The Name of Eternals

Chapter 119: The Dragon Pass Road

Bian Ruxue slightly raised her head.

What she saw at this moment was the youth by the campfire, his smile warm and gentle.

However, she felt that although the smile remained unchanged, there seemed to be a vast distance between herself and that youth.

This feeling was fleeting, almost an illusion.

She thought of the sword.

The unsettled heart seemed to find a resting place.

She thought of the peak of swordsmanship, the ultimate legendary sword technique.

She whispered, "Brother Hao, your talent is better than mine, maybe you will reach there faster than me."

"That might not be true."

Li Hao spread his hands slightly and said, "You saw it too, I don't even have a sword."

"…"

Bian Ruxue was stunned, then she smiled bitterly.

A swordsman without a sword is no swordsman.

But the exquisite swordsmanship and immense sword intent Li Hao displayed when he fought Li Tiangang still lingered in her mind.

Such an extreme level of swordsmanship and overwhelming sword intent, yet this person seemed indifferent to the sword.

It had always been this way since childhood.

What does Brother Hao truly care about?

At that moment, a figure silently drifted down from the treetop, landing by the campfire, interrupting Bian Ruxue's thoughts. Her eyes, previously lost in thought, quickly cleared as she turned to look.

She saw an old man in a green robe, with white hair and beard, his topknot casually tied with an old wooden hairpin stuck in it.

The man sat down on a stump by the fire, waving the aroma of the roasted tiger meat towards his nose, clicking his tongue, "No seasoning, yet such a delicious smell. It's a pity you didn't become a chef!"

"I wanted to, but never had the chance."

Li Hao laughed.

"Is it done?"

"Ready to eat."

Upon hearing this, Feng Bo Ping didn't stand on ceremony, grabbing a roasted tiger paw and blowing on it.

The tiger paw had been slashed open, sprinkled with salt, and some aromatic wild herbs Li Hao had collected along the way, ground and rubbed into the meat, now permeating it as it roasted.

Feng Bo Ping ate heartily, juices flowing, showing no concern for his image.

Li Hao smiled, drawing Ren Qianqian's sword to use as a meat-cutting knife.

He cut off some pieces and used leaves as a tray, handing them to Ren Qianqian.

"Thank you, Young Master," Ren Qianqian said with a slight smile, taking the leaves with both hands.

Li Hao did the same with another tiger paw, placing the pieces on a large mulberry leaf, and waved Bian Ruxue over.

After days of pursuit and little food or rest, Bian Ruxue's stomach growled at the enticing aroma. She approached, taking the leaf, and broke off a branch to use as chopsticks, picking up a piece of meat.

"This is delicious!"

As soon as the tiger meat touched her tongue, Bian Ruxue's eyes widened slightly, astonished by the flavor.

In the Sword Hut, her meals were simple, as indulgence was said to corrode the heart of a swordsman, leaving no room for the sword, filled instead with other pleasures.

Thus, the Sword Hut's food was always plain.

"If you like it, eat more."

Li Hao laughed.

He himself picked up a tiger paw, cut off half, and tossed it to the little white fox.

He then blew on the remaining piece and began to eat.

"Who is this senior?"

Bian Ruxue asked curiously between bites, looking at Feng Bo Ping, wondering when Li Hao had met such a profound elder.

"Old man's name is better left unknown to you."

Feng Bo Ping chuckled, then ignored her, focusing on eating and drinking.

He had a flask of wine at his waist, which he drank from and then handed to Li Hao.

Li Hao took it without hesitation, eating a mouthful of meat and then drinking a mouthful of wine. The spicy taste and the meat's flavor filled his stomach, making him feel very satisfied!

Seeing Li Hao like this, Bian Ruxue felt lost. Drinking was something she associated with rough men, and though most men loved it, Li Hao seemed too young for it.

"Brother Hao, drink less," Bian Ruxue couldn't help but say.

Feng Bo Ping laughed heartily, "Little mouse, your bride hasn't even entered the door, and she's already controlling you."

Li Hao smiled faintly, not responding to the joke, continuing to eat and drink.

Bian Ruxue's cheeks flushed, and seeing Li Hao unmoved, she stopped trying to persuade him, lowering her head to eat her meat politely.

In the dark forest, stars flickered.

The long night was silent.

After eating their fill, everyone rested.

Li Hao slept soundly by the campfire, his expression peaceful and content, a faint smile on his lips.

Bian Ruxue sat by the fire, occasionally adding a log, glancing at the sleeping youth, her eyes narrowed.

Despite leaving the God General's Mansion, despite his severe injuries, and despite breaking with his father...why did he sleep so peacefully?

What was he dreaming about? Who was in his dreams?

The girl couldn't know. She slowly turned her gaze back to the flickering flames, lost in thought...

Birds fluttered in the forest, and dawn slowly arrived.

The campfire had gone out.

A new day had begun.

At the edge of the forest, on the Liangzhou national road, Li Hao bid farewell to Bian Ruxue, telling her to return and not to worry.

Bian Ruxue, having said all she could, did not insist. She turned back three times as she walked away, but seeing that the youth no longer stood there, she continued her journey without looking back.

