The Cockroach-like Girl Is My Beast-Chapter 583 - 461: Departure (Part 1)

He was just over two hundred years old, only about fifty years older than Kong Guofeng, but he was already nearing the end of his life.

Although in some respects, True Men were no longer the same species as humans, there were always various ways to extend life.

However, Old Jin had not the slightest thought of this.

In fact, in Great Xia, there weren't many people who barely clung to life like this.

On one hand, it had to do with the martial spirit prevalent in Great Xia, and the severe situation on the Outer Battlefield, as most True Men never had the chance to reach the point where they needed to extend their lives.

On the other hand, the cost-effectiveness of extending life... was indeed not high.

No matter what method was used to extend a True Man's life, the consumption was considerable.

For example, using consumable Divine Objects, obtaining "True Origin" produced in a certain Secret Realm of the Imperial Capital, or having someone with time abilities activate a large Spirit Rune Array to make the person sleep – and to be precise, that's merely a suspension of time, not a true extension of life.

In short, regardless of the method used to cross that seemingly cursed age limit and continue one's existence, it would consume a large amount of resources and have some unavoidable side effects.

Not to mention the consumption of these resources, which might not bring more advantages than disadvantages to the nation, family, or sect, especially considering that True Men possess unwavering True Intent.

Most of them would not choose to struggle on simply because of a fear of death itself; rather, they would hold on only because of other matters.

And Old Jin... perhaps no longer had such an obsession.

Therefore, the guardian of Zhen Sheng City before one's eyes was indeed about to die.

Feeling the atmosphere slightly heavy, Old Jin smiled.

"Don't show such an expression, people always die."

"I've lived long enough this life. Rather than consuming vast resources to keep an 'old tree' alive, it'd be better to plant seeds that, in decades or hundreds of years, can grow into towering trees again."

"This is my own choice, no need to mind it."

He paused and added, "And besides, if these old bones of mine don't fall ill or have accidents, I could still manage a few more years."

Lin Guang nodded.

"…"

"I'm sorry."

The old man looked at Lin Guang and suddenly said softly, "Twelve years ago, if I hadn't fallen into a coma due to my injuries, the Demon Race would never have been able to damage a single brick of Zhen Sheng City."

"..."

"It's already in the past."

Lin Guang shook his head.

It wasn't that he didn't care about the past.

He could just feel that if Old Jin had the chance back then, he certainly would have burned the last of his life to stand up for Zhen Sheng City once more.

For such an elder, he could not criticize anything.

"…"

It seemed he saw what Lin Guang wanted to ask and began, "Miaomiao is a good girl, and after I woke up, over the past few years, whenever my legs didn't work well, she would push me around when she had time, allowing me to take a walk."

"She often talks to me about you... so don't let her down in the future."

Miaomiao slightly froze, a blush rising on her charming face, "Why suddenly say this!"

...…

After Lin Guang and his group left, peace returned to the Memorial Stele, leaving only Old Jin and Miaomiao.

The old man continued to silently gaze at the stele as if trying to imprint every name on it.

Then, Miaomiao pushed him to another cemetery, stopping in front of another Memorial Stele.

This process repeated continuously.

Until a luxurious spiritual energy car, completely black with smooth lines, quietly slid to a stop at the entrance of the cemetery where he was.

The car door opened, and a middle-aged man with a kind face stepped out.

He was wearing a perfectly tailored pure black suit, with an old-fashioned yet meticulously combed pompadour hairstyle, exuding an aura as vast and boundless as the earth itself.

This was Hua Bo.

The head of the "Earth Daoist School."

The former legend of Zhen Sheng City.

He walked slowly toward the Memorial Stele, his posture heavy like the earth, as upright as the Golden Birch Tree.

He didn't acknowledge Old Jin and Miaomiao in the distance; he just walked straight to the stele, took off his top hat, and pressed it to his chest.

He raised his head, letting his gaze slowly sweep over the black ocean of names.

After a long while, he completed his ritual of mourning and then shifted his gaze to the silently watching old man.

Old Jin's seemingly cloudy eyes had, at some point, landed on him.

Old Jin did not speak, only quietly watching him.

Hua Bo's gaze met the elder's for a moment, then he unobtrusively glanced at the quietly standing Miaomiao next to him.

"Miaomiao, why don't you head back first."

Miaomiao hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "Alright."

Once Miaomiao's figure had completely disappeared from sight, Hua Bo turned to look at Old Jin: "You should know, it was just a coincidence, I didn't come here for him today."

Old Jin spoke: "I have a few more years, I can still make decisions for you."

"With your Divine Heart, and a contract with 'It,' you would not end up like me. Instead, you could soar and break free from your chains."

"Once transformed into a dragon, stepping into the Eight-Star realm is just around the corner; there's no need to target that young man."

Hua Bo nodded: "I know."

"But for me, that's not enough."

"…"

He calmly said: "Moreover, both Blue Star and Great Xia need new strong leaders, but the identity of those strong leaders isn't what matters."

Old Jin shook his head: "But I will not stand idly by."

"You've gone a bit too far these years."

"Since Qin Ran's death, in your pursuit of power and vengeance against the Demon Race, you've forgotten many things and even turned against your own kind."

"Do you think she would want to see you like this now?"

There was no trace of surprise on Hua Bo's face, calm and collected, as if he had long anticipated all this, merely shaking his head slightly, considering it his response.