Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 137 - 131 Water Navy Xuanwu 2

Chapter 137: 131 Water Navy Xuanwu 2

Xuanwu!

This name streaked through my mind like lightning.

At the same time, the words Mazao had said in the past also tumbled forth from the depths of my memory.

Mazao had a method to heal her soul’s trauma, but it could only be realized during the Doomsday Era. To be precise, her method required the use of the body tissues of the Doomsday Demon "Xuanwu".

Since the Great Demon emerged from beings of an Impermanence rank after they devastatingly degenerated into Sin Demons, they were likely infamous before Doomsday. We had struggled to match it with the current era’s Impermanence, but now we finally heard a clue related to "Xuanwu".

But first, the Xuanwu of this era wasn’t yet a Great Demon, and Mazao’s mentioned cure was hearsay lacking in detail; secondly, was this Water Navy Xuanwu really the Great Demon Xuanwu? The Water Navy Xuanwu wasn’t really an Impermanence, right?

No, Mr. Zhu had also said many people believed the Water Navy Xuanwu could potentially become an Impermanence... That is, he truly became an Impermanence and eventually degenerated into a Great Demon? This possibility seemed quite high.

Seeing my troubled reaction, Mr. Zhu asked solemnly, "Zhuang Cheng, have you heard of the person named Xuanwu?"

"I have heard bits and pieces," I replied briefly, and then said, "Mr. Zhu, I have a question."

Not pursuing my odd reaction, he nodded for me to continue.

"After the assassination attempt on Xuanming failed, the Water Navy chose to fake his death to avoid trouble and even underwent a complete makeover to become Xuanwu—I can understand that. But why do you know this truth?" I asked. "Does this have something to do with you offering to introduce me to Xuanwu?"

"Yeah, Grandpa, does our family really have a connection with someone like Xuanwu?" Zhu Shi asked, likely focusing on Xuanwu just as I was.

...

Mazao remained silently listening but her gaze became intensely focused.

"There is a connection. While not deep, it’s sufficiently useful," Mr. Zhu explained. "Precisely, the person connected to the Water Navy...to Xuanwu is our Zhu family ancestor Zhu Yi. It is said that Zhu Yi once helped Xuanwu greatly, and in return, the latter left a token with the Zhu family. Zhu Yi himself and his descendants could use this token to contact Xuanwu and request he craft an elixir for them.

"During Zhu Yijian’s time, this kind of token wasn’t considered particularly valuable to our family, not only was it never used, it was carelessly lost over time, and even completely forgotten.

"However, it seems Xuanwu himself never forgot this matter. Perhaps worried that the Zhu family descendants would think he had truly died, he made a special visit to me. After learning the token was lost, he even gave the Zhu family another one. It was only then I learned of the connection between the Zhu family and Xuanwu."

"You mean to say that his token can be reported lost and replaced?" Zhu Shi said.

My attention, however, was drawn to another detail: "After his failed assassination on Xuanming, Xuanwu must have been seriously wounded... When he came to see you, had he already healed his injuries?"

"Even Xuanwu probably couldn’t completely heal the wounds inflicted by Xuanming’s fire, but from what I saw, he didn’t appear to be gravely injured. It seems he managed to keep the damage under a certain threshold," replied Mr. Zhu.

In other words, even if Xuanwu couldn’t cure the effects of Xuanming’s fire completely, at least he wasn’t completely helpless against it—he should be able to heal Mazao’s soul trauma.

Since Mr. Zhu took the initiative to tell me about the existence of Xuanwu’s token, he must be mentally prepared to use it for me. And through our previous conversation, I already knew the value of "asking Xuanwu for a favor." Obviously, he intended to do me a favor. Once accepted, I wouldn’t be able to morally refuse any request from the Zhu family.

But did I need to hesitate because of this?

To heal Mazao’s soul trauma, I was willing to pay an even greater price. Moreover, if Zhu Shi and Changan faced difficulties and wanted my help, I would certainly lend a hand within my capabilities. So, for me, this was essentially a no-cost deal—no, calling it a "deal" sounded distasteful. Better not to overthink it and just accept the favor.

Mr. Zhu seemed to confirm my intentions with a glance and added, "I hope you don’t misunderstand. The reason I brought up Xuanwu’s token is to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings between us in the future. For example, if I hadn’t mentioned it here, would you later think that the Zhu family had reservations about you? I don’t actually intend to introduce you to Xuanwu, as that would be far too dangerous."

"The one needing to heal her soul trauma is Mazao. Why not have me or Grandpa take the token and bring Mazao to meet with Xuanwu directly?" Zhu Shi suggested.

"That won’t work," Mr. Zhu shook his head. "Someone like Xuanwu, who can already somewhat see the flow of fate and karma, combined with his profound obsession with Flame Ability users... upon seeing this young lady, he’ll definitely detect Zhuang Cheng’s presence."

"Mr. Zhu, please introduce us to Xuanwu," I said.

