The old man behind the counter seemed to be sleeping, not answering Qing Shi right away.

Some time passed before he opened his eyes, looking a bit drowsy. His body slightly moved a bit before he closed his eyes again.

“Speak.” His voice seemed weak as if breathing was difficult.

Qing Shi came prepared with questions, albeit still nervous. This opportunity only presented itself once.

“Senior, are you an ancestor of the golem race?” Qing Shi carefully thought about this issue but couldn’t pinpoint a famous ancestor to this old man.

“Yes.” The old man said feebly. People could wonder if he was actually answering or it was just a nasal sound.

“May I ask for your title?” Qing Shi bowed again.

“Too old, so bad memory and can’t remember.” The old man said: “Plus, this doesn’t matter. You’re not showing your intelligence right now.”

“I apologize for my foolishness. This is why I’m here to seek your guidance, Senior. Please correct my mistakes.” Qing Shi bowed again.

The old man entered his sleeping state for a bit again. Eventually, he opened his eyes and stared at Qing Shi.

“Forget it, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity so I’ll blabber for a bit.” The old man sighed and elaborated: “Your questions don’t need an answer since you haven’t reached the right level to stand at the peak. Obtaining the answer is not useful to you in any way.”

Qing Shi opened his mouth but didn’t know what to say. He had plenty of questions but became lost after hearing the old man.

“I know, plenty of questions stemming from curiosity.” The old man waved his hand: “But don’t ask, no need to find out. Just carry out your responsibilities.”

Having said that, he stared at Qing Shi. Qing Shi felt as if there was no place to hide; everything of his laid bare before the old man.

“Your talents are decent but not unprecedented or anything.” The old man said sincerely: “But now, an incredible opportunity awaits you, something others search for their entire life and can’t get. This is your greatest advantage, the thing that will determine your fate, even Ancestral City’s fate too!”

Qing Shi didn’t get the implication just yet. He asked for elaboration: “What opportunity are you speaking of, Senior?”

“Serve the young master well.” The old man said. His tone was calm yet serious.

“This is really the case?” Qing Shi became emotional and took a deep breath. He didn’t know why this pertained to Ancestral City. The city has been around for eras and weathered numerous dangers.

Not one or two people could determine its fate. That’s why the comment was shocking.

“It’s true.” The old man said: “The city can rise or fall due to a single thought. You need to prepare yourself well.”

Qing Shi stood there, speechless. He felt as if a heavy responsibility had just fallen on his shoulders.

“I want to do everything I can for Ancestral City. Unfortunately, a junior like me can’t decide everything in the city.” Qing Shi hesitated before answering.

“How short-sighted, those issues are insignificant the moment you reach the next step and have the permission of your Young Master.” The old man shook his head.

Qing Shi didn’t know whether the old man was right or not. He has been fighting for certain reforms but the sect has made its decision.

“The ancestors...” He continued.

“A bunch of fools.” The old man said dismissively: “So old yet still stupid. They think they’re dragons and phoenixes yet they’re nothing more than frogs under the well. Don’t mind them, when the time is right, they’ll be taken care of.”

Qing Shi didn’t dare to comment because he still respected the seniors in his sect. He couldn’t parrot the old man and call them stupid as well.

“What about Yin Yang Gate?” Qing Shi remained worried because Yin Yang was strong enough to pressure his sect. Otherwise, he would have torn it apart himself.

“Hmph, we’ll see if they will actually be around then.” The old man snorted.

“But rumor has it that their Heavenly Sovereign has comparable power to a dao lord or even stronger.” Qing Shi quietly said.

“You’re being silly right now. That geezer Chan Yang is strong, one would be hard-pressed to find a stronger cultivator in the north but it doesn’t matter. He’s still just an ant in the end.” The old man said.

Qing Shi was shaken. Everyone knew that Heavenly Sovereign Chan Yang had fought against dao lords and even trained one. Thus, he was no different than a dao lord himself. Some believed that he was the strongest cultivator in the northern West King.

What kind of existence would view him as an ant?

“Your worries are trivial. You just need to serve the young master well. As long as he likes you, the problems in this world can be easily solved.” The old man repeated.

“So who is the young master exactly?” This made Qing Shi ask.

“Don’t ask again!” The old man suddenly shouted and released his awe-inspiring divinity.

Qing Shi didn’t know what he did wrong by asking and was startled by the shout.

The old man took a deep breath and stared straight at Qing Shi: “Never ask again after leaving this place.”

“I will keep this in mind, Senior.” Qing Shi hurriedly bowed and said, realizing the gravity of the situation.

“It’s best not to know certain things or you might herald a calamity to both you and Ancestral City.” The old man sighed.

“...” Qing Shi opened his mouth again but hesitated.

“There are many taboo secrets in this world. This has been the case for millions and millions of years. Once involved, even a dao lord might not be lucky enough to survive.” The old man added.

Qing Shi simply couldn’t fathom an existence greater than a dao lord. His mind was filled with a haze of confusion.

“It’s fine that you don’t know, this is expected.” The old man said: “Just don’t pursue it any further since it’s all harm and no gain.”

“I understand.” Qing Shi nodded.

“Since you’re lucky enough to have this opportunity, you’ll find out once you’re strong enough to stand at the peak. Don’t force it right now.”

“Yes.” Qing Shi bowed.

“Go back now and carry out your duties. Don’t throw away this chance.” The old man waved his hand and closed his eyes again.

Qing Shi left the restaurant and looked back only to find that it was no longer there.