Meeting the Guo Family Patriarch, Entering the Guo Family Ancestral Land

"Our Family Head wants to see you now." Guo Da looked serious.

As he spoke, his gaze remained fixed on Chen Mo, carrying a trace of surprise and curiosity.

At fifteen years old, even a direct descendant of a great lineage like the Guo Family, aided by abundant cultivation resources, would at most have broken through to the Strength Refining Realm. They would still have a long road ahead before reaching the Inner Strength Realm, and that would already count as exceptional talent.

For someone like Chen Mo, who had grown up in a small mountain village and been weak and sickly since childhood, yet still become a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist at fifteen, it was simply too outrageous.

No one would believe he had no secrets.

"To your family's residence?" Chen Mo raised an eyebrow.

"Are you willing to go?" Guo Da asked in return.

Chen Mo shook his head. "No."

Going directly to the Guo Family's residence felt like walking straight into a trap.

"Just as the Family Head said. Don't worry, it won't be at the family residence. We'll meet at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion." Guo Da smiled.

"Now?"

"Yes."

"Then let's go."

"..."

Guo Da was somewhat surprised by Chen Mo's decisiveness and did not respond immediately. But he quickly came to his senses, promptly leading Chen Mo onto the carriage parked by the roadside outside the door and heading straight for the Hundred Flowers Pavilion.

The carriage was not moving quickly. Or rather, it had deliberately slowed down, rolling grandly through the streets where members of many forces could see it.

Every step these great lineages take is steeped in calculation. What a pain. Chen Mo sighed inwardly.

If possible, he truly did not want to become entangled with them. Dealing with them was simply too exhausting.

One wrong step, and every step afterward went wrong.

He now felt like he was riding a tiger and could not dismount. It was certainly impossible for him to break free from this troublesome vortex again anytime soon.

They arrived smoothly at the Hundred Flowers Pavilion. Chen Mo entered a private room on the top floor and found a white-robed elder inside, who was presumably the current Guo Family Patriarch.

Besides the elder, Xiao Yu and Xiao Mei, with whom he had previously had intimate relations, stood waiting inside with uneasy expressions.

"You're here?" the Guo Family Patriarch said with a smile.

He raised a hand, gesturing for Chen Mo to sit.

Chen Mo nodded and entered the private room. Guo Da and the others did not accompany him, instead remaining outside the door to wait.

Sitting across from one another, neither Chen Mo nor the Guo Family Patriarch spoke immediately. Both were sizing the other up.

Chen Mo sensed no threat from the Guo Family Patriarch. The man seemed like an ordinary person, but Chen Mo would not truly take him for one.

How could someone capable of becoming the head of a great lineage possibly be ordinary?

Divine Strength?

Or Divine Valor?

Or perhaps... the Qi and Blood Realm?

Chen Mo could not tell. He only knew that the other man had certainly concealed his aura. Then he heard the man's sigh.

"You're truly young. At Gang Leader Chen's age, I had only just reached the Strength Refining Realm..."

Then his tone abruptly changed. His expression suddenly turned stern, and his aura surged wildly as he asked in a deep voice:

"So, Gang Leader Chen, how did you become a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist at fifteen? What is your secret?!"

"My secret..."

Feeling the pressure radiating from the other man, Chen Mo answered calmly.

"Perhaps I have a little talent, and my luck is fairly good. I don't know how it happened either. I just kept practicing, and somehow I reached the Divine Strength Realm."

"Do you think I should believe that?" The Guo Family Patriarch remained exceedingly stern, his entire body emanating immense pressure.

Unfazed, Chen Mo's expression did not change. "Whether you believe it or not, that is my answer."

"Let's say I believe you for now."

The Guo Family Patriarch, whose expression practically had I believe you, my ass carved across it, returned to his former gentle calm. He retracted his aura and asked:

"I wonder whether Gang Leader Chen has made up his mind. Are you willing to become a Guo Family Guest Official?"

"Can you guarantee my safety?" Chen Mo stated his condition.

He had drawn too much attention now, and trouble would follow. He hoped to find a place that could shield him from the wind and rain.

Even if that place could only shelter him for a while.

