After securing the Crimson Inferno Lotus, I checked the chamber for any more treasures. There was nothing except the coffin, so I opened it, half-expecting a technique of some sort.
Most cultivators locked their secret techniques with them in their coffins, hoping to protect them even after death. I wasn't sure why, but I wasn't going to argue against their logic. It made it easier for people like me to find the most important treasure.
"Huh, so this guy has the Sacred Crimson Inferno technique." I stared at the scroll that the corpse was holding in its hands. So many years had passed that little more than a skeleton remained, and even the bones crumbled away to dust once exposed to air. The moment the skeletal hands disintegrated, I reached inside and took the Sacred Crimson Inferno scroll and stuffed it into my storage device along with the Crimson Inferno Lotus.
Not that it would benefit me. It was unfortunate, but the fire-type technique was unsuitable for me. I specialized in the summoning element, and unlike Mo Fan, I was just an ordinary cultivator so I couldn't learn all the different elements like lightning, fire, shadow and space. What, you thought I was a versatile mage or something?
Another object that caught my eye was a golden spear that used to lie by the corpse's side, remaining even after its previous owner crumbled away. Since I had already looted the tomb and got through all its wraiths, formations and guardian, I might as well take everything. So I retrieved the spear as well.
"Whoa?!"
The golden spear glowed brightly before vanishing. It didn't disappear into my storage device but instead flowed into my chest, responding to my summoning element.
"This is…the Divine Tool of a spirit?"
Now this was something that was useful to me as a summoner. Awesome. I had just added a new spirit to my collection. I couldn't wait to go home and cultivate him. I would have to start from scratch, of course. How could it be so easy that I would suddenly have a powerful spirit instantly? If that was the case, everyone would become a summoner and try their luck looking for powerful spirits in tombs like this.
No, finding a Divine Tool that represented the spirit – often serving as the legendary symbol of the spirit – was simply the beginning. Cultivating the spirit and nurturing him or her from the very beginning into his full form was the path of summoner-type cultivators. It might be difficult, it might take a long time, it might require plenty of patience and attempts, but when I succeeded in restoring his or her full form, it was entirely worth it.
Just look at my divine dragon that I spent the last ten years of my life developing. Now he was invincible. Or so I hoped.
With the tomb looted, there was no longer any reason for me to stick around, and so I left the tomb.
*
When I returned to the Mu Rong family, they treated me with suspicion. I found myself surrounded on all sides by assassins.
"What are you doing here?" Mu Rong Hai asked. He wasn't hostile, but he wasn't exactly friendly either. Still, I was relieved that he was the one talking to me instead of the murderous Mu Rong Chun and his son, Mu Rong Qiu.
"I'm here to help your father," I replied. "I recall he's poisoned by the killers of the Du family. I believe this might help him in purging the poison."
I took the Crimson Inferno Lotus out. Immediately, I saw the eyes of everyone in the vicinity widen.
"Are you really…going to give that to us?" Mu Rong Hai asked in disbelief.
"Don't believe him!" Mu Rong Qiu shouted. "This has to be a trap! There's no way he'll just hand it over like that!"
"We're not robbers," Mu Rong Hai reprimanded him. "We'll pay him appropriately. I believe the market price for the Crimson Inferno Lotus is about 20 million yuan. We'll transfer the funds to you immediately, if you're satisfied with that price."
"Sure." That was a lot more than I expected. "But life is more important than money."
"I agree, but I hope you don't blame us for not believing that you have some ulterior motive for saving my father." Mu Rong Hai studied me.
"Just have him hand over the flower and give him the money. Then we'll have nothing more to do with each other." Mu Rong Chun was glaring at me almost resentfully, as if he couldn't wait to be rid of me. The feeling was mutual.
"Whatever ulterior motives I have can be discussed after your father recovers," I said, glancing around to make sure that Mu Rong Shu was still alive and well. I was worried that the Mu Rong family would execute her for failure, but thankfully they didn't. Mu Rong Shu, unfortunately, didn't escape punishment. I saw that she was at the back, relegated to support roles rather than frontline. At least she was still in one piece.
