Chapter 28: One sentence made Hai Bodong open his heart.

A day and a night passed.

Mo City, the scorching air was filled with fire-attribute energy, and the crowds were bustling.

Gu He wandered around based on his intuition.

While reminiscing about his own slick maneuver:

When Medusa screamed during her Breakthrough, he used Qi transmission to tell Yan Shi and Feng Li that he had something urgent to attend to and needed to return to the Cloud Mist Sect—using Yun Yun as an excuse.

Even they were fooled, so why worry about the Snake-People?

The result was that the whole group was fooled by him.

Leaving only Xiao Yan to foolishly take the blame.

Quite amusing...

Suddenly, he saw a sign not far away and his footsteps paused.

Where the sign was located was an old-fashioned map shop.

Perhaps because it was already dark, the shop door was already slightly ajar, but faint light was still projecting from the cracks in the door.

Gu He stopped in front of the shop and scanned the street, which had become much less crowded, with a sigh.

Sigh...

The once Ice Emperor had now actually fallen to this state.

"Hiss~"

The little snake, which had been sleeping coiled around Gu He's wrist, acting as a men's bracelet, woke up.

She crawled out of his sleeve, letting the sunset glow fall on her body, looking very much like a colorful gem.

Then, she crawled along Gu He's clothes to his shoulder.

But because of her small size, one couldn't tell there was a snake on Gu He's shoulder without looking closely, and one would think it was just a clothing decoration.

Gu He walked into the shop.

Inside the shop, there was a Moonstone emitting a faint glimmer. Although the light was not dazzling, it illuminated the shop quite brightly.

An old man was carefully drawing a map behind a counter piled with maps.

Gu He glanced lightly, said nothing, and casually started looking through the maps on the side.

The old man heard the movement, did not look up, and said indifferently,

"Sorry, this shop is closed for the day. If you need to buy maps, please come back tomorrow."

Gu He couldn't help but smile upon hearing this.

Behind Gu He, a pretty-looking woman in red spoke up,

"Um... my lord, Great Master Ice does not like to be disturbed when making maps. I am very sorry, but you can come with me, and I can find the map you want."

The woman in red had a soft voice, her eyes fixed on Gu He's mature and handsome face, her pretty, lovely face slightly flushed.

She had always been willful and was known as a little witch in Mo City, but the moment she saw Gu He push the door open and enter, she felt that she was completely captivated!

Her mother always told her that if she were to marry, she must marry a powerful expert.

And Gu He, dressed in a black robe, though travel-worn, had eyes that could not hide the sharpness of an eagle, and his facial contours were clear and distinct... very much like the powerful expert her mother spoke of!

"Thank you, but no need. I am here to find someone." Gu He smiled slightly.

The woman in the red dress felt her heart pounding like a little deer,

"Then... then please take your time looking..."

She was already dazed by Gu He's smile.

Before meeting Gu He, she had no idea that she actually liked this type!

Gu He walked to the counter and tapped on it,

"Old Hai, long time no see."

Hai Bodong heard the voice and raised his head.

His face, withered like cold ice, was stained with a little confusion, and he muttered,

"Who are you? You seem a bit familiar..."

Gu He smiled indifferently.

It was no wonder, after all, when Gu He and Hai Bodong first met, he was still a high-spirited young man.

Now, more than a decade had passed, and things had changed.

Gu He's appearance had long since changed, and his demeanor was exceptionally ethereal, yet profound.

Only then did Hai Bodong come back to his senses from his surprise and suspicion.

This person just called him Old Hai, which meant he indeed knew him a long time ago.

But although he felt he looked a bit familiar, he couldn't remember at all.

"Heh..."

Gu He gave a bitter smile and slowly spoke,

"I don't know who it was back then with the 'Wisdom Eye' who, in order to recruit me, offered the high price of a tier 6 Pill Formula..."

Gu He used humor to resolve the awkwardness of the moment.

As his voice fell, Hai Bodong's cloudy thoughts seemed to be cleared up all at once.

"Gu He?"

"Are you Gu He?"

Hai Bodong's eyes instantly brightened like torches, but then dimmed in an instant.

"Why are you looking for a useless old man like me?"

At this moment, the woman in the red dress to the side had already covered her mouth in surprise.

She never expected that the person she had fallen in love with at first sight was actually Pill King Gu He!

In the Jia Ma Empire, the name of Pill King Gu He was already a household name.

The former young talent who had captured the crown of the Alchemist competition in one fell swoop.

Now an Elder of the Cloud Mist Sect, everyone in the Sect respected him.

The impulsive love in the woman's eyes faded a bit, replaced by a few touches of respect.

This was not a man she could love...

Thinking of this, the woman's smile couldn't help but turn bitter.

Gu He looked at Hai Bodong, who seemed angry but was actually frustrated, and spoke slowly,

"Does Old Hai feel awkward?"

Hai Bodong seemed to have been hit on a sore spot, and gave a bitter smile,

"I just didn't expect that you kid could grow to this point today..."

Although he was living in seclusion, he had still heard of the great name of Pill King Gu He.

Even, Gu He's fame surpassed his own "Ice Emperor" name back then; after all, the status of an Alchemist was extremely hot.

Gu He took the tea set handed over by the woman in the red dress and poured a cup of tea for Hai Bodong with his own hands using the counter.

The hot water was boiling, and the fragrance of tea overflowed.

"Shall we have a cup together?" Gu He asked.

Hai Bodong picked up the teacup and nodded.

"Clink~"

The crisp sound of teacups touching rang out, and for a moment, the scene was very much like a meeting of old friends.

"You are the Ice Emperor, one Dou Technique 'Ice Seal Thousand Miles', when have you ever been so sentimental?"

Hai Bodong shook his head, his eyes showing visible age and exhaustion,

"The former Ice Emperor died long ago. What is in front of you now is just an old man who draws maps. Furthermore, this old man only has the Realm of a Dou Ling..."

He chewed on the bitterness of the tea.

Recalling the high spirits of his youth.

Back then, Gu He was far ahead in the Alchemist competition, and he was also high-spirited, offering attractive conditions to try to recruit Gu He.

But now...

Gu He saw the helplessness hidden within him, but did not speak immediately, instead raising his left hand to place the little snake that wanted to coil around his neck back onto his right shoulder.

"Naughty!"

Gu He's thoughts flashed by, and he returned to the main topic,

"Old Hai, you dropped to the Realm of a Dou Ling because you were hit by a Seal, right?"

Hai Bodong was attracted by the living creature on Gu He's shoulder, and as he looked over, he said,

"Yes, after participating in the Empire's expert convention, I went to the Tagor Desert. By chance, I obtained a remnant map, and immediately after, I was hunted by Queen Medusa..."

"Surely you know that Queen Medusa is a top expert among Dou Huangs..."

"So, I was unsurprisingly defeated by her, and I also got hit by this damn Seal!"

"This Snake Seal Curse of hers not only makes my body age rapidly, but also Seals my cultivation at the Dou Ling Realm..."

Hai Bodong's voice paused, his gaze suddenly tightened, and his face showed a trembling color,

"You... what is that on your shoulder?!"

He had just leaned in to take a look, and the living creature on Gu He's shoulder was actually a colorful little snake!

"You, you, you, quickly take it away!" the old man said anxiously.

Gu He found it funny; isn't it just a shrunken version of Medusa?

You don't know she is Medusa.

What is there to be afraid of with such a finger-sized little snake?

Hai Bodong seemed to have psychological trauma; he didn't even sit on the chair, stood up, and took two steps back.

"..."

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