Chapter 458: Chapter 272: The Old Sage Grins
Liu Bai could hear the sound of his blood coursing through his body, his heart beating too fast, making him somewhat restless.
After all, that was an old monster capable of overthrowing the Heibai Divine Land.
Once the ancestor identified who it was, they quietly retreated, pushing him to the forefront, naturally leaving him feeling uncertain.
In truth, Old Man Liu felt a bit uneasy. Growing up outside the Black and White Mountain, how could he not have heard of the legends here?
However, his expression remained calm. Even Xiao Qin could handle it with composure, politely refusing; he, at his age, absolutely could not panic. He had to be more steady.
Moreover, Old Man Liu faintly smiled.
"Damn it..." Liu Bai’s heart trembled, as an old god’s smile could have unpredictable consequences.
In his view, that faint smile was akin to a gaping mouth emerging from a pitch-black abyss, drooling over the entire divine land.
The scene was indeed unbearable for him.
His hand began to tremble, and to cover it up, he slapped his nephew once again with a loud smack.
The Second Young Master Liu felt indignant. With so many guests present, how could he lose face like this? His face was swelling up.
If it weren’t for his uncle, he would have fought back to the death!
The White haired Old Beast also took another blow; this time, its skull cracked, and it felt as though its brains were going to seep out. The pain was unbearable, and it was filled with rage, feeling stifled, but it dared not act out.
"Today is a good day. I apologize for any lack of hospitality, and I ask for your understanding," Liu Bai made a courteous remark and raised his glass.
Many were bewildered; most here were juniors. Did the big figures of Heibai Divine Land really value them this much?
Even the rulers from outside dynasties, upon arriving here, had to stand up and toast to the people from the Forbidden Land.
The old ancestor of Heibai Divine Land furrowed his brow deeply, saying, "Can five hundred years not erase an elderly, severely wounded and dying monster?"
That person had severed their divine position, survived a great battle, and could still live!
In that battle, the Beast God was dying and disappeared thereafter.
"It’s best if he remains completely lost and doesn’t awaken," murmured the old ancestor of Heibai Divine Land to himself.
Outside Heibai Town, Liu Bai seamlessly, with a smile, interacted briefly with some people, encouraging the younger generations.
The heart of the White haired Old Beast felt stifled; it actually had to pour wine and apologize!
Outside, it was a renowned Mountain Master, a respected and prominent being.
Old Man Liu pondered whether the major figures of Heibai Divine Land were a bit too kind?
The Yewu World, if not a pure jungle law, was close; everything was exceedingly realistic.
Liu Bai wandered around the area intentionally or unintentionally—were they this approachable?
Some believed that Qin Ming showing the Jade Plate from the Three Teachings Ancestral Court had made the people from Black and White Mountain take notice.
After all, the Pathfinders outside were a bunch of lunatics, bold enough to puncture Forbidden Land and even slay gods, currently belonging to the legitimate forces of the Yewu World.
Old Man Liu, however, didn’t think so and had some thoughts. While dining, he overheard people discussing how the once-mighty Beast God was defeated five hundred years ago.
Immediately, he recalled the words Qin Ming had told him, and the bloodstained Ancient Kite flown in from afar, becoming somewhat lost in thought.
He regained his composure, wondering if Heibai Divine Land was actually cautious?
Old Man Liu mumbled to himself, "A familiar swallow returns."
Liu Bai almost threw the wine glass in his hand as this statement was too alarming!
The sudden utterance from the other side—did it mean awakening was imminent?
He felt it couldn’t go on like this. If the old man stayed here too long, it would probably trigger some terrifying memories.
Old Man Liu looked at him, then outside Heibai Town, frowning imperceptibly.
Immediately, he sensed the other party was acting somewhat unnaturally.
Having learned a lot, Old Man Liu dared to look at the major figures opposite.
Whereas Liu Bai was quite apprehensive, not daring to probe into him.
"Rearrange a table," Liu Bai instructed the White haired Old Beast to apologize properly once more.
In truth, his main reason was not wanting the distinguished guests in Heibai Town to notice the oddities here.
The White haired Old Beast’s heart surged with violent energy, yet at this moment, it was powerless, forcibly made to bow its head.
