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Chapter 2053 (Raw 2148): Waiting

By the time Xiao Chen returned to the village, it was already midday.

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, brightly shining its light.

The village had already mostly recovered with help from Sang. Most of the villagers had stabilized their emotions and started to help each other, fixing the damaged houses and clearing up the mess.

As the villagers helped each other, they slowly resumed smiling.

This was normal for the Desolate Sea.

For many ordinary people, living an extra day was already a blessing. Life in the Desolate Sea was an incredibly terrible thing.

The Desolate Sea lacked resources, had a harsh environment, and had bandits roaming about. The people here already looked past life and death.

Beneath the Desolate Sea villagers’ tough exterior was a simple attitude that let go of life and death.

“Go back first. Don’t overthink,” Xiao Chen said softly after patting Qing Chen’s head.

Qing Chen nodded and quickly left. However, she turned her head back every few steps, returning reluctantly under Xiao Chen’s gaze.

When Xiao Chen saw Sang walk over, he nodded slightly. Then, he told the other party what happened last night and his thoughts.

Sang shook his head and said, “You can forget about destroying a Heavenly Slaughter Sect branch. The two Sovereign Personages from the previous night were only Initial Perfection Sovereign Personages. In a Rank 7 sect, they could not even be outer sect Elders. Furthermore, you severely injured one with a sneak attack. That’s why you won so easily. Each branch has been established for at least one hundred years. There will be several Small Perfection Sovereign Personages and at least one Great Perfection Sovereign Personage guarding the place.”

There was a significant difference between an Initial Perfection Sovereign Personage and a Small Perfection Sovereign Personage. All the more so for a Great Perfection Sovereign Personage.

With Xiao Chen’s current strength, his Great-Perfection-Sovereign-Personage-level will of soul, his acquired Divine Body, his three Great Dao, and the Supreme Dragon Fist, he could rival a Small Perfection Sovereign Personage.

I have to advance quickly to Sovereign Personage. Xiao Chen felt some pressure.

However, his acquired Divine Body required too much resources. In reality, if not for that flask of Heart Burn, he would take at least one year to reach peak Holy Light Stage.

The flask of Heart Burn that Qin Zhuolin gave him helped greatly.

“I thought about it carefully on the way back. Destroying a branch is indeed quite risky, so I thought of another method. About eighty strongholds belong to the Heavenly Slaughter Sect branch controlling this area.”

Xiao Chen paused for a while before continuing, “If I can uproot these eighty strongholds, it will take the branch at least ten years to reestablish all of them. The Desolate Sea is too vast. If the branch loses these strongholds, it cannot control the bandits. It would be practically impossible for the Heavenly Slaughter Sect branch to control this area.

“The village would probably not have to worry for ten years. The Heavenly Slaughter Sect branch would likely focus its attention on me.”

Sang asked softly, “What about ten years later?”

“Participate in the Peach Blossom Wine Festival. As long as we can get that major character to make a promise, they won’t have to worry for one hundred years.”

“What about after one hundred years?”

“After one hundred years, my name will spread throughout the Desolate Sea. With just my name, ‘Xiao Chen, I can guarantee the village’s safety.”

Sang was rather flabbergasted. At this moment, Xiao Chen showed a sharpness that no one dared to look at directly. He argued seriously, “It is still too risky. If you got careless and a branch Elder happened to be there, where would you be after one hundred years?”

With a calm smile, Xiao Chen replied, “If I don’t take a risk, how do I solve the problem? I do need some battles to temper me for breaking through to Sovereign Personage. I’ll just take it as a part of my cultivation.”

Since Xiao Chen had made up his mind, Sang stopped trying to advise him.

Xiao Chen had always been swift and decisive. While it was night, he departed quietly.

At sunset, he returned to the village with some light injuries.

In the following days, the timing of Xiao Chen’s return became increasingly irregular.

Sometimes, Xiao Chen took two days, sometimes three days, and sometimes even seven to eight days.

Grandpa Seven felt somewhat worried. However, when he asked Sang about it, Sang did not explain. He only told Grandpa Seven to focus on brewing wine without worrying, to prepare for the Peach Blossom Wine Festival.

However, with Grandpa Seven’s experience, he could tell that the killing Qi coming from Xiao Chen was increasingly heavier each time Xiao Chen returned.

Many times, the blood on Xiao Chen’s body had not even dried yet.

Then, Grandpa Seven received news from other villages that the nearby bandits had decreased in number. There was a rumor about a white-robed youth sweeping through all the bandits in the area recently.

Some people had even seen the white-robed youth killing a Demon Envoy.

He made a move!

Grandpa Seven felt indescribable shock. He had experienced too many things in his life; he had seen many cultivators spouting righteous words and grand visions. However, in reality, these people were only caught in the flow, feeling a moment of excitement. Either that or they were young and filled with aspiration. They underestimated their enemies and died. If not, then they met with some setbacks or resistance and immediately gave up.

He had even seen Righteous Dao cultivators and Demonic Dao cultivators walking together, chatting merrily.

At Grandpa Seven’s age, he had already seen many things.

Grandpa Seven knew that the Desolate Sea’s environment was a compromise between the major characters. In the eyes of the truly strong, ordinary people like them were like ants. They were never a consideration.

There was no right or wrong in the Desolate Sea, only interest and benefits.

Hence, Grandpa Seven did not tell Xiao Chen why he chased Qing Chen away when Xiao Chen first asked.

However, right now...it was such a reticent person who took direct action without saying a word.

Soon, the nearby villages all felt a difference.

