Chapter 3, Aunt Zhen

This scene left Shi Mu dumbfounded

At this moment, the woman waved her hand, and two strong men closed the coffin lid again

What does this mean? The young man vaguely sensed something.

In addition to the directly governed capital region, the Great Qi is divided into nine prefectures and thirty-six states, each state overseeing a varying number of cities, ranging from several to over a dozen. As for towns and villages, they are countless.

"How much do you understand about the perception of Qi and martial artists?" the woman retorted.

The Great Qi Kingdom is located on the protruding peninsula in the eastern part of the Eastern Continent, sharing the same region with the Yan Kingdom and the Huang Kingdom. All three are backed by the vast East Sea and face the barbarian wilderness to the west, which has led to a mutual alliance over the past several hundred years, often advancing and retreating together

A group of people walked on the road for about a month, having traversed two cities in succession, and finally arrived at Fengcheng, directly passing through the city gate and heading towards the northwest corner of the city

At this moment, he already knew that the old man was named Jin Cheng, a foreign affairs steward of the Jin family, who seemed to hold a certain status among the servants of the Jin family, as at least those few knights of the Jin family all showed him great respect

"Come with me, this is not a place for conversation. There are some matters your father entrusted me to convey to you," said the woman in white, before leading the young girl to a side hall.

Since you are willing to bow, it is not in vain that I had Cheng Guanshi bring you here. I do not ask you to call me 'Mother'; if you wish, you may call me 'Aunt Zhen'. This is your half-sister, 'Yuhuan'. Yuhuan, come over and greet your elder brother.

No need, I want the Qi Ling Dan!" After hearing this, Shi Mu said without hesitation

Although the city before him was immense and bustling, Shi Mu felt an unusual calmness within, without the slightest ripple of emotion

Suddenly, two burly men surged out from both sides of the hall, pushing open the coffin lid, revealing a man lying quietly inside.

Da Qi is located at the center of the peninsula, flanked by the other two countries, yet it possesses the greatest national strength, boasting a standing army of one million armored troops. Huang Guo ranks second, while Yan Guo is the weakest.

I do not know what grievances my father has that would lead him to abandon us, mother and child, for many years without returning. However, my mother had a dying wish to have this relic buried with my father. " Shi Mu said slowly, turning around to light a stick of incense in front of the coffin, then bowed three times on the ground with a loud " bang, bang, bang. "

Shi Mu jumped out of the car, glanced at the white banner raised on one side of the main gate, his expression slightly changed, and then followed the old man in the green robe into the gate

With a slight raise of her eyebrows, Shi Mu followed without saying a word

Shi Mu sat by the window of the carriage, constantly surveying both sides of the street

The woman in white silk was slightly taken aback, seemingly a bit surprised, but did not obstruct anything

Shi Mu gazed at the black coffin placed in the center of the hall, his expression complex

The woman in white silk did not seem to urge them on either

Although your father was adopted into the Jin family, he left behind an estate that includes the manor outside the city during his lifetime. As his eldest son, it is only natural that you inherit it all. Yu Huan and I only require this residence in the city. After all, I am a member of the Jin family and do not lack for wealth. Furthermore, your father made significant contributions to the Jin family, which is also the reason for his untimely death. This merit, along with the books, he had never utilized. With that said, I can now offer you two choices.

The woman in the gauze frowned slightly

No problem

The stone jade ring has large, curved eyebrows, a prominent nose, and a small mouth. As her eyes move, she exudes a charmingly quirky and adorable aura. Upon hearing her mother's words, she immediately obediently called out, her voice crisp and melodious

Indeed. The titles in the Da Qi nobility are divided into Duke, Marquis, Earl, Viscount, and Baron, each corresponding to a specific status and power. Without mentioning the higher ranks, based on this merit and the influence of the Jin family, obtaining a baron title is certainly not a problem, and it can also help you secure certain official positions in the future.

He grew up in a fishing village and had hardly traveled far; the largest city he had ever visited was the nearby county town.

After a while, Shi Mu finally moved his feet, slowly walked to the coffin, and calmly said a sentence

Shi Mu lowered his head to look at the face of the man in the coffin, who bore a resemblance to him, with a pale complexion. After a long while, he took out what appeared to be an ordinary copper mirror from his waist and silently placed it beside the man's body

Under the circumstance where a line of people slowed down, the carriage took nearly half an hour before it finally came to a stop in front of an inconspicuous residence

You must have learned about these matters from the martial arts school in town, and this way of addressing is not entirely incorrect! However, the highest level of those instructors in the martial arts school is probably just at the beginning of the acquired stage, so how could they possibly explain the true divisions of martial artists' realms to you ordinary disciples

The man in the blue shirt took this opportunity to step forward a few paces, approached the woman, whispered a few words, and then silently withdrew.

I have met Brother Mu

The woman clapped her hands twice, "pa" "pa".

