Chapter Twenty-One: Mu Ran's Predicament, Chu Tianchen's Bold Demand

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Chutian Chen was interrupted by a knock on the door and immediately withdrew the silver needle. The black curse mark slowly faded away. Tang Shisan’s expression revealed some pain as well.

“To be able to perform such a forbidden secret technique, he must have once been at least at the Land Immortal Realm,” Chutian Chen thought.

“But Tang Shisan’s background isn’t simple either. Hasn’t anyone noticed?”

Chutian Chen pondered silently.

Knock, knock, knock!

Another round of knocking came.

“This is Muran. Please open the door, young master,” came Muran’s voice from outside.

Chutian Chen opened the door directly and let Muran into the room.

He wasn’t worried that Muran would attack him. Even if he wanted to harm him, he wouldn’t choose to do so at the Yuelai Inn.

Any inn owner operating in Yunhai City must have some status and background.

Chutian Chen roughly guessed the purpose of Muran’s visit.

After entering, Muran first observed Tang Shisan, then smiled as he looked at Chutian Chen.

“If I’m not mistaken, young master, you should be Chutian Chen, the grandson of the former National General Chutian Cang,” Muran said.

“Muran, you didn’t come here just to tell me that you’ve guessed my identity, right?” Chutian Chen replied with a question, implicitly acknowledging his identity.

Although their general’s household had just been raided, the Emperor had not ordered a purge, so there was no need to hide his identity.

“It wasn’t hard to guess. From Yun Yanran’s attitude and how she addressed you, it was easy to deduce,” Muran continued.

“By the way, I also once visited General Chutian Cang, but you were still a child then.”

“Muran, you’re disguised like this to avoid Yun Yanran, right?”

“If that’s the case, don’t beat around the bush anymore.”

“You came for two reasons: the fifth-rank Fu Dan Cauldron and to escape Yunmeng Ze Valley’s control, correct?”

Chutian Chen spoke.

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Upon hearing this, Muran was momentarily stunned.

Was this really the person who had been called an idiot for five years?

It wasn’t difficult for Chutian Chen to guess that Muran came for the fifth-rank Fu Dan Cauldron, but to also perceive the subtle connection between Muran and Yunmeng Ze Valley was unexpected.

“It seems that during the past five years, as the outside world claimed, you truly lost your sanity,” Muran said.

“Too much has happened in these years.”

“Today’s Yunmeng Ze Valley is no longer what it used to be, and Yunhai Academy isn’t what it once was either.”

“Three years ago, overnight, dozens of Heavenly King-level talents and nine Tian Gang-level experts from Yunhai Academy disappeared without a trace and remain missing.”

“Moreover, with the sixty-year cycle of the Yunhai Secret Realm about to open, many from the Great World have come seeking it.”

“Today, Yunhai Academy appears to be the foremost academy in Daqian, but in reality, it is riddled with wounds, and its internal factions are extremely complicated.”

“By the way, you probably don’t know yet, but Yun Changshan, the valley master of Yunmeng Ze Valley, is now one of the four vice-deans of Yunhai Academy and a strong contender for the next dean.”

“This time, Yun Changshan sent Yun Yanran here to discuss the revenue-sharing of the Dan Hall. They plan to provide a batch of alchemists to the Dan Hall, taking seventy percent of the profits.”

“But you have to understand, thirty percent of the Dan Hall’s income must go to Yunhai Academy. So Yunmeng Ze Valley’s demand isn’t just exorbitant—they want the entire Dan Hall’s profits!” Muran said with a deep breath, full of resentment.

Much had indeed happened in the Daqian Empire over the past five years, information that Chutian Chen was unaware of.

Still, Chutian Chen remained cautious.

With the Chu family nearly wiped out, he could not easily trust others.

Muran, as the head of the Dan Hall and a fourth-rank alchemist, was naturally someone to cooperate with. Whether for cultivation or forming a new faction, Chutian Chen needed abundant resources.

The Dan Hall was undoubtedly the best choice.

His desire to build a new faction arose because when his bloodline was reborn in the Four Directions Forest, he had been led into the Land Immortal realm and sensed his grandfather’s faint aura.

He deduced that Chutian Cang and others might still be alive.

He had to become strong quickly to find and rescue them.

Otherwise, every second of delay would mean another second of mortal danger to them.

“When will Yunmeng Ze Valley be able to provide so many alchemists to the Dan Hall?” Chutian Chen asked.

“That I don’t know. It’s said that Yunmeng Ze Valley is backed by a powerful force.”

“I suspect it might be the royal family,” Muran answered.

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Hearing this, Chutian Chen’s expression grew somber.

“Is it really only the royal family?” he whispered.

Then he withdrew his thoughts and looked at Muran. In Muran’s eyes, he saw a trace of confusion.

“Your problems now aren’t just with Yunmeng Ze Valley, are they? The Li family placing Li Zifeng under your tutelage in alchemy must have ulterior motives, right?” Chutian Chen said with a smile.

“Your insight is sharp, young master. Let me be straightforward: after your family’s fall from power, the Li family will replace the Chu family as the new National General’s household. Li Wuqing, the third master of the Li family, is a fifth-rank senior alchemist.”

“Letting Li Zifeng train under me is just their way of winning me over and taking over the Dan Hall.”

“You should know better than anyone the vast resources a National General’s household requires annually. It’s an enormous sum.”

“They lack the abilities of the old General Chu, so they’re targeting the Dan Hall. Currently, there are twelve alchemists in our Dan Hall, including me: three third-rank alchemists, six second-rank alchemists, and two apprentices.”

“We generate enough resources yearly to support tens of thousands of low-level warriors without trouble,” Muran explained.

With this, Chutian Chen understood his predicament.

“I can cooperate with you, but after giving Yunhai Academy its thirty percent cut, I want fifty percent of the remaining seventy,” Chutian Chen suddenly said.

Muran was stunned on the spot and inwardly wanted to curse.

Yunmeng Ze Valley and the Li family were already bullying him, and now even the fallen younger generation wanted to trample on him?

“Young master, if we’re cooperating, shouldn’t both sides show sincerity?” Muran frowned.

“You probably still don’t understand the Dan Hall’s current situation.”

“I can promote you to a fifth-rank alchemist within six months. Would that count as sincerity?” Chutian Chen said, looking at Muran, whose anger was evident.

Upon hearing this, Muran’s eyes widened in surprise.