At midnight, Lingjin City was as silent as a slumbering man.
Chen Yang did not return directly to Book Mountain Court but went to the Lingjin River instead.
The scenery was the same. In the darkness, the sound of the river slapping against the shore and the whistling of the wind were the only sounds in the midnight void.
The scenery was unchanged, but the people were not.
Chen Yang had always believed himself to be a person of steadfast mind. He was hardly swayed by anything that might disturb his thoughts or emotions, capable of remaining composed even if Mount Tai were to collapse before him.
Clearly, I overestimated myself.
A wave of suffocating emotions—heartache, a tightness in his chest—washed over him.
This day in Lingjin City, by the Lingjin River.
Who would have thought that the Former Chief Military Commander, undefeated in a decade of battlefield campaigns, would have a moment deep in the night, facing the cold wind under the moonlight, when he too would shed tears.
For whom were these tears shed? For an imperfect life? Or for the hardships and uncertainty of the future?
BOOM!
Gigantic waves, several meters high, rose on the Lingjin River, their spray scattering and drifting away with the wind. Waves crashed through the air, like a thousand swirling drifts of snow.
"Chen Yang, you belong to this country and to this era. I won't stop you from doing anything, but you must stay alive. I'll be waiting for you in Lingjin City, along with our child!
"We… we'll be waiting for you!"
The last time he parted from Qin Qiu was on a snowy night. She held this man tightly, expressing her reluctance and worries, all while hoping that matters would soon conclude and come to a perfect end.
"Have I, Chen Yang, ever let this country down in my life?" Chen Yang gripped the railing before him, his voice low as he asked the wind, the waves, and the silent, dark night for an answer.
BOOM!
Thunderous waves crashed against the shore as the cold wind howled.
Beside him, Yang Hu was silent, shaking his head incessantly. Ten years of military service, his blood staining the desert sands, expanding the borders, and displaying the might of Tianwu. He had nothing to be ashamed of before the world!
What debt could he possibly owe?
"Perhaps the ones I owe are my family… and Qin Qiu," Chen Yang muttered. His thoughts inevitably turned to Ren Tong. How long has it been since I visited the old master?
"Tell me, what am I even doing all this for?" Chen Yang asked again.
"At least not for yourself," Yang Hu said quietly.
It seemed this man had never once thought of himself.
Power, fame, fortune—Chen Yang never cared for such things. A full meal and simple cloth clothes were enough for him.
Since he had wronged neither the world, its people, nor this splendid Myriad Mile Territory, and since he possessed the power to act, there were simply things that had to be done.
Success or failure, it didn't matter. In the end, I will have acted.
"Wipe them out."
Those three short words made Yang Hu's face turn deathly pale, and beads of cold sweat rolled down his brow. An almost tangible murderous aura shrouded more than half of the Lingjin River.
Who had ever seen the usually placid Lingjin River churn with hundred-meter-high waves?
「Book Mountain Court」
Wrapped in a coat, her belly already noticeably bulging, Qin Qiu couldn't help but smile at the sight of headlights sweeping over the drive.
"Honey," Chen Yang called out as he got out of the car.
Qin Qiu walked up to him. "Are you hungry? I've heated up some food in the pot."
Chen Yang shook his head, simply gazing at the woman before him.
*Ten thousand li I've traveled, yet I return younger still. A smile, and in that smile, the scent of southern plum blossoms. You ask if the southern mountains were harsh? I say only this: where my heart finds peace, that is my home.*
At first, Qin Qiu could face his stare calmly, but as time passed, she grew bashful, pouting her lips. "What are you looking at? Did I get ugly? Stop staring! If you keep staring, I… I can be very fierce!"
Gently, Chen Yang pulled Qin Qiu into his embrace, speaking softly, "Has the little one been kicking you?"
"Of course not. This little one is very considerate of me, not like a certain someone who only knows how to be a bully." Despite her words, Qin Qiu leaned on Chen Yang's shoulder, silent tears streaking down her face.
"I'm sorry," Chen Yang said.
Qin Qiu shook her head. "You… you have lived your life with integrity. You don't need to apologize to anyone."
「The next day」
Chen Yang rose early and made breakfast for the whole family.
After breakfast, they all went to the Lingjin River for a boat ride, to admire the flowers, and have a picnic. Laughter echoed endlessly.
"Do you think this little one is a boy or a girl?" Qin Qiu asked, turning her head toward Chen Yang. One hand rested on her belly, while the other held his large hand.
"Probably a girl, right?" Chen Yang scratched his head and smiled.
Qin Qiu pouted. "It's definitely because you want a daughter! Your 'sweet little padded jacket,' right?"
"Heh heh."
Chen Yang gave a foolish smile. He did indeed want a daughter. As for the reason… perhaps it was because a daughter wouldn't have to bear so many responsibilities?
Lunch seemed cheerful, but in reality, a heavy weight pressed on everyone's heart.
It was another farewell.
Could they really look forward to the future?
No one wanted to be pessimistic, yet it felt beyond their control.
"Chen Yang, take a trip to Red Lotus Valley," Chen Yang's father, Chen Jinnan, said at last as it was time to depart.
Chen Yang nodded. His next stop was already planned to be Biluo Sword Valley anyway. Setting aside the others he had never met, he still had to see his cousin, Liu Qingmei.
"I'll wait for you to come back," Qin Qiu said calmly.
She shed no tears. Perhaps they had already run dry?
"I'll be back soon," Chen Yang nodded, giving her a firm reply.
The minivan headed north, straight for the final destination of this trip—Yuning Mountain.
Yuning Mountain was the collective name for both a city and its surrounding mountain range. The city at the foot of Yuning Mountain still belonged to the secular world, though it had some families who claimed to be cultivators, like the Gan Family, whose foundation Chen Yang had severed.
The real cultivation forces, however, were hidden in Yuning Mountain itself, a range that remained in its most primitive state, untouched by modern development. For instance, Biluo Sword Valley and Red Lotus Valley.
「Today was February 18th」
It was Red Lotus Valley's annual recruitment day for outside apprentices.
Apprentices, as the name implied, would start by doing chores and handling various service tasks. After three years, suitable individuals would be selected to become official disciples.
There were only one hundred slots each year, but thousands of people were always drawn to the selection. After all, becoming an official disciple of Red Lotus Valley would completely transform one's life. Although it meant gambling three years of one's life on labor, the potential reward was worth it.
"Are you guys here for the Red Lotus Valley selection too?"
At the base of Yuning Mountain, a young man in his early twenties carefully sized up Chen Yang and Yang Hu, then said confidently, "Not to put you down, but you won't get into Red Lotus Valley. Only outstanding young talents like me have a chance!"
Chen Yang smiled but said nothing.
This guy was the overly familiar type and extremely confident. On the way here, he had already said the same thing to five or six other groups. To be an eighth-rank martial artist in his twenties was, admittedly, outstanding.
"Kid, with an ego like that, why haven't you ascended to the heavens yet?" Yang Hu sneered.
The young man, whose name was Kong Lin, gave a dismissive, haughty look. "I'm doing you a favor, saving you the disappointment of returning empty-handed."
"Heh…" Yang Hu chuckled. "Say, kid, you got a master?"
"Of course I do, and—"
"Never mind the 'and'!" Yang Hu slung an arm around Kong Lin's shoulder, cutting him off. "Is he here? I feel like beating him up."
Kong Lin was speechless.