Chapter 287 – Departure - Part 3
Another half‑month slipped by.
Li Yuan finished sorting money, secret arts, pills, and ore, sending them off in batches along his private routes toward Cloudpeak Province—seed capital for the farming life he planned. The stash even included a chest of blood gold and the two beast taming manuals that the temple master had bestowed upon him.
Yellow leaves fell in flurries. Instead of the famed mountain summit, now a pilgrim’s site for apprentice blacksmiths, Li Yuan chose a hidden forge to fashion Shuixiang’s spirit artifact. Into that weapon he quietly poured 300 years of his own life.
300 years was not enough to punch a hole in Yin and Yang or call down heavenly thunder and earthly fog, and Jing Shuixiang was no peak fifth rank martial artist like Gu Xuejian. Even so, the moment her fingers closed on the slim blood‑red blade, her combat power leapt from 1,260~1,350 to 1,260~9,548—and would only grow as she herself advanced.
At sunset, the petite elder, dressed in black, escorted Li Yuan beyond the city stronghold’s walls. Every senior member of the Holy Tree Temple had quietly agreed. This farewell belonged to the two of them alone. The man wanted no attendants, no maids, and no ceremony, only the open road.
No one asked where he was headed. South, perhaps—nothing more specific. After forging Jing Shuixiang’s blade he looked spent, a frail old man whose flame would soon gutter out. Yet it was his choice, and they respected it.
All knew Master Li longed for home.
He hugged the small woman lightly. “This blade is the best I can give you. Not as grand as Gu Xuejian’s, I’m afraid.”
Tears glimmered at the corners of Jing Shuixiang’s eyes. “Fool. You’re...a great big fool.”
“Take care of Huayin, Yao Jue, and Ping'an,” he said.
“I will. I’ve sent those three to train by the meat fields. They won’t learn of your leaving for days.” She hesitated. “Will you come back?”
“I will,” he answered with a smile.