Chapter 596: Ancient Years of Glorious Past

The old man’s face was filled with indignation and grief, his words revealing deep, suppressed frustration. He was fine until he opened his mouth; then he talked endlessly. Eventually, he no longer needed the captain to make exclamations of surprise; he simply vented the depression in his heart, speaking voluminously until, after a long time, he finally finished complaining. He let out a long sigh, as if a great deal of his inner压抑 had been released.

The captain’s eyes showed sympathy. “You’re quite unlucky then. Did you find out who did it?”

“I’ve been recalling my enemies recently and have narrowed it down to three, especially that Crippled Tian. I suspect he’s almost certainly the one who arranged it.” The old man clenched his teeth, his eyes showing determination. He then took out two storage bags, handed them to the captain, and looked at Xu Qing. “Our meeting is fate. I know you two fellow daoists are extraordinary. I understand the rules and won’t speak much outside. This small token is just a gesture of respect; let’s be friends.”

The captain laughed heartily, reaching out to take the storage bags. His spiritual sense swept over them, revealing many good items inside. His smile became radiant and he spoke warmly, “We’re already good friends! Remember to light an incense stick in front of my temple later.”

“Absolutely!” the old man said solemnly, then clasped his fists towards Xu Qing in farewell and departed.

Watching the old man’s retreating back, the captain weighed the storage bags in his hand, feeling very satisfied. As for the scene of the Red Moon Temple cultivators losing their minds that the old man witnessed, which might pose a risk of exposure, the captain wasn’t too worried. After all, the divine entity was there. Thinking of this, the captain winked at Xu Qing and whispered, “Little A-Qing, should I keep taking on missions? This is too convenient.”

“If you don’t want to spit blood all the way back to the Bitter Life Mountain Range, I advise you not to continue,” Xu Qing replied calmly, shaking his head. Having interacted with the Prince and the divine entity, Xu Qing had some understanding of the latter. His impression was that the entity held no true concepts of good or evil. Unless there was a significant plan involved, whether or not it intervened in other matters, and how it intervened, depended entirely on the Prince’s mood. Just because it helped this time didn’t mean it would do so again.

The captain felt a hint of regret, but remembering how he had spat blood just from a glance by that entity on the Sacrificial Yin Long River, he decided it was better not to risk it. Even if he had a lot of blood. “No choice, I’m too weak in this life,” the captain sighed inwardly. Then, scenes from the old man’s earlier complaints flashed in his mind, and he glanced at Xu Qing, adopting a knowing smirk as if he’d guessed everything. “Little A-Qing, that poison, you put it there, didn’t you?” He watched Xu Qing’s expression closely after speaking.

Xu Qing looked into the captain’s eyes and seriously said, “That’s right, I did it. I sold it to him.”

The captain was startled and pressed, “You also entered the Inverse Moon Temple?” This was what he cared about most.

Xu Qing continued with a serious expression, nodding. “I entered long ago. To be honest, I am Master Dan Jiu, your closest friend.”

The captain had initially been surprised and suspicious, but upon hearing this, he couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “You almost fooled me, Little A-Qing! You’re getting good, but you’re still too green. I know that serious expression of yours; every time you use it, it’s a lie. You’re still not good enough at bragging; I’ll teach you later.”

Xu Qing blinked, said nothing, and walked forward. The captain quickly followed behind him, unable to resist speaking. “Little A-Qing, was what you just said true?”

“It was,” Xu Qing replied calmly.

“Then give me an Adversity-Dispelling Pill to prove you’re my closest friend,” the captain said, looking at Xu Qing’s eyes.

“None left,” Xu Qing shook his head. He hadn’t refined pills on Li Youfei recently, so he indeed had no Adversity-Dispelling Pills at the moment.

Hearing this, the captain laughed again. “What a coincidence that they’re all gone! I knew you were bragging, Little A-Qing. Alright, alright, you are who you are.” After saying that, he began counting the items in the storage bags. After splitting the spoils with Xu Qing, the two walked out of the grotto where the altar was located and returned to the great sun.

Returning with them were the Red Moon Temple cultivators from outside and the gigantic blood-red eye. The unconscious temple cultivators, including the divine envoy, had all been moved there and lay scattered around. Watching this, Ning Yan, Wu Jianwu, and Li Youfei felt an increasing awe towards the Prince, while also instinctively feeling a sense of security. As the artificial sun shone, the group left the White Cloud Mountains and proceeded towards the Bitter Life Mountain Range.

The captain’s judgment was correct; the old man who had fought the poison for over two months had indeed had his perception altered. As he sped through the mountains, a different story had already formed in his mind. This new story was identical to what he had experienced, except it no longer included the Red Moon Temple.

Meanwhile, inside the sun, the captain, who was extremely satisfied with this latest haul, was pondering the truthfulness of Xu Qing’s words when a sudden action by the Prince made his heart leap into his throat. The Prince, in the form of the divine entity, held an eyeball in his hand, toying with it, sometimes squeezing it. The captain’s expression changed repeatedly as he watched.

Xu Qing also looked over. He had previously wondered about the origin of the gigantic heart where the Red Moon Temple in the Heavenly Fire Sea was located. Connecting that to the blood-red eye of the Red Moon Temple in the White Cloud Mountains and the captain’s expression, he felt a sudden realization.

“Xu Qing,” the Prince spoke calmly, “Do you know why the Red Moon Temple always manifests on various organs when it appears?”

