"Now, the news," the child prompted gently.
The messenger, relieved of his pain, stammered slightly. "Your Radiance, I delivered word of your arrival to the esteemed Lu Clan Patriarch."
"And?" the child pressed.
Uncertainty clouded the messenger's face. He hesitated, then spoke carefully. "The Venerable Senior offered no reply or message in return."
"Hmm," the child mused. "What about the Lu Clan itself? Any news there?"
"There were whispers," the messenger said cautiously, "of some Lu Clan members preparing for the Tranquil Spirit Realm."
"Tranquil Spirit Realm?" The child's brows furrowed. "That's... inconvenient timing. Anything else?"
"Yes, Your Radiance," the messenger squeaked, his voice trembling slightly. "I overheard... I overheard that the requirement to enter this Tranquil Spirit Realm is an invasion of the Ten-Thousand Year Yin Marsh."
"What?" Both the young boy and Li Qingwei exclaimed simultaneously. The messenger trembled in terror, fearing he had made a grave mistake. Yet, he was unaware—like most—that they were on an expedition to the Ten-Thousand-Year Yin Marsh. This information was intended to be revealed during their stay at the Lu Clan.
Li Qingwei's eyes narrowed. "Does the Lu Clan have a spy among us?" he immediately suspected.
The boy, however, shook his head. "Highly unlikely. Spying isn't exactly the Lu Clan's character."
"But what about Mu Hanqi? Your Radiance." Li Qingwei countered. "She might not have the Lu Clan's honor, but her Mu Clan family is known for their… subterfuge."
"Let's not jump to conclusions, Little Li," the child said firmly. "Wild speculation won't help us. We'll get all the details when we reach the Lu Clan."
—---------
Lu Ming stood before his great-grandfather, Lu Zheng, ready to report on his progress. But seeing the old man wasn't using a hammer and tongs like a normal blacksmith. Instead, Lu Zheng was barehanded, kneading a glowing red hunk of metal like it was dough! Lu Ming hesitated, unsure how to approach him with the usual greetings and progress reports.
"Don't wait your turn, Lu Ming," Lu Zheng boomed, startling his great-grandson a little. "Speak up!"
"Y-yes, Patriarch!" Lu Ming stammered, wiping sweaty palms on his robe. He cleared his throat. "The preparations, they're going great!"
"Excellent," Lu Zheng rumbled, his voice deep. "What's your plan for the first stage?"
Lu Ming took a deep breath. "Considering our resources and any unexpected needs," he said carefully, "I think the first step should be gathering resources. That means collecting Spirit Herbs, Beast Cores, and other beast parts, plus Metal Ores and finding good mining veins."
"And for refining the Spirit Herbs, Patriarch," Lu Ming continued, "we could consider hiring or inviting some skilled Pill Crafters to handle the sudden influx before they lose their potency."
"Sounds promising but No need to invite anyone, use as much as we can and sell the rest in the local markets." Lu Zheng calmly dictated.
He noticed a flicker of disapproval in Lu Zheng's eyes. The Lu Clan, being a Martial Clan, preferred to handle things themselves. They weren't too fond of relying on outsiders, especially Pill Crafters who sometimes had a bit of a high opinion of themselves. On the other hand, those truly skilled Pill Crafters wouldn't be easy to convince to work for them. They might either refuse the offer or ask for huge compensation, making the whole proposal pointless.
Lu Ming nodded eagerly, jotting down the new instructions. "Understood, Patriarch. That will save us resources and keep the benefits within the clan."
"Anything else we need to consider?" Lu Zheng rumbled, his bare hand flexing around the red-hot metal.
"In fact, Patriarch," Lu Ming continued, "to incentivize participation in gathering these resources, I propose offering rewards. We could provide Spirit Nourish Pills to help with cultivation, and..." He hesitated, then blurted out, "Perhaps even a glimpse into the Clan's core Martial Legacy."
Lu Zheng's hand stilled for a moment. The core Martial Legacy – that was a serious proposition. It wasn't something they shared lightly.
Lu Ming's heart hammered in his chest. Maybe he'd overstepped. He wasn't sure what the Clan Patriarch would think. But offering something less valuable might not be enough to attract enough people.
Lu Ming took a risk with this idea, feeling uncertain about what other rewards to propose. He employed a bit of cunning, anticipating that the Clan Patriarch would likely reject the notion of sharing the core legacy. Instead, he hoped the Patriarch would offer a better suggestion, deflecting any potential blame onto him.
Lu Zheng studied Lu Ming for a long moment, his dark eyes unreadable. Finally, he spoke. "Sharing the core Legacy... that's a bold suggestion, Lu Ming. Are you sure about this?"
Feeling trapped, Lu Ming found himself in a bind. Saying yes would make the idea his own including all the blame for proposing it, while saying no would expose his attempt to pressure the Clan Patriarch into offering a better suggestion, trying to be clever with the Clan Patriarch. He cursed his own foolishness for proposing such a risky idea in the first place.
"I... I..." Lu Ming stuttered, desperately searching for the right words. "I merely thought it might... encourage greater participation among our clan members, Patriarch. But if you believe it's too much, I understand."
Lu Zheng's expression softened, a hint of amusement dancing in his eyes. "You're learning, Lu Ming. Always aim high, but be prepared to adjust your plans when necessary. As for sharing the core Legacy... it's a possibility, but only under certain conditions."
Lu Ming's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected this response. "Conditions, Patriarch?"
"Indeed," Lu Zheng nodded. "We can consider sharing glimpses of the core Legacy, but only to those who show exceptional dedication and loyalty to the clan. They must prove themselves worthy of such knowledge through their actions, not just words."
Lu Ming's mind raced with possibilities. This was a compromise he hadn't anticipated. It offered the potential for greater clan unity while still maintaining the sanctity of the core Legacy.
"I understand, Patriarch," Lu Ming replied, his voice steady. "I'll make sure to include these conditions in our proposal. Thank you for your guidance."
Lu Zheng nodded in approval. "Keep up the good work." With a wave of his hand, he dismissed his great-grandson. Lu Ming bowed and hurried out, a proud smile on his face.
"How naive this grandson of mine is," Lu Zheng murmured under his breath. "Our core legacy isn't kept secret because they're the core legacy. They're kept secret because they're lethal to cultivate. Very few can survive cultivating it, but it seems the time has come to raise some successors." Deep in thought, his hands continued to work, kneading the hot metal like soft dough.