Chapter 225:

On the outskirts of the Imperial Capital, at the entrance of a courtyard. Sunlight shining down, occasional gentle breeze blowing, tree shadows swaying, and leaves rustling. An old man with long gray hair that almost reached his waist was lying on a reclining chair under a tree, trying to cool off. He was holding a palm-leaf fan, half-closed his eyes, and seemed a bit sleepy. A round-faced calico cat on the treetop was also dozing off. This cat was a bit chubby and slightly sluggish. It accidentally bent the tree branch due to its weight and fell directly from the tree, heading towards the sleeping old man on the chair. The old man, still keeping his eyes closed, as if foreseeing the scene, reached out his hand and skillfully caught the calico cat that fell. He embraced the cat gently and lightly scratched its chin, making the cat feel as comfortable as the old man, with both of them squinting their eyes. "Stealing half a day of leisure, it is indeed rare tranquility." Qiao Mu lounged on the reclining chair with his eyes half-closed, occasionally glancing at passersby. He who climbed the Emperor’s Hall in the morning becomes a country dweller in the evening. Just a few days ago, he was chatting and laughing in the Golden Chamber, pointing fingers at the Emperor and scolding, striving for fame for the elderly in the forlorn city. After finishing his business, he left in a huff and bought a mansion in the outskirts of the Imperial Capital to retire and lead a peaceful life. Although Qiao Mu felt young, he was actually 210 years old, an age in ancient times where one could live from the early to the late years of a dynasty. There was no one older in the whole world than him, even people half his age were very rare. The only people left who could compare their age to him were the cultivators from the Immortal Gate. "Retirement life is not bad at all." Qiao Mu shook his fan, looking quite content. He squinted slightly. As dusk approached, smoke rose from the neighbors’ homes, delicious smells of food filled the air, children playing outside were called back home by their parents, and the streets became quieter. Martial artists have very keen senses, especially Qiao Mu, who has been practicing martial arts for two hundred years in an extraordinary way. He could hear a couple calling their child to dinner on the left, a scholar studying in a house on the right, a woman scolding a mischievous child for coming home late on another side, and yet another couple arguing about the husband drinking too much… The Wan family’s lights were on, cooking smoke rising, and another day with the usual chores. Since arriving in this world, he rarely had such leisure time. He used to be reckless, always seeking danger and eating more prison food than home-cooked meals. Everywhere he looked, Wan family lanterns lit up the surroundings, giving it a unique charm. As the time was getting late, Qiao Mu got up and carried the cat back to his own home. This house was a typical courtyard in the Imperial Capital, with a layout similar to the Fang family house where Qiao Mu had briefly stayed before, reminding him of his past life in the Imperial Capital. Looking at the empty house, Qiao Mu felt a bit lonely. Instead of cooking himself a meal in the kitchen, he spent a long time looking at himself in the mirror in the hall. His reflection in the mirror remained the same, but after mastering the Shape Changing Skill through spiritual refining, Qiao Mu could change his appearance to some extent. While he couldn’t turn back time, he could at least improve his wrinkles. Yet, Qiao Mu remained unchanged, keeping his aging appearance. "For two hundred years, most of his life was spent practicing martial arts in his dreams for the same period. Only a small part was lived in reality… But life in reality, either leads to death or is a path towards it. Everyone is sacrificing themselves for others, blindly following orders." "In the end, as I aged, no one recognized me, I had no close friends. The Wan family’s prosperity shone glaringly, while I aged alone…" "What’s this useless golden finger? Why bother with all these complicated things, isn’t a simple and enjoyable check-in system better?" Qiao Mu couldn’t help but complain a bit. A few days ago in the Golden Palace, he acted recklessly out of habit. He hasn’t truly moved on from the five years of isolation in his life. He had developed a habit of talking to himself in his dreams, and now in reality, he still did the same. A warm and fluffy little creature rubbed against his leg, and when Qiao Mu looked down, he saw a chubby little cat staring at him. "That’s right, no close friends, no old acquaintances, but still, a cat for company." Qiao Mu muttered softly. "But cats can’t replace people." The cat’s pupils dilated, wagged its tail, looking somewhat distracted. After learning the truth about the Ouroboros Long Life Lock, looking back at his own life, he felt different. Every