"Are you sure? I must warn you in advance, although Xuanwu is at the Great Success Rank just like you, his strength is far greater than that of the Great Demon Silver Moon of yesteryear, not to mention he also possesses moves powerful enough to injure an Impermanence..."

"It’s alright. Since he is so obsessed with Flame Ability users that he even dares to assassinate Xuanming, then even if I don’t seek him out, unless I decide to go into hiding and live a low-profile life, he will eventually find me. Rather than that, it’s better to make contact while he might still be injured." I said, "Moreover, even if I really can’t beat him, can’t I still run away?"

In reality, I had no intention of running away. A trump card that once harmed Impermanence Xuanming? An obsession with Flame Ability users that comes from who knows where? These words indeed made me cautious and wary, yet they also sparked an indescribable expectation within me.

I am definitely not some battle maniac, nor have I ever had the thought of looking for trouble like a thug looking for a fight. However, he is a person I must make contact with in order to heal Mazao’s soul trauma. To give up this opportunity out of fear of the other party is out of the question. And if the other party is bent on fighting no matter what, then I suppose I’ll reluctantly meet the challenge, right?

I wanted to place myself in a dangerous situation to see what I was truly capable of.

Mr. Zhu seemed to have already thought it through a lot. After repeatedly confirming my determination, in the end, he could only nod, "I understand. Even though you have not yet accepted the protection of the Zhu family, I will prioritize your intentions. Let’s do as you wish."

Zhu Shi didn’t try to persuade me like her grandfather. She knew I would never back down on this matter and instead expressed her concerns, "Wouldn’t Xuanwu use Zhuang Cheng as an excuse to renege on the deal about the token?"

"You can rest assured on that point, Xuanwu places great importance on his promises. Even if he has conflicts with Zhuang Cheng, he will definitely not forget his commitment to make elixirs for the token holder," Mr. Zhu said.

"When is Xuanwu likely to arrive?" I asked.

"The meeting place will be designated by Xuanwu when the time comes, as for the time..." Mr. Zhu thought for a moment and then said, "To prevent tracking by Divination Skills, the new token that Xuanwu is reissuing for the Zhu family places more emphasis on security over communication efficiency. I estimate it will take about half a month before we receive Xuanwu’s reply."

Half a month... Hearing this, I could only suppress my impatience for the time being.

"Can you hold out until then?" Zhu Shi asked Mazao with a voice as gentle as that of an older sister, which she indeed was.

Mazao silently looked at me and nodded firmly.

Mr. Zhu glanced at Mazao, then suddenly inquired of me, "Speaking of which, I heard that this little girl is now living with you?"

"Yes." I didn’t know why he suddenly brought this up.

Mr. Zhu spoke with a solemn expression, "Although the girl is still young, isn’t it inappropriate for you two to live alone as a single man and a young girl? How about you move in with us? As you can see, the Zhu’s mansion has many spare rooms, and it would be more convenient for you to meet my granddaughter. Oh right, you can also meet Changan while you’re at it, aren’t you good friends?"

Zhu Shi expressed her surprise, "Although I also think it’s not good for them to live alone, Grandfather, isn’t your proposal a bit too sudden?"

Mr. Zhu turned his head to look at his granddaughter, then let out a long sigh, "Shi, you and your mother are becoming more and more alike..."

"Ah?... Thank you?" Zhu Shi was puzzled.

In the end, I courteously declined Mr. Zhu’s offer. Considering Mazao’s Broom Star Physique, it was inconvenient for her to live with so many people under one roof, and of course, I intended to stay with Mazao.

Mr. Zhu could only give up regrettably for the time being, saying that if I ever changed my mind, I could move in any time. Then, he turned to Zhu Shi and said, "Your communication with the Yama Sword seems to be going smoothly recently. Later on, I’ll teach you how to communicate further, remember to prepare for the next phase of your training."

"Yes," Zhu Shi responded earnestly.

"Then, it’s time for us to say goodbye," I said.

Mr. Zhu nodded and then took us to retrieve the head of the Weirdo Maker and get the medicine for healing soul trauma. Finally, he turned to Zhu Shi, "Go see them off."

After parting with Mr. Zhu, we followed Zhu Shi’s lead out of the western-style building, through the garden, and arrived at the iron gate of Zhu’s mansion.

This time, I could say that I achieved all the goals of my visit. Not only did I retrieve the head of the Weirdo Maker, but I also satisfied my curiosity about the Zhu’s mansion and obtained clues to heal Mazao, and in addition, I learned about Ying Lingyun’s past. If there was anything I missed, it was not seeing Changan. Perhaps it’s better we don’t meet for the time being.

However, one matter at a time, I still was a bit curious about Changan’s current situation, so I inquired about it with Zhu Shi.

She replied, "My brother should be following Grandfather’s guidance in meditation right now. This is the preparation for lifting the seal on the Demon bloodline and associated memories in the near future."

"The seal hasn’t been lifted yet?" I asked.

"Right, no amount of preparation is too much for this matter; we must be extremely cautious," she said with a severe look, "Otherwise, my brother will lose control and go berserk again, becoming a freak ruled by cannibalistic instincts."