Lady Shu's Fury and Disbelief

Lady Shu felt fortunate to have birthed two fine sons. Not only did both possess the qualifications to become Spirit Beast Masters, but their luck was also excellent; the high-grade spirit beasts they selected were of superior aptitude. Each one had possessed eight years of cultivation upon reaching the Foundation Establishment stage!

In this world, strength is supreme. Wealth, intelligence, martial prowess, and influence are all forms of strength. And a Spirit Beast Master is the very symbol of that strength!

Lady Shu lacked the talent to become a Spirit Beast Master. She often felt regret, thinking that if she had possessed such talent, perhaps she could have grasped her own destiny and seized her own happiness, without needing to submit to the whims of the family.

But now, that sense of regret had long since drifted away from her.

Although I lack the talent, both of my children have it! And each of them possesses a one-in-a-hundred, top-grade spirit beast.

This is absolutely perfect!

In the future, relying on such status to inherit Shu Family Island—the thirty-eight years she had sacrificed her youth and endured were worth it!

At the mere thought of this, Lady Shu's heart surged with excitement, causing the water in her cup to ripple unsteadily.

"My Lady, that boy Chu Yun has walked out," a servant reported at that moment.

"He must have failed and felt too ashamed to stay. He only had a mid-grade Fire Fox; pay him no mind." Lady Shu was extremely composed, her tone calm and leisurely.

If it were before, Chu Yun might have still posed a sense of threat in her heart. But ever since learning of the situation with Shu Da and Shu Er, Lady Shu had dismissed Chu Yun from her mind.

He was no longer worth a glance.

The strength of Shu Da and Shu Er was plain for all to see. How could a mid-grade Fire Fox possibly win?

Chu Yun was no longer a cause for concern.

She did not know, however, that the reason Shu Da and Shu Er remained at the Earth Altar was merely using the inspection of jade slips as a pretext; they simply dared not return to face her.

After a long while, Shu Da and Shu Er finally dawdled their way back to the carriage.

Lady Shu blew gently on her steaming tea, then sighed with a hint of dissatisfaction: "Sigh, although this Sea Jade Tea is good, it requires three hours of continuous boiling to dissolve the Sea Jade Tea Algae within. It cannot be drunk in a hurry, yet the fragrance is so enticing."

Having said that, she smiled gently at the two brothers: "Speak, Mother wants to hear who among you took first place and who took second."

Shu Da and Shu Er looked at each other. Shu Er twitched the corner of his mouth and, feeling helpless, spoke first: "Mother, I took second place."

"Haha, you are both Mother's good children. That means you, Shu Da, took first place; as the older brother, you certainly have the ability." Lady Shu was in high spirits.

Shu Da felt a bitter taste in his heart, knowing the results of the assessment would be known sooner or later. Since he had to face the music eventually, he might as well be straightforward.

"Mother, I took third place," he said, steeling himself.

"You truly took... third place?" Lady Shu's expression changed abruptly; her gentle tone suddenly rose, becoming sharp and piercing.

"Mother, this cannot be blamed on us. That boy Chu Yun's Fire Fox was a mutation..." Shu Er immediately shifted the blame, explaining the details.

Lady Shu listened, dumbfounded. Before Shu Er could finish, she was already shouting: "How is that possible? How can a mutated mid-grade spirit beast defeat a Sea Burst Crocodile and a Green Fang Snake?! This defies all logic!"

"Mother, mutated spirit beasts simply cannot be judged by common logic," Shu Da said, parroting what he had just learned and repeating Chu Yun's words exactly.

Shu Er added, "The teacher who taught us back then said the same thing."

"I don't believe it!" Lady Shu's face turned cold, and she stood up abruptly. The carriage was spacious enough that she didn't hit her head, but she had forgotten the cup of fine Sea Jade Tea in her hand.

The scalding tea splashed down. The three people inside the carriage immediately jumped in pain, and the scene descended into chaos.

