The Sacred Ruins

"Near the blue water, under the crimson sunlight, deep inside the picturesque mountain lives the immortal celestial being. Here, the Tao begins, and it will bless those who perform charitable deeds and punish those who were evil and mischievous."

This was the description given to Longhu Mountain by the ancient Chinese. Longhu Mountain was the birthplace of Taoism. The mountain was dubbed the capital of Taoism, and it was perhaps one of the most sacred sites in the East!

Chu Feng wanted this scared site to be his domain and his kingdom, because he was certain that once the second round of upheavals hit this world, this mountain would undergo a complete transformation into something utterly different. Chu Feng saw the potential in that place.

So naturally, his heart had been completely drawn to the place.

As the birthplace of Taoism, Longhu Mountain must have some of the best opportunities that one could find in this world. The mountain had gathered the vital essence of both the heaven and the earth, and some big companies had even claimed that they wouldn’t be surprised if someday, someone would manage to find a gate that would lead to Heaven on this mountain.

This was why a lot of people had been fighting for it. They all wanted to conquer it so desperately!

From ancient times to the present, people always tended to connect legends and fables to Taoism. Some believed that Taoism was the sect that gave birth to gods and celestial beings. Therefore, for a sect that was so divine and so legendary, it was not surprising to see that its birthplace could have garnered so much attention.

It was the birthplace of Taoism, and it was also the birthplace of legends and fables. It was the eastern equivalent of Mount Olympia.

Chu Feng was facing south, looking into the distance. The looks in his eyes could be best described as fervent and ardent.

He also wanted to know why those powerful organizations like Bodhi and Pre-Qin Institute wouldn’t succeed. Just what danger lay beyond the mists and the verdant forests?

Unfortunately, no-one here knew the answers. The answers to these questions would have a lot of implications. They would also be a good indication of how powerful and competent these big organizations actually were.

"Grandpa Chu, are you sure you want to do this? It’s going to be very dangerous," Xiong Kong asked. He called Chu Feng grandpa because Chu Feng and his own grandpa had become sworn brothers, so in terms of family hierarchy, Chu Feng deserved to be called "grandpa".

After getting beaten up by Chu Feng time and time again, Xiong Kun had become wiser. He knew that by working under Chu Feng, he would gain a lot more than working against him. Maybe one day, Chu Feng might become the king of this world, and when that day came, he would benefit greatly by association.

Hu Sheng was excited as well. He was longing for Longhu Mountain just as much as his buddy. "I’m sure I’ll run into a lot of great opportunities on Longhu Mountain, opportunities that could benefit me for the rest of my life! And with God Chu safeguarding me, this whole thing is going to be a profitable business!" Hu Sheng thought.

Both of them knew that as the birthplace of Taoism, Longhu Mountain held a very high rank in ancient legends.

"The fight for Longhu had started a long time ago. Many kings had already lost their lives there before anyone had even figured out what on earth was happening to this world; and this fight is only getting more and more intense as of late. I’ve heard quite a number of stories about kings and experts being brutally murdered while fighting for the mountain."

"If you want more information, there’s a place for us to get them."

Xiong Kun and Hu Sheng no longer seemed fidgety when they were facing Chu Feng. Instead, there was a new look on their faces now. It was the look of hope and expectation. They were getting more and more comfortable with Chu Feng being around, and this allowed them to tell him everything they knew.

"Where?" Chu Feng asked.

"Yuan GU," Hu Sheng replied.

"Where is that?" Chu Feng asked. He had never heard this place before.

Hu Sheng said that Yuan GU was the office of an association. The association was not an ordinary one either. Its establishment was funded by a number of big companies and tycoons in the country, and the office usually acted as a meeting ground where mutants from all over the country can come and exchange information and intelligence that they had gathered. It opened for mutants only.

Pre-Qin Research Institute, Bodhi Genetics and Deity had all sent their high-ranking officials to that place before. It was also the first choice of meeting point for many beast kings and bird kings as well.

