The Diamond Sect's ancestor immediately became vigilant and stared fixedly at the old man outside.
The old man shouted.
"Benefactor!"
This address was filled with rich emotions.
His expression was one of excitement, and he was trembling all over. Tears welled up in his eyes, and his whole being was clearly engulfed by intense emotions.
"I've been looking for you for a long, long time!"
"I'll always remember your kindness in saving my life back then. I just regret that I was immersed in my cultivation at that time, and when I woke up, you had already departed, old master."
"You didn't even charge me a single cent for the consultation fees and medicinal pills!"
The old man's voice was trembling as he suppressed the trepidation and horror in his heart. He braced himself and trembled as he took a few steps forward, arriving more than 100 feet away from Xu Qing's apothecary.
"I felt guilty about that, so I've been searching for you. Heaven must have been moved by my sincerity, and today, I finally had the chance to see you, old master."
The old man wiped the corners of his eyes and bowed solemnly to the expressionless Xu Qing!
When he lifted his head, the old man looked at Xu Qing with a pleading expression.
"This time, please give me a chance to repay you. You must accept the big gift I prepared for you."
The old man endured his heartache and quickly took out his three storage bags, lifting them with both hands.
Chen Fanzhuo looked at all of this and felt confused. He could sense the sincerity and excitement of this old man who was aggressive just now.
This was especially so when he noticed that the other party only had three storage bags. Now, in order to repay the kindness, he actually gave them all away.
This scene moved him but at the same time, he also felt that it was incomparably strange. Hence, he instinctively followed the old man's gaze and looked at the apothecary's Master behind him.
In the apothecary, Xu Qing played with the transparent pill bottle in his hand and coldly glanced at the trembling old man. The words of the Diamond Sect's ancestor quickly echoed in his heart.
"Master, this person is deceitful and cunning. One look and you can tell that he's not a good guy. Usually, such a character in the book is someone who has rebellious thoughts. He's different from me."
Xu Qing didn't bother with the Diamond Sect's ancestor and walked out of the apothecary.
Xu Qing saw this old man's little tricks clearly. These little tricks might be effective on others but they were useless against him.
Back then, this person had escaped. Since he had encountered him today, Xu Qing didn't plan to let him off. The Diamond Sect's ancestor also sensed the killing intent in Xu Qing's heart and accumulated strength, waiting for Xu Qing to give the order to attack.
As Xu Qing walked over, a tremendous pressure enveloped the old man's heart. Sweat appeared on his forehead and his heart churned when he saw the coldness in Xu Qing's eyes.
Seeing that his method was ineffective, he glanced at Chen Fanzhuo anxiously. After that, he gritted his teeth fiercely and suddenly spoke loudly.
"Benefactor, your kindness to me, Li Youfei, is greater than the heavens. Today, please accept my token of gratitude!"
When Chen Fanzhuo heard the name Li Youfei, he felt that it was a little familiar and recalled.
Seeing this, the old man became even more anxious. He wondered if this fellow wasn't a local. Why hadn't he remembered!
Hence, he spoke loudly again.
"I, Li Youfei, have spent 120 years in the Bitter Life Mountain Range, a life filled with hardships. Through all the struggles, I have come to understand the importance of gratitude. Benefactor, the day you left, I…"
When the old man said this, Chen Fanzhuo's heart suddenly stirred. He recalled this name and his eyes widened as he cried out involuntarily.
"You are the Bitter Life Immortal, Senior Li Youfei!"
Chen Fanzhuo's expression changed.
"Twenty-three years ago, you, Senior Immortal Li Youfei, saved countless mortal infants by destroying the infamous Qilin Blood Sect, who practiced alchemy using the blood of newborns, in a single night in the Bitter Life Mountain Range. Your actions have been legendary in the Bitter Life Mountain Range, and you are hailed as the Bitter Life Immortal."
"More than forty years ago, the Blood Worship Clan, notorious for its heinous acts of plunder, rape, and terrorizing several earth cities, was reportedly killed by poison in three days. Legend has it that it was the work of the Bitter Life Immortal, Li Youfei."
"Also, in the past sixty years, every time there were natural disasters or man-made calamities, the mortals who were suffering in the various cities would be given food. It's said that it was also done by Li Youfei!"
"Most recently, just a few months ago, numerous rogue cultivators who were trying to gain the status of divine slaves by secretly aligning with the Red Moon Shrine died one after another. Rumor has it…"
Chen Fanzhuo's breathing was hurried. He looked at the old man in front of him and his heart trembled. Over the years in the Bitter Life Mountain Range, he had heard many legends, including many about Li Youfei.
The legend said that this person was a complex character, displaying both heroic and villainous qualities, but overall, the heroic side prevailed.
"Senior, regarding the cave abode, it's junior's fault. Junior will return all the items. Senior, please forgive me."
Chen Fanzhuo took a deep breath and bowed deeply to the old man.
He seemed excited, and it's possible that in a place like the Bitter Life Mountain Range where surviving and having a small influence are exceptional feats, he naturally noticed some clues between the old man and the master.
However, regardless of whether the other party was real or fake, he felt that this was an opportunity to successfully resolve his crisis.
The old man, upon hearing this, finally breathed a sigh of relief. He was indeed Li Youfei, but in his day-to-day life, he often used tethered bodies with different appearances and remained hidden while conducting his affairs outside.
Right now, he had no choice. In this life-and-death crisis, he wanted to let the old monster know that he… had value in surviving.
He understood that people who chose to join the Moon Rebel Hall usually had their own grievances, and he wanted to tell Xu Qing that he was no exception.
