Chapter 949: Dracotree

After a while, Li Qiye stopped his reminiscence and called for the shopkeeper. He paid for the drinks then told him: “Shopkeeper, I want to stay at your Xu Residence for a few days.”

The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head: “Sir, I’m afraid you misunderstood. Our Xu Clan only has a winehouse here, we don’t have an inn. Our Xu Residence is only for family, it’s not to entertain guests.”

Li Qiye smiled and said: “I know, but I want to stay at your Xu’s Dracohouse. You should know about it.”

The shopkeeper was startled after hearing this. He calmed down and shook his head again: “Sir, I’m afraid you had too much to drink. I don’t know anything about a Dracohouse in our Xu Residence.”

Li Qiye smiled: “Shopkeeper, I am not an outsider. Bring me the whistle hidden in the Dracohouse. Your Xu Clan has an ancestral teaching, you should remember it.”

After hearing this, the shopkeeper no longer acted distant. He slightly bowed and said: “Sir, please wait.” With that, he quickly left.

He put the closing sign on for the winehouse before leaving in a hurry.

Li Qiye only sat there and quietly waited. After a long time, the shopkeeper finally returned. He looked at Li Qiye then formally took out an old box from his pocket.

Afterward, he took out a whistle that was inside the box. This whistle seemed very ordinary, almost like a child’s toy. He handed the whistle over to Li Qiye with both hands.

Li Qiye looked at this familiar whistle and rubbed it playfully before speaking to the shopkeeper in a friendly tone: “Do you know the effect of this whistle?”

The shopkeeper did not answer. Li Qiye smiled and continued: “I know what you are thinking, you are afraid that I am a fake. There are two uses for this whistle. Its first use is that if your Xu Clan is ever in trouble, your descendants are able to blow a distress call. This sound will be heard by many lineages across the Mortal Emperor World. The other is for identification. Only the person mentioned in your ancestral teachings is able to blow it.”

“Am I right?” Li Qiye glanced at the silent shopkeeper.

The shopkeeper remained tight-lipped and only stared at Li Qiye. His attitude was very clear.

Li Qiye chuckled and placed the whistle on his lips. He blew the whistle with a rhythm unknown to others.

“Screchh...” With a cry, a crow flew out.

It emitted a terrifying aura capable of bearing the burden of time and the weight of the world. Myriad laws prostrated before it…

It quickly disappeared after flying out from the whistle. This was only an illusion created by the whistle, something that could only be done by Li Qiye!

After seeing the phantom crow, the shopkeeper finally confirmed his identity. He bowed and said: “So it is you. The ancestral teachings state that only you are able to stay at the Dracohouse.”

As a mortal, the shopkeeper naturally didn’t know Li Qiye’s identity. He didn’t know the significance behind the Dark Crow either. However, the ancestral teachings of their clan stated that the person capable of creating the illusion would be able to stay.

Li Qiye gently nodded. The shopkeeper quickly said: “Please come to the Dracohouse, I will lead the way.”

Li Qiye followed the shopkeeper up Apricot Peak to the Xu Residence. This was a simple building. Even a God-Monarch wouldn’t see what was so special about it.

This building was not only created by the Xu Ancestor, Li Qiye also worked hard constructing it for the clan. No one could enter this building without the permission of the family, no matter who they might be.

In the event of a great crisis, this building was able to teleport to an unknown location. Moreover, the Xu Clan could also ask the Holy City or even Li Qiye himself for help!

It covered a lot of ground, but no one lived here. The shopkeeper told Li Qiye: “All the young ones are staying at the Holy City. It’s only because I’m too old to leave that my oldest son was willing to come back to open the winehouse.”

“It has been so many years yet you Xu still won’t close that winehouse.” Li Qiye said with a smile.

The shopkeeper replied: “It is our symbol, passed on for generations. As long as the winehouse is there, it means that our Xu Clan is still being succeeded.”

Li Qiye only chuckled. This was an internal affair of the clan. He was not in a position to comment.

Eventually, the shopkeeper brought him to an arch entrance inside the building. It was closed with a heavy wooden door.

“Sir, this is the Dracohouse.” The shopkeeper told Li Qiye.

Li Qiye lamented in his mind while looking at the locked arched door ahead. After so many years, there was not the least bit of change.

Although the entrance ahead was only made out of wood, no one would be able to enter without the key no matter how powerful they may be.

The shopkeeper took out a bronze key then inserted it into the door. With a loud clicking sound, the two sides of the door slowly opened.

