"Chief Tianlong, long time no see." A spirited smile adorned Li Qing's otherwise unremarkable face.
Chief Tianlong of the Righteous Alliance looked at Li Qing, who was approaching with his hands behind his back, and finally confirmed that this was the person who had fought against the Yan family with him six years ago!
It had been nearly six years since they last met, and Tianlong felt a moment of daze. Time seemed to have left little trace on his face; he still appeared as carefree as ever. His looks were not particularly handsome, but his demeanor had grown increasingly profound, like a deep pool.
"Brother Li, it really is you! I was just wondering if that person carrying the big hammer could be you!" Tianlong's tone suddenly became excited.
Although the two had not spent much time together, sometimes, friendships between men are not heavily reliant on time. The Righteous Alliance's remarkable foundation in Obsidian City was built by the two of them working together!
With this bond, Tianlong felt a deep gratitude towards Li Qing.
"Where have you been all these years? I've grown old!" Tianlong sighed.
Soon, Wei Tian and Zhao Kou approached, their faces filled with surprise, unable to contain their excitement.
"Li Li Ye!" Wei Tian thought for a moment and ultimately called out the name he had used for Li Qing before. Six years ago, he had attempted to rob Li Qing's home and was caught by the neck with one hand; that incident was still vivid in his memory.
Zhao Kou, however, was more relaxed and directly called out, "Big Brother Li!"
"Big Brother Li, after all these years, you’ve finally returned!"
Facing everyone's greetings, Li Qing chuckled lightly and replied, "Over the years, I have immersed myself in martial arts and traveled the world. Now that I’ve returned to handle some matters, I thought I would stop by Obsidian City to see you all."
And perhaps take some gold, silver, and jewels along the way~
Of course, he did not voice this last thought.
Six years had added quite a few wrinkles to Tianlong's face. The once ruthless young man, Zhao Kou, had also matured significantly. As for Wei Tian, he was now nearly thirty, carrying an air of steadiness.
Tianlong laughed heartily, shouting, "Hahaha, go call An Yatou over here! Today is a joyous occasion!"
There were too many words they wanted to share, so it was impossible to reminisce at the door.
As they entered the courtyard, Tianlong raised his hand and pretended to be angry, saying, "I’ve said it before, the first thing every new member must do upon entering the alliance is to memorize Brother Li's portrait! Why is it that none of you take this seriously?"
The subordinate who had just reported information knelt beside Tianlong, saying, "This subordinate deserves to die a thousand deaths. Please punish me, Chief!"
"Hmph, you blind fools, hurry up and get lost! Don’t be an eyesore here!" Tianlong waved his hand, dismissing the person.
Li Qing couldn't help but raise an eyebrow upon hearing this, thinking to himself, Tianlong even kept my portrait?
This was quite thoughtful; even he hadn’t expected such a thing.
As they walked deeper into the residence, the furnishings and scenery inside had changed significantly from Li Qing's memories.
The once classical wooden structures had all been replaced with buildings made from mushroom trees, and many places were adorned with luminous mushrooms. The courtyard was also planted with numerous exotic ornamental mushrooms.
Li Qing was rare to have his horizons broadened by this strange and absurd courtyard scenery.
The current Eternal Night World had changed tremendously, beginning to clash with the worldview he had known.
To welcome Li Qing's return, a feast had already been prepared in the residence.
Various rare edible mushrooms discovered by the Righteous Alliance were served up in plate after plate.
In addition, there was an animal that resembled a pig, placed whole in the center of the table.
Before Li Qing could ask what the fresh meat was, a clear and melodious voice, like a delicate orchid in a secluded valley, came over:
"Big Brother Li! Is it really you who has returned?!"
In one corner of the courtyard, illuminated by the soft glow of the luminous mushrooms, stood a slender figure in a light green gauze dress. She moved gracefully, her fair skin making her smile appear exceptionally sweet.
The newcomer was none other than An Yatou's granddaughter, An Xuan!
The little girl, who had once been a beauty in the making, had now blossomed into a graceful young woman after six years. "An Xuan? In the blink of an eye, you've grown so much!" Li Qing was slightly taken aback, his thoughts drifting away.
His memories of An Xuan were from long ago when she was pale and thin, appearing malnourished, but with well-defined features and bright, clear eyes.
"Big Brother Li!" As An Xuan approached, her steps slowed, tears welling in her eyes.
In her memory, that blacksmith across the street had helped her family with many things.
Six years had passed in the blink of an eye, and she never expected to have the chance to see him again.
"Where's your grandfather? Why haven't I seen him?"
At this point, Li Qing looked at the expressions of the others and had a good idea that Old Man An might have passed away.
"Ah, in the three years after you left, Old Man An and Master Mo both passed away," Tianlong said from the side.
"I see." Li Qing nodded, thinking to himself that so much had happened in six years.
"Hahaha, enough of that! Today is a rare occasion for your return; we must have a grand feast!"
With that, Tianlong began to call for Li Qing.
At this moment, Li Qing finally asked his question: "Chief Tianlong, may I ask what kind of meat this is?"
Tianlong smiled mysteriously, "Hehe, do you remember when we overthrew the Yan family and found that fresh meat in their storeroom?"
"After you left, I thoroughly investigated these matters."
"At first, the Yan family would send the black rye mushrooms they collected to a place called Tianliang Mountain every so often, but they stopped sending them because a force in the west, in Great Rock City, began selling meat—this kind of Jia Pig!"
"It takes thirty carts of black rye mushrooms to exchange for one Jia Pig, and they are always dead; they never sell them alive."
"How utterly black-hearted!"
Li Qing narrowed his eyes slightly, listening attentively.
Jia Pig? Such an animal exists?
Tianlong continued, "This Jia Pig is covered in a layer of armor, and its appearance is similar to that of a normal pig. It usually eats black rye mushrooms to grow meat."
"I’ve never seen such a pig when there was sunlight; it must have appeared only in the last decade or so."
Curious, Li Qing took a small piece of the strange Jia Pig meat.
The taste and texture were similar to pork, but the meat was firmer, and when roasted, it was juicy with a strong meaty aroma.
"Interesting. Chief Tianlong, have you discovered anything about Tianliang Mountain over the years?" Li Qing asked while chewing on the peculiar Jia Pig meat.
Tianlong shook his head, "That Tianliang Mountain is impossible to locate. Over the past few years, the merchant teams I sent out have traveled all over the Black Wind Domain, and I’ve only heard a few people mention it. They say it’s a place of immortals, but it’s all very mysterious."
"If there really were immortals in the world, why wouldn’t they bring the sun back?"
"That’s simply nonsense!"
"Without the sun, we can’t grow food, and there’s nowhere to get a drink!"
To this, Li Qing merely smiled faintly. The mushrooms that grew in the fields could fill the stomach, but no one knew how to brew wine.
In the current Eternal Night World, even if there was wine, it was probably one of the very few remnants from the Sun Era, and if one were lucky, they might find it in some underground wine cellars.
However, whenever a jar appeared, it was likely an invaluable treasure.
Finally, after a hearty meal, Li Qing expressed his desire to see the Jia Pig.
Tianlong readily agreed.
(End of Chapter)