Although he hadn't passed the assessment of the Moon Rebel Hall and was still short of a divine slave sacrifice, he had been using his own methods to do similar things all these years.
This was indeed the case.
At the thought of this, the old man looked at Xu Qing with a pleading gaze.
Xu Qing stopped in his tracks and his gaze landed on the old man. He didn't speak.
His silence caused the old man's heart to tremble with oppression.
After a long time, Xu Qing lifted his right hand and grabbed. Immediately, the three storage bags in front of the old man flew over. After holding them, Xu Qing turned and walked toward the apothecary.
As Xu Qing left, the pressure on the old man instantly dissipated. That feeling of surviving a calamity caused the old man to take a deep breath. He looked at Xu Qing's back view and lowered his head to solemnly bow before turning to leave rapidly.
However, he didn't notice that in the shadow behind him, an eye opened slightly before quickly hiding.
Xu Qing didn't kill Li Youfei for the time being, but he planted a shadow eye on him to observe. If the other party was really as Chen Fanzhuo had said, it wasn't impossible for him to let him off.
However, if he was a fake or if there was malice, then no matter how many things this person accomplished, there was no chance of survival. The shadow would control his body and make him devour himself.
The sky was dim, devoid of clouds, and as Chen Fanzhuo gazed at everything, his reverence for Xu Qing reached its peak.
He was very grateful for his previous respect, and now, with even more humility, he bowed towards the apothecary before stepping back and leaving.
In the apothecary, Ling'er blinked and looked at the storage bags in Xu Qing's hand.
Xu Qing could already sense the money-grubber personality displayed by Ling'er after the apothecary was opened. So, he smiled and let his consciousness merge into the storage bags. After checking that there was no danger, he handed them to Ling'er.
Ling'er cheered. She took them and hurriedly checked. As though she was opening a wish box, she took out one item after another with anticipation. Her small face was filled with joy and happiness.
Xu Qing watched from the side for a while before returning to the back room with a smile. He then sat down cross-legged and took out a mirror, merging it into it before continuing to bombard the path.
Three days passed.
On the morning of the fourth day, Xu Qing stood at the end of the beam of light from the Moon Rebel Hall. Excitement and anticipation rose in his heart.
"After more than a month, I'm finally going to complete this third test!"
"It's too difficult."
Xu Qing sighed with emotion. He clenched his right hand into a fist and punched forward with all his might. Amidst cracking sounds, he opened up the last ten feet of the path.
The instant it was opened, an intense light flickered in front of him and enveloped him. He took a step forward, as if walking across a layer of icy water, and when he appeared, he was inside an ancient temple.
This temple wasn't big, about 100 feet square. The lighting was dim, and there were no offerings present except for an altar.
Xu Qing's location was on this altar.
However, it wasn't his original appearance but a statue.
This statue wore a long robe and had the appearance of an old man. He had a dignified expression and a long beard that reached his chest. He had a sage-like appearance and a huge gourd on his back.
He gave off a faint divine intent.
After Xu Qing checked the appearance of his statue, he spread out his perception. However, he quickly discovered that his divine consciousness couldn't penetrate the surrounding walls and could only spread within the temple. After confirming that there were no other auras here, Xu Qing lifted his hand.
His stone-carved hand had a dark hue, as if it had been painted with colors that had faded over time, leaving behind a mottled appearance. The surface of the hand also bore some cracks, varying in depth.
Xu Qing put down his hand and swept his gaze across the surroundings.
"This is the Moon Rebel Hall?"
Xu Qing fell silent. He didn't know why he had become a statue but he could sense that this statue contained the power of life. However, it didn't belong to him. It was more like an armor bestowed by this place after he entered.
"In other words, there was a statue here to begin with? After I entered, I appeared inside the statue?"
After pondering for a moment, Xu Qing tried to move.
As the altar trembled and dust scattered, Xu Qing controlled his statue body and slowly walked down. He felt that his body wasn't agile.
He moved around for a while more. After exploring this small temple again, he became a little more familiar with this layer of statue armor. At the same time, he also discovered that cultivation was meaningless here and couldn't be released. The statue isolated everything.
If one wanted to move here, they could only rely on controlling the statue's body to move forward.
However, the storage bag could be opened.
He then looked up at the door of the temple. The door, once crimson red, had now weathered and cracked over time, its color fading significantly.
"Beyond the door is the Moon Rebel Hall, right?"
Xu Qing's gaze was filled with anticipation as he controlled the statue to walk forward.
After taking a few steps, he arrived beside the door. He stood there and took a deep breath before pushing forward forcefully.
However, the instant his hand touched the temple's door, a sudden change occurred!
At the same time, at the edge of the green sand desert outside the Bitter Life Mountain Range, in the green sandstorm, a colorful light was speeding forward.
This beam of light's speed was extraordinary. It would occasionally blink and teleport to an even further place, constantly advancing faster.
The dangers in the desert didn't seem to be much to it. As long as it was fast enough, it could ignore everything.
However, occasionally, this beam of light would pause in mid-air as though it was searching for a direction. If one were to look at it at this moment, they would be able to clearly see that it was the parrot among Wu Jianwu's descendants.
Every time the parrot stopped, its nose would twitch a few times. Its head would sway left and right as it searched. At that moment, in the sky far away from the Bitter Life Mountain Range, its eyes lit up.
"I am amazing. I've finally found it!"
"If my father was here, he would definitely recite a poem. As the smartest among my father's many descendants, I'll recite a poem on behalf of my father now."
"Once the parrot was born, what's so special about father? Quickly call for father, I am here"
The parrot proudly spoke, with only the regret in its heart that there was no one by its side to applaud its talented poetry.
* * *