"The office is usually very bustling. People from all over the country go there and exchange information with one another. Pretty much every news update you see online is sourced from there," Xiong Kun said.

"So, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go!" Chu Feng said.

Soon, the three arrived at the place.

Yuan GU. The place was built like an imperial palace. There was something bold and magnificent about its architecture, yet it still looked tasteful and well-designed. To build something so grand in a place like Shuntian where every inch of land was worth a fortune, the man who funded this project must have a massive reservoir of cash and an abundant financial resource.

Two statues of kylins (a mythical chimerical creature) carved out of jade were placed on each side of the door. The statues made the place look even more imposing.

A plaque made of bronze was hung over the door frame. The words "Tong GU" were carved on it.

Xiong Kun and Hu Sheng were frequent visitors of this place because they seemed to know every turn and every corner of this place.

Entering the door, Chu Feng realized just how big this place was. There were private sections that were quiet and secluded; there were also public sections where mutants and mutated beasts came together and discussed about their latest findings.

Chu Feng looked very surprised. He felt as if he had stepped into an exotic land where nothing looked ordinary anymore. Everyone here was either mutants and mutated beasts. On one side, there was a tiger with wings on his back chatting with a silver snake and a mule with a golden horn, while on the other, there was this strange creature babbling about to a golden chicken ...

As for mutants, some of them looked even stranger than the beasts.

This was a very a bustling place, and it was true that there was not a single ordinary person. Hubbub of voices was mixed with an intoxicating smell of wine scotch, making the place seem both familiar and strange to a newcomer.

Hu Sheng had already booked a hotel room for Chu Feng and themselves. Chu Feng realized that the place that he lived in tonight was a massive palace. The walls and ceilings were richly ornamented with gold and diamonds. The place was both magnificent and glittering. It was also huge and spacious.

"Grandpa Chu, this is the best room we can find in Yuan GU, and not everybody can book this room," Xiong Kun smugly boasted.

Yuan GU gave him preferential treatment in hotel booking because he and Hu Sheng were frequent visitors to this place, so this time, they were given the chance to live in the most glamorous room in the whole palace.

"Sure. Well, I’m grateful that you can find us this room to spend our night in, but we’ve got to get things moving. I need you and Hu Sheng to go out and gather as much information as possible while I’m staying here," Chu Feng said to Xiong Kun. It’s not convenient for him to make public appearances, so he decided to stay behind.

"No problem, Grandpa Chu. Suit yourself here. Make yourself at home, drink some tea, and have some wine as well; me and Hu Sheng will get everything done quickly!" Xiong Kun said.

Xiong Kun might seem to have suddenly become enthusiastic about this kind of things. Well, it was all because of a phone call he had with his grandpa a few days ago. During the call, Xiong Kun truthfully told his grandpa what he had gone through for the past few days. His grandpa gave him quite a dressing-down at first, warning him not to do stupid things again; then, the old bear king reminded his grandson that working under Chu Feng would get him a lot more benefit than working against him.

Hu Sheng did similar things as well. He told his grandpa that Chu Feng was about to attack Longhu Mountain. This came as quite a shock for his grandpa. Hu Sheng then was told by his grandpa that he must work with Chu Feng this time.

Word soon spread between kings in Kunlun. Many kings had the premonition that something big was about to happen. Chu Feng was already an unstoppable force; his alliance with the Immortal Phoenix King would be terrifying. Nothing would be impossible once the two joined their forces.

Chu Feng was waiting in his room, surrounded by a very grandiose atmosphere. Chu Feng cosied up to a little coal-fuelled stove while sipping away at a bottle of wine. The rich aroma of the wine filled the room.

He then poured some into a glass. The wine looked amber, and it tasted richly aromatic.

"These mutants sure know how to enjoy themselves," Chu Feng murmured to himself.

