Apocalyptic Era: Starting from picking up a Bishoujo
Chapter 322 - 301 sees Xuanwu

Chapter 322: 301 sees Xuanwu

"Huh?"

Mazao wore a look of bewilderment, as she might have thought that with the direction this conversation was taking, I should be giving up the idea of meeting with Water Navy Xuanwu.

"You’re not planning to save your own friend anymore?" she asked, at a loss.

"No, I am going to save Changan. I’ve decided to set aside the matter of the Spirit Pill for now, and I’m sorry about that," I said.

She hastened to say, "That’s not an issue at all. It’s something I feel shouldn’t be pursued any further myself."

"The reason I say I want to go see Xuanwu is twofold."

To straighten out my thoughts, I gathered the clues in my mind and began to explain them to Mazao.

"Two reasons?" she asked with doubt.

"One of them is, since Xuanwu was very likely drawn to Moon Concealing Mountain City by your unusual luck, our paths are destined to cross sooner or later. Even if we want to avoid him, it’ll probably be impossible," I said. "It’s better for us to take initiative rather than allowing him to remain hidden in the shadows, planning an attack at an unpredictable time. We might as well meet him while he still appears at the location specified by Gua Tianshi, and gauge his actual stance."

"This... does make sense..."

Perhaps feeling that it was her responsibility that caused this, she seemed somewhat embarrassed.

"There’s no need for you to blame yourself. Although there is such a reason, the second reason is equally important," I said. "Barring any surprises, other than being drawn here by you, Xuanwu must have his own affairs to attend to at Moon Concealing Mountain City. We may not know his purpose for being here right now, but we can at least guess a general direction."

Following my words, she pondered thoughtfully, "It has something to do with Yinyue...right?"

"I can’t think of anything else," I said. "If his goal really is Yinyue, then like us, he may also need to meet Yinyue herself in the deepest parts of the mist."

"He has a way?" she asked.

"He is a demon hunter of the Rank of Great Success who has lived for hundreds of years, and like Yinyue, he is regarded by Fu Feng as second only to Impermanence in strength. While there’s no evidence to confirm he has a way, at least he is more likely to have a way than we are," I said. "Through him, we may be able to find clues to locate Yinyue."

"I see..." she nodded in admiration.

"Moreover... I still intend to challenge the prophecy of Gua Tianshi and see if it’s possible to ’have it all’. However, in order not to jeopardize the situation in Changan, I need to make some adjustments.

"Considering the urgent situation in Changan, I will prioritize saving Changan. Hence, even if Xuanwu decides to keep his promise and give me the Spirit Pill later, I will refuse. However, I’m not giving up the chance to get the Spirit Pill, just proposing to delay receiving it until after this event is over.

"Forgoing the Spirit Pill doesn’t guarantee the salvation of Changan’s soul, but having the Spirit Pill in hand will prevent me from saving Changan’s soul. In other words, it’s only necessary to avoid taking possession of it before saving Changan.

"If Xuanwu feels that ’the customer asking to delay the dish’ is disrespectful and angrily breaks the promise, then... we may have to give up on getting the Spirit Pill from him, and you might want to be mentally prepared for that."

In fact, considering the prophecy stating "obtaining one will inevitably mean losing the other," there might be underlying causality unknown between "obtaining the Spirit Pill" and "saving Changan’s soul"...for example, if I must save Changan’s soul, I might need to use that Spirit Pill on him. Then the statement "both cannot be had" might be justified.

Yet, from Gua Tianshi’s tone, things seem to be not that simple. It’s more likely that there’s no causative relationship between them, and "both cannot be had" is more a destiny meant for me. Because my luck isn’t sufficient for me to achieve both great successes simultaneously, I have to choose one.

In the worst-case scenario, just the act of "going to see Water Navy Xuanwu" itself might progress the "progress bar" for "obtaining the Spirit Pill" while reducing the "progress bar" for "saving Changan’s soul."

But rather than making wild guesses here, actually going to meet him suits my personality better. The most important thing is that we don’t really have the freedom to choose between meeting or not. The only choice is whether we take the initiative to meet or are forced to encounter him in the near future.

"You can rest assured, I won’t be easily disappointed," Mazao said earnestly.

"In that case... I’ll set out right now," I said. "Just in case, you should stay inside the inn. If needed later on, I’ll inform you via the thermal energy marker."

"I understand." She nodded vigorously.

