Chapter Forty: The Spear-Bearing Page

Beside a quaint countryside cottage, an old man and a young man gazed at each other with deep affection. On the ground nearby, a lecherous man crouched, shamelessly clutching his groin, his eyes darting slyly about.

To slap the face or strike the groin was a cardinal sin against Brother Cao Bao, and given that he was a complete stranger to the old man, it would be extraordinary if he could tolerate such an insult. However, the circumstances were unfavorable, and he was no fool; he understood that confronting the old man now was tantamount to seeking trouble. Yet, his gaze never left the old man’s groin, revealing that he was still waiting for an opportunity.

“Not quite…” The old man broke the silence, rubbing the handle of his hoe, shaking his head with a sigh.

Chen Hongxu seemed to grasp the old man’s unspoken meaning. In a few swift steps, he approached the elder’s side, paying no heed to the old man’s appraising gaze. He looked toward the small red flowers in the center of the field and remarked, “This lotus has been well tended.”

A glint of sharpness flashed in the old man’s eyes. His withered arm suddenly bulged, reaching out slowly toward Chen Hongxu—not with the swiftness or surprise of before, but as if two old friends meeting for the first time, extending hands in greeting.

Yet, despite the clarity and openness of this ‘attack,’ Chen Hongxu’s expression changed. Without hesitation, he pushed off with his legs and retreated several meters.

The old man, like drifting willow catkins, seemed fragile and easily toppled by a breeze, yet he remained relentlessly close to Chen Hongxu. The distance between his outstretched, gnarled arm and Chen Hongxu did not lessen by even the slightest fraction.

Chen Hongxu stepped back again and again, even passing beyond Brother Cao Bao’s body. The old man pursued without pause, apparently unconcerned about being caught in a pincer attack.

“Ouch!” Suddenly, Brother Cao Bao cried out, his palm pressed and somewhat deformed beneath a heavy foot. Presumably, he had been playing possum, and the old man had seen through his trick of stealing a peach from a monkey’s hand once more.

Chen Hongxu looked at the old man who pulled back his foot only to raise it again, aiming to stomp on Brother Cao Bao’s face. He forced a bitter smile, then raised his hand and released the “Soldier Embryo” from beneath his chest and abdomen, holding it firmly in his palm.

The Soldier Embryo seemed to wield a certain magic, causing the reckless old man to freeze in place. His foot hovered midair as he looked at Chen Hongxu and asked, “You have been resurrected?”

Chen Hongxu shook his head. “I am not her.”

Seeing that Chen Hongxu was not joking, the old man floated over beside him.

Brother Cao Bao, wide-eyed, watched helplessly as the huge foot hovered above his face; he could not struggle at all. Frustrated, he turned his face slightly, hoping to make the shoe print and the hoe mark symmetrical. Yet, he suddenly realized that the old man’s body, stepping across him, was weightless.

Watching the old man holding Chen Hongxu’s hand, Brother Cao Bao sighed, “Brother Chen, take care,” then completely feigned death. Let fate take its course; he would not get involved. Clearly, this was a different league, and Chen and the old man clearly had some connection. Damn it, he felt trapped.

The old man examined the Soldier Embryo for a long time, then released it with a complex expression. Raising his head, he looked Chen Hongxu squarely in the eye and said, “What virtue or merit do you possess to have compelled her to make such a choice?”

Chen Hongxu sensed the coldness in the old man’s words and even detected a faint, almost imperceptible murderous intent. This was dangerous. Their combined strength was unclear even to themselves. If the old man harbored murderous intent so close, Chen would have no time to react.

“I…” Chen Hongxu opened his mouth to speak but instead moved forward, swiftly bent down, and lifted Brother Cao Bao up, creating distance between himself and the old man.

The old man had no intention of pursuing; his expression fluctuated as he stood pondering.

Brother Cao Bao exchanged a puzzled glance with Chen Hongxu, unable to understand this man’s strange temperament. Had they truly come all this way by mistake? Did he even have to risk his life here?

“Tell me about what happened between you and her afterward,” the old man said, turning to face Chen Hongxu.

Brother Cao Bao kept silent, realizing this was not the time to interrupt. He was also curious.

Chen Hongxu hesitated but decided to recount the story. After all, there was little secrecy between him and the Soldier Spirit.

