Bab 236: Questioning the Sea
The two men moved their feet.
Zhen Hu entered the house, giving another glance at the row of cultivators hanging by the door, his brows deeply furrowed. He felt that Chen Xia was always ahead of the curve in everything.
He steadied himself and spoke to Chen Xia telepathically, "The gathering of ten thousand sects has been moved up. It starts in ten years."
Chen Xia lightly kicked up the overturned stool with his toe and sat down, asking, "Why the sudden change?"
"Triumph Mountain and some major sects proposed it." Zhen Hu explained, glancing at Chen Xia again before continuing, "You need to be careful. I think this might be aimed at you."
"I can see that," Chen Xia nodded, propping his head with one hand, then changed the subject, "Have you prepared the ingredients for refining the Great Dao Reincarnation Pill?"
"Should be about ready. By then..." Zhen Hu replied.
"Don't give me 'should be'," Chen Xia interrupted directly, "This is the only matter. I need a definite answer, and no mistakes."
Zhen Hu was taken aback; he had never heard Chen Xia use such a serious tone. He immediately nodded, "Alright, alright, I'll make sure everything is handled properly."
Chen Xia nodded, then asked, "In ten years, we meet at the Starry Sky Alchemy Sect, right?"
"No need. I'll have Bai Jie come to pick you up then," Zhen Hu replied, adding telepathically, "Be cautious. If Triumph Mountain collaborates with other sects to trouble you, it could get complicated."
"Understood," Chen Xia nodded, a hint of impatience flickering in his eyes—not because of Zhen Hu, but due to the potential trouble mentioned.
With nothing more to say, Zhen Hu stood up to take his leave.
"Ao!"
A sudden howl echoed.
Zhen Hu turned around to see the big yellow dog convulsing.
"Don't worry, it's just doing exercises, a bit too excited," Chen Xia explained.
Zhen Hu pursed his lips, finding this art form beyond his comprehension. He forced a smile, "I'll take my leave now."
Chen Xia gave a light nod, not offering any words of retention, only saying, "Goodbye."
As Zhen Hu stepped out of the door, the row of cultivators started bidding him farewell enthusiastically.
"Master Zhen, walk slowly, do come back often."
"Master Zhen, goodbye. I won't send you far. May your blessings be as vast as the sea, your life as long as the mountains, and may you never die."
"..."
Zhen Hu couldn't hold back his laughter and quickly left without looking back.
Chen Xia tilted his head, took out a book on alchemy, and began to read carefully.
Zhang Daoming walked out of the house, hands behind his back, his aged face creased with wrinkles, and asked, "Was that Zhen Hu?"
"Yeah," Chen Xia nodded, "Do you know him?"
"I recognize him, though he doesn't know me. When I was young, Zhen Hu was already the successor of the Starry Sky Alchemy Sect, at the Sea Inversion realm. With his mastery of lightning spells, he made a name for himself, and his talent could rank among the top twenty in the Inner Realm."
"Not the absolute peak, but still formidable. Even in the Azure Heaven Sword Sea, he could probably become a Grand Elder, just not as good as those supreme breeds at the Heaven Mending realm."
Zhang Daoming reminisced, a smile on his lips, and continued,
"It's funny, when I was young, I saw people like Zhen Hu as my rivals, always thinking about how I would compete with them in the future."
"After growing up, I realized I was nothing compared to them; they wouldn't even look at me twice."
"It's okay, at least you dreamed about it," Chen Xia consoled.
"You're right," Zhang Daoming laughed heartily, actually comforted by these words.
He turned to look at the row of cultivators on the wall, "When do you plan to let them go?"
"Hang them for a few more years, then take them with me," Chen Xia said.
"They're quite noisy every day," Zhang Daoming shook his head, "Just chatting about trivial things like Lady Li's pink belly band or the most well-endowed senior sister from Door Fan Sect..."
Chen Xia glanced at him, "You really know how to catch the highlights."
Zhang Daoming shook his head, "They just keep talking about it."
"Hey, Zhang Brother, some wine!"
"Hey, Zhang Brother, your medicinal herbs are wilting. Do you want me to help fertilize them?"
The row of cultivators called out.
They were quite cheerful, partly because of Chen Xia's treatment.
Chen Xia had merely hung them up, not beating or scolding them. As he said, he let them watch all they wanted, occasionally even chatting with them.
But they were still afraid of Chen Xia.
Sometimes, Chen Xia's gaze would turn indifferent, or even emit a faintly sinister aura.
Whenever this happened, the row of cultivators would feel terrified, as if being watched by a ruthless demon.
Yet oddly enough, Chen Xia wasn't that kind of person.
They couldn't understand it and didn't dare to think too much about it because thinking about it made them scared.
Fortunately, whenever this sinister aura appeared, Chen Xia would slap himself on the head, calling it physical therapy.
It seemed to work quite well.
Zhang Daoming went to water his medicinal fields, pausing momentarily as he turned, speaking softly with an aged voice,
"You've been tired lately. Get more rest. This isn't like you."
Chen Xia's body trembled slightly, putting down the alchemy book and nodding lightly.
"Yeah."
He was indeed not quite normal.
———
At the Small Alchemy Hall in the past.
A woman in white faced the vast ocean, her expression unchanging. She lifted her foot and walked straight into the sea.
Four hundred years had passed.
She was at the Mountain Moving realm, yet she wished to cross the sea.
Without hesitation, her dress soaked in water as she walked into the sea.
Waves surged from afar, seemingly ready to engulf her tiny figure.
Suddenly, a figure called out from further away.
The elderly patriarch of the Small Alchemy Hall anxiously shouted, "Lady, are you truly abandoning the Small Alchemy Hall?!"
Half of the white-clad figure was already in the sea, slowly turning around. Her emerald eyes reflected the sunset, casting a hazy glow. Without speaking, her voice sounded in the air,
"Four hundred years ago, he told me to ask the sea. Now I've decided, I will find out the answers."
"But... but the Small Alchemy Hall cannot do without you!" the patriarch cried.
"No one is irreplaceable," Qiu replied calmly.
The seawater had submerged most of her body.
"Will you return? The Small Alchemy Hall will wait for you forever!" the patriarch knelt on the ground, sobbing.
Qiu shook her head, her expression calm.
"There's no need to wait for me. I'm going to ask the sea."
With that final word, she sank beneath the waves.
The twilight illuminated the sea surface.
Empty.
No one had ever come, and no one knew who would leave.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone