Chapter 68: Discussion

Upon hearing this, Li Qi felt a shiver run down his spine, and goosebumps rose on his skin.

He hadn't sensed any Qi or sound.

But he immediately turned around to look.

The Blind Old Woman, at some unknown point, had walked over, leaning on her walking stick.

"Senior Brother, please forgive me. A few days ago, this foolish woman of mine divined a hexagram, and it showed that my son's vitality lay here, so I instructed him to do this. In truth, though he is usually foolish, he wouldn't intentionally harm others like this. His seeking out Senior Brother was purely my idea," the Blind Old Woman said in a calm tone.

"Otherwise, how would he have known that Senior Brother was performing a ritual by the river? And why would he specifically go there to wait?" the Blind Old Woman said, her hazy grey eyes fixed on Li Qi.

Li Qi felt a chill from her gaze and took a step back: "Old Woman, why call me Senior Brother? You are older, just call me Little Li."

He didn't respond to her words, but instead started a new topic.

Because he didn't want to discuss the right and wrong of the matter; all he wanted now was to quickly escape.

The Blind Old Woman, however, shook her head: "Rules are rules. Senior Brother is a legitimate disciple of Shaman God Mountain, while I am merely an attendant from outside the mountain. I learned a few techniques and was sent out of the mountain gate to find my own way when I reached a certain age. It is only proper that I show respect when I see Senior Brother."

Li Qi almost couldn't hold back a laugh of exasperation.

"You say it's proper to show respect, yet you immediately used a method of framing to give me a warning?" Li Qi said.

"Though this old woman is foolish, she still recognizes a pearl. Senior Brother has gained the approval of the Qiong Cow and has been personally taught the 'Zhu' book by the Grand Invoker. You are a direct descendant of Shaman God Mountain. How could you be hindered by such a small misfortune? Therefore, this old woman dared to instruct my son to do this, all to attract Senior Brother's attention. Only then could I have this conversation with Senior Brother," the Blind Old Woman said.

While the two conversed, the wealthy man stood beside them, trembling and scratching his head, unsure of what to do, only able to watch his mother and Li Qi speak.

"Regardless of your intentions, there is no room for discussion on this matter, Old Woman. Farewell," Li Qi said, cupping his hands, preparing to leave.

He still had cold sweat on his back.

Damn it, what about being an outsider, difficult to divine? How the hell could a Diviner, who was just like him, unranked, be able to divine his whereabouts?

This made Li Qi extremely worried about his survival.

He had to leave quickly.

Just as Li Qi turned to leave, he heard the Blind Old Woman say again: "My abilities are meager, not as profound as Senior Brother's Dao. I cannot divine anything about Senior Brother, no matter what. But Senior Brother, don't you want to know how I was able to predict your arrival?"

Li Qi stopped in his tracks after hearing this.

Wait, this person actually couldn't divine him?

Then how was his whereabouts exposed?

"Explain yourself," Li Qi's tone hardened.

His inner Qi was mobilized, Carp Current Intent began accumulating power, ready to burst forth at any moment.

The Ox Strength Technique was also ready to be activated, and at the same time, his attention was focused on all the progress bars around him.

He had grown accustomed to his vision being filled with various progress bars and had learned to ignore most of the uninformative ones.

But this allowed him to instantly perceive enemy movements in combat, so he had learned how to observe the progress bars to detect the opponent's attack timing, thereby interrupting them in time.

"Senior Brother, there's no need to be nervous. Senior Brother, do you know the origin of the horse by your side?" the Blind Old Woman asked.

Li Qi didn't relax in the slightest, nor did he answer, merely waiting for the other party to continue.

The Blind Old Woman seemed to know Li Qi's thoughts. Although she asked a question, she immediately answered it herself.

"Dragon Steed Shadow was once the mount of General Liu Bosi of Song Kingdom. It was one of the best horses in Song Kingdom, standing eight and a half feet tall at the shoulder, capable of riding clouds and flying, and even walking on water."

"However, when Tang Nation attacked Song Kingdom, Liu Bosi, as a seventh-grade martial artist, could split mountains and crack stones, and was a formidable force in battle, but he was easily manipulated by the Daoist techniques of Tang Nation. Unable to resist the Tang Nation's military might, he was defeated in just one night, with three states falling to Tang Nation. In his grief and indignation, he committed suicide."

"After his death, his body was desecrated, but that Dragon Steed was indeed a valuable treasure. It was originally taken by the Tang general who captured the city. With Shadow's Aptitude, if properly nurtured and trained, it might even transform into a Dragon in the future."

"But the Dragon Steed had a spirit and was unwilling to be used by the killer of its master, so it struggled desperately."

"Tang Nation then set up a technique to confine its Bloodline and Qi, intending to bring it back and slowly imprison it, but this confinement was only half-done when the Dragon Steed escaped."

"The Tang general was furious and ordered a search. The news has already spread across half of the Great Deer. We Diviner, who possess the ability to divine, even had special people come to inform us, requesting us to divine clues about the Dragon Steed Shadow."

"It is precisely because of this connection that I, this old woman, was able to infer Senior Brother's location as well. After all… Senior Brother, you are still carrying that ninth-grade Tang blade, aren't you?"

"It was the combination of these clues that allowed me to guess the general situation after I saw Senior Brother with my own eyes."

After listening, Li Qi almost broke out in a cold sweat.

Although the old horse was being pursued by armored soldiers, he had already guessed that the old horse might have some identity. But he thought, after all, it was just an old Dragon Steed with declining strength. What big trouble could it cause? Look, even the officer's horse was seven feet tall, so an eight-foot Dragon Steed shouldn't be a problem, right?

But now that he heard this… it seemed like the trouble was much bigger.

The old horse wasn't just at its current level? It could travel eight hundred li a day, and sixteen hundred li day and night, and that was only half of its true ability?

Half of its Bloodline and Qi were confined by a technique?

He should ask about it later.

However, despite these thoughts, Li Qi remained calm, maintaining an unruffled expression on the surface, saying nothing, and continuing to watch the Blind Old Woman.

The Blind Old Woman didn't hesitate either and continued: "By saying this, this old woman naturally knows that the lives of my entire family are now in Senior Brother's hands. This is precisely the condition I wish to discuss with Senior Brother."

"Senior Brother's cultivation is profound. This old woman, no matter how hard I try to calculate, cannot divine any of your whereabouts. As for the Fairy by Senior Brother's side, this old woman cannot even sense her presence. If my son hadn't seen her with his own eyes, I wouldn't have even noticed someone by Senior Brother's side. I suppose she must have reached the realm of no-leakage."

"But each art has its specialty. Senior Brother is a Invoker, and certainly not very knowledgeable about the Dao of divination. In the future, it's possible that others might divine clues about the Dragon Steed Shadow. After all, it's something a Tang Nation general wants. Keeping it by your side will definitely cause trouble, but if you send it away, you will also lose a Dragon Steed worth a thousand gold pieces."

"This old woman is willing to use this remaining life to perform a ritual, to defile the Karma clues of the Dragon Steed, so that Senior Brother will have no further worries."

"I only ask that Senior Brother lend a hand and save my son's life."