Stranger Danger

Chapter 891: Venerable Six Livestocks

While the duo were offering their praises, more and more people were popping into the Six Livestocks Market. They were all covered in a layer of fog that concealed their appearance perfectly. Forget sensing one’s strength, it was impossible to tell if someone was male or female.

In fact, neither Feng Qingyou, Ye Qing, nor Tao Chong would be able to tell each other if they hadn’t entered together.

The large majority of them did not linger on the narrow limestone roads they appeared at, however. They took off immediately after a cursory glance almost as if they were extremely familiar with this place.

Of course, even those who entered the Six Livestocks Market for the first time would not need to worry about losing their way or failing to find the location of their residence. It was because everyone could feel a clear signal guiding them toward their residence. All they needed to do was to walk in the right direction, and they would arrive at their destination eventually.

“Why are we still standing here and chatting? Everyone else is hurrying to their residence already. Don’t you know that wasting time is a crime?” Tao Chong urged a little urgently when he saw that neither Ye Qing nor Feng Qingyou looked hurried at all.

This was the Six Livestocks Market, martial sanctuary for all who walked the Dark Ways. Without exaggeration, it was a huge crime to waste even a second in this place!

“Young master... may I...”

Ye Qing nodded. “No need to worry about us. You may take your leave.”

“Thank you, young master! I’ll see you later!” Tao Chong saluted them once and stepped away.

After Tao Chong was gone, Ye Qing looked at Feng Qingyou and asked, “What are your plans, Qingyou?”

“Let’s look around for a bit,” Feng Qingyou replied.

Ye Qing raised a curious eyebrow. “Do you know something, Qingyou?”

Feng Qingyou favored him a small smile. “I have some guesses, but I can’t say anything until I’ve taken a look.”

“Sure. I’ll walk with you,” Ye Qing replied.

And so the duo began strolling through the Six Livestocks Market like they were tourists.

At first glance, the Six Livestocks Market didn’t seem like a particularly big town. In reality, it seemed to be endless. Two hours came and went in the blink of an eye, and still they hadn’t explored the town in its entirety.

“Are we still going?”

Four hours later, Ye Qing and Feng Qingyou were still walking on the narrow limestone road shoulder-to-shoulder. It really looked like they were here for a tour.

“No, we can stop here. There exists great power in the Six Livestocks Market. We won’t reach the end even if we explore this place for a whole year.” Feng Qingyou shook her head.

“Okay. What did you find?” Ye Qing asked.

Feng Qingyou fell silent for a moment before answering, “I think I’ve figured out the origin of the Six Livestocks Market.”

“I see. Wait, what?” Ye Qing replied instinctively before Feng Qingyou’s words actually dawned upon him. “Y-You figured out the origin of the Six Livestocks Market?”

“Well, it is just a guess.” Feng Qingyou asked, “Have you heard of Venerable Six Livestocks, Joyless?”

“Nope.” Ye Qing shook his head.

“What about the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin?” Feng Qingyou asked another question.

“The Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin? But of course,” Ye Qing replied without hesitation.

The Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin was one of the almighty titans of the ancient Dark Ways. Boasting unparalleled power, he was the man who apparently split what was thought to be a singular Great Way into two and founded what people would come to know as the Dark Ways.

The literal founder of all things Dark and demonic, he once created the Dao Domain of Myriad Darkness. He did not conform to any one style and accepted almost anyone under his tutelage, teaching and preaching to those who were willing to listen and learn. During his heyday, thousands and thousands of demons came from every corner of the world to attend his lessons. I should not need to tell you how rare this was. Later, he was heralded as the Ancestor of the Dark.”

“Legend has it that the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin has thirty six thousand outer disciples, one hundred and eight inner disciples, and thirty six direct disciples. His thirty six direct disciples were named the Thirty Six Venerable Ones of the Dark, and Venerable Six Livestocks is one of them,” Feng Qingyou ended.

“Really? Why have I not heard of such a thing?”

Ye Qing frowned. He had heard of the thirty six direct disciples of the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin, but never “Venerable Six Livestocks”. You would think that someone so prestigious would be a household name at the very least.

Feng Qingyou explained, “That is because there are very, very few written records of Venerable Six Livestocks throughout history, and the reason there are so few written records is because Venerable Six Livestocks is an eccentric man who keeps a very low profile.”

