11. Mu Hong's Gimmick
"Father, are you looking for me?" Mu Hong asked as he walked into the room.
"Yes!" Mu Yuanhang nodded and looked at Mu Hong with a gentle smile on his face.
"What's the matter?" Mu Hong asked.
"Mu Chen has changed a lot recently. It upsets me." Mu Yuanhang said with a frown.
A trace of disgust flashed across Mu Hong's eyes when he heard Mu Chen's name.
"Father, what are you worried about? Mu Chen has wasted a decade doing nothing. And now he is only a seven-star martial art pupil. Do you think that he will suddenly become stronger?" Mu Hong said in disapproval.
Mu Yuanhang shook his head and said disapprovingly, "Don't underestimate him. Mu Chen has a great talent. But he has never studied hard. If he works as hard as you, I'm afraid he would be stronger than you."
Mu Hong said with hatred in his eyes, "I see, father."
............
Mu Chen was reshaping the energy in his body again and again in the training room.
The original Mu Chen had never focused on learning. He even did so many things to sabotage his health.
Mu Chen used the Art of Vein Coordination to unclog the stagnant veins within seven days. Although he was still a seven-star martial art pupil, he looked like a whole new person.
"Cousin Chen, I've been waiting for you for a long time!" As soon as Mu Chen walked out of the training room, Mu Hong appeared.
Mu Chen put on guards against Mu Hong. Although Mu Yuanfeng and Mu Yuanhang were brothers, there were competitions between them. Although Mu Hong was Mu Chen's cousin, Mu Hong regarded Mu Chen as an enemy.
Mu Hong had secretly been jealous of Mu Chen's talent and felt disdained towards Mu Chen for what Mu Chen did.
"What for?" Mu Chen asked.
"It's not a big deal. There's a new casino in the city. Would you like to give it a try with me?" Mu Hong patted Mu Chen's shoulder and asked.
Mu Chen shook his head and said, "No."
Mu Hong frowned and said, "What's the matter? You have no money? No way."
He knew that Mu Chen returned his sword and got more than 400 elementary stones back. According to how much Mu Yuanfeng spoiled his son, Mu Yuanfeng might reward Mu Chen for the cultivation in the past days so Mu Chen should have a lot of money now.
Mu Chen smiled lightly, and said, "I don't have much money."
Mu Hong looked at Mu Chen and said, "Are you going to save money for a gift for Zhuang Yu? Are you going to give him a surprise?"
"Cousin, what are you talking about? It is true that I don't have much money recently." Mu Chen said coldly.
Mu Hong said, "Come on. I understand that you are saving money for Zhuang Yu. It is true that Zhuang Yu is a beautiful man that is hard to resist."
Mu Chen sneered in mind: Zhuang Yu is more of a killer.
"By the way, Jiyue Auction House is going to hold an annual auction. I heard that a bottle of Ice Lotus Water will be auctioned. If you give it to Zhuang Yu as a gift, Zhuang Yu will definitely like it. Perhaps he will throw himself into your arms." Mu Hong encouraged Mu Chen with a smile.
Mu Chen's heart sunk. After a thousand-year-old snow lotus withered, its medicinal nutrient was melted into snow water which turned into Ice Lotus Water. Ice Lotus Water was very precious and expensive. In the originally story, Mu Chen spent a lot of money to please Zhuang Yu.
Zhuang Yu was touched by Mu Chen's sincerity and accepted this generous gift. But still, Zhuang Yu did not accept Mu Chen as a lover.
Mu Chen was shocked that the original owner had spent 8,000 elementary stones on Ice Lotus Water. Where did Mu Chen get so many elementary stones?
"Cousin, you must be joking, I'm afraid the Ice Lotus Water will be auctioned from the price of 2,000 elementary stones. It is not something I can afford." Mu Chen shook his head and said.
Mu Hong smiled mysteriously, and said, "It's true that you can't afford it, but there is always a way!"
"What way?" Mu Chen pretended to be interested.
"I heard that Uncle Yuanfeng recently refined a good elixir. If you can get that elixir secretly and sell it, you will earn enough elementary stones." Mu Hong said proudly.
Mu Chen smiled and said, "So my father made a good elixir recently? I really don't know."
12. Suspicion
"Did you mention the Spirit-breaking Elixir to Mu Chen?" Mu Yuanhang asked Mu Hong.
"You already know that? Father, Uncle Yuanfeng is now a nine-star martial art master. If he is promoted to the next level, it will be a big problem for us. But if you can get that elixir, it will be a different situation." Mu Hong rolled his eyes and said.
Mu Yuanhang sighed and said, "This matter should be brought up, but it shouldn't be brought up by you. You might make Mu Chen suspicious."
Mu Hong said disapprovingly, "Father, you overestimate Mu Chen. He is not that smart to realize something was amiss."
Mu Yuan glared at Mu Hong and said, "It isn't wrong to be careful. Never underestimate your enemy. Even if Mu Chen won't feel suspicious, are you sure that Mu Yuanfeng also won't?"
Mu Hong pursed his lips. Although he did not agree with his father in mind, he said, "Sorry, I was careless."
"Learn your lesson. But as far as we know Mu Chen he won't be suspicious of you." Mu Yuanhang said.
Mu Hong nodded and said, "I will be careful next time."
"Originally, Qi Four should be the perfect one to mention this. But, unfortunately, Qi Four was fired by Mu Chen." Mu Yuanhang said with regret.
"Father, why did Mu Chen fired Qi Four?" Mu Hong asked.
Qi Four was the best spy that Mu Yuanhang implanted to watch Mu Chen. Without this person, their control over Mu Chen would be greatly reduced.
"I heard that after Zhuang Yu rejected Mu Chen's gift, Mu Chen vented his anger on Qi Four." Mu Yuanhang said.
Mu Hong was confused, "It's not like something he would do." Mu Chen was an indecisive person. It was not his style to fire someone so easily.
"He has changed a lot recently." Mu Yuanhang said.
Mu Chen walked out of the room. Ren Three said happily when he saw Mu Chen, "Congratulations, Master! You are not an eight-star martial art pupil."
Mu Chen rolled his eyes helplessly. Most people at his age were already at least warriors. Now he was only an eight-star martial art pupil. He was too weak.
"Is there anything new I should know?" Mu Chen asked.
"Master Mu Hong sent you a list of items at the big auction recently." Ren Three said.
Mu Chen squinted. A cold light flashed across his eyes, "Where's the list? Show me."
Ren Three nodded and handed the list to Mu Chen.
Mu Chen unfolded the list and found that Mu Hong made a special mark on the Ice Lotus Water.
Mu Chen smiled bitterly. The original plot only said that Mu Chen spent a lot of money for Zhuang Yu but it did not detail who and how it happened.
Mu Chen was interested in the alchemy furnace on the list.
Mu Yuanfeng was an alchemist. He once had planned to train Mu Chen into an alchemist. But the original owner was not interested. But now Mu Chen was interested.
"Did you bring the book about alchemy as I asked?" Mu Chen asked.
Ren Three nodded and said, "Here they are."
"Off you go." Mu Chen said.
Ren Three nodded and backed out.
Mu Chen opened the book. Before turning a few pages, a map fell out. It was a plane graph of the secret room in Mu Yuanfeng's bedroom, together with a way to open the secret room.
