Chapter 1298: I, Feng Rumo, Keep Gratitude and Resentment Clear

Wind Rises in Kyushu

"Do you have anything to eat?"

As Lu Ye's thoughts drifted, the old man's voice reached his ears. Lu Ye was momentarily taken aback. "What?"

He thought he had misheard. It made no sense for a powerful expert in the Sun-Gazing Realm to beg him for food. The old man looked like a beggar, but surely he wasn't really one.

"Do you have any food?" the old man reiterated.

Lu Ye heard him clearly this time, a speechless expression on his face. Though he didn't know the old man's intentions, he nodded and replied, "Yes, I do."

As he spoke, he took out a large piece of dried meat. His storage bag contained a good amount of such provisions, mainly because Amber used to need them, and he himself had a fondness for good food. However, ever since his cultivation had gradually improved, he rarely consumed these items.

The old man took it, chewed a few times, and swallowed it whole. Still unsatisfied, he demanded, "More!"

Lu Ye took out another large piece. The old man did the same, still asking for more, completely lacking the demeanor of a Sun-Gazing Realm expert.

Consequently, Lu Ye kept pulling out all sorts of edibles. Initially, it was readily consumable dried meat, but later it became raw beast meat, dripping with blood. The old man didn't mind whether it was cooked or raw; he just ate whatever meat was available, seemingly with a hearty appetite.

Lu Ye watched, worried sick that the man might get carried away and eat him too, which would be disastrous.

However, being in a precarious situation, he could only deal with it cautiously. Fortunately, Lu Ye hadn't sensed any malice from the old man. "That's all!"

A moment later, Lu Ye spread his hands. Although he had some beast meat left, it wasn't a vast amount, and with the old man consuming it so voraciously, it was quickly depleted.

The old man smacked his lips, brimming with boldness. "Bring out the wine!"

This time, Lu Ye was wiser. He pulled out all his hidden wine in one go.

It wasn't much, just a few dozen jars, leftovers from his last drink with his third and fourth senior brothers. The old man burst into hearty laughter. "You're a good lad! This old man likes you!"

After speaking, he unsealed a jar, puckered his lips, and sucked the entire jar of wine into his stomach. After drinking a dozen jars consecutively, the old man finally burped and patted his stomach, declaring, "Ah, satisfying!"

He carefully put away the remaining wine jars, apparently intending to enjoy them later.

Glancing at Lu Ye, who appeared calm but was actually vigilant, the old man chuckled. "Don't worry, lad. This old man never needlessly takes lives. You can ask around and find out."

Lu Ye couldn't help but grumble inwardly. He had just set foot in the starry sky, and hadn't even fully explored the vicinity of his own realm yet. Where was he supposed to inquire?

However, judging by the old man's words, this old fellow seemed quite famous in the starry sky. Against his true feelings, Lu Ye said, "This junior is not worried."

The old man smiled faintly. "Which realm do you come from?" "Nine Heavens Realm."

"Nine Heavens Realm..." The old man showed a contemplative expression, then quickly shook his head. "Never heard of it. Must be some backwater." Even though he had traveled the starry sky extensively and had vast experience, he couldn't claim to know every realm in the cosmos. But if he hadn't heard of a realm, it certainly wasn't a powerful major realm.

"It looks like you've just entered the Constellation Realm not long ago. Do you have any difficulties in your cultivation? If so, feel free to ask. This old man can give you some pointers!" the old man asked again.

Hearing this, Lu Ye immediately cast aside his reservations and asked about the key aspects of cultivation beyond the Constellation Realm.

Although he had glimpsed some information from the jade slips given by Xiao Jiu, the records weren't comprehensive enough, so he couldn't be sure his understanding was correct.

Yang Qing had left too quickly. While he was still around, Lu Ye hadn't thought to ask about these things, leaving him with no one to consult now.

This old man he encountered by chance in the starry sky was, surprisingly, a suitable person to ask.

The old man immediately began explaining the various aspects of Constellation Realm cultivation to Lu Ye. Lu Ye listened intently, comparing it with his previous understandings, and indeed found many errors and omissions.

These errors wouldn't cause problems with his cultivation; he would surely discover them himself as he progressed. However, it would undoubtedly waste a lot of time.

The old man seemed to have genuinely not spoken to anyone for a long time. Once he started, he talked endlessly, not only explaining the important considerations for Constellation Realm cultivation but also sharing a lot of miscellaneous information with Lu Ye.

And this was precisely what Lu Ye, or rather Kyushu, currently lacked.

After talking for half a day, the old man took a sip of wine and chuckled. "Your Nine Heavens Realm, it must have just been promoted to a major realm, right?"

"Senior has keen insight," Lu Ye nodded.

The old man said, "It's not that this old man has keen insight; it's simply common knowledge. Any realm with a Moon-Glimmer Realm master presiding over it would know these things. Since you, lad, don't, it's clear there's no Moon-Glimmer in your realm. Therefore, it must have recently been promoted to a major realm."

Lu Ye looked chagrined.

Just as he was about to ask for more advice, the old man suddenly said, "Time's almost up!" "Huh?" Lu Ye looked at him, bewildered.

