Chapter 35: Glimpsing into the Past. Elder Yu's quick reaction truly surprised the witch...

Elder Yu's quick reaction did indeed surprise Wu Chen.

After a moment's thought, Wu Chen changed his clothes and went to the Yu family with Yu Jitang.

Only Elder Yu and his wife were present in the reception area; everyone else was dismissed.

Wu Chen greeted them calmly and without showing any emotion.

Elder Yu didn't bother with pleasantries. After inviting him to sit down, he went straight to the point, "The fact that the Witch God Servant is willing to travel with Ji Tang suggests that he is willing to join forces with the Yu family. However, the Witch God Servant has been impartial to all three of our families for so many years. Why has he chosen our family at this crucial juncture?"

Wu Chen did not answer, but instead asked, "Elder Yu, I believe nothing in the Divine Palace can escape your notice. May I ask, what is the purpose of this winter hunt?"

Elder Yu was taken aback. His first reaction was to look at his son. Could it be that Yu Jitang had leaked the news to Wu Chen?

But Yu Jitang hadn't considered this at all. When Wu Chen asked him this, he looked puzzled. "What else could the winter hunt be for? Isn't it for the ranking of the divine servants and the selection of the next priest?"

Wu Chen smiled and looked directly at Elder Yu. "Actually, I've always understood that if there were no unforeseen circumstances, I would never have become the next High Priest. The next High Priest can only be chosen from either Divine Attendant Zou or Divine Attendant Luo. Elder Yu's reluctance to take any action all these years must have been foreseen by me, didn't it?"

Yu Jitang stared at his father in astonishment.

Elder Yu looked at Wu Chen with a mixture of helplessness and admiration. If his son had half the thought of Wu Chen, he wouldn't be so worried.

Hearing his father's long sigh, Yu Jitang's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Father, no way! Isn't this an open competition? I think all the elders are quite fair, and they don't seem to favor... those two!"

Elder Yu said helplessly to his son, "What do you know! If it weren't for the fact that the Witch God's servant was willing to join forces with you this time, the people I arranged to accompany you would have found an opportunity to injure you on the edge of the Western Wilderness, and then you would have come back."

Yu Jitang was furious. "Father!"

Elder Yu waved his hand, "Over the years, your father hasn't forced you to work hard, nor has he stopped you from doing anything. Is this the first time your father has treated you like this? Haven't you ever thought about why?"

Yu Jitang was taken aback by his father's question, but he still couldn't understand it.

Elder Yu didn't expect his son to understand such a complex matter so easily. In fact, even he himself had many things he hadn't figured out. "The Divine Palace was founded by the first High Priest, Shuo Mingjun, Zou Yubo. However, in essence, it was built upon the foundation of the Yu family. The Yu family ancestors admired Shuo Mingjun, so they willingly stepped down, honoring him as a High Priest and assuming the position of Elder. However, Shuo Mingjun's supernatural powers stemmed from obtaining the Fruit of Spiritual Communication, which everyone in the world yearned for, hoping to obtain the Fruit of Spiritual Communication to ascend to heaven in one step. I dare not say whether this is good or bad, but according to the notes left by my ancestors, Shuo Mingjun, throughout his life, openly and secretly obstructed anyone from obtaining the Fruit of Spiritual Communication. Later, the Yu family ancestors vaguely sensed something unpleasant, but they had no concrete evidence. Therefore, they only left a few words in some notes. The Yu family secretly investigated for many years, but to no avail..."

Elder Yu hesitated before speaking, unsure of how much he should reveal to Wu Chen. But then he thought that Wu Chen had been present when Yu Jitang visited Tan Family Village and Sword Casting Manor, so Wu Chen probably already knew what was going on.

Elder Yu looked up and stared directly at Wu Chen. "It wasn't until Ji Tang returned this time that I realized the problems here are probably far more serious than I had imagined."

"If the truth is really as you suspect, what are your plans?" Wu Chen asked in return.

Elder Yu shook his head. “I don’t know. The Yu family and the Divine Palace are already inextricably linked. If anything happens to the Divine Palace, the Yu family will not escape either. However, I have some inexplicable worries. I am still sending people to investigate this matter. But one thing, if you and Ji Tang join forces, I hope you can do your best to stop Zou Shenshi and Luo Shenshi from obtaining the Spiritual Fruit.”

"Wait, wait," Yu Jitang suddenly interrupted, "Father, you told me to go everywhere to find the Fruit of Spirit Communication, wasn't it so that I could find it and eat it?"

Elder Yu looked at his foolish son and sighed, "When you actually obtain the Fruit of Spiritual Communication, I'm afraid you won't be able to eat it even if you want to!"

Wu Chen frowned. "Could it be that Lord Shuoming ate the Fruit of Spirit Communication?"

Elder Yu's expression was very heavy. "That was a long time ago. But according to the notes left by our ancestors, when Lord Shuoming's cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, there were no people of unknown origin around him. Even the origins of Lord Shuoming's later Daoist partners were quite clear."

Wu Chen suddenly recalled the scene on the mountaintop of Tanjiazhuang where the scarlet tree was torn apart by demons. But those were demons, while Shuo Mingjun was... A wave of nausea instinctively surged through his body.

Elder Yu's expression was also unpleasant. "Witch God Attendant, perhaps I'm overthinking things. You all need to be cautious during this winter hunt. Especially Ji Tang, don't be greedy for merit and act rashly, lest you fall into someone else's trap."

Yu Jitang nodded, "Don't worry, I'll stay with him every step of the way."

Elder Yu sighed. During their long conversation, he had said a lot, but Wu Chen had revealed almost nothing of value. “As long as the human heart remains undaunted, the waves will never cease. Although I don’t know the reason why you, Wu Shen Shi, have changed, I hope that you and Ji Tang will always remain upright and honest, and not stray onto the wrong path.”

He claimed ignorance, but Wu Chen knew in his heart that the Yu family already knew of Lu Qing's existence. His return this time, however, revealed that he had hidden Lu Qing in Medicine King Valley, highlighting Lu Qing's importance to him. For Elder Yu, figuring out that his weakness was Lu Qing was not difficult at all.

Wu Chen stood up and bowed deeply to Elder Yu, saying, "Wu Chen will certainly live up to Elder's expectations."

Elder Yu returned the greeting, saying, "The task is arduous and the road ahead is long. We will still rely heavily on the Witch God's attendant in the future."

Yu Jitang watched from the side without interrupting. Although he was somewhat impatient, that was in comparison to Wu Chen and his father. If he were a complete fool, he could never have become a divine servant. After hearing so much from Wu Chen and his father, and recalling the notes his ancestors had read in the past, Yu Jitang had already glimpsed two or three parts of the hidden truth in his heart, and was momentarily shocked beyond words.

Having said that, Wu Chen took his leave, regardless of Elder Yu's private admonitions to his son.

After returning to Nukun Peak, Wu Chen secluded himself and refused to see anyone. He did not reappear in public until the day the winter hunt was about to begin.

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 11:32:05 on June 15, 2020 and 13:11:14 on June 17, 2020!

Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Repigon and someone who passed by with 1 bottle;

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!