Star Odyssey

Chapter 3117: Distrust

Hongyan Mavis had always stayed close to the cabin, secretly hoping that, one day, those people would return, leave another message on the floor, and take her away. On that day, the mist would surely clear away.

After spending a considerable amount of time staring at the cabin, Hongyan Mavis spoke at length with Lu Yin. As they spoke, the candle on Lu Yin's shoulder burned down and was about to disappear.

Lu Yin was not at all concerned, as Lightstream was constantly devouring the time generated by the candle’s flame, as that time was not a part of the River of Time. The existence of the candle on Lu Yin’s shoulder was nothing but a decoration.

This was something that Feng Bo did not know, and neither did Hongyan Mavis.

Lu Yin was waiting for the candle to burn out completely before he went to confront Feng Bo. Or, perhaps he could find a way to get a new candle from Feng Bo so that Lightstream could keep absorbing the generated time, strengthening Lu Yin’s inner world.

He no longer had any idea how far back in time Lightstream could show him.

It was all thanks to Feng Bo.

"Xuan Qi, you can see the candle burning on your shoulder, right?" Hongyan Mavis asked.

Lu Yin glanced at his shoulder. "Yes, I can see it."

"It's about to go out. Once the flame extinguishes, so will your life. Aren't you afraid?" Hongyan Mavis inquired.

Lu Yin sighed. "There's nothing I can do about it. Whatever happens, happens."

A hint of a smile appeared on Hongyan Mavis's lips. "It looks like you've been with Feng Bo for a long time if you already know that he is capable of renewing his candles at will."

Lu Yin blinked. Really?

The look on the woman’s face told Lu Yin that he had lost a great deal of her trust and that her wariness had spiked precipitously.

He had assumed that she might admire his courage in the face of death, but the fact that the candle could be restored caused Hongyan Mavis to believe that Lu Yin had known about that particular detail all along. Hongyan Mavis took this to mean that Lu Yin was well acquainted with Feng Bo and his innate gift and that he had only been asking about those details as a ruse to deceive the woman.

Lu Yin smiled wryly. This also meant that his genuine emotional response to reading the messages on the floor of the cabin, which had caused Hongyan Mavis to warm up to him slightly, was probably being seen as another act.

Hongyan Mavis sighed. "I understand that a person's life is what is most important to them, and I can't blame you for what you've done. I can't help you, and yet you've still stayed here and listened to me vent. That's good enough, Xuan Qi. Thank you."

Lu Yin smiled. "Senior, please continue. I truly wish to hear all that you have to say."

Hongyan Mavis looked at Lu Yin before nodding. "Thank you."

As soon as the candle burned out and was about to go out, it really was restored to full size. Feng Bo was unable to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place between Hongyan Mavis and Lu Yin, but he also knew that it would not be easy to get close to Hongyan Mavis and that one candle would not be not enough.

While Hongyan Mavis was far more suspicious of Lu Yin than earlier, Lu Yin was still able to have Lightstream devour the candle’s time, and that was nothing to complain about.

All that remained unclear was how many times Feng Bo would renew the candle. Human patience was limited.

After Lu Yin spent a good deal of time with Hongyan Mavis near the cabin, the candle started burning significantly faster. Feng Bo was clearly trying to tell Lu Yin to hurry.

The change was noticed by both Lu Yin and Hongyan Mavis, and the woman looked regretful. "I wish I could help you break free from his control, but Xuan Qi, you must take care of yourself. Go back and see Feng Bo. Maybe he has some other plan that he intends to use to deal with me and you will be able to stay alive for a while longer."

Lu Yin shrugged and took out the fake Champions' Stage that he had received from Feng Bo. "Senior, can you distinguish between a real Champions' Stage and a fake one?"

Hongyan Mavis stared silently and refused to say a word.

Lu Yin summoned his own Champions' Stage. "What about this one?"

Hongyan Mavis remained expressionless. "Feng Bo certainly spent a great deal of time creating a fake Champions' Stage in order to deceive me. I must admit, it is quite an effective deceptive. Xuan Qi, I truly do understand that a person's desire to live can drive them to do anything. I pity you, but I won't soften my heart. You won't be able to get close to me.

"Go back."

Lu Yin sighed and put away the Champions' Stages. "What about the Lu family’s visualization method? Would that convince you? The Immovable Heavenly King Elephant? The Fifth Mainland."

Hongyan Mavis remained silent.

Lu Yin continued, "What about the Investiture of the Gods?"

Hongyan Mavis's eyes flared in shock. "Feng Bo really did prepare well this time. He must have gone all out if he managed to counterfeit even the Lu family’s visualization methods and Investiture of the Gods."

Lu Yin understood at that moment that, no matter what he said, nothing would convince this woman. Hongyan Mavis was determined to not trust him. "In that case, I'll take my leave. Before I go, could you do me a favor?"

Hongyan Mavis grew curious. "What is it?"

Lu Yin glanced around. "This mist is a threat to me. Do you have any way to protect me from being destroyed by the mist? At least I'd have a chance against Feng Bo that way, or might have a chance to escape."

Hongyan Mavis laughed. "You aren’t the first to make such a request. The others that Feng Bo sent to deal with me asked for the same thing.

"I understand. Feel free to do whatever you can." With that, she casually plucked a blade of grass from the ground and then sent it floating towards Lu Yin. "Take this."

Lu Yin was puzzled.

"That will provide you with temporary protection from the mist. If not for this ability, Feng Bo would have already blown the mist over this place and surrounded me, and I would have died long ago," Hongyan Mavis explained.

