The man in black continued to press forward step by step. “Since it can no longer be kept secret, why should I waste words with you?”
Yu Qing: “What can you do even if you do not waste words? Do you think those people outside will not force the Valley of Rift Villa people to talk? I am afraid it will not be up to the Valley of Rift Villa.”
The man in black continued to advance without speaking, his killing intent boiling over.
Mu Aotie, gripping his sword tightly, was secretly tense. He was certain that if not for Old Fifteen holding a hostage, the other party would have already attacked directly.
Yu Qing: “I could have gone directly to the Valley of Rift Villa about this matter, but I did not tell them. After much deliberation, I still came to find you.”
Hearing this, the man in black was slightly stunned. His thoughts were clearly drawn to this aspect. He stopped, his killing intent slightly diminished, and asked, “Why?”
Yu Qing loosened the sword from the little boy’s neck and pushed him out with one hand, sending the boy flying.
The man in black grabbed with one hand and pulled his son into his arms. Feeling his son’s even breathing, he confirmed his son was unharmed and also felt greatly surprised.
Mu Aotie was secretly shocked. He had not expected Old Fifteen to actually give up the hostage he had obtained.
Yu Qing planted his sword into the ground and clasped both hands over the hilt. “First tell me, was that youth from last night killed by you?”
The wild-looking man in black was actually made somewhat confused. “So what if I killed him? So what if I did not?”
Yu Qing said in a deep voice: “If it was your doing, and you did not even spare an innocent youth, then there is no need for me to believe your words anymore, and no need to continue talking.”
The man in black was silent for a while, then stared at him and said slowly: “After meeting you last night, I left while being pursued. I did not go back. If you had not just mentioned it, I would not even have known someone else died.”
Yu Qing: “According to what you said earlier, was the person killed by the Valley of Rift Villa? Why would they kill their own clansman, and a youth at that?”
The man in black did not answer this question and returned to the previous topic. “Why not look for them? Why come to find me?”
Having probed to this point, Yu Qing roughly understood. The other party and the Valley of Rift Villa indeed knew the same secret. He asked in return: “Do you also have the same tattoo on your body as your son?”
The man in black used his free hand to pull open his lapel, revealing the single-bladed halberd tattoo on his chest, giving his answer through practical action.
Only then did Yu Qing reply: “Because last night you specifically took risks to meet me. Because you know gratitude and repay kindness. I feel you are more reliable than the people of Valley of Rift Villa. Of course, there is another premise. I saw the ‘halberd’ tattoo on your son’s chest. The clan emblem of Valley of Rift Villa is the ‘halberd’, and the tattoos on your bodies are also ‘halberds’. Yet Valley of Rift Villa says you are demons. Why would demons tattoo the Wu clan’s emblem on themselves? One of the two sides must be problematic. I feel you are more trustworthy!”
Mu Aotie’s eyes moved slightly. These words were so convincing he almost believed them. Fortunately, he knew the purpose of Old Fifteen’s visit. Because it was difficult to find an opportunity to act at the Valley of Rift Villa, he had come to this person instead.
The man in black: “What do you want to know?”
Yu Qing: “The way to enter.”
The words needed no explanation. If the other party knew about the Golden Ruins, they would naturally understand what he meant. If they did not know, nothing would be revealed.
The man in black: “It seems you do not know much.”
Yu Qing: “Indeed not much, otherwise I would not have come to find you.”
The man in black: “I do not know who you are. I cannot trust you, so I cannot tell you the specific way to enter, at least not now. If you can bring the ‘halberd’ in the Valley of Rift Villa’s possession, proving you are not a trap set by the Valley of Rift Villa, I will tell you the way to enter. The ‘halberd’ is the key to entry. Without obtaining the ‘halberd’, you cannot enter either.”
The halberd was indeed the key. Yu Qing found this matched his guess and immediately asked: “Where is the halberd placed in the Valley of Rift Villa?”
This question was also the key purpose of his visit. How could he act if he did not know the target location? It would certainly be difficult to find out from within the Valley of Rift Villa, so he had come to find a possible informant from the outside.
The man in black suddenly fell silent again. After a long while, he said slowly: “In the Valley of Rift Villa sleeps a person who has lived for many years. Perhaps it is more appropriate to call him a monster. The ‘halberd’ should not be hidden anywhere else, it should be by his side, because his strength is very formidable. There should be few people in the present world who could snatch things from his hands. As for where exactly he sleeps in the Valley of Rift Villa, I do not know either. Most people within the Valley of Rift Villa should also be unaware of this person’s existence.”
The two fellow disciples were horrified to hear this.
Yu Qing asked in alarm and doubt: “Few people in the present world can snatch things from his hands? The Valley of Rift Villa actually has such a powerful figure? Could it be that even someone like the Grand Commandant of the Great Enterprise Bureau is not his match?”
The man in black thought for a moment and mused: “At his peak, that Grand Commandant of the Great Enterprise Bureau you mentioned would definitely not be his match. Even if the most top-tier few people of the present world joined together, they might not necessarily be his match.”
Yu Qing: “How is this possible? With such strength, how has the world never heard of him?”
The man in black: “One who does not contend has no need to make a name for himself. Being nameless does not mean lacking strength. Heaven and earth are vast, all living beings are but ants. Who dares guarantee that there is absolutely no one in this world more powerful than that Grand Commandant of the Great Enterprise Bureau and his kind?”
Yu Qing frowned. “If what you say is true, and that person carries the ‘halberd’ by his side, how could I possibly obtain it from such a figure?”
