"Mr. Yuan, could you please talk about how your father disappeared?" Xiao Mu steered the conversation to the main subject.

"Sure, Mr. Xiao, would you like to come in for some tea and talk while we drink?" Yuan Lin agreed, extending the invitation to Xiao Mu simultaneously.

"No need, let's just talk here. I'm here to investigate the disappearance of Mr. Yuan Lao, not to drink tea," Xiao Mu gracefully declined with a smile.

"Alright, Mr. Xiao."

Yuan Lin agreed, his tone seemingly more respectful, "My father disappeared five days ago."

"Five days ago, someone suddenly came to our house, claiming to be Mr. Shang..."

"Shang?" Xiao Mu couldn't help interrupting Yuan Lin.

Yuan Lin quickly added, "The Shang from the Shang dynasty."

Xiao Mu pressed, "Do you know his first name?"

Yuan Lin shook his head, "That Mr. Shang didn't say, he only mentioned his surname was Shang."

"Oh!" Xiao Mu was somewhat disappointed, "What did he want from Mr. Yuan Lao?"

Yuan Lin replied, "That Mr. Shang came to my father, asking him to help create a Sculpted Image of a god."

Sculpted Image?

A thought crossed Xiao Mu's mind.

Yuan Lin could be considered the most renowned sculptor in the entire Ancient Luo Capital, second only to He Qingjun, because he had mastered a Mutation technique of sculpting, which made the Sculpted Images he created not merely ordinary, but divine.

But Yuan Lin went on to say, "My father is proficient in the art of sculpting, and nearly every day people come to him for help. They say that in Luodu, He Qingjun's sculpting technique is the finest, but actually, He Qingjun's skills are far from comparable to my dad's."

As he spoke, Yuan Lin suddenly shifted the topic. In his tone, there was a sense of pride in his father Yuan Wei's sculpting skills, and at the same time, a dissatisfaction that He Qingjun was more renowned than his own father.

Every person tends to be subjectively biased towards those close to them.

Xiao Mu didn't take seriously what Yuan Lin claimed about his father's Sculpted Image technique being stronger than He Qingjun's. After all, as Yuan Wei's son, it was perfectly normal for Yuan Lin to be biased toward his father. If it were He Jianchang, He Qingjun's son, his thoughts would be the exact opposite.

Thinking this, his expression unconsciously revealed his skepticism.

"Mr. Xiao, you don't believe what I'm saying?"

Seeing the look on Xiao Mu's face, Yuan Lin immediately felt a bit indignant and quickly added, "What you may not know is that the secret manual of sculpting passed down in my family is from a Secret Manual of techniques that has been mutated over generations. My family has been sculpting for generations. It's just that in recent years it has fallen out of fashion, so we temporarily stopped doing it, but we've always kept the manual."

"The He Family's manual was mutated from techniques gathered from outside sources. How can a single generation's accumulation compare to the accumulation of dozens of generations in my family?"

"That's a good point!"

Xiao Mu nodded but remained unconvinced in his heart.

He still thought Yuan Lin was blindly confident in his family's sculpting skills. How could he be so sure that the techniques recorded in his family's age-old manual were superior to those in the books bought by the He Family?

The world is constantly progressing forward, and older does not necessarily mean better.

However, Xiao Mu clearly did not intend to argue these points with Yuan Lin. While inwardly he disagreed, verbally he echoed Yuan Lin's remarks.

"Mr. Yuan, did that Mr. Shang mention where he wanted Mr. Yuan Lao to go to help with the sculpting?"

Xiao Mu changed the subject.

Yuan Lin replied with embarrassment, "No, because Mr. Shang offered too high a price—totaling one hundred Energy Fruits. So my dad didn't ask anything and just went with him. He left and hasn't returned since; his phone is unreachable, and it has been three or four days now without any contact."

Moved by wealth, Xiao Mu could understand why Yuan Wei would go with Mr. Shang without asking any questions.

After thinking for a bit, he asked, "Did you see that Mr. Shang? Do you know what he looks like? Any distinguishing features?"

"This..."

After pondering for a moment, Yuan Lin said, "That Mr. Shang seemed to be around forty years old, of average build, with a square face... Oh, right! There are cameras installed at the entrance of my house; they should have recorded what Mr. Shang looked like. I'll take you to see it."

Yuan Lin suddenly remembered something, becoming somewhat excited.

"Thank you."

