Chapter 308: Saying a Piece of History

Listening to the war on the front lines, Xu Zhi remained calm, continuously refining his Dao heart. His goal for this journey was to achieve enlightenment of the Dao heart. Another seven or eight years passed; the war was raging, but it remained a stalemate.

However, Hurrenong and Liu Wenjian instilled fear in countless monarch emperors.

Liu Wenjian, especially, was the terrifying sect leader of Mount Shu and a mortal Heavenly Emperor. He had secretly assassinated over sixty monarch emperors and epic-level professionals from the demon-drug era, striking immense fear.

This single mortal Heavenly Emperor had influenced the entire war, causing widespread alarm.

But that was the front line; the rear was too peaceful now.

In Will City, the bar's reputation had gradually risen over the years. It had a peculiar rule: only fifty customers were allowed per day, and each had to share a life story or experience with the bar owner.

The rule was indeed strange.

Nevertheless, countless people flocked to it because the wine and dishes served there were simply too delicious.

Mohank's caravan also grew, becoming famous throughout Will City. This represented a burgeoning business opportunity for ordinary people; with most powerful individuals heading to the front lines, Mohank, a low-level professional, naturally seized the opportunity and flourished.

Mohank, a rough yet cheerful man, would occasionally stop to eat and chat with Xu Zhi, sharing various interesting anecdotes.

In earlier years, he was full of vigor, befriending nobles in various cities and opening trade routes. In subsequent years, he gradually climbed to the peak of power in nearby cities, no longer needing to curry favor with anyone. He enjoyed the adulation of many, along with beautiful women, power, and fine wine. Yet, he eventually began to complain, saying he wanted to retire because he had earned enough money, but his caravan had grown to three thousand people who depended on him for their livelihood.

"Once you're in this position, you realize you can't step down," he said. "There are too many ties, countless livelihoods depending on you. And once I retire, it might very well be my death."

Four more years passed, and Mohank died in a woman's bed, for though he was grand, his wealth led to indulgence. At the caravan's base camp, Hila's eyes were red, and the mournful cries of many men, women, and children echoed throughout.

Without Mohank's connections, the caravan quickly disbanded.

They split into four or five smaller caravans, vying for fame and profit. Hila, the freckled young girl from those days, was soon ostracized from the center of power and even pursued through streets and alleys.

Xu Zhi, brewing wine in the bar, sighed upon hearing the news in the city. He had witnessed the rise of that generous man, his enjoyment of prosperity, his gradual descent into power and sensual pleasures, and finally, his end.

Although Xu Zhi was accustomed to observing many such lives, his personal interaction and friendship with Mohank evoked a great deal of emotion.

"In a blink of an eye, another decade has passed," he thought.

"The path of the Dao is about the soul and the state of mind, but after over a decade of cultivation, I need a breakthrough opportunity. Perhaps I should go and get a good 'beating' from society. It doesn't matter if I get killed, anyway," Xu Zhi mused calmly.

He sat at the bar, polishing a wine glass, when suddenly his brows twitched, and he looked out the window.

"Eradicate them!"

In the alley, a group of assassins pursued rapidly.

Hila, still short, stout, and dark-skinned as she had been years ago, ran in a panic.

Three people collapsed with a crash.

Hila, with a horrified expression, turned her head back. When she looked up again, she saw striped columns with dark vine patterns on either side, framing a round arched doorway with the words "Phoebe's Bar" written above it.

Hila stepped inside, immediately collapsing to her knees, hitting her head against the floor until blood emerged. "Uncle Messiah," she pleaded, "can you help me kill those enemies who took our family's caravan?"

Hila had no talent for cultivating demon-drug fusion, so she had always remained an ordinary person.

The customers in the bar glanced sideways.

"I will not help you kill anyone," Xu Zhi said.

The surrounding customers began to sigh, some feeling regret.

The matter of Mohank was well known throughout the nearby cities; he had been the most powerful man. But everyone also knew that self-preservation was paramount, and Mohank's daughter had to die.