This setting reminded him of the days when he was fighting in the West. Back then, he was surrounded with people who indulged in merry-making and excessive drinking even before the battle concluded. Then, as soon as those same people came back from the West, they immediately threw themselves a blind-date party. Besides fighting for power, seeking for sensual pleasure seemed to be the only thing they cared about.

"Am I the stupid one here?" Chu Feng questioned himself, "Why don’t I go look for some fun?"

But soon, he shook his head. Now that he knew that the world was on the brink of another round of upheavals, Chu Feng couldn’t afford to waste any time. The world was about to take another sharp turn and veer into an unknown territory, and when that happened, only he who came in well-prepared would live a good life.

Chu Feng could imagine the amount of killing and brutality when the upheavals hit the world again. The power arrangement of the world would be reshuffled again, and the world would see a new batch of people rising into power. Those who were kings now wouldn’t necessarily be kings then.

"Tidy it up. We’re going to have a king visiting us, so let’s make sure that everything is tidy and clean."

A voice came through the wall. The wall was supposed to be sound-proof, but as a king with four severed shackles, Chu Feng could still easily distinguish the words.

"Hurry up! Let’s make sure that we’re making absolutely no mistakes this time, or else someone will make us feel sorry for it!"

"Oh, and because it’s a very important person, we also need to be careful with the way we talk and behave when we’re accompanying our guest on the tour. All clear?"

It seemed like the hotel was about to have a few very important guests checking in, and right now, someone was making sure that every bit of the preparation was done right.

However, Chu Feng couldn’t care less about the things that were going on next-door. He poured himself another glass of wine to kill time.

But suddenly, he heard that someone next-door mentioned his name. He didn’t seem to care about it at first, but then, he put down his wine glass.

"I hate b*tching about other people behind their backs, but this time, I have to say it. Who does he think he is? I have worked in Pre-Qin Research Institute for many years, and never have I ever seen anybody that is as arrogant and conceited as Chu Feng. God knows how many times we’ve tried to extend our olive branches to him, sending him invitations to our events and all that, and never has he ever attended them. How rude! How arrogant!"

Chu Feng could hear these all. The person next door was correct. He did decline a lot of offers recently because he didn’t want to get affiliated to any of those big companies just yet. However, he had never thought that this could cause other people to hate him for it.

Chu Feng shook his head and sighed.

"You’re right. He’s a conceited, delusional bastard. The fact that he thinks he’s invincible is so laughable. And let me say this, sooner or later, we’ll see his downfall!" Ma Kuo said.

"As a research institute, Pre-Qin has a much more comprehensive knowledge and a much deeper understanding about mutation than his tiny brain could ever comprehend. And because people like us have a much deeper understanding about mutation, we fear the power of the heavens and the earth, and therefore, we stay humble and modest. Meanwhile, Chu Feng is just an arrogant moron with little to no knowledge about anything, and that’s why he’s so full of himself. Well, what can I say? Sooner or later, his ignorance and arrogance will get him killed."

Chu Feng’s face had turned green. "Son of a b*tch, how dare you curse me to die?!"

Chu Feng had declined those invitations in the politest way possible, so it made no sense to say that he was being rude or arrogant. Therefore, it was purely the viciousness of their hearts that drove these two people to curse him like that.

"Pre-Qin Research Institute? Who the bloody hell are you?" Chu Feng had never had any interactions with them, so it made it all the more difficult for him to make sense of the causative nature of the things that they had said about him.

Sometimes, troubles came even if one has done nothing to court them.

"I heard that our guest today is someone very extraordinary. He comes from the sea, and he said that he wanted to challenge every single king that lives on the earth. Do you think he will go for Chu Feng as well?" Ma Kuo asked.

Chu Feng was taken aback. A guest from the sea wants to challenge the kings? He had never expected to hear something like this in a place like this!

