Because of how angry Lu was, his knock on the door came hard and fast.
Mu froze. His chest tightened.
"Damn it... Did Grandpa Lu find out I skipped school? What now?" he thought, stomach churning.
"Mu! Open the door, now!" Lu's voice rang out.
Mu crept toward the door, ears pressed gently against it. Strangely, he could hear Lu's heartbeat thudding from the other side.
"Grandpa, let me explain!" he called out.
"Just open it, Mu."
He slowly turned the lock and eased the door open. Lu stepped in with a sigh and sat at the edge of the bed, waiting silently. Mu noticed the expression in his eyes—neither anger nor panic—just an unreadable seriousness.
"Come sit."
Mu quietly sat down beside him. Neither spoke.
Mu kept his gaze low, unsure what to say.
"Why didn't you go to school, Mu?" Lu finally asked, voice calm but firm.
Mu lifted his head and pointed to his face. "Look, Grandpa... there's this guy at school, always picking on people. Today he came after me. I said something that made him snap, and he beat me up badly. If Mr. Zhang hadn't stepped in, I don't know what would've happened. He told me to come home and rest. Just look at my face," he said, trying to show the damage. Deep down, he knew he wasn't telling the full truth.
Lu leaned in and examined Mu's face carefully.
"Where?" he asked.
"What do you mean? It's right there."
But Lu's brows tightened. "Mu, are you trying to mess with me again? There's nothing there."
"What?" Mu grabbed a small mirror from nearby. His face stared back at him—smooth, untouched.
"What... I was covered in bruises. My whole body ached." He ran his hands along his arms, chest, ribs. Nothing. "Wait... they're all gone?"
Lu blinked, baffled. He rose and placed a hand gently on Mu's shoulder.
"I'm not doubting the principal. But you clearly need to rest... and maybe let your brain recover a bit."
He softly pushed Mu down onto the bed, then stepped out of the room.
"I'm sorry, Grandpa... I lied," Mu whispered as he sank back against the sheets.
Still trying to make sense of it all, he grabbed the mirror again. Before he could even lift it fully—
The door swung open.
Lu stood there again, breathing hard, face dark with fresh anger.
"You!" he barked. "I just spoke with your principal. He said he never told you to come home. He said you were caught fighting!"
Mu didn't argue. He lowered his head and knelt.
"Grandpa... I'm sorry. I was ashamed. That boy beat me up in front of everyone."
Lu's anger melted away into something softer. He bent down, lifted Mu by the hand, and gave a faint nod.
"It's alright. I forgive you."
He leaned in and whispered, "Today... five in the evening. I'll be waiting by the hidden tunnel."
Then, without another word, he turned and left.
Mu blinked.
"The tunnel...? But... I thought he didn't want me going near that place anymore."
He sighed. "Whatever. I'll go."
LONG CLAN:
Mr. Long Zhixin, patriarch of the Long Clan, sat calmly in his chamber, surrounded by his trusted aides.
"Xiao Yuren," he called out, his tone low and commanding. "Get your squad ready. I want you to head to the Feng Clan. There's a crystal hidden there—worth millions. Steal it for me. I'm sending you the map now. It'll show you exactly where it's kept."
"Understood, boss. We'll move under the cover of night," Yuren replied.
"Good," Long Zhixin said, ending the call. A deep chuckle escaped him as he leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement.
—
Bai Clan — Inside Ruoxue's room
Ruoxue had spent the whole day lost in her thoughts, guilt eating away at her for how she had treated Mu.
"Ugh, what's wrong with me? I acted like an idiot. Why did I snap at him like that?" she muttered, pacing restlessly. "Should I apologize? Yeah… that's probably the right thing to do."
She sat down and started scribbling apology letters—one after another, never satisfied.
Just then, Meihua popped her head in. "Sister Ruoxue, Father said to remind you. Next week, we'll be attending the Qianshi conciliatory meeting. You need to start preparing."
She gave her message and left as quickly as she came.
"The Qianshi meeting… That means all the clans will be there," Ruoxue whispered, a hopeful smile forming. "I'll find him there… and apologize."
—
Chen Clan
Mu Chen sat cross-legged, poring over the Manhuman scroll.
"This scroll's bizarre," he muttered. "There are so many techniques I've never even heard of."
The Manhuman beside him leaned in. "Ugh, look at this one—it requires two beings. The heir and their image. That's definitely a hard one."
As Mu pointed at it, the Manhuman scanned the scroll, absorbing everything.
"That technique you're eyeing… it's dangerous. It's called Soul Image Seizure. It allows the image within to take control of the host's body."
