Chapter 302 Meeting Xuanwu

"ah?"

Mazao looked bewildered. She probably thought that based on the direction of this conversation, I should give up on seeing the Navy Genbu.

"Aren't you going to save your friend?" she asked, bewildered.

"No, I must go to save Chang'an. I've decided to put the matter of the elixir on hold for now; I'm sorry about that," I said.

She quickly said, "That's not true. I just felt I shouldn't continue."

"There are two reasons why I said I was going to see Xuanwu."

In order to sort out my thoughts, I put the clues in my mind into words and explained them to Asaho.

"Two?" she asked, puzzled.

“One of them is that since Xuanwu was likely drawn to Moonshadow Mountain City by your strange luck, we will definitely meet sooner or later. Even if we want to avoid him, it is probably impossible,” I said. “Instead of letting him continue to hide in the shadows and launch an attack on me at any time, we should take the initiative and meet him when he appears at the location designated by the Divination Master to test his attitude.”

"That makes sense..."

Perhaps feeling it was her responsibility, she became somewhat embarrassed.

“You don’t need to blame yourself. While that’s one reason, the second reason is equally important,” I said. “If nothing unexpected happens, the reason Xuanwu chose Moonshadow Mountain City as the meeting place, besides being lured by you, also has something he needs to do. We can’t know his purpose in Moonshadow Mountain City right now, but we can at least guess the general direction.”

Following my words, she said thoughtfully, "It's something related to the Silver Moon... right?"

“I’m not thinking about anything else,” I said. “If his goal really is Silvermoon, then like us, he might have to go to the deepest part of the mist to see Silvermoon herself.”

"Will he be able to do something?" she asked.

“He is a master-level demon hunter who has lived for hundreds of years, and like Silver Moon, he is considered by Fu Feng to be invincible below the Great Impermanence level. Although there is no evidence to suggest that he definitely has a way, he is at least more capable than us,” I said. “And through him, we might be able to obtain clues to find Silver Moon.”

"I see..." she nodded admiringly.

"In addition... I still intend to try to challenge the divination master's prophecy and see if I can 'have it all'," I continued. "However, in order to prevent the matter in Chang'an from failing, I need to make some adjustments."

"Considering that the situation in Chang'an is more urgent now, I will prioritize saving Chang'an. Therefore, even if Xuanwu insists on giving me the elixir as promised, I will refuse. However, I am not giving up the opportunity to obtain the elixir, but rather proposing to postpone it until after this incident is over."

“Giving up the elixir doesn’t mean I can save Chang’an, but getting the elixir would prevent me from saving Chang’an. In other words, as long as I don’t get it before saving Chang’an, it’s fine.”

"But if Xuanwu feels that the customer's request to serve the food late is disrespectful to him and angrily breaks the agreement, then... you might have no choice but to give up getting the magic pill from him. You may need to be mentally prepared."

In fact, considering the prophecy that "gaining one side inevitably means losing the other," there might be some potential, unknown causal relationship between "obtaining the elixir" and "saving Chang'an's soul"... For example, if I want to save Chang'an's soul, I must consume the elixir on him. In that case, the saying "you can't have both" would make sense.

Judging from the fortune teller's tone, things don't seem so simple. It's more likely that there's no causal relationship between the two, and "you can't have both" is more of a fate that will happen to me. Because my luck isn't enough to achieve two great successes at the same time, I can only choose one.

In the worst-case scenario, the very act of "going to see the naval commander Xuanwu" will advance the "progress bar" of "obtaining the elixir" while simultaneously reducing the "progress bar" of "saving the soul of Chang'an".

But rather than making wild guesses here, actually meeting them is more in line with my nature. Most importantly, we don't really have a choice about whether to meet or not. We can only choose whether we take the initiative to meet them, or whether we are forced to meet in the near future.

"Don't worry, I won't be disappointed so easily," Asaho said seriously.

“Well… I’ll set off now,” I said. “Just in case, you can stay at the hotel for now. I’ll notify you via thermal signal if needed.”

"I understand." She nodded vigorously.

"Oh, right, there's one more thing..." I thought for a moment and then said, "It's already the second day, so I need to go back to my original form."