The man in black: “I said that was his peak back then. The one who now sleeps is no longer at his former strength, and he will not easily act. Once he acts, he will accelerate his aging. Every time he acts, his strength diminishes by one degree, and he will age one step closer to death.”
There is such a thing? The two fellow disciples looked at each other, as if hearing heavenly scriptures.
Yu Qing: “Even so, according to your words, his strength is still terrifying. No matter how unwilling he is to act, if I go to take his ‘halberd’, how could he not react?”
The man in black: “Was the deceased from last night disemboweled through the heart?”
Yu Qing was slightly startled and nodded. “I saw it with my own eyes. That is correct.”
The man in black: “Did you not want to know who killed him? That sleeper, in order to maintain his immortal body, needs to consume ‘heart blood’ once every three or four months. Under normal circumstances, as long as he does not expend his body’s primordial energy, the ‘heart blood’ can maintain his fleshly body from decay. This is also why every year a few people’s hearts are dug out by demons at the Valley of Rift Villa. They can only push the blame onto demons. They must find some cover, otherwise they cannot explain it internally either.”
Mu Aotie suddenly blurted out: “Legend says this matter of demons digging out people’s hearts has existed at the Valley of Rift Villa for several thousand years.”
This was absolutely a reminder. Yu Qing was struck with terror and immediately asked: “Could it be that that sleeper has already lived for several thousand years?”
The man in black neither confirmed nor denied, made no answer, and continued: “After the sleeper consumes the ‘heart blood’, he will fall into a state of complete slumber for one and a half hours. External movements cannot easily awaken him. When his perception is at its weakest, that is your best opportunity to act and obtain the ‘halberd’.”
Yu Qing took note of this reminder and pressed again: “Has he lived for several thousand years? Could the sleeper be the halberd-bearing guardian?”
The man in black knew what he was thinking and reminded him: “He is indeed in a sense an immortal body now, but this kind of sleeping, blood-drinking immortal body is not what he wants. He also very much wants to enter to resolve this problem. Although he holds the key in his hand, without my help he cannot enter either.”
Yu Qing: “With his strength, can he not capture you?”
The man in black: “There is naturally a reason… I have already said enough. No matter what other questions you have, wait until you have obtained the ‘key’. As long as you can obtain it, I will tell you everything I know!”
Yu Qing actually still wanted to ask whether the blood of both father and son was golden, and if so, why it was like that. However, since the other party had spoken to this extent, there was no need to ask further. Still, he asked one more question: “Who exactly are you? How can you know such secrets of the Valley of Rift Villa?”
A night wind suddenly came, and his long hair danced. The man in black said: “Right and wrong, right and wrong, ultimately grudges depend on results. I do not care who you are, and you should not ask who I am. As long as you obtain the ‘key’, come to this mountaintop to find me. I will take you inside.”
Yu Qing: “Good, it is a deal!” He reversed his grip on his long sword, cupped his hands, and was about to take his leave.
As he turned around, the man in black suddenly said: “The secret passage that the Valley of Rift Villa could not find for so many years, how long have you been here? How did you find it?”
Yu Qing turned back with a smile: “By luck, discovered it unintentionally. Dug a hole and crawled in. I am afraid you will have to do more to conceal the entrance yourself.”
The man in black: “Those who come to exterminate demons, the Valley of Rift Villa generally uses the demon realm to frighten them. If they cannot be frightened away, they will not be given the opportunity to know the truth. Once, twice, but not thrice. I will not remind you a third time.”
The other party’s words were tantamount to explaining why almost none of the demon exterminators could leave alive. Yu Qing nodded in thanks, looked around, and was somewhat unsure which direction to go.
The man in black pointed with one hand toward the direction across the cliff.
The two fellow disciples directly leaped across the cliff face over thirty zhang wide, which was practically flying.
Throughout their exchange, neither party mentioned the two words “Golden Ruins”. Those who knew naturally knew where it was, those who did not were kept in the dark.
The man in black who watched them leave hugged the child in his arms and murmured in the child’s ear: “The misfortune on your grandfather and myself, perhaps it should end with you…”
Under the cover of night, the two fellow disciples flew out of the mountainous area and again saw the Gobi wilderness. The hazy mountain shadows in the distance let the two know the target location for their return.
For the two, the gains of this trip were enormous. If they had not learned the great secret of the sleeper, and had rashly gone to find that halberd, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Who could have thought the Valley of Rift Villa had such a terrifying figure? Rushing in would have been no different from seeking death.
They released their speed and flew back, countless times faster than slowly groping through the underground.
When the two again saw the grape fields under the moonlight, they slowed their speed.
When they returned near their lodging, they saw a large number of torches gathered together, not knowing what was being watched.
The two who returned also startled the others, who turned their heads to look.
Finally back, Nan Zhu and Qiao Qie’er in the crowd felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted, and hurriedly came out to welcome them.
After the two fellow disciples landed and approached, they did not know why everyone was gathered here at night, and discovered that the three groups of guests including Ning Chaoyi were also present.
Upon meeting Nan Zhu, Yu Qing immediately asked: “Not resting at night, what is going on here?”
Nan Zhu: “Ah, do not mention it. Just now, it was discovered that something happened. Demons took advantage of the night to break into the mountain and killed seven guards along a route leading inward. It was tragic. The hearts of all seven guards were dug out.”
What the hell? Yu Qing and Mu Aotie both had faces of astonishment and looked at each other speechlessly.