Ming Zhi Tian thought of the red berries that Ba Ke had brought, sweet and crisp, bringing a warm flow to his lower abdomen.
"Ba Ke, where did you find these red berries? Take me there."
Ba Ke nodded, then carried Ming Zhi Tian on his back and led him away.
After walking for a while, they saw a green expanse ahead, yet a desolate aura lingered, incongruous with the lushness but somehow blended together.
Ba Ke stepped into the green expanse. Ming Zhi Tian looked around; there was nothing but the ground covered in green, with occasional weeds and unidentified herbs.
Ba Ke carried Ming Zhi Tian to a red berry bush growing on a tombstone not far away. They had been eating berries picked by Ba Ke from here for the past few days.
Upon reaching the tombstone, Ming Zhi Tian asked Ba Ke to set him down. He then crawled on the ground, using his chin to move himself closer to the tombstone, wanting to see the inscription clearly.
The stone tablet was entwined with red berries and vines. Ming Zhi Tian vaguely made out the four large characters on the stone tablet: "Tomb of the Martial Saint."
Ming Zhi Tian read it aloud, "Tomb of the Martial Saint?"
Suddenly! A brilliant, pale golden light enveloped the entire stone tablet! A wisp of a divine soul rose from within the monument.
The divine soul was indistinct and ethereal, yet it gazed piercingly at Ming Zhi Tian, who was lying on the ground looking up.
The soul appeared as a young man, exceptionally handsome and peerless, with flowing long hair. His brows exuded the dominance of one accustomed to high position. He wore a white robe with gold dragon embroidery, stood tall, his hands behind his back, projecting an aura of looking down upon all beings.
The soul of the young man opened his long-slumbering starry eyes, his bright gaze fixed on Ming Zhi Tian. He spoke slowly, "I have seen those who kneel on both knees, and those who kneel on one knee, but I have never seen anyone crawl. What is this etiquette? What secular disciple are you from? Are you from the Eight Families of the East Wall, or the Nine Families of the West Wall? Or perhaps the Five Families of the Southern Mausoleum, or the Twelve Families of the Northern Mausoleum?"
Ming Zhi Tian heard "East Wall" and "West Wall" and shook his head. Then he heard "Southern Mausoleum" and "Northern Mausoleum" and shook his head again.
The soul of the young man was taken aback, "None of them? Since you are not a disciple of a prominent family, could it be that you are from a humble background?"
Ming Zhi Tian nodded, "You could say that."
The soul of the young man stumbled. He had intended to find a disciple from a prominent family, even one ranked at the bottom would have been acceptable. Someone from a humble background... this... he was a little displeased.
Looking at the person before him, Ming Zhi Tian felt he was not much older than himself. He blinked and said, "Hey, who are you? You died so young?"
The soul of the young man was enraged, a powerful aura emanating without wind! It blew so fiercely that Ming Zhi Tian could not open his eyes. Ba Ke came forward to shield him, "Aowah!..."
The soul of the young man grunted, "Presumptuous! Boy, I am the Martial Saint of the ancient cultivation world! Ran Yi Zhou, and I have lived for a thousand years! You dare to look down on me?"
Ming Zhi Tian choked for a moment, "I... I'm sorry, Senior Ran, I didn't know you were so powerful!"
He then said to Ba Ke, "Ah, my neck is too tired from looking up. Ba Ke, come and help me up, let me lean on your back."
Ba Ke obediently took Ming Zhi Tian's collar with his teeth, allowing him to sit up. Then Ba Ke lay down, letting Ming Zhi Tian lean on his back.
Ran Yi Zhou was somewhat disappointed, "I never expected that I, the dignified Martial Saint, after waiting for a thousand years, would encounter someone from a humble background with a questionable mind!"
Ming Zhi Tian wanted to cup his hands in greeting, but all his meridians were broken, and he could do nothing. He could only shake his head, "Senior Ran, please forgive my rudeness. I was harmed by a treacherous villain, and cannot bow to you. Please excuse me."
Ran Yi Zhou's brows furrowed further, "I wondered why you lowered yourself so much, willing to debase yourself to bow to me. So you are a cripple! But since fate has willed it so, that you lured out my divine soul, it matters not. Since it is fate, let us go with fate. Now, tell me, what is your name? And what kind of person are you?"