"You... you could tell I was wearing a disguise? That's impossible! My disguise technique is second to none—who exactly are you?" The middle-aged man stared at Evan Chu in shock.
"Who I am isn't important for now. Once you remove your disguise, I'll tell you. Let's just say we're old acquaintances. I'll give you a hint: I come from the Azure Tide Ruins!" Evan Chu smiled, completely ignoring the man's stunned expression.
Just then, the waiter brought over drinks and food. Evan casually handed him a few Netherstones and said, "Bring out a few more signature human dishes later."
"Right away, sir! I'll get them ready at once," the waiter replied happily to Evan Chu.
Pouring two cups of wine, Evan grinned, "Do you not believe me, or do you just think I'm mysterious? I know your cultivation is impressive, but you still can't hurt me. Don't assume that just because I'm at the Saint Martial Realm, I'm easy prey. Even if the strongest expert in the Netherworld showed up, I could still escape with ease."
The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then quickly wiped his face with his hand. Instantly, a different visage appeared before Evan Chu. Seeing this familiar face, Evan was momentarily taken aback.
It was the face of an old man, deeply lined and weathered, but his eyes were bright and piercing, as if they could see straight into one's soul.
"Now can you tell me who you are?" The middle-aged man looked at Evan Chu and asked.
Evan Chu chuckled, "Let's have a drink first. It's been ten thousand years, old friend—you've definitely gotten older!" He raised his cup and drank it down in one go.
The old man drained his own cup and said, "Old friend? I don't have any old friends as young as you. Speak plainly—I'm not someone you can toy with. Even here in Nine-Shade City, if you anger me, who knows what might happen."
Evan Chu laughed, "Sean Xiao, your eyesight is still terrible! You don't even recognize me. I ought to give you a good beating. The Sacred Sword Sect Master is still alive—now that's a surprise!"
The old man shot to his feet, his expression even more startled. "Who are you, really? Only two people in the Netherworld know my true identity. If you are truly an old friend, don't toy with me."
"We're close friends. If you think about how many true friends you have, you'll figure out who I am. I never expected to run into you here—what a surprise." Evan Chu smiled.
Sean Xiao thought for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. "Are you Frostbane? Could you really be Frostbane?"
Evan Chu nodded with a smile. "Good, you haven't forgotten me. For a moment I thought you'd gone senile."
He refilled his cup and took a sip, while Sean Xiao stared at Evan, disbelief written all over his face. "Back in the Divine Battlefield war, didn't you fall? How are you still alive? What's going on?"
Evan Chu chuckled, "Me, fallen? Didn't you also die back then? So how are you here now?"
"I don't believe it. I saw you get killed by the Nether Lord and the Blood Emperor with my own eyes. Unless you can show me proof, I can't accept it." Sean Xiao said.
Evan Chu pulled out the Frostbane Sword. "You recognize this blade, don't you? I saw you get struck down back then, and in my grief, I went all out against those two."
"The Frostbane Sword—it really is! Are you truly Frostbane? This is too much. Back in that war, I thought I'd die for sure, but that final blow didn't kill me, only left me badly wounded. I escaped to the Netherworld to recover, but by the time I healed, the Netherworld Gate was sealed. Did you also enter at that time?" Sean Xiao asked.
"I only just came from the Azure Tide Ruins. My purpose in the Netherworld is to obtain Netherghost Violet Orchids. Without them, many people can't break through to the Saint Martial Realm. But here in the Netherworld, getting a Netherghost Violet Orchid is nearly impossible." Evan Chu said with a bitter smile.
"You mean you came from the Azure Tide Ruins? The Netherworld Gate's seal was broken? Why didn't I know? I checked the entrance just last month—it was still sealed. I hope you're telling the truth, or don't blame me for what happens next!" Sean Xiao snapped angrily.
"You still have that fiery temper, old friend. Breaking open the Netherworld Gate took the power of the Four Sacred Beasts—it wasn't something I could do alone. I know you have a lot of questions. Now that we've met, I'll have time to answer them. Do you really think I'm lying to you?" Evan Chu smiled.
Sean Xiao looked at Evan Chu and said, "Frostbane, I'm truly glad to see you here. How is the Sacred Sword Sect doing now? I've worried about it every day, desperate to return but powerless to leave."
"Don't worry. The Sacred Sword Sect is now allied with Frostbane Sect, Freewind Palace, and Bloodfiend Hall. The Azure Tide Ruins have gone through a lot—I'll tell you all about it when we have time. But right now, I want to ask where you got those two beads." Evan Chu asked.
"We'll talk about the beads later. Are you really just at Fourth-Layer Saint Martial Realm? The Netherworld is crawling with experts; with that level, you're just a drop in the bucket. Be careful." Sean Xiao said, refilling his cup.
"That's my current realm, but my actual power is about equal to yours. I can easily unleash Star-Cleave now, and it's ten times stronger than before. Don't worry about my safety." Evan Chu replied.
"You really are Frostbane. Now I'm completely sure. Star-Cleave is a technique only you know, and very few are aware of it. Take the beads—they cost me two hundred thousand Netherstones, but running into you is just my bad luck!" Sean Xiao said helplessly.
"Haha, thanks in advance. I know you need Starstones, so I'll give you some later. I brought plenty when I came to the Netherworld. But I still want to hear how you got those beads—it's extremely important to me." Evan Chu said.
"Those beads have quite the story. Getting them was a nine-lives ordeal; even now, I break out in a cold sweat thinking about it. There's a Blood River in the Netherworld—I stumbled upon it by accident. Its waters are as red as fresh blood, so I got curious and took a closer look.
Just a few glances were enough for me to sense a faint energy fluctuation inside the Blood River, so I used my god-sense to investigate more closely. Frostbane, do you know what I saw? (Next chapter will be a bit late)