137: Feng Shilian, to see Chu Zu

"Young Fan, the Jingyuan Dynasty has five major Prefecture Cities: Xuanying Prefecture, Qianling Prefecture, Xianyuan Prefecture, Hanyuan Prefecture, and the Jingyuan Royal Capital."

"This is Xianyuan Prefecture. Legend has it that an Immortal once passed through here and bestowed a strand of Immortal source to protect the Human Race in this region, which is how Xianyuan City was built."

Chu Shengfan watched the bustling streets. At a glance, everyone emitted fluctuations of spirituality; as far as the eye could see, there wasn't a single ordinary person.

He looked up at the sky again. That iconic sun with its long ribbons hung in the heavens, as if he were still Beyond the Border.

Chu Shengfan sensed the energy flowing in the air and was startled to realize it wasn't just "as if"—he really was still in the outside world.

He pursed his lips and, while following Grandpa Sun down the street, observed his surroundings. "Grandpa Sun, weren't we going to Qianling Prefecture? Why did we come here?"

"No rush, no rush. The recruitment season for the Qianling Prefecture Academy is still far off. I'll take you to see other places first, and incidentally shake off..."

The last few words were very quiet, or perhaps Sun Chunchen didn't make a sound at all; Chu Shengfan didn't hear them clearly.

Before he could ask, Sun Chunchen had already strode forward. "Let's find an inn to stay in first, and we'll consider other matters later."

Chu Shengfan stamped his foot in conflict. It had been agreed that he would send word home to report his safety once they landed. Now that he was sending news back from Qianling Prefecture, he didn't know if it would cause the Family to worry... Heyu Town, Qixia Mountain, the Chu Family residence.

The sky grew dark, and a crimson sunset hung on the mountain peaks.

Jiang Nian and the others finally finished categorizing and placing the various books onto the shelves. Even with over a thousand books stored inside, the first floor of the Library Pavilion still seemed somewhat empty.

Looking across, it seemed as if there were hardly any books at all.

Chu Shengyuan lay sprawled on one of the tables, staring blankly at the carved patterns on the ceiling. It wasn't that his body was tired, but rather the titles of those books and a brief glance at their contents had made his mind weary.

He felt aggrieved and hugged himself inwardly. He was still just a child; it was already good enough that he could recognize the characters, yet he was expected to understand the content. It was too hard, simply too hard.

Jiang Nian clapped her hands. Back in Ziyuan Village, she had been illiterate. After coming to the Chu Family, there weren't many household chores, so Chu Qinhui often had her read and study to pass the time.

After more than ten years, she had no problem reading or writing at all.

She clapped her hands again. "Our task for today is completely finished. Everyone is tired today; we'll start transcribing the books tomorrow."

Chu Shenghan and Xu Yinyue didn't object, but Chu Shengyuan's gaze toward the ceiling grew more distressed. His eyes darted around as he tried to come up with a plan to avoid the transcription task.

Ignoring Chu Shengyuan, who was playing dead on the distant table, Jiang Nian took out the Black Stone Lotus that Xu Yinyue had taken a liking to at first sight from her storage space and placed it on the table.

"Yinyue, what exactly is so special about this Black Stone Lotus?"

Hearing the commotion, Chu Shengyuan scrambled up from the table and instantly, full of energy, leaned in toward the stone lotus, his curious eyes fixed on Xu Yinyue.

Being watched expectantly by three pairs of eyes, Xu Yinyue's body stiffened slightly. She spoke softly,

"In my eyes at the time, this Black Stone Lotus gave me a feeling similar to the book enshrined in the Ancestral Hall."

Xu Yinyue's words left the three pairs of expectant eyes stunned in place.

"Are you saying this Black Stone Lotus might... might be a Origin Artifact?" Jiang Nian's voice was a bit dry.

Xu Yinyue shook her head slightly. "I don't know. It's just that the aura and the internal patterns and symbols feel similar to the stone book. As for whether it's truly a Origin Artifact, I really can't be sure."

With a wave of her hand, Jiang Nian retracted the Black Stone Lotus into her jade hairpin. She looked at Xu Yinyue. "Come with me to see the Family Head."

Xu Yinyue also knew this was no small matter. Without saying much, she nodded silently.

In the Central Hall courtyard, it happened to be dinner time. Without having to search specifically, they found Chu Jingyu there.

Seeing the four of them in such a hurry, Chu Jingyu felt a bit strange, wondering if something major had happened. However, seeing that all four were safe and sound, his worry lessened slightly.

"Why such a hurry? Did you encounter something extraordinary while out today?"

Chu Shengyuan pursed his lips and nodded vigorously with a serious expression.

"There is indeed an urgent matter. Father, look at this." As he spoke, the Black Stone Lotus appeared on the open ground within the Central Hall.

Chu Jingyu looked at the lotus-shaped black stone. He scanned it inside and out with his Mental Energy but found nothing special. His questioning gaze fell upon Jiang Nian.

"Yinyue said that in her eyes, this Black Stone Lotus feels the same as our Family's Origin Artifact, the stone book."

Upon hearing this, a look of shock appeared in Chu Jingyu's eyes. He rubbed his fingers back and forth over the Black Stone Lotus and even used his Mental Energy to inspect it more thoroughly.

Still finding nothing special, he withdrew his hand and stood up. "You all go back first. I'll take this stone lotus to the Ancestral Hall. Yinyue, come with me."

The Chu Family Member all understood that Chu Jingyu was going to pay his respects to Ancestor Chu.

Two minutes later, standing outside the gates of the Ancestral Hall courtyard, Chu Jingyu instructed Xu Yinyue beside him:

"I'll go in first. You wait here for a moment."

Xu Yinyue nodded silently and stood quietly before the entrance of the Ancestral Hall.

Chu Jingyu entered the Ancestral Hall, walked quickly into the main hall, and then bowed his head. "Chu Jingyu respectfully requests Ancestor Chu; I have an important matter to report."

Not two seconds after his voice fell, the stone book glowed with a burst of multicolored light. Colored threads spread out from it, weaving into the form of Chu Mu before the offering table.

"Don't keep kneeling at every turn. Keep your respect in your heart. Rise."

Only then did Chu Jingyu stand up. He didn't take Chu Mu's words about not needing to kneel seriously. With such a great Family Origin Artifact, if respect wasn't shown through actions, and if descendants forgot their roots and earned Ancestor Chu's disdain, it would be a catastrophe for the Chu Family.

However, he didn't argue. He simply took out the Black Stone Lotus obtained from Jiang Nian and placed it on the open ground in front of Chu Mu.

He explained, "This is an item Jiang Nian and the children obtained today in the Treasure Pavilion. In Xu Yinyue's eyes, this object has the same aura as the stone book that contains you."

"We couldn't see anything special for the time being and didn't know how to handle it, so we wanted to present it to you to get your advice."

Having the same aura as the stone book, Chu Mu also suddenly became serious and solemn. Could it be another Origin Artifact, or was there some Soul hidden inside this as well?"

Chu Mu raised his hand, and a jade book appeared beside him. Since this Black Stone Lotus was now a possession of the Chu Family, logically, he should be able to see its detailed information within the Family's assets.