1380 Eighty-Eight Years (1/2)
Old Sycamore let out a deep sigh and firmly stated, ”There are some people who you can never forget in your entire lifetime even though you have seen them just once. The things that have already happened can't be changed, so there's no viable way to end this karma. Although he's dead, I still haven't repaid the debt I owe him. Tell me, just who are you?”
Tang Xiu put away the tea table and the tea set, then slowly stood up and said, ”Since you wish to seek the answer to this, serve at my side from now on! You shall learn what you wish to know in the future.”
”Hahaha…”
Loud laughter came from Old Sycamore as he said, ”You want me to serve you? Are you kidding me? There's only one person who can let me serve him in all of the Immortal World, but unfortunately, he has long since disappeared… both in flesh and soul.”
Tang Xiu countered back. ”Since you believe he has disappeared in flesh and soul already, why have you come to bother me then?”
”That's…”
Old Sycamore was left dumbstruck and tongue-tied.
Tang Xiu's expression changed suddenly when he sensed a shadow rush towards him like a bolt of lightning, and a somewhat wry expression emerged on his handsome face.
”Why did you come here?” Tang Xiu asked helplessly.
Apotheosis Bella glanced at Old Sycamore, and immediately after, she revealed a strange expression as she said, ”I sensed a powerful aura make its way over here, so I followed it all the way here. I didn't think Old Sycamore had actually come to find you. Are you two acquaintances?”
A glimmer of light flashed in Old Sycamore's eyes as he greeted. ”Apotheon Bella… No, it should be Supreme Bella Fern Regalia. Have your injuries healed completely?”
Apotheosis Bella nodded and said, ”I obtained a Holy Dragon Fruit, so they have healed fully. On the other hand, your injuries have healed faster than I was expecting them to.”
Old Sycamore smiled bitterly. ”I found an interesting person, so I spent all my life's savings to heal sooner and made my way over here. No, wait. Wasn't it rumored that the Great Tang Heavenly Emperor has ousted you, so how come…?”
Tang Xiu interrupted him, then looked towards Apotheosis Bella and asked, ”Bella, you're acquainted with Old Sycamore?”
Apotheosis Bella said, ”We have known each other for a few hundred years now. In the past seven hundred years, we have worked together multiple times to battle the experts of Inner Pill Sect and Everlasting Palace. If it weren't for Old Sycamore holding the rear when we were besieged by the Inner Pill Sect, Everlasting Palace, and Myriad Sword Sect last time, I might have been unable to return to the Immortal Lyceum.”
Tang Xiu let out a deep sigh and firmly said, ”Were you aware that he was on friendly terms with the Vermillion Bird Holy Sect?”
Apotheosis Bella shook her head and said, ”I wasn't aware of it. However, I considered any power or person who had a grudge with the Inner Pill Sect and Everlasting Palace as allies.”
Tang Xiu turned to look at Old Sycamore and said in a bitter voice, ”You… did all this just to repay that debt of ten Immortal Crystals from back then? To repay his kindness for continuously sending you cultivation resources and helping you breakthrough?”
Old Sycamore stated decisively, ”You're right. If it weren't for the Star Cultivation Great Emperor, there would be no Old Sycamore today. Although my younger brother is already dead, I'm still alive. Since he has no way to repay the kindness, I can do it in his stead.”
”Was there a need to do that?” Tang Xiu continued bitterly. ”Let it be. I shall give you a satisfactory answer for all that you have done over these past hundreds of years. If you're still unwilling to follow me after that, that's your choice to make. The reason your younger brother kept sending you all kinds of cultivation resources steadily and helped you achieve breakthroughs was that I urged him to do so. However, I wasn't expecting him to willingly take on the blame for me and end up dying tragically at the hands of a disciple from a sect that I exterminated.”
”How could this be possible?”
Old Sycamore's eyes filled with shock as he retreated a few steps. He then anxiously asked with disbelief all over his face, ”You… are Star Cultivation Great Emperor?”
Tang Xiu nodded and said with a sigh, ”You didn't think I was still alive, right? I believed I was done for too, but a fragment of my soul ended up surviving, and this allowed me to make a comeback. Old Sycamore, in this entire world, only two people know which art you are cultivating. One of them is your younger brother, and the other one is me. That's because the Heavenly Art of Divine Wood Bestowal is a cultivation art I created.”
After hearing all this, the way Old Sycamore looked at Tang Xiu had changed thoroughly. His expression became more respectful and excited. His aged body straightened perfectly as he kneeled before Tang Xiu and said respectfully, ”Old Sycamore greets Star Cultivation Great Emperor. I shall never forget the favor you have shown me by teaching me. I'm willing to become your subordinate and move at your beck and call.”
Tang Xiu said, ”Old Sycamore, you're good, and so is your brother. Since you have come to a decision, so be it then! I'm in need of men right now, so I hope you can consider the Great Tang Empire as a place you belong to and that you can treat it as your… home.”
”Home?”