About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Mu Bingling came running back, clutching a two-inch Jade Box. Panting, she asked, "Mother, Father, I've brought back the Blood Ginseng. How is my brother?"
Bi Wan gently wiped the sweat from Mu Bingling's brow, her gaze full of affection. She had found Mu Bingling as an orphan, a fact Bingling herself knew, as she was already two years old at the time. After nearly ten years together, Bi Wan had long since come to regard Mu Bingling as her own daughter. Seeing her so anxious over Mu Chen, Bi Wan's heart ached for her.
Hearing her daughter's question, Bi Wan said gently, "Chen'Er is out of danger now. He just lost too much blood and is still unconscious. He'll likely wake up tomorrow, so don't worry."
Hearing Bi Wan say that Mu Chen was out of danger, Mu Bingling finally let out a sigh of relief. She patted her chest and handed the Jade Box to Mufeng, who stood to the side. Mufeng took the box, told Bi Wan to go brew it into a soup herself, and then turned to Mu Bingling. "Bing'Er, tell me what happened to Chen'Er."
Everything had happened so quickly that he'd had no time to ask questions. But now that Mu Chen was out of mortal danger, Mufeng recalled how he had just solemnly promised Bi Wan that no harm would come to their son. And yet, Mu Chen's life had just been hanging by a thread. A fire of rage ignited within him, and his expression grew grim.
Of course, Mu Bingling held nothing back, recounting everything she had seen and heard.
"...and that's what happened. By the time I found him in the back hills, he had already lost too much blood and passed out." As she finished her story, an inexplicable wave of guilt washed over Mu Bingling. 'If only I had stopped Mu Chen... If only I had stayed closer to him, maybe none of this would have happened.'
Mufeng could tell what she was thinking and comforted her gently, "Bing'Er, this isn't your fault. Don't blame yourself. I'll take care of it."
'Although Mu Rongxuan wasn't the direct cause of Mu Chen's injuries, he was the spark that ignited the whole affair. If not for his provocations and insults, this never would have happened to Mu Chen.'
The Mu Family was one of the four great families of Luofeng City. Mufeng was the youngest son of the Mu Family's Patriarch, Mu Gu Tian. He had two older brothers: the eldest, Mu Yun, and the second, Mu Yufan. Mufeng was normally the most aloof of the three, with no desire to get involved in family politics. As a result, family affairs were largely managed by Mu Yun and Mu Yufan, both of whom were secretly vying for the position of the next Patriarch. And Mu Rongxuan was Mu Yufan's only son.
'It seems I've been too low-key.' Mufeng's figure flickered. With a whisper of movement like the wind, he vanished from the room in an instant.
Just then, Bi Wan entered with a bowl of medicinal soup. Finding only Mu Bingling in the room, sitting by the bed and watching over Mu Chen, she asked, "Bing'Er, where's your father?"
Mu Bingling shook her head. "He just left. I don't know where he went."
Bi Wan didn't press the matter. After slowly feeding the medicinal soup to Mu Chen, she led Mu Bingling to an adjoining room.
...
'Where am I?' Mu Chen's consciousness had returned, but he found himself in a strange, multicolored space. The void was empty, filled with nothing but swirling, incandescent gases of every color.
'Could this be hell?' Realizing he was no longer on the Extreme Martial Continent, Mu Chen instinctively assumed he was dead.
'So, hell isn't as terrifying as I imagined,' Mu Chen murmured to himself.
"Hahaha... Are you joking, boy?"
The deep, resonant voice echoed abruptly through the space, followed by a primeval, Barbaric Aura that washed over him. The sound made Mu Chen jump.
"Who are you?" Mu Chen asked, his voice low.
"Heh heh... Not bad, boy. To remain so calm in such an unfamiliar place." The voice didn't answer his question, offering only a word of praise.
"Just who are you?" Cold sweat trickled down Mu Chen's back; he was only feigning composure. The sudden voice wasn't the main problem. It was the violent, Barbaric Aura that came with it, an aura terrifying enough to make the twelve-year-old's skin crawl.
"Me? I've been dormant for so long, I can barely remember... Let me see. Ah, that's right. A long, long time ago, they all called me... the Profound Old Ghost."
