ALL NOVEL
Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The Mysterious Beggar
At the same time, inside the Xia Family's main hall.
Several family heads were gathered, each with a belly full of questions they wanted to ask.
"Patriarch Xia, what was the meaning of stopping us just now? A mere few evil cultivators aren't worth such fuss, are they?" frowned the Wang Family Patriarch.
"Indeed, even if those evil cultivators outside the city are protecting Tangneng First-class, Ancient Moon City is ultimately our turf. Could they really take it away?" the others chimed in.
"I think you all have really cultivated yourselves to confusion. Didn't you find the elder in the bathhouse a bit familiar?"
Xia Jiuquan pointed at the huge portrait on the wall behind him. "Take a closer look. Don't you find him very familiar?"
"This..."
"Is Patriarch Xia suggesting..."
"Elder Tianwu?"
"How is that possible? Elder Tianwu disappeared without a trace thirty years ago, and besides, why would such a powerful figure come to a small place like Ancient Moon City?"
Seeing the portrait on the wall and combining it with Xia Jiuquan's words, the others broke into a cold sweat in an instant.
They all recognized the huge portrait on the wall; in fact, each of their families also had this portrait hanging up. The figure in the painting had ascended to the level of the Northern Region's spiritual belief: it was customary for any prestigious family to hang a portrait of Elder Tianwu for peace.
How could such an esteemed master possibly appear in the insignificant Ancient Moon City?
"This can't be. Elder Tianwu is a being capable of ascension. How could he come to a corner like ours?"
"Patriarch Xia, you must be over-suspicious. There are too many people in the world that look alike."
The family heads couldn't believe such a thing.
Xia Jiuquan frowned. He had seen it very clearly just a moment ago; the old man soaking in the bathhouse was the spitting image of the person in the portrait. He worshiped Elder Tianwu every day; there was no way he could have been mistaken.
"I am not necessarily saying he is Elder Tianwu himself from back then. Perhaps he is a descendant, or maybe there's a blood relationship. In any case, aside from the hair and beard, he greatly resembles the Elder Tianwu in the portrait."
"Regardless, I will promptly report this to the ancestral elders of my clan. True or not, we must alert them."
...
"Of course, I must go."
"Who are the talents attending this gathering?"
Li Xiaobai didn't hesitate to agree. A gathering of the city's talents, this was a typical grand stage of showing off and face-slapping.
How could Li Xiaobai miss such an occasion?
He was only two thousand Attribute Points away from increasing his defensive power; he had to seize every opportunity to enhance his defense.
"Speaking of talents, apart from some of the clan disciples within the city, it has to be Xia Jian, the second young master of the Xia Family, and Wang Ruoxian, the young lady of the Wang Family," said someone.
"This Xia Jian is the Xia family's most talented; he was sent to Zhenyuan Country for cultivation since he was a child. I've recently heard he'll be returning to join us on our journey to the Holy Demon Sect for further cultivation."
"And then there's Wang Ruoxian. It's said she has been cultivating at the Xiao Cheng Sect all this time, far outstripping her peers in cultivation level. She too is preparing to advance her cultivation at the Holy Demon Sect."
Li Ya explained this with a tone of awe and envy.
These two individuals were the most outstanding in Ancient Moon City, with solid high-stage Golden Core cultivation levels; they might even be on the cusp of reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.
Xia Jian, despicable?
Why do all the Xia Family members have such strange names?
Li Xiaobai found the names quite amusing, but he was somewhat looking forward to the gathering. Whether it was Zhenyuan Country or the Xiao Cheng Sect, he had encountered both, but he had no idea if anyone from Zhenyuan Country had been among those he'd tricked in the Divine Beast Mountain Range.
"Also, there's one more thing."
Li Ya snuck a glance at the old beggar, leading Li Xiaobai outside with a hesitant expression.
"Do you recognize that old beggar, Boss Ye?"
"Of course, doesn't he come here every day?" Li Xiaobai replied.
"That's not what I mean. Considering your remarkable abilities, Boss Ye, you must have traveled far and wide. Don't you think that old beggar looks like someone?"
"Looks like who?"
Li Xiaobai's interest was piqued; he had long suspected the old beggar was a master.
"Elder Tianwu from over a hundred years ago!"
"I've always felt his face was familiar. I didn't notice anything when he was unkempt but after he washed up, the more I look, the more he resembles him. In the Northern Region, almost every big family has a portrait of Elder Tianwu hanging up. Boss Ye, you might have invited a revered deity over."
A century ago, a legendary figure once emerged from Tianwu Sect in the Northern Region, known as the Martial Lunatic. He fought from the Northern Region to the Western Desert, from the Western Desert to the Eastern Sea, and then conquered Central Province with an overwhelming force. On the Immortal Spirit Continent, this man dominated an era; for over a decade, no young cultivators could match him.
He was known as a peerless genius but disappeared for a long time thereafter. Some said he went into seclusion to seek a breakthrough, others claimed he was eliminated by a powerful entity; rumors were many and conflicting.
Then, thirty years ago, a precious item surfaced in Central Province, attracting numerous experts to an intense battle. The Martial Lunatic, who had been in obscurity for nearly seventy years, suddenly reappeared, defeating all rivals and seizing the treasure. After that, he disappeared completely from the public eye.
No one knew of his whereabouts ever again.
Li Xiaobai's face showed shock. The old beggar had such a background? Elder Tianwu? The one who had overwhelmed an entire generation of young masters on the continent?
He looked up, and there was the old beggar, digging at his nostrils with one hand while scratching his feet with the other, grinning foolishly.
How could this seem reliable at all?
Could this guy really be a top-tier powerhouse of the continent?
"I don't think so. I admit the old beggar may be somewhat capable, but to say he's the master who swept across the continent is a bit too far-fetched. This unlucky fellow has the face of a simpleton; how does that resemble someone capable of moving mountains and seas?"
"Appearances can be deceiving. He really does look very similar. Just keep an eye on him from now on. If it turns out to be true, getting a few tips from him could skyrocket our cultivation levels."
Li Ya was excited, eager to gain favor from the supposed master.
Li Xiaobai just shrugged indifferently. He didn't need guidance, nor did he need to cultivate.
If there was one thing he truly needed advice on, it would be how to pretend to be more natural and smooth, how to attract the attention of various masters while enduring their beatdowns.
Beyond that, everything else was insignificant.
"Woof, in fact, there's another hidden supreme master inside this bathhouse!"
Ergouzi popped up from nowhere and said mysteriously.
"Oh? May I have the honor of knowing this master's esteemed name?"
Li Ya asked, aware of Ergouzi's uniqueness. Being able to speak human language, Ergouzi was definitely a Demonic Beast with an extraordinary bloodline, and his future achievements were bound to be limitless.
"Woof, it is none other than your noble self, Lord Ergouzi, Nicholas Er Gouzi. Lord Ergouzi punches tigers in the west mountains, kicks dragons in the four seas, the Supreme Sovereign unmatched in the universe. Stick with Lord Ergouzi, and your rise to glory is guaranteed!"
Li Xiaobai was at a loss for words with a forehead full of black lines: "Before you say that, wipe the drool from the corner of your mouth first."