Xia Qingyu, it was indeed him!
His own biological father.
Ji Xinghuo looked at the man in front of him with mixed feelings. The man’s hand was stretched out, and finally, Ji Xinghuo reached out and shook it, responding, "Ji Xinghuo."
"Hahaha..." Xia Qingyu laughed heartily, "Nice name."
Obviously, he had never heard the name before.
Ji Xinghuo guessed that Xia Qingyu hadn’t been back to Earth for at least a year, maybe even longer.
"What are you guys talking about?" the red-haired woman asked in Xinyalar language, sizing up Ji Xinghuo and then looking at Xia Qingyu, "Is this man your brother?"
"What business is it of yours?"
Xia Qingyu waved impatiently, "I suddenly have something to do; go entertain yourself. I’ll come find you in a couple of days."
"Hmph! Stinking man!" The red-haired woman cursed angrily, but seeing Xia Qingyu remain indifferent, she stormed out of the hotel, huffing angrily.
Ji Xinghuo could tell she was smitten with Xia Qingyu; it was just a moment of anger.
After all these years, he still had a way with women, very much in line with Ji Xinghuo’s previous impression of him.
Having dismissed the woman, Xia Qingyu turned back, saw Ji Xinghuo’s gaze linger on the departing woman, and laughed, "Her name is Ayatu, a mix of True Dragon and Dan people, quite attractive, but even more devastating in bed—the figure, tsk tsk..."
He shaped a gourd in the air with his hands, spreading his fingers and pinching a few times, "If you like her, I’ll introduce you."
Ji Xinghuo’s expression stiffened.
In the 23rd century on Earth, people’s attitudes towards sex were extremely polarized; some were very open, others very conservative.
He had known Xia Qingyu was promiscuous, but this was too open!
He didn’t even mind father and son sharing the same tastes.
"Just kidding, don’t take it seriously, look how scared you got, I’m not done enjoying myself yet," Xia Qingyu said warmly, wrapping an arm around Ji Xinghuo’s shoulder and sitting down next to him at the bar, then suddenly teased, "Kid, you aren’t still a virgin, are you?"
Ji Xinghuo didn’t answer.
"I’ll take that as a yes."
Xia Qingyu scoffed and waved to the bartender, "Bring us two Bloody Intense Flames, the highest grade, and don’t try to swindle me with Blood Wine, be careful of your hands."
The bartender repeatedly assured him he wouldn’t dare, his eyes filled with fear.
Soon, two large cups of red liquid arrived; Xia Qingyu tossed a True Dragon Coin, pushed one cup in front of Ji Xinghuo, and took a big gulp from his own.
Seeing that Ji Xinghuo hadn’t drunk his, Xia Qingyu said, "This is the best drink from the Bloody Plateau, made from Red Emperor followers’ fresh blood, mixed with flaming flowers. It’s like taking a hot bath in freezing snow, refreshingly transparent all over your body—it’ll be an unforgettable experience, try it."
Ji Xinghuo picked it up and took a sip.
As the liquor hit his throat, his first sensation was its high strength, spicy and hot; difficult for ordinary people to endure. Then, a wave of warmth spread in his stomach, a buoyant feeling lifting his spirits and clearing his mind—the taste was indeed nice.
But that was about it; he occasionally drank with friends, but he wasn’t a heavy drinker.
"How is it?" Xia Qingyu asked expectantly.
"Not bad," Ji Xinghuo replied honestly, setting down the glass.
"It seems you’re not a fan of drinking," Xia Qingyu said, somewhat disappointed as he shook his head, "No drinking, no women, what pleasure do you find in life?"
Xia Qingyu had already noticed that Ji Xinghuo’s personality was vastly different from his own, even completely opposite.
Ji Xinghuo simply smiled faintly.
Xia Qingyu observed him seriously for a few seconds, then suddenly exclaimed, "Time flies, you’re 24 already. Now you’re a Mutant too, not bad, not bad!"
"And I have your ten million to thank for that," Ji Xinghuo said.
"Heh, small money," Xia Qingyu laughed nonchalantly, "If your talent is good enough, ten million could give you two or three chances to become a Mutant. If not, that money could let you live a carefree life as a happy ordinary person—not bad either."
"Though your birth was an accident, you’re still my seed, I definitely wouldn’t want to see you suffer."
"But don’t feel too grateful, and don’t think I owe you anything."
"We owe each other nothing."
Xia Qingyu spoke with grim seriousness.
"We owe each other nothing," Ji Xinghuo affirmed with a solemn nod.
He originally had no intention of acknowledging or resenting his father. To Ji Xinghuo, Xia Qingyu was a bit closer than a stranger but nowhere near being a friend.
If they had interactions in the future, treating each other with indifference would suffice.
Xia Qingyu visibly relaxed.
"How did you end up on the Bloody Plateau?" He eyed Ji Xinghuo’s weapon equipment, surprised at the expense that far exceeded the ten million he gave, and couldn’t help but ask, "What Rank are you now?"
"Advanced Mutant," Ji Xinghuo replied.
Xia Qingyu immediately realized a problem, Ji Xinghuo had just thanked him for the ten million that had allowed him to become a Mutant, yet he wouldn’t receive that money until his 22nd birthday, which was still less than two years away.
