Chapter 814 - 674: Solution Method (Part 2)
When Qin An finished speaking, everyone present exchanged glances, then all fell silent.
They all understood that although Qin An’s words were blunt, they were shocking enough.
Liu Yebai said with interest, "If we refuse, will we also become those ’suppressed’ people Mr. Qin spoke of?"
Qin An smiled faintly and said bluntly, "That’s right."
His answer was very simple, yet those two simple words made the people present reveal looks of astonishment.
Liu Yebai let out a cold laugh. "It seems Mr. Qin is very confident in himself. However, this confidence may be misplaced here. Mr. Qin has already made himself perfectly clear, so please go back now. We no longer wish to see you."
After he said this, the Defenders who did not wish to see Qin An nodded in agreement.
Those Defenders who still held a trace of enthusiasm, however, showed expressions of regret.
As for those who were wavering, they subtly moved closer to the people behind Liu Yebai, clearly choosing to stand on his side.
For every Defender of the Forbidden Area, if they wished to exert their greatest effect, the most important thing was to obey the orders of their leader and hold tightly together as one.
Therefore, at this moment, even if they had other thoughts, they forced them down completely.
Qin An did not feel the slightest surprise; this result was actually not beyond his expectations.
But obtaining this result did not mean that he accepted it.
"Draw a path out."
When Qin An said this, Liu Yebai frowned; he did not understand what Qin An meant.
Qin An spoke again, "I’m telling you to draw a path out—under what conditions would you be willing to stand on my side? As long as it is something I can do, I will do it."
"Of course, if the path you draw is something I cannot agree with, then I will leave here, and afterward I may spare no effort in sweeping away every last obstacle."
If it had been in the past, Qin An might have laid careful plans first and slowly sought a way to win over this Barren Forbidden Land.
But sometimes, the situation would affect anyone.
Just like now, the situation was already very clear; neither the Daqian Kingdom nor he himself had much time left.
If he wanted everything ready before the Heavenly Demons descended, the first thing he had to do was to clear away all obstacles.
And as for how to clear those obstacles, on this point, he was of one mind with Emperor Xuanwu.
That was, by thunderous means, to sweep away all obstacles.
If the matter could be resolved today, then Qin An would leave the Barren Forbidden Land, and win over more Defenders of the Forbidden Areas without a drop of blood shed.
If it could not be resolved, then this Barren Forbidden Land would also become his enemy.
He only needed one answer, a very definite answer.
As for everything else, he and Emperor Xuanwu likely did not care much.
When Liu Yebai heard Qin An say this, he finally understood what Qin An meant.
He fell silent, and after a long time, raised his head and said, "If Mr. Qin truly wants us to draw out a path, then it’s easy enough. Just as I said earlier, if Mr. Qin wishes to become a Savior, at the very least you must show the potential to become one."
"In other words, we must at least be able to see that Mr. Qin possesses the qualifications to become a Savior. If you can’t even show us that, how could we possibly stand behind you? What I’m saying should be reasonable, right?"
Qin An nodded. "Yes, what you said is reasonable. Then exactly how should I prove that I possess the qualifications to become a Savior?"
What Liu Yebai had just said was, in Qin An’s view, entirely normal.
After all, this was their first meeting; the two sides could be said to know nothing about each other, so Liu Yebai having such thoughts was only natural.
But for Qin An, he only needed one thing: a result, a feasible result.
Liu Yebai took a deep breath before speaking. "What kind of place the Barren Forbidden Land is, Mr. Qin has likely already figured out before coming. If you wish for us people of the Barren Forbidden Land to acknowledge your identity as Savior, then you must help us undo the long-standing Curse."
At this, the other Defenders exchanged glances and showed expressions of "just as expected."
Qin An also frowned.
He knew that back when the Barren Forbidden Land fought the Heavenly Demons, they were struck by a Curse, and that Curse made them suffer endless pain every so often.
All these years, the people of the Barren Forbidden Land had never undone this Curse.
And now, Liu Yebai actually wanted him to lift the Curse; in truth, this was also using it as a pretext to reject him.
However, Qin An was in no hurry and instead asked:
"Exactly how can the Curse be undone? There must at least be some feasible method."
Liu Yebai took a deep breath, then rose and walked toward the rear. "Since Mr. Qin truly wishes to help us lift the Curse, then please come with us."
Liu Yebai had not expected that after he提出 such a harsh demand, Qin An would still agree.
But since he had agreed, then they would invite Qin An over.
Once Qin An saw the method of undoing the Curse, he would naturally give up, for that was not something an ordinary person could lift.
Of course, if Qin An truly could undo the Curse, then he indeed possessed the qualifications to become a Savior.
The Barren Forbidden Land would also go through fire and water for Qin An, without hesitation.
Qin An did not waste words and followed Liu Yebai toward the depths of the dense fog.
The further in they walked, the thicker the fog became.
By the time they reached the innermost point, it had grown so dense that they could not see their own hands before their faces; only the footsteps of the many Defenders echoed in Qin An’s ears.
It is said that when prosperity reaches its peak, decline begins; when yin reaches its extreme, yang arises.
When the fog thickened to its limit, it suddenly thinned, and the scene before their eyes instantly turned from blurred to clear.
When Qin An clearly saw everything in front of him, his pupils shrank slightly, and then his brows knit together.
At the end of his sight lay boundless deathly stillness and desolation.
And amidst this deathly stillness and desolation, countless grave mounds, terrifying yet exuding a barren aura, stood here.
The distance between each grave was not far, but if one tried to count them carefully, one would find that their number was so great as to be uncountable.
"What is this place?" Qin An asked.
On the surface, this seemed to be a cemetery.
But whose cemetery was it, and why would it appear in the Barren Forbidden Land?
All of this was shrouded in mystery.
Liu Yebai sighed deeply, then a look of remembrance appeared on his face. "Buried in these graves are all the Defenders who once died in battle against the Heavenly Demons. They are also the martyrs of my Barren Forbidden Land throughout the ages. They rest here in eternal sleep, their auras long since merged with that of the Barren Forbidden Land."
"Mr. Qin, I know you very much wish to undo the Curse, but what I am about to say may make you feel utterly hopeless."
With that, Liu Yebai began to speak slowly, each word incomparably heavy.
"If the power of the Heavenly Demons fell upon us, we might still be able to slowly temper it away over time."
"But this Curse is not only upon us; this cemetery is also cursed. After the Curse fused with the cemetery and the Barren Forbidden Land, chains of shackles formed between them, sealing us completely."
"To break the Curse, there is only one way, and that is to sever those chains. We once tried: if the Curse within this cemetery can be undone, then correspondingly, we can also remove the Curse on ourselves."
The other Defenders all fell silent; clearly, what Liu Yebai had just said was true.
Qin An rubbed his chin and asked, "Then how can the Curse on this cemetery be undone?"
Liu Yebai paused slightly, a trace of solemnity in his gaze, and said slowly, "Walk into the center of the cemetery and endure the trials of the many martyrs. Only then might you be able to lift the Curse."