Path of Alchemy Mastery
Chapter 186 - 188: The Secret of the Hidden Family

Chapter 186: Chapter 188: The Secret of the Hidden Family

"How many Hidden Families are there in total?" Mu Can was quite curious about the Hidden Families, as he had never heard before that such a group was hidden within the Mortal World.

"There are a total of eight Hidden Families, known as the Eight Great Families." Brother Fan seemed resigned, adopting a cooperative demeanor.

"Oh? There are eight of them? Tell me about them, what kind of strength do they all have?" Mu Can was instantly intrigued, knowing he would inevitably deal with these families in the future. Now that he had encountered a direct descendant of one family, he wanted to thoroughly understand the affairs of the Hidden Families.

The two of them conversed back and forth, with Brother Fan behaving like a well-behaved child, showing deference to Mu Can, the mad old man who demonstrated the power of a Martial Saint. Brother Fan put away the last bit of caution in his heart, hoping that in the end, Mu Can would spare him.

In the Mortal World, there are the Wen, Pang, Qiu, Yao, Lei, Xiang, Zhang, and Yin families, each occupying a small dimensional space with a concentration of Spiritual Energy far surpassing that of the Mortal World, making the strength of these eight great families unfathomable.

"Amazing, Brother Fan." Brother Fan told Mu Can everything he knew about the Eight Great Families, almost exhaustively. Mu Can was quite satisfied with Brother Fan’s answers, showing a slight smile and jokingly said.

"Don’t dare, don’t dare, just call me Little Fan." Brother Fan nodded and bowed, displaying a flattering appearance.

The lackeys behind Brother Fan had their eyes so wide that they almost popped out; they had never seen Brother Fan act this way before, absolutely pushing their psychological limits.

"Damn, understanding the situation makes one outstanding, if I were to die here, that would be a real loss." Brother Fan didn’t care about the feelings of his followers at all; dying here during the chaotic times of the Mortal World would mean dying in vain.

It must be said, even a spoiled brat has his merits, and Mu Can now found Little Fan more pleasing than before.

Little Fan was inherently good-looking and handsome, but what Mu Can appreciated most was his cooperative attitude now.

"Little Fan, do your eight great families have any masters? And with your strength, are you truly a direct descendant of your family?" Mu Can asked, puzzled.

Previously, a young Martial Venerate Level powerhouse could dominate the scene in the Mortal World. However, after the great changes in the Mortal World, the strength of Martial Venerate Level was not enough; casually, a Demon Clan Captain had the strength of Martial Venerate Level.

"You joke, Brother Can. They say I’m a direct descendant, but I’m not really a true descendant of the Zhang Family, it’s just that an old ancestor in the family took a liking to me." Speaking of his origins, Little Fan explained lightly.

Under Mu Can’s inquiries, Little Fan no longer concealed the truth.

It turned out that before the age of eight, he was just an ordinary illegitimate child of the Zhang Family, but after accidentally entering the restricted area of the Zhang Family, he fell into a deep pool within the restricted area. A giant turtle hidden in the deep pool saved him, thus he also obtained the opportunity left by an old ancestor of the Zhang Family.

That giant turtle was originally a Beast Pet of an old ancestor of the Zhang Family, having attained Transcendent status. After the old ancestor passed away, it had been sleeping in the cold pool within the restricted area of the Zhang Family, but was awakened by Zhang Fan, and Zhang Fan thus obtained his own opportunity.

Mu Can listened to Zhang Fan’s explanation and shook his head.

Zhang Fan clearly belongs to those who have opportunities but simply cannot control their true hearts. He has had chances that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to dream of, yet he does not know how to cherish them.

Mu Can didn’t even need to think to know that after obtaining this opportunity, Zhang Fan had become a key figure nurtured by the Zhang Family. Even a smaller family like the Mu Family had a profound heritage, let alone a long-established family like the Zhang Family. Using this opportunity, they could build up Zhang Fan’s strength to what it is now.

The reason Zhang Fan became what he is now is actually very simple. Sudden wealth does not bring peace; a bastard who has always been bullied suddenly gains great power, then loses his true heart, losing his strong spirit.

"You have somewhat betrayed the kindness of that giant turtle," Mu Can said, shaking his head.

"Huh?" Zhang Fan looked at Mu Can, his face filled with confusion. He did not understand why Mu Can, who should be his enemy, would say something like this to him.

Mu Can was reminded of his own experiences after hearing Zhang Fan’s words. After obtaining the Reincarnation Pearl, his cultivation regressed. If it were not for the support of Mu Zi’ang back then, if he had given up cultivation, would he have had any chance to activate the Reincarnation Pearl? Would he have ended up just an ordinary person for the rest of his life?

Mu Can’s thoughts drifted far. His current Martial Venerate strength may have been seen as impossible by his past self. If he hadn’t obtained the Reincarnation Pearl and met Purple Cloud, Mu Can felt that he could only have reached the strength of the Martial Arts Sect at most.

"Cultivation is a path where if you do not advance, you retreat. It seems Sister Yun was right. If I lose my ambition and always think of relying on others, I will never become a true powerhouse," Mu Can slowly realized the good intentions of Purple Cloud.

"Don’t worry, Sister Yun, I will definitely not let you down," Mu Can clenched his fist and whispered to himself.

Zhang Fan suddenly noticed the young man in front of him was lost in thought, appearing absent-minded, yet he didn’t have the courage to take advantage of the situation, only daring to quietly wait for Mu Can.

"Can’er!" Mu Zi’ang saw that Mu Can was distracted and called out softly, bringing Mu Can back from his thoughts.

"Sorry, I was distracted," Mu Can apologized with a smile. Despite facing an enemy, he still felt a bit embarrassed to have been lost in thought, feeling somewhat disrespectful.

"It’s okay, Brother Can. Just speak," Zhang Fan said obsequiously. People are like this; once deciding to cooperate with Mu Can in exchange for a chance at life, they convince themselves, so whatever Mu Can asks, Zhang Fan would honestly answer, even taking the initiative to cooperate fully and share everything he knew.

"Do you feel happy with how you are now?" Mu Can asked abruptly.

"Happy?" Zhang Fan scratched his head, not understanding what Mu Can meant.

"Ah, never mind, it’s nothing," Mu Can sighed.

Mu Can felt some emotion; why was he, who should have been an enemy, saying all this? Was it because of his own experiences? Mu Can couldn’t figure it out and decided not to think about it anymore. If Zhang Fan’s behavior continued to be cooperative, maybe he would remind Zhang Fan again in the future. If Zhang Fan harbored any ill intentions, Mu Can wouldn’t mind eliminating him.

"Your boat, I’m requisitioning it," Mu Can suddenly became a bit melancholy, leaning on the railing of the warship, looking into the distance.

The first day after parting with Purple Cloud, he suddenly missed her a bit.