Chapter 1360 Chen Xuan? Same Name, Different Person?
Li Er sneered, "Do you think the business license of the Kyoto Chen family is that easy to obtain?"
"Is there some kind of condition involved?" Chen Xuan couldn't help but ask.
Li Er explained, "To obtain the business license of the Kyoto Chen family, the Chen family must first be defeated. Otherwise, how could it be so easy to get?"
"Then why didn't you say so earlier? If I had known, I wouldn't have competed with them." Chen Xuan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"I just forgot. It's been such a long time," Li Er chuckled.
Chen Xuan: "......"
He suddenly asked curiously, "Has no one challenged you before?"
Li Er shook his head, "Never."
"That's strange." Chen Xuan scratched his head, finding the situation peculiar.
Li Er continued to explain, "Ultimately, my surname isn't Chen. Even if they challenge me, it's useless. I'm not truly a member of the Chen family. But you are different; you are a genuine Chen family member."
"Furthermore, when the Chen family was destroyed, a vow was made that within thirty years, they would not be able to challenge members of the Kyoto Chen family. Thirty years have now passed."
"If I disappear now, will they be unable to challenge me? And thus unable to get the business license?" Chen Xuan said.
"Theoretically, yes."
"Pack up and leave the capital!" Chen Xuan immediately made up his mind. Li Er's shop was a highly coveted prize, eyed by many. Just as the thirty years were up, Master Kong appeared, and who knew what other masters would follow? It would likely become very troublesome, and he didn't want to invite big problems.
Li Er poured a bucket of cold water on Chen Xuan's head, "Young Master, you have already arrived in the capital and have established a karmic connection with the shop. Escaping the capital is useless unless they can't find you..."
Chen Xuan calculated with his fingers, "Damn it, you're right. I can't sever my connection with the shop at all. Is this why the Kyoto Chen family members don't come to the capital?"
"Uh..." Li Er implicitly confirmed this.
Chen Xuan rolled his eyes repeatedly. There were likely many surviving members of the Kyoto Chen family, yet none had appeared in the capital, probably to avoid trouble.
No, that wasn't right... He knew that the Kyoto Chen family members were definitely not that spineless. They were afraid of losing the shop. Once lost, they would become sinners of the Chen family for eternity, and how could they face their ancestors in the afterlife?
However, now that Chen Xuan had formed a karmic connection with this shop, he had to bear all the responsibility!
"I'll need to be cautious of the Hun family in the future."
"Young Master, please rest assured. For the Hun family to challenge again, it will take at least three to five months, or even longer, otherwise, they will face divine retribution."
"Then I can rest easy." Chen Xuan breathed a sigh of relief, his curiosity about the shop growing even stronger. What kind of existence was this shop, and why did it have so many peculiar rules?
"Do you know the origin of the shop?" Chen Xuan stared intently at Li Er.
Li Er shook his head, then suddenly said, "Although I don't know, I remember a book that recorded the origin of the shop."
"Quick, bring it to me!" Chen Xuan urged. From the moment he learned that the shop could trade with ghost messengers, he had been curious. At first, it was just curiosity, but after realizing there were so many intricacies, he found the shop to be truly extraordinary.
Li Er turned and walked into the treasure vault. On a shelf within, he found an ancient yellow-bound book. It seemed rarely read, covered in a thick layer of dust. He brushed it off for a long time until a few characters were revealed: "Chen Family Records!"
If Chen Xuan's guess was correct, this book recorded the events that had happened to the Chen family over the years. It was akin to historical records, but while historical records documented the affairs of the world, this book documented the happenings of the Chen family. However, this book alone was enough to prove the power of the Kyoto Chen family. In ancient times, only imperial families had such records; ordinary commoners had no such qualification. Moreover, in those turbulent times, extinction could occur at any moment. Even if wealthy noble families kept records, they were likely to be interrupted. Yet, the records of the Chen family had been passed down!
Chen Xuan was also extremely curious about the Kyoto Chen family and immediately snatched the book, beginning to read. "Chen Family Records" documented events spanning over a thousand years. Each era was recorded using the script prevalent at that time. Fortunately, Chen Xuan was proficient in the languages of various dynasties and could understand them, though he didn't recognize some obscure characters. However, this did not hinder his reading.
The Chen family originated more than a thousand years ago and had experienced various dynasties. They participated in many major historical events, yet remained detached. Dynasties fell, and new ones rose, but the Chen family stood firm, which was quite miraculous. Why was that? And why did the mysterious shop appear in the Chen family? Did the shop make the Chen family powerful? One question after another made Chen Xuan pore over every word of the book with utmost care. All his doubts were finally answered within this book!
The power of the Chen family, to be precise, was not due to the shop but because of a particular member of the Chen family. In fact, the shop itself only appeared in this world because of this Chen family member. It turned out that the sixth generation of the Chen family had produced a prodigy. That Chen family member was immensely powerful and possessed profound mystical knowledge, commanding the respect of heroes from all walks of life. However, he incurred heavenly wrath and perished. Yet, this Chen family member was appreciated in the underworld and held a significant official position, even one that allowed him to defy the King of Hell.
According to the records, a Chen family member's lifespan had ended, and he was summoned to the underworld by the Black and White Impermanence. However, it was discovered that they had made a mistake; the Chen family member's lifespan had not yet ended. According to the rules, once a mistake was made in summoning, there was no sending back. But at that moment, the "Dragon" of the Chen family stood forward and asked the King of Hell to return the soul of the Chen family member. Ultimately, this Chen family member was revived. The reason for this record was that this Chen family member himself recounted it.
Furthermore, it was said that this Chen family member had retrieved a divine artifact, which allowed for transactions with underworld ghost messengers. This was reportedly compensation from the underworld to the Chen family.
"This shop is actually a divine artifact? And it's compensation from the underworld?" Chen Xuan was utterly dumbfounded. What kind of place was the underworld? They even had to compensate the Chen family? Initially, based on his deductions, someone who could contend with the King of Hell was at most one of the Ten Kings of Hell. But from the current situation, that Chen family member might indeed be extraordinary!
What surprised Chen Xuan even more was that this exceptionally talented prodigy of the sixth generation of the Chen family was also named Chen Xuan! Was it a coincidence? Or was it inevitable?
"Honestly, when I heard your name, I also found it very curious." Li Er knew Chen Xuan had seen the name.
"You knew all along?"
"I only remembered it a few days ago, but it's probably just a coincidence."
"Perhaps." Although he said so, Chen Xuan felt this was no mere coincidence. His father, Chen Jianhua, was an extremely meticulous person who performed divination for all important matters. He didn't believe his father would not have performed a divination when naming his only son. Therefore, this name must have had significant meaning! Of course, Chen Xuan believed that his father would never have named him in a way that would harm him.