Chapter 987
Chapter 987: Seeing Xiao Ling Again
“Brother Jian Chen, we’ll talk about revenge in the future then since you want to do it yourself. However, when the time comes, feel free to speak out if you need the two of us. We will help you with everything we have,” Hei Yu said seriously. He did not seem like he was joking at all.
“I thank seniors’ concern. However, when I become powerful enough to deal with the Yiyuan sect in the future, I might not need your help at all,” Jian Chen thanked with clasped hands. He was extremely grateful toward the two of them.
However, in Jian Chen’s heart, he credited Rui Jin and Hei Yu’s treatment of him to the white tiger.
Afterward, Rui Jin and Hei Yu decided to go with Jian Chen to Mercenary City in case the Yiyuan sect and other protector clans wanted to ambush Jian Chen again. Jian Chen used a sliver of the origin energy from the Radiant Saint Force to heal his wound, before leaving with Rui Jin and Hei Yu.
Although Mercenary City was extremely far away, the distance was nothing to Jian Chen as he had two true Saint Kings beside him. Hei Yu directly ripped open a Space Gate and traversed the distance, arriving outside the city.
Jian Chen saw the huge, familiar barrier around Mercenary City from afar. He could not help but think of Xiao Ling’s naive smile.
He had already learned just how terrifying and powerful Xiao Ling was from the sea goddess. Although Xiao Ling seemed like an eleven or twelve year old, she possessed strength that did not match up to her appearance at all. Her actual age was at a dumbfounding level, and she originated from the ancient times. Several hundreds of thousands or even millions of years had passed since them.
Jian Chen did not worry about his safety at all with the protection of Rui Jin and Hei Yu. As a result, he let out the white tiger who was suffocating inside before making his way toward Mercenary City with Rui Jin and Hei Yu.
The white tiger was unable to erase its presence like Rui Jin and Hei Yu. As soon as it appeared, the pressure from its bloodline as the Winged Tiger God naturally pervaded the surroundings, causing the magical beasts ridden by the mercenaries nearby to collapse onto the ground and tremble. They would not get up no matter how much the mercenaries urged them, confusing them all.
Mercenary City did not change at all despite so many years. It was exactly the same as when Jian Chen first came here. He could see groups of mercenaries in varying attires ride in and out of the city on magical beasts. The city was bustling.
The white tiger leaped around on Jian Chen’s shoulders as the size of a cat, while it constantly blinked its small bright eyes. It constantly looked around, as if it found everything to be interesting.
“Big brother, it’s big brother’s smell. Xiao Ling can smell big brother and master’s smell. Big brother has finally come to see Xiao Ling. Xiao Ling misses big brother so much.”
Xiao Ling’s voice rang out as soon as Jian Chen entered the barrier of Mercenary City. Jian Chen heard it clearly, and Xiao Ling’s figure slowly materialized before him. Her young face was filled with happiness.
Jian Chen could not help but smile from the bottom of his heart after seeing Xiao Ling’s naive face. “Xiao Ling, big brother has come to see you.”
Xiao Ling furrowed her brows and revealed a sliver of unhappiness. She pouted, “Bad big brother. Big brother broke his promise. Xiao Ling has waited for so long before you came to visit me. Hmph, Xiao Ling is very upset. Xiao Ling is angry.”
Jian Chen smiled bitterly. “Xiao Ling, it’s not that big brother didn’t want to see you, but I was forced into hiding somewhere else from the continent by the protector clans and the Beast God Continent. I only returned recently. Xiao Ling, if I didn’t do that, not only would it have been impossible for me to see you today, I would never be able to see you ever again.”
Jian Chen did not notice Rui Jin and Hei Yu look toward him weirdly at all. He just devoted all his attention to Xiao Ling. Only Jian Chen could see her, while Rui Jin and Hei Yu could not sense her existence at all. To them, Jian Chen was talking to empty air and smiling idiotically at it. He stood there as he mumbled to himself, as if he had lost his mind.
Besides Rui Jin and Bei Yu, a few mercenaries and merchants passing by also noticed his ‘strange’ actions. They all cast odd gazes toward him.
Xiao Ling lowered her head in thought after hearing Jian Chen’s explanations and finally stopped furrowing her brows. She smiled sweetly once again and said naively, “Okay then, if that’s the case, Xiao Ling will forgive big brother then. But big brother has to come see Xiao Ling often in the future. If those bad people want to bully big brother, just come to where Xiao Ling is. Xiao Ling will protect big brother and chase the bad people away.”
Jian Chen nodded very much. “Yeah, when big brother comes across bad people he cannot defeat, he’ll be troubling Xiao Ling.”