time Qiao Mu died, he would be reborn, aging, and appearing in different identities, under the name of elders in the Qiao family. So he didn’t have any old acquaintances. For example, in prison, Qiao Zhong was familiar with Hai Wuya, but when Qiao Mu reappeared as Qiao Shuanglin, even though there was a reason to perfect the deduction of the "Xumi Mountain King Sutra" in the clinic and re-teach it to Hai Wuya, their interactions were no longer the same. Take Qiao Shui now, for Hai Wuya and Captain Hai, he is just a stranger elder, a former acquaintance, nothing more. He kept dying and changing identities, having no familiar faces around him; even if there were any, they would become strangers in the next death. Qiao Mu didn’t look in the mirror anymore; he just lost the interest in cooking alone. After thinking for a moment, he changed into more comfortable clothes for moving around and walked out of the courtyard. He had lived in the Imperial Capital a few months ago, and there were still some loose ends to tie up. With nothing to do now, he decided to find something to occupy his time. …….. A short while later, he arrived at the marketplace in the Imperial Capital. Even as night approached, the marketplace was still bustling with passing pedestrians. Months ago, an Inhuman Disaster had occurred here, involving a battle between immortal cultivators. But now, all traces had been erased, the collapsed teahouse had been rebuilt, and everything was lively once again. Qiao Mu glanced at the execution ground where he had once faced punishment but saw several unfamiliar heads on stakes…Qiao Zhong was not among them. Even the most wicked criminals, after being executed, couldn’t rest in peace; their heads had to be displayed at the marketplace for all to see. Sёarᴄh the NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Qiao Mu had once been one of them, but not anymore. "It’s been several months now, even if my head has been preserved, I don’t think it can last that long." Qiao Mu suddenly lost interest. Before leaving the Imperial Capital, he went to the market to retrieve his head but was stopped by the Great Dao Sect disciple Dao Zhen, who tricked him into going to the deserted city in the Hundred-mile Desert. He walked away along the street. A quarter of an hour later when he stopped again, he was already at the Fang family’s old mansion. The Fang family’s old mansion was the residence of the heavenly prison warden Fang Yuan, where Qiao Mu had temporarily stayed before. It was nighttime, but the mansion was dark and silent, with no one around. Qiao Mu frowned, realizing that it might not be convenient for him to meet Gaoler Fang Yuan again with his current identity. Nevertheless, out of boredom, he wanted to glance at it from afar. Since Fang Yuan’ martial arts had been taught by him, although not as a formal disciple, they were somewhat acquainted. After five years of isolation, catching up with old acquaintances might break the monotony. Qiao Mu thought something bad happened to Fang Yuan, so he went to ask around the neighborhood. He found out that Fang Yuan had left Imperial Capital a month ago, quit his job as a prison guard, and even abandoned his old mansion. "Didn’t he value his family’s old mansion a lot? Why would he leave Imperial Capital willingly?" Qiao Mu shook his head and walked away. A moment later, he arrived at the third place. Wan Manor. A wealthy mansion in Imperial Capital that belonged to Wan Ronghua. Wan Ronghua had passed away, but the Wan family still lived there. Qiao Mu had once sneaked into Wan Manor and encountered Qin Shiqing, the top martial artist from the heavenly prison, and nearly lost his life here in the Wan family compound. Qiao Mu had rushed away before, chased off by Qin Shiqing’s companion Luohan. He later left for the Hundred-mile Desert outside Anxi Pass. This time he revisited the old place with a purpose in mind. "Isn’t this Elder Lao?" Before Qiao Mu could enter the mansion, as he reached the gate of Wan Manor, a stranger resembling a butler approached him with a big smile on his face. "Do you know me?" Qiao Mu asked in confusion. The butler warmly said: "Elder Lao was at the Imperial Capital a few days ago, speaking up bravely in front of the Jinluan Palace, advocating for the white-headed soldier of the city. And the current emperor was also gracious, not minding Elder Lao’s opposition… How could Wan Manor not know about such significant matters?" "Our family’s master has also heard about Elder Lao’s courage in facing authority, and has admired him for a long time. We planned to visit you on an auspicious day, but since Elder Lao is passing by our Wan Manor today, why not come in for a cup of tea?" Qiao Mu was slightly surprised as he didn’t understand the intentions of Wan Manor. In theory, Wan Ronghua was the one he had killed. And as a senior member of the Qiao family, "Qiao Shui" had also lost a family member in the Wan Manor, leading to a grudge