"Oh?" Mu Rong Hai raised an eyebrow, but conceded that it was more important to save his father's life. "All right then. No tricks, though. I am grateful, and I thank you on behalf of my family, but if you deceive us…"
"Look, just try it out for yourself if you don't believe me." I tossed the Crimson Inferno Lotus to him. He studied it, and then nodded in satisfaction.
"Xiao Shan, can you transfer the funds to this gentleman's account? Twenty million yuan, not a single yuan less." Before the others could raise any objections, he showed them the Crimson Inferno Lotus. "This is the genuine article. There's no mistake."
Then he proceeded toward Mu Rong Lao's room. Mu Rong Shan stepped forward to get my bank details and I became a rich guy overnight.
I would later auction off the Crimson Inferno technique and make even more money, which eventually led to me becoming a tomb explorer. But that was a tale for another day. For now, I just returned home and began cultivating the spirit I had just acquired.
Since I knew the spirit's true identity, I couldn't wait to train him. If I cultivated him correctly, he might just become an invincible war spirit. Well, there was no such thing as invincible, but he was a legend in his own right. One whose name resounded all over history in this country.
Before I got far with my war spirit, the Mu Rong family called me back. It had been a few days since I had seen them, and Mu Rong Lao had clearly recovered fully.
"Even though my son has already paid you for the Crimson Inferno Lotus, I still feel obligated to thank you personally." Mu Rong Lao lowered his head slightly. "You saved my life. I owe you a great debt."
"No worries."
"I believe you might have a favor or two to ask?" Mu Rong Lao glanced at Mu Rong Chun and Mu Rong Shan, who both nodded. I hesitated and decided to go for it.
"Yeah. I would like to request you to free Mu Rong Shu."
"Free Xiao Shu?" Mu Rong Lao repeated incredulously. "What do you mean?"
"Uh, well…I don't think she wants to be an assassin." I weighed my words thoughtfully, not sure how to put it. "She attacked me, I won and defeated her. Therefore she belongs to me now. I'll take responsibility for her life."
"Xiao Shu belongs to you now?" Mu Rong Lao frowned. "So she is your woman?"
"Uh, in a manner of speaking, I guess?" Mu Rong Shu probably counted as my person, given that I owned her life.
"You will take good care of her?"
"Definitely." I placed a hand on my chest to make a vow. "I'll make sure she is happy, living the life she wants to live and pursuing her own goals."
Mu Rong Lao was silent for a few moments. He glanced at Mu Rong Shu, who kept her gaze lowered. She seemed ashamed of her failure and was unable to meet her grandfather's eyes.
"Xiao Shu is a precious granddaughter of mine. Ever since her parents passed away, I have personally raised her myself. I won't give her away to just anyone."
"I understand. Even so, I hope you allow her to decide for her own life and pursue her own happiness." I raised both hands. "I don't mind backing off, so long as you grant her freedom to pursue her own path."
"No, that wouldn't be necessary. I trust you." Mu Rong Lao nodded. "You have saved my life, risking yours by braving through the Crimson Inferno Tomb alone. Yes." He must have caught sight of my astonishment. "We ran our own investigations and found out how you acquired it. We can't thank you enough."
"It's nothing, really…"
"There is no better man I can think of to hand Xiao Shu to."
"I don't know about that, but I'll do my best to make her happy."
"I'm sure you will." Mu Rong Lao smiled. "So let's decide on the date of the wedding."
For a moment, I wasn't sure I heard him right. I stared at him dumbly, my mind rebooting and processing his words. Then I repeated, sounding uncertain. "Wedding?"
"Yeah. Didn't you say that Xiao Shu is now your woman? That you'll take responsibility and make her happy?" He stared at me and I felt crushed under the weight of his gaze. "You're not going back on your word now, are you?"
"That wasn't what I meant. I meant…"
"Oh? Are you saying there's some other meaning to taking responsibility for a woman and making her happy?"
The icy tone send chills down my spine and my knees buckled. Forcing a smile, I nodded weakly.
"I'll be in your care then."
And that was how I ended up marrying Mu Rong Shu.