"Back then, the reason Lord Duan Jidao became so enraged that he lost his reason was because the Duan Clan not only drove his beloved to her death, but after she died, her body had completely vanished."
"Lord Duan Jidao suspected that the Duan Clan had destroyed her corpse, and in his fury, he massacred his own clan."
"But Song Yuheng's grandfather found the body of Duan Jidao's beloved. Though many years had passed and she had long since turned to bone, that distinctive long dress was exactly as it had been back then."
"It was precisely because of this that Song Yuheng earned such high regard from Lord Duan Jidao. In the end, it was born out of gratitude," Yin Gongfu said.
"No wonder Song Yuheng's father dared to speak to Senior in such a manner — he had a backer. But did Song Yuheng's grandfather also know about Lord Duan Jidao's past?" Chu Feng asked.
"He didn't. It was simply a matter of coincidence. His grandfather was a Spirit World Master who enjoyed tomb raiding. Lord Duan Jidao had always been quite disdainful of him, and if it hadn't been for Song Yuheng's impressive talent, he would have expelled him long ago."
"But then one day, Song Yuheng's grandfather actually brought back a corpse, saying that he believed the clothes on the body were a treasure and wanted Lord Duan Jidao to take a look at them."
"Lord Duan Jidao was furious at first — he thought that Song Yuheng's grandfather going tomb raiding on his own was one thing, but now he wanted him to appraise the goods as well. He was about to impose a severe punishment, but the moment he saw the corpse, he realized it was the body of his beloved. Overwhelmed by both grief and joy, he is said to have broken down in tears on the spot."
"So afterward, Lord Duan Jidao not only refrained from punishing Song Yuheng's grandfather but actually rewarded him. He forced his cultivation up from a ninth-grade Half-Emperor all the way to a first-grade Martial Emperor. Now, with Lord Duan Jidao's help, his grandfather has already reached the second-grade Martial Emperor realm and is deeply valued by Lord Duan Jidao," Yin Gongfu explained.
"That such a coincidence could exist in this world," Chu Feng marveled.
"It really is that much of a coincidence," Yin Gongfu said with a helpless air. This was exactly the sort of coincidence he had desperately hoped would not occur, yet here it was, having come to pass in reality.
"Even though Lord Duan Jidao wishes to find a successor for the Emperor, he is ultimately being swayed by his own emotions. If he truly passes on the Emperor's power to Song Yuheng, it would not be a wise decision," Chu Feng said.
"That's not quite right. If Lord Duan Jidao had truly set his mind on Song Yuheng, he would have passed it on long ago. The fact that he has been so slow to do so means he still hopes to find a more suitable successor."
"The pity is that he has never found one. Among the genuine geniuses of the four great Emperor Clans, there are quite a few outstanding juniors, but Lord Duan Jidao would never dream of using a genius nurtured by the four great Emperor Clans," Yin Gongfu explained.
"Indeed. If it were someone discarded by the four great Emperor Clans, that would be one thing. But if he were to pass on the Emperor's power to someone they had invested everything into nurturing, it would amount to doing all the work for the four great Emperor Clans." Chu Feng naturally did not want anyone from the four great Emperor Clans to obtain the Emperor's power either.
"However, now I have found a suitable candidate." Yin Gongfu looked toward Chu Feng.
"Senior, please don't joke. I don't even possess the bloodline — how could I possibly accept the inheritance?" Chu Feng understood what Yin Gongfu was suggesting and shook his head repeatedly, for the one he had been thinking of was Jiang Wushang to receive the Emperor's power. It had never once crossed his mind to take it for himself.
The reason it hadn't crossed his mind was that Chu Feng understood the Emperor's power was tied to bloodline. Though it was stronger than ordinary Emperor-level bloodlines, it likely still existed within the Emperor-level tier.
His own Inheritance Bloodline, however, was far beyond the Emperor level. If he were to accept the Emperor's inheritance, his cultivation might skyrocket in the short term, but there was a very real chance that mixing the Emperor's bloodline into his own would render his bloodline impure.
That would affect his future cultivation, and the trade-off would be far from worth it.
"Young friend Chu Feng, do you know why I told you all of this?"
"Because before I came to find you, I had already decided — I intend to recommend you to Lord Duan Jidao, so that you may become the Emperor's successor," Yin Gongfu urged earnestly.
"Senior, absolutely not. I cannot accept the Emperor's power under any circumstances," Chu Feng shook his head again and again.
"Chu Feng, think about it carefully. If Song Yuheng truly receives the inheritance, your brother Jiang Wushang will almost certainly die. For his sake alone, you should accept this power." As Yin Gongfu spoke, he suddenly raised his hand and pressed it firmly against the top of Chu Feng's head.