“Although Venerable Six Livestocks is a practitioner of the Dark Ways, he loathed killing and was very affable. He enjoyed tutoring others and enlightening them about the Dao. He was a man who devoted his whole life into nurturing talents of the Dark Ways while asking nothing in return.”

“Although Venerable Six Livestocks enjoy a relatively unknown reputation, he was one of the disciples the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin praised very highly. In the ‘Records of the Dark’, there was this line while the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin was debating Dao with the Dao Sage: ‘I have thousands and thousands of disciples, but there is only one man who understands me the most. Six Livestocks is the key to the Dark Ways’ prosperity.”

“It is very likely that he was referring to Venerable Six Livestocks.”

“So, Venerable Six Livestocks is the one who founded the Six Livestocks Market?” Ye Qing asked.

“It’s possible,” Feng Qingyou replied, “According to rumors, the reason Venerable Six Livestocks earned his title is because he excels in the spells relating to transformation and the six livestocks.”

“On a related note, Venerable Six Livestocks may loathe killing and enjoy teaching others, but he views all things mundane and mortal as cultivation resources. Food for power, to put it bluntly.”

“In any case, all signs seem to hint that the Livestock Creation Art and the Six Livestocks Market originated from Venerable Six Livestocks.”

“I have two guesses regarding the Six Livestocks Market,” Feng Qingyou continued. “One, the Six Livestocks Market is Venerable Six Livestocks’ old Dao Domain. He was fond of teaching and preaching to others, and it was very likely that the Six Livestocks Market was the Dao Domain he used to perform such duties back then.”

“Two, the Six Livestocks Market is some sort of manifestation created from Venerable Six Livestocks’ corpse and mind after he passed away.”

“This place... is the manifestation of his corpse and mind?” Ye Qing frowned deeply. It sounded outlandish at best and insane at worst.

But Feng Qingyou surprised him by saying, “To be honest, I’m more inclined to believe that my second guess is true.”

Ye Qing raised his eyebrows in puzzlement. “Please, enlighten me.”

Feng Qingyou answered, “In the ‘Records of the Demon of Primal Origin’, there was a story that went like this. Once upon a time, a disciple of the Dark Sovereign of Primal Origin swore a Great Wish: When I die, I wish that my body becomes a market, and my mind a bridge. Wind and rain will batter me, and countless warriors will step on me. But so long as I can continue preaching to the masses and enlightening them regarding the Dark Ways, I am eternally fulfilled.”

“That can’t be all the proof you have. Just give it to me straight, Qingyou,” Ye Qing urged. A single story that might or might not be fiction was not enough to convince him that the Six Livestocks Market was manifested from Venerable Six Livestocks’ body and mind, and he was sure it was the same for Feng Qingyou. This meant that she had found some other proof that support this theory.

“We have been strolling around the Six Livestocks Market for a bit. What do you think of its layout?” Feng Qingyou asked.

“What do I think?” Ye Qing roughly recalled the routes they had taken and everything he had seen until now. An unbelievable thought occurred to him, and he blurted out, “It looks like a person. Yeah! It really does look like a person!”

Although they hadn’t explored the entire Six Livestocks Market, it was enough to give them a rough understanding of its shape and layout. He could say with certainty that the layout of the Six Livestocks Market looked like a human lying on the ground.

“That is correct.” Feng Qingyou smiled. “What’s even more interesting is the roads and arrangement of the residences. Did you notice? The road we’re stepping on is shaped exactly like a person’s Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and this residence over here is where a bodily point would be.”

“This is why I think that the Six Livestocks Market is created from Venerable Six Livestocks’ body and mind.”

“To turn his body into the earth, his veins into roads, his bodily points into houses, and his spirit into the Way and Law...”

Now Ye Qing was somewhat convinced of Feng Qingyou’s analysis. He sighed with admiration and said, “This Venerable Six Livestocks is seriously incredible.”

“He is,” Feng Qingyou echoed in agreement. “If not for the fact that he views mortals as livestock, I would not be surprised if he was called the ‘Sage of Education’.”

“Well, we’ve wasted enough time. It’s time we return to our residences and practice.”