Holding Back Mischief

The next day, the Third Escort led Chen Lu away from Fenglinfang and back to their clan's territory.

The clan's territory has very strict rules, and outsiders cannot enter without an invitation.

As for these non-clan members, they had to be accompanied by members of their own clan every time they entered.

Embarrassingly, the Wang family always treats genuine outsiders who come in with great hospitality.

They seemed not to even know each other's names, yet they appeared to be best friends.

These women, whose maternal lineage were descendants of the royal family, were always on high alert, as if guarding against thieves, whenever they came in.

It seems their real purpose in coming here is not to visit their blood relatives, but to steal the property that belongs to the Wang family.

That malicious look made Chen Lu feel very awkward, but this was the norm in cultivation families.

There's no such thing as having everything.

To enjoy the abundant resources of a cultivation family, one must also endure mistreatment.

If you don't want to be bullied, you have to join the massive, independent cultivators in this cutthroat competition.

People like Chen Lu, who are not from the same clan, have all been caught in this dilemma.

Everyone who stayed behind harbored a deep-seated resentment, a feeling that fortunes could change drastically over time.

I look forward to the day when they can see what great achievements the non-family members you used to look down on and often ridicule have made.

But in the end, nothing happened.

"Hey! Ah Lu, what brings you here? How's it going at the escort agency?"

A middle-aged man wearing a straw hat, who was leisurely playing chess, greeted Chen Lu with a smile as he approached.

"Oh! Uncle! Nothing better to do than wander around aimlessly!"

Chen Lu gave a perfunctory reply.

"Hey, you little rascal."

My uncle was heartbroken, looking utterly disappointed and disappointed.

"If I don't assign you anything, can't you find something to do?"

Do you intend to be a bodyguard for the rest of your life?

"Ah? Okay!" Chen Lu nodded approvingly, then turned around with a thoughtful expression.

Before they had gone far, a burst of laughter and chatter came from under the tree.

The content is all the same, mostly about embarrassing things that happened when they were kids.

Chen Lu ignored it, treating it as just casual conversation.

If one were to fuss over everything and pursue every matter relentlessly, one would waste an unknown amount of time on cultivation.

The third镖头 (head of the镖师) didn't pay much attention; matters concerning outsiders were troublesome, and he didn't want to get involved.

Besides, he has a major family matter to attend to, so he has no time to think about other people's business.

Along the way, many people greeted him warmly and inquired about his purpose in coming to the tribe's territory.

He responded enthusiastically to the past, and everyone gave different answers.

These people are nothing but a rabble; their only skill is probably their sharp tongue.

What has prevented him from acquiring advanced secret techniques over the years is the real threat and trouble.

Fortunately, his maternal uncle was very kind and had been teaching him diligently for many years, treating him like his own son.

However, the family is currently going through a turbulent period, and if his uncle were to help with the secret techniques, it would undoubtedly consume a lot of his connections and favors.

Every bit of those things used is precious, and my uncle also has his own family to take care of, and his son needs cultivation techniques and secret arts.

After thinking it over, Chen Lu decided not to cause him any more trouble.

Before long, the two arrived at the front of a secluded courtyard.

The Sutra Repository is located in the courtyard and consists of three floors, all built with black water stone and black jade, exuding elegance and solemnity.

It is said to be modeled after the outer scripture library of the Xuanqing Sect, and the stone used is also the same.

The implication is obvious: the Wang family, like the Xuanqing Sect, is expected to produce outstanding talents, rule over several states, and become an absolute power with absolute authority.

"Junior Chen Lu requests an audience with the Elder!"

After the three镖头 (bodyguards) respectfully finished calling out, Chen Lu followed by announcing his own name.

"What is it?"

A middle-aged voice came from the top floor of the Sutra Repository.

"Junior Chen Lu requests to exchange for the superior-grade secret technique, 'Sharp Metal Sword Finger'!"

"Chen Lu, a member of a different surname, is subject to the new family rules. Only those who have made significant contributions can apply for top-grade cultivation techniques and secret arts."

Although you have made many contributions, none of them can be described as significant.

Go back now. You can redeem it again when you make a significant contribution.

The elder, whose voice was calm, directly refused.

Chen Lu cursed inwardly, thinking that this time they weren't even going to pretend anymore and were clearly not allowing outsiders to exchange their memberships.

The concept of contribution has always been ambiguous, lacking a concrete figure.

Whether it's too much or too little, it's all up to the Wang family.

The Wang family's children can exchange anything they do, and if they exaggerate it afterwards, they can be rated as having made a significant contribution.

The only similarity is that you must get the basics right within the specified time to access the subsequent content; otherwise, you'll be wasting your contribution.

This requirement was added by the Wang family to appease the complaints of their non-family members.

But in reality, are the stipulated times consistent?

For example, whether or not the secret technique was given in advance, and only announced after a disciple had entered the sect, would leave no one to know about it.

Chen Lu quickly looked at the Third Chief Escort beside him. His own words were useless; he had to rely on him now.

"Senior! I vouch for you! Chen Lu absolutely meets the requirements. He is exceptionally talented and intelligent."

He grew up in his maternal uncle's house and has a strong sense of belonging to the family!

The three dart throwers stepped forward and respectfully called out:

"This time, we suspect that the bandits who ambushed us last time will reappear during the escort mission."

The escort agency was short of escorts and couldn't fill the gaps in time.

To uphold the family's reputation and prestige, Chen Lu volunteered to serve as the team leader!

He risked his life...

The three镖头 (army leaders) described the situation as extremely urgent.

While everyone else was terrified and retreated, he stepped forward fearlessly and bravely, and his words were deeply moving.

"Wait, you mean Chen Lu, a member of a different family, was a key contributor to capturing the Yuansheng Sect's robbers?"

The Elder of Transmission confirmed this with a hint of doubt.

"Yes, senior!"

The three镖头 (bodyguards) respectfully confirmed.

A moment later, the Elder Transmitting the Scriptures spoke again:

"Chen Lu, a member of a different surname, was carefully discussed by the family elders."

"We believe you have made significant contributions to the family! You can exchange this for the superior-grade secret technique, 'Sharp Metal Sword Finger'!"

This was clearly a good thing, but Chen Lu had some bad thoughts in his mind.

Something unusual must be going on. I wonder what kind of evil scheme this elder is plotting.

Fortunately, he deliberately left today's divination unused, just in case something unexpected happened.

"Disciple Chen Lu humbly beseeches the divine will to reveal the true purpose behind the Elder's agreement to grant me this secret technique!"

[Information: Hostile forces intend to wipe out the young talents of the Wang family and cut off their future to prevent them from growing stronger again in the future.]

In order to protect the Wang family members, it was decided to select a member from outside the family, using the title of the Wang family's number one genius to attract the attention of the enemy.

The Wang family remains in the shadows, continuing their pursuit of profit.

"Are you using me as a shield?"

After reading it, Chen Lu sighed inwardly. Sure enough, these people wouldn't give outsiders any benefits for no reason.

In the cultivation world, it is generally believed that disciples from other families, as long as they have a blood connection with their master's family, are of the same origin.

As long as someone is important enough, those with a different surname can switch to the main family's surname at any time; it's all about profit.

There is little difference in the degree of blood ties between non-family members and family members of the main family.

However, resources are limited and must be allocated to descendants who can inherit the family name.