Farewell and a New Journey

The next day, at sunrise, the morning light drove away the chill of Iron Wall City's night, gilding the black city with a golden edge.

At the city gate, a simple farewell was taking place.

General Li Chongshan had come in person to see them off, with a group of solemn, respectful officers behind him. Liu Meng had recovered considerably and could now stand on his own. He stood before Chen Qing alongside Yan Yunxi.

"Young Hero Chen, the road ahead is long and arduous. Please take care!" General Li clasped his fists, his tone sincere. "The Northern Border Army will always remember your kindness. If you ever need anything, just present this token, and no one will refuse you!"

"Young Hero Chen, words can't express my gratitude! If fate brings you to Yanjing someday, be sure to visit the escort agency. Let me, Old Liu, show you some proper hospitality!" Liu Meng's voice boomed as he clasped his fists with force.

Yan Yunxi looked at Chen Qing. A thousand words ultimately became a clear, resolute gaze. "Brother Chen, safe travels." She said no more, but her eyes said everything.

Chen Qing returned the salute, his gaze sweeping over the group before settling on General Li. "Please take care as well, General. The turmoil in court may not be over."

Li Chongshan nodded firmly. "I understand."

Chen Qing said no more and turned toward the brand-new carriage. It was General Li's gift to A Ning.

A Ning was already sitting obediently in the carriage. The Wolf King gave a low growl and shook its increasingly thick, powerful mane, then stationed itself beside the carriage as a guard.

Chen Qing drove the carriage through the towering city gates, leaving the imposing, austere fortress behind.

For the next few days, Chen Qing did not hurry onward. Instead, he settled in a secluded valley on the outskirts of the Falling Star Mountain Range. He needed to digest what he had gained on this journey and further improve his strength.

He took stock of the items he had obtained from the Shadow Kill Tower's leader.

Chen Qing took out the scroll of coded silk. He had tried to decipher it over the past few days, but found its writing ancient and obscure, unlike any code in current use. It seemed to be a long-lost secret script, and he would need to find related texts to understand it. Yet he recognized one character in it: "Immortal!"

At the same time, Chen Qing sensed that something in the south, faint and elusive, was calling him to seek it out.

His greatest prize this time was naturally that chest of You Lan Stone. Chen Qing selected several of the finest, purest-energy stones and set up a simple star-gathering formation beneath the moon. Holding the stones, he circulated the Ancient Star Ruins Scripture with all his might.

The results far exceeded his expectations! The pure astral power contained in the stones flowed into him like a trickling stream joining a river. He rapidly absorbed and refined it, drawing it into every limb and bone to nourish that trace of natal starlight.

With each cleansing surge, his meridians grew tougher and broader. A faint radiance shimmered across his bones and flesh, and his strength increased day by day.

Several days later, when he opened his eyes again, starlight shone brightly in his gaze. His aura was perfectly contained, yet beneath it lay tremendous power.

The first stage of the Ancient Star Ruins Scripture, "Starlight Body Tempering," had reached complete perfection. His physical strength had attained an almost unimaginable level; ordinary blades and swords could scarcely harm him.

He had even touched the threshold of the second stage, "Star Vortex Taking Shape." Within his dantian's sea of qi, the starforce around that trace of natal starlight had begun to turn of its own accord, forming the embryonic shape of an incredibly tiny, yet real, vortex. It slowly absorbed the faint starforce drifting through the world and refined it, boosting his cultivation efficiency several times over.

The Wolf King had benefited from the dense astral afterglow here and the aura that dispersed while Chen Qing cultivated. Its injuries had long since healed, and it seemed to have grown even more imposing. Its coat shone more brightly, and its intelligence seemed to have improved as well.

The strangest change was in A Ning. After that night of utter terror, it seemed she had opened an invisible door. Her eyes were no longer always timid and bewildered; at times, the curiosity and liveliness of a girl her age peeked through.

She occasionally tried to say longer sentences. Her speech was still halting, but she expressed herself much more clearly.

Chen Qing silently watched all of this and felt glad to see her changing.

His strength had greatly increased. It was time to leave.

