Chapter 54: Mu Family's Decision (1)

Ancestral Hall. Mu Household.

The Mu Household's Ancestral Hall was built inside a mountain and was situated in the northeast corner of the family lands. It was a solemn, humbling space that contained the graves and memorial tablets of previous generations of the Mu family.

Dimly lit yet warm, the Ancestral Hall was entirely fashioned out of granite mountain blocks taken from the very same mountain. Long stone corridors led into the depths of the mountain's belly and connected to a myriad of cyclical chambers and antechambers, each housing the bodies and spirits of some bygone generation's Patriarch and their family members.

Housed at the very center of the mountain's belly, inside the very depths of the Ancestral Hall was a special space. This space did not house any graves or memorial tablets but was instead littered with stone pillars that supported the foundations of this mountain.

This special zone was called the 'Decision Making Hall!' And for generations, since the establishment of the Mu Family, all important decisions which concerned the fate of the entire family were made within this hall.

Normally, the Decision Making Hall sees very little activity; being used only a handful of times during a generation. Today, however, a grand crowd solemnly sat upon the stone chairs littered throughout the space and discussed in hushed whispers.

"Second Sister, do you know why Third Sister has summoned us to this place?" An immortal fairy dressed in light-green garbs, Mu Family's Fourth Madam, asked her sister.

Another immortal fairy of similarly exquisite looks and bearing shook her head and truthfully replied, "I have no clues." She spoke no more and instead diverted her attention to calculating the logic behind this order. This was Second Sister, a [Wisdom Path] practitioner and the resident strategist of the Mu Household.

Unsatisfied with her sister's reply, the green-garbed fairy looked around the stony room. She noted that most of her fellow sister-wives had already arrived except for the Eldest Sister, Bai Xiulan; the elusive Seventh Sister who was currently not at the Mu Household; and Third Sister who had called for the meeting. Apart from her sister-wives, Fourth Sister also noted the presence of her in-laws –her husband's parents— and other seniors of similar relation had also come in attendance.

Just as her pretty little head wondered why all of them had been summoned to this place, the azure-haired fairy next to her suddenly spoke out. "Did something happen to husband?"

"Eh!?" Fourth Sister immediately let out a surprised gasp. All blood drained from her face as intense worry and anxiousness appeared within her eyes. "Second Sister, what are you saying!? Do you know something!? Has something happened to our husband!?!"

Her worry-filled shouts tore through the hushed chatters and instantly silenced the hall. A moment later, everyone started to shout in worry.

"What!? What happened to Wudi!?!"

"Nonsense! Our husband is the strongest person in the entire world! Just what could've happened to him!?!"

"MY SON! WHAT HAPPENED TO MY SON!?!"

The last scream came from Grandmother Mu's lips. Looking at her face, one could see the sheer terror and despair in her beautiful features. She then continued to nervously clamor.

Seeing the situation rapidly deteriorate, Second Sister, being the person with the highest status and authority amongst the others present in this room, quickly stood up and calmed the crowd. "Calm yourselves! Everyone, please calm yourselves! I'm certain that our husband is safe and good."

Taking a deep breath, she then continued to placate the crowd with her uniquely deep voice that was filled with peace and tranquility. "It was Third Sister who called for this meeting and she has yet to arrive. Let us all wait in peace until her arrival and then ask her about the reason behind her order. All of us sitting here and worrying about things that may or may not have happened does us no good."

"Once again, I ask everyone to calm themselves and wait patiently."

Thanks to her efforts, everyone relaxed and the anxiety hanging in the air swiftly disappeared. The faces of all family members loosened up and their bodies relaxed.

Just as the azure-haired fairy let out a sigh of relief, a new voice spoke out with appalling disrespect.

"Oho, what is this? Did that heartless, cheating bastard finally kick the bucket?" The newcomer's words instantly reignited the emotions of the crowd and agitated them. Everyone turned their heads in unison towards the source of the voice only to find a tall, veiled woman standing at the entrance of the Decision Making Hall with casual arrogance.