Lu Yin accepted the blade of grass. "Thank you, Senior."

He turned to leave, but froze briefly. "Senior, there will be a battle soon. If you still believe that I’m putting on an act, feel free to watch. If you believe that I'm not acting and might actually be able to kill Feng Bo, then please help. Given my current strength, the chances of me being able to kill Feng Bo are very slim."

Hongyan Mavis shook her head as she watched the young man leave. Over the years, Feng Bo had tried every means possible to lure her out, but he was getting sloppier.

She had never once doubted that Lu Yin had been sent to get close to her by Feng Bo, or to lure her away from the cabin. The more elaborate the scheme, the less likely she was to fall for them. Leaving the cabin would be irresponsible to the rest of humanity.

That kid isn’t actually bad. It’s such a pity.

Lu Yin passed through the bamboo forest, moving further away from the cabin.

He arrived at the bank of the River of Time and had no fear of getting lost after that. The mist filled his surroundings, aside from a single path that led back to Feng Bo.

Lu Yin stood on the riverbank. "Senior, I failed. That woman is extremely cautious and wouldn't let me approach her no matter what I said."

"Hmph! If it were that easy to succeed, I would have destroyed her long ago. Did she tell you anything? Did she believe you?"

Lu Yin sighed. "No, she refuses to believe that I’m from the Lu family."

"Not even with the Champions' Stage?"

"I don't know. I showed it to her, but she wouldn’t say anything."

"That sounds right, but at least you now know her identity."

Lu Yin answered in amazement, "We of the Sixverse Association know of the ancient Three Realms and Six Daos. You never mentioned that the woman is the founding ancestor of the Mavis family that ruled the Second Mainland! She’s Hongyan Mavis."

"Hehe, apparently she told you quite a bit. Well, given her personality, she can’t handle the years of silence. She loves to talk."

Lu Yin thought back to the conversation written on the floor of the cabin. It seemed that Hongyan Mavis preferred talking to writing.

"What did you two talk about?"

Lu Yin had considered what he would share with Feng Bo during his walk back. He shared a great many details that Hongyan Mavis had mentioned, all of which were related to the Origin Universe. There was no reason to hide anything. Hongyan Mavis had never trusted Lu Yin, and she had only casually spoken to him to relieve some stress and pass some time.

Feng Bo listened patiently and did not interrupt Lu Yin even once.

Lu Yin spoke for a very long time, as Hongyan Mavis had similarly spoken to Lu Yin for a long time.

Feng Bo listened without any comment.

Lu Yin's mouth grew dry. "Senior, are you really interested in all of these trivial matters?"

Feng Bo sneered. "I've heard all of this at least three times from others when I sent them to get close to that woman. I’m just trying to see if there are any discrepancies between what you say and what the others told me."

Lu Yin's eyes flickered. "Were there any differences? There should be. Hongyan Mavis wouldn't change her story three times."

"Hehe, there were no differences. That woman just wants to infuriate me, but it’s not a big deal. No matter if it's three times or thirty times, I can listen to everything that she has to say."

Lu Yin understood that Feng Bo was probing to see what kind of relationship Lu Yin had formed with Hongyan Mavis. By telling the man everything, Lu Yin proved that he was no different from the others who had approached the woman in the past.

It was even true, as Hongyan Mavis had never trusted Lu Yin. She had treated him the same as she had all the others.

"By the way, Senior, I also saw some writing on the floor of the cabin."

"Oh, that nonsense between the Three Realms and Six Daos? That woman is as nostalgic as ever. It's pathetic. All of those people are either dead or missing. I personally witnessed the God of Death being torn apart and his remains scattered across Burial Garden. Wu Tian was imprisoned in the Third Scourge, and Destiny will never have the courage to show her face ever again. She must have seen the future and knows that humanity has no hope. Garan, Wilderness God, and all the others disappeared one after another, while Gu Yizhi betrayed humanity. That woman knows all this. What's the point in reminiscing? The past can't help her.

"They’re all a bunch of outdated relics. Even the Origin Progenitor is dead."

Lu Yin arched a brow, but he said nothing.

"Alright, get ready for your next meeting with her. This time, I'll tell you some more details about the Lu family. That woman owes the Lu family a great debt, which is her weakness. By using that and a few other things, you can definitely get close to her."

Lu Yin looked around. "Senior, could you show yourself? It's uncomfortable speaking to you like this."

"Little one, you want to see me?"

"You might one day be my master," Lu Yin replied.

"Well said. I already intended to meet you during this time. You should have learned who I am from that woman."

Lu Yin nodded. "One of the most powerful experts from the Original Universe's Heavens Sect era, the man who personally destroyed the Second Mainland, Senior Feng Bo."

"Hahaha, 'destroyed' is such a good word! Yes, I am Feng Bo." As the man spoke, the mist cleared in front of Lu Yin, and he saw a short old man. His head only reached as high as Lu Yin’s waist, and he was dressed in exceptionally luxurious clothes. In fact, the clothes were more luxurious than anything that Lu Yin had ever seen before.

This was neither the clothing style of the Aeternals nor the Origin Universe.

Various patterns were embroidered across the cloth, each one quite unusual.

As he laid his eyes upon the old man, Lu Yin felt suppressed and suffocated. While he did not want to admit it, Lu Yin could feel that this old man greatly surpassed him. This air of superiority was etched deeply in Lu Yin’s soul, which was different from the Great Sovereign’s aura.