Chapter 781 - 729: Who Are You, Really? (1)
Qin Fan had no idea that Qi Shijie would dare to summon the Qi Family. He was even more unaware that the middle-aged man would resolve the trouble for him. But even if he knew, he would still think little of it. He even held the Forbidden City in contempt. The mere Qi Family? What would it matter if he wiped them out? What could the Forbidden City do to him?
At the dining table, he stared at the dish in front of him, which the middle-aged man had called "Lotus Encounter." He fell into an indescribably strange state. It was a loss of composure he had never experienced since his rebirth.
Is this dish familiar? It is so familiar that I’ve eaten it for hundreds of years! Then again, in the Three Thousand Worlds, anything is possible. A dish from the Cangqiong Continent appearing on Earth could perhaps be described as a fluke. But a dish named ’Lotus Encounter,’ exactly the same as on the Cangqiong Continent—can that still be called a coincidence? No! Such a coincidence is impossible! After all, they exist on completely different planes of existence, worlds with utterly different lives and cultures!
But now, a classic dish from the Cangqiong Continent had appeared, even using its renowned name—Lotus Encounter.
The ingredients required for Lotus Encounter were supposed to be impossible to find on Earth, yet the dish before him was identical to the one from the Cangqiong Continent. The presentation, the color, the shape, and even the drifting aroma—everything was exactly the same.
These familiar sensations, absent for more than half a year, flooded Qin Fan’s senses once more. He couldn’t help but be shocked; he couldn’t stop the turmoil rising within him.
Most importantly, when the middle-aged man presented the dish, Qin Fan had sensed his nervousness, his anticipation, his urgency, his desperation.
Even if one were to argue that the Lotus Encounter could be explained by coincidence, what about the middle-aged man’s behavior? A coincidence? No!
At this thought, his heartbeat and breathing fell into disarray.
Is he... also from that place?
The question thundered in his mind. Qin Fan sank into a deep unease.
I originally thought I was the one and only reborn individual, the only true Cultivator in this world. But now, another of my kind has suddenly appeared.
This realization completely shattered his composure. He felt an instinctual anxiety, a terror of accepting this new reality, and even more, a dread of an invisible threat.
If the other party were a low-level Cultivator, that would be manageable. But what if they’re above the Golden Core Realm? What then?
Qin Fan panicked, his mind in turmoil. A fear he had not felt since his rebirth surged from the depths of his soul.
All this time, I’ve been in the open, while they’ve been in the shadows! They must know about my rising fame. It’s impossible that they haven’t investigated me. The heavenly tribulations for my Foundation Establishment Stage and Golden Core Stage... could I have hidden those from them? Impossible! And yet, for the past six months, I haven’t sensed any signs of a heavenly tribulation from any other Cultivator! What does that imply? Either they haven’t been on Earth for long, or their Cultivation has reached a Realm where advancement is incredibly difficult! But if it’s the former, why would they suddenly appear and seek me out? That explanation seems too tenuous. The only other possibility is that their Cultivation is definitely beyond the Golden Core Realm!
Beyond the Golden Core Realm? This is a threat. A threat that could disrupt my entire plan! Even worse, it’s a lethal threat!
"Master Qin, Master Qin, what is wrong with you?"
After the middle-aged man left, Ma Yunhai and the others turned their attention back to the Lotus Encounter. When Qin Fan didn’t react for a long time, they inevitably looked up at him. However, they were all utterly shocked to see his pale face, fraught with panic and terror.
Is there something in this world that can make Master Qin panic and feel frightened? This... is it about the dish, Lotus Encounter? Or the middle-aged man who just left? Ma Yunhai couldn’t figure it out. He only knew that Qin Fan’s current state filled them with an inexplicable sense of fear and unease. Whether it’s the Lotus Encounter or the middle-aged man, what kind of terrifying existence could possibly make Master Qin show such an expression?
"It’s nothing. Eat."
Pulled from his thoughts by Ma Yunhai’s voice, Qin Fan shook his head and said grimly, his face expressionless. Then, while Ma Yunhai and the others were still reeling, he picked up the lotus leaf with both hands and skillfully began to eat the ingredients within. This inelegant way of eating had persisted for countless years on the Cangqiong Continent, simply because it was the proper way to eat Lotus Encounter.
The Lotus Encounter, which should have been a nostalgic experience, felt like a cow chewing on peonies to Qin Fan in his chaotic and restless state of mind. He found no pleasure or indulgence in the delicacy.
Knowing that something was weighing on Master Qin’s mind, Ma Yunhai dared not say more. He uneasily averted his gaze from Qin Fan’s face, feeling as though he were sitting on pins and needles.
A strange silence descended upon the table. Qin Fan’s expression remained tense. Likewise, Ma Yunhai and the others dared not speak, afraid they might inadvertently say the wrong thing.
Twenty minutes later, Qin Fan put down the lotus leaf. "Is everyone done eating?" he asked Ma Yunhai and the others.
The seven dishes and one soup on the table had barely been touched. Although Ma Yunhai and the others had moved their chopsticks, they had only taken a small bite or two. Faced with such a sudden and tense situation, who could possibly have an appetite?
"We’ve finished, Master Qin!" the seven of them replied in unison, their expressions growing taut. They unconsciously shifted forward, perching on the edges of their chairs as if sitting on pins and needles.
"Alright. If you’re finished, then leave. You don’t need to wait for me; just go back. I have something to attend to."
He spoke in a low voice, his face a mask of indifference, as if he hadn’t noticed the table laden with untouched food. Right now, his heart felt as if it were being relentlessly scratched by a cat’s claws. He knew he would find it impossible to calm down until he had the answers he needed.
It wasn’t that his disposition wasn’t firm enough. Rather, it was a fundamental aspect of his nature uncontrollably revealing its most primal instincts. When faced with the unknown, with a threat—especially a threat one might be powerless against—a person’s soul is inevitably battered by anxiety and panic. This was true for mortals, immortals, and even demons.
"Master Qin, you—!" Ma Yunhai swallowed hard. He knew he shouldn’t say more at a time like this, but he couldn’t help himself.
But Qin Fan cut him off before he could finish.
"Go!"
"Yes!" Biting his lip, Ma Yunhai reluctantly complied and turned to leave.
"Master Qin, we’ll be leaving now!" Seeing how things stood, the other young masters said nothing more. After voicing their assent, they scurried after Ma Yunhai, leaving after a single, indifferent nod from Qin Fan.
In the private room, Qin Fan was suddenly left all alone.
Staring at the lotus leaf before him, Qin Fan’s lips trembled. Involuntarily, his eyelids began to twitch.
He muttered dryly to himself. Have you also been to Cangqiong? Are you also a Cultivator? Who in the world are you?
With that last thought, he stood up. His Divine Sense spread out wildly as he walked out of the private room with heavy steps.
He had to know the answer.