Chapter 73: So It Was You
Chu Mo soaked in his Yuan beast blood bath for over two hours. The Demon Lord finally lifted him out of the barrel when his soul was just about to melt as well.
It wasn’t that Chu Mo didn’t want to get out himself, but he couldn’t even move a finger at that time.
Chu Mo felt his body had practically disappeared. He couldn’t feel anything when the Demon Lord hauled him out of the Yuan beast blood.
The Demon Lord then pulled out another large barrel. It was filled with all kinds of fragrant medicine, and a thick medicinal smell floated out from inside.
He tossed Chu Mo inside and said: “You can soak for two hours.” His figure flashed as he spoke, and then he disappeared along with the barrel of Yuan beast blood.
Aaah!
Chu Mo let out a sigh after a long time. He could finally feel his body existed. He could feel strength slowly return to his body after an hour.
He looked at his own thin frame, and he mumbled: “Two years……three times every month. That’s thirty-six times in one year, seventy-two in two years. Right now……there’s only seventy one left? Hey……really not bad.”
Chu Mo climbed out of the barrel as he spoke. He then put on some clean clothes after washing. He stepped outside invigorated.
Chu Mo didn’t feel a large change in his body after bathing in the Yuan beast blood this one time.
It was like cultivating Heavens Will My will after only a few words were added to the scripture. After cultivating, there isn’t a completely different feeling than the before.
“Perhaps refining the body is a long term process?” Chu Mo thought. After all, he could only reach rank seven after two years……other people like Gao Yingjun were born at that ninth rank. It’s really not fair!”
After stepping outside, Chu Mo went towards the Xu house instead of heading straight to the Prince Mansion.
There were still some finishing touches to be done with yesterday’s affair. He also promised to stop by the Xu house for a visit.
Chu Mo going to the Xu household was about the same as Xu Fufu going to the Fang household. Chu Mo was already very comfortable even though the most powerful person lived there. It wasn’t the slightest bit strange or intimidating.
The guards at the gate all greeted him with a good-intentioned smile. Chu Mo was very comfortable. This is his brother’s home!
Chu Mo comfortably walked inside. The Xu household isn’t as large as the Prince Mansion, but it certainly isn’t small. One had to walk for a long time to finally reach the garden.
“Oh? Chu Mo? You finally came to see me boy?” An old voice with a hint of teasing suddenly came from the side.
A fifty year old looking man with a rosy face walked out of the gardens.
The older man wore ordinary gray cloth clothes. He was carrying a large pair of scissors in his hands, and there was a layer of sweat on his forehead. One would believe he was a gardener if they didn’t know better.
“Grandpa Xu? You are in the house?” Chu Mo hurriedly paid his respects, because this person that looks like the gardener is actually the Grand Secretary……the great Xu Zhongliang!
“Little boy, can’t you even pretend? Look at your shocked expression, clearly you think I’m an old man!” Xu Zhongliang pretended to have a stiff face as he stared at Chu Mo.
“Ha ha grandpa Xu. You have a thousand things to do every day! Always so busy! Who of my generation would expect to come here and see you. Anyways, you aren’t old, but rather sturdy.” Chu Mo laughed.
“You sure can talk child. I would be satisfied if my grandson was just half like you.” Xu Zhongliang passed the scissors in his hands to a person standing by him. He slapped the dirt off his body, and he looked at Chu Mo: “Let’s go, accompany this old man for a chat?”
“Good!” Chu Mo responded straightforward. He walked inside behind Xu Zhongliang.
This scene would certainly startle outsiders if they saw. Who would have thought that the always tough Grand Secretary would have such an approachable side. Moreover, the opposite party……is a teenage youth.
All the people in the Xu household were completely accustomed to this scene. They didn’t even say anything strange.
Chu Mo followed Xu Zhongliang into his study.
The old man washed his hands, and then he withdrew a jar of tea. He tossed it to Chu Mo: “I’m tired, you make it!”
Chu Mo received the tea jar with a smile, then he very skillfully started to make the tea. He said: “Grandpa Xu, don’t you think the tea is better tasting when you make it?”
“Ah, I’m old, and lived life……my posture is no longer straight. I should also give you young people a chance.” Xu Zhongliang said casually.
Chu Mo was yet slightly shocked. He held a cup of tea before Xu Zhongliang and smiled: “How old is grandpa Xu? Your posture is good. You could live a hundred years without any problems.”
Xu Zhongliang shook his head: “Too old, my body knows.”
Chu Mo then arranged the chessboard. He picked up a black piece, and then he looked at Xu Zhongliang: “Me first?”
[TL: It’s some unexplained game. It isn’t actually chess, but the author calls it chess.]
Xu Zhongliang looked at Chu Mo with a deep expression: “Child, didn’t you always let this old man go first when we played chess?”
“Sometimes you need to change things up……” Chu Mo smiled with his teeth, and he placed the black piece on the board.
“You dare take the lead……hey, good!” Xu Zhongliang said, and he twirled a white piece, then he placed it on the board: “I heard you smashed down Xia Jing’s Prince Mansion gate yesterday?”
Chu Mo thought a moment, and he picked up and dropped the second black piece “Yes ah, the gate is the face, I smashed the face……they wanted my life, so I hit their face. You could say I still came out behind.”