Just as Chen Hongxu gathered his words to speak, a flash of red shot out from his body and slammed fiercely into the old man’s arms.

With the old man’s strength, he couldn’t even dodge?

The old man fell to the ground, genuinely joyful. Like a child, he laughed foolishly, his eyes fixed solely on the red figure that had just withdrawn its foot.

“Look at you now, even troubling my man?” A child about five or six years old, hands on hips, scolded, “Get up and speak! You’re an old man, but you act like a dog! Sitting on the ground playing innocent?”

The old man lost the air of a reckless expert, quickly getting up, brushing dust off his pants, and bowing humbly. “You are right, sir.”

Then, gathering courage, he asked, “Sir, your current state is unusual. Also, I noticed the killing thread within the Soldier Embryo has vanished. Has something gone wrong?”

“Mind your own head,” the little girl jumped up and lightly smacked the old man’s head. Frowning, she said, “You’re so dumb. You wouldn’t understand complicated matters. Simply put, I’ve lived enough.”

The old man was dumbfounded. That explanation hardly made sense.

Clearly impatient with him, the girl quickly moved behind the old man and kicked him on the rear, shouting, “Go greet him properly. From now on, you’re his underling. I’m inside his body, so don’t think any bad thoughts. Or else I’ll be upset.”

“No ill intentions here! How could I harbor ill will toward the beloved of my lord?” The old man swore to the heavens, making the Soldier Spirit smile brightly before she relented.

Inside the old man’s hut, after the Soldier Spirit’s introduction, Chen Hongxu gained a general understanding of the elder’s identity.

“His name is Song Qianxu. He used to be my lance-bearer attendant—not a bad man, just lacking progress. Over three thousand years old, yet still hovering at the peak of the Human King realm.”

The old man smiled shyly, softly correcting, “Over four thousand years old, and he broke through the Human Emperor realm years ago. You’ve been in the World City too long; time flows differently there than elsewhere.”

The Soldier Spirit glanced at Song Qianxu, waved her hand, yawned long, and snorted, “Human Emperor, so what? I’m sleepy. I’m going back to sleep. Don’t bully my man, or you’ll regret it.”

Then she turned and slipped back into Chen Hongxu’s body, whispering, “He’s actually a pitiful fellow. Treat him well.”

Could he not treat him well? An Emperor-level expert—such masters were exceedingly rare. Even if encountered, who would treat a mere small fry kindly?

Chen Hongxu’s scalp tingled as he caught a mother-in-law’s scrutinizing gaze from Song Qianxu. He cleared his throat to mask his embarrassment and pulled Brother Cao Bao back to reality.

Though not exactly pleased, at least he had a comparison. If faced with that slouching, nose-picking, grinning youth named Fan, he would fight tooth and nail to protect this old man’s beloved.

Brother Cao Bao broke out in a cold sweat when the old man glanced his way. He closed his legs, rested his hands on them, and sat upright.

Chen Hongxu dared not show the slightest disrespect. Could a simple remark from the Soldier Spirit truly subdue an Emperor-level expert so casually? It sounded unbelievable. Even he himself felt as if in a fog, as if it were unreal.

The old man, evidently extending kindness to those associated, softened his tone considerably toward Chen Hongxu. “The name ‘Fallen God’ has become a thorn in the eyes of the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns. Though we still hold the title of a major sect, we are barely surviving. Do you truly wish to return to the sect?”

Chen Hongxu shook his head, then nodded.

The elder looked puzzled.

Chen Hongxu smiled and explained, “I don’t intend to stay in this world long, but I might visit the World City to check on things. This trip is mainly to meet the elders from that great battle and to secure a great opportunity for my brother.”

“The elders from that great battle?” Song Qianxu’s expression grew complex. He sighed, “Though those elders were heroes of Jiuzhou, all survivors were enemies of our Fallen God sect. If the Three Emperors and Five Sovereigns hadn’t disappeared because of that battle, our sect wouldn’t be struggling to survive today.”

He waved off Chen Hongxu’s questions. “With your current strength, it’s impossible to contend with those people. Over the years, I’ve confined myself to this courtyard. Although I possess Emperor-level power, I cannot leave this place. Outside, I can offer you no assistance. So, I don’t recommend you wade into this mess for now.

“As for your friend’s great opportunity, the Fallen God sect lacks nothing in chances. But it depends on whether he is destined to seize them.”