The Eternal Way

Upon hearing these words, Li Qi felt a chill run down his spine, raising goosebumps all over his body.

He hadn't sensed any presence or sound.

But he immediately turned around to see.

The blind old woman, who had been there earlier, was now standing with her cane, having approached without him noticing.

"Please forgive me, senior apprentice. A few days ago, I cast a divination and found that my son's survival depended on this act. Although he is usually foolish, he wouldn't deliberately harm others. It was entirely my idea," the blind old woman said calmly.

"If not for that, how would he have known you were performing a ritual by the river? And why would he wait there specifically?" The old woman continued, looking at Li Qi with her milky eyes.

Li Qi felt uneasy under her gaze and took a step back, "Elderly lady, please don't call me senior apprentice. You are older; just call me Xiao Li."

He changed the subject instead of continuing the conversation because he didn't want to discuss the matter further. He just wanted to leave quickly.

The blind old woman shook her head. "There are rules here. You are a proper disciple of Wu Deity Mountain, while I am merely an outsider who learned some techniques and was sent out to find my own way when I grew old. Meeting a senior apprentice like you, it is only right to show respect."

Li Qi almost laughed in frustration.

"You say you should show respect, yet you start by trying to frame me?" Li Qi said.

"Though I may be foolish, I recognize talent. You have been recognized by the Qiongnu and received the book 'Wu' from Great Master Zhu, making you part of the main lineage of Wu Deity Mountain. How could a small incident like this stop you? So, I dared to instruct my son to do this to get your attention, leading to our current conversation," the old woman explained.

While they were talking, the wealthy man stood nervously to the side, scratching his head, unsure of what to do, watching his mother and Li Qi.

"Regardless of your intentions, there is no room for negotiation. Elderly lady, farewell." Li Qi bowed slightly, preparing to leave.

Cold sweat trickled down his back.

Damn it, wasn't he supposed to be an Outer Path practitioner, making divination difficult? How could someone like her, also unranked, manage to predict his movements?

This made Li Qi worry greatly about his survival status.

He needed to leave quickly.

Just as Li Qi turned to leave, he heard the blind old woman speak again, "My abilities are weak compared to yours, senior apprentice. No matter how hard I try, I cannot divine your whereabouts. But don't you want to know how I managed to predict your arrival?"

Li Qi stopped in his tracks.

Wait, she couldn't actually predict him?

Then how did his location get exposed?

"Explain clearly." Li Qi's tone hardened.

He mobilized his internal energy, ready to unleash Carp Flow Intent at any moment. Bull Strength Technique was also prepared, and his focus shifted to all the progress bars around him.

He was used to seeing various progress bars within his vision and had learned to ignore most of them unless necessary. During combat, these bars helped him anticipate enemy movements, allowing him to react promptly.

"Senior apprentice, do you know the origin of the horse beside you?" the blind old woman asked.

Li Qi remained tense, waiting for her to continue without answering.

The old woman seemed to understand his thoughts and immediately provided the answer.

"Dragon Steed Liu Ying was once the mount of General Liu Bose of Song Kingdom, one of the best horses there. Standing eight and a half feet tall, it could ride clouds and walk on water."

"But during Tang's attack on Song, despite Liu Bose being a seventh-rank Martial Dao practitioner capable of breaking mountains, he was easily toyed with by Tang's Daoist magic and couldn't withstand their military might. In one night, three states fell, and in despair, he committed suicide."

"After his death, his body was desecrated, but the Dragon Steed was a valuable treasure. Initially, it was taken by the Tang general who conquered the city, intending to train it to potentially transform into a dragon."

"However, the Dragon Steed refused to serve its master's enemies and struggled fiercely."

"The Tang army set up spells to bind its bloodline essence, planning to imprison it slowly, but the steed escaped halfway through the binding."

"The enraged Tang general ordered a search, spreading the news across half of the Great Deer Kingdom. Diviners like us were specifically notified to find clues about Dragon Steed Liu Ying."

"With this connection, I was able to deduce your location. After all, you carry a ninth-rank Tang blade, don't you?"

"Combining all these clues, I guessed correctly after seeing you."

After listening, Li Qi broke out in cold sweat.

Although he suspected Old Horse might have some importance due to being hunted by armored soldiers, he thought an aging Dragon Steed wouldn't cause much trouble. After all, even officers' horses were seven feet tall, so an eight-foot Dragon Steed shouldn't be a big deal, right?

But now it seemed... the trouble was far greater.

Old Horse wasn't limited to his current capabilities? Could travel eight hundred miles a day, sixteen hundred miles in twenty-four hours, and that was only half of his potential?

Half of his bloodline essence was bound by spells?

He would need to ask Old Horse later.

Despite these considerations, Li Qi maintained his composure, keeping his expression unchanged, silently staring at the blind old woman.

She continued, "By revealing this, I know my entire family's life depends on you now. This is precisely what I wish to negotiate with you."

"Your cultivation is profound, and even my desperate attempts couldn't predict your whereabouts. Your companion, the fairy, is completely undetectable to me. If not for my son's eyes, I wouldn't have noticed anyone else with you, suggesting she has reached the flawless realm."

"But each field has its experts. As a Wu Zhu, you may not be familiar with divination. In the future, others might discover clues about Dragon Steed Liu Ying, which Tang generals desire. Keeping it poses risks, but letting it go means losing a valuable asset."

"I offer my remaining life to perform rituals to obscure the Dragon Steed's traces, ensuring you face no further threats."

"All I ask is for you to save my son's life."