Qin Ming, naturally, speculated that the change in the other party’s attitude probably had to do with Old Man Liu.
The Red Squirrel looked bewildered, wondering why the White haired Mountain Master toasted them twice and arranged for them to stay in a spacious, ornately carved room.
"Seeing all this, it feels like just yesterday, very familiar," Old Man Liu said.
He felt a slight sense of strangeness, but it was nowhere near resurgence or remembering anything.
However, in Heibai Divine Land, that old ancestor was entirely tense.
What to do? "He" was truly about to return!
The important figures in Heibai Divine Land stopped appearing, playing dead, fearing that the more they said, the more they would incite more "memories" from the fierce god.
Old Man Liu felt at ease, and indeed, in this Heibai Divine Land, he grew increasingly calm, his state of mind peaceful, exuding a composure from the soul.
He asked, "Xiao Qin, are you seeking Evil?"
"Yes," Qin Ming nodded.
Old Man Liu said, "I remember there’s a Legendary Treasure Evil here. I wonder if it’s still around."
Deep within Heibai Divine Land, the atmosphere was tense. The important figures here felt somewhat oppressed, unsure of the person’s status.
Were they demanding the Treasure Evil?
"Is there still one in the Divine Land? If not... maybe send it over!"
"There is one more."
Moments later, the Second Young Master Liu and Lord Lu were sent over, both with complex expressions, bringing a Jade Box to personally deliver "the gift."
"Earlier, our attitude was problematic. Please forgive us," they said, and even now, they avoided speaking of the upheaval from five hundred years ago, using recent events as a pretext to apologize.
Qin Ming didn’t hesitate, accepting it naturally.
Moreover, he opened it on the spot to see what the gift was.
Inside the Jade Box was a large turtle, extremely imposing, exuding wisps of Evil Qi, making Qin Ming feel as though iron spikes were piercing into his skin.
He quickly blocked the evil Qi, to prevent Old Man Liu and the Red Squirrel from being overwhelmed and showing their weakness.
Upon closer inspection, the patterns on the old turtle were dense, imbued with Tao rhythm, with a snake coiled around it. This... was clearly the treasured evil in the form of Xuanwu.
Undoubtedly, this was the legendary abnormality, invaluable!
In the Jade Box, there were sealing runes, suppressing its form, otherwise it would certainly be larger than it is now.
This was a visible advantage for Qin Ming, enhancing his Taoist skills, helping him break through the barrier.
In the end, Qin Ming, Old Man Liu, and the Red Squirrel were slightly tipsy, as they traversed the foggy area and left the Heibai Divine Land with Old Panda.
"He probably hasn’t awakened yet, but... he’s terrifying, this old man feels a bit uneasy." Deep in the Divine Land, even the ancestor was wiping sweat.
The main reason was the bloody, broken body of the master back then, which even now made him shudder at the thought.
He spoke, "You all should discuss it, should we migrate, or should we continue to seal the mountain?"
"Where did the Beast God Ancestor really go, alive or dead?" Yue Mo asked.
"I don’t know either!" The ancestor shook his head.
...
Wearing a straw hat, Old Panda was quite courteous, diligently escorting the two men and the beast out of the mountains, even nearing the village entrance.
The villagers, seeing such a black-and-white beast at their doorstep, were somewhat alarmed.
"Elder, my ancestors lived in the Black and White area since the time of the dojo." Old Panda said before leaving.
Old Man Liu, upon hearing this, just waved his hand.
"Woof, woof..." In the yard, the old yellow dog wagged its tail and rushed out, barking at the retreating black-and-white panda.
Without a word, Old Man Liu kicked it back to the doghouse.
In the distance, the ancestor of the Heibai Divine Land personally came out, standing on a high mountain staring out, feeling a deep chill in his body at this moment.
In a daze, he saw the old man in front of the Black and White Dual Trees grinning at the mountain.
...
"Uncle Liu, will you come with me?" Qin Ming asked secretly.
Old Man Liu shook his head and said, "My roots are here, at this age, where could I go? If I were to die, I’d prefer to be buried in the Black and White Mountain."
Qin Ming hesitated to speak.
Old Man Liu said, "I know what you want to say, no worries, I’m perfectly fine now, they’re the ones who should be worried."
