Ch. 93 – Goodbyes

Hao Chen was unsurprised by this answer. Trying to get information out of Feng Ye was just as difficult as trying to eat his tofu.

No, perhaps the latter is easier, Hao Chen thought, recalling that recent scene.

They really had shared a kiss, if only for a fleeting moment. It was only that the unconscious Feng Ye hadn’t noticed, and Hao Chen himself hadn’t noticed at first either.

The situation was so urgent at that time, and although he felt the softness brush against his cheek, he had no time to think about it.

He only realized what it was after Feng Ye woke up, and then used it as an excuse to stir up trouble.

Looking back, it was a pity that he was unable to savor it properly. Who knew when it would happen again? Hao Chen felt a pang of melancholy at the thought.

He felt that he could eventually win Feng Ye over, but he wasn’t so sure about Yinglong.

Forcing it was out of the question, and whether he could even win against him in a fight was another matter entirely. Thus, the only option was to use gentle measures.

Hao Chen knew that his embrace was very gentle and soft, with plenty of warm fat covering his belly. But even so, Feng Ye showed no signs of throwing himself into his arms.

So how exactly could he win the heart of this dragon who was covered in hard scales, his cold exterior hiding an incredible softness?

Hao Chen fell deep into thought.

Feng Ye stood under the weathered tree with his arms crossed, watching the commotion just ahead.

The crowd in the main square jostled each other to move forward. Fang Yang had already reached Foundation Establishment stage, and among the disciples present, he could be considered one of the best.

But squeezing through the crowd to see Jianmu was much like trying to buy vegetables on sale. Age and cultivation level didn’t matter. The key to winning was to push through shamelessly regardless of the curses of those around you.

Shamelessness was a talent, and Hao Chen was a master of the art. But unfortunately, even after being exposed to it for so long, Fang Yang was still unable to grasp the essence of it. Thus, despite struggling for a long time, he remained on the periphery of the crowd.

Jianmu was a tree that stretched up to the heavens, and once it matured, one would be able to see the towering giant from hundreds of li away.

However, this Jianmu sprout was still in its infancy. With its roots buried in the soil, only a small, tender bud about the length of a finger joint emerged from the earth, almost unnoticeable unless one looked closely.

So despite trying to squeeze in, Fang Yang was unable to see a single leaf or branch of Jianmu.

After another failed attempt, Fang Yang dejectedly turned away.

In any case, Jianmu had been planted here, and it wasn’t like it could run away. He would come back to have a look once the crowd’s initial excitement wore off and there were fewer people around.

Fang Yang went to the old tree where Feng Ye and Hao Chen were standing. Glancing up at the sun inching across the sky, he suggested: “Let’s go eat. It’s almost lunchtime.”

Hao Chen had been deep in thought, but still couldn’t come up with any answers, so he prepared to agree and set the topic aside for later.

Unexpectedly, Feng Ye declined the invitation: “I can’t. I need to go back and pack my things.”

“Pack your things?” Fang Yang echoed in surprise. “Shixiong, where are you going?”

Hao Chen also stared at Feng Ye.

Feng Ye explained to them: “I’m going for a stroll around Longqiu.”

Fang Yang was puzzled when he heard the name of his destination. Useless Shixiong had just returned from North Sea City a few days ago, so why was he suddenly leaving again?

After analyzing the name ‘Longqiu,” Hao Chen suddenly came to a realization.

Longqiu…..was where Ling Yun had discovered the Living Soil.

Feng Ye had been searching for Jianmu, and had obtained it yesterday, only to give it to Ji Chengyue. Now, he suddenly wanted to find Living Soil…..

Recalling his earlier guess, Hao Chen experienced a flash of inspiration.

If everything was as he thought, then there was more to the events of one hundred years ago than met the eye. If Feng Ye had a compelling reason to destroy Jianmu, then there was likely something wrong with the tree.

But the fact that he had returned Jianmu to Ji Chengyue indicated that there was no problem with the tree itself, so he was going to find the Living Soil in order to determine if it was the reason behind Jianmu’s necessary demise.

Having figured out this much, Hao Chen immediately said: “I’m going too.”

Just as Hao Chen wasn’t surprised by Feng Ye’s words, Feng Ye was not surprised by Hao Chen’s. As expected, the essence of this sticky candy hadn’t changed at all.

