The Old Man Named Mu

"Yee-ga-ga-ga-ga------!"

The Abyss Remnant Elite had been swallowed in an instant by the towering wave of vines. Countless tendrils coiled around its limbs, while energy seared its torso. It let out an utterly agonized, ear-splitting wail.

But the more violently it struggled, the tighter the vines bound it.

A fierce, powerful force of Auling surged from the vines, scorching the giant beast like flames. Its flesh was gradually melted and consumed.

Several dozen seconds later, the pursuer from the Abyss finally lost the strength to resist. Its body crumbled to ash as it collapsed into the mass of emerald vines.

The sight left Ye Chen's youthful face filled with shock.

He could hardly believe that the Abyss Elite, so powerful and resilient only moments ago, had proved so utterly helpless against this sudden wave of vines!

Then a hoarse, aged voice slowly emerged from the other side of the vine carpet.

"Are you all right, little fellow?"

Hiss!

Hearing familiar human speech, Ye Chen froze. He instinctively tightened his grip on his revolver and long blade, then turned toward the source of the voice.

A trembling figure appeared atop the vines. Then, leaning on a wooden cane, he nimbly jumped down and revealed his true appearance to the boy.

He was a short, peculiar-looking old man, his face lined with wrinkles and his hair white as snow. Yet his skin was as emerald green as the plants behind him. And he was dressed—or rather, had plants of all kinds growing all over him.

Broad green leaves formed the old man's trousers, red flowers his sleeves, and branches his tunic. A cluster of colorful mushrooms served as his hat. Overall, he looked extraordinarily strange.

At first glance, the old man left such a vivid impression on Ye Chen that the boy was too stunned to speak. He simply stood there, frozen in place.

The old man, who wore plants as clothing, narrowed his aged eyes and studied the boy before him. Then he slowly walked closer.

Only when they were less than five meters apart did Ye Chen snap out of his daze. He hurriedly put away his weapons.

Against someone who could effortlessly kill an Abyss Elite in an instant, Ye Chen was practically a helpless infant. His life or death rested entirely on the old man's whim, so showing hostility would clearly be a rash and foolish choice.

So Ye Chen stowed away both his revolver and straight blade, then lowered his arms and opened his hands, greeting the old man as he approached step by step with no hint of hostility.

"Hahaha, you're a pretty clever little fellow."

The plant-covered old man stopped in front of Ye Chen and looked up at his nervous, uneasy face. Chuckling, he teased the boy, then changed his tone and calmly asked:

"Your name is Ye Chen, right?"

"Yes."

"Who sent you here?"

"My teacher."

Ye Chen answered truthfully without hesitation. He had a pretty good idea of what was going on.

Since the old man already knew his name without having to ask, he must have known Lyle as well.

Someone as meticulous as Lyle would hardly have sent Ye Chen here without knowing about this mysterious old man.

So the old man was most likely an ally. Ye Chen believed as much.

"Your teacher, huh? I see."

The plant-covered old man fell silent for a moment and tilted his colorful mushroom-covered head. He patted Ye Chen on the back, then pointed toward the carpet of vines waiting motionless ahead.

"My name is Mu. You could say I'm a friend of your Hunter teacher."

"Of course, you can call me Grandpa Mu, too. Hahaha!"

"But I'll explain the details once we're on our way. Come with me for now."

As he spoke, the old man lightly sprang from the tips of his toes, and his short frame soared back atop the vines.

Ye Chen hesitated briefly, then followed him, leaping onto the enormous carpet woven from vines. He sat down beside Mu in a soft seat made of plants.

As soon as they landed, the vine carpet surged into motion, raising a great wave across the vast grassland as it swept toward a distant range of verdant mountains.

Seated on the carpet, Ye Chen curiously surveyed this green world without snow or ice. He felt the cool breeze against his face, and the weight that had pressed on his heart began to ease.

Mu had waited beside him for quite some time. When he saw Ye Chen's furrowed brow gradually relax, he asked the boy to briefly recount what had happened before he arrived, and how the Abyss's minions had followed him here.

Ye Chen nodded. Though he was still troubled, he nonetheless told Mu everything, from beginning to end.

"That's what happened, Grandpa Mu."

After recounting the danger and sorrow he had just endured, Ye Chen sighed, his expression dim.

He didn't want to relive those painful memories in detail. For now, he just wanted to put them aside and bury them in his heart.

"I see. So that person's gone now. Sigh... But it was bound to happen sooner or later. I'm sure he was prepared for it."

After hearing what had happened, Mu rubbed his aged brows. A trace of regret appeared on his face, but it soon gave way to calm acceptance and composure.

"I was close to your teacher, and I owed him a great many favors. Many years ago, he told me this day would come and entrusted me with getting you safely to the Holy Light Pure Land."

"So I'll honor that promise now and take you to the Sun-Moon Mountain Range."

"On the peak of Sun-Moon Mountain, there's a Teleportation Altar. That's the only way I can send you to the Holy Light Pure Land."

Mu stroked his white beard and gazed at the distant mountains as he explained this to Ye Chen.

"The Holy Light Pure Land."

Ye Chen murmured the words, then fixed his gaze on the distant, towering Sun-Moon Mountain Range.

He had thought this verdant land was the new world Lyle had told him about.

He hadn't expected it to be nothing more than a way station. The true Holy Light Pure Land still lay far ahead.