novelraw Chapter 579: He Owes Me a Jug of Wine...
Chapter 579: He Owes Me a Jug of Wine...
The Tian Qing Boat swiftly sped all the way to the Siluo Bamboo Sea, located in the eastern region of Hancang Kingdom.
This is a vast sea of bamboo, with the air filled with the delicate fragrance of Xiangfei Bamboo.
The Siluo Bamboo Sea stretches for four million li. This entire domain is inhabited by the Ming Luo Tree Clan, with no outsiders residing here.
In ancient times, there were no bamboo forests growing here; originally, the native plants were snow pines.
However, countless years ago, after the last Ming Luo Tree Emperor disappeared, all the snow pines vanished, replaced by the countless growth of Xiangfei Bamboo on the ground.
The Ming Luo Clan declined over generations, yet the Xiangfei Bamboo remained evergreen through the ages, never withering.
And the Bamboo Hall, which always ignored the Ming Luo Clan’s decline, suddenly issued a strange order within the Siluo Bamboo Sea...
Upon reaching the outskirts of Siluo Bamboo Sea, Qingdai suddenly stopped the flying boat and put the Tian Qing Boat into her storage pouch.
Meanwhile, Ning Fan sensed a strong forbidden force in the skies above the Siluo Bamboo Sea...
This forbidden force seems to specifically target escape lights and the treasures and escape light of Void Fragmentation cultivators; it is extremely peculiar.
"Brother Lu, us Ming Luo Race members reside within this Siluo Bamboo Sea. In compliance with the Bamboo Hall’s orders, upon arriving at the Siluo Bamboo Sea, we cannot use the Tian Qing Boat, or else we’ll violate the hall rules."
"Did the Bamboo Hall set such hall rules?" Ning Fan was taken aback but then understood that this forbidden force spread across the long sky was likely set by the Bamboo Hall.
"Yes. After the last Ming Luo Tree Emperor disappeared, the Ming Luo Clan fell into decline, and Xiangfei Bamboo began to flourish in this area. Subsequently, the Bamboo Hall set up the forbidden force within the Siluo Bamboo Sea and issued three orders: no cultivator is allowed to use large escape treasures in this area; Void Fragmentation cultivators are not allowed to enter the Siluo Bamboo Sea; and except for the Ming Luo Clan, no cultivator is permitted to cut down Xiangfei Bamboo. Aren’t these three orders quite strange?" Qingdai grinned playfully.
"These three orders are indeed strange. It seems like protection for the Ming Luo Clan from the Bamboo Hall, yet it doesn’t..."
"Indeed, the Bamboo Hall has never protected our Ming Luo Clan. When our Ming Luo Clan was bullied by other clans, no one ever intervened... Xiangfei Bamboo is the divine bamboo of the Bamboo Hall; perhaps the Bamboo Hall just wants to protect this bamboo sea." Qingdai smiled carelessly.
The Tian Qing Boat was restricted by the forbidden force and couldn’t fly into the Siluo Bamboo Sea.
Among the three of them, Ning Fan was at the Void Inquiry Stage, Qingdai at the Void Glimpse Stage, unaffected by the forbidden force.
Teng Xianrou’s displayed cultivation was Void Inquiry, but her true cultivation was at the First Heavenly Layer of the Void Fragmentation Realm; she was restricted by this forbidden force, unable to fly into the Siluo Bamboo Sea...
"Lu Bei, I can’t fly inside..." She furrowed her brows, whispering to Ning Fan.
If she wanted to enter the Siluo Bamboo Sea, she would have to walk through four million li of bamboo forest, without knowing how many years or months it would take.
"Forget it, you might as well rest in the Cauldron Ring and take the opportunity to guide the female guards in their cultivation." Ning Fan did not leave Teng Xianrou any chance to refuse, directly activating the Cauldron Ring to bring her into the Cauldron Realm.
Appearing abruptly in the Cauldron Realm, Teng Xianrou showed an extremely dissatisfied expression.
Upon her appearance, Bing Ling, Yue Ling, and other female guards immediately approached, calling her ’Sister Qianrou’ warmly.
The Gold Core female cultivator came over to tug her clothes, praising the immortal material of her gown.
The Harmonious Spirit female cultivator came over to touch her long hair, complimenting her well-kept locks.
Of course, there was also a large group of lower-level female cultivators holding extremely basic cultivation questions, asking her.
These questions were mostly bottlenecks in Harmonious Spirit and Golden Core cultivation, which in Teng Xianrou’s view were purely idiotic queries, not worth addressing, but she had to answer them.
Ning Fan had already informed the female guards about conquering Teng Xianrou. However, what Ning Fan hadn’t told them was that Teng Xianrou was a Void Fragmentation cultivator...
