The white-haired elder brought Xiao Shi and Uncle Jiu all the way to the market at the foot of Floating Cloud Mountain.
"Master, this is the market where we met Ye Qingyun."
Xiao Shi said.
The white-haired elder gave a hum, then closed his eyes and used his spiritual sense to explore the entire market.
His cultivation was profound, allowing him to see the whole market with perfect clarity in an instant.
But very soon.
The elder grew somewhat disappointed.
There were indeed a few martial artists in the market.
But their cultivation was so low that none were worthy of his notice.
Naturally, none could be that mysterious expert.
But then he reconsidered.
Perhaps that expert had been concealing his cultivation all along, wishing to wander the mortal world as an ordinary man.
Perhaps that mysterious expert was among the mortals he had sensed.
And so, the white-haired elder settled his mind and began strolling around the entire market.
Xiao Shi had Uncle Jiu return to Northern River first, while she followed the white-haired elder around the market.
They wandered for a full seven days.
The white-haired elder had thoroughly familiarized himself with this tiny market.
He even knew exactly how many old people and children there were.
Yet he never found Ye Qingyun.
"Could that expert have already gone far away?"
The white-haired elder could not help speculating.
But Xiao Shi suddenly remembered something.
"Oh, right. He seemed to know Old Huang, the storyteller at the teahouse."
The white-haired elder glared at her.
"Why didn't you say so sooner?"
Xiao Shi was somewhat embarrassed.
"Forgive me, Master. I forgot."
The white-haired elder: "..."
Now that they had a lead, they naturally hurried to follow it.
Master and disciple arrived at the teahouse.
Old Huang happened to be telling a story.
And the story he was telling was The Legend of the Condor Heroes, which Ye Qingyun had told him.
Old Huang told it with vivid expression and stirring passion.
Every seat in the teahouse was occupied, and the place was packed to overflowing. The proprietor was so delighted that he grinned from ear to ear, constantly calling on his assistants to top up the guests' tea and water.
Ever since Ye Qingyun had told a story once in his teahouse, business had been booming day after day.
It was better than before by who knew how much.
Though Ye Qingyun had not returned to tell stories since, Old Huang could also tell the tale of The Legend of the Condor Heroes.
"Master, that's Old Huang."
Xiao Shi pointed at Old Huang as he told his story.
The white-haired elder glanced at Old Huang and confirmed that he had no cultivation whatsoever.
Rather than interrupt him directly, he listened to Old Huang's story from the side.
Before he knew it, the white-haired elder himself was engrossed, his thoughts following the story Old Huang was telling.
Once a section of the story was finished, quite a few guests left the teahouse.
Only then did the white-haired elder send Xiao Shi to ask questions.
Soon, Xiao Shi returned.
"Master, I've found out. Ye Qingyun seems to live on nearby Floating Cloud Mountain."
"Floating Cloud Mountain?"
The white-haired elder frowned slightly.
He remembered that he seemed to have been there before.
Thinking back carefully, the white-haired elder recalled it.
A hundred years ago, the white-haired elder had fought an extremely formidable enemy and passed Floating Cloud Mountain during the ensuing pursuit.
At the time, the restrictions on Floating Cloud Mountain had shocked him.
"Come, let's go to Floating Cloud Mountain."
Without any delay, the two immediately set off for Floating Cloud Mountain.
When the white-haired elder saw that the summit of Floating Cloud Mountain was no longer shrouded in black mist, surprise involuntarily appeared on his face.
"The restrictions from back then have actually disappeared!"
He remembered it very clearly.
When he had passed Floating Cloud Mountain, he had thought it was merely ordinary black mist, only to trigger the restrictions and nearly lose his life here.
Now, all the black mist on the mountain had dispersed.
That meant the restrictions had vanished as well.
"Could that expert have done this?"
The white-haired elder could not help speculating.
He composed himself, then walked up the mountain with Xiao Shi.
Before long.
The white-haired elder stopped in his tracks.
"Master, what's wrong?"
Xiao Shi looked at the white-haired elder in puzzlement.
The white-haired elder said nothing, staring ahead with a grave expression.
Xiao Shi followed his gaze.
She saw a large golden-haired dog lying on a rock not far away, lazily basking in the sun.
The large golden-haired dog had even exposed his belly, looking utterly languid.
"That's the dog that was with Ye Qingyun!"
Xiao Shi recognized him at a glance.
She was just about to approach when the white-haired elder caught her and stopped her.
"What's wrong, Master?"
Xiao Shi was utterly puzzled.
The white-haired elder's expression was extremely grave; one could even say there was a trace of fear.
He stared at the large golden-haired dog, his breathing growing heavy.
"This is a Demon King!"
Xiao Shi froze.
What?
A Demon King?
The white-haired elder's eyes were full of apprehension, and he dared not move forward.
He bowed deeply to Damao.
"This old man is Mo Tianshu. My respects to Your Excellency the Demon King!"
Damao stuck out his tongue, offering no response.
But the white-haired elder only grew more nervous.
For he could not fathom Damao's strength at all.
Yet he was certain that this was definitely a Demon King.
A Demon King!
A king among demonic beasts.
Even in lands where the Demon Race congregated, there would be no more than ten Demon Kings.
Every Demon King possessed powers that reached through heaven and earth.
Destroying a kingdom was nothing to them.
The white-haired elder already counted as a rare expert among humans.
But compared to a Demon King, there was still a gap.
"Hmm? Did you just say that this Demon King was with that expert?"
The white-haired elder suddenly asked.
Xiao Shi nodded repeatedly.
The white-haired elder's heart trembled.
Just as I thought!
That Ye Qingyun was definitely an extraordinary expert.
Even a Demon King could be commanded by him.
How terrifying.
What a terrifying existence someone capable of commanding a Demon King must be!
The white-haired elder was well-informed and experienced, but when it came to commanding a Demon King, perhaps only the Heavenly Strategy Dragon Lord, who had swept across his era thousands of years ago and made countless powerful figures bow their heads, had ever accomplished it.
But even the Heavenly Strategy Dragon Lord had merely made a newly ascended Demon King submit to him.
And the large golden-haired dog before him was definitely no mere newly ascended Demon King.
"My master doesn't like drawing attention."
At that moment, Damao spoke.
The white-haired elder and Xiao Shi both grew solemn.
"If you wish to visit my master, you must not expose his identity, much less disturb his state of mind as he wanders the mortal world."
The white-haired elder nodded repeatedly.
"Of course. Since the expert lives here in seclusion, he must be seeking to experience the mortal world. This old man will certainly cooperate."
Xiao Shi's thoughts were even more complicated.
She recalled all of Ye Qingyun's earlier behavior.
So it had all been an act.
He was a true expert beyond the mortal world who merely wanted to experience mortal life.
At the thought of how she had bullied Ye Qingyun, Xiao Shi wished she could find a crack in the ground and crawl into it.
How humiliating.
Fortunately, he hadn't held it against her.
"Then go on ahead."
Damao said casually.
"Many thanks!"
The white-haired elder bowed deeply, then continued up the mountain with Xiao Shi.
They had only walked a short while.
When they heard a thunderous sound tearing through the air.
The white-haired elder abruptly raised his head.
He saw the most astonishing sight of his life.
An azure dragon soared from the summit and vanished into the clouds.
"A true dragon?"
The white-haired elder was so horrified that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.