"Right, there’s one more thing..." I ponder for a moment before speaking, "It’s already the second day now, so I need to revert back to my original appearance."

She was a beat slower this time and nodded slowly: "Oh..."

What happened to "not being disappointed so easily"?

But I didn’t want to keep up this appearance of a 12- or 13-year-old when meeting the Water Navy Xuanwu. I had a prior agreement when I met the Ancient Moon God, so there was no choice (thinking about it, it should have already been the second day by then), but I can’t do the same this time. The other party may very well become an enemy, and I do not wish to be underestimated by an enemy.

After we finished eating, we left the restaurant. I first sent Mazao back to the inn, then transformed back into an adult form, and headed alone to the address designated by Gua Tianshi where the Water Navy Xuanwu would be staying.

It was a local tourist garden, with fresh air and an elegant environment, with neatly trimmed plants and sculptures set alongside the narrow stone lanes. The ticket was slightly expensive, but I paid the fee without fuss and then walked around inside. Perhaps because the townspeople are agitated, no one has the patience to admire the gardens here, so the tourist garden is currently deserted, exuding a serene and tranquil atmosphere.

It’s also thanks to the scarce crowd that I was spared the trouble of searching for the target amidst a swarm of people. Soon, I located a person who might be the target.

He was a man standing under a trellis, silently observing the plants. He looked to be in his forties or fifties, an age which for some health-conscious men could still be considered in their prime, and he exuded just that kind of vigorous energy. His body was filled with bulging, tight muscles, and he wore light-colored attire reminiscent of Martial Arts Hall practice clothes, standing tall like a landmark pole.

Although he seemed powerful at first glance, he didn’t give off an aggressive impression, more like an academic professor engaging in physical sports during his leisure time.

The robust vitality residing within him seemed to be suppressed by a temperament as profound as the abyss of the sea. At a glance, he seemed merely a calm and steady male — so much so that even I almost missed it. Fortunately, he appeared here; if he was mingling in a crowd, I might have missed him entirely.

Only upon realizing that he is no ordinary man can one appreciate the transcendence about him. Even, I’m quite certain it’s not an illusion; he vaguely brought a sense of enormity to my mind.

Unlike the threatening feeling Yinyue once gave me, the feeling he brought reminded me of Ming Zhuo, who had once attacked me and Mazao. I can confirm that he is of the same Great Success Rank as I am, but it seems that certain parts of him have prematurely touched the realm of Impermanence.

I think he must be the Water Navy Xuanwu.

"Hmm?"

Perhaps sensing my gaze, his eyebrows furrow, and his gaze sweeps towards me like lightning.

"Xuanwu, right?" I ask.

"...You are, Zhuang Cheng?" he says, "I don’t recall having divulged my itinerary to you."

"I naturally have my ways to find you," I say.

Now, he is still in a situation of evading Xuanming and his followers. The fact that I could "easily" find his exact location might not be considered trivial to him. His brows furrowed tightly, as if deep in thought, and then his eyebrows relaxed, as if he had found the answer,

"It was Gua Tianshi, wasn’t it?" he asks, "Judging by the obstruction of my Fatian Xiangdi, Gua Tianshi should also be in Moon Concealing Mountain City. Although I have speculated this, I did not expect him to reveal my whereabouts to you...

"He is not the kind to freely give out information obtained through Divination. Have you sought refuge with him in order to avoid Impermanence’s pursuit?"

"Whatever you imagine," I say.

"Is that so? In my opinion, the sort of person who would audaciously challenge Impermanence doesn’t seem likely to tuck tail after the event and seek refuge under another Impermanence," he scrutinizes me with calm eyes, "Which means, it’s not that you seek Gua Tianshi, but Gua Tianshi seeks you...

"Is he making a move to pull you into his fold? No, that can’t be... It might be possible for others, but why would he extend an olive branch to you, a demon hunter whose background is unclear, and who awakened great power for unknown reasons..."

"What’s wrong with a demon hunter ’awakening great power for unknown reasons’ like me?" I ask.

Hearing this, he showed a strange smile that seemed both mocking and self-deprecating, and then he said slowly, "Come to think of it... I haven’t introduced myself to you yet."

I nod and preemptively assert myself, "I’m Zhuang Cheng, nice to meet you, please take care of me."

"I am Xuanwu, the Alchemist Water Master you seek," he says indifferently, "At the same time, I am the man who will take your life in the future."