Chapter 0: Old Luo’s Beloved
After carefully confirming the latter part of the secret tome, it was finally much more reasonable. With a little more time, he would definitely be able to grasp it quickly. Qin Gou closed the scroll and returned it to the jade box labeled “Qin”.
They were still in the secret realm, and with Nine Saint Monarch’s unfettered thoughts, it was extremely difficult for ordinary people to fathom. This was definitely not a good place to cultivate with peace of mind.
“Little girl, can you help me find out where the other cultivators in this secret realm are?”
“But there are no longer situations in the secret realm where multiple cultivators are gathered together like that group just now.”
At this moment, Luo Cangming’s voice sounded. He looked sincerely at Little Black Wu Ti Yue and took out a jade pendant from his Nas, saying, “It’s okay, I’m mainly looking for the owner of this jade pendant.”
“Old Luo, who are you looking for?” Qin Gou asked, confused.
“A woman I trust the most among the cultivators I brought,” Luo Cangming said solemnly.
“A woman?” Qin Gou’s eyes flickered with surprise, as if he had thought of something.
“Since Miss Luo’s mother left, this is the first time I’ve sincerely admired a woman. Cough…” Luo Cangming scratched his head. At this moment, the old demon was uncharacteristically stuttering.
…
“Little Luo!”
“Fellow Daoist Ji.”
With the help of Wu Ti Yue’s olfactory talent, it was not difficult to accurately find someone in this small secret realm.
And at this moment, the woman Luo Cangming spoke of as his beloved was actually someone Qin Gou had already met when he was gathered with everyone outside the secret realm.
Her eyes were steady and she appeared extremely composed. Judging by her appearance, she was nearly fifty years old. She seemed to disdain using spiritual power to alter her appearance. Since she was a cultivator, her true age must have been much longer. However, compared to Old Luo, that world-stirring old demon, she could definitely still be considered a fresh and tender young girl.
But what truly surprised Qin Gou was the powerful aura she displayed. Before, outside the secret realm, this person must have used a marvelous treasure similar to Qin Gou’s “Desireless Bracelet” to conceal her cultivation. Now, without holding back, she revealed her genuine Dharma Aspect Realm might.
“Fellow Daoist Qin, let me tell you.”
At this time, Luo Cangming had the woman lean in and whisper in his ear. From their demeanor, it seemed they were already very familiar and close.
“Fellow Daoist Qin, my name is Ji Qianqiu.” Soon, Ji Qianqiu cupped his fists and saluted Qin Gou. “Little Luo has already told me that you seem to have encountered several Fire Crow Bi Fang Clan members with malicious intentions? To be frank, I am a cultivator from the Demon Subduing Pavilion.”
“A’Qin, this sect, the Demon Subduing Pavilion, like our Sword Questioning Sect, takes it upon themselves to protect the Human Race from beasts and demons. But during their most radical times, as long as any cultivator of the beast or demon race at the Dao Comprehension Realm or above dared to step into the Human Realm, they would show no mercy and eliminate them, regardless of the reason. Thus, they incurred public wrath, and even though this sect was extremely strong, it never managed to enter the ranks of the ten great sects,” Little Gambler said via sound transmission, knowing that Qin Gou had never cared about matters of cultivation sects.
Hearing this, Qin Gou’s expression became extremely strange. Did Ji Qianqiu know that the seemingly harmless little rascal beside her was once a powerful titan of the Demon Race!
Most importantly, Old Luo was actually smitten with this Aunt Ji from the Demon Subduing Pavilion. Could it be that he fell in love with the thrill of death like the wind and dancing on the tip of a knife?
“Cough, Fellow Daoist Ji, in my opinion, the Fire Crow Bi Fang who infiltrated this secret realm were only the three of them, including Yan Qiyang, and they have all been killed by us.” Qin Gou returned the salute with cupped fists.
“That’s right, Fellow Daoist Ji. The reason I’m telling you this news is simply to make you happy,” Luo Cangming said, and from some unknown time, he no longer lugubriously referred to himself as “this old man.”
“But it’s better to be safe than sorry. I will continue to investigate, because in my eyes, eradicating evil beasts and protecting our Human Race is more important than searching for treasures in this secret realm.” Ji Qianqiu’s eyes were firm, and then he looked at Luo Cangming with a helpless smile and said, “And Little Luo, how many times have I told you, don’t call me Fellow Daoist Ji anymore. With my age, I’m afraid even your parents would respectfully call me ‘elder’.”
“But as cultivators, why should we care about age? As long as this Dao Body of mine truly grows, even if I call you ‘Fellow Daoist Ji’, or even if I have the courage to think of becoming Dao Companions with Fellow Daoist Ji and seek immortality together, wouldn’t that be reasonable and heartwarming?” Luo Cangming spread his hands and said jokingly.
Ji Qianqiu, however, considered herself an elder who had seen many storms. Upon hearing Luo Cangming’s nonsense, she merely showed a gentle gaze as if looking at a child speaking without reservation, and chuckled, “Little Luo, you are always full of nonsense and endearingly foolish. If I have the chance to visit your elders in the future, I will teach them to properly discipline you.”
Ji Qianqiu seemed to truly regard Luo Cangming as a naive child. This was because the Dao Body that Qin Gou had found for Old Luo was very young to begin with, and not at all disguised with some secret technique to appear so tender.
Seeing this, Luo Cangming was amused and exasperated.
Qin Gou, standing beside them, also twitched his lips. Ji Qianqiu would never have imagined that she and Luo Cangming actually both felt the other was precocious and endearingly silly!
“By the way, I noticed that when Fellow Daoist Qin heard the name of my ‘Demon Subduing Pavilion,’ you seemed a bit surprised and fell silent for a moment. After thinking about it, I really do need to explain to Fellow Daoist Qin.”
Ji Qianqiu looked back at Qin Gou and said gently, “The Demon Subduing Pavilion, in our generation, is no longer as frenzied as it once was. And personally, because of two benefactors, I’ve deeply realized how wrong and grave the actions of our predecessors were!”
Saying this, Ji Qianqiu gently placed her hand on Luo Cangming’s shoulder and pursed her lips into a smile. “One of these benefactors is Little Luo. I am now considered a half-master to this child, and I understand him quite comprehensively. Not only has he never concealed his identity as a demon from me, but he is also more kind and humble than many humans, and he cares about all beings! We have always gotten along very well.”
“And the other benefactor was many years ago, when I was young and in despair, I was saved from the jaws of demons by an Abyss Mighty Figure single-handedly! That imposing figure, who pierced through all the gloom with a single spear, is something I still dare not forget. Isn’t that adult also a member of the Abyss? The reason he was willing to save a defenseless foreign girl like me from evil back then is the ultimate truth I have always pursued!”
As she spoke, Ji Qianqiu’s eyes were filled with unforgettable memories and yearnings.
Immediately after, a sound transmission from Luo Cangming to himself made Qin Gou’s scalp tingle.
“Coincidentally, the two benefactors that Qianqiu speaks of are actually one person – this old man!”
