Chapter 1621
Reunion
Meng Xiaoyao chuckled. “It’d be too boring to only think about cultivation. Of course, I have to change things up a little for some fun.”
“Is that so?” All of a sudden, Yu Xuening appeared before him in a flash. Staring at his chin and face at a close distance, she whispered, “So having this appearance is your so-called fun? You look neither old nor young, and you’re ugly. And don’t tell me your voice can turn old after 50,000 years, considering your cultivation base?”
Meng Xiaoyao was stunned. As though he recalled something, he shook his head ruefully and replied, “I wouldn’t remember about this if you didn’t mention it. I changed into this appearance and voice when I took in my two disciples 4,000 years ago.”
“Oh? Those two kids? Why?” she asked curiously.
He walked to the wooden table and poured her a cup of herbal tea.
Handing it to her, he said, “It’s an interesting story. I’ll tell you from the beginning. You might be interested in it. It happened over 4,000 years ago when China was ruled by different tribes. According to the legends within the tribes, the tribe leaders nicknamed themselves Great Ancient Immortals like Yan Emperor, Yellow Emperor, and others, leading the tribesmen to believe that they were from the heavens. Moreover, many descendants of cultivators had also participated in the war. They were worshipped by the leaders, thus becoming unruly and turning the place into chaos.
“There wasn’t a high population in China, to begin with, yet they had to suffer from the flood and war. If that went on, 99 percent of them would die before I got to meet a suitable heir. Thus, I thought of getting two disciples first. They could help me maintain the order in society and control the cultivators, separating them from the mundane world.
“After all, I was getting sick of managing these trivial matters for 45,000 years. After years of observation, I decided on my two disciples, Yuansu and Xuemei. Not only is it because of their excellent talent and intelligence, but also they are righteous and just people despite their wealthy family backgrounds. However, when I wanted to take them in, they didn’t believe in my abilities because I looked too young. Then, they claimed they would rather find a mentor who was an expert that cultivated for hundreds of years and looked old.
“I didn’t see that coming, so left with no choice, I lied to them saying that I was very old but purposely made myself look young. Hence, I transformed into this appearance and changed my voice…”
Yu Xuening laughed, probably because she could imagine how awkward he must have been. Eyes sparkling, she asked, “Now that I’ve returned, do you still want your disciples to see you in this appearance, or do you want to listen to me and return to your previous annoying look?”
As soon as she asked that question, his face changed, reverting to one with clean and handsome features. His hair had turned black. Though his countenance seemed calm and slightly mild, his eyes were bright as stars.
When he spoke again, his voice was melodious like a young man’s.
......
“Even though you say I look annoying, I’ll still listen to you.”
Yu Xuening gave him a deep look before smiling and urging, “That’s better. All right, continue with the story. What happened afterward?”
“Afterward…” Meng Xiaoyao started recollecting. “After they became my disciples, it didn’t take long for them to become the top elites at that time. The cultivators in the mundane world were no match for them. I let them choose the tribe leader who called himself Yellow Emperor and be his aide since he was the best at home affairs. With that, he helped the Yellow Emperor unify China and ended the war. You don’t know it, but my disciples were called Guang Chengzi and Nüba. There are still folklores about them. Even though they are all made-up stories, they’re still legendary figures in Chinese history. From then on, they replaced me to watch over the illusionary dimension and the array and assist the emperors. They didn’t help the emperors do anything, merely restricting the cultivators’ influence on the mundane world.”
Yu Xuening was so intrigued that she asked about the past dynasties. Although she had heard about such stories in the illusionary dimension, they were not as detailed as told by Meng Xiaoyao.
The atmosphere between them was harmonious and relaxed unlike before.
However, it did not mean they had come to peace, but rather they found it pointless to argue. After all, in the realm they were in, they knew each other well. Instead of wasting time and energy quarreling, they would rather try their best to be amicable with each other.
With so many things changing in the past 50,000 years, the past was no longer significant.
As long as their feelings for one another remained constant, it was enough.
They were not like ordinary couples who would have dramatic moments of love and hate.
Perhaps, such casual conversations were the most suitable reunion for them.
The two of them had so much to say that they did not stop after a whole day.
Yang Yuansu and Li Xuemei were afraid of disturbing them, so they kept vigil outside the hut. In fact, they were surprised that their reserved mentor would speak for so long.
The truth was that Meng Xiaoyao could not hold a long conversation with his disciples due to their age gap. It was easier for him to converse with someone like Yu Xuening because they were on the same wavelength.
At noon the next day, one of the islanders came over before the two of them exited the hut.
Yang Yuansu and Li Xuemei looked over and saw a tanned, bearded American Indian man. He was the second son of the tribe leader of the island, Chris.
The islanders had been treating Meng Xiaoyao and his disciples as kind doctors, so they had been on good terms with them, especially the tribe leader’s family.
“Chris, is anything the matter?” Yang Yuansu asked curiously when he saw Chris panting.
“Doctor Yang! Bad news! Quickly leave with the boat at the port located southwest of the island! A European troop has come to the island and is planning to use this island as their base! My father and the elders are liaising with them, but I think it wouldn’t be long before the negotiations break down. My father told me to inform you guys to leave before it’s too late. If they start robbing and killing people, we will fight to the death with them, but you guys shouldn’t die here!”
Yang Yuansu and Li Xuemei exchanged glances before checking the island with their divinity. Indeed, they saw a few army fleets on the northern side. As they did not pay attention to their surroundings earlier, they failed to notice them earlier.
It was natural for the European army to direct their men to seize the island as their last base because it was in the tropics and belonged to Jamaica, which had no power to defend its territory.
The whole world was in chaos, so no one would be bothered about the American Indians’ survival.
It was easy to imagine their fate if two parts came to blows. The islanders would only be massacred because of their pathetic weapons—dozens of outdated firearms and farming tools.
The duo frowned, feeling at a loss mainly because Meng Xiaoyao and Yu Xuening had not come out of the hut.
Right at that moment, the couple in question came out, smiling. It seemed like they had a good conversation as Yu Xuening did not look as resentful as before.
Yang Yuansu and Li Xuemei were stunned to see that Meng Xiaoyao had transformed into a young man, but they were not shocked as they quickly figured out it was their mentor’s true appearance.
On the other hand, Chris was utterly dumbfounded to see two strangers.
The two disciples bowed their heads in respect.
Instead of waiting for their explanation, Meng Xiaoyao nodded and looked towards the north. “We heard them…”
“Do you need us to take action? I guarantee the islanders won’t realize it’s my doing.” Yang Yuansu purposely spoke in Mandarin. He had planned on striking the fleets and having them sink into the ocean surreptitiously.
To his surprise, Meng Xiaoyao rejected the suggestion. “No need. Since Chris has told us to leave, we shall leave.”
“Huh?” The two disciples were clearly surprised. Although the American Indians’ survival was a minor concern, they had known them for dozens of years, which distinguished them from other people.