His reason for going to Longqiu was basically as Hao Chen had guessed. He was indeed going to find the Living Soil.

Four factors had contributed to the creation of the tree that reached the heavens. Aside from the human heart, these included sunlight, water, and soil.

He had already inspected Jianmu and found it to be uncontaminated, so the problem could only lay with one of these last three things.

The rising sun in the far east was the least likely culprit, as a thing of such scorching purity was the nemesis of many dark, unclean things.

So the culprit tying Jianmu to the Emberless Horizon could only be the Xuanming Water from the snowy mountains in the north or the Living Soil in Longqiu.

Based on the existing clues, Feng Ye was unable to determine which of the two were problematic, or if the problem lay with both of them.

But he ultimately settled on the Living Soil, because Xuanming Water was formed from the perpetually icy air atop the northern snowy mountains, and it took one hundred years to condense a single drop. 

Counting back from the time Ling Yun first retrieved the Xuanming Water, there was still more than a month before the hundred-year-mark, so it wasn’t imperative for him to go there now.

The Living Soil, however, was relatively easier to obtain.

With an emphasis on relatively.

Living Soil was a substance that existed between life and death, and while it may be considered inanimate, it possessed a surging, ever-renewing vitality.

But while its name contained the word ‘living,’ it had little to do with a living creature. It had no thoughts or feelings, nor did it need to absorb nutrients like plants.

Hidden in the mountains and marshes of Longqiu, the earth that benefited from the Living Soil was exceptionally fertile, but was not the Living Soil itself.

The earth affected by the Living Soil may be as vast as a mountain range, stretching for thousands of li, but the Living Soil itself may only be the size of a palm.

Although Longqiu was not as vast as Kunlun, the highest of mountain ranges, it still covered a considerable area, and would take the average person three or four days to traverse.

Thus, locating the Living Soil in the Longqiu mountain range would be a bit of a headache.

This soil, with its inexhaustible life-giving power, was not only excellent nourishment for Jianmu, but also for many other spiritual plants. As a result, people had been searching for it for centuries, only to fail again and again.

It was no secret that Ling Yun had found the Living Soil. The issue was that there were no records of how he found it, and there was nobody left who possessed the knowledge.

So, for one hundred years, there had been no news of anyone locating the Living Soil again.

And that batch of soil Ling Yun had scattered in the Eastern Sea to create an island had perished in the heavenly fire.

Because the Living Soil could not be considered a living thing, it did not die in the traditional sense. It simply lost its original life-giving power. But while it could still nurture plants, the nutrients it provided were no different from ordinary soil.

Among the five elements, there was no direct conflict between fire and earth, and soil was generally not at risk of being burned.

But contrary to expectations, this was what the Living Soil became after being scorched by Heavenly Fire.

The reason behind this was exactly what Feng Ye intended to discover.

Hao Chen expressed that he would come along, but Fang Yang hesitated.

He actually did want to go along. Very much so. He had been a disciple for a year, and apart from the trip to the Floating Island Secret Realm, he hadn’t left Lingxiao Sword Sect.

Whether in the secret realm or North Sea City, he had seen many novel sights that he never would have seen while cultivating inside the sect.

The Floating Island Secret Realm was located in the North Sea, while Longqiu was located in the Western inland region, a place he had never set foot in before. The customs and landscapes there must be completely different from those of the North Sea.

Fang Yang naturally wanted to go and take in the sights. Besides, although Useless Shixiong’s swordsmanship was decent, his cultivation level was ultimately too low. Fang Yang felt that since he had already advanced to Foundation Establishment Stage, he had a responsibility to protect his Useless Shixiong, whose cultivation lingered at the third level of Qi Refining with the stability of Mount Tai.

However…..Cao Zirui, his buddy, had been seriously injured just the day before.

Although the injuries weren’t fatal, and wouldn’t pose a serious problem after timely treatment and recuperation, he still needed time to recover. And as his friend, Fang Yang shouldn’t leave Cao Zirui alone while he was out of commission.

“Shixiong, when are you leaving?” Fang Yang asked, clinging to a glimmer of hope.

If he departed at a later date, perhaps Cao Zirui’s injuries would be mostly healed by then and Fang Yang could accompany Useless Shixiong with a clear conscience.

