Chapter 422 After Years (End)

"Yang Tian Long, I am here to make a debt."

After Basil said his piece, the place turned silent again. Even Diana, who had stood up in surprise at Basil's appearance, didn't dare to make a noise due to the intensity of the staring contest Basil had with Yang Tian Long.

Mei Qi felt that things might go awry, so she stepped forward, hoping that she could diffuse the situation. "Stay there, Mei-er. I didn't meddle in your affair, so let this old man manage his own," this, however, stopped her entirely.

Looking at the other end of the hall, Tian Long continued, "Show me yourself if you are not planning to do something hostile."

No answer came out, however, the person he had detected did enter the hall. He pulled down his hood, revealing an androgynous face of a fair-skinned, black-haired young male; he was none other than Xiu Li. He curled his left hand, clasped it with his right and then bowed lightly as he said his greetings.

"Xiu Li pays respect to Great Daoist Yang Tian Long."

"Ho-oh? I can't sense even a tiny hint of Mana inside you despite being of Hua descent—what a unique kid," Tian Long remarked. Turning to his daughter, he said, "Let me see your face, Mei-er. There is no need to hide it."

As Mei Qi pulled her hood down, Tian Long turned his eyes away. It irked Mei Qi so much that she immediately glared at her father whom she hadn't met for two decades.

"Now, young man, tell me who you are."

"So, someone as powerful as you, too, doesn't know anything about the state of the world. Huaxia has high confidence in their power, huh?" Basil remarked, instead of answering Tian Long's question.

"We may know when we care, young man. What Daoists care about the most is their cultivation and family. We want to live a simple life, so we don't care about the ambitious life of Westerners much. So, what are you, Young Man? What kind of thing you have done to shock the world?"

"I have declared a war against the Empire and the Church."

"…talking about being ambitious." Tian Long laughed softly in amusement. "Young men like you sure like to do things without thinking about the consequences."

"It was forced upon me. I had only two choices—to die denying my identity or to fight to the death while being proud of who I am."

"An answer that I didn't expect," Tian Long commented with a smile as he caressed his beard. "Now, why don't you tell me your name?"

"Basil Pacifer."

"Oh…"

Tian Long widened his eyes briefly before stopping caressing his beard. He crossed his hands behind his back and then looked at Basil solemnly.

"So, you are the real deal, eh? Didn't expect those crazy warriors still have a surviving descendant."

"It seems that Huaxia still has a record about us."

"Of course, we do, young man. Any lies that your Empire propagates—we have the truth here."

History is written by the winner. Any information about the past that was circulated in the Human Empire came from the Church.

The people of Hua separated themselves from the rest of the humans when the Great War ended. They had the original history and the Church had no power to erase that history from their mind due to their power.

The reason why the Church didn't even try was the fact that the people of Hua separated themselves from the rest of the world like the rest of the races did. They made it clear that they didn't want to meddle in the affair of the citizens of the Empire, which was what the Church, the true controller of the Empire, had wanted the Pacifer to do.

Because of that, despite the discrepancy in history, no one in the Human Empire could figure out the truth. Any random citizens of Hua would say it if they were asked; however, very few Westerners were willing to come to Huaxia, let alone talk to its people.

"Then, what do you think of helping me?"

Given the question, Tian Long pondered to himself instead of immediately answering. Even though his ancestors owed nothing to the Pacifer, they had a very good relationship in the past; so, without thinking twice he would stand on Basil's side.

What made him think, however, was the magnitude of the problem Basil was facing. He was confident in his power, still, going against an Empire was stretching it—had it not been the case, he would outrightly say he would help.

p "You said you were here making a debt, didn't you? How will you repay me in the future?" Given the situation, he needed to make sure whether the merit would outweigh the risk.

"Your life. I will guarantee it."

The answer was, of course, something that he didn't expect. Judging from the way Basil talked and how Basil carried himself, he didn't think the young man dared to say that.

Yang Tian Long; the seventh strongest Daoist in the entire Huaxia, which was a nation full of people with a mysterious power called Dao. He was one of the men who dared to claim he could slap the Human Empire to death. Such an individual didn't need someone's protection to live, which was why he found Basil's answer ludicrous and audacious.

"You have a fairly bad sense of humour, don't you, young man?" Tian Long laughed condescendingly; he couldn't help it. "You, who ask for my help to fight your enemies, dare to say you want to guarantee my life? Don't you think it is laughable?"

Boom!

