Chapter Fifty-Three: The Mission Carried

"And I am the guardian of the Xuanyuan Divine Sword," Li Yunren said with pride.

Du Gu Ming looked at him in astonishment. "So you're saying that this Xuanyuan Divine Sword now belongs to me?"

"I brought you here today just to see if you were fated to be able to wield the Xuanyuan Divine Sword. It's not up to me to decide whether it belongs to you; the sword itself determines that. But now it seems, you are indeed the destined one. If you were not, you would never have been able to lift this sword at all." Li Yunren smiled as he spoke, clearly very satisfied that Du Gu Ming had managed to lift the broken hilt.

Hearing Li Yunren's subtle approval, Du Gu Ming was overjoyed, yet a deep doubt lingered in his heart. "Then why did you choose me?" he asked.

"Don't ask me. You should ask your father. I've already told you, he's a very mysterious man. It was only about a month ago. Your father called me—even though we hadn't seen each other in almost ten years, I would never forget the unique voice of your father, the man who once saved my life."

Du Gu Yang's voice truly was distinctive—so unique that, no matter where you were, the moment you heard it, it felt as if he were speaking right beside you.

"Ten years without contact, and I have no idea how your father even got my number. All I know is he called me one day and told me you would be coming, asking me to take good care of you—as a way to repay him. So I agreed."

"Did he say anything else?" Du Gu Ming pressed.

"He did. At the end of the call, he said something that left me completely puzzled," Li Yunren replied calmly.

"What did he say?" Du Gu Ming quickly asked.

"He simply told me to give you a chance," Li Yunren said slowly and deliberately.

"What? He told you to give me a chance? What does that mean?" Du Gu Ming, confused, couldn't quite process it.

"At first, I didn't understand either. But after meeting you, I finally realized what your father meant." Li Yunren smiled.

"Eh?" Du Gu Ming murmured in confusion.

"It was after seeing you that this little fellow reacted," Li Yunren continued, raising his arm to show the jade seal in his hand. "It told me you are the destined one I have been searching for. This little thing not only contains cultivation techniques, but it can also recognize those with fate. It seems your father knew I was the 'Guardian,' which is why he asked me to give you a chance—to bring you here and let you try to draw the sacred sword."

"So I am the chosen one?" Du Gu Ming asked in disbelief. "What am I supposed to do?" He glanced at the hilt in his hand, still unable to believe in luck falling from the sky, for he knew nothing comes without a price.

No sooner had he asked than Li Yunren’s expression darkened, becoming rather grim. "I don't know what you have to do—no one knows. All I know is that once someone draws this sacred sword, it means that Chi You is about to be resurrected," Li Yunren said in a low, measured tone.

"What?" Du Gu Ming exclaimed. This was no joking matter. Chi You—that was a primeval demon god! If the Yellow Emperor Xuanyuan was truly as formidable as Li Yunren claimed, then Chi You could hardly be any less. Such a being could overturn the world with a flick of his hand. With his meager skills, Du Gu Ming would not even qualify as cannon fodder in such a confrontation. Damn it, was Li Yunren trying to scare him to death?

Li Yunren rolled his eyes. "I’m not worried, why are you?"

"Easy for you to say!" Du Gu Ming shouted. "I’m still young, you know! I may already have a fiancée, but I haven’t even gotten married yet. I haven’t had my fill of this world, and now you tell me something as dire as world destruction is about to happen? How can I not panic? Unlike you—just look at you, not only are you plain-looking, but you always wear that sour expression as if the world owes you money. How could someone like you ever understand the joy of living? Of course you’re not worried!" Du Gu Ming ranted, nearly hysterical.

Li Yunren’s face shifted in a mix of anger and exasperation, flushing red then white and back again. How could a narcissistic rascal like this be chosen by the Xuanyuan Divine Sword? There was no justice in the world! Suppressing his fury, he said, "You don’t need to get so worked up. Who knows when Chi You will return? Maybe tomorrow, or maybe in a hundred or even a thousand years. So don’t worry yourself."

"What? You should have said so earlier! I knew you wouldn’t just throw me to the wolves," Du Gu Ming sighed in relief. In all the novels he’d read, bosses as formidable as Chi You always appeared at the very end. He figured Chi You would probably wait a few hundred or even a thousand years to make his entrance. By then, he’d be long gone, and whatever became of the world would be none of his concern. That was just who Du Gu Ming was—if it didn’t concern him, he kept his distance. He had no grand ambitions to save the world.

At that moment, a faint smile played at the corner of Li Yunren’s lips. That should teach him for insulting me, Li Yunren thought darkly. I only said Chi You might return in a thousand years—I never said it would definitely take that long.

Du Gu Ming, meanwhile, was still inwardly gloating, oblivious to the fact that Li Yunren had just set him up. Why do our protagonists always end up getting tricked? Clearly, the road ahead for our hero would be fraught with hardship.

At that very moment, high atop Mount Everest on China's border, in a cave unknown to man, a disheveled old Taoist sat with whisk in hand, fingers poised in a mystic gesture, sitting upright with his eyes tightly shut. Suspended in midair before him was an enormous head, as large as a small villa—the very head of Chi You himself.

Suddenly, the old Taoist opened his eyes, a faint smile curving at his lips as he nodded. Then his expression changed, and he spoke loudly to the head of Chi You before him: "No need to pretend. I know your consciousness has returned, but with your strength, you still cannot break through the seal left by the Great Emperor Xuanyuan. The Xuanyuan Divine Sword has already found its master—soon, it will once again shatter your mind and spirit. This time, you will be utterly destroyed. Your ambitions will never be realized!"

The gigantic head before him showed no reaction, as lifeless as a corpse. The old Taoist closed his eyes once more and resumed his meditation, hands forming the orchid gesture. And yet, the left eye of the massive head trembled slightly, then stilled, as if it had never moved at all.

Meanwhile, far away in Ningxia, Du Gu Ming remained blissfully unaware of the trials rushing toward him.