between the two sides, with no friendly faces to be seen. Qiao Mu lowered his head, noticing the beads of sweat on the butler’s forehead and the pounding of his heart, as a certain suspicion arose in his mind. "Well then, I shall take my leave." Qiao Mu confidently strode into the manor. He always acted without any restrictions, and although they were considered enemies with the Wan Manor, being invited in meant he dared to enter. Walking casually into the manor’s living room, he saw the sweating butler hurrying out. Before long, the new head of the Wan family hurried over. The new head was a well-built middle-aged man with a round face and small eyes, though his face was full of smiles. It was clear he had rushed over, as his shoes were not even properly on, showing how hurried he was. Elder Lao came, and Mr. Wan was nervous, sweating just like the butler from before. "I heard you admire me. Do you want to visit me?" asked Qiao Mu directly. "Yes, I admire the Qiao family’s courage. We, the Wan family, are very respectful…" Mr. Wan realized his words were inappropriate and quickly changed them: "The soldiers in the Hundred-mile Desert have defended Great Yan for forty years, and the Qiao family members are willing to die for their cause. I greatly admire those who are brave enough to sacrifice their lives. I heard that many people who left the city have nowhere to go. The Wan family is willing to donate ten thousand silver pieces to help them have a place to stay." After speaking, he instructed his steward to hand over a silver ticket, which Mr. Wan handed over with both hands. "You are indeed thoughtful," Qiao Mu said, taking the ticket without hesitation. Was he treating him like a blackmailer? It’s no wonder Mr. Wan was cautious and polite towards Qiao Mu. The previous Wan family master, Wan Ronghua, was also a successful merchant with a wide network, and even had connections with the Immortal Gate. After getting into a fight with members of the Qiao family, he quickly invited a stronger martial artist than Qiao Mu to come over, which led to Qiao Mu losing his life. And the result… Wan Ronghua still died. Even the best martial artist couldn’t save him, as Qiao Mu used a small rock as a hidden weapon in a surprise attack before he died, ending Wan Ronghua’s life. The elderly member of the Qiao family who died in the Wan family clearly sacrificed his own life to assassinate Wan Ronghua’s assassin, even though he was a fearless warrior… who wouldn’t be afraid of such a fighter? The new master of the Wan family was definitely scared. Even when someone like Wan Ronghua brought in a skilled fighter who could defeat members of the Qiao family, it didn’t guarantee his safety. So when "Qiao Shui" arrived at the Imperial Capital and clashed with the Emperor Yonghe and the courtiers in the Golden Palace, he realized… this person was just like the Qiao family member the Wan family had encountered before, unafraid of death. A person’s reputation is as important as their actions. Though the Qiao family member was not alone, they were much more fearsome than just one person. All united as one, willing to sacrifice their lives, giving up their own life to bring Wan Ronghua down from his horse. A person brave enough to risk their life is a lonely hero, a lone warrior, destined to be rare. But a group of Qiao family members who are willing to sacrifice themselves, continuing endlessly… Who can withstand this? The tale of the solitary guards in the desert is a truly strange story, enough to be recorded in history, spreading quickly throughout the Imperial Capital. Not just in the Imperial Capital… such a remarkable tale that is enough to be recorded in history will surely spread even further, reaching the Zhong Province and even other regions in the Jiu Province. Alongside the solitary guards, there were also the Qiao family members who stood their ground in front of the Golden Palace. It must be said that the Qiao family members have gained quite a reputation, their fame and reputation far more terrifying than their individual martial prowess. Therefore, the master of the Wan family decisively took a humble approach and yielded. Seeing Qiao Mu take the ten thousand silver taels, the master of the Wan family relaxed slightly and continued: "Actually, within our Wan family, there is still a dusty treasure hidden." "As they say, if virtue doesn’t match up, there will be disasters. The former head of the family, Wan Ronghua, acted without any taboos and will eventually face consequences… So, in my opinion, this treasure should be handed over to someone like Elder Lao who is virtuous." After saying this, he clapped his hands, and the butler promptly brought out an item. This is an ancient painting, in which you can vaguely see a blood-red sun… The butler simply showed it briefly and quickly put the painting away. The Blood Sun Chart…something that Wan Ronghua took from the Fang’s home by force. Qiao Mu looked intrigued.