Behind Liuyun City's mountain, Chu Linfeng walked slowly behind Chu Yuanba, having understood a bit of Chu Yuanba's intentions.
After a while, Chu Yuanba stopped and said, "Feng'er, I heard from Lin Yue that you entered the second layer of the Library Pavilion?"
Chu Linfeng didn't expect him to ask about this, "Indeed, I did go in and obtained a martial skill there. I'm not sure why father is asking this?"
A breeze blew across the mountain, bringing a very pleasant feeling. "Feng'er, you wouldn't think that your father wants that martial skill, would you!"
"No, if father wishes to study it, I'm willing to transcribe the martial skill for him to review." Chu Linfeng said very sincerely.
Towards this father who was neither warm nor cold to him, he felt a subtle sense of rejection.
"No need, you keep it. If I'm not mistaken, your body technique should be a profound tier martial skill, right? You were lucky to find a martial skill on the second layer."
"It is a profound tier martial skill, but it's not body technique; it's swordsmanship and the body technique merely assists its execution," Chu Linfeng did not hide, knowing that sooner or later he would use the Wind Chasing Sword Technique, better to reveal it now.
Chu Yuanba turned at this point to scrutinize Chu Linfeng, "All these years have truly been difficult for you, but why have you been suppressing your strength? What level are you at in the Black Tortoise Realm now?"
Chu Linfeng hesitated a bit. Based on his performance today, he was at least at the Seventh Level of the Black Tortoise Realm, yet currently, he was at the Fifth Layer, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer.
If he directly told him it was the Fifth Layer, he definitely wouldn't believe it, but if he said it was the Seventh Layer, then clearly he would be lying.
Seeing Chu Linfeng's difficulty in answering, Chu Yuanba laughed, "What's there to hide between father and son? You should be at the Seventh Level of the Black Tortoise Realm now!"
Chu Linfeng helplessly nodded, considered an admission, better than lying.
"Today's events, the Liu Family certainly won't let it rest, having more strength is having more security for your life!
The family competition is getting closer, and your rise is already known to all those who care; in the eyes of others, you are a formidable opponent, which makes the danger increasingly apparent," Chu Yuanba's eyes showed a hint of concern.
"Father, I understand your meaning; rest assured, I will be cautious,"
Chu Yuanba then took out a belt from his person and said, "This is a Storage Belt, inside are some herbs and spirit stones, and there is one item that is my Chu Family's ancestral treasure; I hope you take good care of it—you should have something like this by now."
Regarding a Storage Belt, Chu Linfeng had long wanted one, as the Cyan Frost Sword didn't have a sheath, holding it every day was indeed somewhat inelegant, especially with the sword's rust, making it seem like useless junk.
But upon hearing Chu Yuanba saying there was an ancestral treasure, he immediately took interest, "Father, what exactly is the ancestral treasure? How come I've never heard of our Chu Family having such a thing?"
"In fact, it's not really a family treasure; your great-grandfather acquired it many years ago, a piece of clothing called the Celestial Silkworm Robe, woven from thousand-year-old cold silkworm silk, considered a spirit tier top grade treasure armor."
"Spirit tier top grade?" Chu Linfeng was slightly surprised to hear this; a spirit tier lower grade weapon could be worth a hundred spirit stones, so what would this armor be worth?
You know, clothes generally serve to keep out the cold, only battlefield armor has some defensive function; on the battlefield, even the generals and marshals' armor may not have the quality of spirit tier top grade.
Seeing Chu Linfeng's surprised expression, Chu Yuanba was satisfied, "This Celestial Silkworm Robe, worn on the body, keeps warm in winter and cool in summer, most importantly it has strong defense power.
Considered a lifeline treasure armor, with your current strength you should be able to withstand a full-force strike from a Ninth Level Black Tortoise Realm master wearing it."