Hearing this, the Guo Family Patriarch pondered for a moment. "Open spears are easy to dodge, hidden arrows are hard to guard against. We can only guarantee that you will be safe while staying within the Guo Family Ancestral Land. If you leave the Guo Family Ancestral Land, we cannot guarantee your safety."

"That is enough." Chen Mo smiled.

Understanding his meaning, the Guo Family Patriarch smiled as well.

"Welcome, Gang Leader Chen, to the Guo Family!"

They smiled at each other, but Chen Mo sighed inwardly. He did not know what consequences this choice would bring. He only knew that after raising the Fierce Tiger Fist to the Perfection Realm, he would need to begin advancing the Turtle Breath Health Cultivation Technique.

He just did not know whether the technique after advancement would allow him to break through to the Divine Valor Realm, thereby reaching the level of Body Refining Perfection.

Only then would he have enough sense of security.

With the cooperation settled, the Guo Family Patriarch soon left. Chen Mo ignored the expectant looks on Xiao Yu's and Xiao Mei's faces, walked out the door, took a carriage home to pack his belongings, and moved into the Guo Family's residence in the Inner City that very day.

There was no welcome ceremony. Chen Mo was simply brought to an independent courtyard and informed that, apart from the Guo Family's core areas, he could move freely anywhere else. He would also have meals delivered daily by designated personnel. After explaining these matters, Guo Da and the others left.

"Does this count as becoming someone else's caged bird?" Chen Mo laughed at himself.

He knew he had no other choice. Joining the Guo Family was currently the safest choice, even if that safety came with conditions and could not be guaranteed to last.

He looked around the elegantly furnished courtyard. The living environment was undoubtedly quite satisfying.

Entering the room, he found several sets of brand-new clothes on the table, along with a saber, a token, and a stack of banknotes worth a full thousand taels. Chen Mo could not help but remark:

"The Guo Family is quite meticulous in how they handle things. I just wonder what their real purpose is. Could they truly only want me as a Guest Official, having me act for them four times a year? It doesn't feel that simple."

When soldiers came, he would block them with generals; when water came, he would dam it with earth!

Rather than tormenting himself with needless thoughts, Chen Mo clearly understood what he needed to do now. No matter how much he thought, it would be useless. He might as well spend that effort strengthening his combat power.

As long as his strength was great enough, all schemes and plots would become useless. Any dangerous situation would naturally be broken.

Meanwhile, the several top forces in the county had all learned that Chen Mo had joined the Guo Family, and their reactions varied.

The True Martial and Fierce Tiger, the Two Great Martial Arts Schools, were indifferent. It would have no effect on them. They did not participate in the county's struggle for power and focused solely on managing their own affairs.

As for the Fan Family and the Yu Family, they were more wary.

A powerful Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist already posed an enormous threat. More importantly, Chen Mo was only fifteen and still had tremendous room for growth. His future achievements would certainly not stop at the Divine Strength Realm.

Yet what concerned them most was what Chen Mo had relied upon to become a Divine Strength Realm Martial Artist at fifteen.

He had most likely encountered a fortuitous opportunity!

That was what they were desperate to find out.

If there truly was a fortuitous opportunity, they would absolutely find a way to seize it, even if Chen Mo had joined the Guo Family.

If there was no fortuitous opportunity and it was merely talent, then they would likely have to find a way to make trouble for Chen Mo himself.

If he could be used by them, then they would use him; if not, they could only destroy him.

Otherwise, once Chen Mo grew stronger, he would pose a fatal threat to them.

As vested interests of Hequ County, they would never allow such a potential threat to exist.

As for the Guo Family, the force Chen Mo had currently joined, its internal attitude toward him was not unified either. It was mainly divided into two factions.

One faction hoped to win Chen Mo over, preferably through marriage, tying him to the Guo Family's war chariot.

The other faction wanted to control Chen Mo and obtain the secret behind his rapid rise in strength.

As the Family Head, Guo Kangcheng faced the divided senior members of the lineage with a headache. In the end, his gaze settled on Guo Da.

Noticing this, Guo Da understood the Family Head's meaning and decisively rose to his feet. As the lineage member who had interacted with Chen Mo the most, he spoke of his thoughts regarding Chen Mo...