The old man smiled again, "In fact, the main reason is that this book has always been regarded as a book of absurdity. After all, most people who practice internal martial arts believe that it is impossible for the human body to simultaneously contain five elemental true qi. Oh, by the way, let alone five, even two is impossible."
His eyes suddenly became blazing, "Brother, but you are different. When you were in a coma, I checked your pulse, and your body genuinely contains two completely opposing and incompatible streams of true qi!" Da Feng Novel Network
Ren Yuanhao nodded and said, "That's right, senior. My body does indeed have two streams of true qi. I have always been burdened by these two streams, and only recently have I felt slightly better."
"That's right, you are the person I have waited for my entire life. Otherwise, this peerless masterpiece would have been permanently sealed in the City of Sand."
The old man patted Ren Yuanhao's shoulder with a smile, as if he had fulfilled a lifelong wish. With a touchingly brilliant smile on his face, he slowly walked out and began to drink and feast with the warriors.
Ren Yuanhao touched the cover, feeling the weight of the ancient book, then carefully sealed it in a box for safekeeping before following them out.
The banquet continued until midnight, with clinking glasses and the aromatic scent of roasted lamb wafting through the air. After the joyous revelry, Ren Yuanhao suddenly raised the Bai Pi Dao.
"Warriors, this is a divine artifact of the City of Sand, and even of the Western Wastes. I, Ren Yuanhao, cannot keep this divine artifact to myself!"
He knew that as soon as he said this, someone would step forward to persuade him. However, he abruptly drew the Bai Pi Dao and slanted it into the earth. His imposing presence silenced everyone, and no one dared to speak.
"This saber rightfully belongs to the Western Wastes, a saber of protection, and it should be wielded by a warrior with a heart full of chivalry and benevolence, used to protect the City of Sand, not as a saber of slaughter."
Ren Yuanhao's gaze suddenly shifted to the old man, and then he cupped his hands slightly, "Senior, you are right. A person might spend their entire life searching for a successor. Therefore, I am entrusting this arduous task to you once more."
He drew the Bai Pi Dao again, sheathed it, and respectfully handed it to the old man.
"If this saber falls into the hands of someone with ill intentions, I swear, I will come with my saber to end him. Esteemed warriors, this is the last gift I can bestow upon the City of Sand!"
As soon as Ren Yuanhao said this, all the warriors cheered, "Above us, the Desert Wolf Heavenly God, we will do our utmost to protect the City of Sand!"
"Very good! I hope that the next time I return here, I can still drink the finest spirits in this world, eat the most delicious lamb in the world! And drink heartily with all of you under this blazing bonfire!"
Ren Yuanhao directly grabbed a flask of Huoshao Dao, and the other warriors also grabbed their flasks of Huoshao Dao. With a surge of heroic spirit, they raised their heads and drank, which goes without saying.
...
The next day, the eastern grasslands.
Ren Yuanhao, with barely any rest, carried the snake woman to the grasslands.
Before them lay the same clear and pure lake. The sky was clear and the air was fresh, the grass was low-lying, and the scenery was unchanged, yet the person he cared for was gone.
Ren Yuanhao suddenly trembled as he brought his right hand close to the snake woman's breath, then remained motionless like a statue.
Behind him, Mu Yunyan silently shed tears, her heart feeling as if it were being cut by a knife.
She knew that this woman's eyelashes would not flutter as they did yesterday, nor would she miraculously awaken. Yet Ren Yuanhao, at times, was like a helpless child.
A man who, in her heart, stood tall and looked down upon the world, now showed such helplessness. Even as he performed this action, Mu Yunyan felt an urge to simply embrace him.
"I didn't expect I would still have to bury you here. Fate plays its games. We only met for two or three days, and we didn't even have time to exchange names," Ren Yuanhao said with a wry smile. "So, you've left me with another difficult task. What should I write on your tombstone?"
Mu Yunyan was already sobbing uncontrollably. She vaguely remembered that this snake woman, who would never open her eyes again, had resolutely said she wanted to protect them when they first met. She had done so, but the price was death.
"Brother Bao, perhaps this is the snake woman sister's best resting place. When Lu Yehel·Zuobo banished her to that perpetually dark underground passage, she had already become a moth in the darkness. Moths cannot navigate in the dark. Until she met you, you gave her the light she desired. Even if it was just a fire, she would have thrown herself into it without hesitation."
After speaking, Mu Yunyan looked up at Ren Yuanhao, her heart silently saying: Brother Bao, aren't you my light as well?
"Perhaps. In that place, nominally as a guard, but in reality, a prisoner."
As Ren Yuanhao spoke, he finally picked up the snake woman and placed her in the coffin, burying her in the shallow, low-lying earth.
"She is gone, and the mountains and rivers are forever desolate."
...
When the three returned to the City of Sand, it was already late afternoon. To their surprise, as soon as they returned to the inn, warriors were already waiting outside his room.
"We have made some headway on what you asked us to inquire about."
The brows of the three tightened. The warrior continued, "We did indeed find items in the black market that are almost identical to what this lady described. However, these items are about to be auctioned off."
"Then did you find out who sold these items to the black market?" Mu Yunyan inquired.
The warrior, Zag, shook his head. "The black market has its own rules. They absolutely do not reveal the seller's information."
"Hmph, accepting stolen goods and then reselling them. This black market sounds quite domineering."
Ren Yuanhao's pupils narrowed slightly, his golden gaze like a gleaming saber.
Zag added, "This black market has existed for a long time. Even Lu Yehel does not dare to provoke it lightly."
"I'd like to see how arrogant this black market really is." Ren Yuanhao turned to follow Zag to the black market, but Mu Yunyan stopped him.
Mu Yunyan said, "Brother Bao, if you go out in this state, it will be difficult to retrieve the goods smoothly from the black market. After all, you did something so spectacular yesterday. Everyone in the city knows you. If they see you, they will surely be hesitant."
"Alright, Zag, wait for me for a moment."
...
Disguised, Ren Yuanhao, Mu Yunyan, and Sha Yunba finally followed Zag through alleys and streets to the black market.
Zag said coldly, "Actually, in the City of Sand, Lu Yehel is not the holder with the most Mandara gene live specimens. Of course, he has the most openly, but in secret, it is far less than the black market."