She felt a subtle relief.

Since Li Hao didn't need her company, she could now focus entirely on pursuing her swordsmanship.

"Brother Hao, I will climb to the peak of swordsmanship and tell you what I see..."

She whispered to herself, her gaze steady.

...

...

Following the official road forward, the cypress trees gradually became sparse, some areas showing signs of destruction and trampling, with no repairs made.

The road itself became increasingly dilapidated, with cracks and deep ruts left as if a giant serpent had passed through, crushing the path.

"Up ahead is the Dragon Pass Road."

Feng Bo Ping's eyes also showed a hint of solemnity.

The Dragon Pass Road extended from the border road, like a sharp spike, stretching thousands of miles to its end at Tianmen Pass, where the Li family's garrison was stationed at Cangya City.

The Dragon Pass Road was the only way to Tianmen Pass, a long road that took a day on horseback, carved out step by step during the conquest led by the ancestors of the Li family thousands of years ago.

With this road, the army of Great Yu could march directly to Tianmen Pass and into the northern Lin Kingdom.

The northern Lin Kingdom was one of the six surrounding countries subdued by Great Yu, becoming a vassal state. But now, as the Great Yu dynasty declined, these vassal states seemed to show signs of restlessness.

Li Hao gazed ahead, vaguely seeing a large white road extending straight.

"We've arrived quickly."

Li Hao sighed, then continued forward.

Soon, on the road ahead, he saw an old man and a grandson carrying herbal baskets.

Despite Li Hao and Ren Qianqian walking leisurely, their pace was still faster, gradually catching up and overtaking them.

The old man and his grandson noticed Li Hao and Ren Qianqian from a distance, their eyes filled with caution and even nervousness. Although the road was empty and spacious, they instinctively moved aside.

Seeing that Li Hao ignored them, they finally breathed a sigh of relief.

They continued slowly, keeping a safe distance, not daring to show any unusual behavior.

But to Li Hao, their actions were peculiar enough. The locals seemed very wary and fearful of strangers.

"Young man, are you going further?"

Suddenly, an elderly voice called out from behind.

Li Hao stopped, turning to look at the old man and his grandson in surprise. He didn't expect them to initiate a conversation, smiling, "Can't I go further?"

The old man, carrying a basket full of herbs, looked at Li Hao and Ren Qianqian, thinking they were likely young nobles out for training.

He sighed inwardly and said to Li Hao, "Young man, ahead is the Dragon Pass Road."

"Hmm?"

Li Hao looked at him, puzzled.

The old man, seeing Li Hao's confusion, continued with a sigh:

"Beyond the Dragon Pass Road, you can't go further. It's full of demons!"

"Demons?"

Li Hao was surprised, exchanging glances with Ren Qianqian. He asked, "Isn't the Dragon Pass Road still within our Great Yu territory? Beyond Tianmen Pass is where the demons reside."

"Tianmen Pass?"

The old man was taken aback, then shook his head, "There's no more Tianmen Pass, only mountains of corpses and seas of blood, reeking of death."

He looked at the sky, realizing it was late, and said:

"Young man, it's good to have a heart for justice, but this is no place for playing. Leave quickly before nightfall, when even this road becomes unsafe..."

With that, he took his grandson's hand and hurried away.

Only the young grandson looked back occasionally.

A thousand meters away, the young grandson suddenly said, "Grandpa, they seem to have gone in."

"What?"

The old man was shocked, turning back to see that the youth and the girl were nowhere to be seen on the road.

He sighed deeply, "Good advice is hard to give to those seeking death."

...

On the Dragon Pass Road, Li Hao and Ren Qianqian continued walking leisurely.

But soon, Li Hao suddenly paused, looking back at the official road where the old man and his grandson had gone.

"Young Master?"

Ren Qianqian was puzzled.

Li Hao said nothing, just looked around, spotting a wooden stick.

He bent down to pick it up, casually releasing a sword aura with it!

The sword aura was like a breeze, silently sweeping across the distance.

It blew past the old man and his grandson on the road, lifting their hair like a gentle wind.

The breeze continued forward, extending more than twenty miles.

There, a crocodile-like demon lay by the roadside, ready to strike.

But suddenly, a breeze swept down the road.

The demon seemed to sense something, its pupils contracting, just as it began to move, its body stiffened.

Then, from its forehead to its body, it split open, blood and entrails spilling everywhere...

...

Li Hao smiled, tossing the stick aside.

He clapped his hands and continued forward.

Ren Qianqian, puzzled, didn't ask further. She was used to Li Hao's odd behavior on this journey.

As they delved deeper into the Dragon Pass Road, Li Hao saw scattered rotting demon bones, long since turned to white bones, left unattended.

He encountered demons resting on the road, using it as their bed.

Li Hao showed no mercy, dealing with them easily without needing Feng Lao's help.

Walking further, Li Hao's face grew solemn, understanding why the old man had said what he did.

The Dragon Pass Road, carved out thousands of years ago, now seemed abandoned.

Given the Li family still had people guarding this place, why was it like this?

After a long journey, Li Hao, Ren Qianqian, and the little white fox finally reached the end of the Dragon Pass Road.