12: Chapter 12 Recognizing the Master

"Mr. Jin, rest assured. Since you have already come out, it is impossible for you to go back in."

"You have a big shot protecting you, so don't worry anymore."

Mr. Lu patted Jin Shouyi on the shoulder, signaling him not to be nervous.

Jin Shouyi nodded and said happily, "Mr. Lu, I really didn't expect you to have such connections."

The people who died in Lin Family Village were all directly related to him. In this day and age, to be able to walk out of the Security Bureau so openly after such a major case was something that Jin Shouyi found simply inconceivable.

"Sigh, Mr. Jin, getting you out like this wasn't actually easy."

"I understand, Mr. Lu. If you have any instructions, or if the big boss behind you has any instructions, just say the word."

Jin Shouyi slapped his chest, appearing as if he were truly ready to serve Mr. Lu through thick and thin.

"It's nothing much, I just need you to make a trip to Yunfeng Mountain."

Mr. Lu wore an inscrutable smile, a smile that sent a chill down Jin Shouyi's spine.

Jin Shouyi was no fool. Or rather, anyone who could start from scratch and reach this level was no fool. Since Mr. Lu and the big shot behind him had bailed him out even after he had committed such a crime, it was obvious that they needed him.

Developing a scenic spot? No, that was just an excuse.

Short of money? Jin Shouyi quickly dismissed this possibility.

Mr. Lu might be short of money, but the big shot behind him had enough power to get him out, which meant they definitely wouldn't be short of money.

What exactly was it? Jin Shouyi was incredibly confused, yet he didn't dare ask directly.

The shrewd Mr. Lu saw through Jin Shouyi's doubts at a glance; it was as if he possessed mind-reading abilities.

"Mr. Jin, your parents divorced when you were young. Your father didn't love you, your mother didn't care for you, and in the end, it was your grandfather who raised you. Through your own unremitting efforts, you got into a technical secondary school. In that era, a technical secondary school degree was considered quite good."

"Later, when you entered society, you worked diligently, saved up some money, and started your own business. The road to entrepreneurship was smooth sailing, and you might think this was something you achieved through your own hard work."

"But, is that really the case?"

"You possess the destiny of 'fortune following adversity.' Before adulthood, your luck was low, like a hidden dragon in an abyss. But at the age of thirty, you leaped from the shallows into the vast ocean, and your fortune became prominent."

"Yunfeng Mountain is undergoing a transformation. For it to become a blessed land, it would take at least sixty years. But if we want to shorten this time, we need someone with prominent fortune to enter it."

Mr. Lu did not hide anything and revealed his original plan entirely. He had sought out Jin Shouyi because he had taken a liking to Jin Shouyi's destiny.

However, establishing a Daoist temple on Yunfeng Mountain would indeed cure Jin Shouyi's illness. It was just that after the illness was cured, Jin Shouyi's fortune would be completely absorbed by Yunfeng Mountain, and his future life would become mediocre.

Hearing all this, Jin Shouyi was in a daze. Of course, he wanted to cure his illness, but if he were cured, his future life would be mediocre, and he would become an ordinary person. He couldn't live a life like that.

"Then what about my money? What about the wealth I worked so hard to accumulate?" Jin Shouyi asked with red eyes.

Mr. Lu said, "It will all leave you."

Jin Shouyi clenched his fists in frustration. Before meeting Mr. Lu, he believed that money could solve all problems; he had never felt so powerless before. He knew he had no choice but to follow Mr. Lu's instructions. This life of his no longer belonged to him.

...

...

Li Xiuyuan opened his eyes again. It had already been two days. He discovered that the sacred tree had undergone new changes.

On the bare branches, there was actually a touch of green. Emerald green leaves hung from the branches, as clear and translucent as jade. The veins within the leaves were as intricate as the blood vessels of a living creature, and some kind of substance was actually flowing through them.

"Is this spiritual energy?" Li Xiuyuan stared at the leaves. Suddenly, the sacred tree trembled slightly, and a certain call echoed in Li Xiuyuan's mind. This was a call from the sacred tree.

Just as Li Xiuyuan noticed this, the sacred tree began to tremble more violently. At the same time, the sacred tree was establishing an inexplicable connection with Li Xiuyuan.

"It's calling me? It wants to connect with me? To acknowledge me as its master?" Li Xiuyuan was somewhat astonished. The fact that this sacred tree had developed sentience and was suddenly acknowledging him as its master was truly beyond his expectations.

But soon, the sacred tree conveyed some information to Li Xiuyuan. The reason it was connecting with Li Xiuyuan was that it had sensed danger, and currently, only Li Xiuyuan could help it survive that danger.

Li Xiuyuan could completely devour this sacred tree right now and then turn around and leave, but that would only be a temporary growth. It was obvious that after this sacred tree acknowledged him as its master, it could continuously help him grow stronger.

Li Xiuyuan's mind stirred, and he chose to connect with the sacred tree. In an instant, a scene appeared before his eyes: raging fire and fierce winds intertwined, wreaking havoc on Phoenix Mountain. Lives were devastated, vegetation was toppled, and amidst the raging flames stood several figures.

Li Xiuyuan could not see their faces; he could only see that they all had eyes that glowed with a white light. They stood before the sacred tree, reaching out their hands toward it in unison. The fierce winds whipped their robes, their aura imposing! It seemed this was the crisis the sacred tree had sensed.

"Alright, I will help you overcome this crisis." Li Xiuyuan said.

The sacred tree trembled again, and the visible spiritual energy also flickered slightly.

When Li Xiuyuan emerged from the cave, the Mountain Wolf came before him and prostrated itself. The Mountain Wolf had undergone another transformation; its body had grown larger, and the fur on its body was especially dense, sharp as steel needles. Its eyes also revealed a great deal of intelligence.

"You will guard this mountain," Li Xiuyuan instructed.

The Mountain Wolf nodded. Li Xiuyuan had saved its life twice; there was no need to express its loyalty further.

Li Xiuyuan returned to Yunfeng Mountain. Although Phoenix Mountain had that sacred tree, this Yunfeng Mountain, which was connected to him, was also a place he could not abandon.

After connecting with the sacred tree, Li Xiuyuan discovered that he was more adept at manipulating clouds and rain. At the same time, when changing the weather, it consumed less spiritual energy.

"Huh, the spiritual energy value has started to increase again, and the speed and efficiency have both increased." Li Xiuyuan's mind stirred, and he opened his panel: [Bloodline Level: 3] [Spiritual Energy Value: 571 / 1000] [Ability: Rain]

"It seems that the monkey has been fully digested. The spiritual energy value has increased to 571. In a while, the bloodline level will be able to reach level 4. I wonder what kind of changes there will be then." Li Xiuyuan thought to himself.

He closed his panel and revisited Yunfeng Mountain. As expected, Yunfeng Mountain had become a bit broader. This world was undergoing strange changes.