Night, like a black curtain, quietly enveloped the Lengcui City. Silvery stars dotted the empty sky, and a bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a snowy glow that illuminated the entire Lengcui City in the darkness.
Inside the Cloud-Hidden Pavilion, Xiao Yan and the others sat, occasionally exchanging a few words of laughter, creating a relaxed and pleasant atmosphere.
Suddenly, Luo Ao, who was talking at length, seemed to remember something. His relaxed brows furrowed slightly, and he looked up at Xiao Yan.
Seeing Luo Ao's strange gaze, Xiao Yan was slightly taken aback, then smiled and said to Luo Ao:
"Does Elder Luo have something to say to this junior? If so, please don't hesitate to speak freely."
Upon hearing this, Elder Luo frowned slightly and nodded, giving Zhang Yi a look. The latter immediately understood, nodded, and with a wriggling motion, disappeared from the pavilion.
Seeing this, Luo Ao nodded in satisfaction, his gaze falling on Xiao Yan. A solemn expression appeared on his old face, and he said in a deep voice:
"Indeed, I do have something to tell you, and it concerns the Ginseng Spirit Clan."
"Um?!"
As soon as Luo Ao finished speaking, Xiao Yan couldn't help but be slightly startled, and his heart trembled inwardly.
Wasn't the matter of the Ginseng Spirit Clan resolved? How come another problem has arisen?
Thinking this to himself, Xiao Yan's expression gradually turned serious. He had always held a favorable impression of the Xiao Yan Ginseng Spirit Clan, and now that he heard about the Ginseng Spirit Clan misfortune, Xiao Yan couldn't help but worry about them.
Hearing about the incident involving the Ginseng Spirit Clan, Luo Jin's eyes widened in surprise. He then recalled the worried look on Luo Ao's face when Luo Ao left six months ago.
" Elder Luo, has something happened to the Ginseng Spirit Clan again?"
Xiao Yan frowned and asked in a deep voice, his tone revealing his worry.
"Kid, do you still remember Hei Mu?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan's eyes suddenly narrowed. It was because of that guy that he had developed some subtle connections with Luo Ao and the Ginseng Spirit Clan. Xiao Yan naturally wouldn't forget that, and besides...
As this thought crossed Xiao Yan's mind, a faint, almost imperceptible glint flashed in the depths of his eyes. Even Luo Ao failed to notice it in that brief moment.
"His death at your hands last time was an outcome we all wanted to see. His death eliminated a major threat to the Ginseng Spirit Clan, and at the same time, it settled an old matter for the Ginseng Spirit Clan."
Luo Ao spoke slowly and deliberately, while Xiao Yan and Luo Jin listened with varying degrees of interest.
"But..."
The sudden pause made Xiao Yan and Luo Jin instantly raise their eyes to look at Luo Ao, who then spoke again:
"Just six months ago, after entering the Ginseng Spirit Space, Qing Mu inadvertently discovered something astonishing."
Next, Luo Ao told Xiao Yan everything that Qing Mu had discovered, and the latter frowned as he listened, a look of surprise on his face.
After a long while, seemingly having processed this sudden information, Xiao Yan frowned and nodded, his gaze fixed on Luo Ao, and said in a deep voice:
"So, judging from the faint aura within that Ginseng Spirit Root, Hei Mu isn't completely dead?"
Luo Ao nodded. This was exactly what he wanted to tell Xiao Yan: as long as Hei Mu still had a trace of life, no matter how weak, they absolutely could not let their guard down.
"But since the Ginseng Spirit Root is in Senior Qing Mu's hands, wouldn't it be enough to destroy the Ginseng Spirit Root and Hei Mu would be finished? Why has it been dragged on until now?"
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Yan couldn't help but ask again in a deep voice.
As the lifeblood of the Ginseng Spirit Clan Ginseng Spirit Root, destroying the Ginseng Spirit Root is tantamount to taking its life, so why fear its further mischief?
Luo Ao understood this much better than Xiao Yan; he couldn't possibly be unaware of it.
But when Luo Ao heard this, he shook his head helplessly, sighed softly, and said:
"Initially, Qing Mu also planned to do that, but later, he had no choice but to give up."
Xiao Yan frowned. Could there be another reason behind this?
"After our investigation, Qing Mu and I found that the small piece of Ginseng Spirit Root was no longer of any use. Apart from being able to detect life and death like Soul Jade Token, Hei Mu's soul had long been separated from it. Even if the Ginseng Spirit Root was destroyed, it could no longer cause any harm to Hei Mu."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan immediately understood. So, it seems that Hei Mu is now hiding somewhere with only his remaining remnant soul, still desperately pursuing a way to be resurrected.
Thinking of this, Xiao Yan couldn't help but raise a mocking sneer. This really proved the saying: the stronger one is, the more afraid of death one becomes. He may seem brave and invincible, but in reality, he is cowardly and reluctant to give up.
But when Xiao Yan came to his senses, a strange expression appeared on his face. He looked at Luo Ao and asked in a strange tone:
"Uh... Elder Luo, you don't actually think that guy's remnant soul is inside me, do you?"
"Hahaha, at first, I was indeed worried about that, so I made several trips to try and find out if that guy's remnant soul was hiding in your body. Fortunately, I didn't find anything, so that guy shouldn't be inside you. I can rest assured now."
Upon hearing this, Luo Ao couldn't help but burst into laughter. Being exposed so bluntly made the cheerful old man somewhat embarrassed.
However...
But in an instant, Elder Luo raised his head again, his gaze re-examining Xiao Yan with a serious expression. This made Xiao Yan raise an eyebrow slightly, wondering to himself, "What's he up to now?"
"Although I couldn't detect any trace of Hei Mu within you, perhaps it's not because he's not inside you, but for another reason!"
As the low shout fell, Xiao Yan's expression froze, while Luo Jin beside him looked at the two in front of him with suspicion and helplessness.
The next moment, before Xiao Yan could speak, Luo Ao suddenly raised his voice and shouted:
"Unless, you are Hei Mu!"
As soon as the shout fell, Xiao Yan and Luo Jin were stunned and speechless. It wasn't until a long while later that Luo Ao laughed and pulled the two of them back to their senses.
"Hahaha, alright, I'm not kidding anymore. My investigation has proven you're not Hei Mu, so don't worry, I won't skin you alive, hahaha..."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan and Luo Jin exchanged a blank glance, each inwardly cursing. This guy actually did investigate Xiao Yan!
"Hehe, alright, alright, stop worrying about it. It was just a joke. Look how tense you all were."
Elder Luo chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes; he was practically a playful old man!
Upon hearing Elder Luo's words, Xiao Yan and Luo Jin glanced sideways at the old man before them. Nervous? Not at all, it was just blatant disregard for his words...
"Well, I've said what I needed to say, and I've given all the warnings I needed to give. Remember, everything must be about your own life; otherwise, any priceless treasure is meaningless."
"I understand."
Xiao Yan nodded. He was perfectly aware of this. He had seen many people die because of greed, and for his own sake, he would not make the same mistake again.
"Well, since you understand, I won't say anything more. But let me give you one last piece of advice: the Western Region are not like the Southern Region. The people here are truly like wolves and tigers. If you want to survive, you can't rely solely on Dou Technique; strength is the most important thing."