Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
Mengyao Xu raised a slender brow, somewhat displeased. Pretty girls like her couldn’t stand filthy environments. This tiny room, with grease all over the floor, was way too dirty for their liking.
Not only that, there was also a pungent smell in the air. Never mind Mengyao Xu and Ya Yun, even Black Puppy and Sky-Devouring Snake were bothered by the odor.
The only one to remain calm was Qingfeng Li. Seemingly unaffected, he surveyed the room closely.
Upon closer inspection, Qingfeng Li found that the grease stains on the ground weren’t really oil. Instead, they were the by-products of the weapon forging process, produced when impurities were turned into liquid form.
As for the pungent odor in the air, it wasn’t from any chemicals, but rather the gases released when high-purity black steel is melted at high temperatures. Qingfeng Li knew this because of the chemistry knowledge he had learned back on Earth.
Qingfeng Li released his spirit energy, sweeping it back and forth around the room. He found that the weapons on display were all very ordinary. They weren’t spirit monarch realm weapons at all; at most, they were Supreme Level weapons.
Although he didn’t sense the presence of a spirit monarch realm weapon here, Qingfeng Li still firmly believed in what the Dark Night Emperor had said. He knew the other would never fool around like this.
Qingfeng Li continued to extend his spirit energy, attempting to scan inside the back room. However, as his spirit energy approached the door, it was bounced away by a defensive force.
Qingfeng Li’s expression changed, surprise in his eyes.
By now, Qingfeng Li’s spirit energy was extremely powerful. Most spirit defensive arrays could not resist his spirit energy at all. He hadn’t expected to be bounced back here.
At that, Qingfeng Li activated the clairvoyance ability in his right eye. A beam of golden light shot from his pupil and penetrated the wall. He wanted to see inside the room, but to his surprise, all he could see was one big blur. He couldn’t really make out anything clearly.
Qingfeng Li’s Clairvoyant Vision was capable of seeing through even the void; there was nothing it couldn’t go through. He hadn’t thought that it would be slightly obstructed here. It was evident that there was some kind of secret hidden in the room, concealing some great treasure.
Walking up to the raggedy old man, Qingfeng Li bowed respectfully. “Your Junior, Qingfeng Li, humbly greets his Senior,” Qingfeng Li said. “I came, today, to purchase a weapon.”
The trashy old man stayed lying on his grey chair, fast asleep. He hadn’t heard Qingfeng Li at all, paying him no mind.
“Big Brother Li,” Ya Yun said, “let’s go. We can go to some other weapon store to buy some spirit monarch realm weapon. This place is filthy, what great weapons could they possibly have? And the shopkeeper even dared to ignore you.”
Qingfeng Li waved her off, saying, “It’s fine. I quite like this shop’s owner. I think fate brought me to him.”
A raggedy cotton blanket was lying loosely on top of the raggedy old man. It, too, was filthy, stained all over with grease and letting off a pungent odor. Then, the old man shifted slightly and his blanket fell to the ground.
Qingfeng Li hurried over. Picking the raggedy blanket off the floor, he laid it back on top of the old man. As he did this, his hands were stained by the grease, blackening the skin and staining it with the same pungent smell.
But Qingfeng Li didn’t seem to mind. He continued to speak in a low tone, “Senior, take care not to catch a cold. If you feel that I’ve intruded on your nap, I will leave now.”
Just as Qingfeng Li turned to leave, the raggedy old man opened his eyes. “Wait,” he said, his voice emotionless.
Qingfeng Li turned back to him. “What can I do for you?” he said, his tone respectful.
Qingfeng Li truly had a lot of respect for the raggedy old man before him. This was because, not only could he himself not discern the other’s strength, even Dark Night Emperor couldn’t tell how powerful this old man was. That realization had shocked Qingfeng Li.
And who was Dark Night Emperor? He was an Ancient Saint! Even if his body had been destroyed, the soul which remained was still extremely powerful.
If even the Dark Night Emperor couldn’t see through the old man, how powerful must he be? Qingfeng Li didn’t know. That’s why he treated him with such careful respect, bowing several times and even going as far as picking up his blanket.
The raggedy old man spoke, staring at Qingfeng Li. “My shoes, they’re in the corner. Bring them over and put them over for me.”
Hearing the old man’s words, the two women, Mengyao Xu and Ya Yun, were both outraged. This old man was so conceited. Who did he think Qingfeng Li was? How dare he order Qingfeng Li to put his shoes on for him?
Black Puppy, Sky-Devouring Snake, and the Emperor of Lingyun were likewise red with rage. As good friends of Qingfeng Li, they naturally didn’t want to see him being degraded like this.
Even Sky Wolf Emperor opened his mouth and said, “Qingfeng Li, let’s go. We can pick a weapon in any other store. There’s no need to stay here and endure such humiliation.”
Qingfeng Li, on the other hand, waved them all off. Motioning his friends to stay quiet, he walked over to the corner. It was a mess there, the grease smearing all over Qingfeng Li’s clothes, but he didn’t mind.
There, way back in the corner, were a pair of raggedy shoes. They had several holes in them and gave off a sickening smell, their surface covered in dust.
Not paying any mind to the filth and the smell, Qingfeng Li picked up the shoes. Returning to the raggedy old man’s side, he carefully slipped the shoes onto the old man’s feet. During the entire process, Qingfeng Li was extremely patient, not showing a trace of frustration.
All the while he worked, the raggedy old man gazed silently at Qingfeng Li. He had thought that Qingfeng Li would be angry and resentful. Instead, Qingfeng Li hadn’t voiced a word of complaint the whole time. He had acted like he was taking care of his own elderly family member.
Looking down at Qingfeng Li, the raggedy old man sighed. “Five thousand years,” he said, “and you’re the first one willing to help me put on my shoes.”
Hearing the old man’s words, Mengyao Xu and Ya Yun, were dumbfounded, their eyes filled with disbelief. Had this raggedy old man actually lived for five thousand years? Why else would he say that Qingfeng Li was the only one to put on his shoes in five thousand years?
Just who was this raggedy old man before them? Why couldn’t they see through him?
Sky Wolf Emperor felt his pupils contract, a hint of awe flashing across his eyes. It was as if he had just heard something incredible.
Sky Wolf Emperor knew that, ordinarily, self-cultivators could live to a thousand years old after breaking through to the spirit monarch realm. And every additional class past that added another millennium to their lifespans.
The old man before them had lived for at least five thousand years. That is to say, his power was at least at the spirit monarch realm fifth class.
Of course, this was only a guess on the Sky Wolf Emperor’s part. What’s more, he had the feeling that there was even more to the raggedy old man that just having lived for five thousand years.
The other’s voice had carried an aged quality. This was someone who had lived through great changes, who saw everything in the world as mere fleeting specks. The old man didn’t care about any of them. Only when Qingfeng Li had put on his raggedy shoes, had the old man looked at him, and spoken to him.
Qingfeng Li smiled. “It’s my honor to put your shoes on for you, Senior.”