Returning once more to Salty Salt Fishing Village, the monthly market had already dispersed.

The Tianbao Shop had closed its doors for good. A group of villagers stood at the entrance, carrying sacks of materials, sighing and lamenting.

"Why did the Tianbao Shop close?"

"In the entire fishing village, only their prices were fair."

"Indeed, if we had known this, we should have sold all our stock a few days ago!"

Chu Yun hid among the crowd, listening quietly, and became even more convinced that the Tianbao Shop was no simple establishment. It held significant influence among the villagers and was highly praised. Yet behind the scenes, they committed murder and robbery with flawless execution. Once the secret was out, they fled immediately. They were capable of letting go and abandoning everything, decisive and ruthless.

In his memories from his past life, the Tianbao Shop had not been particularly prominent, and he had no deep impression of it. He never expected that after his rebirth, he would discover the true face of this shop.

The other party had escaped, but a knot remained in Chu Yun's heart. His intuition told him that this matter had not ended here.

Carrying his heavy thoughts, he went to Old Red Spear's salt shop, wanting to tell him the good news of his first-place finish. However, he found the place empty. The shop assistant informed him that after the monthly market, Old Red Spear had returned to the salt fields to oversee operations and would not be coming to the shop for the next few days.

Chu Yun touched the six remaining Earth-Fiend Stone Coins in his pocket, first stopping at the wine shop to buy a jug of wine, then picking up a few fragrant cooked dishes. He spent every last coin until he was penniless, then carried the food and drink toward the salt drying fields.

In the northern part of Salty Salt Fishing Village lay vast stretches of salt flats. Most of the sea salt produced was sold domestically, while a small portion was traded away.

Old Red Spear's salt field was the largest in the village, covering over fifty acres. Beside the salt field stood a simple, crude manor—this was Old Red Spear's home.

When Chu Yun arrived at the manor, he was surprised to find that, besides Old Red Spear, Old Fish King and Old Monkey Qiao were also there. The three of them were gathered around a small table, sitting on three wooden stools, eating peanuts and drinking murky wine from their bowls.

They were already in their twilight years, yet they were full of vigor. They talked about the heavens and the earth, drinking until their faces were flushed and their spirits were high. It was as if, in this moment, they had returned to their passionate military days of the past.

That was where their youth lay, and that was where their stories were.

Recalling the glorious years of the past, sighing at the confusion of their old age.

Chu Yun stood at the entrance, listening to them drink and chat, and could not help but feel a surge of emotion. These three old men before him were almost like his own grandfathers.

He had been adopted by Shu Tianhao since he was young. At that time, Old Red Spear, Old Monkey Qiao, and Old Fish King were all centurions on Shu Family Island. They had practically watched Chu Yun grow up, and a deep sense of affection was etched into their bones. The three old men were all alone, and they treated Chu Yun as they would their own grandson.

Chu Yun did not rashly barge in, but listened quietly.

The three old men spoke at times of the difficulties in the salt fields, with the Jade Sea Kelp dying off patch after patch. At other times, they discussed the political situation, how vicious the pirates in these waters were, and how they could never be fully eradicated. At other times, they expressed their hope that the Island Master, Shu Tianhao, would emerge from his low point and once again display his former prowess and heroic spirit.

Of course, the one they talked about most was still Chu Yun.

"That little fellow Chu Yun chose a Fire Fox egg; I wonder how the assessment results turned out for him this time?" Old Fish King sighed, his face etched with worry.

"Little Yun's luck is poor. Out of the three beast eggs—the Sea Burst Crocodile, the Green Fang Snake, and the Fire Fox—he just had to... sigh!" Old Monkey Qiao did not hold high hopes for the assessment results, letting out a deep sigh.

Old Red Spear raised his wine bowl and lamented, "That kid has the same personality as his old man; he likes to shoulder everything himself. What I'm worried about now is that beast tribulation in the forest last time—I wonder if it affected the hatching of his beast egg?"

