CHAPTER 553: CHAPTER 546: DON’T WANT TO HEAR THESE WORDS AGAIN_1

Although Qin Feiyang was unable to reconcile himself to the situation, he said no more.

Situ Hai looked at Qin Feiyang and said with a cupped fist, "Young brother, you’ve come a long way. Please stay for a few more days and let me fulfill my duties as a host."

As the house steward of the Situ Family, he had seen countless people and could tell at a glance that Qin Feiyang was the core figure of this small team.

Qin Feiyang pondered for a moment. "That might not be possible. We still have to return to Spirit State to prepare for the Nine States Battle."

"Boss, isn’t the Nine States Battle still over three months away? Staying a few more days won’t cause any delay!" Fatty immediately interjected, his eyes pleading.

Qin Feiyang frowned and looked at the Mountain Beast, Lo Qianxue, Lin Yiyi, and Lu Hong.

Lo Qianxue said, "Let’s just stay for a while!"

Lin Yiyi, Lu Hong, and the Mountain Beast also nodded in agreement.

They were doing this for Fatty’s sake.

After all, Fatty had just found his family’s graves and had to leave again so soon; he must have been very reluctant.

Qin Feiyang sighed helplessly and nodded. "All right, but we must leave before the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace wakes up."

"No problem," Fatty nodded quickly.

"Hall Master of the Elixir Palace?" Situ Hai looked at them in confusion.

Fatty grinned. "The Hall Master of Elixir Palace was badly beaten by our Boss and Brother Wolf and is now healing somewhere."

"What?" Situ Hai stared at Qin Feiyang incredulously. Even the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace was beaten up? How strong is this young man? And who is this ’Brother Wolf’?

Fatty said, "Uncle Hai, it’s a long story. I’ll explain it to you later. Can we go inside first?"

"Right, right, let’s go inside first." With a start, Situ Hai hurriedly led Qin Feiyang and the others toward the wooden building.

"Oh, yes," Fatty suddenly asked, "Xiao Hong, Yiyi, Aunt Xue, how did you manage to survive inside that python’s mouth?"

Lu Hong laughed. "We have to thank Qin Feiyang for that."

"How is it related to him?" Fatty was taken aback.

Lu Hong said, "Didn’t Qin Feiyang mention before that he and Brother Wolf were swallowed alive by that Water Beast in Iron Bull Town?"

"Yes!" Fatty nodded.

"After we were swallowed by the python, the first thing I thought of was the method he described," Lu Hong explained with a smile. "So, Yiyi, Aunt Xue, and I managed to grab hold of the flesh at the python’s vital spot. That’s how we avoided being swallowed into its stomach. Otherwise, we would have been dead long ago."

"So, that’s what happened." Fatty’s eyes lit up with understanding, and he grinned. "Then I, Master Fatty, will have to try that sometime!"

"Ugh!" The others were taken aback, then they all couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

Upon entering the wooden building, Situ Hai was kept incredibly busy making tea, cooking, and tidying up the rooms.

In truth, at their level of cultivation, they didn’t need to eat. But sometimes, enjoying a home-cooked meal held a special charm.

By the time they finished the meal, it was already late at night.

After chatting for a while, everyone went upstairs to their rooms to rest. They had been cultivating in seclusion for so many years, and it was rare for them to rest for a night, so they all cherished this peaceful time.

Qin Feiyang also retired to a room but later went to the ancient castle to check on Wolf King’s and the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace’s injuries.

Wolf King’s heart had been repaired, but the cracks in its Qi Sea still needed more time.

As for the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace, his Sea of Consciousness was severely damaged; by then, only about twenty percent had been restored. This was largely thanks to the Flame of Life; otherwise, there would have been no hope of survival.

「In the living room on the first floor」

Fatty and Situ Hai sat facing each other. On the tea table, a single candle flickered, casting a faint light.

Under the candlelight, Situ Hai’s expression was unsettled, as if he were struggling with something.

Suddenly, he looked up at Fatty. "Tianyu, there are some things I want to say to you in private."

Fatty smiled. "Uncle Hai, if you have something to say, just say it."

"Although my Situ Family has fallen, it was once a prominent and noble family in Yun State," Situ Hai began. "And you are a direct descendant of the Situ Family. Moreover, now that you have unlocked the Door of Potential and awakened the Black Dragon Battle Soul, your talent and potential far surpass anyone else’s. Uncle Hai truly doesn’t want to see you act so deferential in front of others."

Fatty was taken aback. "Deferential?" he asked, puzzled. "When have I been?"

"You haven’t?" Situ Hai pressed. "Then why are you so subservient in front of Qin Feiyang? As a descendant of the Situ Family, you must have backbone and pride, do you understand?" Situ Hai reprimanded.

"Ugh!" Fatty was stunned. He glanced up at the staircase, then looked back at Situ Hai, his expression suddenly turning extremely serious.

"Uncle Hai," he said, "I think you’ve misunderstood. In all the time I’ve spent with Boss, he has never looked down on me, nor have I ever felt subservient. That’s just my personality.

"And everything I have now was given to me by Boss. If I hadn’t met him, if he hadn’t helped me, I could never have opened the Door of Potential or awakened the Black Dragon Battle Soul. You could even say that the fact I’m alive today is all thanks to him.