Hearing Aunt Zhen's tone, could it be that you are also a martial artist? Shi Mu asked slowly after a moment of surprise

Fengcheng is indeed the largest city in Quanzhou, with tall and diverse buildings lining both sides of the streets, and pedestrians bustling on both sides of the road, creating a scene of extraordinary liveliness

"Actual power nobility?" Upon hearing this, Shi Mu frowned slightly

I hope Aunt Zhen can provide guidance

Several knights remained honestly near the carriage

Shi Mu Chong nodded slightly, managing to reveal a faint smile

Shi Mu stood up again, staring blankly at the coffin without speaking

"No matter what difficulties arise, I must become a true warrior." Shi Mu replied without a moment's hesitation

The Jin family is one of the prominent families in Quanzhou, owning a large amount of land and estates outside the city, and also engaging in the trade of herbs and minerals, with influence that can nearly affect a significant portion of Quanzhou

"One, as Cheng Guanshi mentioned, I can use this merit to directly exchange a Qi Ling Dan from the Jin family for you, granting you the opportunity to enter the Kaiyuan Martial Academy in the future. Two, I can leverage the power of the Jin family to secure a low-ranking noble title for you in the Great Qi, ensuring that you will no longer have to worry about food and clothing, and even bestowing honor and wealth upon your descendants." The woman continued to speak earnestly to the young man.

The terms "Quenching Body," "Formal Warrior," and "National Guardian Warrior" are merely colloquial expressions among ordinary people. The true classifications of martial artists across the entire Eastern Continent should be "Martial Apprentice," "Acquired Martial Artist," and "Innate Martial Artist," which correspond to Quenching Body, Formal Warrior, and National Guardian Warrior, respectively. In the Martial Apprentice stage, anyone can practice the method of Quenching Body, but those with poor innate qualities may never achieve great success in their lifetime. The Acquired Martial Artist, on the other hand, is a martial artist who, after comprehending the sensation of Qi, can cultivate true Qi. At this stage, martial artists, with the assistance of true Qi, can often face fully armed soldiers and manage to take on a hundred opponents, thus becoming the true martial artists in the eyes of the common populace. The Innate Martial Artist is one whose true Qi has reached a certain level, allowing them to successfully open the Qi Palace in their Dantian and give birth to innate true Qi within their body. The Innate Martial Artist is the true powerhouse of martial arts! If a dozen or so fully realized Martial Apprentices can join forces to potentially kill an Acquired Martial Artist, then even a hundred Acquired Martial Artists working together often cannot contend with an Innate Martial Artist. This is because, at the level of an Innate Martial Artist, one can project true Qi outside the body and kill from a distance, making it nearly impossible for Acquired Martial Artists to approach them under normal circumstances. However, reaching the Innate level is not something that ordinary people can easily imagine. As far as I know, in the entire Great Qi Kingdom, there are only about seven or eight Innate Martial Artists." Aunt Zhen carefully explained to the young man

The girl beside had slightly red and swollen eyes, yet she still gazed at this brother, whom she had never met before, with a curious look

"A warrior is essentially categorized into three types: the tempered body, the formal warrior, and the national protector, right? I have heard that once one becomes the most formidable national protector, they can stand on equal footing even when facing princes and ministers!" said Shi Mu.

"You better think it through before making a decision. If I were you, I would choose the latter." After hearing these words, the woman revealed a strange expression on her face and said

Open the lid, I want to see him for the last time

Fengcheng is the largest city within Quanzhou and also serves as the prefectural city of Quanzhou, ranking among the top five cities in the entire Kaiyuan Prefecture.

The sound of "whoosh" echoed loudly as the long sword was wielded by the woman, creating numerous sword shadows around her body. Then, with a flash of cold light and a clear ringing sound, the long sword transformed into a stunning rainbow and plunged into the wall, leaving only the hilt trembling slightly outside.

After a short while, in the memorial hall adorned with white cloth, Shi Mu saw a woman dressed entirely in white mourning attire and a girl of about ten years old.

Do not be deceived by my appearance; I am actually one of the three late-stage martial artists of the Jin family. Otherwise, how could I have obtained a Qi Spirit Pill from the Jin family? After all, the Qi Spirit Pill is worth a fortune, often with a price but no market. Once a person dies, their light extinguishes; even if your father achieved great merits in his lifetime, in the eyes of certain individuals within the Jin family, it is hardly worth the expenditure of such a precious pill. This is one of the reasons I advise you to give up. If you seek the Qi Spirit Pill, it will surely displease some people in the Jin family. I can protect you for a time, but I cannot ensure your safety for a lifetime.

Are there really so few innate martial artists?" Shi Mu was truly astonished

The woman appeared to be no more than twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, exuding an air of elegance and grace. Upon seeing Shi Mu, she spoke in an unmistakable tone, saying:

This time, the woman did not respond at all; she merely swayed her body and suddenly appeared in front of a side wall. With a lift of her arm, a decorative long sword with a gilded handle was instantly in her hand

Shi Mu looked at the woman, feeling quite surprised

Since you are so determined, I will not persuade you further. Let us first discuss the classification of martial artists' realms as you know it

All of this was learned by Shi Mu from the mouth of the old man in the blue robe

You have arrived late; your father passed away a few days ago. I do not know what thoughts you have about your father, but you are indeed his biological offspring. Come and pay your respects first. We can discuss other matters later