Infinite Qi System: Cultivating Souls in the Apocalypse-Chapter 72: Con-Artists - II

"Hmmm..." At last, he let out a faint hum and blinked with his barely visible eyes.

Wriggling his fingers through his long silver beard, he marvelled.

"You..." He pointed his trembling hand towards Lucian and continued, "You are about to die soon."

For several moments, Lucian stared at the old man — his gaze a mix of doubt and surprise.

'Who is this old man?' Naturally, a single thought struck his mind.

But the old man, as if reading through his mind, laughed it off. "Hoho... The one you should worry about isn't me, child. But yourself."

Taken aback by his sudden remarks, Lucian slightly widened his eyes as a thought emerged in his mind. 'Is he here to kill me?'

But almost instantly, he found his answer as well. 'No... That can't be...'

'If he were here to kill me, he would have already done that.'

"That is correct." The old man nodded.

Lucian moved his eyes across the old man as he scanned his attire.

A bald head. Loose skin that barely hung onto his skeletal body. Long white beard. Plain yellow robes that wrapped around his body. And a pair of thick prayer beads wrapped around both his wrists.

But something seemed to have stolen Lucian's mind. Since his eyes kept tracking back to his face. A bright smile that oddly seemed to be filling Lucian with a longing warmth.

Unknowingly, he dropped his guard and felt safer than ever.

Seeing his actions, even the old monk was taken aback. He slightly flinched before fully raising one of his eyebrows.

His left eye — which was usually hidden beneath the layer of his loose skin — emerged shining in a bright brown hue.

Even just by his attire, Lucian could deduce the old man's origins. Sensing the warmth, he could tell that this old monk was a big shot of the Buddhist lineage.

"What do you mean by that, sir?" Lucian slowly put his noodle bowl aside and cupped his hands.

"Hmm... How should I put this..." The old man relaxed his brow and stood still.

After a few moments of thinking, he finally continued. "I can see an abyss inside you. An abyss deeper than anyone's imagination. The surface is dark and inviting, but the closer one gets to it, the more dangerous it becomes."

"And above your head, I see the faint reflection of a pair of eyes. Bright red eyes brimming with a thick aura. They're filled with animosity against you."

"While I'm not sure what sins you, as a child, have committed, I can tell that you're too weak to handle the consequences."

Once again, he fell silent. The old monk seemed to be taking his time to choose words appropriate for a child.

"You're fighting two wars at once." He said, his voice gentle and inviting.

Lucian subconsciously nodded his head.

The old monk smiled deeply and slowly sat down near Lucian. "Be careful of what dwells inside you. And beware of those red eyes."

"Say," Lucian called out, looking towards the old monk. "Are you sure that you're not just some con artist trying to scam me?"

Quite frankly, the old monk was surprised to see his remarks. But his unexpected response hit the right spot.

The old monk burst into laughter as he mumbled, "How long has it been since I laughed this clearly?"

He then looked towards Lucian and placed his hand on his back. Softly patting him, he added. "Go. Or you'll be late once again."

His words weirdly hit deeper, as if they held a hidden meaning. Or maybe there wasn't anything extraordinary about them at all.

Maybe they were just normal words that sounded exaggerated to Lucian due to his current state.

Whatever the case may be, Lucian knew that the old man's words were correct. He truly was waging a war with an enemy he had never met or heard about.

Moreover, a danger existed hidden deep within his own soul. One wrong move and he might find himself lying flat on the ground.

'Right...' His mind actively grew clear of all his doubts. Almost as if his worries never really existed, an answer surfaced.

'Even if there truly are enemies, I'm simply too weak to know them yet. Perhaps, with time as I grow stronger, I might get to know them better?'

By using the strength of his arms, Lucian slowly stood up and faced the old monk. While it may be true that he was no more than a stranger to him. But he was also a benefactor who guided him towards the right path.

While it may be preposterous coming from Lucian, he wanted to repay the old monk's kindness and respect.

He slowly bent forward and bowed sincerely, cupping his hands appropriately. The old monk as well seemed delighted by his gesture as he simply smiled and nodded.

Lucian then got up and started tracing his feet back to the inn. The old monk glanced at his back.

"This reminds me of the last time..." He said as his otherwise bright face grew dull.

Looking at Lucian's back, the old monk could see a faint silhouette appearing over Lucian's body.

"His back looks so similar to you..." He unknowingly muttered out loud as his eyes sparkled with life.

Even as he was looking at Lucian, he wasn't. In his eyes, a vision different than this was being played. The vision of a young man dressed in white, silken robes walking away majestically.

Almost like a proud king who has accepted to bear the perils of the world all on his shoulders. Alone.

The old monk's lips curled into a bittersweet smile as his vision grew blurry — tears forming in the corner of his eyes.

"Ah, how long has it been since I have seen you?" the old monk let out a plea straight from his heart. His voice — heavy with regrets.

"My lord."

***

Before long Lucian disappeared in the crowd. The old monk had already calmed himself down.

Silently sitting on the spot, he was recollecting his thoughts.

'After so many years... Why did that child remind me of him?' A single question remained unanswered in his mind.

Before he could ponder any further on this topic, a distant voice woke him up.

"Venerable!"

"Hmm?" Confused, he slowly raised his head and looked to his right. Through the crowded street, his eyes spotted a few similarly dressed men.

In terms of age, they were all elders. However, if compared to one another, they seemed like children to this old monk. Seeing them, the old monk's face suddenly grew stiff.

As they rushed closer, the old monk couldn't help but grumble like a small kid who had just been told by his parents that playtime is over.

"Venerable... We... Finally... Found you..." Heaving small gasps, the three elder monks slowly caught up their breath.

Brushing sweat off their face, the long beads wrapped around their necks clanked.

Then, they looked at the old monk with eyes full of worry. "Venerable," they called out, hands pressed together near their chest.

"Why did you suddenly run off here?"

"I didn't." The old monk calmly proclaimed.

The three elder monks were left stunned. While they didn't dare think that the venerable would be lying, they couldn't think of another reason to justify his actions.

They exchanged glances and at last decided to not question him any further.

"Venerable," the oldest amongst the three monks called out, "the meeting, as per your orders, will be held tomorrow. The other five sects have also agreed. The abbot has requested that you should attend as the representative of the Indestructible Buddha Sect."

Saying this, all the elder monks bowed respectfully.

The venerable stared at them for a few moments. Then, replied. "I didn't descend into this realm to indulge in mortal affairs."

The elder monks, clearly stunned, looked at the venerable with their jaws dropped.

While it was true that the venerable held no worldly affections, they believed that he might at least respect the abbot's request.

"For I shared a small karmic connection to this sect; I merely came to warn you of the peril. Just like everyone else. Though, my work is done, and I'm simply staying in this realm longer to fulfill my own selfishness."

"Go tell your abbot I, Shi Wuyuan, refuse to appear in this world."