"Furthermore, compared to Boss’s status, my so-called noble lineage is less than one ten-thousandth of his. So, I don’t want to hear that kind of talk anymore."

Hearing this, Situ Hai was profoundly shocked. A direct descendant of the noble Situ Family, yet not even one ten-thousandth of this person’s worth? Who on earth could he be?

Fatty continued, "I cannot reveal Boss’s identity, but you just need to remember that no one can afford to offend him."

Situ Hai swallowed hard and nodded. "All right, I won’t say any more. I trust your judgment."

"That’s more like it," Fatty said. "Now, tell me, what happened after you returned all those years ago?"

The old man and the young man talked by candlelight in the living room throughout the night.

「By dawn」

Fatty walked out of his room, took a deep breath of fresh air, and headed alone toward the graveyard.

Lu Hong and Lin Yiyi also came downstairs one after another. After freshening up a bit, they went to stroll around the area. Lo Qianxue, on the other hand, went into the kitchen to help Situ Hai prepare breakfast for everyone.

Time passed, day by day. Qin Feiyang and his companions lived like ordinary people. The troubles of the past vanished, replaced by tranquility. Their states of mind were also gradually changing.

In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.

「That night」

Qin Feiyang, as usual, entered the ancient castle to check on the injuries of Wolf King and the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace.

Wolf King’s Qi Sea had been repaired, and it would likely wake up soon. The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace’s Sea of Consciousness was also just a little bit away from full recovery.

Sure enough, the next morning, Wolf King woke up. Qin Feiyang told it everything that had happened during this period without reservation. After learning this, Wolf King was sincerely happy for Fatty. But it suppressed its restless heart, refrained from going out to wander, and stayed in the ancient castle to continue cultivating.

This kind of situation had happened twice already. The first time, fighting Zhao He, it had almost died. This time, fighting the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace, it had almost died again. It was furious. And it finally resolved not to come out of seclusion until it broke through to the War Ancestor realm! Once it stepped into the War Ancestor realm, it would certainly no longer be so helpless when facing powerful enemies of that rank in the future.

「That same night」

The Sea of Consciousness of the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace finally recovered fully, but he had not yet awakened.

Qin Feiyang immediately left the ancient castle and gathered Fatty and the others.

Fatty, realizing it was time to leave, made another trip to the graveyard to bid farewell to the ghosts of his parents.

Then, under Situ Hai’s watchful gaze, the group left the valley. Fatty had also asked Situ Hai if he wanted to go to Spirit State with him, but Situ Hai refused multiple times, stating he wished to stay behind to guard the graves.

「Late at night!」

The gates of the State City were extremely quiet. The four guards on duty had gathered, drinking wine and humming tunes, thoroughly enjoying themselves.

But suddenly, a middle-aged man, apparently fast asleep, flew out from the forest beyond the plains, heading straight for the city gate.

The four guards heard the commotion and immediately looked up. But seeing the flying middle-aged man, they didn’t react much.

However, they quickly realized something was wrong. The middle-aged man was nearing the city gate but showed no signs of stopping.

WHOOSH!!!

The four of them shot to their feet. One of the guards shouted, "Halt! Stop right there and submit to an inspection!"

But the middle-aged man showed no reaction at all.

"Those who trespass into the State City shall be put to death!" The four guards’ gazes turned cold. They immediately took to the air, speeding toward the middle-aged man. But when they saw his face, their expressions changed drastically.

"Hall Master of the Elixir Palace!"

"What’s going on?"

"Why is he asleep?"

The four guards hurriedly caught the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace and landed on the ground before the city gate, their faces etched with bewilderment.

One of them observed him for a moment and said in a low voice, "His face is somewhat pale. He’s not asleep; he’s unconscious from injuries. And judging from the way he arrived, someone threw him here," he added.

"Which expert is responsible for this? Please show yourself!" The other three immediately looked up, their sharp gazes scanning the sky above the plains. Their hearts were filled with disbelief. The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace was one of the peak experts in Yun State. Who could possibly have the ability to injure him to the point of unconsciousness?

「Meanwhile, in the forest, on a small hill」

Qin Feiyang and the others stood side by side, looking toward the city gate.

Fatty pouted. "Boss, this is like letting the tiger return to the mountain. Be careful he doesn’t get you back in the future."

Qin Feiyang smiled. "We’ll deal with future matters as they come. As for you, when do you plan to return next?"

A cold light surged in Fatty’s eyes. "The next time I return, it will be their doom!"

Qin Feiyang smiled and, with a wave of his hand, opened a teleportation gate. The group entered one after another.

「Soon after」

The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace finally woke up, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Hall Master, are you all right?" the four guards asked with concern. "Who knocked you unconscious?"

"Unconscious?" The Hall Master of the Elixir Palace rose, his face full of doubt.

But immediately afterward, a series of images flashed through his mind. He involuntarily raised his hand to touch the top of his head and paused, stunned. Then he looked at the four guards and asked, "How did I get back here?"

The four guards explained what had happened in detail.

After listening, the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace was silent for a moment. He looked up at the night sky and whispered, Since you defeated me so thoroughly, why did you also save me?

The four guards were completely baffled.

But the Hall Master of the Elixir Palace offered no explanation. He withdrew his gaze, opened a teleportation gate, and swiftly disappeared.