Li Xuanyuan!
Chen Mu knew this man all too well.
Though he was not a member of the Chen family, he was exceptionally close to Chen Tianlin. They could rightly be called kindred spirits.
It was precisely because of this relationship that Li Xuanyuan doted on Chen Mu. Once Chen Mu was old enough to remember things, he had even taken Li Xuanyuan as his godfather.
Every few days, Li Xuanyuan would take Chen Mu to the bamboo grove where he lived in seclusion and spend several days with him.
He would take him roaming through mountains and along rivers, letting him taste all sorts of rare spirit delicacies.
As far as godfathers went, Chen Mu could feel that Li Xuanyuan's affection for him was every bit as deep as that of his own father, Chen Tianlin.
As a top-tier Talisman Refiner, Li Xuanyuan commanded the utmost respect even from imperial powers.
Across the entire Great Cang World, there was not a single person who could make him bow his head.
In the eyes of outsiders, Li Xuanyuan was incomparably powerful! Ruthless and decisive in killing! Cold and unapproachable...
But in Chen Mu's eyes, Li Xuanyuan was simply a perfect godfather who, whenever Chen Mu was unhappy, would get down on the ground and offer to let him ride on his back like a horse to cheer him up!
"Godfather, what brings you here?"
Shaking his head to clear away his stray thoughts, Chen Mu rose to greet him.
Godfather?!
Ye Qingcheng's pupils contracted slightly. She had never imagined that Chen Mu and Li Xuanyuan shared such a special relationship.
Anyone under his protection might not be able to summon the wind and rain in the Southern Region, but certainly no one would dare provoke them.
After all, even before beating a dog, one had to consider its master.
Let alone when they were godfather and godson...
Suddenly, she felt that talent seemed... rather unimportant in the face of an overwhelmingly powerful background.
So what if Chen Mu had failed to awaken his talent? So what if he was no genius? Across the Great Cang World, who would dare touch a hair on his head?
Even she, the Sky Sword Sect's holy maiden, a favored daughter of heaven admired by countless people, could only stay by his side as his personal guard.
"Well, I heard that your talent awakening... ahem, ahem!"
Considering how Chen Mu might feel, Li Xuanyuan forcibly swallowed the rest of his sentence.
Instead, he said, "Your godfather has refined a few new Curse Talismans. I brought them for you to protect yourself."
"These talismans are extremely powerful. You must be very, very careful when using them!"
"Especially this Heavenly Fire Talisman. It's a Ninth-Rank Divine Talisman. Even a Martial Saint without a powerful protective cultivation technique would lose half his life at best if struck by it—or perish on the spot at worst!"
A Ninth-Rank Divine Talisman?!
Ye Qingcheng's thin lips parted wide, astonishment written all over her lovely face.
Throughout the Southern Region, regardless of their strength, the Talisman Refiners capable of producing a Ninth-Rank Divine Talisman could probably be counted on one hand.
Aside from the enormous material costs, the success rate was terrifyingly low.
As a result, Ninth-Rank Divine Talismans always had a price but no sellers, and speculation had driven their prices sky-high.
Even the great dynasties spared no effort in collecting Ninth-Rank Divine Talismans, just to gain another trump card capable of deterring other powers.
Take the Great Wu Dynasty, where the Tianyuan Holy Land was located, for example.
The Great Wu emperor had visited Li Xuanyuan's Carefree Bamboo Grove more than once, offering mountains of gold and silver along with countless Treasured Artifacts in hopes of persuading him to refine Ninth-Rank Divine Talismans for the Great Wu Dynasty.
Yet Li Xuanyuan had rejected him without mercy.
After the Great Wu emperor's fourth visit, he had even erected a barrier to keep himself from being disturbed again.
And yet, this great figure whom even a nation's ruler could not hire with an explicit offer had voluntarily refined Divine Talismans for Chen Mu's safety and made a special trip to deliver them.
Thirty-six seventh-rank Divine Talismans! Twelve eighth-rank Divine Talismans! Three Ninth-Rank Divine Talismans!
If the Great Wu emperor learned of this, he would probably drool with envy.
"Thank you, Godfather." Chen Mu accepted them without standing on ceremony.
There was no reason to stand on ceremony with Li Xuanyuan, either. Doing so would only hurt him and make him feel distant.
Chen Mu clearly remembered how, when he was nine, Li Xuanyuan had tried to coax him into learning the Talisman Refining Art and becoming a Talisman Refiner.