Xiao Mu gestured to Yuan Lin to lead the way with a wave of his hand.

"Mr. Xiao, please follow me."

Yuan Lin then led Xiao Mu to check the surveillance computer.

The Yuan Family's surveillance computer was placed in the basement; it was somewhat old-fashioned, still an old desktop model from over a decade ago, but it did not affect its use.

Yuan Lin turned on the computer, found the surveillance video of that day, opened the video, and the figure of Mr. Shang appeared on the screen.

In the video, Mr. Shang looked like an utterly ordinary middle-aged man, with a common appearance, ordinary build, and even his aura was ordinary.

Xiao Mu couldn't help but frown slightly, realizing a problem only after seeing the surveillance footage in person.

From Mr. Shang's actions, it was clear that he was undoubtedly a Mutated Being, and his Realm was not low, at least at the Mortal Realm Fifth Level.

However, what the cameras could capture was only the surface; they were unable to record anything deeper.

For example, Mutated Beings all have a unique aura, and Power would unconsciously emanate from them.

But this intangible and immaterial Power was not something cameras could capture.

"Mr. Xiao, do you recognize this Mr. Shang?" Yuan Lin asked, watching the changes in Xiao Mu's expression closely.

Not all Mutated Beings are known to me. Through the contents of the video, I can't even distinguish whether Mr. Shang is a Mutated Being from our Human world or from beyond the heavens.

Xiao Mu responded inwardly, keeping his face expressionless, and asked again, "Mr. Yuan, you mentioned earlier that Mr. Shang once took out a hundred Energy Fruits as a reward? Are those Energy Fruits still here?"

"Yes, they are," Yuan Lin nodded, looking at Xiao Mu in surprise.

Xiao Mu said, "Could I take a look at those Energy Fruits?"

At the moment, he could only hope there was a residual aura of Mr. Shang on the Energy Fruits, but the likelihood was very slim.

"You want to see the Energy Fruits?" Yuan Lin was somewhat astonished, his tone containing puzzlement, and he was slightly resistant to Xiao Mu's request to see the Energy Fruits.

I'm just looking, I don't want yours.

Xiao Mu sensed Yuan Lin's inner thoughts and quietly scoffed, but seriously said, "I need more evidence."

"Alright... fine." Yuan Lin considered for a moment, agreeing somewhat reluctantly, but still led Xiao Mu to see the Energy Fruits.

He asked Xiao Mu to wait in the living room, while he went to another room to fetch the Energy Fruits.

About fifteen minutes later, Yuan Lin came out holding a Storage Box.

"Mr. Xiao, please look, this box and the Storage Box within, were given by Mr. Shang."

Yuan Lin placed the Storage Box on the table between him and Xiao Mu, eyes tensely watching the Storage Box, as if he was afraid Xiao Mu harbored ill intentions.

A mere hundred Energy Fruits are of no interest to me; besides, if I wanted to rob you, you wouldn't be able to defend them.

Xiao Mu found it comical internally and looked down on Yuan Lin's actions, but he showed some understanding and began to examine the Storage Box in front of him.

The Storage Box was exquisitely made, yet the space inside was not large. Xiao Mu had many similar Storage Boxes.

"Hmm?"

Xiao Mu pressed down on the lid of the Storage Box, intending to open it, but immediately sensed a faint Power of Life and Death on the lid.

"The Power of Life and Death, does this box and the Energy Fruits come from the Life and Death Sect? Is Mr. Shang a member of the Life and Death Sect?"

"A member of the Life and Death Sect, taking Yuan Wei away, asking for his Sculpting services, could it be for the rebirth of the Undying Divine Sovereign?"

"Is the subject of the Sculpting the Undying Divine Sovereign?"

Xiao Mu quickly made a judgment, slowly moved his palm away from the Storage Box, and said to Yuan Wei, "Mr. Yuan, please put away the Energy Fruits. As for Mr. Yuan Lao's whereabouts, I think I already have a clue."

"You have a clue, Mr. Xiao? Can you find my father?" Yuan Wei asked blankly, pressing on the box. Without even looking, you have a clue?

"I will do my best, but don't get your hopes up too high," Xiao Mu responded indifferently, his tone not revealing much eagerness to find the person.

He was willing to help, but he didn't plan to tell Yuan Wei. Letting him worry a bit longer was good; consider it a form of punishment for Yuan Wei's earlier suspicion that Xiao Mu would steal his Energy Fruits.

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