"It is none other else but i, Lu Chen!"
"It's great to see you again. But I'm sure you could not the say same to me, my dear friend Lu Fang!" Clark stood and peered eye to eye at the most unforgettable person in his life.
His voice was thick with emotions and an inner whisper from his soul wanted to strike the man down right then and there. But how could Clark listen to the murmurs of a dead man?
Though he assimilated the complete memory of Lu Chen as his but that did not mean that he would abide by foregone feelings already marred by the cobwebs of time.
'And it was not as if Lu Chen was free of guilt from what happened at all.' Clark took a deep breath and settled the raging emotions that was not his in the first place.
"How... how could it be you, LU CHEN!"
"You took the spiritual test in the past and it was witnessed by all that you don't have any spiritual veins inside your body!"
"You simply could not become a cultivator!"
"THIS IS NOT TRUE!" the hysterics of a hundred year old man caught the attention of the people around them.
Everyone in here always had an ear for controversy and any little information, irrelevant or not,
could make or unmake anyone in the dog eat dog world that ran rampantly in the political arena of the Lu Family.
This was true for one lineage and it was the same in all families that had ever encouraged a steep competition amongst its clan members.
"Isn't that Hall Master Lu Fang?"
"What was the outburst about?"
"Who is the man named Lu Chen?"
"This is certainly gonna be interesting!" The mob of spy around them openly observed the situation in suspense while the most immediate persons nearby acted as if they were still conducting their affairs.
Too cautious to be caught within the whirlpool of conflict themselves.
"That's beside the point, Lu Fang!"
"I'm standing right here and you could see with that snake eyes of yours that i have successfully cultivated into the Mortal Shedding Realm."
"Hahaha! And if you want to know how I've suddenly grown a spiritual vein from out of nowhere then i wouldn't be so unkind to not share my secret."
Clark's mocking laughter pervaded the scene but everyone else could not have cared less for its grating fakeness. What all wanted to hear was the secret behind this miraculous phenomenon.
One should know that a spiritual vein didn't just grow on trees!
They were innate gift of nature or god or whatever entity was out there that blessed humanity with the ability to harness the essence of the world as theirs.
Some believed that this was an inherent gift from parents or their ancestors. A bloodline talent that was passed unto the few fated ones.
These children would be the darling sons and daughters of heaven that could become mighty rulers, given time.
A seasoned cultivator could change landscapes with a word and can even dominate the lives of millions if he so wished to do so.
This was why no one in the sacred halls of the Lu Family dared breath audibly as they waited for the next words of Lu Chen.
"Do you remember when we were young, Lu Fang?"
"I trusted you like a brother!"
"But... you betrayed that trust."
"Now, I'm only thankful for you giving me that experience."
"You taught me how i should never ever reveal my real feelings to other people."
"In that field, you turned out to be a really good teacher. Lu Fang!" Clark echoed another bout of crazed laughter, totally embodying the suffering of the dearly departed Lu Chen.
He felt his stuffy chest loosen up upon doing these absurd efforts and he realized that this was probably releasing the heart demon of his counterpart.
The obsession that Lu Chen kept for himself for decades could now finally be unmade.
When Clark paused his glee to see the shock and guilt that kissed Lu Fang's face, a knot seemed to untie inside his heart but that has not at all diminished the killing intent he felt.
Instead it has only even increased with every passing breath. Time stood still as Clark reveled at his moment of victory.
Lu Chen has dreamed of this moment for many years already and to have Lu Fang at his mercy today, it was simply a dream come true for the dark heart of Lu Chen.
"Ehem..."
"Master Lu Chen..." a dignified voice called from out of the blue.
"Yes, what is it?" Clark replied without taking his eyes off of his prey.
"About the secret to gain a spiritual vein... can you tell us on how to acquire one Master Lu Chen?" the curious inquired to satisfy its thirst for knowledge and of course with it, gain power as a result.
"Ohhhh... about that, since my disgrace at the young age of 20, i had only ever eaten salted fish. I am a salted fish shop owner after all. Hmmm..." Clark said in a serious tone.
"That's it?"
"To eat salted fish?" another person joined the conversation.
"Yes. As easy as that. But the process isn't simple at all... for i have been eating the same meal for 80 plus years or so already."
"Try it and i assure everyone that it's as effective as advertised." Clark nodded three times to add a point of exclamation unto his calm words.
'FUCK!'
'WHAT DO YOU TAKE AS FOR? CHILDREN WHO'S STILL SUCKING ON THEIR MOTHERS TITS?!' The gathered intelligent men and women knew that they were swindled by Lu Chen.
But what can they do about it? Nothing! Some bit their lips while others could only curse Lu Chen in silence.
Alas, it was of course Lu Fang who received the entirety of the burden that Lu Chen represented in his presence today.
"So you've won in the end, Lu Chen. Are you going to kill me now?"