Ten days, though short, was better than three to five.
Liu Yunqing hastily bowed and expressed his gratitude. Chu Fan walked to the stone table and sat down, saying, "Come, I have something to ask you!"
It was rare for Chu Fan to need his help. Liu Yunqing quickly approached the stone table, looking at Chu Fan with anticipation, eager to know how he could assist him.
What Chu Fan asked about naturally concerned the hidden families and the various forces lurking in the shadows.
Upon hearing this, Liu Yunqing's brows clearly furrowed.
Ever since he encountered Chu Fan, he had always believed that with such extraordinary strength at such a young age, Chu Fan must have come from an ancient hidden family with profound strength and heritage.
Thinking this way, Chu Fan should be very knowledgeable about the situation of the ancient hidden families.
However, seeing Chu Fan asking for precisely this information now, Liu Yunqing, while recounting what he knew, wondered in his heart if he had misjudged before.
Was Chu Fan not from an ancient hidden family?
But if he possessed such formidable strength, where could he have come from if not from an ancient hidden family?
Chu Fan naturally saw Liu Yunqing's shifting expression and knew what he was thinking, but he had no intention of explaining, as it was unnecessary.
As initially anticipated, to understand the situation of the various forces behind the Dragon God Kingdom, one had to start with the hidden powers.
The Cloud Mountain Sect was an excellent choice.
Although the information provided by Liu Yunqing was not entirely comprehensive, it was not insignificant either.
Upon learning more, Chu Fan discovered that the Dragon God Kingdom was indeed more complex than he had imagined.
For instance, the Martial Sect, which seemingly operated the Dragon God Kingdom behind the scenes, was a colossal power in the eyes of the outside world.
But the reality was that the Martial Sect was merely an alliance formed by drawing personnel from various hidden forces; for example, the Cloud Mountain Sect had sent two members to be stationed there.
The purpose of forming the Martial Sect was to enable a swift response when the Dragon God Kingdom encountered major events, such as foreign invasions.
In essence, the Dragon God Kingdom was the foundation for all these forces.
If the lands of the Dragon God Kingdom were invaded, the various forces, even if they wished to cultivate in seclusion, could not remain aloof.
According to Liu Yunqing, the people in the Martial Sect were all casually dispatched to deal with emergencies.
Stronger forces sent stronger individuals, while weaker forces sent individuals of naturally lesser strength.
Therefore, the Martial Sect was not worth paying much attention to.
What needed to be noticed were the Five Great Families and the Six Great Sects.
In the era of Dharma decline.
The Five Great Families and the Six Great Sects were the most formidable existences in the territory of the Dragon God Kingdom.
Among them were Grandmasters of the ninth rank and above.
However, the Five Great Families and the Six Great Sects rarely appeared because the people within them were all focused on cultivation, aiming to break through the constraints of the Dharma decline era and return to the path of martial arts.
After the advent of the Dharma decline era, many forces within the entire Dragon God Kingdom became like a suddenly fallen family, experiencing a very bleak situation.
On one hand, the difficulty of cultivation increased. On the other hand, reaching the ninth-rank Grandmaster was like hitting a cliff, making it impossible to take the final step and become a Great Expert who had long since vanished.
Since he was heading south, Chu Fan continued to ask, "Which families and sects are entrenched in the south?"
"The Qin family, one of the Five Great Families, and the Mu Nan Sect, one of the Six Great Sects, are entrenched in the south," Liu Yunqing replied.
The Qin family?
Chu Fan's heart stirred, and he instinctively thought of his mother.
His mother's surname was Qin, and his investigations so far had confirmed a significant connection between her and the ancient hidden families.
Now, learning that the Qin family, one of the Five Great Families, was in the south, Chu Fan couldn't help but wonder if his mother was from the Qin family.
However, he then remembered that his mother was found and raised by his aunt's parents, and his adoptive father also bore the surname Qin.
Given the unclear specifics of the situation, it was difficult to definitively determine if his mother had any connection to the Qin family of the Five Great Families.
Nevertheless, this provided Chu Fan with a direction for his search.
He made a plan in his heart, deciding that once he reached the south, he would find a way to contact the Qin family and understand things thoroughly.
Having obtained the approximate information he needed, the two began to chat idly.
Liu Yunqing hesitated to speak several times, all of which Chu Fan noticed.
After Liu Yunqing once again seemed about to speak but stopped, Chu Fan directly said, "If you have something to ask, just ask directly."
Liu Yunqing smiled sheepishly and said, "Wuming, since that's the case, then I'll speak my mind."
Chu Fan nodded.
Liu Yunqing immediately said, "When I first met you, seeing your young age yet possessing such formidable strength, I speculated that you came from an ancient hidden family similar to the Five Great Families."
"But just now, from what you've asked me, you're not from the Five Great Hidden Families?"
"No!"
Chu Fan shook his head. "I come from elsewhere."
"As for where, you will gradually know in the future!"
Sensing that Chu Fan was not yet willing to reveal his origins, Liu Yunqing wisely did not press further.
However, Chu Fan's might truly made him yearn for it, and he wished to deepen their friendship. He then said, "Wuming, there's one more thing I'd like to discuss with you!"
Seeing Chu Fan gesture for him to speak, Liu Yunqing said, "It's our fate that we can sit here. I wonder if you would consider becoming a guest elder of the Cloud Mountain Sect!"
"As a guest elder of the Cloud Mountain Sect, you would receive a certain amount of funds or other things you desire annually."
"All you need to do is help resolve crises when the Cloud Mountain Sect faces moments of life and death!"
Having encountered someone so powerful and approachable, Liu Yunqing genuinely did not want to let him go, as he knew very well that the Cloud Mountain Sect would inevitably attract the covetous eyes of various forces due to obtaining so many ancient texts related to cultivation from within the secret realm.
Therefore, the Cloud Mountain Sect might face perils in the coming period.
If Chu Fan could be recruited as a guest elder, dealing with the dangers would be much easier.
Chu Fan was slightly surprised by this proposal.
Under Liu Yunqing's expectant gaze, he slightly shook his head, "I have many things to attend to. I don't have the time to be a guest elder for the Cloud Mountain Sect!"
His expectations dashed.
Despite his disappointment, Liu Yunqing could only offer an awkward smile and say it was alright.
In fact, he was well aware that the Cloud Mountain Sect was too small a temple to possibly contain a great Buddha like Chu Fan.
However, he was unwilling to not at least propose it.
"However!"
Chu Fan's sudden words made Liu Yunqing's heart tighten, his eyes fixed on Chu Fan, realizing there might be a turning point.
"I plan to develop my own forces in the Dragon God Kingdom!"
"If you don't feel it's beneath you, you can lead the Cloud Mountain Sect to become my force!"
"To be at my service!"
What?
Liu Yunqing, who had been full of expectation, was stunned.