Wasteland.
A young-looking cultivator, dressed in Coarse Cloth Clothes with a sword strapped to his back, walked toward a distant city beneath the setting sun.
A boy of fifteen or sixteen followed behind him.
An Chuzhi stopped, took a jade pendant from his robes, and handed it over. "Within this are the lifelong teachings of several senior brothers and myself. From this day onward, they are yours."
The boy silently accepted the jade pendant.
"You should go."
An Chuzhi smiled and patted his shoulder. "Having walked with you this far, Martial Uncle has nothing left to teach you."
The boy asked, "What about you, Martial Uncle?"
With relief in his voice, An Chuzhi said, "Martial Uncle must leave as well. From now on, you are the Heavenly Sword Sect's sole inheritor. Cultivate well, and do not let the sect's legacy be severed."
"Martial Uncle."
The boy clenched the jade pendant, his voice trembling. "One day, I will avenge you!"
"You are mistaken."
An Chuzhi said softly, "Mistaken. You have no enemies, nor do you need vengeance."
"Master was killed by Zhang Huaiqing and Chen Sanshi, and now Martial Uncle is being driven to his death."
The boy's eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth. "How could such a blood-deep hatred not be avenged!"
"Eldest Senior Brother died because we stole another's Dao fortune. I will die to leave the sect an inheritance. These were all choices we made ourselves, so how can we blame others?"
An Chuzhi spoke gently. "How many matters in this world are consequences of one's own actions, yet in the end people still blame others? Obsession piles upon obsession until it becomes a heart demon, and it will only harm oneself."
The boy fell silent.
He had always heard Master say that Martial Uncle possessed the