Ye Qiu reflected that if the golden light truly marked the emergence of the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance, the geniuses from the major forces would inevitably clash in fierce contention.
So much time had passed that those factions might already be locked in bloody combat, the ground soaked red.
Going now would allow them to pick over the remnants.
After uttering the words “Let us set off,” Ye Qiu strode ahead.
“Hmph, heartless little brat, forcing me to swallow impurities. Just you wait,” the Long-Browed Real Person muttered under his breath, then hurried after him.
They had not travelled far when they came upon a river.
“Old thing, that filth covering you nearly made me retch from the stench. Get in the river and wash it off,” Ye Qiu said, his face full of distaste.
“You know full well how foul impurities are, yet you stuffed so much into me. Utterly revolting.” Before the Long-Browed Real Person could finish, nausea rose again. He plunged headfirst into the water.
Two minutes later.
Freshly bathed, the Long-Browed Real Person shot out of the river, using true qi to dry his robes instantly. He felt invigorated throughout.
“Little brat, why are you staring at me like that?”
Noticing Ye Qiu’s fixed gaze, the Long-Browed Real Person clutched his chest with both hands and struck an exaggerated pose of alarm.
“Little brat, I warn you, harbour no improper designs upon this poor daoist.”
“This poor daoist is not some casual fellow.”
“Force yourself upon me, and I shall fight you to the death.”
Ye Qiu snapped irritably, “Stop talking rubbish. I have no interest in men.”
The Long-Browed Real Person retorted, “Nonsense! If you have no interest, then why keep staring?”
“Have you not noticed the changes in yourself?” Ye Qiu asked.
The Long-Browed Real Person paused. “Changes? What changes could I have? Do not tell me I have grown more handsome?”
“You have indeed grown more handsome,” Ye Qiu replied with complete seriousness.
“You must be joking. Bloody hell…” The Long-Browed Real Person suddenly let out a startled cry.
He discovered that his hands had somehow become smooth and fair, the fingers long and slender like those of a young maiden.
Glancing at his arms, he saw skin as flawless as jade, soft as an infant’s.
The Long-Browed Real Person swiftly drew a small bronze mirror from his sleeve, wiped away the disguise on his face, and peered into it.
“Good heavens!”
He shouted again, eyes bulging like bells, his face filled with disbelief.
The wrinkles had vanished. His skin glowed fair and rosy, delicate enough to break at a touch. Even the contours of his face had sharpened.
Moreover, those two long white eyebrows had turned completely black.
He appeared fifty years younger.
The Long-Browed Real Person stood dumbfounded.
“How can this be?”
It took him a long moment to recover. “Little brat, why has my body undergone such drastic changes?”
Ye Qiu answered, “All thanks to the effects of that Golden Sacred Tree fruit.”
The Long-Browed Real Person clicked his tongue in amazement. “I never imagined that an unripe fruit would not only grant me rebirth and vastly increase my strength, but also restore my youth.”
“What a pity. This poor daoist was too hasty.”
“Had I waited for it to ripen, its effects would surely have been far more astonishing.”
Ye Qiu snorted. “Only now do you realise you were greedy?”
“Though it is a little regrettable, this poor daoist has no regrets.” The Long-Browed Real Person savoured the sensation. “The feeling of youth is truly wonderful.” “By the way, little brat, my eyebrows are black now. Should I change my daoist title?”
“Perhaps Black-Browed Real Person from now on?”
Ye Qiu said, “What do eyebrow colour and your title have to do with each other?”
“If you insist on changing it, do not choose Black-Browed Real Person. It sounds dreadful.”
“Call yourself Black-Hearted Daoist instead.”
The Long-Browed Real Person shot Ye Qiu a glare.
“Enough jesting. Let us move on quickly.” With that, Ye Qiu strode forward.
The Long-Browed Real Person promptly swallowed a disguise pill, resuming the appearance of a servant, and followed.
As they walked, he remarked.
“Little brat, though we bear a grudge against the Yin-Yang Sect, I must say Qi Tian seems a decent fellow.”
“Especially towards you.”
“Killing him might be something of a waste, no?”
Ye Qiu asked, “Are you pleading on his behalf?”
“Not exactly.” The Long-Browed Real Person continued, “I simply think Qi Tian possesses fine cultivation and character, and he treats you well. If we could bring him to our side, you would gain a powerful ally.”
“Qi Tian is a supreme genius the Yin-Yang Sect sees only once in a millennium. With his talent, sainthood is within reach. Without you in the picture, he might even prove the Dao and become an emperor.”
“If we subdued him, his status and knowledge of the Yin-Yang Sect would make our future efforts against them twice as effective with half the effort.”
Ye Qiu cursed, “What a rotten notion. How do you even think of such things?”
“Why? Is this poor daoist’s idea unworkable?” the Long-Browed Real Person asked.
Ye Qiu replied, “Since you brought up Qi Tian’s status, have you considered that he is the disciple of the Infinite Heavenly Venerable, the sect’s foremost God Child, and the chosen successor to lead the Yin-Yang Sect?”
“How could someone like that ever submit to me?”
“As for him treating me well, that is only because he does not yet know my true identity.”
Ye Qiu continued, “Tell me, if Qi Tian discovered I am not Dragon Bodhisattva but Ye Changsheng, what would he do?”
The Long-Browed Real Person blurted out, “Need you ask? He would slaughter you on the spot!”
“Precisely. So why dwell on his kindness?” Ye Qiu added, “Still, you have a point. Though Qi Tian and I are enemies, from what we have seen he is indeed decent. Therefore, I intend to show him some mercy.”
The Long-Browed Real Person paused. “Little brat, what do you mean? You plan to spare him?”
Ye Qiu answered, “I can ensure he suffers less when he dies.”
The Long-Browed Real Person fell silent.
The pair pressed onward.
Before long, they stood before the towering mountain range.
Layer upon layer of peaks resembled drunken elders leaning against one another, slumbering for countless millions of years.
Now the golden light was ever closer.
“Little brat, something feels wrong.”
The Long-Browed Real Person observed, “If the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance had truly emerged, those geniuses would have started fighting long ago, given their temperaments. Yet I hear not the slightest sound.”
Ye Qiu also found it odd.
By all reason, those geniuses should already be locked in mortal combat, blood flowing like rivers.
With their high cultivation, any battle would produce tremendous noise.
Yet everything was eerily silent.
“Perhaps the golden light is not the Dragon Emperor’s inheritance after all. Whatever it is, we shall know once we see it.”
Following the trail of golden light, Ye Qiu led the Long-Browed Real Person through the mountains until, at last, they arrived before a distinctive peak.
