Chapter 106: Witnesses of the Times (Part 3)

Su Chen left Zhongzhou,
heading first to the Southern Region.
The Southern Region was the weakest.
He decided to pick on the weakest.
He arrived in the Southern Region through a spatial tunnel.
Thousands of years had passed, and the Southern Region was completely different.
Revisiting his old haunts, Su Chen learned that the once powerful and invincible Imperial Sword Dynasty had vanished with the tides of history.
In its place came new dynasties and empires.
In his sixth life, he had offended too many people. Even in high positions, death doesn't erase debts. Although Shen Daoyuan successfully broke through to the Nirvana Realm, he ultimately died under the siege of the Imperial Sword Dynasty's enemies.
The bloodline of the Shen clan was wiped out.
Su Chen sighed and headed towards the former site of the Imperial Sword Manor.
Passing through mountains and rivers, he finally arrived at the foot of a lush, verdant mountain.
Along the way, they encountered an old man. Seeing Su Chen heading towards the green mountains, the old man quickly called out to him, "Young hero, are you heading to that green mountain to search for the ruins of the former Imperial Sword Manor and seek opportunities?"
Su Chen nodded and asked, "Does the old man know of the Imperial Sword Manor?"
The old man sighed, "The Imperial Sword Manor... how could I not know? Every year, young people like you come here, attempting to find the opportunities left behind by the Imperial Sword Manor, trying to become legends like that Emperor Shen. But without exception, they all perish in the mouth of that tiger god in the mountains."
"That tiger god... is the guardian deity of the mountains, forbidding anyone from coveting the ruins of the Imperial Sword Manor!"
Su Chen was somewhat surprised.
The tiger god?
Could it be Hu Mao? Is he still alive?
Su Chen shook his head: "Thank you for informing me, old man, but I still intend to go into the mountains to take a look."
Upon hearing this, the old man's expression turned regretful, as if he were seeing yet another person who would never return... In his youth, he too had shared this ambition. But after seeing one old friend after another enter and disappear without a trace, he began to awaken and tried to stop those who went in to seek their own deaths.
Unfortunately, even knowing the truth, everyone still made the same decision as Su Chen, entering the mountains and never to emerge again.
After Su Chen entered the mountains and disappeared without a trace, the old man left. If another person were to enter the mountains, he would appear again, saying the same words.
In the mountains, Su Chen did not die in the tiger's jaws as the old man had expected.
He arrived at the former site of the Imperial Sword Manor, where everything had vanished.
Erased by time.
"Human, retreat or I will devour you!"
Su Chen saw a tall white tiger emerge, baring its teeth, its gaping maw seemingly capable of swallowing him whole.
Su Chen remained calm and composed. "You're the Tiger God guarding this place?"
"Who is Tiger Hair to you?"
Upon hearing the name Tiger Hair, the towering white tiger's eyes flashed with wariness, and it growled softly, "Who are you? How do you know my grandfather's name?"
"Tell me, or I'll eat you!"
Su Chen glanced at it indifferently, extended his five fingers, and in an instant, the world within a hundred meters changed drastically. An enormous hand pressed down towards the towering white tiger.
The white tiger sensed danger, its eyes filled with fear. It hadn't expected this seemingly frail and lifeless human to be a powerful figure. It turned to flee, but was pinned down by five fingers.
Su Chen rode up to it on his white horse. The horse lowered its head, its golden pupils flashing with disdain, as if saying, "How dare a mere wild demon disrespect its master!"
Given a glance from the white horse, the white tiger felt a tremor run through its body. This was the suppression of its demonic bloodline. Even if it were stupid, it understood that the young man on the white horse was no ordinary person, far from the insignificant creatures it had encountered before.
The white tiger's previously ferocious eyes instantly cleared, and its low growl transformed into a clear, melodious female voice: "Meow, young hero, spare my life... Actually, I'm a cat demon, not a tiger demon. My flesh is sour, and I can't be used as an aphrodisiac."
Su Chen: "..."
"You tiger demon know quite a lot, don't you?"
Just like Tiger Fur, Su Chen was certain that this white tiger was a descendant of Tiger Fur, who had been by his side back then.
The white tiger whispered, "Grandfather told me all this... He said these words could save my life."
"Great hero, you're a good person. You certainly wouldn't kill this little demon, meow."
Looking at the white tiger's eyes gradually clearing, Su Chen couldn't help but chuckle. "I won't kill you, but I'm not a good person."
The white tiger was somewhat puzzled, but Su Chen continued, "What's your name? Where is your grandfather now?"
Faced with Su Chen's questions, it struggled internally. Remembering Su Chen's earlier statement that it wasn't a good person, it could only obediently reply, "This little demon's name is Hu Miaomiao... As for grandfather..."
A rare sadness appeared in Hu Miaomiao's eyes as it said, "Grandfather passed away ten years ago. A group of people forcibly entered the Imperial Sword Manor. To protect this place, Grandfather fought them and was severely injured. He died ten years ago, saying that I must stay here to protect the master."
Su Chen was slightly moved. Shen Chen had countless offspring and relatives, but in the end, it was this tiger demon with a rebellious streak on its head who was most loyal.
There are too many people in this world who are not even as good as a demon.
"Take me to the Imperial Sword Manor."
Su Chen withdrew his five fingers, releasing his control over Hu Miaomiao.
Hu Miaomiao, fearing Su Chen, had no choice but to obediently lead him to the former site of the Imperial Sword Manor. Only a dilapidated house, a cenotaph, and a tiger demon still standing there, covered in scars, fierce and menacing, staring into the distance, as if still alive.
Hu Miaomiao said sadly, "There are no treasures here at all. Grandfather guarded this place only because it was the master's home. Every year, martial artists from the outside world would break in. Fifty years ago, people from the Heavenly Sword Holy Land broke in and took the sword from the master's grave. Great-grandfather risked his life but couldn't stop them..."
Listening to Hu Miaomiao recount the past, Su Chen knew that what those people had probably stolen was the sword forged from his sixth incarnation.
Su Chen stepped forward and sensed the remaining aura on the dead Hu Mao's body, recognizing an extremely profound and familiar aura.
"Heavenly Sword Holy Land..."
Hu Mao had been injured by the Heavenly Sword Intent of the Heavenly Sword Holy Land, leaving him with an incurable wound, ultimately leading to his demise.
A surge of barely suppressed killing intent suddenly welled up within Su Chen's usually calm demeanor.
"Hu Miaomiao, are you willing to leave this place with me?"
Hu Miaomiao hesitated, a hint of longing in her eyes. She glanced at Hu Mao's corpse, then hesitated again: "Is Master a good person?"
Su Chen smiled: "I am not a good person."
Hu Miaomiao bowed her head: "I am willing to follow Master. My grandfather said that no bad person would admit to being bad, and no good person would admit to being good."
Su Chen's eyes flashed with killing intent as he looked into the distance: "Then follow me... to take revenge."