Seeing that familiar figure, a look of caution and distress appeared on Second Sister's face. "Chu Mingxi…" she called. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" The newcomer, Chu Mingxi, snorted arrogantly and threw a wooden token toward the azure-haired fairy. "What don't you tell me what I'm doing here?"

Second Sister caught the flying token and read its contents. She then understood that the token invited Chu Mingxi to arrive at this place but did not mention why. Just as she wondered who could've sent this troublesome woman an invitation, another new voice spoke up.

"It was me. I invited her here." A new face arrived and this time it was someone that everyone recognized. She was a woman who possessed the most wonderful set of eyes in the entire world. She was a woman whose face was perpetually veiled behind a strange gray mist. She was… Mu Wudi's third wife; the Third Sister.

"You, Third Sister? But why?" asked Second Sister.

"Because this matter involves her too," replied the enigmatic Third Sister. She then gestured for everyone to remain quiet and take a seat before clapping once with her hands.

Instantly, a wave of energy pulsed within the stone chamber causing mysterious runes and patterns to appear on its walls. A moment later, the entirety of the Decision Making Hall was covered in a silver-colored barrier. Space was sealed and the Decision Making Hall from the world. An area of absolute secrecy was formed.

"[Hiding From Heavenly Secrets]" Chu Mingxi recited the name of the technique used by Third Sister. A frown appeared on her face as she asked, "What are you plotting?"

Third Sister ignored her question and instead leveled a look at everyone else. Taking a deep breath, she spoke, "First of all, I would like to inform everyone present here about something. Our husband, Mu Wudi, has suffered from a Heart Demon and is currently incapacitated. His life is in danger."

Her proclamation came like a sudden thunderclap. Everyone was unavoidably shocked. Silence rang supreme within the chamber of secrecy.

A moment passed before the terrible silence was broken by a roar of uproarious laughter. Chu Mingxi's entire body convulsed as she laughed to the point of tears appearing in her eyes. "Hahahaha!!" she laughed, unable to even breathe freely. "So-So, it has finally come! Heaven's retribution! Ahahahaha!!"

"CHU! MING! XI!!" A shout brimming with absolute hatred countered her laughter. Ninth Sister stood up her tiny body. A spear of light materializing within her hands, she roared, "Do you dare think that I won't skewer you right here and now!?"

Chu Mingxi's laughter came to an abrupt stop. Her body straightened up and her eyes, the only visible part of her veiled face, narrowed with absolute chillness.

"Skewer me? You?" Mingxi chuckled with apparent ridicule. "Little pipsqueak, you better seat your pretty little behind before I become serious. 'Cause when I do, your 'husband' is not going to make it in time to save you."

Ninth Sister's flushed red face suddenly went pale. Cold sweat appeared on her forehead and spine. Her small legs wobbled powerlessly as an ungodly amount of pressure squeezed at her. In that instant, all of her rage and indignance had been replaced with bone-chilling, primal fear.

Not letting out the tiniest of squeaks, she unsteadily floundered back and fell on her stone chair. She then fearfully hung her head and did not dare life it to look at Chu Mingxi.

Chu Mingxi retrieved her aura and killing intent. Turning her head to gaze at the Third Sister, she asked. "Answer me, Third Wh*re. For what reason did you call me here? Surely not to deliver me this joyous piece of news."

Taking a deep breath to calm her anger, Third Sister was just about to open her mouth in reply when Second Sister suddenly uttered a name.

"Wuzhi!"

"Who?" asked Chu Mingxi, looking irritatedly at the source of that interruption.

Second Sister did not reply immediately. Instead, she bit her lips with a complicated expression appearing on her face. After a few breaths of silence, she hesitantly and nervously explained. "You were asked to come here because we had something to tell you; something that concerns you."

"Go on then, spit it out!" roared Chu Mingxi, disgusted at her wish-washy behavior.

"A month ago, a peculiar youth going by the name of 'Wuzhi' arrived at our Mu Household. We have reason to believe that he might be…" Second Sister stalled once again and bit her lips harder. Forcing down the lump of emotions that threatened to fall out of her throat, she finished. "…your elder sister's son."

Chu Mingxi's eyes widened to the max as an explosion went off inside her head. She stood dumbfounded.