One month ago, one could see bandits roaming about everywhere nearly every day. Now, they went missing.

The rumors increased.

Recently, a strange bird went about, specially killing bandits. That bird swallowed up more than one hundred bandits in one gulp. When the enormous bird saw the Demon Envoy, its eyes gleamed, and it chased the Demon Envoy.

The master of this strange bird was the white-clad person sweeping up the roving bandits in the vicinity.

However, Grandpa Seven and the people in the village felt somewhat worried. Xiao Chen had not returned for half a month.

Qing Chen would wait for Xiao Chen on top of a pile of rocks at the village entrance.

At dusk every day, a little girl could be seen waiting there, staring into the distance as the sun set.

However, the little girl always returned disappointed.

Occasionally, rumors would crop up. Someone had seen the white-clad man with a pale complexion being chased by seven or eight Demon Envoys, in a perilous situation.

Someone on the road had seen a white-clad person in the distance. That figure was covered in blood, life status unknown. A gigantic scarlet bird waited by that figure’s side.

However, when that person approached, that gigantic scarlet bird scared that person off, sending that person fleeing in panic.

The villagers’ worry seemed to have become a reality.

Now, Xiao Chen had not returned for one month already. Coupled with some bad rumors, it made everyone exceptionally worried.

Sang believed that Xiao Chen might have fallen into a trap.

At first, Xiao Chen could return every one or two days. After some repeated incidents, the other party would definitely be on guard.

No matter how cautious Xiao Chen was, it would be hard for him to avoid a trap.

This was a Rank 7 Demonic Dao sect. Even if the other party was just one of its thirteen branches in the Desolate Sea, that branch still could not be underestimated.

This was not a problem that a single person could resolve alone.

Later on, more bad news arrived. The roving bandits that were initially frightened away resumed wandering the place.

Rumor said that the white-robed person had died.

Some people said that the white-robed person startled a terrifying major character into action, and a ghostly soul beast consumed him.

Some bandits started menacing the area near Grandpa Seven’s village again.

Qing Chen was warned not to go to the village entrance once more. The tumult resurged recently.

Grandpa Seven felt somewhat anxious. Sang told him that it was fine and urged him to focus on brewing wine and preparing for the Peach Blossom Wine Festival.

The people in the village all felt dispirited. Many people thought that Xiao Chen was dead.

However, some people still did not believe that. Qing Chen was one of them. That little girl would sneak out every day to look into the distance, waiting anxiously.

Why wait?

One would wait only when one hoped. However, with each fruitless wait, the disappointment only got heavier.

The villagers saw the little waiting girl’s heartache. They advised her not to go out there again.

However, that little girl remained stubborn and insisted that her big brother would definitely return.

Another month passed.

Grandpa Seven already finished brewing all the wine.

Aside from the Heart Burn that Xiao Chen asked Grandpa Seven to help him brew, Grandpa Seven also finished brewing the wine for the wine festival.

“This is Heart Burn?”

Sang studied the wine bottle. A fragrance assaulted his nose, but it was not very different from regular wine.

Xiao Chen still had not returned. Even though Grandpa Seven finished brewing the best wine of the Dragon Race, his happiness soon waned.

As Grandpa Seven smoked his pipe, he said casually, “Yes, this is Heart Burn. It has not appeared for five thousand years, possibly longer. I don’t know if anyone in the world can recognize it or not. If not for some skills passed down by my ancestors, this old man would not be able to recognize this as Heart Burn.”

“Sang, tell this old man, what happened to that little brother? He has not returned for two months already. Now, the wine is ready. However, if he does not appear, what is the point?”

Grandpa Seven spoke gravely. He had already asked several times, but Sang would not say anything.

Sang put down the wine bottle and replied softly, “I am very clear on the path that he chose. Even if he broke both his legs, he would still walk this path—on his hands if he had to. As long as he retains one final drop of blood, he will not give up.”

Grandpa Seven felt stunned. Then, he sighed, “Little Brother is so young. What exactly had he experienced...to have such a mental state? That’s right. Sang, keep an eye on Little Qing Chen. That girl keeps slipping out. No one can stop her.”

Sang was about to answer when his expression suddenly flickered. Then, he smiled and said softly, “He’s back.”

“Ah!” Grandpa Seven was startled to hear that. He quickly exclaimed, “What?! He’s back? Little Brother returned?!”

—

Qing Chen looked at the water in the ancient well outside the village. She said naively, “Moon, oh moon. Tell me, when will Big Brother return?”

“You horrible moon! Bad moon! You always remain silent. It is your fault, all your fault that Big Brother is not returning, am I right?” Qing Chen grumbled in dissatisfaction to the ancient well while pouting.

“Didn’t I say before that the ancient well is dangerous and that you should not come here?”

Just at this moment, a familiar voice came from behind Qing Chen. It startled her; then, she turned her head back to look.

Under the light of the setting sun, a familiar face appeared before Qing Chen’s eyes.

“Big Brother!” Qing Chen cried out in pleasant surprise. She quickly ran over and hugged Xiao Chen tight. Her nose dribbled with mucus from extreme joy.

Xiao Chen felt somewhat at a loss. When he turned around to look, he saw Grandpa Seven, Iron Egg, and all the other villagers—young and old—rushing out from the village entrance.

When they saw Xiao Chen, they all showed shock on their faces, greatly rejoicing.

After disappearing for two months and rumors of Xiao Chen losing to the Demon Envoys while sweeping up the roving bandits—rumors of Xiao Chen’s death—he returned!