A rich life energy came rushing out the moment the door to the Dracohouse was opened. It permeated into the body, giving a pleasant feeling as if all the pores in the body were being relaxed.

This so-called Dracohouse was only a small courtyard with a single room. There was nothing else here. Wait, to be exact, there was an old tree planted in the yard as well.

This old tree did not look very exceptional at first, but despite being only three feet tall, it gave the feeling that it was shouldering the sky. It had been growing for who knows how many years. Its dried bark resembled scales while its old roots were as tough as steel.

It seemed that even if the sky was about to collapse, the tree would be able to lift it up.

Li Qiye circled around it and eventually, his eyes fell onto the few leaves. His expression turned serious.

“It is missing a Dracofruit.” Li Qiye said while looking at the tree.

“Dracofruit…” The shopkeeper looked at the tree as well: “Sir, where are these fruits? Sorry, my old eyes do not see well anymore.”

He pointed it out for the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper finally saw a Dracofruit. There was indeed a fruit among the sparse leaves. It was the size of a thumb and seemed to have matured, yet it did not fall down. It was indeed hard to see without careful observation.

“There are two of them?” The shopkeeper asked. He had never noticed these fruits growing on the tree before.

“There were two before, did someone pluck one?” Li Qiye asked.

In fact, he didn’t really mind at all. He just found it strange since the descendants of the Xu Clan were all mortals. They wouldn’t be able to pick the fruit.

“Hmm, I really did not pay attention to this.” The shopkeeper shook his head: “I didn’t know that these fruits were there before, so I don’t know if someone had taken one.”

Li Qiye looked at the fruit and casually asked: “Have any outsiders been in here? I’m talking about cultivators.”

The shopkeeper pondered for a moment before denying: “That can’t be true. Sir, the ancestral teachings say to not mingle with cultivators. Moreover, only our children are allowed inside this place.”

The shopkeeper thought about it a bit more and added: “If we are talking about cultivators, then the only one that has come here should be the Ancestral Aunt. This was written down in our family records. The Ancestral Aunt stayed here for a period of time. Normally, we wouldn’t stay in this place since we aren’t used to the rich air. I think only our Ancestral Aunt was here before.”

“Is your Ancestral Aunt still alive?” Li Qiye had to ask.

The Ancestral Aunt mentioned by the shopkeeper was the youngest daughter of the Xu Ancestor; a happy little girl forever scarred by the vicious war.

Nevertheless, she was once very powerful. After the war's end, her cultivation was right behind the Xu Ancestor’s.

“Hmm, I don’t really know. There are no records in our clan about her.” The shopkeeper shook his head.

Li Qiye said: “Go do your thing. I will stay here for a couple of days. If you need anything, you can come find me whenever.”

The shopkeeper agreed before leaving.

After he left, Li Qiye stood before the ageless tree and quietly contemplated. After a long time, he grimaced and murmured: “Hidden-dragon Mountains... The Ancient Ming tried their best back then and still couldn’t obtain the item inside. The Dark Dragon Dynasty was even built here to rule this land. That item is indeed greatly coveted.”

The Hidden-dragon Mountains were considered very dangerous by others, but keep in mind that even the Ancient Ming of the past wanted the item inside.

A great secret was buried here at the Hidden-dragon Mountains and Godwar Mountains.

In the past, the Godwar Mountains held a different name as the ancestral ground of the Dark Dragon Dynasty. They tried to unearth the secret but were destroyed before accomplishing this task.

[spoiler title='949 Teaser']After a while, Li Qiye stopped his reminiscence and called for the shopkeeper. He paid for the drinks then told him: “Shopkeeper, I want to stay at your Xu Residence for a few days.”

The shopkeeper smiled and shook his head: “Sir, I’m afraid you misunderstood. Our Xu Clan only has a winehouse here, we don’t have an inn. Our Xu Residence is only for family, it’s not to entertain guests.”

Li Qiye smiled and said: “I know, but I want to stay at your Xu’s Dracohouse. You should know about it.”

The shopkeeper was startled after hearing this. He calmed down and shook his head again: “Sir, I’m afraid you had too much to drink. I don’t know anything about a Dracohouse in our Xu Residence.”

Li Qiye smiled: “Shopkeeper, I am not an outsider. Bring me the whistle hidden in the Dracohouse. Your Xu Clan has an ancestral teaching, you should remember it.”

After hearing this, the shopkeeper no longer acted distant. He slightly bowed and said: “Sir, please wait.” With that, he quickly left.[/spoiler]