sinovels Chapter 36 Have you thought this through?
Chapter 36 Have you thought this through?
"That should be about right!"
After dealing with the Mu family members, Shen Che not only poured kerosene on the garden in the backyard of the Mu family and set it on fire, but also went to the Mu family dungeon and killed all the remaining guards.
When they arrived, the old man surnamed He was sharpening his knife, while the guards were picking out a woman with a protruding belly from among the imprisoned women.
After easily dealing with these people, Shen Che didn't bother to properly settle the women. He simply told them to find something valuable in the Mu family's possessions and take it with them.
The Mu family has already been targeted by the government, so these women should be in no danger.
As for himself, he mounted his horse and fled as quickly as possible.
Who knows if someone in the Mu family is plotting against me? What if my involvement with the Mu family is discovered, and then someone else shows up?
When you're out in the world, survival comes first, and there's nothing wrong with being a little cowardly.
After traveling through the night, Shen Che finally stopped when his horse was foaming at the mouth.
"That should be about right!"
He tied the horse to one side, sat down next to it, drank some water, and rested for a while.
After a bumpy ride, the strength of a master of innate cultivation meant he wouldn't collapse, but his buttocks were really sore.
He didn't sleep a wink last night and ran around all day today. He'll go crazy if he doesn't catch his breath soon.
Even before, he had never suffered like this. What's so great about this wretched world?
"System, try searching again!"
Taking a breather, Shen Che carefully monitored his surroundings while immersing his consciousness back into the system.
Countless starlight flashed through my mind, and my divine sense was quickly drawn into one of the starlights.
In the blink of an eye, an ancient and magnificent city appeared before us, towering dozens of feet high, reaching hundreds of meters in height when viewed from above. This wasn't a skyscraper; it was a city wall.
Before this, the cities he had encountered were considered to have high walls and thick walls if they were seven or eight zhang high.
The city before him was so vast that even his current consciousness could only barely encompass a small portion of it.
He continued searching within the city, and soon, several figures appeared in his mind, each possessing exceptional talent.
"What the hell is this place?"
In my mind, one person after another with exceptional talent appeared.
Before this, he had searched painstakingly for days and still had trouble finding one, but today he came across several at once.
Each of them possesses exceptional qualities.
Among these people, Shen Che focused his attention on the one with the best aptitude. After his consciousness zoomed in, a magnificent city gate appeared before him.
This is not a manor, but a city within a city. As for the one with the best qualifications, he acted as if he held a high position of power.
Just sitting there made everyone around him careful, afraid of disturbing or offending him.
A man from a prominent family, with unfathomable strength, gave me a sense of danger just by looking at him.
A master, an absolute master, and the kind of master who is extremely rich and powerful.
He'll move on to the next one without hesitation. Unless he has absolutely no other choice, he won't even want to touch someone like that.
The next moment, Shen Che's gaze fell on a young man. The young man's talent was second only to the one who had just been there.
"Li Chou, have you really thought this through? If you do this, you'll only ever be a collateral branch!"
Seeing that the young man before him seemed to have no hesitation, the middle-aged man spoke again, "Your aptitude is superior to Li You's. Logically speaking, accepting the Soul Fusion should be the best choice for you!"
"My Shi family is a family of secret arts, with a family secret technique called Soul Fusion passed down through generations. Each person only has one chance to fuse their soul, and it must be done by a very close blood relative."
"But this is also for the prosperity of my Shi family. After fusing with the secret soul, the combined talents of the two will make learning secret techniques twice as effective, paving a smooth path for them!"
"The reason my Shi family has been able to stand strong to this day is entirely due to this secret technique, and the unwavering dedication of generations of our descendants!"
At this point, the middle-aged man looked at the boy again, his eyes filled with a hint of conflict.
"But the secret soul is hidden in the sea of qi. After offering up the secret soul, not only will you lose all opportunities to learn secret techniques, but you will also damage your sea of qi."
"Even if one were to stop practicing secret techniques and switch to martial arts in the future, it would be much less effective, and because of the damage to the Qi Sea, there would be no possibility of ever reaching the Innate Realm again."
