CG Chapter 177: Rotting of the Firmament
The old beggar's killing aura vanished as if it had never been there. He looked to the side with a long, heartfelt glance.
"The young martial artist dreams of becoming a Jianghu hero. He knows not of the difficulty of the road and only hears of its glory, and even if he heard, alas. It's the nature of mankind to chase what we don't have and not cherish what we have."
He paused as if he was pitying the fall of so many heavenly chosen. "Most fall before reaching the Fourth Rate, and even those who do are treated as bigger ants, cannon fodder to be thrown around by the sects and noble clans. Fourth, Third, Second, First, they are all the same. And even the fabled true masters, what of their hard work? After a hundred years or so they will turn into a worthless pile of yellow dirt, no different than that of a mortal."
The old man seemed like he was reminiscing about old times more than anything, but Aretius didn't mind. On one side, he took a few sips of his hot tea while the old man talked and reached for his third wine gourd.
"You, too, seem like such a person, don't you?" The old beggar asked, but didn't let Aretius speak. "How peculiar, I sense from you the aura of youth, yet there seems to be something deeper."
The words of the old beggar seemed to have fallen on deaf ears. Aretius was confident that no one could see through his reincarnation. Unless, there were entities like that Shaman who was the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao itself; but such occurrences were rare enough.
As for this strange sensation the old beggar described, it was most likely nothing more than him sensing the aura of decay and death from his body.
He was currently at the early Third Rate, but his true martial prowess couldn't be measured by that alone, as he was a dual-path martial artist, not to mention his bloodline and the countless tricks and trump cards he had.
Moreover, he was confident that by the time he reached the Second Rate or the First Rate at the utmost, this aura of decay would disappear completely, and he would regain the vitality of the body from its twilight.
As for now, he was both a Flesh Refinement on the Body Refinement Path and a Ki Stirring expert of the Ki Cultivation Path. However, his current progress would slow down, if not halt, if he didn't acquire new martial art manuals to increase his understanding of this world's system.
Seeing that Aretius wasn't willing to speak, the old beggar didn't force him.
"Well, it doesn't matter. What could I do with the secret of a young brat?"
He looked at Aretius closely before saying, "Listen carefully to what I am about to say."
"The Three begot the three.
The Heavens change while the sky remains.
The three above and the three below.
What is it all for? They say the Heavens will change once more, but I say the sky will fall upon us all. That blind old fool believes that by assisting the rightful one, he could bring new life to this world. Alas, what does he know? Nihility cannot be evaded."
The old beggar looked at Aretius for a second before shaking his head.
"It seems that I have become talkative in my old age. At the very least, I might not last to see this sky fall. Should I feel thankful or should I...?"
The old beggar stood from his seat after he said what he had, appearing indifferent to everything in the world.
Yet, Aretius' words made him halt for a breath. "Wouldn't it be rude to leave without leaving your name?"
"My name... This one was called, upon a time, Fa Bu, the Exhausted Step," he replied without turning his back.
Hearing his name, Aretius compared with the information he had acquired from Qi Hao. Unfortunately, the old ghost in front of him was either some kind of hidden master, or one that had been erased by the long march of time.
Remembering to look into it later, he remained seated, taking a drawn-out sip before saying, "If Nihility wishes to come, then one can't stop it. Three begot the three. It's the nature of all things to unite and divide. From many to one and from one to many, isn't this the nature of all things? Such is the world, and the supreme rules. Yin begot Yang, and Yang begot Yin."
"As for those who are blinded by standing above the masses, their end shall come."
The old beggar remained in his place for a moment before continuing to walk without saying anything; only this time, his back seemed to be lighter, as if Aretius' words made him understand some profound truth.
If that guest from before had remained to listen, then he would have known that this old beggar had met his equal. A man as mad as the beggar, talking in circles without making heads or tails of what they said.
Meanwhile, Aretius grinned. 'How interesting. Do I chase Nihility from world to world? Or maybe I am Nihility?'
A still moment of silence passed with Aretius seated alone.
He paused, savoring the taste of tea. 'It matters not. If I am Nihility, then so be it, but if I am not, then I will become the Nihility of Nihility.'
Viewing things from the outside, this eerie encounter had benefited Aretius by providing him with information that even the Beggar Sect didn't seem to be able to get, or perhaps even they didn't dare spread.
To Aretius, none of that mattered. If someone wished to stand across his board, they were more than welcome to do so, but those who thought themselves outside the board weren't worthy of his attention. The general trend would eventually get them, and he might provide the push needed to accelerate the trend.
With that, Aretius stood from his place, leaving the place empty of life. He was about to continue his journey to the Li Clan and find more information about who the Heavenly Mandate would fall upon.
Such a piece was simply too valuable not to fall into his hands.