"What secret?"
"It seems to be some kind of ancient taboo. I heard it's a terrifying existence. The Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling has been guarding it generation after generation, but no one really knows exactly what they're guarding."
"An ancient taboo..." Gu Qingfeng murmured, sipping his wine, lost in thought. After a moment, he asked again, "What does that have to do with me? How did my existence threaten this so-called secret taboo they were guarding?"
"They probably deduced it based on that ancient taboo, or maybe your existence triggered some reaction from it. I'm not from the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling, so I don't know the details clearly."
"Back then, when they tried to wipe me out, why did you save me?"
"Kid Gu, I don't like how you're phrasing that. 'Why did I save you?' We were acquainted, and we got along quite well. How could I just stand by and watch you get slaughtered?"
The Peach Blossom Old Daoist shot Gu Qingfeng an extremely disdainful look and said irritably, "Besides, saving you back then was like poking a hornet's nest for me. I thoroughly offended the people of the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling, and they hunted me down for a long time afterward. If you hadn't been annihilated by the Immortal Dao Judgment later, I might still be on the run from them."
"Is that so? Then it seems I'm at fault."
"What else did you think? I saved you, and instead of being grateful, you start suspecting me."
"Heh..." Gu Qingfeng chuckled but said nothing more.
To be honest.
He didn't believe the Peach Blossom Old Daoist's words. He was absolutely certain this old codger was hiding something from him and definitely not telling the whole truth.
Not only that, Gu Qingfeng also knew this old fellow was deeply secretive and definitely hadn't used his true abilities during their earlier fight.
"Old Daoist, do you have any relationship with the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling?"
"'Relationship' is too strong a word. Let's just say we have some connections. You could call it a generational friendship. I know some people from the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling."
"Generational friendship? What kind of 'generational' are we talking about?"
"Heh heh!" The Peach Blossom Old Daoist grinned, a sly glint flashing in his muddy eyes. "Kid Gu, don't try to probe me with roundabout questions. I've told you everything I know. If I don't know something, asking is pointless. I've lived in the Great Northwest for so many years; is it really strange that I know a few people from the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling? As for the generational friendship... let me put it this way: the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling has its secret to guard, and I have my own secret to guard. As for what that secret is, don't ask. Even if you did, I wouldn't tell you. It's my private matter and has nothing to do with you. Besides..." As he spoke, the Peach Blossom Old Daoist swept his gaze over Gu Qingfeng with ill intent and snorted coldly. "When I asked about your situation earlier, you didn't tell me either, did you?"
"Oh, so you were waiting for me here."
Gu Qingfeng narrowed his eyes in contemplation. After a while, he asked again, "Old Daoist, let me ask you something."
"What is it?"
"Have you ever heard of Wu Dao Mountain?"
"Wu Dao Mountain?" The Peach Blossom Old Daoist shook his head, indicating he didn't know. "What mountain is that? I've never heard of it."
"It's a mountain from the Wu Dao Age."
"The Wu Dao Age? That mysterious Wu Dao Age? Are you kidding me? The Wu Dao Age is considered the most mysterious era between heaven and earth. How could I possibly know about some Wu Dao Mountain?"
"Someone once told me they saw Wu Dao Mountain in the Great Northwest."
"That's pure nonsense! How can you believe such ghost stories? The Wu Dao Age vanished ages ago—if not hundreds of millions of years, then at least tens of millions. How could anyone see a mountain from the Wu Dao Age in the Great Northwest?"
"Heh..." Gu Qingfeng merely smiled faintly without refuting him and continued asking, "Is the ancient taboo guarded by the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling related to Wu Dao Mountain?"
"Impossible!"
"You're not from the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling. Why are you so sure it's not?"
"Do I need to be sure? Just think about it—it's impossible! The Wu Dao Age... what a mysterious era, what a terrifying era. If the secret guarded by the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling was really related to the Wu Dao Age, someone would have turned their place upside down long ago, right?"
"What you say makes sense."
Gu Qingfeng nodded and asked again, "Then could the secret you're guarding be related to Wu Dao Mountain?"
"Even more ridiculous! If the secret I'm guarding was really from the Wu Dao Age, would I have been beaten so badly by you earlier? I would have used the power of the Wu Dao Age to wipe you out long ago."
"That's hard to say."
"I say, Kid Gu, have you been traumatized by something since your return, or have you heard some rumors? Why are you spouting such nonsense?"
Gu Qingfeng smiled without speaking. He was becoming more and more certain that the Peach Blossom Old Daoist was hiding something from him. Even though he couldn't see through this old fellow, he could sense he wasn't telling the truth.
"This... Kid Gu, can I ask you something? Out of the blue, why are you suddenly asking about what happened back then?"
"I'm just idling away. Just asking casually."
"Just asking casually? Kid Gu, I'm not blind. You don't seem like you're 'just asking casually.'"
"Fine. Since you've seen through me, I might as well tell you. I'm here to settle old scores. Back then, the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling wanted to kill me. It's time to settle that debt with them."
"You kid..." The Peach Blossom Old Daoist sprang to his feet, pointing at Gu Qingfeng and shouting, "Didn't you just say you'd already let it go? What's there to settle? That was ages ago! How can you still be holding onto it?"
"Can't help it."
Gu Qingfeng shrugged. "I'm just a petty person. I hold grudges, and I repay every slight."
"No! You can't go!"
"Why can't I go?"
Seeing the Peach Blossom Old Daoist's flustered appearance, Gu Qingfeng laughed. "What does it have to do with you? Besides, didn't you just say they hunted you down for many years too? I'll help you vent some anger while I'm at it."
"Kid, do you think I'm stopping you because I'm afraid you'll destroy the Setting-Sun Mountain Nine Elders Cave Dwelling? I'm afraid they'll destroy you!"
The Peach Blossom Old Daoist leaned forward, pressing his hands on the stone table, his eyes wide and serious. "Kid Gu, back then, when you were annihilated by the Immortal Dao Judgment, they thought you were dead. That matter was considered closed. If they find out you're still alive, they won't let you off easily this time. They'll spare no effort to wipe you out."
"Perfect. I wasn't planning on letting them off either."
"Kid Gu, those people are not to be trifled with. They're far, far more terrifying than you can imagine."
"Then tell me, how exactly are they 'not to be trifled with'?"