Gu Qingfeng was a rather nostalgic man. Ever since awakening in this world, he had always wanted to find his old Chixiao brothers to have a heart-to-heart talk. However, fate played tricks on him—either he couldn't find them, or no one believed he was Gu Qingfeng.
Although Gu Qingfeng didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that at the foot of Panlong Mountain, if Su Hua hadn't appeared, these Chixiao brothers probably still wouldn't have believed him—at least, not absolutely.
Fortunately.
Su Hua had come.
Since these Chixiao brothers now believed, Gu Qingfeng naturally wanted to drink to his heart's content with everyone.
At first, Heishui, Hei Fo, and the other Chixiao people were somewhat reserved. But after a dozen or so jars of wine, they gradually loosened up, chatting freely about all sorts of things, mostly reminiscing about those life-and-death struggles from back in the day.
Thinking back to those years.
Drinking from big bowls, eating meat in large mouthfuls, killing and drinking blood, scheming to dominate the world—it was truly exhilarating.
Even now, thinking about it still made their blood boil with passion.
When the conversation reached its peak, Heishui immediately stood up and then knelt down, saying, "Monarch, ever since you left three hundred years ago, our Chixiao Sect has been like a dragon without a head, each acting as their own king. Some went into seclusion, some established their own factions, and some even defected to the Immortal Dynasty. It can be said that our Chixiao Sect has long been torn apart. My brothers and I have been waiting for your return, waiting for you to reemerge, raise the banner once more, reunite the Chixiao, slaughter the Immortal Dynasty, and kill our way up to the Nine Heavens!"
"That's right!"
Hei Fo also stood up excitedly, knelt down, and cupped his hands, shouting, "Monarch, after the Present-Ancient Era began, the Immortal Dynasty descended once more, dominating this world and growing stronger by the day. Although the Immortal Dynasty hasn't directly attacked us in the past hundred years of the Present-Ancient Era, they've been using all sorts of underhanded tricks behind the scenes, causing our Crimson-Letter Sect to splinter. Once the time is ripe, the Immortal Dynasty will surely slaughter us without mercy. Now that you've finally returned, we hope you will make a comeback, lead your brothers once more, slaughter the Immortal Dynasty again, and restore the might of our Chixiao!"
Immediately after.
Old Man Hong, Yuheng, and a group of other Chixiao people also knelt down, all hoping that Gu Qingfeng would reemerge, slaughter the Immortal Dynasty, and kill his way up to the Nine Heavens.
Only Old Mei did not kneel, but he stood up, remaining silent.
Gu Qingfeng was still sitting in his chair, taking occasional sips of wine, slightly frowning as he looked at Heishui, Hei Fo, and the other Chixiao people. Then he turned to Old Mei and asked, "Old Mei, what's your opinion?"
"I will follow the Monarch's command in all matters."
Gu Qingfeng nodded and said nothing more. He drank three cups of wine in succession before slowly speaking, "Slaughtering the Immortal Dynasty isn't difficult. Killing our way up to the Nine Heavens isn't difficult either. It's just...
And then what?"
And then?
There was no 'and then'.
Neither Hei Fo nor Heishui could answer that question. They had never thought about what to do after slaughtering the Immortal Dynasty and killing their way up to the Nine Heavens.
"Slaughter the Immortal Dynasty, kill our way up to the Nine Heavens, wipe out the Immortal Dao, then wipe out the Heavenly Dao...
And while we're at it, wipe out all Three Thousand Great Daos. And then what?
Who do we kill next?
Kill the Old Man of Heaven?
Or finish off the Lord of the Great Earth?
Let's not even talk about whether we have the capability or the power to do so. Even if we did, and even if we really wiped them all out, then what..." This 'then what' left Heishui, Hei Fo, and the other Chixiao people at a loss for how to respond. They had only thought about slaughtering the Immortal Dynasty and killing their way up to the Nine Heavens; they hadn't considered wiping out the Three Thousand Great Daos.
"I'm baffled. Are you all addicted to killing, or do you damn well want to wipe out the Three Thousand Great Daos and become the masters of heaven and earth?"
"Monarch, we're not addicted to killing, and we never thought about wiping out the Three Thousand Great Daos. That's not what we meant. We just..." Heishui hemmed and hawed for a long time but couldn't articulate a reason.
"Just what?"
"Just...
Just..." Heishui grew anxious and looked at Hei Fo, who said, "Monarch, the brothers just want to restore the glory of our Chixiao Sect."
"Yes!
That's right, that's what I meant too—restore the glory of our Chixiao Sect."
"Since we've already experienced glory, that's enough."
Gu Qingfeng said indifferently, "What's there to restore?
What's worth restoring?
Was causing a ruckus once not enough? Do you want to do it twice? Aren't you tired?
Back then, we caused a ruckus because we had no choice—for survival, we had to stir things up and fight the Immortal Dynasty. Now each of you has a family and a career, children and grandchildren filling your halls, dragging your families along. You have food to eat and wine to drink. You've all made something of yourselves, either becoming overlords who command respect in your regions or wealthy magnates who dominate an area. I ask you, instead of living the good life, what are you stirring up trouble for?"
Gu Qingfeng's words left the three hundred-plus Chixiao people speechless. Finally, Hei Fo said, "Monarch, it's not that the brothers are abandoning the good life to stir up trouble. It's that the Immortal Dynasty still holds a grudge over what happened back then. Once the time is ripe, they will definitely eradicate us."
"Yes, Monarch. Those bastards in the Immortal Dynasty have truly forgotten the pain once the wound healed. If we don't strike them, they'll eventually wipe us out."
Gu Qingfeng looked at them and sighed, "I always thought that after going through life-and-death struggles together, wading through seas of blood, we understood each other and had absolute trust. Now I realize that was completely my own one-sided assumption. You bastards never believed in me from the start!"
"Monarch, we do believe in you!"
"Yes, Monarch, what are you saying? When have we ever not trusted you?"
Heishui, Hei Fo, and the other Chixiao people were somewhat confused.
"Trust my ass!"
Gu Qingfeng roared angrily, shaking all the Chixiao people present until they felt the world spinning. Perhaps sensing Gu Qingfeng's fury, they were all too terrified to even breathe heavily. Even Old Mei, who had been standing, quickly knelt down.
"You were all there when I accepted the Immortal Dao Judgment back then, right?
Do you remember a sentence I said to the Nine Heavens?"
A sentence said to the Nine Heavens?
Heishui blurted out, "Back when you accepted the Immortal Dao Judgment, you warned the Nine Heavens, having sworn a heavenly oath and condensed a Blood Curse. If the Nine Heavens broke their promise and dared to move against the Chixiao people, the Blood Curse would activate. Then, the Chixiao storm would stir, blood and slaughter would fill the heavens, endless dragon-elephants would rage, and heaven and earth would be judged."
"Oh, Er Gou, your memory's pretty good."
Heishui nodded, grinning, "Every word you've ever said, I've kept in my heart!"
"Since you remember me warning the Nine Heavens, then what the hell are you still worried about!"
"Monarch."
Heishui said with a tearful, helpless expression, "I thought...
I thought you were just trying to scare the Nine Heavens. I never took it seriously. So you really did swear a heavenly oath and condense a Blood Curse?"
"Nonsense!
Do you think I have nothing better to do, just playing with you?"