flstandardbreds Chapter 119 No Goodbye (2)
Chapter 119 No Goodbye (2)
After explaining the general plan to Yae no Miko, Gensei left Narukami Taisha and returned to his room in the castle tower, the jade pendant in his hand emitting a fluorescent glow…
He looked into the distance and saw Kujo Sara rushing over, followed closely by Traveller and Paimon. He could also hear sounds of resistance and fighting coming from downstairs.
"They really are a bunch of kids. They should have kept some backup plans before making preparations... Oh well, youthful vigor is a good thing." Xuan Qing didn't notice that he said this with a smile and appreciation.
He instinctively glanced at the empty seat next to him, paused for a moment, but quickly looked away…
"Ah Yue, don't be afraid..."
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Following the general direction given by Zhongli, Xuan Yue flew and soon saw a village. In order not to frighten the people nearby, he found an alley to settle down in advance.
"So this is Qingce Manor. I haven't been here since the great battle. No wonder it looked so familiar..."
The rubble that was once scattered has been paved into a forest path, and the large pit that was once dug out is now filled with clear water, turning the spinning wheels. Neighborhood children playfully fight each other, and some play in the spring, frolicking barefoot in the water.
Rows of green bamboo stand on both sides, and sunlight filters through the leaves onto the stone-paved path, creating a unique and charming scene…
He also stepped onto the forest path and slowly walked towards the mountaintop, wanting to soak up the warm atmosphere.
But time always flies, and he finally arrived at the mountaintop pavilion that Zhongli had mentioned. There were several rows of bookshelves there, all filled with books. According to Zhongli, his next task was to find an old woman named Ruoxin.
"Grandma? Let's ask that one." Xuan Yue's gaze fell upon an old woman sweeping dust from books, so she asked, "Excuse me... are you Grandma Ruoxin?"
"...Yes...yes, it's me. Young man, have you run into some trouble?" Granny Ruoxin asked with concern as she looked Xuan Yue up and down.
"No, it's not a bother. I just wanted to ask you if you have any ancient books from 500 years ago. I'd like to borrow them to take a look. I'll be right back in a bit." Xuan Yue's tone was somewhat urgent, fearing that the old woman wouldn't lend them to him.
"Oh, you're here to borrow a book. Young man, don't be in such a hurry. What kind of information are you looking for? About the Emperor?"
"No, it's about Lord Tianjun, so I came here specifically to look for him."
“Oh… Your Majesty the Heavenly Lord,” the old woman said in a meaningful tone, then fell silent.
"Um... Granny, is there no book about the Heavenly Emperor?"
Grandma Ruoxin shook her head and said, "Young man... it's not that I don't know, but... sigh, don't blame this old woman for being nosy. I've been reading these ancient books for decades, and I know most of the allusions."
"Although there are fewer records about the Heavenly Emperor than about the Emperor, I can recite almost all the stories from the battle that made him famous to the events during his slumber. But upon closer inspection, I discovered a suspicious point..."
"A point of suspicion?" (Could this be a breakthrough?)
"Yes, the Heavenly Lord's fighting style in his early years was like... two different people. 'Clouds and dragons, wind and tigers all converge, Venus enters the moon and the enemy can be destroyed' was the Heavenly Lord's fighting style during the day; but when marching at night, people's answer at the time was 'Like a cold sliver piercing the back, a flash of white light and corpses littering the fields, blood staining the mountains and rivers, the corpses stretching for over a hundred miles, and then heads are taken.'"
"Hmm... you might not understand what I mean. It's just that during the day, the ruler prefers to lead troops, while at night he prefers to fight alone. Sigh... I really don't know if it's because I'm getting old, but I tend to overthink things..."
When Granny Ruoxin saw Xuan Yue standing there dumbfounded, she thought he hadn't understood, so she simplified the explanation a bit. But then she smiled self-deprecatingly and sighed at how time flies...
"Little one... snap out of it, come on. Didn't you want to borrow a book? I'll take you there."
Led by Grandma Ruoxin, they arrived at a row of bookshelves. Every book's pages were yellowed, a testament to their age.
"Take a look for yourself, see if you find the information you're looking for. Oh, by the way, be careful, these books are quite old..."
"Okay, thank you, Mother-in-law."
Watching Granny Ruoxin walk away, Xuan Yue picked up a book and began to search through it…
Granny Ruoxin was right. Perhaps because half of his soul is that of a Golden Crow, or perhaps it is the instinctive reaction of the Golden Profound, his combat strategy is more suited to group combat.
Xuan Qing, being inherently powerful, never hesitated to charge ahead to minimize casualties, regardless of his own safety. Each time, Morax was so frightened that he would put a shield on Xuan Qing, but sometimes the shield wouldn't even be on before Xuan Qing vanished without a trace…
Recalling these events, Xuan Yue sighed and rubbed her forehead in exasperation: "Thinking back on it now, I'm still a little angry... But business is more important, let me see..."
Xuan Yue began flipping through the ancient books one by one, since he had the time now and might as well reminisce about the past...
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Inside the castle tower...
"I challenge you to a duel before the Emperor!" Sora's voice was exceptionally loud, silencing the castle tower for a moment.
Before General Thunder was their old adversary, the eighth seat of the "Fools" executive—a woman.
General Thunder nodded in agreement, signifying her consent to this life-or-death battle.
The woman was somewhat unwilling; she hadn't expected the traveler to come up with this method: "So, you even have this trick up your sleeve... You've also learned to exploit the 'rules' of this country? Did that merchant named Qingyue teach you?"
Clearly, she still doesn't know who Xuan Qing is...
"I admit, it's somewhat unexpected that we've been brought to an equal footing. But the loser... will die, you know? Have you thought this through?" It was a threat, a warning; she was very confident in her abilities.
Paimon was worried, but Kong looked firmly into the "woman's" eyes.
"Hehehe...then let me condescend to dance with you until the end of our lives."
Narukami Island's Overseas Territory
"Everyone, hold on tight!" Beidou took the helm of the sail, and her crew increased the speed of rowing. The ship also carried many soldiers of the resistance army, who were the main force preparing to launch a surprise attack on the island.
"Manyo, do you want to come along?" Goro, the rebel general, asked the wandering samurai beside him.
The white-haired, red-eyed boy clutched a God's Eye that had lost its luster. Upon hearing Goro's words, he nodded without hesitation: "Yes, of course."
"Good brother!" Goro was especially happy, which meant that their chances of winning had increased by another level.
"Alright, alright, let the soldiers rest a bit. We'll be going to the island soon." Wanye patted Goro on the shoulder, signaling him to be mindful of his appearance.
He turned his back and hung the dull Eye of God together with his own Eye of God.
(That strike might not be out of reach...)
There will always be creatures on earth... who dare to face the might of thunder...