This time she was a beat slow before nodding gently, "Oh..."

What happened to the promise that "disappointment won't come so easily"?

However, I don't want to continue seeing the Water Master Xuanwu in this twelve or thirteen-year-old form. I had an agreement with the Ancient Moon God before, so I couldn't (thinking about it, it must have been the next day then), and I can't do that again this time. The other party might very well become an enemy, and I don't want to be looked down upon by an enemy.

We finished our meal and left the restaurant. I first took Ma Zao back to the hotel, then transformed into an adult and went alone to the address designated by the divination master for the Water Master Xuanwu to stay at.

It was a local tourist garden, with fresh air and an elegant environment. Narrow stone paths were lined with neatly trimmed flowers, trees, and sculptures. The entrance fee was a bit pricey, but I dutifully paid and strolled around. Perhaps because the townspeople were currently restless, no one had the patience to appreciate the gardens, so the garden was now deserted, exuding a secluded and tranquil atmosphere.

Thanks to the small number of people, I didn't have to search for my target in the throng. Soon, I found someone who looked like my target.

He was a man standing under the trellis, quietly admiring the plants. He was probably in his forties or fifties, which, for some men who are health-conscious, could be considered the prime of their lives, and he exuded an aura of boundless energy. His body had large, firm muscles, and he wore light-colored clothes reminiscent of martial arts training attire, standing as straight as a target.

Although he looks very strong, he doesn't give off an aggressive impression; he's more like a scholar or professor who participates in sports and fitness activities in his spare time.

The vibrant energy residing within him seemed to be suppressed by a calm and composed aura, as deep as the ocean. At first glance, he appeared to be just an ordinary, composed man; even I almost misjudged him. Luckily, he was in this place; if he had been blending into the crowd, even I might have missed him.

Only by recognizing that he was no ordinary person could one somewhat appreciate his transcendence. In fact, I think it was definitely not an illusion; he subtly gave me a real sense of colossusness.

Unlike the sense of threat that Silver Moon once posed to me, the feeling he gave me was surprisingly reminiscent of Ming Zhuo, who had attacked me and Ma Zao before. I could be certain that he was still at the same Great Completion level as me, but it seemed that he had some parts that had prematurely come into contact with the realm of Great Impermanence.

I think he must be the naval commander Xuanwu.

"Um?"

Perhaps sensing my gaze, he frowned and his eyes flashed toward me like lightning.

"Xuanwu, right?" I asked.

"...You are Zhuang Cheng?" he said. "I don't think I've told you about my itinerary."

“I have my own ways of finding you,” I said.

He's still on the run from Xuanming and his followers, so for me to pinpoint his location so "easily" must be a serious matter for him. He frowned deeply, as if deep in thought, then his brow relaxed, as if he'd found the answer.

"It's the Divination Master, isn't it?" he asked. "Judging from the phenomenon that my 'Heaven and Earth Manifestations' technique is being suppressed, the Divination Master should also be in Moonshadow Mountain City. Although I wasn't entirely unaware of this, I didn't expect him to reveal my whereabouts to you..."

"He's not the kind of person who would give away information he obtained through divination for free without a reason. Did you join his ranks to escape the Great Impermanence's pursuit?"

"Imagine whatever you want," I said.

"...Is that so? If you ask me, someone who would be so audacious as to challenge the Great Impermanence is unlikely to be a coward who would cower and run off to another Great Impermanence afterward." He scrutinized me with a calm gaze. "In other words, it's not that you need the Divination Master's help, but rather that the Divination Master needs your help..."

"Is he trying to recruit you into his ranks? No, that's impossible... It would be one thing if he were targeting others, but why would he extend an olive branch to a witcher like you, whose background is unknown and for whom he has awakened such immense power..."

"Is there a problem with a Witcher like me who 'awakened immense power for no apparent reason'?" I asked.

Upon hearing this, he gave a strange smile that seemed both sarcastic and self-deprecating, and then slowly said, "Speaking of which... I haven't introduced myself to you yet, have I?"

I nodded and said preemptively, "I am Zhuang Cheng. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."

"I am Xuanwu, and also the alchemist Shui Shi you are looking for," he said calmly. "And also the one who will take your life later."

(End of this chapter)