Chapter 24: The Fates of Pawns Are Judged by Others

Jiang Yuerou did all of this to ease the guilt in her heart.

Her method of relieving that guilt was to provide Meng Xinchen and Meng Xinxue with as much support as possible. Whatever they needed, she would strive to secure for them. If they required Lu Xiao’s spiritual bones, she would fight to obtain them as well. Furthermore, Jiang Yuerou felt that sacrificing Lu Xiao would also help ease Meng Beizhou’s mind.

"Xinchen has now been accepted under Master Qiu’s tutelage, making him a junior disciple to Protector Wu. I hope you will look after Xinchen in the future. I, Jiang Yuerou, would be deeply grateful."

Upon hearing this, Protector Wu waved his hands repeatedly, telling Jiang Yuerou there was no need for such formality. "Once one enters Dragon King Mountain, we are all family. Fairy Jiang, you need not say such things; I will naturally look after Xinchen. Besides, Xinchen is destined for great heights. As a gifted junior, I shall certainly take good care of him."

After finishing his sentence, a hint of hesitation flickered across Wu Shanlong’s face. In truth, there were things he wanted to say, but he felt it would be inappropriate, perhaps even meddlesome. Jiang Yuerou noticed his hesitation. "Protector Wu, please speak your mind. The relationship between the Duke of Meng’s estate and Dragon King Mountain is close now; there is nothing we cannot discuss."

Hearing her say this, Wu Shanlong hesitated for a moment before asking, "Acquiring spiritual bones is not something that should be forced. The donor must voluntarily practice the 'Heart-Condensing Technique,' and only after that can the bones be extracted and refined to hold any real value. Relying on other means makes the process quite complicated. Moreover, Fairy Jiang, you are Lu Xiao’s birth mother. Please forgive my bluntness, but given your position, are you not worried that busybodies outside will accuse you of bias and mistreatment?"

Hearing this, Jiang Yuerou was neither surprised nor embarrassed. "What Protector Wu says, I have indeed considered. I have heard my fair share of idle gossip. The world says women are weak, but a mother is strong. For the sake of Xinchen and Xinxue’s future, I can endure such talk. It is of no consequence."

Jiang Yuerou’s words seemed to cast her as the victim, as if she were the one being bullied. "In fact, I have thought about this many times. As long as the boy Lu Xiao gives up his spiritual bones, I can visit him once every spring. I, Jiang Yuerou, will acknowledge him as my son to the world. I will even arrange for servants to attend to his daily needs. These compensations should be more than enough for him."

In Jiang Yuerou’s view, this compensation was indeed sufficient. Lu Xiao would only lose his legs and become disabled, but he would have servants to care for him and would still be able to call her "Mother."

Beside her, Wu Shanlong frowned slightly. He did not know if this could be considered "enough" for Lu Xiao, but if it were him, it would certainly be far from sufficient.

"Protector Wu, this is, in fact, a win-win situation," Jiang Yuerou continued. "The spiritual bones will greatly enhance the physiques and potential of Xinchen and Xinxue. It is clearly beneficial for them. As for Lu Xiao, he will also receive other benefits. Xinchen’s talent allowed him to enter the Spirit Realm at sixteen, and now he has reached the stage of connecting his Spirit Embryo. His future may lead him to heights that many sages have never reached. For Lu Xiao to sacrifice his spiritual bones to help a future great power is an honor for him. In this world, many would beg for such an honor and never find it. For such an honor, he should be willing even to give his life. Now, he is only being asked for two spiritual bones; if he still possesses any wisdom, he will know what choice to make."

To Jiang Yuerou, her logic was perfectly sound. Every advantage and disadvantage had been analyzed to her satisfaction. Yet, these were all her own assumptions, viewed entirely from her own perspective. Whatever achievements Meng Xinchen might attain in the future, what honor could it possibly bring Lu Xiao? To end up crippled just to boost the strength of someone he barely knew—it was hard to say how others perceived this, but to Lu Xiao, it was truly foolish, and he would never choose to do such a thing himself.

Wu Shanlong nodded after a moment of hesitation. "Fairy Jiang makes a valid point. Xinchen’s future achievements are destined to be great. Being able to provide him with help is indeed an honor."

Wu Shanlong did not press the matter further. After all, Jiang Yuerou was Lu Xiao’s birth mother; as an outsider, why should he pry? Initially, he had felt it was inappropriate and overly biased, but since Jiang Yuerou had provided so many justifications, he simply followed her lead.

In truth, Jiang Yuerou had never considered Lu Xiao from the very beginning. She never gave a thought to how Lu Xiao felt or what kind of plight he would be in. Her only considerations were the two children she had with Meng Beizhou—or perhaps, more accurately, she was only considering herself.

***

Yonglin City, Lu Family Marquis Estate.

After finishing his tasks, Lu Xiao returned to his small cabin. Since his advancement to the Stone-Moving Realm, he felt that his work required much less effort. It wasn't the kind of ease that came from techniques or moves, but rather that every movement felt lighter and more agile than before. More precisely, his body felt lighter, and he could control it with greater ease. This was the meaning and value of cultivation.

However, while working, Lu Xiao still paced himself, careful not to finish too quickly. The old madam assigned these tasks specifically to waste his time; finishing too early would only invite more trouble. His mind was not on his work, but rather on the intricacies of martial cultivation. He saved the parts that required deep thought for when he was working. Now that he had eaten and returned to his cabin, he could finally study other matters.

Feeling in good spirits, Lu Xiao took out the "Dragon Blood Body-Tempering Manual." When he first obtained it, the title appeared in small black characters. After he refined it to the first stage, the title had turned purple. To him, this was an incredibly valuable technique. Having had limited energy, he hadn't studied it in detail until now. Having advanced to the Stone-Moving Realm, he could finally give it a try.

They had given him the "Dragon Blood Body-Tempering Manual" believing that practicing it would place an immense burden on his body.