The female guards, not knowing Teng Xianrou’s true cultivation, were neither afraid nor held back from enthusiasm. Ning Fan told them if they had any questions in cultivation, they could ask Teng Xianrou, who knew everything...
Teng Xianrou felt like banging her head against tofu! Why should she, a dignified Void Fragmentation cultivator, answer a bunch of low-level cultivators’ foolish questions!
Is the Golden Core round or flat?
She had surpassed the Golden Core Stage many years ago! With Golden Core transforming into Nascent Soul and Nascent Soul into Demon Soul, she long forgot the appearance of the Golden Core!
Besides, any person with common sense knows the Golden Core is round... Whose stupid question is this!
Harmonious Spirit is difficult, what to do if I don’t want to cultivate?
If you don’t want to cultivate Harmonious Spirit, why are you in cultivation! Go home and embroider! Stop playing cute here!
How can I win the master’s favor?
Wait, why is this idiotic question also asked! How would she know how to win Ning Fan’s favor; she is not keen on pleasing Ning Fan at all! Why should she please Ning Fan!
Frustrating, truly frustrating!
If it were in the past, when low-level Harmonious Spirit juniors asked such foolish questions, she would have slapped them flying!
Unfortunately, now she was Ning Fan’s servant; she had to suppress her displeasure, greet with a smile, and obediently answer the female guards’ idiotic questions.
She felt her pride as a Void Fragmentation cultivator was being worn away, bit by bit.
She felt that in her two thousand years of cultivation, she had never felt so frustrated...
She was suddenly startled, thinking to herself, could it be that Ning Fan deliberately sent these low-level female cultivators to wear down her pride? He’s doing it on purpose!
Teng Xianrou wanted to crush Ning Fan into a ball and pummel him, but upon recalling Ning Fan’s harmless smile, and the thought that he might have deliberately sent the female guards to ask these stupid questions to provoke her, she instead gradually calmed down.
Biting her teeth, she swallowed all her dissatisfaction, forcing out a barely noticeable smile, and began answering each one of the female guards’ stupid questions.
If Ning Fan wanted to provoke her, she simply wouldn’t get angry, she couldn’t let Ning Fan’s plan succeed!
"Five hundred years! As long as I endure these five hundred years, I’ll be free!"
...
Teng Xianrou really misunderstood Ning Fan.
All these questions from the female guards were entirely original, having nothing to do with Ning Fan.
Some of these female guards were captured from Yue Country, while others were gained in the Endless Sea. Following Ning Fan, they no longer needed to fight, leading a very leisurely and simple life, their thoughts very close to mundane life, like mortal women.
Mortal women always concern themselves with all kinds of quirky questions.
The reason they asked such bizarre questions was completely because they had been living too leisurely over these decades.
In the Siluo Bamboo Sea, Ning Fan flew side by side with Qing Dai, while his spirit sense spread far and wide, perceiving the customs and culture of the Siluo Bamboo Sea.
The territory stretching four hundred thousand miles was inhabited solely by the Ming Luo race.
Aside from the Ming Luo race, countless mortals actually lived here as well...
These mortals coexisted harmoniously with the Ming Luo cultivators, with nothing seeming amiss.
The Ming Luo race had already declined, their remaining members weathered by honors and disgrace, having seen the warmth and coldness of the cultivation world, and they did not look down on mortals as other cultivation families did.
The mortals also knew that Immortal Masters existed in the world, and to them, the Ming Luo race were the immortals of this Siluo Bamboo Sea.
Beneath the dense bamboo sea, mortal villages could occasionally be seen.
Amongst the bamboo fences and thatched cottages where mortals came and went, low-level Treant Ming Luo could occasionally be seen chatting and brewing tea with mortal elders...
Such harmonious scenes between immortals and mortals were simply inconceivable in the cultivation world!
If other cultivation families saw the Ming Luo race lowering themselves to be with mortals, they would surely sneer.
Yet in Ning Fan’s eyes, the actions of the Ming Luo race were in harmony with the Dao!
Immortals are those who stand on the mountain, but if they descend from that mountain of Dao, they are no different from mortals...
He protected the Ming Luo race on behalf of the Treant Ming Luo, and now he found himself genuinely feeling a bit of admiration for them.
Occasionally, old mortal woodcutters in the Siluo Bamboo Sea would see Ning Fan deliberately slow his escape light and wave a greeting to him.
In the mortal world, this was the most ordinary gesture, as showing goodwill between people needed no reason.
But in the cultivation world, if someone showed unsolicited goodwill, Ning Fan would surely contemplate it repeatedly to discern their intentions...
Ning Fan displayed a dazed expression, yearning for such a life free of scheming, yet he could never return to the past, could never become a mortal...
To descend the mountain of the Dao, to transform from immortal to mortal, at least required cultivation at the pinnacle.
