Chapter 260: Chu Tianshan
This ratio alone was enough to prove the importance of Direct Lineage Disciples to the Chu Family.
In other words, the Chu Family's Direct Lineage Disciples were even more important than some of the Elders.
After all, the youth were the family's hope.
"This young man is incredible. Back in the day, only the Patriarch was this strong when he was young."
After Chu Feng continued on his way up, the patrolmen couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"I think this kid is much stronger than the Patriarch was back in his day. He didn't even seem to be trying when he beat him," the other one said.
"Looks like it's time for our Chu Family to rise again!"
"You're thinking too much. He has absolutely no interest in our Chu Family. He didn't grow up here, he's never eaten a single grain of the Chu Family's rice, and he's never enjoyed a single benefit from us. He has no goodwill toward the family at all. And then there's the matter with his grandfather and his uncle... sigh..."
"Never mind, let's drop it. This isn't our business to meddle in. We just need to do our jobs."
The two men watched Chu Feng's retreating figure, their gazes filled with helplessness and regret.
Chu Feng continued his ascent. After about another twenty minutes, he was nearly at the summit.
He arrived at a flat plateau dotted with ancient buildings, pavilions, and towers. It was early morning, and the entire area was wreathed in an ethereal mist.
It looked like a paradise on earth, an enchanting sight that made one want to linger forever.
He followed a small path for about a hundred meters until a magnificent tower appeared before him.
Above it, two words were inscribed in gilded characters: Scripture Pavilion.
'This is it,' Chu Feng thought, a smile touching his lips.
He was eager to see what he could find inside. After all, this place was said to hold the Chu Family's collection of Martial Arts secret manuals, gathered since its founding.
The path of the Martial Dao was fraught with peril. Only by constantly facing challenges and seeking out opportunities could one hope to keep moving forward.
He pushed open the door. The first floor was lined with numerous weapon racks.
The racks held a considerable number of weapons, a vast collection stretching as far as the eye could see.
The place seemed deserted, but it had electricity; a switch was located right inside the door.
With a flick of the switch, electric lights illuminated the entire first floor of the Scripture Pavilion.
'Even though it's called the Scripture Pavilion, it holds a collection of treasured weapons too,' Chu Feng noted internally.
They also looked to be in pristine condition, as if someone regularly performed maintenance on them.
As Chu Feng stepped further inside, an old man suddenly appeared.
"Someone's here?" Chu Feng asked, surprised.
"Yes. I'm responsible for cleaning this place." It was an old man with a hunched back and a full head of white hair. He looked to be nearly seventy years old.
"You must be Chu Feng," the old man said, sizing him up.
"I am," Chu Feng replied.
"Hmm, not bad. You're respectful but not subservient, and you have a powerful aura. It's no wonder you were able to defeat Chu Wuji," the old man said. "This first floor is for weapons and the like. The second floor has Body Skills, and the third floor is where you'll find the secret manuals. Each floor is different. You can take your time and look around yourself."
With that, the old man shuffled unsteadily toward the exit. He swayed with every step, looking as if he might fall at any moment.
But just as he was leaving, he noticed the sword in Chu Feng's hand.
The sight of the sword brought a different light to the old man's eyes; he looked astonished.
After the old man stepped out of the Scripture Pavilion, he muttered to himself, 'That kid's sword... it looks like the Heaven-Slaying Sword. But the Heaven-Slaying Sword disappeared hundreds of years ago. This one is probably a fake, a replica.'
Chu Feng had no idea that this old man was none other than the Chu Family's so-called secluded ancestor, Chu Tianshan!
Decades ago, he had fought a life-or-death battle against the Qing Gang. Though he had been severely injured, he had ultimately secured a chance of survival for the Chu Family.
That was why the Chu Family had gone into seclusion. They'd had no other choice.
The Qing Gang was an alliance of several families. The Chu Family, being just a single family, could not hope to destroy it; even if they eliminated one of the allied families, the Qing Gang would remain.
Thus, ever since Chu Tianshan's injury, the Chu Family could no longer contend with the Qing Gang. The gap in power was simply too vast.
The only reason Chu Tianshan himself was still alive was because the family had paid an enormous price to have the Medicine King Hall treat his wounds.
Otherwise, he would have kicked the bucket long ago.
In truth, the Chu Family hadn't truly lost that battle decades ago. After all, the Gang Leader of the Qing Gang had been killed.
The Qing Gang had fallen into internal chaos, but with Chu Tianshan injured, the Chu Family was unable to press its advantage.
Otherwise, the Chu Family might very well have won.
Chu Feng walked to the end of the floor, where he found a small rack holding a few books.
"A Detailed Guide to the Scripture Pavilion's Weapons?" Chu Feng picked up one of the books and began to flip through it with curiosity.
It turned out the book was a catalog, detailing the weapons' types, forging grades, intended uses, origins, and more.
Chu Feng was amazed. 'This is a true Martial Arts Family, through and through,' he thought.
To have such a comprehensive weapons archive... if he wanted to find a specific weapon, he could just look it up in the book and all the information would be there, laid out in incredible detail.
It even included instructions for use, strengths and weaknesses, and information on complementary Martial Arts Secret Manuals and Skills.