Chapter 431 - 281: Muddling Through?
Tuoba Jing spoke slowly, "Young friend, have you ever heard the tale of the Four Divine Beasts?"
Su Zhi nodded. "I have! The Four Divine Beasts are the Vermilion Bird, the Black Tortoise, the Cyan Dragon, and the White Tiger."
Legends and myths about the Four Divine Beasts have a long history, circulating among the people of Yu Dian from ancient times to the present day.
In more recent times, new findings in archaeology and biology suggest that the Four Divine Beasts were more likely four powerful Exotic Beasts that acted as deities protecting humanity in an era before Beastmasters even existed.
This could be inferred from the totems of the Four Divine Beasts found in many tribal ruins.
Tuoba Jing nodded. "Correct. Then let me ask you again, young friend, what are the Five Elements symbolized by the Four Divine Beasts?"
"The Vermilion Bird is Fire, the Cyan Dragon is Wood, the Black Tortoise is Water, and the White Tiger is Gold..."
Su Zhi’s eyes slowly widened. "And the Yu Dian Dog is Earth... so is it also related to the Five Elements symbolized by the Four Divine Beasts?"
"Precisely."
Tuoba Jing’s expression turned serious. "In the era I came from, there was another theory that was popular for a time."
"In the battle where Lord Shao Jiguang fell, the Yu Dian Emperor Dog did not fight until it was destroyed. Instead, it was withdrawn into his Beast Taming Space to spare it from the battle.
"After Lord Shao fell, the Yu Dian Emperor Dog’s soul endured. It split its Power into five parts. It kept the Earth Element for itself and transformed the Power of the other Attributes into Exotic Beasts for safekeeping. Which is to say..."
Su Zhi’s eyes widened. "So in this Secret Realm we’re in right now, there might be Gold Element Power—traces of the White Tiger?"
"Exactly."
"But I’m a bit confused." Su Zhi scratched his head. "If the White Tiger is really a part of the Yu Dian Emperor Dog’s Power, why would it cause earthquakes, or even attack humans?"
"Because Power itself is neither just nor unjust. Its nature depends on whose hands it’s in."
Tuoba Jing mused, "After Lord Shao fell, did his Pet Beast’s Power truly still belong to him? What if that Power was tainted by the Abyssal?"
Hearing this, a chilling thought suddenly occurred to Su Zhi.
The matter of the refugees going mad, which he had discussed with Tuoba Jing earlier, suddenly slammed into his mind as if triggered by something.
"Do you think it’s possible that the Restriction in the village was intentionally set up by the Yu Dian Emperor Dog?
"There are no Earthquake Beasts in the Current World, but they exist in large numbers within the Secret Realm. If they were to escape into the Current World, it would surely bring about an even greater disaster. This Secret Realm is like a city wall, preventing the sealed Earthquake Beasts from entering the Current World."
Tuoba Jing picked up his train of thought. "And those refugees who suddenly went mad were actually being guided by the Yu Dian Emperor Dog? With the intention of leading me into the Secret Realm to stabilize it so it wouldn’t be broken through by the Earthquake Beasts?"
"That’s one possibility. You must have heard from the villagers that the Earthquake Beasts have been much more ferocious in recent years."
Su Zhi took a deep breath. "But I think it’s more likely that... that some existence on the side of the Earthquake Beasts is controlling them. And guiding us into the Secret Realm wasn’t to stabilize it... but just the opposite. It was to find an opportunity to break out."
"Ever since the Eleventh Year of Hongqi, earthquakes in the Hundred Rivers Region have become unusually frequent. If the earthquakes in the Secret Realm are caused by the Earthquake Beasts, then it’s very likely there’s also an entity in the Current World causing the frequent quakes there.
"If the entity in the Secret Realm breaks through its confines and merges with the entity in the Current World, that would be a true catastrophe!"
"Whether the appearance of the Restriction was a cry for help or a lure, we are about to face significant trouble. Your deduction is quite sound, young friend, and my own observations align with your conclusion."
Tuoba Jing stroked his chin. "The behavior of the Earthquake Beasts is very strange. They can cause earthquakes, but they don’t do so wantonly. Instead, they use it as leverage to demand tribute from the villagers. They frequently attack human settlements, but more often than not, they retreat as soon as they receive their tribute."
Su Zhi said thoughtfully, "I think I understand what you mean. Their consistent retreat after consuming the tribute... is actually them paying ’tribute’ to some other being?"
"Yes. The Secret Realm is the means used to seal the Earthquake Beasts, and this tribute... it might be a key step for them to break through the seal."
Tuoba Jing chuckled lightly. "When the villagers mentioned me to you, young friend, they probably said I was elusive as a dragon, rarely seen, and hard to find, right?"
"That’s true. Wait, you don’t mean..."
"That’s right. I have been dedicated to verifying my theory. Every time I spot traces of the Earthquake Beasts, I find a way to track them."
The smile on Tuoba Jing’s face grew more excited. "Based on my observations, the Earthquake Beasts do have specific movement patterns, even fixed routes. They must be acting under the direction or command of some higher existence!"
Su Zhi’s eyes lit up as well. "And then? Tell me everything!"
"That’s as far as I could get." Tuoba Jing’s smile turned bitter.
"To be honest, when I say ’tracking,’ it’s really just riding Zi Lu and following them from the air, and I rarely even get a chance to fly at low altitudes. The Earthquake Beasts are extremely vigilant; they notice the slightest disturbance. At first, I could manage to remain hidden, but eventually, all the Earthquake Beasts enter caverns or rock caves. Without landing, I can’t investigate any further.
"I’ve also tried following them on the ground a few times, but I returned empty-handed each time. When you saved Fuyue, young friend, he was buying time for me."
"I see..." Su Zhi also frowned slightly.
He couldn’t investigate further without landing, but landing meant getting beaten up.
Even if they could defeat one or two, or even a whole group of Earthquake Beasts, it wouldn’t change anything. At the location Tuoba Jing had tracked them to, the number of Earthquake Beasts was immense—it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it was an endless stream. They could be drowned by the sheer numbers alone.