Talented Martial Hero
Chapter 1080 The Drunken Old Man

When the old man showed up, Darren turned around to get a good look at him. He was met with anexpression full of fear and shock on the old man's face.

'Is this old man really not a big shot?" Darren thought.

"Don't you have any idea what this is?"

"How am I supposed to know where the scarlet monster came from?!" Without thinking, the oldman stepped back and instinctively hid behind Darren.

Darren kept silent. After some observation, he concluded that the Shura should be restrained forsome time. During this window of opportunity, he should do his best to replace the World Essence."Let's go. Just ignore him,”

Darren said as he walked towards the lake. The old man wordlessly tailed Darren, shivering.

In front of Hiram's tomb, Darren stood contemplatively. He stared into nowhere, deep in thought."Sir, did anyone ask you to relay a message, or any instructions before sending you here?" Darrensaid as he spun around to face the old man.

Seeing Darren's stern face, the old man was lost in thought for a moment before he finally spoke."Now that you mention it, that man did give a few orders to me. But alas, I'm too old to rememberwhat they were."

"Who was it that asked you to come here? How long have you been here?" Darren asked."Honestly, I can't remember how long it has been. Though I do remember the man who brought mehere. He was a young man, donning some dazzling cyan armor. Yes, he also looked very handsomeand well built. There wasn't a grave when I first arrived here," the old man said.

"What?"

Darren's eyes widened when he realized just how long the old man had been here. Based on whathe recounted, the old man had been living in the bronze coffin for millions of years!

It was baffling. If he possessed an ordinary human body, how could he have lived for millions ofyears? Even a holy emperor could only live for one million years at most.

"It's quite eerie. After I came here, time seems to have stopped. I don't even know how old I amanymore. I've stayed the same," the old man murmured. His voice trailed off as he spoke. It was as ifhe was falling back into deep thought.

"No wonder you're forgetful.”

Darren understood now. Millions of years had passed. Of course the old man couldn't recall whathappened.

However, it also became clear to Darren that this old man was definitely not an ordinary person. Theyoung man in cyan armor who brought him to this place should be Hiram the Great. That was tosay, before the battle even began, Hiram the Great had taken this old man to the bronze coffin.What could he have done this for? Darren wracked his mind trying to figure out the reason.

"Young man, do you know the man they called Hiram the Great? Are you his descendant?" the oldman asked out of the blue.

"No, I'm not.” Darren shook his head. "I'm a person who has the same mission as him."

The old man gave an awkward smile in reply—he didn't understand what Darren was saying.

"Don't you worry. I'll cook a fish for us. Say, your wine... How about giving me some more?" the oldman asked eagerly.

"You want more? Sir, with all due respect, you can't hold a drink at all. Just half a glass of wine leftyou drunk for four whole days.”

"What are you talking about? That's the point! You drink to get drunk! In any case, I'm going fishing.Remember to prepare the wine.” The old man stumbled clumsily into the hut.

Darren shook his head and sighed as he followed after him.

After settling down and waiting quietly at the hut, Darren saw the old man come back carrying a bigfish in his arms. A broad smile spread across the old man's face as he walked towards him with alook of triumph.

"Everything here is lacking, except for fish.”

Darren smiled. "That's a great catch you got there, but I can't let you drink any of the wine thistime."

The old man’s face darkened. "How could you do this, young man? I was just asking for some wine.Younglings these days are so rude.”

"You're old and frail. I worry for your health.”

"Are you kidding me? That wine can't hurt me. I've lived for so many years and I'm still in tip-topshape.”

Darren had to agree. The old man had lived for millions of years. What harm could a little wine do?"Fine. Let's have a good drink, then.” Darren beamed, taking out a big bottle of wine.

"That's more like it!"

The old man happily started cooking the fish. He whistled out a little tune as he grilled it—thinkingabout how great it would taste with the wine.

Just like last time, the fish tasted immaculate, and the old man was dead drunk after half a glass ofwine.

Darren sighed. He carefully lifted the old man onto the bed.

After the old man was cozy, Darren sat back down in the cottage and pondered. He didn't intend tolook for the World Essence so aimlessly. He was aware of the kind of genius that Hiram the Greatwas. He wouldn't make replaceing the World Essence as easy as just using spiritual sense. He must haveleft a vital clue somewhere.

In the bronze coffin, the strangest thing had to be the old man.

So then that answer was obvious. The clue had to have something to do with the old man.

Darren decided to stay in the hut for several days and observe the old man. He was thinking hecould probably replace some clues that way.

A month passed.

There were constant roars erupting from the graveyard. The Shura grew more and more restless, asif ready to break free.

Darren remained vigilant and stood his ground in the old man's hut. The old man entered a cycle ofdrinking wine as soon as he awoke, then getting drunk and sleeping once more. This pissed offDarren.

Because the old man kept drinking and passing out, even if there was a clue, Darren couldn't replace it.Later, Darren decided to break the cycle and told the old man there was no more wine.

"Young man, please. Just one more sip. Come on, just one,” the old man begged.

"Sorry, we're all out. When you were drunk, I had no one to talk to, so I drank it all without evenrealizing it."

The old man didn't buy his bluff. After begging didn't work, he threw tantrums. Once he reached thelast straw, he angrily drove Darren out of the hut.

But it didn't work. Darren was determined.

After half a month, the old man looked haggard from frustration. He was eager to drink every day.Darren had discovered that several times during this half month, the old man would sleepwalk andsit alone by the lakeside—sighing.

One day, Darren began to feel something wrong.

Every time the old man went to the lakeside, he'd look lost in thought. Besides that, he would alsovisit Hiram the Great's tomb with a downcast look.

One day, the old man returned to the tomb again as Darren observed.

"I'm so sorry, buddy. But I can't control myself anymore. Please forgive me,"

the old man said to the tomb while cupping his hands. Then he fumbled a few times, leaning on thetombstone.

A large booming noise shook the surroundings.

The tombstone suddenly collapsed!

Darren was taken aback by the scene.

He hurried out and sneakily rushed over to the side of the tomb.

As he arrived, he noticed the old man was long gone. He noticed a cave appear in the area wherethe tombstone collapsed.

Darren's heart skipped a beat at the revelation. It turned out that there was an entrance at the tombof Hiram the Great! This was likely the hiding place for the World Essence!

But he was confused, why hadn't the old man told him about this?

Darren jumped into the cave and planned to scour it.

It was a shallow cave by Darren's standards—a mere ten feet away from the ground. A dark passagelay ahead.

Darren couldn't feel the old man's aura at the tunnel's entrance. He treaded carefully further intothe tunnel.

About two hours later, a light shone in front of him.

"Who goes there?!"

An old voice bellowed. The old man frantically ran back and bumped right into Darren.

"Hey, no worries, it's me,”

Darren said calmly.

"What? How could it be?"

The old man raised his head and squinted—recognizing Darren with the help of a faint light.

"I've made a mistake. I'm guilty. I shouldn't have come here," the old man said in a trembling voice.