At that time, whether he wished to remain a cultivator or become mortal, no one would dare to provoke him.
In the path of cultivation, once embarked upon, there was no turning back until reaching the peak, only relentless progression!
Even though the Ming Luo race lived in this place, appearing to coexist peacefully with mortals, in reality they were also bullied by other tree tribes...
The cultivation world is ultimately not a paradise, no matter how peaceful it may seem, there’s always a hidden bloody mist behind the facade...
Though the Siluo Bamboo Sea spans merely four hundred thousand miles, even with Ning Fan deliberately slowing down, it didn’t take long to reach the central area of the bamboo sea.
In the heart of the bamboo sea stood a vast jade bamboo city.
Above the city hung a plaque inscribed with three characters: "Siluo City!"
Outside Siluo City, a squad of Golden Core Guards in tree armor stood on guard.
Upon seeing a cultivator’s escape light approaching, and that it appeared with such grandeur, the Golden Core Guards immediately grew tense.
As the Ming Luo race now had no friends, if a high-level cultivator came, they were certainly an agitator...
A few Golden Core Guards exchanged glances, intending to draw their spirit arrows and sound the alarm.
Just then, a soothing yet authoritative voice from Qing Dai reached these guards’ ears, even spreading to every corner of Siluo City.
"It’s me, I am Qing Dai, I’ve returned."
She usually appeared inferior in front of Ning Fan, but in front of these lower-ranked tribesmen, she carried a certain aura of authority.
Qingdai and Ning Fan retracted their escape light and landed outside Siluo City.
The guards, upon recognizing Qingdai, immediately displayed expressions of respect, bowing their heads in deference.
"We, the Min Luo Race, greet the High Priest!"
Six escape lights swept out from Siluo City, transforming into wisps of smoke, landing at the city gate, turning into six old men clad in tree armor at the Divine Transformation Realm.
Among the six elders, only two were at the Mid Divine Transformation Realm, while the others were all at the Early Nascent Soul.
Upon seeing Qingdai, all six immediately bowed their heads in reverence.
"We, the Mingluo Priests, welcome the High Priest’s return!"
"Grandfather Gu Luo, Grandfather Xu Luo, please, you need not perform such formalities, Qingdai cannot bear your bows."
At first, Qingdai maintained a dignified expression, but upon seeing the two mid Divine Transformation Realm old priests, her eyes reddened, as though seeing close family.
After her mother passed away, these two elders treated her as their own, nurturing her step by step into the High Priest of this generation.
This kindness, she would never forget for a lifetime.
With Qingdai’s instruction to dispense with the formalities, all kneeling Min Luo tribesmen rose to their feet.
Priest Gu Luo and Priest Xu Luo looked at Qingdai, their cloudy eyes filled with gratification and joy.
"High Priest, you have been gone from Siluo City for ten years, and those ten years must have been arduous. Stay at home for a longer while this time, before considering venturing out to find the ancestors’ remains again," Priest Gu Luo looked at Qingdai’s travel-worn face, feeling a pang of sympathy.
Over the years, both he and Xu Luo had treated Qingdai as a granddaughter.
Were it not for the search for the ancestors’ remains, they would never bear to let Qingdai go out and roam.
"Yes, this time I’ve returned, I plan to stay in Siluo City for a longer while... I’ve recovered all the remains of the ten Void Refinement ancestors. It was all thanks to Brother Lu helping me recover them."
"What! All the ancestors’ remains have been recovered!" Gu Luo was shocked, and the surprise was evident in his expression!
"Brother Lu?" Xu Luo was cautious by nature.
His old eyes squinted slightly, scrutinizing Ning Fan beside Qingdai with a hint of wariness.
The other four Divine Transformation Priests similarly examined Ning Fan closely, each with a serious expression.
These Spirit Severing cultivators could not sense Ning Fan’s aura at all!
Ning Fan’s aura was deep and restrained, without the slightest leakage. Clearly, his realm far exceeded their imagination!
Gu Luo also retracted his joy, observing Ning Fan with a note of caution, secretly transmitting to Xu Luo.
"This person is unfathomable, at the very least a Void Glimpse!"
"No, not just that... Even though he does not reveal his aura, the hidden force of his presence is more immense than that of young Qingdai... This person could very well be a Void Inquiry Stage old monster," Xu Luo analyzed.
"What! A Void Inquiry! If this person harbors ill intentions towards the Min Luo Race, we would be hard-pressed to resist!" Gu Luo was alarmed, and this time, his reaction was one of fear.
The subtle expressions on everyone’s faces were not lost on Ning Fan; he understood well that his arrival had shaken the Min Luo people.
"I am Lu Bei, here by the behest of an old friend to protect the Min Luo Race. Here is the token."
