Xia Lao’s eyes instantly lit up. In his understanding, Ze Fang saw no distinction between men and women. Female disciples from the sect would send him sachets and handkerchiefs, and he would even complain about the sachets being too perfumed or the handkerchiefs having ugly embroidery! Ze Fang was an incorrigible straight man. Now, he was actually seeking out a woman? Who could this woman be? Was she Ze Fang’s beloved?
“Did you find her?”
“No.”
“Is she in Wuji City?”
“Most likely.”
“Do you want me to have the City Lord help you find her? Tell me the woman’s name and appearance.”
Ze Fang glanced at him. “If I knew her name and appearance, would I still be unable to find her?”
Xia Lao was stunned. “You don’t even know who you’re looking for? How are you going to find her?”
“I saw her back.” Ze Fang recalled the scene he had witnessed. It was just a fleeting glimpse of a back that caused him to drop from the Nascent Soul stage to the Qi Condensation stage. After painstakingly recovering to the Foundation Establishment stage, he had pushed himself too hard and ended up in his current state!
“With just a glimpse of someone’s back, you traveled thousands of miles to Wuji City. What were you thinking?”
“If I told you that I have less than ten years left to live, and finding this person is my only way to survive, what would you think my motives are?” Ze Fang asked softly. Ten years was but a blink of an eye for an immortal cultivator. Ten years was far too short for him. While he did not fear death, he did not wish to die without understanding why.
“How could your lifespan only have ten years left?”
“This is the second time I’ve deduced this result,” Ze Fang said quietly. “I can live for at most ten more years.”
Xia Lao was shocked. Even though the disciples of Tian Xuan Sect had their lifespans reduced to one-third of that of ordinary people due to their excessive probing of heavenly secrets, Ze Fang had once been a great cultivator in the Transformation God realm, with a lifespan of a thousand years. Even after his cultivation declined to the Nascent Soul realm, it was impossible for him to have only ten years left!
“Has your lifespan simply run out?”
“It shouldn’t be,” Ze Fang closed his eyes. “Currently, all I know is that the woman I saw in the Heavenly Evolution Chart is my last hope. However, I haven’t found any trace of her since arriving in Wuji City.”
“Then why aren’t you looking for her and instead following Xiao Qin around?” Xia Lao asked urgently. With such urgency, why wasn’t he searching for the person and instead trailing Xiao Qin like a puppy all day? Had his brain gone haywire?
“I suddenly don’t want to look anymore,” Ze Fang said calmly. “For years, my life has been filled only with study and cultivation. But from now on, I want to live for myself.”
“You’re about to die, how can you still live for yourself?” Xia Lao lamented, heartbroken. How had such a genius from Tian Xuan Sect fallen to this point!
“Precisely because I am about to die, I want to live the life I enjoy during my remaining days.”
“Your enjoyable life is chasing after that rascal Xiao Qin?” If Xiao Man were here, Xia Lao would have wanted to drag her over and give her a good thrashing. Was she a poison to people, turning such a promising seedling into this state!
Ze Fang smiled shyly. “I like being with her. When I’m with her, I feel relaxed and happy.”
“You… have made a poor choice of friends!” Xia Lao hesitated for a long time before uttering the words “poor choice of friends.” Yet, he felt these words were not entirely accurate. After all, as a friend, Xiao Man was an excellent person, willing to go through thick and thin for her friends. But when Ze Fang was so devotedly following her, Xia Lao couldn’t help but feel a bit unsettled. Su Dan Novel Network.
“Elder Xia, she is my first friend, and my only friend,” Ze Fang said with a hint of loneliness. The people of Tian Xuan Sect, because they saw through the impermanence of life and death too clearly, found it difficult to establish intimate relationships with others. Even among fellow disciples, they couldn’t feel a sense of closeness.
After meeting Xiao Man, he felt for the first time that having a friend could bring immense joy. They could cultivate together, hunt, cook, and share the joys and sorrows of life. This kind of life made him feel truly alive.
“Have you ever considered how sad Xiao Qin would be if you died?” Xia Lao asked abruptly. “Do you know that she is simultaneously sending people to search for you everywhere and looking for a way to resolve the power of thunder in the library…”
Xia Lao paused here for a moment. “Tian Ze, let’s make a bet. If you win, you can continue to stay by her side. If you lose, you will obediently return to the sect.”
“Bet on what?”
“Let’s bet on whether Xiao Qin will…”
“I won’t bet.” Before Xia Lao could finish speaking, Ze Fang refused resolutely. “I will never use her as a stake.”
“It’s just a bet on whether she is willing to save you…”
“I said I won’t bet!” Ze Fang interrupted Xia Lao calmly. “I will not do anything that could jeopardize our relationship.”
Xiao Man returned without success. Elder Qin refused to open the barrier for her. Her only way to save Ze Fang was through a life-for-life exchange.
“Xiang Jian.” As soon as Xiao Man returned to the City Lord’s mansion, she immediately found Xiang Jian.
“Boss, it’s so late, what’s the matter?” Xiang Jian asked, pulling on his clothes. “Have you found Xi Wen and Ze Fang?”
Xiao Man shook her head. “The recruitment大会 is about to begin, and I’m worried something might happen. Let me treat you first.”
“Now?”
“Now.” Xiao Man looked at Xiang Jian and asked calmly, “Xiang Jian, before the treatment, I want to ask you a question.”
“Please ask.”
“If there was a way for you to ascend to the heavens and become a supreme expert, but the prerequisite was to kill the person you care about the most, what would you do?”
“Then what would be the point of becoming a supreme expert?” Xiang Jian retorted. Without waiting for Xiao Man to answer, he continued, “The reason I want to become strong is to protect the people I care about. But if I were to kill the person I care about most to become a supreme expert, wouldn’t that be putting the cart before the horse?”
Xiao Man smiled upon hearing this. “If I told you I have a shocking secret, and if you know this secret, you can exchange it for an opportunity to ascend to the heavens, would you want to know this secret?”
“No!” Xiang Jian said decisively. “Don’t tell me, I don’t want to know!”
“That won’t do. You must know, as I have to treat you.”
Xiang Jian frowned, and after a moment, he actually imposed a restriction on himself. If he were to reveal any of Xiao Man’s secrets, he would be subject to the punishment of the restriction.
Xiao Man was surprised by Xiang Jian’s action, then she smiled. Indeed, she had chosen Xiang Jian initially because she highly valued his character; he would not betray his friends for personal gain.
“Let’s go, I’ll take you to see my secret.”
Xiang Jian felt his vision go dark for a moment. When his sight returned to normal, he found himself in an unfamiliar space. This space was vast, with many spiritual herbs and medicinal plants planted within, and even a Scarlet Profound Fruit tree!