Qin Mu followed behind Lu Shuanger’s master, catching a faint, refreshing fragrance that seeped into his heart.
Chu Jiujiu came to a small hut—it was a tavern, but the flag at the entrance was tattered and worn. If not for Qin Mu’s careful observation, he wouldn’t have recognized it.
Entering the tavern, there were only two people inside. With Qin Mu and Chu Jiujiu, that made four.
The proprietor was cleaning with a feather duster. Chu Jiujiu casually raised her hand, and a jug of wine flew into her grasp.
“Young Master Qin, care for a sip?”
Chu Jiujiu raised the wine and asked.
“Senior, I’m not a heavy drinker. I can’t drink too much.”
‘If it were beer, he could chug a bottle in a flash, but spiritual wine really got to his head. Normally, the spiritual wine he drank was mostly brewed from spirit fruits, so he could handle a bit more.’
“Young Master Qin, you can try a taste.”
Chu Jiujiu revealed her fair wrist and poured a small cup of wine for Qin Mu.
Qin Mu picked up the cup, gazed at the clear wine, and took a sip.
The moment it entered his mouth, an indescribable sensation surged straight to his brain, like in a food anime when a character eats something delicious and their clothes burst off.
Seeing Qin Mu’s expression, Chu Jiujiu smiled and said, “Young Master Qin, how does it taste?”
“It’s delicious! This is the first time I’ve had such good wine!”
There was none of the alcohol burn Qin Mu had expected; instead, a warm current flowed down his throat into his stomach.
Chu Jiujiu explained, “This wine is brewed from spirit fruits and medicinal herbs of the Wildlands. It’s very rare.”
‘As expected, the place where a big shot came from was definitely not ordinary.’
‘Qin Mu knew that the place Chu Jiujiu brought him to could never sell ordinary things.’
Chu Jiujiu propped her cheek on one hand and swirled the wine glass with the other. She took a light sip from her crimson lips and said, “Come to think of it, it’s quite a coincidence today. I was originally looking for Young Master Qin, and we just happened to meet.”
“May I ask what Senior wishes to see me about?”
“Hehe, naturally it’s about those golden stripes.”
Chu Jiujiu chuckled softly, causing her generous bosom to shake along. Truly a mature woman—every part of her was fully ripe.
Qin Mu exerted tremendous willpower not to stare, so as not to incur the displeasure of the great power.
“Senior, have you found out?”
‘According to Divine Dragon Senior, records of him in this world should be very few. Back then, he was discovered only because he was too lazy to move for a long time, and eventually someone found him.’
‘After all, the places where Primordial Beings lived were exceptionally rich in lingqi, giving birth to many good things.’
Chu Jiujiu shook her head. She had also specially searched ancient texts, but there were only a few scattered records.
“The clan’s ancient texts have no records, but there’s a place that might have them.”
“Where?”
“The Sleeping Land of our tribe’s successive High Priests.”
Every High Priest of the Gu Tribe eventually passes away in the Sleeping Land. Thanks to a special formation, their souls remain intact, and though they no longer have their former power, it is no less than a treasure trove of knowledge.
The oldest souls can even be traced back to the Ancient Era. It is said that the deepest part of the Sleeping Land holds the first High Priest of the Gu Tribe, but none of the successive High Priests have ever succeeded in entering, blocked by an invisible barrier.
Upon hearing the name of a new map, Qin Mu felt a premonition of doom. He pointed at himself and said, “Senior, you don’t mean I have to go in, do you?”
“Young Master Qin is so clever. That’s right, you indeed have to go in.”
Seeing Qin Mu’s face fall instantly, Chu Jiujiu continued, “Of course, you won’t go alone, Young Master Qin. I will go with you.”
Although he had a great power of the Tribulation Stage accompanying him, Qin Mu still felt a sense of foreboding.
“Senior, I’m afraid I need to report this to my two elder sisters.”
“No need, Young Master Qin. Just leave everything to me. It will be quick—less than half an hour.”
Chu Jiujiu had entered many times and knew the Sleeping Land inside out. After finding no clues about Qin Mu’s golden stripes, she went to consult the former High Priests in the Sleeping Land.
Hearing of this matter, even they, who had long passed away, couldn’t help but feel curious, so they suggested that Chu Jiujiu bring the person in for them to examine closely.
Half an hour was quite fast, so Qin Mu agreed.
Seeing Qin Mu agree, Chu Jiujiu downed the rest of the wine, stood up, and said, “In that case, Young Master Qin, follow me.”
Chu Jiujiu waved her hand, and a rift opened in space.
Qin Mu stepped into the space rift. When he came out again, the scenery before him had changed. The sky was dim and covered with dark clouds. Not far away stood a large stone tablet, estimated to be three or four meters tall.
Moreover, there was a faint black mist in the air here. Qin Mu immediately felt his True Qi circulation stagnate. At that moment, a warmth rose from his abdomen, and his body surface was covered in a glow.
‘It was the spiritual wine he had just drunk!’
This warm feeling was exactly the same as when he had drunk the spiritual wine earlier.
“How is it? If you can’t hold on, Young Master Qin, just say the word.”
Chu Jiujiu asked with concern.
“Senior, I feel great.”
Qin Mu even felt that this place was quiet and quite pleasant.
“Then, Young Master Qin, just follow behind me.”
Chu Jiujiu walked ahead to lead the way, and Qin Mu quickly followed.
‘At the same time, Qin Mu observed the surroundings. It was gloomy—withered trees, barren soil, and a dark atmosphere. This place would absolutely be first-rate as a filming location for a horror movie.’
Before long, a small river appeared ahead, with a wooden bridge over it. It looked shabby and dilapidated, making one worry if it could bear any weight.
Chu Jiujiu walked across the bridge with a calm expression. Seeing this, Qin Mu also stepped onto it.
Although there were creaking sounds, fortunately the bridge didn’t shake, and they passed safely.
After crossing the wooden bridge, a phantom suddenly appeared before Qin Mu. It was blurry, and he couldn’t make out the face, but from its shape, it was humanoid.
“Hehe, so this is the owner of the golden stripes.”
As it spoke, the phantom floated closer.
Qin Mu was startled and stepped back a few paces.
“Young man, don’t be afraid. This Elder won’t harm you.”
Qin Mu looked at Chu Jiujiu, who gave him a reassuring glance.
The phantom stopped in front of Qin Mu.
He could even feel a gaze appraising him.
“How strange, how strange. The Threads of Fate on him are blurry and uncertain, as if hidden by some existence.”
The phantom said calmly, indicating that this was the first time he had seen something like this. In life, he was at the Half-Step Mahayana Stage. Seeing through the Threads of Fate of someone at the Foundation Establishment Stage—even if he couldn’t see ten percent, six percent was possible.
The higher one’s cultivation, the less one could see. But it wasn’t as if one could see all of a person’s fate at a glance—the Heavenly Dao had restrictions. Trying to forcibly view all fates would bring Heavenly Punishment.
The phantom looked at Qin Mu’s Threads of Fate—not to mention six percent, not even two percent were visible. It seemed to be covered by something. But what could cover the Threads of Fate set by the Heavenly Dao?
Qin Mu’s heart was full of anxiety at this moment, like a patient seeing the doctor’s confused expression—he was even more nervous than the doctor.
‘On one hand, he was afraid of revealing the existence of Divine Dragon Senior; on the other hand, he was quite curious—since he wasn’t from this world, what exactly was his fate?’
‘Was his luck maxed out, or did he have the worst luck?’
‘But judging by the current situation, it was neither—it was a third kind: wherever he went, trouble followed.’