But Chen Mu loved playing and did not want to sit cross-legged all day studying those spell inscriptions that were complicated enough to give him a headache.
Li Xuanyuan had merely urged him a couple more times, only to anger Chen Mu into blurting out, "I hate you most, Godfather!"
It had struck Li Xuanyuan like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving him petrified on the spot.
Afterward, he had grown so depressed that he fell seriously ill and even considered giving up talisman refining...
Besides, wanting a leisurely life did not conflict with stockpiling a few more protective Treasured Artifacts.
"Oh, we're family. What's there to thank me for? As long as you're safe and sound, it's all worthwhile." Li Xuanyuan immediately let out a long sigh of relief.
Before coming, he had been afraid Chen Mu would think he was meddling.
After much hesitation, he had decided that Chen Mu's safety mattered most and made up his mind to deliver the talismans.
Chen Mu was about to reply when the system's voice rang out in his mind.
System: [To ensure the host has sufficient space to store valuables, this system has unlocked access to the Infinite System Backpack for the host!!]
"..." Chen Mu was unsure whether the system was having another thin-skinned episode, terrified of being outdone by someone else.
In any case, it brought him nothing but benefits, so Chen Mu said nothing more.
As always, whatever made the system happy.
As long as it did not explode, everything was negotiable.
"By the way, Mu'er, that young girl over there—could she be your..." Li Xuanyuan lowered his voice and asked tentatively.
Chen Mu followed his gaze, which finally settled on Ye Qingcheng.
Though Li Xuanyuan had only finished half his sentence, Chen Mu knew perfectly well that he had misunderstood.
He hurriedly explained, "Don't misunderstand, Godfather. There's nothing between us. She's the personal guard Father found for me."
"I see. I thought I finally had a daughter-in-law and some hope of holding a grandson." Disappointment covered Li Xuanyuan's face.
"..." Realization dawned on Ye Qingcheng, and her delicate cheeks flushed faintly.
She dared not say anything more.
By the time she reacted, Li Xuanyuan had appeared before her in a single step.
"Greetings, Senior Xuanyuan," Ye Qingcheng said, cupping her fist.
She had been too astonished earlier to pay her respects.
"No need for formalities." The color of Li Xuanyuan's eyes suddenly changed as he saw through Ye Qingcheng's cultivation. "Only the Martial Master Realm..."
Several streaks of light flew out. "If the slightest harm comes to my godson, I'll hold you accountable!"
Ye Qingcheng looked at the dozen or so Divine Talismans in her hands, ranging from fourth rank to sixth rank, with everything from defense and attack to speed enhancement.
She immediately dropped to one knee in thanks and pledged, "Rest assured, Senior Xuanyuan. I am willing to stake my life on protecting the young master!"
"Your strength is a little lacking, but your resolve is commendable. Once you've used up the Divine Talismans, feel free to come ask me for more," Li Xuanyuan said approvingly.
"Thank you, Senior!"
After giving Ye Qingcheng her instructions, Li Xuanyuan returned to Chen Mu's side and asked tentatively, "Mu'er, what do you think? Would you reconsider coming to the Carefree Bamboo Grove with me to learn talisman refining and become a Talisman Refiner?"
If Ye Qingcheng had heard correctly, his words sounded more like a plea.
A top-tier Talisman Refiner whom countless people could not even get a chance to take as their master was actually begging someone to learn talisman refining from him.
If other Talisman Refiners witnessed this scene, they would surely stare with their mouths hanging open, their eyes red with envy.
"I appreciate your kindness, Godfather, but for now, I only want to live a quiet, carefree life and relax my body and mind," Chen Mu politely declined.
"A quiet, carefree life? That's good, too." In Li Xuanyuan's view, Chen Mu willingly staying away from fighting and killing was no bad thing.
"In that case, why not start considering marriage sooner?"
"Your godfather still has some connections and influence in the Southern Region. If any family's holy maiden or princess catches your eye, just say the word. I'll personally go propose the match for you!"
“As long as she's the one you want, I'll snatch her for you even if I have to use force! I'll get her for you, even if I have to take her by force!” Li Xuanyuan thumped his chest loudly, giving his solemn assurance.
“I hear the Sky Sword Sect has a holy maiden whose beauty could topple cities and kingdoms. She also possesses the Phoenix Bloodline, so her future prospects are limitless. She would certainly be qualified to become Li Xuanyuan's daughter-in-law.”
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