Ninth Level of Black Tortoise Realm—that's someone like Liu the Dog's level—and Chu Linfeng found it hard to believe as he looked at Chu Yuanba, "Father, you give me this precious item, but what about you? What if you encounter danger?"
"In Liuyun City, apart from those old folks, there's no one who can harm me, but you are different, you are the hope of our Chu Family, you carry a heavy responsibility, some things should be told to you," Chu Yuanba seemed to have made a big decision.
"What things? Could it be about my mother?" Chu Linfeng vaguely felt the matter must be related to his mother; he was somewhat aware of family matters.
"Correct, it's about your mother! You must have seen the portrait hanging in my study room!"
"That's my mother?" In Chu Linfeng's mind, a beautiful woman's image quickly appeared.
"Correct, she's your mother, ever since giving birth to you she left, in a blink sixteen years have passed!" Chu Yuanba seemed to fall into deep thought, his eyes closing.
Chu Linfeng had a faint feeling that his mother leaving must have a reason, "Father, why did mother leave us, did she not love you?"
"Do you know what your mother is?" Chu Yuanba slowly said.
"What do you mean?"
"This secret has been hidden in my heart for seventeen years, today I will completely tell you: your mother is not human!"
"Not human?" These words sounded very significant in Chu Linfeng's ears.
"Exactly, she's not human, she's a five-clawed Golden Dragon. Back then, for unknown reasons she was gravely injured and appeared behind Liuyun City's mountain—right where we're standing.
That time I inadvertently ran into her, saw her covered in blood, and secretly brought her home, slowly nursing her back to health.
Over a month passed before your mother's injuries fully healed; during that time, we were together every day, gradually developing emotions, or perhaps I developed emotions for her.
Maybe she wanted to repay me, so she gave herself to me, a year later there was you, that one year may have been the happiest time of my life.
Yet all good things must come to an end, just when you turned one month old, I'll never forget what happened that day.
That night, your mother suddenly became very frightened, trembling all over. I asked her what was happening, but she wouldn't say.
Just then, a golden light flashed inside the room, a middle-aged man appeared, and upon seeing you in your mother's arms, he angrily said: "You dared to have a child with a human? This child must not stay in this world and must be eliminated."
Your mother turned pale upon seeing this middle-aged man, "Don't kill him, I'm willing to go back with you, even if it means enduring the most severe punishment within the clan, I'm willing, I beg you, father, this is your grandson!"
Only then did I realize this middle-aged man was your mother's father, at that time I was completely unable to resist, didn't even have the strength to speak, as if some invisible force prevented me.
Ultimately, the middle-aged man relented, but he set a restriction on you and when leaving said:
"If he truly is the destined one, this restriction will lift before he's twenty, at that time he will be able to awaken the Dragon Race bloodline and possibly be eligible to visit the Dragon God Hall to see his mother."
Dragon God Hall, a place I've never heard of before, your mother had no choice but left with the middle-aged man.
When leaving she gave me a dragon scale, saying if you activated the bloodline, this dragon scale, containing half of her Dragon Essence Power, would bring great change to you."
Chu Yuanba started to choke as he spoke, taking out a palm-sized scale from himself, the scale shined with golden light, almost too dazzling to behold.
"This is the dragon scale from your mother; know that pulling a dragon scale off oneself is exceedingly difficult, your mother is now still in deep peril for you, do you understand what I mean?"
Chu Linfeng wasn't foolish, upon hearing Chu Yuanba explain everything, he felt immense sorrow and also pitied his father's misfortune.
Holding the dragon scale, Chu Linfeng said, "Father, I understand your meaning. I will definitely bring mother back from the Dragon God Hall, Feng'er can definitely do it."
......
By the time the two returned from the mountain, it was already dusk; that day, Chu Linfeng understood the mission upon his shoulders, besides seeking the Ice Flame Crystal for Lin Ruoxi, he also needed to rescue his mother whom he had never seen.
This life was destined to be full of danger and passion, emotions...