'Profound Old Ghost? Is that some kind of Ghost Monster from hell?' Mu Chen shook his head. The name was completely foreign; he had never heard it before.
"It's normal that you've never heard of me. You must have many questions right now, but I won't tell you much. You just need to know that you are not dead, and this is not hell. Am I a Ghost Monster? I suppose not. Hmm? Your body is about to begin its Awakening. We'll talk later," the Profound Old Ghost said, his voice distant.
The multicolored space then faded to black. Mu Chen was startled as he felt an immense force pulling him out. The next moment, an intense wave of vertigo washed over him. But then, the transparent bead in his mind underwent another First Transition, and a cool sensation instantly dispelled the dizziness.
Mu Chen felt the vertigo last only a moment before a refreshing coolness took its place. He instinctively tried to open his eyes, but they felt as if they were sewn shut; he couldn't open them no matter how hard he tried.
'What's going on?' Mu Chen wondered. He strained again but still couldn't open his eyes. He gently moved his arm and was surprised to find he could lift it with ease. He froze. 'This means it isn't weakness that's keeping my eyes shut.'
"Don't bother, boy. For your own protection, it's better if you keep your eyes closed for now," a devilishly charming voice said suddenly.
"And who are you?" Mu Chen was startled again. This was the second unfamiliar voice he had heard.
"Eh? Why the 'And'? We just spoke a moment ago. Have you forgotten so quickly?" the devilish voice replied. This time, Mu Chen could clearly sense its origin. The voice wasn't coming from the Outer Realm, but seemed to be appearing directly inside his mind.
"You're the Profound Old Ghost?" Mu Chen exclaimed.
"Chen'Er, Chen'Er, what is it? Are you hurt?" Hearing Mu Chen's cry, Bi Wan rushed to his side.
Mu Chen instinctively turned his head, and Bi Wan's anxious face came into clear view. He was shocked beyond belief. 'What is happening? My eyes are clearly closed! How can I see things in the Outer Realm so clearly—even more clearly than before?'
"Boy, why are you always so jumpy? You don't have to speak out loud to talk to me. I know you have questions, but you'd better placate your mother first."
The Profound Old Ghost's chiding voice echoed in his mind. Though his head was swimming with questions, Mu Chen calmed himself, pressed his temples, and said, "Mother, I'm fine. I just felt a little dizzy for a moment."
Bi Wan was relieved to hear he was all right, but the thought of what had happened today made her start to lecture him. Breaking out in a sweat, Mu Chen quickly cut in, "Mother, I'm feeling dizzy again. I think I need to rest."
Bi Wan paused, her heart aching. "Oh, Chen'Er, it's my fault. I forgot you're still so weak. I'll go brew some more Blood Ginseng Soup for you. You get some rest now."
Mu Chen watched Bi Wan lead Mu Bingling, who had been standing quietly to the side, out of the room. After gently closing the door, she finally turned and walked away.
Mu Chen took a deep breath and calmly asked in his mind, 'Who exactly are you? Where are you? Why did you seek me out? You—'
"Boy, you're asking so many questions at once. Which one should I answer first?" the Profound Old Ghost retorted irritably.
Mu Chen was speechless. The Profound Old Ghost chuckled. "I'm inside your body now. As for why, we can talk about that later. Of course, you can rest completely assured that I have no ill intentions, and I certainly won't harm you. Even if I did have a purpose, it would only be to your great benefit. In short, meeting me is the greatest stroke of fortune you could have ever hoped for."
Mu Chen scoffed. 'Greatest stroke of fortune? You're inside my body, so you should know its condition better than I do. In a world like this, what's the point of giving an incredible opportunity to a complete and utter cripple?'
The Profound Old Ghost replied dismissively, "So what if you're a cripple with a shattered Dantian?"
Mu Chen's expression darkened, but what the Profound Old Ghost said was true. He really was a cripple. After a moment, Mu Chen's features softened into a bitter smile. 'Since you already know, why are you spouting such meaningless nonsense?'
The Profound Old Ghost paid no mind to Mu Chen's tone and said proudly, "How could it be nonsense? The very fact that I know you're a cripple, a good-for-nothing who can't practice Cultivation, and yet I still tell you that meeting me is your greatest opportunity, proves that the issues you're worried about... aren't issues at all."