The Quest for Immortality

Yang Jishan once again sized Mo Hua up from head to toe—he already looked like a graceful youth now—and sighed with a smile:

”You’ve grown up.”

Then he felt a bit puzzled. ”How did you end up in Great Desert City?”

Mo Hua replied, ”I was traveling south, and just happened to run into war and chaos, so I could only come to this Great Desert City to take shelter for now.”

Hearing this, Yang Jishan felt some sympathy, and some emotion.

Once war breaks out in the Great Wilderness, calamities are bound to follow. Li State, closest to the Great Wilderness, will bear the brunt and surely suffer the ravages of war.

In such turmoil, for a youth like him to escape alive and make it to Great Desert City is no simple feat.

”You’re alone?” Yang Jishan asked gently.

”Mm.”

”Do you have a place to stay?”

Mo Hua shook his head. ”No.”

Yang Jishan said, ”Since that’s the case, come back to the camp with me for now. The Court Army is gathered here now, and the camps where Taoist Soldiers are stationed are in any case safer than outside.”

Mo Hua’s face lit up with joy. He nodded and said, ”Thank you, Leader Yang!”

”Let’s go.”

”Alright.”

And just like that, Mo Hua openly slipped into the ranks of the Taoist Soldiers.

With a group of battle-hardened Taoist Soldiers around them, Yang Jishan led Mo Hua toward the military camp of Great Desert City.

Only, there was still something he hadn’t figured out in his heart:

”This Mo Hua... who exactly is he again?”

”I’m sure I know him... but how did I come to know him?”

”South Yue City?”

”Was it because of some incident in South Yue City, at some time, that I met this young brother?”

”And why is it that for so long, it’s as if I’d completely forgotten this young brother—my mind holds no impression of him at all?”

Yang Jishan was full of doubts and very much wanted to ask Mo Hua and get things straight.

But he was also afraid of that awkwardness—meeting an acquaintance in a foreign place, yet not remembering who this ’acquaintance’ is at all.

Yang Jishan could only steel himself and pretend nothing was wrong.

...

The group passed through the streets of Great Desert City and arrived at the northwest corner, at a tightly guarded Taoist Soldier encampment.

Ordinary folk were forbidden to enter the Taoist Soldiers’ camp.

But Yang Jishan was a Daoist Soldier Commander, with high authority.

And he was a member of the Yang Family; the camp he guarded was almost entirely made up of Yang Family disciples, so with just a word from him, the Taoist Soldiers on guard let them through.

Yang Jishan brought Mo Hua into one of the barracks, and right then they ran into a burly man.

The man’s right arm hung limp, his left chest was wrapped in bandages, and a deep, bone-revealing wound ran from his left neck down to his right ribs. The injury was extremely severe and still seeping blood.

Yang Jishan frowned. ”Didn’t I tell you to rest?”

The big man’s face was pale, but he grinned. ”I won’t die. I just can’t sit idle.”

Mo Hua was taken aback. ”Uncle Yang?”

This man was also someone he knew—back in Tongxian City, he had fought side by side with him to wipe out the Qian Family and resist the Big Demon Feng Xi. He was the Taoist Soldier captain, Yang Jiyong.

Yang Jiyong’s expression turned astonished. He stared at Mo Hua for a moment, then his face showed utter shock. His mouth fell open as he said in disbelief:

”You... you’re Mo Hua?”

”Mm.” Mo Hua nodded with a smile.

Yang Jiyong stared at Mo Hua several times over, truly both surprised and delighted. ”It’s been ten or so years since we met, and in the blink of an eye, you’ve grown this much...”

At the side, Yang Jishan was a bit stupefied. ”You... know him too?”

Yang Jiyong was puzzled. ”Big Brother, didn’t I tell you? Back in Tongxian City, I met a Junior Formation Master.”

”Tongxian City...”

Yang Jishan frowned, then suddenly remembered. It did seem that Yang Jiyong had mentioned to him a ’Junior Formation Master’ with extraordinary talent.

Only... why is it that clearly they’re the same person, yet my memories seem completely severed?

This young brother... who in the world is he...

Yang Jishan’s expression grew slightly grave.