The god of the Old Ones...?
An enormous octopus head sprang unbidden into Zhou You's mind, but he immediately shook it away.
Going by the Black Book's usual ways, the answer could never be that easy to work out.
Still, he quietly filed it away, then said to the woman,
"All right. Then my wish is—"
A moment later.
As the inn dissolved around them, they found themselves on a barren mountainside.
The Eight-Treasure Arhat gazed at the bright moon overhead and breathed in the fresh air. For a moment, he felt as though he had returned from another lifetime. If even he felt that way, the others needed no explaining. Wang Chongming, who had spent who knew how many days pretending to be a mouse and Yellow Ox, collapsed to the ground. When he looked up, tears streamed down his face.
While everyone was caught up in the moment, Zhou You noticed something amiss.
"Wait. Where's Desert North Mad Blade? Wasn't he sent out with us? Why can't I see him anywhere?"
By then, the Eight-Treasure Arhat had collected himself. He explained with a smile,
"Benefactor, Benefactor Qian asked this humble monk to pass along a message. You did save his life this time, but you also plotted against him more than once before. He considers the score settled. From here on, you can each go your own way and never meet again."
Zhou You paused, then let out a laugh.
The meaning was plain enough. Desert North Mad Blade knew he had a grudge with the Five Aggregates Temple, and he was badly wounded. Afraid Zhou You would come after him once they got out, he had found an excuse to slip away.
"That guy... Even when he runs, he has to act tough."
Zhou