Ning Fan tapped the storage pouch and took out the black wooden token for the six priests to see.
In the instant they saw the black wooden token, the six Divine Transformation priests felt their demon blood boil, each of them showing expressions replete with unimaginable shock.
"Tree... Tree Emperor’s Command!"
They didn’t call it the black wooden token but referred to it as Tree Emperor’s Command because it was the token of the Min Luo Race’s Tree Emperor lineage!
This item had vanished without a trace with the disappearance of the last Tree Emperor of the Ming Luo Tree Clan, so how did it end up with Ning Fan!
"This item was entrusted to me by the last Tree Emperor of the Min Luo Race. He is not dead yet!"
Ning Fan’s voice was very, very low, not transmitted through sound but using divine skills, so that only Qingdai and the six priests could hear it. The Golden Core Guards could not!
His words, like a massive stone cast into a lake, immediately stirred great waves!
The six priests were astonished, and even Qingdai covered her small mouth, unable to conceal her shock.
Ning Fan had never told her where the black wooden token had come from, and now he revealed it!
The last Min Luo Tree Emperor, once thought lost, was not dead!
This news was too overwhelming, too puzzling, too hard to believe!
How many ten-thousands of years had passed since the last Tree Emperor disappeared? None could remember.
Who could possibly live through such an expanse of years, a being akin to an Immortal?
Why, after the disappearance of the last Tree Emperor, were no messages ever sent to the tribe?
Even Qingdai was somewhat doubtful of Ning Fan’s words.
But as Ning Fan activated the black wooden token and infused it with a trace of the Tree Emperor’s blood, causing everyone to feel the imposing pressure, no one doubted Ning Fan’s statement anymore!
The bloodline pressure was unmistakable. It was absolutely that of the Min Luo Race’s Tree Emperor!
Moreover, the blood aura was incredibly concentrated, sealed into the black wooden token less than a year ago, sealed recently!
This served as the strongest evidence that the last Min Luo Tree Emperor was still alive!
Since the last Tree Emperor was alive and entrusted the black wooden token to Ning Fan, the implication was clear...
Ning Fan was a person worthy of the Min Luo Race’s trust!
Ning Fan was the new Tree Emperor of this generation, appointed by the last Tree Emperor!
The transfer of the black wooden token signified the passing of the Tree Emperor title!
Gu Luo, Xu Luo, and the other six priests yearned to promptly kneel before Ning Fan and address him as Tree Emperor.
Only Ning Fan’s dissuasive gaze stopped them from doing so.
Ning Fan did not desire the outside world to know that he possessed the black wooden token, that he was the current Tree Emperor.
Should this news spread, who knew if old monsters from Tree World might trouble Ning Fan for the black wooden token or due to his identity as the Min Luo Tree Emperor.
"Brother Lu, let us enter the city and discuss matters slowly; this is not the place for such a conversation," Qingdai quietly suggested.
"Very well."
Ning Fan nodded, following Qingdai and the others into Siluo City.
However, the instant they entered the city, he turned back, casting a curious glance.
"An illusion, perhaps..." he murmured, shaking his head.
...
A million miles away, a giant Xiangfei Bamboo suddenly emitted a soft, wailing sound.
This wailing sound was incredibly light, yet it continued into the late night.
"Mu Luo is still alive, he is alive... I knew he wouldn’t die so easily."
"He still owes me a pot of wine, a promise; he won’t die so easily..."
Mu Luo was the name of the last Min Luo Tree Emperor...
This name once resonated throughout Tree World, but now, only a solitary Xiangfei Bamboo remembers it.
Because he still owes her a pot of wine, a promise.
In the hollow bamboo resides a soul, the soul takes root in the bamboo heart. The root of the soul, the heart of the bamboo—inseparable...
"If one day, I kill all foes, I would willingly resign the title of Tree Emperor, and take you to a deserted mountain unknown to others, to live in seclusion... At that time, above us will only be the moonlight, and by my side, besides a pot of water wine, there will only be you, never to part in this lifetime."
...
In the Rain Immortal World, within the Yue Country, amidst a desolate mountain.
Treant Ming Luo’s avatar sat outside a thatched cottage on a lonely pavilion, gazing up at the vast moonlight overhead, taking a solitary sip from a pot of water wine...
His expression bore no sadness, no melancholy, no expression, no smile.
In his heart, everything had withered, eroded by the passage of time, leaving nothing but the image of one woman, which remained indelible.
He had not forgotten that promise, and he was no longer the Mingluo Tree Emperor.
Only now, he could never return to Tree World...
And she must have long since turned to dust and passed on.
This promise, no longer manageable within this lifetime... In this lifetime, never to meet again...
"I’m sorry..." Treant Ming Luo closed his eyes, sighing beneath the moonlight, unheard by anyone.