PD -Chapter 146 Old Que’s Request

“Don’t worry. I stopped long ago.”

Shentu’s words pulled my thoughts back.

“I didn’t call you here this time because of some scheme. This time, I’m on the side of justice,” Shentu said to Old Que with her arms folded.

Old Que gulped down several more mouthfuls of alcohol, then frowned at Shentu. I could clearly tell that this old lecher was staring straight at her impressive chest.

“Your primordial spirit… split?” Old Que put down the bottle, still staring at Shentu. I had no idea whether he was muttering to himself or speaking to someone.

I nearly spat out laughing.

Damn. This old pervert had clearly been staring at Shentu’s chest just now, but unexpectedly, he had really managed to see through the problem with her body.

As expected, people from Lu Ban Sect could not be underestimated.

When Shentu heard his words, she looked slightly annoyed. It seemed she had no intention of telling this old man about her situation. Instead, she turned around, grabbed me, and pushed me forward in front of the old man.

“Old Que, what do you think of this kid? He’s smart enough. I think he could be your apprentice. Why not pass the craftsmanship of Lu Ban Sect on to him?”

Old Que held the wine bottle in both hands and glanced sideways at me. After staring blankly for a while, he finally said, “You are already the successor of your own family’s secret art. If one person receives too many advantages, the heavens will grow jealous.”

Hearing this, my heart jolted again.

This old man had only glanced at me once, yet he already knew I was the successor of the Records of Heavenly Mysteries…

That kind of eyesight could simply be described as monstrous.

“Then… what about this kid?” Shentu pointed at Liu Xiaopeng and asked, half joking and half serious.

Old Que still frowned. This time, he did not even look at Liu Xiaopeng before shaking his head.

“This boy’s fate is even thinner, yet he carries a powerful force within him. Even if he doesn’t learn my Lu Ban Sect, I’m afraid he still…”

As he spoke, Old Que shook his head and sighed, looking rather regretful. Liu Xiaopeng could not help but frown slightly.

I could tell that Liu Xiaopeng wanted to ask something, but before he could, Old Que gave a bitter laugh and said to Shentu, “Lady Shentu, I can help you forge the weapons… and I don’t need any of you to become my apprentice.”

“Oh?” Shentu was clearly a little surprised. She had not expected Old Que to agree so readily this time. “Then I’ll have these two boys move the alcohol from the car in now. There are also some gifts for you to use when flirting with women.”

Hearing this, Old Que tilted his neck back and took another swig of wine. He tossed the empty bottle aside before saying, “I definitely want the alcohol. As for the rest, there’s no need. I’m old now. I don’t have that kind of stamina anymore.”

Shentu frowned, then suddenly looked at Old Que in astonishment.

“You…”

She stopped herself mid-sentence.

Old Que merely gave a self-mocking smile.

“That’s right. You saw it. My life is almost over.”

Shentu frowned. After thinking for a moment, she asked, “Do you need Primordial Spirit Pills?”

When I heard that, I immediately looked at Old Que as well. Unconsciously, I released my perception to probe Old Que’s vitality and primordial spirit power.

I discovered that he looked normal on the surface…

But the primordial spirit power inside his body was indeed like a candle flame in the wind, extremely weak, as if it could burn out at any moment.

Judging from Shentu’s words, Old Que had most likely been relying on Primordial Spirit Pills to prolong his life all these years.

I was very familiar with Primordial Spirit Pills.

Back then, I had been deceived by that Lucifer. I had exhausted all my efforts and searched everywhere for yin entities for Tang Shanshan, refining them into Primordial Spirit Pills, all to strengthen her primordial spirit power.

But later, I had never expected that everything had been part of Lucifer’s trap.

“No need!” Old Que shook his head.

“Why?” Shentu asked with a frown.

The old man wiped the wine stains from his chin and smiled.

“I’m tired. Besides, this world no longer seems to need the craftsmanship of Lu Ban Sect. Look at all this artificial intelligence nowadays. Who knows how much more advanced it is compared to us?”

“All my life, I have obeyed my master’s dying wish. I would rather defy the Heavenly Dao and use this craft of mine to exchange Primordial Spirit Pills with people like you, prolonging my life for so many years. But even now, I still haven’t been able to find a suitable successor for Lu Ban Sect…”

Old Que sighed. A trace of sadness appeared in his eyes.

“I’m tired. I don’t want to keep searching anymore.”

“And… if you count the time, I’ve already searched for three lifetimes. That should no longer count as disobeying my master’s orders.”

Old Que smiled mockingly.

“Let Lu Ban Sect turn to ashes with me. The world today no longer needs it. And I don’t want to use this so-called peerless skill to harm some young person, causing their family to fall apart and leaving them alone for the rest of their life.”

“But don’t worry. Since I’ve agreed to take this job for you, I, Old Que, will complete it even if I have to risk this old life of mine.”

Old Que paused. The vicissitudes in his eyes were slowly hidden away by him.

“But before that, you have to help me accomplish one thing.”

When Shentu heard this, she could not help rolling her eyes.

After all that, this old man still had no intention of letting us off easily.

“What is it?” Shentu asked.

“Help me find someone.”

As he spoke, Old Que unbuttoned his filthy, well-worn coat. He fumbled around inside his clothes and pulled out a battered old wallet. From inside, he took out a photograph and handed it to Shentu.

“Help me find her.”

We all gathered closer.

The black-and-white photograph that Shentu had taken showed a woman with long flowing hair, wearing a dress and smiling gently.

Although the photo had already yellowed and had clearly been taken many years ago…

The woman’s clothes, appearance, and features would still make her a genuine beauty even by today’s standards.

“Your… wife?” I asked.

But immediately after saying it, I felt that I should not have asked.

This woman probably was not his wife.

People of Lu Ban Sect had to choose one path among being widowed, childless, lonely, or disabled. Old Que’s hands and feet were intact, so naturally, he had not chosen disability. That meant there was a good chance he had chosen to live alone until death.

Sure enough, Old Que shook his head. However, he did not intend to tell us the truth either. He merely wiped his face again and said,

“As long as you find her, I will help you make the weapons.”

“This… how many years ago was this photo taken?” Liu Xiaopeng asked while looking at the photo.

Old Que thought for a moment.

“More than seventy years ago.”

I froze.

More than seventy years ago meant before the founding of the country. If this woman had not used Primordial Spirit Pills to prolong her life like Old Que, she had probably already turned into a pile of bones.

Where were we supposed to find her?

But then a thought suddenly stirred in my mind. I looked at the photo and asked Old Que,

“If she’s a departed soul, does finding her still count?”

Old Que nodded.

“Of course. I only want to see her one more time before I die.”

Shentu, however, shook her head.

“How could that be easy? Forget if she’s dead—even if she were alive, finding her in this vast sea of people would not be simple. Unless you have some accurate information.”

“I only know that the last time I saw her, it was in a hospital,” Old Que said, raising his head to look at the sky, as if he had fallen into his memories.

“A psychiatric hospital.”