Xu Qing shook his head.

The Prince smiled, his eyes holding deep meaning as he looked at the captain. “Er Niu, do you know?”

“Grandfather, I don’t know!” No sooner had the captain finished speaking than he saw the Prince’s two fingers press hard on the eye, nearly flattening it. His expression immediately sobered, and he said solemnly, “Grandfather, I remember now!”

“Oh?” the Prince said, smiling faintly.

Xu Qing’s gaze also fell on the captain, while Ning Yan and the others quickly looked over as well.

The captain took a deep breath, his expression grave. “I once read in some historical records that there was a truly extraordinary, dashing, and immensely heroic peerless prodigy. He was compassionate, caring for all beings, and seeing the suffering of all creation. Though he could have remained aloof, he ultimately chose with firm resolve. For the light in his heart, for the justice of his soul, for the future of all things, and to rescue all beings from dire straits, he bravely chose to fight the Crimson Mother on the Plain of Gods. That battle shook the entire Wanggu world, causing the starry sky to tremble and heaven and earth to wail. This extraordinary, supremely courageous, and righteous great prodigy fought the exceedingly evil Crimson Mother for three hundred years! For those three hundred years, the heavens changed color, winds reversed course, and the immense fluctuations spread throughout the entire starry sky. Countless deities were moved, and countless beings prayed for him. But heaven envied his talent; his teammates chose to betray him at a crucial moment. The great prodigy ultimately failed with deep regret, but he still managed to bite off a piece of the Crimson Mother’s flesh!”

The captain sighed, full of emotion. “The Crimson Mother hated him intensely and ordered his magnificent and handsome body to be torn into pieces. That’s why the Red Moon Temple later manifests with various organs when it appears.”

Ning Yan’s mind reeled, Wu Jianwu’s eyes widened, as did Li Youfei’s. They felt that the captain’s words contained far too many adjectives, especially those describing appearance and demeanor. Xu Qing remained silent, thinking of the kidney he obtained from the Mud Fox. As for the captain’s story, he believed the latter part, but the claims of a three-hundred-year battle and other exaggerated adjectives were completely unbelievable to him.

“Of course,” the captain continued, “this great being was not without wisdom, so before setting out to find the Crimson Mother, he cut off one of his own ears, leaving it behind as a symbol of hope for all beings.” The captain coughed and winked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing’s mind conjured the image of the captain’s previous life in the Celestial Ox Mountain Range. As he pondered, the Prince’s voice drifted over calmly. “Is that so? I’ve also heard a version of this story, but it doesn’t seem to be the one you described,” the Prince said faintly. “It seems there was once a bold and audacious individual who coveted the Crimson Mother’s flesh. He arrived from an outer domain and lay in wait here. This person possessed some ability, somehow managed to deceive the temple, and even ascended to the position of the Red Moon Grand Ritual Dancer. Furthermore, he colluded with an outer god and transformed himself into a mosquito. Taking advantage of one of the Crimson Mother’s slumbers, this individual, using illusionary transformation techniques and with the help of an outer god, entered reality through the Crimson Mother’s dream and bit her. However, before he could even absorb the divine blood, the Crimson Mother swatted him, tearing him into pieces. The temple also bore the brunt of the Crimson Mother’s wrath, and ultimately, the Divine Son ordered that all of this individual’s organs and limbs be suppressed, compelling them to carry the temple forward for generations, like a mount.”

The Prince’s voice was calm, echoing within the sun. Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu immediately looked strange, as did Li Youfei, who took a deep breath. However, he realized he could now adapt to these people’s rhythm. After all, he had been interacting with living divine entities for so long; a mosquito that bit the Crimson Mother wasn’t such a big deal. Xu Qing glanced at the captain. Compared to the captain’s previous account, he felt the Prince’s version was more in line with the captain’s character.

The captain chuckled sheepishly and quickly changed the subject. “Little A-Qing, we’ll reach the Bitter Life Mountain Range in half a month at most. How’s the pharmacy you opened there? Have you given it a name? Do you need me to name it for you? Like ‘Green Ox Pharmacy’ or ‘Ox-Ox Pharmacy’?”

Xu Qing ignored him, knowing that the captain just needed someone to respond to diffuse the awkwardness. Although he didn’t reply, Ling’er wasn’t having it. “No need! We already have a name! It’s called Qing Ling Hall!” Ling’er hadn’t dared to show herself recently, fearing the Prince, but seeing the captain trying to hijack the naming of her and Xu Qing’s place, she no longer cared about caution and quickly came out to stop him.

“Qing Ling Hall,” the captain repeated, feeling joy in his heart. He quickly asked, “That name’s alright. How’s the pharmacy business?”

“Business is great!” Ling’er declared proudly. “In the small town, our place is number one. We have hundreds of customers every day!”

“That amazing? Is the pharmacy big?” The captain immediately feigned astonishment and inquired in detail.

“Very big!”

As Ling’er continued to speak, a picture of a pharmacy like a secluded paradise appeared in the minds of Ning Yan and Wu Jianwu. The Prince also listened with a smile. Time passed in this manner, as the sun, hidden between heaven and earth, steadily approached the Bitter Life Mountain Range. When they were still five days away, Ling’er’s beautifully described little pharmacy in the fortified city of the Bitter Life Mountain Range suddenly collapsed!