Hila's expression darkened, filled with immense sorrow. She understood her deep-seated vendetta but also knew that Uncle Messiah had no obligation whatsoever to help. Furthermore, the city's nobles included many powerful individuals, forming a formidable force.

And she had nothing to offer as payment; she was penniless.

She was plain-looking, with dark, rough skin from years of travel with the caravan. Her only source of pride was her ample figure, which far surpassed that of average women, attracting many men's ardent gazes on the street.

But in the face of death, none of that mattered.

Xu Zhi stood behind the bar, arranging teacups, and then spoke again, "However, I can let you work here. No one will harm you. And in the future, this bar might attract some unique individuals who could teach you, or even help you personally. If you seize the opportunity, you should be able to get your revenge."

"Teach me?"

"But I can't cultivate!"

"And help me personally?"

"Who would take on the most powerful forces in several nearby cities for an ordinary woman working in a bar?"

Hila stared blankly for a few seconds, completely bewildered.

"However, what I'm about to do next is very dangerous," Xu Zhi said with a smile. "If you stay here, you might also get beaten to death."

"I'm not afraid of danger!" Hila bit her lip and declared loudly. "My father deserved to die. He enjoyed himself enough, chasing women everywhere, but left behind a mess that only I can clean up."

"Hang this sign on the bar's entrance," Xu Zhi said, tossing out a wooden plaque. On it was written: "Knows things ancient and modern, tells a myth. Ancient Sumerian myths, tomorrow: the creation of heaven and earth."

"This should be enough to get me a good 'beating' from society, right?"

Xu Zhi's expression was very serious.

"Uncle, is this a new dish for the bar?" Hila took the sign, and as she read the words, her mind reeled.

He, he, he, he... was going to tell ancient Sumerian myths?

Ancient Sumerian myths! That was the ancient Sumerian civilization!

That was the origin of human civilization! The history of creation! No matter how many archaeologists researched and explored, no one knew that lost period of history! It was even said that not even the Origin Demon God Medusa or Emperor Ermin of the Underworld were clear about that ancient historical era; it was a blank tablet of history! And Uncle Messiah knew about it? What did that even mean?!

"Uncle... you, you, you, you!!!" Hila's mind went blank, her voice trembling, still displaying the same stuttering habit when nervous as she had years ago.

Hila screamed internally. She looked at the calm young man who continued mixing drinks.

Over a decade had passed. She had grown from that little girl, and her father had died of old age, yet he remained young, with no trace of time on him...

She had heard that many ancient monarch emperors had awakened from history...

Could it be that the person before her was...!

But he was the most ancient emperor of the Demon Drug Era, an existence from a thousand years ago. It couldn't be him, he couldn't have awakened...

The surrounding bar patrons were startled, their minds racing with conjectures.

"Uncle, you love delicious food and fine wine. Could you possibly be... the true Emperor Messiah from history, who presided over gardens and wine...?" Hila asked blankly, her chest heaving violently, unable to resist.

She knew it was impossible.

Even if he were truly Emperor Messiah, hiding here, he wouldn't admit it, especially not in front of countless customers in a bar. The moment the question left her lips, she realized her mistake...

I should have asked him secretly, in private! Then perhaps, if Uncle really were a monarch emperor, he might have admitted it...

But...

"Yes, it is me."

Xu Zhi nodded, still polishing the wine glass and looking at her.

Hila was dumbfounded. Her mind was utterly stunned. He admitted it immediately! He just outright admitted it!

Oh, my goodness! He didn't play by the rules at all; he wasn't like the reclusive masters in stories.

The surrounding customers' faces went blank, frozen in a daze.

Hila's eyes widened. Trembling, she flipped open the book about past monarch emperors, turning to the first page. Her fingers shook so much she could barely hold the page, and her breathing became shallow. "Uncle Messiah... Your Majesty, Emperor Messiah! The very first monarch emperor of the Demon Drug Era! Why didn't you say so sooner?!"

Xu Zhi continued turning to mix drinks, arranging bottles on the wine rack, without looking back. "Very early on, right after I came into existence, I encountered your father's caravan. I told you then, but your father didn't believe me."