Chapter 305: Between The Past and Present |
Things weren't always this way at all.
Back in the age where countless gods roamed and visited the world, it was said that the earth was plunged into the survival of the fittest. The rich, powerful and those who had connections to them were the ones dictating how the world would operate.
Cultivators from one place, great Magicians across the sea, all individuals that had the spark of the World and could see beyond the Veil were among those who could rival and even became the very gods.
It was said to be a proud time and Senior Longwei took pride in the fact that their master Liu Qing Shan existed within this period.
The history of their entire nation was rich and riddled with countless wars and large-scale conflicts between individuals and organizations that sought after power.
During the end of the golden age of cultivation, when most of the talented and unrivaled genius ascended into higher realms, the people who remained were weak at best and the stagnation happened henceforth.
And now in the modern era, the idea of them fighting over the remnants of the past now seemed to be an unforgiving and unworthy use of their time.
It was only through unity and collaboration could people use their own talents and resources to uncover the secrets of the past and use it for the benefit of the whole.
While there was a recent endeavor about a decade ago which was the attempt to rebirth the void dragon into the world and shake the foundations of the heavens and split it open…
This event only made the decision to pursue peace, or at best, a shaky alliance amongst organizations great and small to happen and thus the stagnation of the world continued to occur as humanity paid its time and the lost secrets of the past remained untouched.
In exchange however, was the slow but nonstop approach of the world to its own demise.
.
.
.
At this period of time and in this particular place, invoking neutrality was not necessary in Heavenly Jade Pavillion because it was already expected whether one was a heretic who pursued demonic arts in the same room as one who cultivated normally or a beast spirit, there was no infighting.
People respected the time to eat and drink.
However, Senior Longwei was not blind or even dense enough to not see that the young lady of the Bo Clan looked lost and unsure. She looked especially bothered when she saw that the back of his hand was covered in snake scales.
A thing that he was actually proud of!
But more than that, it was a sign of possible betrayal.
It meant that the chances of Bo Lifen informing another individual of his whereabouts, or just the fact that he visited them was on the line now. Neither was the cultivator dumb to think that Ning Bi would not mention it to anyone else.
Well, this trip of Senior Longwei was going to be boring if nothing were to actually happen.
"It's a relief that the Heavenly Jade Pavillion is neutral territory, isn't it?" he said.
"Heavenly Jade Pavillion is neutral territory," Bo Lifen confirmed with a nod.
The heretic cultivator smiled and returned the gesture. "Good. It would be a shame if something were to happen to your lovely employees once they leave the premises of this tea shop."
Daiyu's eyes widened as a chill came up her leg. Without a moment's hesitation, the woman pulled at her robes to find a long white snake curled around her thigh.
A slight hiss sounded from the creature as it tightened around her leg.
"You disgusting pervert!" Ning Bi shouted at him before she tried to reach for the snake with her bare hands. The creature hissed at her as Bo Lifen was forced to watch.
Senior Longwei bit back the urge to chuckle. Unless there were actual injuries sustained, people were forced to maintain this 'neutrality'.
So his actions could be taken on as a mere prank at most.
Bo Lifen and the rest were at a terrible disadvantage.
"Who was that human girl from earlier, Ning Bi?" Senior Longwei commented as he picked up a tea leaf and placed it on his tongue. The leaf dissolved and vanished immediately on his tongue as he absorbed the cleansing properties.
The young woman didn't say anything in reply, but after a moment's hardest contemplation Ning Bi replied with a flat look. "She was an employee of Heavenly Jade Pavillion."
"She seemed to have something around her neck," the cultivator shrugged and gestured to his own neck. "A tiny bug. Well, scorpions aren't exactly bugs."
Bo Lifen slammed her hands on the table and glared at him.
"Senior Longwei, if you dare lay a hand on them, you will invoke war. Not only will Shen Society interfere, even the government itself will be forced to take action if you lay a hand on non-cultivators."
The cultivator laughed and waved a hand dismissively.
"Do not worry about it. It is simply a small companion that will accompany the young employee who left earlier. Although, I have to admit as the distance grows further between my creature and I, my orders and connection… can be cut off."
Ning Bi finally removed the snake from Daiyu's leg and threw it at his face. Without another word, she ran off to find Suyin before it was too late.
Out of everyone within the building itself of Heavenly Jade Pavilion, the only one who might have been a little harder to kill for the cultivator was Ning Bi herself. That was how it was for the lucky individual who once served as the vessel for a dragon.
But with the young lady off to go on a quest of recovering Longwei's poisonous scorpion, it left Bo Lifen and Daiyu alone with Longwei. The others who were outside of the Heavenly Jade Pavillion weren't even worth mentioning at all.
They were mooks at best.
Senior Longwei's white snake retreated back into his robes and he sighed in relief. He patted his shoulder and then turned to the Bo Clan's tea sommelier with a bright smile.
"Hah, pardon me for pranking your little employee. I couldn't tolerate seeing such a presence. A small blip in the past if you will."