Chapter 409: Meeting is a Karmic Tie, Parting is Also a Karmic Tie

The boat floated steadily on the river, slowly drifting toward the other shore as the old man poled it.

Although it was called a river, it was calm and without waves.

Long Qi could not help but be curious; he reached out toward the river, but the sensation on his hand did not feel like water, nor could he describe exactly what it was. If he had to describe the feeling, it was like strands of something indescribable.

Is this the Ruoshui Source?

"Young man, it is best not to touch the things in the river," the old man said while poling the boat, his eyes still fixed on the other shore, never wavering in the slightest.

Long Qi was puzzled: "Senior, why do you say that?"

"The things in the river are the karmic ties flowing toward the mortal world."

"Karmic ties?" Long Qi looked at the river water, which felt like silk floss in his hand, his eyes full of confusion.

"Everything in the Underworld is transformed by Houtu; all things exist within Reincarnation, and karmic ties are the same." The old man gave a push with his pole. "Whether it is love or resentment, all things are connected by karmic ties, and the suffering experienced through lifetimes is for the sake of cultivating these ties with one another."

"Now that you hold another's karmic tie in your hand, you have disrupted the destined fate; who knows how many lifetimes it will take before they can reunite."

The old man sighed as he spoke: "As the saying goes, 'A hundred glances in passing for one look back, a thousand looks back to share a pillow in sleep'; meeting is a karmic tie, and parting is also a karmic tie."

Upon hearing this, Long Qi hurriedly poured the river water back, but the old man laughed again.

"Since you, little Daoist, have already meddled in another's karmic tie, it is too late to put it down now; sooner or later, it will have to be returned."

Long Qi frowned, pondered for a moment, and then said solemnly: "Since it is this junior who is at fault, if someone comes looking for me in the future, I will certainly not shirk responsibility."

"Good, good, good!"

The old man stroked his long beard, saying "good" three times in a row, though he did not say what was good about it. Afterward, he took a sip of wine and went back to poling the boat on his own, saying nothing more.

At this moment, Long Qi fell into deep thought: Karmic ties? Is it the same between him and Lingxiang?

Meeting is a karmic tie, and parting is also a karmic tie...

The others on the side heard this and also fell into deep thought.

If this were a few years ago, Zhao Wuyang certainly would not have understood this sentence, but after the many things he had experienced in these past few years—his mother's passing, the upheaval in his sect—every incident, when recalled, filled him with deep emotion.

And there was Ajin.

When he was young and ignorant, Ajin had always been by his mother's and his side. Although he did not remember many things, those golden eyes were deeply carved into his heart. No matter how he played, as long as those eyes were there, he would always feel at ease.

His encounter with Ajin—he did not know where the karmic tie began, but parting seemed inevitable; it was only thanks to the secret guidance of Fucang Elder that Ajin was able to escape the sea of suffering.

Fucang Elder, ah...

Zhao Wuyang sighed softly, his mature demeanor quite comical. If it were usual times, Xin Yi would certainly have doted on him by ruffling his hair, but now Xin Yi was scrutinizing the current situation.

Long Qi was straightforward and Zhao Wuyang was simple-minded; the two of them might not have thought of this, but the others were different and would certainly be able to hear a thing or two.

The old man's words seemed casual, but they were actually profound.

Xin Yi glanced at Liu Xia, who was sitting at the stern of the boat, resting his chin on his hand and staring blankly at the upper reaches of the river.

The encounter between Long Qi and Liu Xia was also a kind of karmic tie.

Back then, Xin Yi had been ordered by Bai Wuchang to keep an eye on Lingxiang and had once crossed paths with Liu Xia, even secretly guiding him toward the whereabouts of the eldest daughter of the Liu family. He had not expected to run into Long Qi and Chiyanzi, who were heading to rescue Lingxiang, right inside the demon cave. Even more unexpected was that Chiyanzi had already dealt with the Liu family.

Chiyanzi was teasing Adao, along with Chengkai who was meddling on the side, and Zhanli who was watching with great interest. These four seemed to have no reaction, but based on Xin Yi's understanding of Chiyanzi and Chengkai, these two were merely not showing their emotions, but they must have been deeply touched inside.

Moreover, these four all had some connection to Lingxiang.

This was practically a web. Rather than saying karmic ties were wondrous, it was better to say that everyone was caught within it, and the one threading the needle was none other than Tumi Xianzi.

Whether it was the destruction of the three races or the turmoil in the world, it seemed inseparable from Tumi Xianzi, yet Xin Yi could not figure out why the legendary Tumi Xianzi would scheme in such a way.

"What are you thinking about?"

Sangmu suddenly spoke, interrupting Xin Yi's train of thought. He glanced at Sangmu calmly: "Nothing."

Regarding this Sangmu, Xin Yi had only heard of him when he was young in the Demon Race's military camp. The legendary "Wolf Head" was ruthless in his methods and strict in his governance, yet no one knew what kind of person he really was.

At that time, it was only known that this Sangmu was a human, yet he did not suffer the exclusion that Xin Yi did. Xin Yi had found it strange back then: how could the Demon Race heavily employ a mortal? After all, the people of the Demon Race had always viewed mortals as ants.

Wait...

He was one of the Shaman's people, could it be...

Xin Yi glanced at Sangmu again; the latter's face was covered by a hood, and his features could not be seen.

Just as he wanted to fish for more information, the old man spoke up.

"We've arrived, we've arrived; it's time to get off the boat."

Looking at the narrow river, it had taken half an incense stick's time to cross to the shore, which was somewhat baffling.

The group got off the boat and were just thanking the old man when, unexpectedly, many people suddenly sprang out from behind; looking closely, it was actually the Demon Race!

The group was shocked at the sight. Long Qi drew his sword, preparing to fight, but Xin Yi reached out and blocked him.

"What are you doing?"

Long Qi was puzzled and asked Xin Yi, but Xin Yi did not answer, only shaking his head to signal everyone not to be nervous.

At this time, Sangmu walked forward and bowed to those demons. The demons all retreated to the sides, and a person walked out from the crowd.

This person was covered in a black robe and was tall. Long Qi felt he looked somewhat familiar, but he could not remember where he had seen him. Moreover, there was a scar on that person's face, from the top of his skull down to his neck, which was extremely striking and ruined what should have been a handsome face. If he had seen such a person, there was no reason he would not have an impression.

Long Qi racked his brains, thinking hard, when a figure suddenly appeared in his mind.

"Ah! It's you!"

It was the demon who had taken Lingxiang away that day!

That's right, the person who came was none other than Wumin Jun, but Wumin Jun was not wearing his ghost mask now, so Long Qi had not recognized him for a moment.

Wumin Jun did not say much and walked straight past the group toward the old man, though he glanced at Chiyanzi inadvertently as he passed by, without stopping.

"Senior Baigao." Wumin Jun bowed solemnly, as did the other demons.

This situation left everyone even more confused.

What was this?

Baigao?

And who was Baigao?

At this moment, Zhao Wuyang fell into deep thought.

Although Zhao Wuyang also felt surprised, there was more curiosity regarding the name "Baigao"; he always felt as if he had seen it somewhere before, with a sense that it was on the tip of his tongue, yet he could never quite recall it.

Baigao...

Baigao...

Baigao!

Zhao Wuyang suddenly remembered: "To the east of the clear waters of Mount Hua, there is a mountain named 'Zhaoshan'. There is a person named Baigao. Baigao ascends and descends here, reaching up to Heaven."

It is precisely the immortal recorded in the "Records of Strange Tales of Mountains and Seas"! It is rumored that this book was written by this very person!

Master Baigao, an immortal indeed!