"Therefore, the clan rules stipulate that those who fuse with the secret soul can enter the main branch. Those who offer up the secret soul can only become collateral branches."
"You know very well what life is like for someone from a collateral branch of the family. Are you really sure?"
"Second Uncle, my mind is made up!" The boy raised his head, his eyes showing no hesitation, only unwavering determination.
"I've made up my mind. I'll give my secret soul to my younger brother, so he'll be the legitimate heir from now on. As long as he's happy, that's all that matters!"
"Li Chou, why are you doing this to yourself!" The middle-aged man couldn't help but sigh as he patted the boy's shoulder.
"My elder brother made the same choice back then; he gave me the Secret Soul and willingly chose to become a member of a collateral branch!"
"Back then, my elder brother made the same choice as you do today. It's just that back then, my elder brother had superior talent, while I had only average talent."
"Our Shi family has thrived for hundreds of years, all thanks to our strict clan rules. Even the son of the clan chief, if he is of average talent, can only become a member of a collateral branch."
"Back then, my elder brother had excellent aptitude, while mine was only average. As the son of the clan leader, my elder brother's excellent aptitude meant he was a legitimate heir without needing to fuse his soul. He would inherit the position of clan leader and become the head of our Shi clan in the future."
"As for me, my aptitude is so average that I don't even meet the requirements, so I can only become a collateral branch."
"Sigh!" The middle-aged man sighed heavily, his eyes filled with a mixture of reminiscence and regret.
"But I never imagined that my elder brother would give me the Secret Soul back then. My elder brother clearly had exceptional talent!"
"But he gave me the secret soul, which made me the legitimate son and later the clan leader, while my elder brother became a collateral branch."
"More than twenty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and I've felt guilty for more than twenty years. I've let down my eldest brother, and I'm even more sorry to you two brothers, who are both exceptionally talented!"
The middle-aged man placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, his face filled with guilt and shame.
"Your second uncle is incompetent; he can't protect you two. If you were direct descendants, with this talent right here, you would naturally become direct descendants as well."
"But because of me, my elder brother has become a member of a collateral branch. According to the clan rules, the descendants of collateral branches can only remain collateral branches. Unless they are willing to merge their souls, they cannot become legitimate sons, even if you are the clan leader's own nephews."
"Second Uncle, I know!" Seeing that his second uncle seemed to have tears in his eyes, the boy quickly comforted him, "We remember all the kindness you've shown us over the years."
"It was you who overruled all objections and, on the grounds that we were young and exceptionally talented, allowed us to stay in the inner court and receive the same education as the direct descendants."
"We are now approaching the age of adulthood. After adulthood, those who are not direct descendants are absolutely forbidden from entering the inner court. This is an ironclad rule, and it is not a problem with Second Uncle."
After calming down and composing his complicated emotions, the boy looked up and said firmly, "So I hope that my younger brother can become a direct descendant, just like my second uncle did back then. I hope my second uncle can help me."
"Alright, I understand!" Seeing that the boy persisted, the middle-aged man could only nod helplessly.
"Li Chou, you must know that during the soul fusion, the one who offers their secret soul must be willing and cannot hesitate in the slightest. Only in this way will the soul fusion succeed."
"I understand, Second Uncle!" The boy nodded heavily and then said, "I know everything that happened. I'm leaving everything in your care, Second Uncle!"
"Alright!" The middle-aged man patted the boy's shoulder again, saying with a reluctant expression, "Go on, your second uncle will personally preside over the soul fusion ceremony for you!"
"Thank you, Second Uncle!" After bowing deeply to the middle-aged man, the young man strode into the ancestral hall without looking back. Guided by the clan elder, he lay down on the bed and resolutely closed his eyes.
Not long after Shi Lichou went inside, another boy who looked similar to him slowly walked over.
Upon seeing the boy, the middle-aged man's face once again displayed almost the exact same expression as before. "Li You, you've come? Are you really sure?"
"Second Uncle, I've made up my mind. I'll give my secret soul to my eldest brother!"
"Li You, why are you doing this to yourself? Have you really thought this through?"