The room suddenly echoed with an alarm. It was 5 PM.
"Grandpa must be waiting. Let's go," Mu said, standing up. But the Manhuman stayed silent, clearly deep in thought.
"Come on, Second Mu. Let's go."
"Wait. If your grandpa talks to the spider, it might reveal everything about me. That won't help us."
Mu frowned. "So what now?"
"You go see your grandpa. I'll try to reason with the spider."
"Alright."
Mu gathered his things and left, leaving the Manhuman alone in the quiet room.
The Chen Clan estate buzzed with activity. Every corner seemed alive, voices overlapping, footsteps echoing. Xueyin was in the kitchen helping the maids with the noodles, while Wei and Tianyang had gathered the elders into a quiet discussion.
"Master Wei," one elder said, his brows furrowed, "we haven't seen Grand Elder Lu since that incident at the palace. He returned home early, but no one's caught sight of him since."
The speaker's name was Chen Xiaoyu, a lean elder with a cautious voice.
Wei let out a breath and exchanged a look with Tianyang.
"Hmph. I don't know either," Wei said flatly. "But I'm sure he's fine. What we should be focusing on is getting the clan's business back on its feet."
"Understood," Xiaoyu replied.
Outside, the air buzzed with laughter. Children ran through the courtyards, their playful shouts echoing under the sun. Those over thirteen were already deep in training under the guidance of Chen Guanshi, their strict instructor.
Beneath all the commotion, hidden in the quiet of the underground tunnel, Lu stood silently with his hands behind his back, facing the wall that connected to the Jade Pavilion Hall. He stepped forward.
"Grandpa, I'm here," Mu called out.
Lu turned with a soft smile, hands still tucked behind him, hiding something. Mu walked closer, curious, unsure why his grandfather had called him down here.
"Grandpa… can I ask something?"
"Of course."
"Are you the only one who knows about this tunnel under the clan?"
Lu let out a quiet sigh.
"This tunnel… it was always meant to remain a secret. And no, I'm not the only one. You're not either."
He paused before continuing.
"Your uncle, Chen Longwei, and Elder Tianyang—they know. We were part of the old generation of the ancestral line. But none of us were chosen as heirs. That's why we never gained access to the Forgotten Bloodline… the one that carries the Manhuman technique."
Mu's eyes widened at the mention of Manhuman. He opened his mouth, but Lu raised a hand to silence him.
"Don't ask," Lu said firmly. "That's enough questions for now."
"But—"
"No 'but.' You're here to train, not chatter."
"Training? Really? I'm in!"
"Then let's get started."
Lu finally brought his hands forward, revealing a custom Chen training robe—red and white, neatly folded.
Mu's face lit up.
"Whoa… this is for me?" he asked, beaming.
He took the robe and put it on without hesitation.
"Thanks, Grandpa. Really."
Lu took a step closer.
"Before we begin, there are rules you need to follow."
Mu nodded earnestly.
"Rule one: Focus.
Rule two: Put your heart into everything you do.
Rule three: Never question what you don't yet understand.
Rule four: If you start, you finish.
Rule five: Don't forget why you're here."
Mu stood upright, determined.
"Now close your eyes, Mu. Feel the air around you. Sense it. Move with it," Lu instructed.
Mu obeyed, taking a slow breath, trying to connect with the flow. But the sounds from above—laughter, footsteps, pots clanging—broke his concentration.
Lu noticed and raised his voice slightly.
"Mu, I said focus. Block it all out."
Mu cracked one eye open and muttered under his breath, "Seriously, Grandpa?"
"Focus, Mu!" Lu snapped.
Mu straightened, then tried again. He focused, felt the air. He was almost there—almost connected. But then it hit him. The scent.
The aroma of freshly made noodles drifted down from the kitchen above, carried through the tunnel like a spell. It wafted past Mu's nose, warm and rich. In his mind, he was no longer training. He saw himself seated at a long table, bowls stacked high with noodles and fried chicken piled beside them.
Back in the real world, Lu watched Mu lick his lips.
He said nothing at first. Just stared.
"…Mu. You're hungry, aren't you?"
Mu looked up, a little embarrassed.
"Hmph. Fine. Go eat. But be back here tomorrow."
Mu's eyes snapped open, surprised.
"Really?!"
Lu nodded. Mu didn't waste a second—he grabbed his things and bolted out of the tunnel like the wind.
Just then, the ground gave a slight tremor. A glass fell from somewhere above—shattering in the Jade Pavilion Hall with a sharp crack that echoed through the passage.