“Hehe, don’t worry big brother. With Xiao Ling here, no one can bully you,” said Xiao Ling as she smiled happily.
Hei Yu was finally at the bottom of his line as he watched Jian Chen constantly mumbling to himself. He touched Jian Chen and stared at him in doubt. “Brother Jian Chen, are you fine? Why are you talking to yourself? Who are you talking to?”
Jian Chen finally returned to his senses when Hei Yu said that. Only then did he suddenly realize that no one else could see Xiao Ling unless she wanted them to.
Jian Chen laughed dryly and said to Hei Yu, “Senior, I was talking with a friend just then. The identity of my friend is relatively special. No one can see her unless she wants you to be able to see her.”
“Is that so? We actually can’t see your friend with our strength?” Hei Yu refused to believe that there were still people in the present day that could be so close to him yet not fear him. That person would just be too terrifying.
Even Rui Jin struggled to believe this. He immediately mumbled inside as he saw how serious Jian Chen was, “Is there really such a terrifying existence in the present world?”
Jian Chen paid no attention to Rui Jin and Hei Yu’s shock and continued to talk with Xiao Ling, “It’s not convenient to talk here, Xiao Ling. Let’s go somewhere else.”
“Yeah, okay!” Xiao Ling nodded obediently. She was just about to disappear, but then her eyes lit up. She appeared beside Jian Chen and sniffed him forcefully. She immediately cried out, “Big brother, master’s smell on you is getting heavier and heavier. Did you see master? Hmm? Why does it smell like master as well? And its scent is even heavier than big brother.” Xiao Ling was stunned as she pointed toward the white tiger. However, she came to an understanding very quickly and became even happier. She called out constantly, “Big brother, you must have seen master. You must have seen master. Right, right? Tell Xiao Ling quickly. Xiao Ling misses master so much. Where is master?” Toward the end, Xiao Ling’s voice almost became sobs and her eyes became misty.
“Xiao Ling, I indeed saw your master, but all he left behind was a sliver of his soul. Your master told me to inform you that once you fulfill your mission, you can be free. Also, you need to work hard on the cultivation method your master passed on to you all those years ago,” said Jian Chen. Then, he glanced at the white tiger. He was doubtful as well. When he first saw Mo Tianyun, Mo Tianyun was only a soul. Also, Xiao Ling had said that the smell of Mo Tianyun on him had faded as time passed the last time he met her, yet how was it possible for it to still remain even after so much time since then? Also, Mo Tianyun’s smell was even heavier on the white tiger? Jian Chen could not understand this.
Back then, the white tiger had only been out of the artifact space for a short time, nowhere as long as the time he and the Heavenly Enchantress were in contact with Mo Tianyun. Even if it now smelled like Mo Tianyun, it should be impossible for the scent to be heavier than the smell on himself.
“Is it because the white tiger has always stayed in the artifact space that Mo Tianyun’s smell disappeared more slowly, while I had virtually spent the past years fighting and meeting people, thus making Mo Tianyun’s smell disappear faster?” Jian Chen thought.
“Sobs, where is master?” Xiao Ling said as she choked back her tears.
Jian Chen shook his head and replied, “Xiao Ling, I don’t know where your master is right now either. However, if your master isn’t dead, you should work hard on your cultivation. Once you fulfill your mission and become free, you can go looking for him.”
The flames of hope immediately ignited in Xiao Ling’s eyes. She shook her head determinedly and said, “Big brother is right. Xiao Ling will work harder on cultivation in the future. Xiao Ling will definitely go find where master is after Xiao Ling completes her mission.”
Suddenly, Xiao Ling raised her head. She furrowed her brows and said, “Why did you come again? And this time, you’re standing in the air above Mercenary City. That’s disrespecting master. Move immediately, or I’ll teach you a fierce lesson. It’ll be even worse than last time.” As she said that, the barrier of Mercenary City suddenly began to shine with a blinding light. A half-meter-wide pillar of light shot from the top of the barrier toward the sky.
Boom!
The space shattered as the residual energy ran amok. It caused the entire sky to darken.
A middle-aged man appeared in the empty sky as he constantly shook. His clothes and hair were a mess. He was in a horrible shape.
“The human Saint Emperor!”
“The path lord of carnal desires!”
The expressions of Jian Chen, Rui Jin and Hei Yu all changed the moment the middle-aged man appeared.
The path lord of carnal desires looked down in shock as soon as he appeared. Afterward, he immediately ripped open a Space Gate and left without any hesitation. He thought, “Looks like my guesses were right. Jian Chen really does have a close relationship with the barrier spirit of Mercenary City.”