91: A century of rapid change

Outside Hancheng City.

Lin Mu and the other two appeared.

What greeted their eyes was still a scorched earth.

However, Lin Mu noticed that the city walls of Hancheng City seemed undamaged.

Only the marks of time had deepened a bit.

Lin Mu didn't hesitate; with a flash, he vanished from his spot.

Although only a few days had passed for Lin Mu since his last departure, a hundred years had already gone by for Hancheng City.

Lin Mu looked at the layout of the city, which had changed its appearance.

However, the Tao Family was still in its original location.

Inside the Tao Family manor at this moment.

The Three-Headed Dog lazily lay in its courtyard.

In a hundred years, it had successfully grown to the peak of an eighth-level demonic beast.

Suddenly, it sharply opened its eyes.

Its eyes were filled with disbelief.

Just now, it vaguely sensed that familiar aura.

It raised its heads and looked up at the sky.

Three figures quickly descended into its courtyard.

After it clearly saw who the visitors were, it barked joyfully and rushed forward with a flash.

“Boss, you’re finally back! this great master (arrogant self-reference) missed you terribly! I thought you wouldn't come back.”

The Three-Headed Dog said, sounding aggrieved, as it approached Lin Mu.

Lin Mu ignored the Three-Headed Dog’s whining tone.

He said in a calm voice, “Something unexpected happened, which caused a delay.”

The Three-Headed Dog replied, “What kind of unexpected event could cause a delay of a hundred years?

“Boss, you don’t know, I couldn’t eat or sleep thinking about you every day.”

Lin Mu looked at the Three-Headed Dog’s body, which was noticeably rounder.

He didn’t expose it but instead asked with a serious expression, “Did anything major happen in the past hundred years?”

The Three-Headed Dog shook its three heads, thought for a moment, and said, “Major events? I don’t really know about those. I’ve barely left this city in the past hundred years.”

“It’s just that many people in the Tao Family have died in the past hundred years; even the servants who bring me food have changed several times.”

Lin Mu said, “Oh, tell me about it.”

The Three-Headed Dog recounted the Tao Family’s situation over the past hundred years to Lin Mu, one by one.

Although its account was messy and fragmented, Lin Mu still managed to piece some things together.

Since Lin Mu left, the Three-Headed Dog had been living a life of leisure in the Tao Family.

The Tao Family revered the Three-Headed Dog like a god.

For the first few decades, everything was calm and uneventful.

It wasn’t until fifty years after Lin Mu disappeared that people from the Heavenly Dao Sect came to the Tao Family, inquiring about the whereabouts of Lin Mu and Yun Feiyang.

The Three-Headed Dog vaguely learned that something seemed to have happened within the Heavenly Dao Sect.

However, it did not show itself at the time.

In the Three-Headed Dog’s eyes, only Lin Mu was worth its attention.

Twenty years ago, an old woman brought an intermediary to the Tao Family.

They held a jade pendant and said they were looking for Lin Mu.

After the Tao Family confirmed the authenticity of the jade pendant, they sent them to the Heavenly Dao Sect.

Lin Mu could roughly guess that the two people were likely Xiao Hua and her son.

He just didn't know what had happened to make her leave Luocheng Mountain to look for him.

Ten years ago, Yan Ruxue also came to the Tao Family looking for Lin Mu.

Upon learning that Lin Mu had not returned for a hundred years, she only left one sentence:

“A hundred years have passed. From now on, I no longer owe him anything.”

Lin Mu’s single sentence back then had made Yan Ruxue confine herself for a hundred years.

Even though there had been no news of Lin Mu for a century, she had not broken her word.

Lin Mu actually felt a bit of admiration for that woman.

As Lin Mu was processing the Three-Headed Dog’s information, an elderly woman of sixty suddenly appeared at the courtyard gate.

Her white hair was casually coiled on her head.

Her cloudy eyes seemed to have difficulty seeing clearly.

The old woman asked in a somewhat hoarse voice, “Has Young Master Lin returned?”

The old woman’s voice carried a hint of anticipation.

Lin Mu looked at the old woman who spoke, feeling puzzled.

A hundred years had changed many people.

Lin Mu looked carefully for a while but didn't recognize the old woman; he could only ask, “You are?”

