Chapter 199: The Meeting of Enemies

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Startled by the little one’s cry, the woman finally came to her senses. She glanced at Zhou Qing, then quickly pulled the golden-haired half-demon child into her arms and began to speak.

“During the years I was held captive here, that monster treated me like a tool for his desires. Though there was never a shred of affection between us, this child has always stayed by my side. He’s the reason I still found the will to live. If I manage to return to Beitan Town, could I bring my child with me?”

“Of course,” Zhou Qing replied. “He is your child. Wherever you want to go, you can go. No one will stop you, and no one would dare say a word.”

From the woman’s words, it was evident she had been confined in this Water-Secluded Palace for far too long. Even such a simple question had to be voiced aloud to Zhou Qing. It revealed the heavy burden on her heart — someone isolated from the outside world for over a decade, struggling to reintegrate into society, weighed down by an indescribable psychological pressure that only time could gradually ease.

“Where did that creature go?” Zhou Qing asked.

He had been in the Water-Secluded Palace for some time, yet the Water Venerable had never appeared, indicating he was not here.

“I don’t know where he went, but he rarely comes here. Every few days, he shows up to torment me, then leaves again.”

“When was the last time he came?”

“Two days ago,” the woman answered without hesitation. “Usually, he comes every three days, so he should come tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow, huh? Alright, I understand.” Zhou Qing paced the hall and then asked, “Do you want to leave now, or wait until I deal with that monster tomorrow before taking you away?”

Hearing this, a fleeting hesitation crossed the woman’s face. After a moment, she asked, “Can I really leave this place?”

“Yes. If you want, I can take you away right now.”

“I want to leave. I don’t want to stay here even a moment longer. Please, take me away now.”

Moved by her plea, Zhou Qing nodded. He glanced at the woman and the half-demon child in her arms and said, “Your child is a half-demon. If you bring him ashore, you might face many rumors and slanders. You must be sure about this.”

The woman had clearly considered this before; she silently nodded in response.

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Seeing this, Zhou Qing offered no further persuasion. “Follow me.” With that, he led them out of the Water-Secluded Palace.

After bringing the woman and her half-demon child outside, Zhou Qing took them to the shore of Little Mirror Lake. Using his spiritual power, he swiftly felled an ancient tree by the lake.

He chopped the trunk into planks and then, using dragon tendons stored in his treasure pouch, he bound them into a small wooden boat.

Together, the three boarded the boat. With a focused thought, Zhou Qing harnessed the power of water, propelling the vessel rapidly toward the river connected to Little Mirror Lake.

Thanks to Zhou Qing’s cultivation, the boat moved at incredible speed—several times faster than when he had once sped through the water alone ten years ago.

As they passed through the Wildman Forest, Zhou Qing recounted the events that had transpired in Beitan Town over a decade ago.

When he finished, tears welled in the woman’s eyes. She had once dreamed of returning alive to see her parents in Beitan Town, but now, their fate was uncertain—whether they lived or died remained unknown.

With Zhou Qing’s spiritual power guiding the boat, it took only half a day to reach the beach near Beitan Town.

Feeling a sense of responsibility toward the woman, he did not abandon them there. Instead, he brought the mother and child ashore and took them through the ruined seaside town before eventually traveling to Guobei County.

In the county, Zhou Qing purchased a luxurious mansion for them and left behind a considerable amount of gold and silver before returning once more to the Wildman Forest.

Back then, fleeing for his life, he hadn’t realized the many sins he had unwittingly committed. Now that fate had brought him face to face with this woman, he could not simply stand by.

Originally, he had planned to enter the forest and eliminate the Water Venerable first, then deal with the black-clad man from years ago. But now, having encountered this woman, this was all he could do.

“Benefactor, thank you!” The woman accompanied Zhou Qing to the outskirts of Guobei County, kneeling deeply and expressing profound gratitude.

“Thank me for what? If not for me, you might be living a simple, happy life right now. I am the one who caused you harm. I hope you bear no hatred in your heart and live well for the rest of your days.”

“I can see you are a good person. I hold no grudge against you. Even if the things that happened in Beitan Town were because of you, that was just a cause among others. Ultimately, it was that monster’s evil that led to everything.”

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“Was it really the monster’s evil?” Zhou Qing repeated softly as he left Guobei County.

Her words eased the heavy guilt weighing on his heart.

At this point, many things could no longer be undone. He could only do his best to make amends.

Just as he had scattered treasures along the coast before, now he sought to make reparations to this woman. In the end, it simply meant that Zhou Qing’s nature was not cruel.

If he were heartless, he would not care about these matters. What had happened had happened—it was not his doing, so why should it concern him?

After settling the mother and child, Zhou Qing returned once more to the Wildman Forest. At the river mouth connecting the North Sea and the forest, he unexpectedly encountered the Water Venerable.

“You miserable wretch! After more than ten years, you finally show yourself. Ha! I never thought you would come here to seek your own death, you fool,” the Water Venerable sneered.

After returning to the Water-Secluded Palace and discovering the woman and her child had vanished, he had pursued them along the river. But at the North Sea’s exit, he ran into Zhou Qing—the human cultivator who had left an indelible mark on his heart.

For over a decade, the Water Venerable had never forgotten Zhou Qing’s face, for it was Zhou Qing who had slain his beloved son. This bitter blood feud demanded revenge.

The Golden-Clad Elder, killed by Zhou Qing over ten years ago, was nothing compared to the half-demon child born of the woman and the Water Venerable.

The Golden-Clad Elder was the son of the Water Venerable and a favored water-demon woman from a great aquatic faction in the North Sea. Though the Water Venerable’s status forbade marriage with her, he never ceased to long for the water-demon woman who had borne him the Golden-Clad Elder.