Chapter 291: Accompanying Old Ding

Hearing Yi Chen’s words, the old man stood up as instructed, but while at it, a somewhat confused expression appeared on his face.

However, despite this confusion, he immediately answered Yi Chen’s question, noticing the frown on his face.

"T-The Lava City... It’s ten kilometres away from this path." As he said that, he gestured towards the dirt track in front of them.

Meanwhile, the reason for Yi Chen’s frown wasn’t the old man’s confused expression, but because of the brown discolouration he noticed around the middle of his nose and the area around it.

’Some skin disease?’ he thought curiously before shifting his attention to the old man’s words.

"Ah, just ten kilometres away? Alright, thanks." Yi Chen nodded, hearing the old man’s words, and was about to leave.

However, thinking about something, he suddenly stopped.

’Hmm...on second thought, I think I should learn more about this place,’ he thought to himself with a curious expression.

After arriving at the Lava City, he’ll only need to approach the Red Velvet Pavilion’s branch and, using the transportation array, will soon be back in the Jade City.

Therefore, using this opportunity, he wanted to know more about this Kingdom now that he was already here.

"Hm?" The old man who had once again bowed his head towards Yi Chen, assuming that he was about to take his leave, subtly frowned in confusion, noticing that Yi Chen’s legs were still planted at the same place.

Slightly raising his head, he noticed Yi Chen’s eyes meeting him.

Tensing up, he asked the next moment, "I-Is there something else that you need, Esteemed Cultivator?"

"Yes, I wanted to ask whether you are going to Lava City as well?" Yi Chen asked with a curious nod.

"Y-Yes, I’m almost done with the harvest for today, so I’m going back to the city," the old man answered, not knowing what was going on in Yi Chen’s mind.

"Perfect." Yi Chen smiled at the response and added while pointing towards his cart, "I see that there’s space for another person to sit beside you in the cart; you don’t mind if I accompany you, right?"

"T-This..." the old man couldn’t help but make an uncomfortable expression at those words.

"Is there a problem?" Yi Chen asked curiously, seeing the man’s expression.

"N-No! Esteemed cultivator, if you really wish to do so, then there’s no problem at all...However, as you can see, my cart is all old and not suitable for someone of your stature..."

The old man answered hurriedly.

"Ah, don’t worry about that. I don’t mind those things. Besides..." Yi Chen’s storage ring glowed for a moment, and the next instant he placed something in the old man’s hands, "The reason I want to accompany you is that I’ve just arrived at the Kingdom and need to know a few things about it."

Noticing the brilliantly shining stone in his hand, the old man’s body couldn’t help but tremble.

"A...A spirit stone..." he muttered in disbelief.

From the intensity with which it was glowing, the old man knew that it was of a much higher grade than the ones he had seen in his life.

’With this...won’t I be able to afford a thousand of them?’ his eyes brightened at that thought.

Seeing the old man’s changing expressions, a subtle smile formed on Yi Chen’s face as he asked the next moment, "I’ll give this Medium Grade Spirit Stone to you for keeping, provided you answer all the questions I have regarding the Black Rock Kingdom, how about it?"

"I-I’ll do my best to answer all your questions, Esteemed cultivator!" the old man exclaimed with desire evident in his eyes.

"Very well then, shall we start moving then?" Yi Chen said while gesturing towards the cart.

"Yes, please!" the old man hurriedly gestured towards the seat before sitting down himself.

"It’s a little cramped up, so I apologise for inconveniencing you," the old man said with a hint of embarrassment before taking the reins.

"Haha, it’s pretty comfortable here so I don’t mind," Yi Chen answered while looking ahead. A long meandering road with white trees on both sides entered his view.

Hearing his laid-back response, the old man felt a little less anxious and tugged on the donkey’s reins the next moment.

"HEYEP!"

Soon the clattering sound of the wheels began resonating in their ears as the cart started moving towards its destination several kilometres away.

"So what is it that the esteemed cultivator would like to know first?" the old man asked after a few moments of silence.