Although the old woman’s eyes were dim, her hearing was excellent.

She recognized that the person speaking was indeed Lin Mu.

This voice, she would never forget in her lifetime.

She suddenly burst into tears and said, “Big Brother Lin, I am Tao Ying.”

Lin Mu was startled, somewhat astonished.

“Tao Ying?”

He truly couldn't reconcile the old woman before him with the image of Tao Ying.

The young woman who was supporting Tao Ying looked at Lin Mu with some surprise.

She was a bit puzzled as to why her usually dignified and composed ancestor was so flustered today.

And she was even calling a young man 'Big Brother'.

While comforting Tao Ying, she softly asked, “Ancestor, what’s wrong with you today?”

“Why are you calling a junior ‘Big Brother’? Could your delusion be acting up again?”

Ever since Yan Ruxue visited ten years ago and spoke those words, Tao Ying had been muttering to herself every day.

Everyone in the Tao Family said she was suffering from delusions.

Tao Ying never bothered to explain anything.

With ordinary talent, she still hadn’t managed to break through to the Spirit Roaming Realm.

Now, she was at the end of her life.

Ever since learning that Yan Ruxue had indeed kept her promise to guard Tao Rong's body for half a year, Tao Ying had let go of everything.

Her daily wish was to see Lin Mu one last time before she died.

Now that she truly saw Lin Mu, she could only call him Big Brother Lin, unable to even utter a word of thanks.

Listening to her great-granddaughter's words, she shook her head slightly and reprimanded, “Don't be rude. Young Master Lin is the great benefactor of our Tao Family.”

“He is also the master of our Tao Family. Hurry and pay your respects.”

The younger generation of the Tao Family only knew that the Tao Family had a powerful backer.

It was said that precisely because of this backer, the Tao Family could dominate Hancheng City.

Even the Heavenly Dao Sect, the foremost sect, had to give them some face.

But none of them had ever seen this mysterious expert.

Only a portrait enshrined in the ancestral hall allowed them to pay homage once a year.

The young woman who had just spoken was initially somewhat unconvinced after hearing her ancestor’s reprimand.

When she looked closely at Lin Mu’s face again, she realized that Lin Mu was identical to the person in the portrait.

She excitedly walked a few steps in front of Lin Mu and knelt directly on both knees.

“Tao Yue’er, a junior of the Tao Family, greets Young Master Lin.”

Lin Mu hadn't expected this unfamiliar junior of the Tao Family to perform such a grand 禮 immediately.

It seemed that after a hundred years, the Tao Family still hadn't forgotten Lin Mu's place in their hearts.

Thinking of this, Lin Mu nodded slightly.

Then, he took out an amulet and sent it to Tao Yue’er with his spiritual power.

“Wear this amulet; it will make your cultivation twice as effective.”

Tao Yue’er looked at the golden glowing amulet before her, hesitating for a moment.

Yun Feiyang, standing nearby, found this scene somewhat amusing.

This amulet had been infused with Primal God Power by Lin Mu.

It could not only accelerate one's cultivation immensely but also provide great assistance in combat.

If this girl knew that even those in the Great Emperor Realm would covet this amulet, he wondered if she would still act this way.

Although Tao Ying couldn't clearly see what Lin Mu had given Tao Yue’er, anything from Lin Mu's hand was certainly not ordinary.

She said anxiously, “Yue’er, hurry and thank Young Master Lin for his gift.”

After receiving her ancestor’s permission, Tao Yue’er happily put away the amulet and then bowed to Lin Mu again.

“Thank you, Young Master Lin, for your gift.”

After Tao Yue’er put away the amulet, Lin Mu’s gaze returned to Tao Ying.

He asked in a steady voice, “Is Tao Zhi still the head of the Tao Family?”

Tao Ying replied with a mournful tone, “The Tao Family head passed away from illness twenty years ago.”

Lin Mu then asked, “Who is in charge of the Tao Family now?”

Tao Ying said, “My second brother, Tao Qian, is currently overseeing the Tao Family.”

Lin Mu was surprised, “Tao Qian?”

In his impression, Tao Qian had always been a lively, uninhibited person.

He hadn't expected that he would now be able to lead a family.

Lin Mu couldn't help but smile, then said, “Have Tao Qian come here to see me.”