Li Qiye belched after drinking his soup and sat there lazily.
Qing Shi felt so comfortable as well and lay back on his chair, rubbing his stomach. He felt bad because he drank at least two-thirds of the soup. He didnât say anything because the conversation seemed to be between these two.
He knew that the old man was treating Li Qiye, not him who got lucky enough to ride Li Qiyeâs coattails. He remained curious about Li Qiyeâs intention.
âAre you satisfied now, Customer?â The old man put the pot and bowls away before enthusiastically smiling.
âMmm, sure.â Li Qiye stretched, looking like a young master.
âIs there anything else you want? Just say the words.â The old man continued.
âYou can satisfy all my demands?â Li Qiye opened his eyes and stared at the old man with a smirk on his face.
The old man shuddered, realizing that his pleasantry might have been overly exaggerated. After all, the person sitting before him was a big deal. Other historical lords, supreme overlords, and dao lords were insignificant compared to him.
âAh⦠this little one will do his best. Itâs a shame that I donât have much here, just a bunch of broken bricks and tiles.â The old man responded.
âMmm, sometimes those are valuable too.â Li Qiye stared at the old man.
The latter became afraid because he didnât know why Li Qiye was here. Someone like Li Qiye would definitely want something incredible. Very few things were worthy of his attention and time. Dao lord weapons and artifacts werenât on this list.
âYouâre playing with me, Customer. My broken items canât enter your sight.â The old man became awkward.
âDonât be so sure now since you have what you should have. For example, if I want something like lightning, where should I go to get it?â
âLightning?â The old man was startled for a moment before realizing what Li Qiye was referring to. He tumbled backward on instinct.
Qing Shi has been watching and took note of this. He might not know what exactly âlightingâ was referring to but it was definitely a big deal to the old man.
âAh, Sir, Iâm afraid youâll be disappointed by returning empty-handed. We donât have anything like that here and even if we did, we canât hide it from you anyway.â The old man responded.
âThis restaurant doesnât have it but thatâs not the case for this place.â Li Qiye smirked while pointing at his head: âTell me, where should I go?â
The old man had a sullen expression after hearing this, being put in a tough situation. He eventually said: âCustomer, this will put me in a tough situation. Iâm very old and have forgotten about many things. Even if I knew before, this might no longer be the case.â
He knew that lying wasnât possible in front of Li Qiye. Plus, the consequences would be unimaginable. People have tried in the past and suffered his wrath.
âIs that so?â Li Qiye stroked his chin with a half-smile.
âSir, nothing in the world can hide from your eyes. If you donât know about it, my senile self canât either.â The old man said.
âStop calling me Sir, Iâm only eighteen.â Li Qiye said.
âYes, of course, my mistake.â The old man apologized with haste.
âForget it, Iâm just messing with you.â Li Qiye laughed: âIf I wanted it, I wouldnât be waiting till now nor asking you.â
âOf course.â The old man nodded and heaved a sigh of relief, aware of Li Qiyeâs previous exploits.
âWell, I still want to stew that old duck though.â Li Qiye added.
The old man only smiled and didnât respond. He still didnât know why Li Qiye came.
âYouâre aware that something flew here?â Li Qiye changed the topic.
âYes, it landed in the stone forest.â The old man honestly said. But this matter was insignificant. It shouldnât be the reason why Li Qiye was here.
Qing Shiâs ears seemingly became larger. He didnât understand the first part but the stone forest was definitely within his scope. He quietly listened without interrupting.
âMmm, I know. I wonât waste any more time, I just need one stone. There should have been one or two left behind.â Li Qiye nodded.
The old man pondered about it before giving in: âI personally know about one in Ancestral City. However, I never paid much attention so I canât be sure where it is exactly.â
âStill the same as before.â Li Qiye smiled and shook his head.
âHowever, if you really want that stone, customer, Iâm afraid that it has cracked by now. My information is limited.â The old man softly added.
âThatâs not surprising, thereâs a reason why the present is what it is.â Li Qiye smiled and stared outside: âWhy is the world like this right now? And the current golems.â
âA choice.â The old man answered. He naturally knew how the golems used to be back in the previous epoch. Now, their population had dwindled, no longer as prosperous as before.
Golem Ancestor made this bold choice after experiencing the great disaster. Many golems followed him on this unprecedented path.
âA choice that affects the fate of an entire race.â Li Qiye replied.
âWhatâs your view on it?â The old man had to ask.
âNone. Iâm not a golem and I didnât make them do it. Iâm no more than a passerby.â Li Qiye shook his head.
âSo if one day when humans are facing a similar choice, what will you pick for them?â The old man eventually asked.
âYouâve misunderstood something. I wonât make a choice for the human because theyâll be the ones to do it. I only make decisions for myself, no one else.â Li Qiye answered: âBut there are exceptions. For example, I donât mind choosing to eliminate a race or two.â
The old man laughed awkwardly. Those in the know would be shivering with fear.
This had happened before in the distant years. There was once an amazing race that reigned over all others for eras. Eventually, he put an end to them, completely eliminating them from the river of time.
Now, very few knew about this story. The old man was one of them.
âYour grand achievements are unreachable for regular people like us.â The old man said.
âDonât flatter me about this matter. Itâs nothing more than a butcher whose hands are stained with blood, itâs no secret. Itâs just that people donât dare to express this view.â Li Qiye waved his hand.
The old man chuckled and agreed. In reality, plenty of golems have been killed by him too. [1]
1. The him here is unclear even with the context. It can be the old man or Li Qiye. Itâs more likely for it to be Li Qiye