But Feng Ye’s answer extinguished his hopes: “I’ll pack my things and leave this afternoon.”

“Oh…..” Fang Yang’s drawn-out reply revealed the depth of his disappointment.

Fang Yang, who always bounced around when he walked like a perpetually-energized bunny, didn’t bounce this time. His rabbit ears drooped to the ground, and he parted ways with Useless Shixiong and Hao-dage with a gloomy look about him.

He went to eat, while Feng Ye and Hao Chen headed back to pack their luggage.

The two groups parted ways and slowly left the main square.

The square was still very lively. Compared to catching a glimpse of the magnificent Jianmu tree, lunch wasn’t worth bothering with.

Such was the case among the disciples within Lingxiao Sword Sect, as well as the disciples sent abroad.

News of Yinglong’s reappearance could not be kept under wraps, nor could the events of the previous days.

With so many eyes watching, it was impossible to keep the news from leaking out completely.

After the news spread for a day and a night, other sects gradually learned of the reappearance of Yinglong and Jianmu. They may not know all the details, but they had a general idea of the matter.

Thus, Ji Chengyue was truly in over his head, his desk piled high with inquiries and probing messages from the leaders of various sects.

This group of people had leapt into action upon hearing the news. After Yinglong cut down Jianmu one hundred years ago, they inevitably regarded the tree as an ominous thing that must be destroyed.

But now, Yinglong had returned Jianmu to humankind. If this meant that planting Jianmu was permitted, it must also mean that people could use it to ascend to the heavens once more.

What did it mean to ascend to the heavens?

It meant a wider and more abundant world, with bountiful spiritual energy and faster cultivation.

And mortals had never laid eyes on the splendor of the heavens. Was this legendary paradise as incredible as the stories depicted?

Humans were unable to determine this by looking up from the earth. Only by personally ascending to the heavens would they be able to find out for themselves.

Therefore, everyone directed their overwhelming enthusiasm toward Ji Chengyue, inundating him with pleasantries and gifts. They all used convoluted and roundabout ways of ingratiating themselves, until he was unable to tell which relationships and pretexts were genuine without analyzing them thoroughly.

But upon closer examination, these messages that appeared to be filled with polite greetings and gifts could be summed up with one sentence:

“Sect Leader Ji, we heard that a great god bestowed Jianmu upon you?”

Ji Chengyue only read a few letters before he lost the will to read any more. Taking a break from his busy schedule, he went outside and stood at the mountaintop, gazing out at the scenery below.

Although he had been a sect leader for a century and was adept at handling such intricate matters, he truly wasn’t in the mood to deal with those people at the moment.

His disciple Xue Ren, whom he had trained for over twenty years, was gone…..just like that.

He was fully aware that Xue Ren’s death was nobody’s fault but his own. Xue Ren only had himself to blame.

If blame should fall upon anyone else, it should be his master, who was so absorbed in revitalizing the sect and pouring all of his energy into nurturing Cao Zirui that he neglected Xue Ren’s feelings.

Furthermore, Ji Chengyue was unable to forget Yinglong’s attitude at the end. As a human being, he had dared to approach the god step by step and challenge the divine.

He had been prepared to die, no longer afraid of the god’s wrath.

But as a result…..

From the mountaintop, Ji Chengyue stared down at the Jianmu sprout planted in the square below.

To this day, he still failed to understand why Yinglong destroyed Jianmu, yet preserved this fragment a century later and even used his divine power to make it sprout.

Nobody knew the condition of that fragment better than Ji Chengyue. Over the course of a century, he had employed every possible method to reverse the decline of the remaining fragment, but to no avail.

But then this fragment, which was no different from a chunk of dead wood, suddenly sprouted.

That could only be Yinglong’s doing. Only a god could accomplish such a feat.

But why? Why was Yinglong so fickle?

There was no answer to be had. Ji Chengyue remained standing there a moment longer, then turned back with a sigh.

Perhaps the minds of the gods were truly unfathomable. Gods never explained anything to mortals, so mortals could never understand what was going through their heads.

Ji Chengyue himself didn’t know how he felt about Yinglong. He had once hated him to the core, but was helpless to do anything about it.