"Well..." Yi Chen placed his hand on his chin in thought.

’Let’s start with this one,’ he thought to himself and asked the next moment, "Why is the ground, the mountains, and even the stream that flows down these mountains all black in colour?

Except for these white trees, everything that I witnessed here is black in colour and has a burnt smell to it. It’s something that has been bothering me for a while now."

Hearing Yi Chen’s words, the old man nodded with a subtle smile and answered with his eyes fixed on the way ahead, "Since this is your first time in our kingdom, it’s natural for the esteemed cultivator to not know about this-"

"Yi Chen, that’s what my name is. You can call me that." Yi Chen stated the next moment, a bit uncomfortable after being called an esteemed cultivator several times.

"...So it’s Master Chen." The old man nodded in a humble manner and said, "You can just call me Old Ding for convenience."

"Mhm." Yi Chen nodded at those words. He realised that urging him more would only make him uncomfortable and continued, "Continue with your answer then, Old Ding."

Hearing those words, Old Ding nodded, and instead of speaking, he first pointed towards the long mountain range behind them and asked.

"Master Chen should have arrived through those black mountains, right?"

"Yes, that’s exactly where I came from." Yi Chen nodded in response.

"That towering mountain range encompasses not just this part of the border, but the entire Black Rock Kingdom.

So, in a way, these mountains act as a natural barrier for our kingdom and prevent the entry of demonic beasts. However, what acts like a barrier can at times also become a trap.

Those mountains, they aren’t just mountains. Within them all flows fiery red lava that erupts and ablazes the entire sky red every fifty years."

A sigh escaped his lips, which was followed by a short cough.

Cough!

"...It’s because of this incessant cycle that our land and rivers have never managed to recover. Nothing can grow on this almost barren land...apart from these White Talantuala Trees."

"This..." Yi Chen couldn’t help but furrow his brows when he heard his words and asked the next moment, "Was it always like this?"

A depressing smile formed on Old Ding’s face as he shook his head the next moment while answering, "It’s been more than a thousand years since this strange occurrence started happening...I’ve only heard stories that there was a time when this entire plain was covered with all kinds of trees and plants.

The mountains were lush green, and the lakes and rivers flowed with water that glimmered like pearls under the sun."

Cough!

A cough that soon took the form of a chuckle escaped Old Ding’s mouth as he said with his eyes plastered on the path ahead, "However...I’ve become so used to seeing these pale trees and black plains that I just can’t imagine them looking the way it’s been described in those stories."

"..."

Yi Chen couldn’t help but purse his lips at those words. The heavenly sight in front of him, of a pathway with rows of white trees on the sides, suddenly seemed to lose its grandeur.

However, the questions that kept popping up in his head made him ask the next question soon after, "You said earlier that nothing apart from these white trees can grow in this place...then what about the food? And water? How are you able to survive in this place?"

"Well, that..." a grateful smile formed on Old Ding’s face as he turned around to point at something, "Does Master Chen see these purple nuts? They are called Talantuala nuts, and it’s thanks to them that we’ve all managed to survive until now."

"These...are these edible?" Yi Chen frowned while looking at the purple nuts. Looking at their distinct colour, he found it difficult to believe that they were edible.

Therefore, he simultaneously opened his status panel as well.

=====

STATUS

======

Name

: Talantuala Nuts

Remark

: Fruits of the White Talantuala Trees.

[Regenerate: 10,000 EXP]

==================

"No, we don’t eat these nuts." Old Ding softly chuckled at those words. Because of how laid-back and curious Yi Chen’s disposition was, he had somehow forgotten the difference in their status and continued, "Instead, they’ll be processed in the city, and the final product will be sent out of the kingdom."

"Then...are you trading these nuts for food and water?" Yi Chen asked after a couple of seconds, a frown apparent on his face.

He had initially thought that these nuts would contain large amounts of water and nutrients for consumption, but from the looks of it, he was wrong.