After he finished speaking, he tilted his head back to drain the bowl, only to find it empty.

Old Red Spear blinked, out of wine?

Old Monkey Qiao shook the wine jar beside him and gave a bitter smile, "We're really out of wine."

Old Fish King smacked his lips, clearly still craving more, when he suddenly wrinkled his nose and wondered aloud, "Why is it so fragrant? Such a rich aroma of wine!"

Drawn by the scent until his mouth watered, Old Fish King turned his head and saw Chu Yun standing at the doorway. The youth held a large red wine gourd in his hand, having intentionally pulled the stopper. A draft blew through the hall, carrying the fragrance of the wine straight to their noses.

Old Fish King immediately laughed and scolded, "You brat, you're being mischievous! You did this on purpose to bully this old man, wanting to see me make a fool of myself, right?"

The other two elders burst into laughter.

"How could I!" Chu Yun grinned, shaking the item in his hand, "I specifically bought some wine and food to show my filial respect to you three grandfathers. Without your help, how could I have hatched the beast egg and won first place in the assessment?"

The three elders were stunned by his words.

Old Red Spear was the first to react, asking in surprise, "First place? You got first place, little fellow?"

"Could that be a lie?" Chu Yun raised his eyebrows, confirming it.

"Hahaha, the little fellow has some tricks up his sleeve!" Old Monkey Qiao gave Chu Yun a thumbs-up and laughed heartily.

Old Red Spear and Old Fish King looked at each other, both seeing a mix of surprise and doubt in the other's eyes. They knew about Chu Yun's Fire Fox egg. How could it possibly have outperformed the Sea Burst Crocodile and the Green Fang Snake?

Incredible!

"Let's talk while we eat." Chu Yun squeezed into the table with a grin, pouring wine and serving dishes while explaining the details.

Of course, he intentionally concealed the identity of the Heavenly Fox. This was not because he meant to deceive the three elders, but because the matter was of grave importance. If it were exposed in the future, the three elders would surely understand and not blame him.

"A mutated Fire Fox?" After hearing the explanation and looking at the snow-white Heavenly Fox at Hu Tian's feet, Old Red Spear believed it immediately.

"Little fellow, your luck is good! A Fire Fox that has mutated to this extent. It already has eight years of cultivation right after breaking its shell and reaching Foundation Establishment. A freak, a real freak!" Old Fish King exclaimed.

While happy, Old Monkey Qiao frowned, "However, mutated beasts have short lifespans and their cultivation is limited. Little Yun, don't blame this old man for pouring cold water on you. You must replace it with another beast as soon as possible."

The warm atmosphere suddenly cooled.

"Don't worry, Grandfather Qiao, I understand that!" Chu Yun naturally had his own plans, so he put on a serious face and gave a perfunctory reply.

"That's good then! Haha!" Old Monkey Qiao laughed, patting Chu Yun on the shoulder, genuinely happy for him, "The little fellow has good luck. With this mutated Fire Fox, you've secured the top spot. When the time comes to further your studies at Heavenly Song Academy, you'll have a better future than staying on Shu Family Island."

"That's what I think, too," Chu Yun nodded.

"Very good, the little fellow has a plan in mind."

"Keep up the good work!"

The three elders were overjoyed, their faces wreathed in smiles. Their initial worries had turned into delight. They began to toast one another, and the atmosphere became rich and lively once again.

"By the way, there is one thing I must tell you three grandfathers." During the meal, Chu Yun laid out the entire story of how Tianbao Shop had attempted to kill him and seize his treasure.

"What? There is actually such a thing!" The three elders' expressions changed instantly, revealing shock and gravity.

Chu Yun's heart skipped a beat; it seemed the situation was even more serious and complex than he had imagined. He hurriedly asked, "Could there be some hidden secret behind this?"