In fact, Qin Ming thought, just because of the blood-stained kite floating above the village, something even Cao Qianqiu found tricky, this place wouldn’t face major issues.
He also pondered, what state was Old Man Liu in for most of the five hundred years?
After all, Liu Mo started from his amnesiac youth.
In the night, Qin Ming left, embarking on the road alone.
The Red Squirrel jumped onto Old Man Liu’s shoulder, waving its little claws at him. With the wisdom he passed down and having shown it the Heibai Divine Land, it no longer held grudges over the destruction of its home.
"Who am I? Liu Mo, who dares to mess around the Black and White Mountain Territory, dies." Old Man Liu spoke to the mountains, his face obscured in the night.
At this moment, the Motivational Squirrel felt this old man was quite tough.
However, the instant it returned to the courtyard, it immediately sensed the old man’s demeanor slacken again.
"Songzai, did my performance just now seem convincing?" Liu Mo smiled.
Qin Ming, traveling alone, deeply understood the difficulty for ordinary people to live in a dark world. His perception was now extremely keen, several times sensing unseen, intangible entities following him, lurking nearby.
Fortunately, no danger occurred this time.
Until he passed a desert he once traversed, a pale figure appeared by his side, startling him.
At this point, he utilized the Newborn’s Eye, otherwise, he couldn’t see anything.
He didn’t provoke it, continuing on as usual, not entering the desert to search for the palm-sized pig, and before long, the pale figure vanished on its own.
"In the various levels of the Night Fog World that we cannot see, are there some hard-to-detect yet tangible creatures, such as Yin Gods, ghosts, etc.?"
Qin Ming suspected that those traveling merchants walking the night road might long have ceased to be themselves.
On that day, he safely arrived at Chixia City, where he had lived for quite a while and was quite familiar with everything.
The City Lord’s Mansion, the familiar living room, with the calming incense slowly burning, capable of quelling restlessness, dusting away the mind’s impurities.
"Uncle Meng!" Qin Ming greeted warmly.
Meng Xinghai said, "You rascal, disappearing now and then, where have you run off to these past few days, people looking for you have left messages with me."
Qin Ming laughed and said, "Went to the Forbidden Land for a feast."
Meng Xinghai said, "Watch your words, the waters in those Forbidden Lands run deep, not even top Ancestor Masters dare venture recklessly."
Qin Ming nodded, he had some understanding of the Forbidden Lands, and in some, there resided pathfinding Ancestor Masters with aberrant bodies.
He didn’t hide it from Meng Xinghai, narrating his experiences.
Even Meng Xinghai, born into a thousand-year-old family, was lost in thought, a Divine from Yujing seemed to settle in a remote region.
Qin Ming said, "Uncle Meng, you know, I know, don’t let this out."
Meng Xinghai nodded seriously; he felt he ought to "worship the gods," unexpectedly, such legendary beings were under his jurisdiction!
"You did indeed have a banquet in a Forbidden Land, experiences even many ancient sages never had the chance to witness." He sighed, then handed Qin Ming two letters.
One letter was from Xiao Wu, wanting to ensure he had safely reached Chixia City.
Wu Yaizu and Xiang Yiwu walked together, at ease in the Da Yu Imperial City, lingering on the Shuyu River’s pleasure barges, frequenting Sleepless Street, and even spent a fortune to reach the moon.
There’s a moon above the Da Yu Imperial City, known to all, but reaching it is enormously costly.
"Brother Ming, that delegation seems troublesome, the Sun Elf Clan is actually cultivating!" Xiao Wu also remembered to mention business amid a leisurely life.
"This time, that delegation wants to invite those from the Outer World to cooperate in excavating a Divine Tomb and Immortal Tomb!" Qin Ming read this and became somewhat lost in thought.
Was the Sun Elf Clan embarking on the Immortal Road for this reason? They were actually inviting those from the Outer World to excavate, a matter the Immortal Road people were fixated on.
Qin Ming opened the second letter, his expression changed instantly, standing up abruptly, rarely could he not maintain composure.
Because the letter was signed by his grandfather, and also mentioned his parents whom he had no impression of.
This unexpected letter disturbed his thoughts.