Chapter 47: The Battle Ancestor Comes to Pay Respects

The moment the Flame Pagoda flew away, Zhao Fenxing was consumed with burning anxiety. The spot where the pagoda had just been stationed was none other than Wushu's room. Furthermore, all six heavenly lightning strikes had hit the Flame Pagoda directly. Even though Wushu had been hiding inside it, enduring six bolts of celestial lightning meant his chances of survival were grim.

Compared to Zhao Fenxing, Wu Zhenyi did not hesitate the second she saw the pagoda take flight, instantly breaking into a frantic run to chase after it. Helplessly, the Flame Pagoda sped away with terrifying velocity, and before she could cover much ground, it vanished entirely without a trace.

Struggling to calm her churning emotions, Zhao Fenxing comforted herself inwardly, "Wushu is someone blessed with immense fortune. I must believe in him; he will definitely be safe and sound."

At that moment, with the Flame Pagoda's whereabouts completely unknown, a deep-seated urge drove Zhao Fenxing to take action.

Gazing in the direction where the pagoda had disappeared, she asked a question she already knew the answer to, "Wu Zhen, if I remember correctly, the Flame Pagoda is your Wu family's supreme ancestral treasure, almost impossible for anyone without Wu family blood to enter. Do you know where the pagoda is usually kept?"

The Flame Pagoda had always resided within the Wu family's Weapon Forging Hall. As the clan's ultimate heirloom, this was common knowledge to many in Dongsu City. However, seeing as Zhao Fenxing was not a member of the Wu family, rushing blindly into their Forging Hall would inevitably invite gossip and criticism from the clan members.

Remembering that non-Wu blood could not enter the pagoda, a spark of hope ignited in Wu Zhen's heart as she replied anxiously, "Sister Fenxing, the Flame Pagoda is always kept in our Wu family's Weapon Forging Hall. Without Wu blood, nobody can enter it."

As if struck by a sudden realization, Wu Zhen urged, "Sister Fenxing, let's go! As far as I know, the Flame Pagoda has never once left our Forging Hall before. This time it appeared in my brother's room, so I'm certain the pagoda must have sensed something beforehand, which is why it showed up there."

With just these few exchanges, both of them managed to convince themselves that Wushu was safe and sound.

Without further ado, Zhao Fenxing and Wu Zhen sprinted swiftly toward the Weapon Forging Hall.

When the two of them arrived at the main entrance of the Forging Hall, Wu Xiang and several others were already standing there quietly, all of them wearing solemn expressions as they looked inside.

Clang... Clang...

The sounds of a hammer striking iron echoed intermittently from within the hall, making it obvious that someone was forging weapons.

Before long, Wushu emerged from the Forging Hall wearing coarse cloth robes and drenched in sweat. Seeing the crowd gathered outside, he put on a look of utter astonishment and asked, "What is going on here? Why are all of you gathered in this place?"

Before anyone could reply, Wushu continued, "A short while ago, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration regarding weapon forging, so I sneaked into the hall to gather some materials and practice my skills."

Upon hearing Wushu's words, the majority of the Wu family members exchanged bewildered glances, staring at him as if he were an absolute fool. For days on end, black clouds had pressed heavily upon the city with rolling heavenly thunder, reducing the very room Wushu lived in to dust. Yet here this fellow was, acting completely oblivious—surely his brain must have been fried from too much blacksmithing.

Wu Xiang, the head of the Wu family, and the elders all maintained expressionless faces. Now that the Flame Pagoda had chosen Wushu as its master, Wu Xiang had already informed the Council of Elders. Over the past few days, the divine lightning falling from the heavens had targeted the Flame Pagoda directly. To suggest that Wushu knew nothing whatsoever about these events was something Wu Xiang and the elders would never believe, not even if they were beaten to death.

Wushu was well aware that Wu Xiang and the others would never buy his explanation. But that was entirely beside the point; all Wushu wanted was for the majority of people to believe that he had not been anywhere near the scene when the lightning struck the Wu family estate.

As for why he acted this way, it was purely out of self-preservation. Although his recent cultivation breakthrough had massively increased his strength, in front of experts at the extremes of cultivation and the Secret Realm stage, Wushu was still nothing more than a weakling.

If people found out that he had endured the baptism of the heavenly lightning not only without dying, but actually emerging with vastly enhanced strength, it would inevitably attract the greed of petty villains. Such scoundrels wouldn't care about Wushu's innate talent; they would only care about the powerful secret arts he practiced. If they could get their hands on such mighty techniques, they would surely soar to the skies.

Scanning the crowd once more, Wushu put on an ignorant expression and asked, "What on earth is wrong with all of you? Why are you looking at me with such strange expressions?"

Challenged like this by Wushu, Wu Xiang and the others naturally considered deeper implications. Wu Xiang calmly replied, "Shu'er, you've been so obsessed with forging these past few days that you didn't even notice the continuous abnormal weather phenomena occurring over Dongsu City?"

Shaking his head, Wushu answered, "Uncle, isn't an overcast sky with thunder, lightning, and rain just normal weather? Your nephew has been entirely focused on forging weapons and didn't pay attention to such trivial matters."

Wushu spoke with such earnestness that for a moment, the Wu family elders couldn't help wondering if perhaps what he said was entirely true—that he genuinely knew nothing about the descent of the heavenly lightning. Only Wu Xiang inwardly sneered, "Brat, are you really this dedicated even when lying?"

Unwilling to drag the matter out any further, Wu Xiang said in a deep voice, "Since everyone in the clan is safe despite the sudden lightning strike, you may all disperse and rest in peace."

