Chu Ruoyu clenched her fists, her pretty face covered in anger. Seeing a group of people leaving, she said coldly, "What's so great about them, I really can't stand his self-righteous demeanor."
"Ruoyu, is this the master you invited?" Xue Pei didn't leave, but instead stayed put, looking at Chu Ruoyu and asking. In the family, because of her father's reasons, everyone in the Chu Family had always looked down on her. Moreover, the special affection the family head had for her had also caused jealousy among the juniors. Only Xue Pei seemed to have a good relationship with her, after all, Xue Pei's mother had married out, so there were no entanglements of interests with the Chu Family.
"Yes, this is Master Lin, Lin Mo," Chu Ruoyu said with a soft voice, looking at Lin Mo.
At this moment, she truly hoped that Lin Mo was a master with real ability, so she wouldn't be as embarrassed. But if Lin Mo turned out to be a fake, she would be humiliated today.
"Master Lin, hello, my name is Xue Pei," said Xue Pei, with a hint of excitement on her face, extending her hand and looking at Lin Mo with sparkling eyes.
Xue Pei, now a freshman in college, had always been educated with modern science. However, she was very interested in mysticism. She often went to see performances by internal strength masters or read related books, but she eventually found out that those were all fake.
Though somewhat disappointed with the real capabilities of mysticism, Xue Pei remained deeply interested. So when she saw Lin Mo, who was about her age and had been invited by Chu Feiwan, she naturally felt a thrill of excitement.
Lin Mo was taken aback for a moment before gently shaking her hand.
"Alright, let's go inside. Grandfather should be arriving soon," Chu Ruoyu sighed and walked briskly towards the front.
Many people were already present in the garden behind the villa, either sitting or standing.
Among them, several white-haired elders with ethereal and profound tempers caught Lin Mo's attention.
One of them was a white-haired elder, just over seventy, his skin like withered wood, but he had an ethereal Immortal Energy about him, a powerful Magic User.
Another, a Daoist priest over forty, clad in a Daoist robe with a whisk in hand, also seemed like an expert who had entered worldly affairs.
However, Lin Mo's gaze settled on another man about thirty, with a pale complexion, almost feminine, and a thin face, giving off a gloomy feeling. Lin Mo sensed a familiar aura from this man.
"The Black Witch Sect?" Lin Mo shook his head slightly. The aura was even more sinister than those of the Black Witch Sect, somewhat similar, but he was certain the man was not from the Black Witch Sect.
Apart from these three, the other oddly dressed people were ordinary, possessing neither True Qi nor Mana, mere martial world swindlers.
"Xiao Yu, why didn't your dad come?" A middle-aged man with a commanding presence asked, sitting in a chair.
Upon seeing him, Chu Ruoyu replied, "Uncle, my dad went to another province for business and won't be back until tonight."
The middle-aged man with the commanding presence frowned.
This middle-aged man was none other than Chu Xinde, the eldest of the Chu Family and the person most likely to inherit the position of Family Head in the future.
"How irresponsible of uncle to still think about his business when grandfather is so critically ill," Chu Mo said disdainfully from behind.
"Scoundrel, Uncle is an elder, and you have no right to make such disrespectful comments here," Chu Xinde slapped the wooden table with his hand, shouting angrily.
Chu Mo lowered his head, a wicked smile hooking at the corner of his mouth, "Dad, I'm sorry."
"But the second child really is..." Chu Xinde followed with a shake of his head.
Seeing the two of them putting on an act, Chu Ruoyu clenched her delicate fists, so irate that her teeth itched. She simply took Lin Mo with her to find an empty seat to sit.
Only the core members of the Chu Family could take a seat, while everyone else was qualified only to stand at the sidelines.
"Master Feng, we are relying on you for today's matters," Chu Xinde said, nodding slightly to the white-haired elder beside him, who exuded an air of a Daoist priest in white robes.
"Well said, well said. Mr. Chu kindly inviting me is an honor, and I will certainly do my utmost," the white-robed elder nodded and smiled in response.
Aside from Chu Xinde, there was also the Chu Family's third son, Chu Lianghua, accompanied by a pale-faced man who exuded a somber aura.
As for the fourth child of the Chu Family, Chu Yilian, she had beside her an old Daoist with a bulbous nose, his eyes half-closed as if he were an immortal.
"Mom, that's the master sister Ruoyu has invited," Xue Pei whispered from behind Chu Yilian.
Chu Yilian looked up and glanced briefly at Chu Ruoyu and Lin Mo, her brows furrowing in confusion. Her second brother might be somewhat irresponsible, but surely he wouldn't just bring in a youngster to make up the numbers.
"Just an ordinary person, indeed. He doesn't even have a trace of mana, yet dares to call himself a master," the old Daoist with the bulbous nose suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Lin Mo, his eyes full of contempt.
"Ah, he's not a master?" Disappointment showed on Xue Pei's face.
She had thought that sister Ruoyu had brought back a real Magic Master. To her surprise, it was just an ordinary person. Even Chu Ruoyu herself started to feel uncertain at this point; her face, which was originally a bit cold and glamorous, now wore a trace of worry. The people her uncles and aunt invited seemed very formidable – one with an ethereal bearing, another holding a folded fan, and yet another Taoist. In comparison, everyone appeared stronger than the young man sitting beside her.
Lin Mo seemed too ordinary, and apart from being somewhat handsome, there did not appear to be anything special about him.
Chu Ruoyu opened her lips to speak, wanting to say something, but then, seeing Lin Mo sitting there relaxedly drinking tea, she felt annoyed. This guy seemed to just be going through the motions. Finally, she sighed and said no more.
After a wait of roughly ten minutes, the Chu Family's patriarch, Chu Tianlan, finally made his appearance.
In his youth, Chu Tianlan had been a dockworker, and through his own efforts and opportunities, he built up the vast Chu enterprise from scratch, becoming a legendary figure in Bin Hai and the leading business magnate. Although now over seventy years old, his presence still brought an invisible pressure to everyone in the room.
Of course, under such pressure, only Lin Mo remained unaffected, not even sparing the other party an additional glance.
However, in the past year, Chu Tianlan's health had worsened. He often suffered fatigue, excessive sleepiness, and even from angina.
Over the course of the year, the Chu Family had summoned multiple renowned doctors from both within the country and abroad, including masters of traditional Chinese medicine, yet none could cure Chu Tianlan's illness. Thus, the Chu Family began to extensively recruit strange people, hoping to find a cure through other means, since traditional medicine had proven ineffective and their hopes were placed in more esoteric matters.
"Has everyone arrived?" Chu Tianlan sat at the head of the table, sweeping his gaze across those present. Within his seemingly cloudy eyes, a sharp glint flickered.
"My second uncle has gone to negotiate a business deal and hasn't returned yet," Chu Yue suddenly spoke up. Chu Tianlan frowned slightly, appearing somewhat displeased, "If he isn't coming, then let him be. I know you all have invited experts to treat my illness, and I am very comforted by your piety."
(Wonderful, more to come tomorrow. Good night, we will return to the previous update frequency tomorrow.)