In less than two years from a normal person to an Advanced Mutant, and he even made it to the Bloody Plateau.
This didn’t make sense.
The vast majority of Advanced Mutants couldn’t leave the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest, and even for Super Mutants, the journey from the Thousand Peak Abyss Forest to the Bloody Plateau was fraught with fear and danger.
"Did you come here alone?" Xia Qingyu asked again.
"I really don’t know whether you are fearless because you are ignorant, or just lucky," Xia Qingyu shook his head repeatedly, "An Advanced Mutant daring to come to the Bloody Plateau, and even reaching the Sky Falling Cliff..."
"If I weren’t confident, I wouldn’t have come," Ji Xinghuo didn’t elaborate further.
"Quite the statement," Xia Qingyu took this as the pride of youth, "The Bloody Plateau is not an easy place to get by, you’ll understand eventually. Alright, for the sake of our relationship, you follow me for a while, I’ll familiarize you with the surroundings of Sky Falling Cliff."
Ji Xinghuo looked skeptical, "Are you doing well here?"
"Of course!" Xia Qingyu couldn’t stand Ji Xinghuo’s doubt, "I’ve been here at Sky Falling Cliff for over a dozen years, I’m quite well-known. Not just the surroundings, there’s no place in the entire eastern plateau I don’t know about, everything’s up here."
He pointed to his head.
Ji Xinghuo crossed his arms and said softly, "If I remember correctly, you should be 66 years old, yet you’re not even Legendary."
"Ignorant of the immensity of heaven and earth!"
Xia Qingyu’s face turned ugly, as if hit where it hurt, "Do you know how difficult it is to advance from a Super Mutant to a Legendary? You wouldn’t understand even if I told you. Although I haven’t advanced to Legendary yet, I’m among the top Super Mutants, just a step away. If I returned to Earth, I could definitely rank within the top thousand of the ladder."
Ji Xinghuo watched his agitated appearance and suddenly found it funny.
"How long have you not been back to Earth?" he asked.
"Almost five years," Xia Qingyu looked puzzled, "I’m living happily in Sky Falling Cliff, why would I go back to Earth?" He noticed Ji Xinghuo’s odd expression, "Why do you ask that?"
Ji Xinghuo shrugged his shoulders, not elaborating further as he’d find out eventually, and changed the subject, "Since you’re so familiar with the plateau, I’d like to ask about two things."
"Where can I find a Gale Beast?" Ji Xinghuo asked.
Xia Qingyu immediately shook his head.
Then he scoffed, "I guessed that you came to the Bloody Plateau for the Gale Beast. Gale Beasts come without a trace and leave without a trace, they don’t have fixed nests, they could appear on any mountain across the plateau, and they’re fast, even if someone spots them, no information would leak out."
Ji Xinghuo frowned, "Isn’t there an area where Gale Beasts appear more frequently?"
"Maybe there is, but it’s in the hands of the Highlanders and the Biao Clan, outsiders wouldn’t know," Xia Qingyu said, "Ordinary people can only try their luck."
He paused, then added, "I’ve encountered a Gale Beast only once in over a dozen years on the plateau."
"And then?" Ji Xinghuo pressed on.
"Of course, I slaughtered it and ate its heart," Xia Qingyu said proudly, regaining some of his confidence.
Ji Xinghuo was at a loss for words.
Xia Qingyu said with a smile, "It all depends on luck. Some people might encounter a Gale Beast two or three times a year but can’t chase or kill them; others might spend their whole life on the plateau and never see one. If you’re thinking of specifically looking for Gale Beasts, I advise you to give up early, don’t waste your time."
"I understand," Ji Xinghuo nodded, not taking it seriously in his heart.
Others couldn’t find them and had to rely on luck, that was because their methods of Perception weren’t sufficient. With his Electromagnetic Induction, his search efficiency was a thousand to ten thousand times others; as long as there was a clue, he was sure to find it.
"Anything else you want to know, just ask," Xia Qingyu said.
Ji Xinghuo thought for a moment, then asked, "Has there been any large-scale war recently between the Highlander and Biao Clan tribes?"
"There’s always been," Xia Qingyu replied, "When are those two clans of maniacs not fighting? It would be strange if the wars stopped."
"I mean, a larger scale war," Ji Xinghuo elaborated.
"Why do you ask this?" Xia Qingyu was a bit puzzled, but still answered, "There’s news these days, the ’Blood Fury Tribe’ is active in secret around Sky Falling Cliff, recruiting mercenaries at a very high cost, probably to start a blood battle against their arch-enemy ’Skull Crushers Tribe’."
He briefly introduced the two Red Emperor follower tribes.
The Blood Fury Tribe were Highlanders, located roughly 1500 kilometers north of Sky Falling Cliff in the Haero Mountain Range, with a population of over five million, one of the largest Highlander tribes in the eastern plateau.
Their arch-enemy, the Skull Crushers Tribe, were from the Biao Clan.
The population of the Skull Crushers Tribe was less than a million, with a rather loose tribal structure, consisting of three smaller scale tribes united.
The two sides had been fighting for control of the Haero Mountain Range for hundreds of Star Realm Years, resulting in deep-seated blood feuds.
Wars happen every dozen years or so.
Having said that, Xia Qingyu asked, "You’re not asking me this because you want Red Emperor Blood Crystals, are you?"