After the crowd dispersed, shaken deeply by the sheer shock of the heavenly lightning, Wu Xiang and the elders reached a unanimous consensus: the matter of the Flame Pagoda recognizing Wushu as its master must never be leaked. Every single person who knew the truth was to keep it strictly locked away in their bellies.

As the crowd scattered, a piece of news that left Wushu dumbfounded quickly spread across Dongsu City: the heavenly lightning had struck the Wu family estate, but miraculously, not a single clan member was injured. Furthermore, the epicenter of the lightning strike happened to be occupied by the young master, who had been so engrossed in blacksmithing inside the Forging Hall that the celestial lightning ended up striking the Wu family completely for nothing.

Once the family members had dispersed, Zhao Fenxing, Wu Zhen, and Fifth Grandma Zhao Xuanling approached Wushu. Zhao Xuanling spoke with deep concern, "Shu'er, I've never been able to take proper care of you children all these years, and it fills me with profound guilt. For the past two days, every time I thought about where the lightning struck, my heart ached with pain."

Wushu was well aware of how deeply Zhao Xuanling had cared for him. Over the years, if not for her shielding him from the shadows, whether Wushu could have survived until today would have been a question. Zhao Xuanling had essentially given him a second lease on life. He comforted her, saying, "Fifth Grandma, Shu'er is fine, you don't need to worry."

Zhao Xuanling stated with unyielding firmness, "After going through this ordeal, I can no longer care about anything else. Starting today, both you and Wu Zhen will move into the East Courtyard where I live. That way, I won't just be able to look after you properly, but I'll also have some company to talk to."

Zhao Xuanling hailed from the Di Kun Zhao family. After marrying into the Wu family without bearing any children of her own, she was viewed merely as an outsider in the eyes of the clan members.

Wu Zhen also held a rather ordinary impression of Fifth Grandma Zhao Xuanling, completely unaware that it was actually her who had secretly protected and cared for her elder brother Wushu all along. Therefore, whenever Zhao Xuanling had previously invited Wu Zhen to move into the East Courtyard, Wu Zhen had always refused.

Wushu cheerfully replied, "Fifth Grandma, I'll listen to you in everything."

His immediate agreement to Zhao Xuanling's request was primarily to repay her decade-long kindness and care. Additionally, with the Wu family currently in a state of decline, bringing so many family members together was no easy feat. Living alongside Zhao Xuanling meant that even if undercurrents surged violently through Dongsu City, should any danger threaten her, Wushu would be able to protect her with all his might.

Following Zhao Xuanling, the three of them headed toward the East Courtyard.

Before long, they arrived at the grand gates of the East Courtyard. The moment they stepped inside, a white-haired elder and others were already waiting respectfully in the courtyard. The white-haired elder bowed deeply and said, "Welcome back, Eldest Miss and Young Master!"

Wushu was no stranger to this white-haired elder; he was Zhao Xuanling's personal servant, acting much like a devoted steward who remained permanently by her side to protect her. As for why the elder had made such preparations, Wushu was certain that he must have visited the Weapon Forging Hall as well, simply choosing not to reveal himself.

Just as Zhao Xuanling happily prepared to welcome Wushu into the inner courtyard, a calico cat suddenly appeared. It let out a couple of soft meows before its body suddenly swelled in size.

Faced with such an abnormal spectacle, Zhao Xuanling cried out in alarm, "What kind of demonic beast dares to trespass into the Wu family manor at night!"

The Fire Cat Beast King, now the size of a leopard, let out a yawn and drawled lazily, "Wushu, the Great One is nearby and wishes to see you. I wonder what your thoughts are on that?"

Wushu knew better than anyone else just who the "Great One" mentioned by the Fire Cat Beast King really was.

Giving the beast king a deeply meaningful look, Wushu thought to himself, "Battle Ancestor is one of our Wu family's foundational ancestors. If he wants to see me, it's not as if I can just refuse by saying I don't want to."

Hesitating for a brief moment, Wushu spoke with a serious expression, "Fifth Grandma, this senior harbors no ill intentions toward the Wu family."

Then, turning to Zhao Fenxing, he instructed, "Fenxing, go with Fifth Grandma and help prepare some tea."

Once everything was properly arranged, Wushu assumed a solemn demeanor and said, "Fire Cat Beast King, stop dawdling. The Wu family is ready to welcome your master's esteemed arrival at any moment."

With Wu Zhan's formidable cultivation, he naturally heard Wushu's words clearly.

A middle-aged man's hearty laughter echoed through the air, and in the next instant, Wu Zhan materialized right in front of Wushu. Casually cuffing Wushu over the head, Wu Zhan laughed and scolded, "You stinking brat, I haven't seen you in a few days and now you're treating me like a stranger? What's all this nonsense about 'your master' and 'his master'?"

Wushu didn't mind being reprimanded like this. Meeting Wu Zhan's gaze and seeing his ruddy complexion and beaming expression, Wushu cleared his throat and prepared to cup his hands in salute.

Before he could finish, Wu Zhan directly interrupted him and said cheerfully, "Just call me Ancestor. Cut out all that flowery nonsense; I've never had any patience for those customs."

Wushu immediately cupped his fists and said, "Wushu greets Ancestor."

Nodding in satisfaction at the junior's respectful form of address, Wu Zhan walked into the courtyard without a shred of ceremony.

With Wu Zhan's arrival, dozens of beast kings materialized around the perimeter of the East Courtyard, dispersing in an orderly fashion to guard its boundaries. Meanwhile, the white-haired elder who had retreated outside the courtyard felt a wave of sheer terror grip his heart the moment he sensed the strange fluctuations surrounding the area.