Beastmaster of the Ages

”You flatter me too much. It’s something that’s written down in my bloodline. Someone with the ’Jian’ surname wouldn’t have it,” Qitian Muchen said with a smile.

The old man continued shaking his head with a pained smile. ”You’re all more evil than House Yumo. There will be retribution.”

”Hahahahaha!” Qitian Muchen’s entire body shook with laughter, as if he had heard the funniest joke ever told. ”No problem. I pray that the redemption will come fast and with gusto. Fortunately, we’re House Qitian. Let’s see whether that so-called ’redemption’ is powerful enough to overcome us.”

He smiled and took his leave, not turning back to look at the old cleaner anymore.

The old man looked up and mumbled, ”Redemption....”

His gaze swept away from Qitian Muchen to the front. At the very edge of his vision, he noticed a white-haired youth with black and gold eyes and a pink-haired girl in each other’s arms. The youth met the old man’s gaze and even waved at him.

”Tian... ming.... Destiny? What a good name!” The old man’s mind felt clear all of a sudden.

***

Tianming had arrived right on time. The whole time he’d been looking in the old man’s direction, Yin Chen had been telling him about the conversation by rendering it in text form using its many little bodies within his lifebound space. While it was a little confusing to not have all the details, Tianming could more or less guess how it had all started.

”Qitian Muchen called the old man his grandfather. Wouldn’t that make his daughter the wife of the current valley lord? Are Qitian Muyu and Qitian Muchen her children? Yin Chen, does the valley lord have a wife?” Tianming asked.

”No idea.” In all the time Yin Chen had spent in Myriadpath Valley, it hadn’t heard anything about the valley lord’s wife. There must not be one. ”If I’m... not mistaken... this cleaner... grandpa is... the previous... valley lord.”

”The one with an outsider surname? The only valley lord not from the Three Exalted Houses who came from an august house, House Qingchuan, who used to be invincible in Myriadpath Valley?” Tianming asked. It seemed like the black myriadpath ring on the old man had been put on later in his life. Members of House Qingchuan should be wearing gold rings, after all.

”House Qingchuan... no longer... exists now. The valley... lord of... this generation... seems like... the disciple... of the... previous one.”

”A valley lord with an outsider surname took a member of House Qitian as his disciple and even let his daughter marry him and his son-in-law became the next valley lord? Did he lose his daughter and get confined there? Is Jian Qinghe Qitian Muchen’s twin sister?”

Things were starting to seem rather complicated, especially considering all the things Tianming was ignorant of. Recently, some reverends and eminents would bring up the outsider valley lord when they talked about Tianming, even comparing the two, which had naturally drawn his attention.

However, he’d been under the impression that the previous valley lord had died long ago. He never would have imagined the old cleaner would be that very man. His questions about Jian Qinghe’s true identity had also been answered.

Even though he still had many doubts, he figured he would just ask Jian Qinghe about them. Blindly guessing wouldn’t do him any good.

Right then, Qitian Muchen, who had been leaving, spotted Tianming.

”He’s only seen the Mistrunner, not me. I should pretend it’s the first time I’m meeting him.” Tianming didn’t really like Qitian Muchen after eavesdropping on the conversation earlier, especially after hearing about how he viewed Jian Qinghe. Not to mention, what had the old cleaner meant when he’d said that House Qitian was more evil than House Yumo?

Tianming had always had the impression that House Qitian was more upright than even House Suishen. After all, there were the likes of Suishen Yue and Eminent Ranxing in House Suishen. Many eminents of that house were also only trying to make use of Tianming.

Qitian Muchen, on the other hand, had caused Tianming’s impression of House Qitian to fall a level, but he couldn’t quite put a reason to it. Qitian Muchen was pleasing to look at and appeared cordial and amicable, yet there was some part of him that simply pissed others off.

When Qitian Muchen came to Tianming, he smiled and turned to Suishen Yao. ”Yaoyao, why don’t you introduce us?”

The fact that he dared to address Tianming’s wife so intimately before her husband angered Tianming even more.

Suishen Yao, however, didn’t have any ill impressions of the youth at all. Even the Little Demon King had to behave with respect in the face of Qitian Muchen. ”Brother Muchen, you met him long ago, I’m sure. This dastardly little fellow is Li Tianming.”

She turned to Tianming and said, ”This is Qitian Muchen, the scion of the valley lord. He’s known to be the most talented disciple in Myriadpath Valley. You should get to know him.”

Tianming was beginning to feel like Suishen Yao was already beginning to forget the bullying she had just received.

Qitian Muchen smiled and said, ”I’m truly envious of how well the two of you get along.”

”It’s nothing much, really. Myriadpath Valley’s number—” Before Tianming could finish, Suishen Yao covered his mouth.

Awkwardly, she said, ”Forgive this idiot’s manners. Brother Muchen, please don’t mind him.”

”Pathkeeper Li’s a dragon among men. How could he be an idiot? Not to mention, Yaoyao, there’s something you were wrong about,” Qitian Muchen said.

”What is it?” she asked.

”You said that I’m the most talented disciple in all of Myriadpath Valley, but everyone knows that’s history. The current most talented disciple is standing right before me.”

Suishen Yao blushed. ”Brother Muchen, you truly flatter me....”

”Are you a fool? He’s obviously talking about me!” Tianming snapped, shaking her with his hands around her neck.

”Hahahaha!” Qitian Muchen burst out laughing at their antics. ”What a jolly couple you are! When a perfect match pairs up with one another, it’s truly a thing worth envying.”

Qitian Muchen turned to Tianming and said, ”Pathkeeper Li, I have matters to take care of in the Yin-Yang World. If it weren’t for that, I would’ve extended an invitation to you to go to Qitian Cave with me for a chat about your stunning feats of talent.”

”No, you can’t! Everyone knows House Qitian is trying to win him over! He belongs to House Suishen!” Suishen Yao hurriedly said as she defensively raised her arms in front of Tianming.

”Oh, Yaoyao, you’re adorable,” Qitian Muchen said, then waved goodbye at the two.

”Brother Muchen,” Tianming called out all of a sudden.

”Do you have something to say, Pathkeeper Li? Pray tell.”

”You’re my senior, so please address me as ’Tianming’,” Tianming said.

”No problem,” Qitian Muchen agreed with a nod.

Tianming continued, ”I heard that a person shrouded in purple mist appeared in the Yin-Yang World, exclusively hunting members of House Yumo. Please be careful.”

Qitian Muchen laughed, ”Well, what do I have to fear? Like you said, they only hunt members of House Yumo!”

”That makes sense!” Tianming said.

”Still, I thank you for your concern,” Qitian Muchen said.

”You’re most welcome.”

”Very well.” Qitian Muchen nodded and went off.

Tianming waited until he was gone and grabbed Suishen Yao by the neck again. ”Wait, he didn’t head toward the Myriadpath Celestial Formation, but Qitian Cave, right?”

”So what? Can’t he just be going back to replenish his supplies before leaving again?” Suishen Yao grumbled.

”Yaoyao, what do you think of him?” Tianming asked.

”He’s the perfect successor to the valley lord. He doesn’t have a single flaw. All of Myriadpath Valley thinks so! What’s wrong, feeling jealous?” Suishen Yao said with a smirk.

Tianming chuckled, knowing that he would meet Qitian Muchen again in the Yin-Yang World.