Yinglong had taken the life of his shixiong, who was as close as a blood brother to him. He had also killed hundreds of his fellow Lingxiao Sword Sect disciples, causing the sect to collapse with one blow.

But he dared not utter even a hint of the hatred in his heart.

Otherwise, he may bring down divine punishment and lose everything all over again.

Stifled by the god’s power, Ji Chengyue could only bury the resentment deep down inside him, along with his yearning for his shixiong.

He had vented all of his frustration the day before, only to abruptly realize that the truth may not be as he saw it.

If he were able to actually grow Jianmu to maturity in his lifetime and open the passage between the heavens and the mortal world, he would definitely go to the heavens and ask Yinglong in person.

He was determined to find out the truth, whatever it may be.

Ji Chengyue plodded back to his rooms to deal with the messages he had yet to finish reading.

But upon reaching the door, he came upon the unexpected sight of Cao Zirui, who should have been resting in his room.

“Shifu.” Cao Zirui bowed to Ji Chengyue.

Although he still wore his usual glacier-like expression, his tone was noticeably more downcast than usual.

This was unavoidable. Who wouldn’t be heartbroken to suddenly learn that their shixiong had only ever thought of killing them?

Ji Chengyue let out another sigh. He had wronged Xue Ren, as well as Cao Zirui.

He had intended to save them both, but nearly lost them both instead. 

He was not qualified to be the sect leader, nor was he qualified to be their master.

Ji Chengyue pushed open the door and entered first, then turned and gestured for Cao Zirui to come in.

The two sat down on prayer cushions in front of the incense table.

There had previously been a spirit tablet on the altar, containing a hidden secret – but Ji Chengyue had crushed it to pieces the day before.

Yet the altar was not empty. During the sleepless night, Ji Chengyue had carved three more spirit tablets by candlelight, stroke by stroke.

This time, he no longer tried to hide it, and openly wrote Ling Yun’s name on one of them.

Aside from those belonging to his master and Ling Yun, the last remaining one…..

He didn’t write that person’s name. He simply erected the spirit tablet without writing a single word on it.

But when Cao Zirui saw it, he instantly knew who it was dedicated to.

After sitting down on the prayer cushion, he gazed at it unwaveringly.

Ji Chengyue followed his gaze and asked him: “Do you hate him?”

Cao Zirui was taken aback. He lowered his head and thought for a moment before replying: “This disciple doesn’t hate him….”

Ji Chengyue’s smile was just a slight curve at the corners of his lips: “No need to conceal it. He attempted to kill you several times. It isn’t wrong for you to hate him. It’s just human nature.”

Cao Zirui shook his head upon hearing this, and he denied it with an earnest expression: “This disciple truly harbors no hatred. This disciple…..this disciple…..”

He stuttered for a moment before uttering softly: “…..is just very sad.” 

It was Ji Chengyue’s turn to be taken aback. He remained silent for a long time before proposing: “Shall we offer incense to your shixiong?”

Cao Zirui nodded. He then stood up from the prayer cushion and approached the incense table, lit three incense sticks, and bowed to the three spirit tablets before him.

After placing the incense sticks into the burner, Cao Zirui sat back down.

Master and disciple stared at each other, momentarily at a loss for words.

“Shifu,” Cao Zirui suddenly called out.

Looking up at Ji Chengyue, he explained his reason for coming here: “This disciple wishes to go out and gain experience.”

“Experience? But your injuries…..” Ji Chengyue stopped mid-sentence when he caught sight of Cao Zirui’s expression.

Cao Zirui didn’t actually want to go out and gain experience. He wanted to go out and clear his head.

Staying here inevitably brought to mind yesterday’s scene, and the ferocious expression Xue Ren had directed at him.

“Ai, then go.” Ji Chengyue relented. After a moment’s thought, he abruptly suggested: “Right, there is a task I need someone to carry out for me. Would you be willing to help this teacher?”

“This disciple is willing.” Having received Ji Chengyue’s consent, Cao Zirui felt much more at ease, and readily agreed without even waiting to hear the details.

Ji Chengyue warned him with a smile: “This is not a simple matter. You will be traveling somewhere rather far away.”

“Where?” Cao Zirui asked.

“Longqiu,” was Ji Chengyue’s reply.

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Chapter 92 << Table of Contents >> Chapter 94