Chapter 91: The Waiting Old Man

Following the guidance to find someone wasn’t particularly difficult.

At last they stopped.

The door ahead was open and in the courtyard they could faintly see an old man who is squatting there while sorting corn.

Aside from him, no one else could be seen.

Bai He and Ye Shiyuan stood at the doorway for a moment.

As if sensing something, the old man inside slowly turned his head and saw them.

"You... who are you looking for?" the old man asked.

"You," Ye Shiyuan replied bluntly.

He walked in slowly and said, "Old sir, I’m looking for you."

"Looking for me? What do you want with me?"

A force within Ye Shiyuan’s heart suddenly reacted strongly.

It was clear that the person they were searching for was the man standing before them.

From the position of Ye Shiyuan’s heart, a faint beam of light shot out and entered the old man’s forehead.

The old man instantly froze in place as if he had fallen into another world.

Bai He and Ye Shiyuan did not interrupt him.

No one knew how much time had passed, but eventually a single tear slid down the old man’s face.

When Bai He saw that tear, a trace of confusion rose within his heart.

A full incense stick’s worth of time passed before the old man finally opened his eyes again.

Within his gaze, there seemed to be a little more spirit and brightness than before.

"Thank you, the two of you."

Bai He actually felt rather embarrassed.

"I’m sorry. We shouldn’t have come to disturb your current life."

The old man shook his head and pressed a hand over his heart as he spoke.

"You didn’t disturb anything. I’ve lived alone my whole life. It always felt as though I was waiting for someone. I promised him that we would meet again across three lifetimes. I could not break my promise. Unfortunately, in this life he never came to find me. But my waiting wasn’t in vain. Finally, I can hear the words he wanted to say to me."

That statement was, in fact, very simple.

It was merely telling the old man to abandon the past, to let go of everything and to live the rest of his life well.

He no longer needed to wait for him.

"But I... will wait! I will keep waiting forever..."

The expression on the old man’s face was filled with sorrow, yet it also seemed to carry a faint trace of joy.

Bai He pressed his lips together, but then he heard Ye Shiyuan say, "Once the Dragon Clan offers up a Dragon Heart Protecting Scale, it represents..."

Ye Shiyuan wanted to continue speaking, but Bai He stopped him.

Some words were better left unsaid.

Allowing a person to hold onto hope and continue waiting was sometimes better than letting him fall into complete despair.

Bai He took Ye Shiyuan’s hand and left the small courtyard.

"Master, why didn’t you let me tell him?"

Bai He let out a soft sigh. "You will understand in the future. You only need to complete the condition given by the Dragon Heart Protecting Scale. There is no need to do anything beyond that."

Ye Shiyuan nodded.

Although he still did not understand the reason behind it, he was still willing to listen to Bai He’s words.

...

When they returned to the Dragon Palace,

the Dragon God Ao Yanji had not expected Bai He and Ye Shiyuan to return so quickly.

"You two came back rather fast."

"Dragon God, Shiyuan and I have already completed the condition given by the Dragon Heart Protecting Scale. May we now take the Dragon Heart Protecting Scale with us?"

Bai He asked the question, though he already knew in his heart that the matter would not be so simple.

Sure enough, Ao Yanji let out a cold laugh.

"You have completed the trial given by the Dragon Heart Protecting Scale, but you have not yet completed the trial given by our Dragon Clan. Naturally, you cannot take it away yet."

"Then please, Dragon God, speak freely."

The Dragon God slowly walked down.

His lofty and condescending manner was truly unpleasant to behold.

Bai He did not like it at all, but this was someone else’s territory.

What could he do even if he disliked it?

He could only endure it.

"I need the Death Soul Grass."

Death Soul Grass?

Ao Yanji was truly asking for the impossible. To demand Death Soul Grass like that was no small matter.

Death Soul Grass was already extremely rare and the place where it grew was located in an incomparably dangerous land of extreme cold.

Bai He at least had armor on his body that could resist the harsh environment.

But what about Ye Shiyuan...?

"Alright. If I obtain the Death Soul Grass and bring it back, will you then give me the Dragon Heart Protecting Scale?"

Ao Yanji burst into loud laughter. "Fine, I will give it to you!"

In Ao Yanji’s eyes, Ye Shiyuan’s words were nothing more than arrogance.

For him to sound so confident, did he even know what the Death Soul Grass was?

Did he understand just how difficult it was to obtain the Death Soul Grass?

If it were truly such an easy task, Ao Yanji would have gone himself.

He would not have needed to trouble Ye Shiyuan with it.

"This is the map to the Land of Extreme Cold. You can find the Death Soul Grass there. Do not misunderstand, I am not helping you. Because even if I tell you where it is located, you may still not be able to bring it back."

Ye Shiyuan raised his hand and accepted the map.

After the two of them returned, only a short time passed before they left again.

They headed straight north, toward the Land of Extreme Cold.

Very soon, they began to feel the intense cold.

The cold in this place could not be described as ordinary in any sense.