"Not sure, but I think my big brother will inform the guest about him. Do you know, Chu Feng was actually supposed to be the guest here today, but I guess not everyone is deserving of our treat. This time, we’ll make sure that we can teach that arrogant son of a b*tch a lesson or two on how to be polite and humble," Qi Teng laughed.

"Your big brother, Qi Sheng, should be here any second now."

Chu Feng frowned. Pre-Qin Research Institute was an archaeological institute, but it was not just an archaeological institute, it was also one of the biggest companies in the country with the family of Qi being one of the most important member.

Qi Sheng was one of the youngest from the family of Qi. "But what is he doing here?" Chu Feng murmured. His face looked cold and emotionless. "Is he trying to persuade that guest of his to fight me?"

"My brother told me that he would pick up the guest himself. He said that the guest’s name is White Dragon. Oh, and he has also invited Jiang Luoshen and Mu Tian."

"White Dragon? Oh my goodness! A dragon from the sea? That’s gotta be someone from the palace of the Dragon King [1].

"I have no idea!"

Chu Feng was astonished by what he heard. "A dragon from the sea? What kind of beast would that be? And how did Bodhi, Deity and Pre-Qin Institute manage to invite him for dinner? What is their intent?" Chu Feng had many questions.

"My brother and the white dragon is going to eat separately from us. You and I will only get to meet one of the disciples of that dragon instead of the dragon himself. What a shame..."

"But still, we shouldn’t look down on those disciples. The one we’re meeting today is named Xia Lan. She is a king with four severed shackles. The funny thing is, she was supposed to go with the white dragon and attend the main banquet hosted by your brother, but I heard that she wasn’t particularly fond of courtesy and etiquettes, so that’s why she’s coming to us instead."

Chu Feng took another sip at the wine as he continued to attentively listen to the conversation.

The room next door suddenly became lively an hour later. Chu Feng could sense that there was a change in energy level in the air. This was the sign of a king’s arrival. In addition to that, the room was also brimmed with cheers and laughter. The two in the neighbouring room welcomed the arrival of Xia Lan.

Soon, the laughter died out, and Xia Lan began to speak. Her voice sounded like a chime of a giant bell. The entire palace shook as she talked.

"Before we drink, I want to know if Chu Feng is in this city?" Xia Lan asked.

"Yes, he recently came back to the city," Ma Kuo replied.

"Oh, very well then. Now, listen to me. My brother is very interested in this person, so I need you two to come up with a plan so that Chu Feng can willingly go see my brother!" Xia Lan said.

"Now, please excuse me for asking, what does your brother want to do with him?" Qi Teng asked.

Xia Lan’s lips rose in a tender half-smile. "My brother has heard words about him. It is said that Chu Feng has some quite outstanding skills as well as a very inflated ego. This type of person has always been my brother’s favorite, so he wants to know how skilful he actually is, then he can decide whether that over-inflated ego of his is justified. Oh, by the way, you wouldn’t mind if my brother accidentally kills him in the fight, right?"

"Hmm..." The two looked very surprised. Although they had made some caustic comments about Chu Feng before, they were still quite astounded by what Xia Lan had said.

"What’s the matter? Oh, c’mon, really? Your brother, Qi Sheng, had made it loud and clear that he wanted that so-called Demon Chu to be dead this time, so what’s with the hesitation you two are having right now?!" Xia Lan seemed rather scornful about this.

"Sure, sure! Of course, we’re just as eager to witness a full display of your brother’s talent. We’ll make it happen at the earliest possible time!" Qi Teng said between clenched teeth. If it was his brother’s idea, then how could he not be eager to witness Chu Feng’s death?

...

[1] (In Chinese folklore, the palace of the Dragon King(龍宮) is the undersea palace of the Dragon King, the king of the sea. Depending on the version of the legend, it is built from red and white coral, or from solid crystal. The inhabitants of the palace were the Dragon King’s families and servants, who were denizens of the sea. In some legends, on each of the four sides of the palace it is a different season, and one day in the palace is equal to a century outside its boundaries.)