Tian Long's Qi burst forth, suppressing Basil. No one but him felt the pressure; however, like them, he acted as if he didn't feel anything. It made the people watching worry. They dreaded the possibility of the two having a go against each other. Only disaster would await should it happen.

Their worry intensified when Basil activated his Pacifer Seal and then materialized his seven Ultimate Circles. None of them but Tian Long felt the pressure; however, the atmosphere had gotten thick enough that one might cut it like butter.

"I think you misunderstood me, Tian Long." Basil gazed at Tian Long, who was grinning in excitement, with his golden eyes. "I don't need your help to fight my enemies. I need your help to cure my illness."

Expecting a provocation from Basil, Tian Long looked at Basil in confusion; his grin quickly vanished from his face. "What ails you, young man? And, why do you think I can help you cure your illness?"

Instead of answering, Basil pulled up his shirt; he was someone who preferred to show rather than say. Unfortunately, Tian Long didn't understand his motive, so the said Daoist couldn't help being appalled.

"Put your clothes back on, I tell you, young man! I don't swing that way!" he exclaimed in horror, meanwhile, those who knew Basil slapped their forehead helplessly.

The atmosphere turned solemn as soon as the state of Basil's body was revealed. Tian Long, who had been covering his eyes like a girl who had just seen a ghost, now put his whole attention to Basil's solar plexus.

Such a perfect body was tainted by the scar of a Dragon Curse, making it look like a deteriorating sculpture, which was formerly sought after by anyone.

Walking closer to Basil, Tian Long put his hand on Basil's abdomen. "What an overwhelming amount of Yin Energy," he muttered. He looked up and then stared at Basil seriously. "Being a man, I commend you for being able to hold on for this long."

In a woman's body, one would find an abundant amount of Yin Energy, whereas one would find an abundant amount of Yang Energy in a man's body. Men couldn't handle too much Yin Energy and vice versa, which was why Basil's case fascinated Tian Long.

"What happened to you!?"

Tian Long was surprised by Danzel who had suddenly shoved him to the side to shake Basil's body in extreme worry. He was bewildered, at first, and then everything clicked in his head.

"Oh, shit. You are the son that Danzel brags about many times!" he exclaimed. "Hey, I am your father's sworn brother—your uncle! Why didn't you just tell me earlier, so I could treat you immediately!?"

Knowing that it was his friend's son, Tian Long stopped considering whether to help or not. Even if he had to go against the world, he would Danzel. Danzel was the first friend he got after a century of living without a friend. Danzel was the only person who looked at him as Yang Tian Long, not the Great Daoist Yang Tian Long.

They had spent the past year and a half like full-blooded siblings. For him, Danzel's family was his family. He treated Danzel's children like his; therefore, he couldn't help chastising Basil for being roundabout. He ended up shaking Basil's body like Danzel did, much to Basil's bemusement.

"Calm down. I just got cursed by a Dragon and I made a grave mistake by suppressing it with the Curse of another Beast."

"A Dragon!? I thought they have extinct!" Danzel exclaimed.

"What!? You got to encounter one of those eccentric lizards!?" Tian Long shouted, excited. "Good boy, good boy."

Danzel took a double take at Tian Long and then said, "No, he is not. He was playing with his life for god's sake!"

"Meh, I was wilder in the past. You know, the Empress was and is a beautiful lady. When I was his age, I used to peep—"

"Father! That is not a story you should tell to anyone!" Mei Qi shouted, bewildered and appalled.

Waving his hand lightly, Tian Long said, "It is fine, we are family. There is nothing to hide with family."

"No, your daughter is right," Danzel commented, surprising Tian Long, who misunderstood it as Danzel not wanting to be considered family. "That kind of story shouldn't be told to anyone, not even your family. Even us can't help but judge," he added, relieving Tian Long and also making him embarrassed.

Xiu Li laughed at the interaction and that made the people turn to him. He turned silent as he faced their gaze but then immediately laughed again as they chuckled.

Mei Qi smiled in relief at the development. She had expected her reunion with her father would be cold and distant; therefore, she couldn't help but laugh when Basil said everything would be all right. He was correct. For that, she was grateful to him.

"Well, I will treat you but, first, let us spend our time with our family. It has been a long time since we last met each other."

Hearing those words from Tian Long reminded them that their family was finally complete after years of being apart. It wasn't an ideal reunion, given the situation; however, they still wanted to catch up to each other, no matter how brief it was.