The old man smiled slightly. "If you stay with this old man any longer, you'll likely face certain death!"

Lu Ye had no idea what he was talking about, only feeling that the old man seemed a bit eccentric.

The old man then scratched his ear and cheek. "I've eaten your meat and drunk your wine. I ought to give you something in return."

Lu Ye immediately stated, "Senior's teachings just now have already been a tremendous benefit to this junior. I dare not ask for more."

The old man said, "That won't do. I, Feng Rumuo, have always been fair and just. What I told you was merely common knowledge, not worth much. You kept this old man company and I ate and drank. How can I just let it go at that?"

Lu Ye honestly didn't want any favors from anyone. Encountering someone like this unexpectedly, even if he hadn't sensed any malice, a brief conversation was fine. But accepting something would create further entanglement. One never knew what was truly in another's heart; who knew what the man was planning?

Besides, the old man looked exactly like a beggar, even having to beg for food and drink. He probably didn't have anything good. Even if he did, it wasn't something a Constellation Realm cultivator like himself could handle.

Feng Rumuo frowned, lost in thought, muttering to himself, "What should I give you?" After a while, his eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it!"

As he spoke, he reached out and grabbed. By the time Lu Ye reacted, he was startled to find that his Pan Mountain Saber, which hung at his waist, was already in the old man's hand.

Lu Ye's expression immediately hardened, and his eyelids lowered slightly.

For a Weapon Cultivator, their weapon was an extension of their very life and was never to be casually taken by others. The old man taking the Pan Mountain Saber without a word was undoubtedly a breach of taboo.

But with such a disparity in strength between them, even if Lu Ye was furious, it was useless.

Feng Rumuo raised his hand and swiped it across the Pan Mountain Saber. Without knowing what he did, he casually tossed it back to Lu Ye. "I've sealed a secret art inside the saber. If you ever encounter someone you can't defeat, use that secret art against them. But you only get one chance, so make good use of it, lad!"

He spoke as if Lu Ye was sure to encounter enemies he couldn't defeat.

As he spoke, he pointed in a direction. "Fly that way. There's an opportunity there, but also danger. Weigh your options carefully before deciding whether to go."

Lu Ye suddenly understood. This was the favor Feng Rumuo was bestowing upon him, and the secret art sealed within the saber was likely for dealing with this opportunity.

Of course, he could choose not to go in that direction. If so, the benefit Feng Rumuo gave him would simply be the secret art sealed within the saber, which he could use against enemies later.

Either way, Lu Ye wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

Having only given Feng Rumuo some wine and meat, he had received such a great benefit, not to mention all the information the old man had shared earlier. For a moment, Lu Ye felt he had judged a gentleman with the heart of a small man.

Besides, with such a vast difference in their strength, if Feng Rumuo truly wished him ill, it would probably be as simple as lifting a finger. "Of course, the premise is that you survive! But I must warn you, the danger you're about to face cannot be overcome by using the secret art inside the saber, or disaster will surely strike."

"About to..."

Before Lu Ye could finish speaking, he heard Feng Rumuo's low roar, "Go!"

Immediately, a gentle force pushed him, and his body involuntarily moved away from the old man.

By the time Lu Ye regained his footing, Feng Rumuo had already flown an unknown distance away. The streaking light of the flying sword was still in relentless pursuit, looking as if it would chase him to the ends of the earth.

Lu Ye immediately understood the meaning of Feng Rumuo's last words, because from the bright sword light, a beam suddenly split off and shot towards him.

From a distance, Feng Rumuo's voice reached his ears: "Any living creature that comes into contact with this old man will be locked onto by this sword light. Lad, strive to survive. We'll meet again!"

The little goodwill Lu Ye had just developed for the old man vanished instantly. Indeed, strangers traversing the starry sky were rarely purely good people.

The old man's character wasn't inherently bad. Aside from detaining Lu Ye to chat for half a day and asking for some wine and meat, he hadn't done anything excessive; he didn't even rob Lu Ye of his spirit jade.

Finally, he had even sealed a secret art within Lu Ye's Pan Mountain Saber and pointed out the location of an opportunity.

However, knowing full well what Lu Ye would encounter, he still kept him by his side. This was clearly not something a good person would do.

Lu Ye also suddenly understood what Feng Rumuo had meant earlier by "time's almost up."

From the current situation, it seemed that any living creature in contact with Feng Rumuo would be locked onto by the sword light, and the longer the contact, the more powerful the split-off sword light would likely be.

Otherwise, Feng Rumuo wouldn't have let Lu Ye go so easily; he would have kept him around longer to talk more.

This eccentric old man was not a good person, but he wasn't truly a bad person either. Simply defining him as good or bad was clearly insufficient.

It wasn't just Feng Rumuo; in fact, most cultivators in the cultivation world were like this.

Lu Ye could only lament his bad luck. In the vast starry sky, this was the first time he encountered such a situation since leaving Kyushu.

Without time for further reflection, he raised his saber and thrust it forward, his spiritual power surging wildly, as specks of starlight descended and attacked the oncoming sword beam.