“You child……” Xu Zhongliang couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. He also moved another white piece on the board: “They wanted you life, but you are still alive and kicking now? You really hit them ruthlessly, young people are sure hot-blooded and full of energy. The even more clever part is that you hit them without them even responding……it is truly a wave dying before striking the beach!”
[TL: The saying here means something big was going to happen, but it fizzled out.]
The two talked and constantly played chess at the same time.
Xu 2Fu came at some unknown point in time, and he quietly stood to the side and watched. That guy is always very active outside, but at home……he is very well-behaved, especially in front of grandfather Xu Zhongliang.
“Some methods are good. It can sometimes be harmless when young people do things a little extreme. But, your style……is it not actually more steady compared to what one might expect?” Xu Zhongliang’s brow wrinkled up, a tangled expression: “Just like with the chess today……in the past, you could never have done what you did yesterday. But not only did you do it, but you executed it beautifully……little fellow. I haven’t seen you for half a year, but you sure have grown much!”
Chu Mo chuckled, and he moved a chess piece: “They are all things grandfather Xu taught.”
“Ah, this old man indeed knows himself. To truly instruct there needs to be direction. The first to show advantage wasn’t you.” Xu Zhongliang spoke, then he raised his head and winked at spectating Xu Fufu.
Xu Fufu felt wronged. His mouth twitched. He was just here watching, who is the old man trying to provoke?
“You have drive, courage, strategy, and intelligence…..you truly mature more and more, only you don’t understand respect for elders and cherishing the youth. Little thing……you’re quietly arranging something. You are really planning to slaughter my great dragon…….do you really think that’s good?” Xu Zhongliang gave a supercilious look, and he threw the chesspiece onto the board: “No more! Little thing, your provocations have made me impatient!”
Xu Fufu looked away, fighting back a smile. Who would have thought the great and powerful Xu Zhongliang would actually be so shameless in chess.
Chu Mo grinned wide, and he didn’t say anything to provoke the huffy old man. He gathered some pieces off of the board, and he placed them back in the container. He plainly said: “Grandfather Xu, it seems there are many troubles in the country recently?”
“When aren’t there troubles?” Xu Zhongliang lightly sighed and leaned back against his chair. Xu 2Fu had great perception of the situation. He walked in and started to softly massage his grandfather’s shoulder. Xu Zhong half closed his eyes and sighed: “Grand Secretary……sounds powerful, but it is a pain. Very few people realize it. The prime minister of the world……hah, this world……is it so easy to manage?”
“Will a war break out?” Chu Mo asked.
Xu Zhongliang suddenly sat up straight. His eyes opened wide, and they revealed a sharp light. The Grand Secretary finally displayed the proper imposing manner of his position: “How do you know? Did your grandfather say? No……your grandfather is a hardened general. How could he tell you such a secret plan?”
Chu Mo shook his head and said: “I haven’t seen my grandfather in a long time, and I haven’t spoken with him. I returned here through the grasslands. I was caught up in the Wang Court coup d’etat that occurred there. I stopped over there for a time, and I did a small thing.”
“Grassland? Small things? Youngster?” Xu Zhongliang muttered with his brow wrinkled. He suddenly raised his head and stared at Chu Mo. His face was a shocked color: “Are you Lin Bai?”
“Ah? How do you know?” This time Chu Mo was startled. He somewhat foolishly stared at Xu Zhongliang, his brains not working quick enough.
He never deliberately concealed this status, but it must be said that basically no one knew!
The Grand Secretary of Da Xia was separated by thousands of miles…….how could he know?
“So it was you! It was really you? It was actually you!” Xu Zhongliang stared at Chu Mo for a long time. A significantly deep smile spread, and he became more and more happy.
“……really I never thought, ha ha ha ha! Our Da Xia……it actually gave birth to such a talent!” Xu Zhongliang laughed. He said to Xu Fufu, who was also staring with a slacked expression: “Go, tell the kitchen to make several dishes. For lunch, we will have several drinks with Chu Mo…….no, noble son Lin Bai!
Xu Fufu stared expressionless at Chu Mo. He muttered: “This……this, just what is going on?”
Xu Zhongliang said in a low voice: “Quickly go, quick. Children shouldn’t ask so much about grownup affairs.” The old man became excited. He somehow forgot that Chu Mo is actually the same age as his own grandson.
Xu Fufu stared dumbstruck with his mouth twitching, then he turned and left. He muttered to himself: “What has little black Chu done now? How did he make grandfather lose his reserve? Don’t tell me he usurped the Wang Court for the princess? The actual person hasn’t shown his true colors!”
“Why are you talking nonsense? Get out of here!” Xu Zhongliang scolded. Xu Fufu immediately picked up the pace.
One old and one young person sat opposite each other in the study.
The messy scene created by the upset old man was still on display. Chu Mo had only retrieved a couple pieces because he was startled by Xu Zhongliang words.
Xu Zhongliang stared at the scattered pieces left on the chessboard, and he muttered: “No wonder your playing style has had such a large change. You dare take the lead, hot-blooded and impulsive, but you are secretly laying plans at every step. It seems to be a contradictory character, but it is actually the demeanor of a real General! Your ferocious face is exposed finally at the end, but the outcome is already decided! It appears that storm in the grasslands was actually caused by you! Ha ha ha ha, wonderful, truly wonderful!”