Chapter 192 - 143: Destiny
After all, Lu Changfeng had once been a famous Swordsman in Jiangnan Prefecture and one of the Nine Heroes of Jiangnan.
Aside from joining the Saint Demon Sect, his reputation was nearly spotless.
Therefore, with Jiangzhou having been breached, the people and various factions of Jiangnan Prefecture all turned their thoughts to Lu Changfeng.
Because of Lu Changfeng’s presence, Qin City had become the primary destination for refugees from Jiangnan Prefecture.
As a result, Qin City’s population swelled, and it was on its way to becoming a top-tier city.
The Hua Family seized the opportunity to continually expand the city, integrating the refugees and turning them into productive members of the populace.
On his way back from the Wei Family Pharmacy, Lu Changfeng saw many faces of refugees from Jiangzhou.
Some even recognized him, waving and calling out that they had seen his duels in the past.
Lu Changfeng returned their greetings one by one. By the time he arrived back at the Hua Mansion, it was already afternoon.
The Hua Mansion was bustling with activity today.
News of Hua Yuelou’s breakthrough to the Rebirth Realm had spread.
Everyone in the Hua Mansion was ecstatic, as this meant the Hua Family’s peak Combat Power had increased once more.
Those in the Rebirth Realm could live for at least two or three hundred years. With Hua Yuelou’s presence, coupled with their backing from the Saint Demon Sect, the Hua Family’s future prosperity was all but assured.
Upon returning to the mansion, Hua Yiran and Chunzhu had Lu Changfeng change into a newly tailored, moon-colored long robe before they all headed to the main hall.
Hua Yuelou was in the main hall, sharing his insights on his breakthrough with several of the Hua Family Elders.
Upon seeing Lu Changfeng, he immediately made his way through the crowd to stand before him.
Lu Changfeng cupped his hands in salute. "Congratulations, Father-in-law."
As Hua Yuelou drew close, he immediately sensed the unique fluctuations of Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy around Lu Changfeng.
’An Ancient Heroic Root Bone...’
This confirmed one of his suspicions.
It also cemented a decision he had been considering.
Lu Changfeng pulled up Hua Yuelou’s status panel.
The breakthrough had indeed been a success; Hua Yuelou’s bloodline concentration had even risen to ten percent now that he was in the Rebirth Realm.
"Son-in-law, there is something I must discuss with you. Please, follow me," Hua Yuelou said, his expression turning grave.
Seeing Hua Yuelou’s solemn expression, Lu Changfeng let go of Hua Yiran’s and Chunzhu’s hands and followed his father-in-law.
Hua Yuelou led Lu Changfeng to the most secluded part of the Hua Mansion.
It was a small, enclosed courtyard.
In the courtyard stood a dry well.
"Son-in-law, do you know what lies within this well?"
Lu Changfeng shook his head.
"The origin of our Hua Family lies within this well."
"It shares the same origin as the Fire Qilin you possess."
Lu Changfeng was not surprised to hear this from Hua Yuelou.
After all, upon reaching the Rebirth Realm, one gained the ability to perceive Heaven and Earth Primordial Energy. It was inevitable that Hua Yuelou would sense the presence of the Ancient Heroic Root Bone on him.
The Saint Master had a Heroic Root Bone, and so did Lu Changfeng. Furthermore, every time the Saint Master made an appearance, Lu Changfeng was nowhere to be found.
It would have been easy for Hua Yuelou to deduce that Lu Changfeng was the Saint Master himself.
Besides, Lu Changfeng had no intention of hiding it. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have returned for Hua Yuelou’s celebratory feast today.
Lu Changfeng spoke to Hua Yuelou, "I hope you can forgive me for not revealing my identity sooner, Father-in-law."
Seeing Lu Changfeng admit his identity, Hua Yuelou also cupped his hands. "There’s no need for that, Son-in-law. I’m sure you had your reasons."
This was no joke. His son-in-law was the Saint Master, the leader of the Saint Demon Sect. Hua Yuelou wasn’t foolish enough to actually try and pull rank as a father-in-law in front of Lu Changfeng.
Not to mention, his own breakthrough to the Rebirth Realm had been entirely thanks to Lu Changfeng.
Lu Changfeng returned to the matter at hand. "Father-in-law, are you saying that an Ancient Demon Fiend exists at the bottom of this well?"
"Could it be... an Ancient Floral Fiend?"
Hua Yuelou nodded. "That’s right. According to our family’s ancestral records, this Ancient Floral Fiend was discovered over five hundred years ago by a Hua Family ancestor named Hua Shenye. It seems he made some sort of deal with the Demon Fiend down there."
"Afterward, Ancestor Hua Shenye gained a Demon Fiend Bloodline, which has been passed down through our family to this day."
Lu Changfeng nodded slightly. "Father-in-law, you mean to say..."
Hua Yuelou said, "My thinking is this: Son-in-law, if you have the power, you should take this member of the Ancient Demon Race with you. Doing so would not only increase the strength of the Holy Sect, but it would also fulfill a long-held wish of our Hua Family’s ancestor."
Long ago, the Hua Family’s ancestor, Hua Shenye, left a message in the records: if a descendant of the Hua Family ever had the ability, they were to rescue this Ancient Floral Fiend.
Unfortunately, the descendants of the Hua Family grew weaker with each passing generation. After all, Hua Shenye had at least reached the True Spirit Body Realm.
By Hua Yuelou’s generation, if not for Lu Changfeng’s help, the family might never have produced a single expert in the Rebirth Realm.
Let alone rescuing this Ancient Floral Fiend, which was on the verge of death.
After hearing all this, Lu Changfeng nodded. "Please lead the way, Father-in-law."
Hua Yuelou led him to the old well.
He unlocked the large padlock on the well, pushed aside the cover, and revealed a staircase leading down.
The two men descended the stairs.
Before long, they reached the bottom of the well.
At the bottom, they found no water, only a winding passage off to one side.
Hua Yuelou led the way down the passage.
They walked for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Lu Changfeng looked up and beheld a shocking sight deep beneath the ground.
It was even more astonishing than the first time he had laid eyes on the Ancient Fire Qilin.
In a cavernous space that spanned tens of thousands of square feet and rose dozens of feet high, countless vines crisscrossed in every direction. At the very center of this tangled mass rested a pale red, withered flower bud.
The Ancient Floral Fiend was a plant-based member of the Demon Race. All such demons shared a common trait: their true forms were immense.
Judging by the size of this underground space, the Ancient Floral Fiend’s body must have been even more colossal in its prime.