood her concern.
Become a great general or a noble? His father had once been the youngest Martial Master in the clan, with excellent prospects of becoming a Proficient Expert.
To win military honors and bring glory to the clan, he'd volunteered to join the sect's army.
Then came the news of his death.
The world saw only the freedom of martial artists riding through the jianghu and crossing provinces. How many saw the blood and blades waiting behind that freedom?
A hundred entered the jianghu; few returned.
"Mom, I'll be spending a lot of time in secluded cultivation over the next while, so I might not be home often," Wu Yuan said. "Don't worry."
"Mm." Wan Qin nodded.
She knew martial cultivation was tedious and took tremendous resolve and perseverance. Secluding oneself for cultivation was normal.
After leaving home, Wu Yuan returned to the Martial Academy to take care of the remaining details. He gathered his things, used Bone Shifting in an alley to alter his appearance, then headed toward the southern part of the city.
It wasn't until dusk.
The alley was in a remote part of the city's south side, with few passersby.
"Sir, this is the house I picked out at your request. It's plenty big!" The real estate agent, wearing a felt hat, bowed ingratiatingly.
"Where are the things I asked for?" Wu Yuan's disguised figure stood over six feet tall, a saber on his back and an imposing air about him.
"They're all ready in the back courtyard."
The agent hurriedly added, "As you asked, I've also prepared extra fodder and food of every kind. For the next ten days, someone will deliver a fresh supply each day."
"Good!"
Wu Yuan nodded, flipped a banknote toward him, and said coldly, "Make sure you do the job properly over the next ten days, and I'll reward you again. But don't try any tricks with me, or else..."
Whoosh!
The agent saw a flash of cold light before his eyes.
A deep gash had suddenly appeared in the flagstone underfoot. He was still staring in shock when he realized there was a large tear in the front of his shirt.
An expert!
The agent was secretly alarmed.
He was an Advanced Warrior himself and had seen plenty in all his years in Li City. Slashing a flagstone with a single blow wasn't difficult; even a Proficient Expert could do it.
But a blade this fast? He hadn't even noticed it slice through his shirt!
This was the first time he'd ever encountered anything like it.
The man was probably a Second-class Expert!
"Sir, I'll make sure everything is done to perfection," the agent said, growing even more deferential. He no longer dared entertain any schemes.
He had already taken Wu Yuan for a wandering blade-wielder.
People like that were the agents' favorite kind of customer, since they spent the most generously.
But they were also the ones they feared most.
Neither the law nor the king's authority could restrain them. Most wandering heroes trusted only the blades in their hands.
Wu Yuan watched the agent leave.
Time to try my stupid method. He strode deeper into the dilapidated courtyard. The place was abandoned.
Inconspicuous.
And cheap to rent.
At the far end stood a row of stables and pigsties, all freshly cleaned by the agent's men.
There were four horses in the stables.
In the pigsty were ten sturdy pigs, their heads lowered as they ate.
"Pigs are the most suitable for this sort of experiment." Wu Yuan smiled and took a blue-green jade bottle from the bundle on his back.
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