“I’ve already taken my first new steps. That year, I lacked money, and now I lack Spirit Stones. It doesn’t seem much has changed.” Meng Hao shook his head, thinking about the scant amount of Spirit Stones in his bag of holding. He couldn’t help but feel a bit of pain as he turned and left the cave. Atop his flying sword, he shot down in the direction of the river.
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he lifted up his head. Up on Mount Daqing, in the same position he had just been standing in, was a man wearing a golden-colored robe. He gazed down coldly at Meng Hao.
“So, you did come back here,” he said in a sinister voice which seemed to make the setting sun grow even darker, leaving behind only his eyes, filled with murder and greed.
It was Shangguan Xiu!
The day the Sect had been dissolved, he was the first person to flee. After a few days had passed, he reappeared. After some asking around, he learned about the dissolution of the Sect, as well as how Patriarch Reliance had cast terror into the hearts of the entire Cultivation world of the State of Zhao. So, covering his tracks, he left, deciding that it was time to go harvest some medicinal plants that he had planted in secret some time ago.
On the way, however, he had passed Mount Daqing, which caused him to think about the time he had investigated Meng Hao. He knew that this was where Xu Qing had found him, so he decided to stick around for a few days in the hopes of encountering him.