On the fifth day after leaving Iron Wall City, Chen Qing's carriage entered Pebble Town, a bustling border town on the main north-south trade route.

Though it was not as heavily fortified as Iron Wall City, the town was densely populated and thronged with merchants, brimming with the rough vitality of the borderlands.

He left the giant wolf in the woods outside town to avoid causing a stir and entered with only A Ning. Though the Wolf King was reluctant, it gave an understanding growl and slipped into the shadows of the forest.

After a long trek through the wilderness, their provisions had run out. They also needed fresh food and water, so Chen Qing drove the carriage to a lively-looking inn called the Welcoming Guest Pavilion and stopped outside.

The inn was packed with people, a gathering place for all sorts.

Chen Qing found a secluded seat by the window and ordered a few light dishes and a pot of rough tea. He also made sure to get A Ning a bowl of meat soup. She ate in small bites, her wide eyes timidly taking in the noisy surroundings with a touch of curiosity.

Chen Qing closed his eyes and focused, appearing to rest while actually sensing the starforce coursing through his body.

As he was lost in thought, a commotion broke out at the inn's entrance.

"Get out of the way, you old bastard! You're blocking your grandpa's path!" Several burly men in fitted clothes, their faces covered in jowls, shoved an old farmer carrying a basket of vegetables. The old man stumbled and fell, scattering vegetables everywhere. One of the men kicked the basket away.

"Damn it, what rotten luck!" The man who had kicked the basket was still unsatisfied. He strode forward as if to kick the old farmer again.

Though the inn was full of diners, most lowered their heads or turned away at the sight, daring not speak for fear of reprisal. The men clearly had some backing. They wore sabers at their waists and carried themselves like vicious brutes—not the sort to trifle with.

Just as the man's foot was about to come down, a clear shout rang from a private room on the second floor:

"Stop!"

The shout came, and its owner followed! A figure in blue silk dropped from the second floor like a drifting cloud, swift and forceful. With a heavy thud, he landed directly in front of the old farmer.

The newcomer looked about twenty. He had sword-straight brows, bright eyes, a high nose, and healthy wheat-colored skin. The corners of his mouth naturally curled upward in a carefree smile.

He wore a blue fitted outfit cut from fine silk, with a jade belt and an ornate curved saber at his waist. Several beautiful gemstones were set into its sheath, making its value plain at a glance.

He exuded an exotic elegance and air of nobility, his attire somewhat different from that of the Central Plains.

Most striking was his head of slightly curled black hair, loosely tied behind his head with a golden cord, adding to his free-spirited, untamed air.

"Bullying the old and the weak in broad daylight? Do you men have no shame?" The young man crossed his arms, raised his chin slightly, and looked at the group with open contempt.

The ringleader froze. Seeing that his opponent was only a richly dressed young man, he felt some misgivings about the other's background. But being scolded in front of everyone bruised his pride, and he snapped, "Where'd you crawl out from, you little brat? Mind your own business! That old fool wasn't watching where he was going and bumped into me. He's lucky I didn't make him pay!"

The young man scoffed. "Bumped into you? I clearly saw you shove him. What, just because you've got a little brute strength, you think you can throw your weight around Pebble Town? Well, I've decided this is my business, and I'm going to handle it!"

"You're asking for death!" The man flew into a rage and swung his fan-sized palm at the young man's face, whipping up a gust of wind.

A flash of disdain crossed the young man's eyes. He did not draw his saber; he merely shifted his footing slightly and easily dodged the slap. At the same time, his right hand shot out, lightly brushing and pressing against the man's wrist.

"Ow!" The man felt his entire arm go numb and weak, as if it no longer belonged to him. He cried out and stumbled back several steps, knocking over a table. Bowls and plates clattered to the floor and shattered.

The other men roared and charged together.

The young man laughed brightly. "Good! Come on!" His figure swayed like a butterfly weaving through blossoms, slipping freely between their attacks. He struck left and right, using both fists and palms. A few sharp smacks rang out among cries of pain, and in the blink of an eye, the fearsome men had all been struck on acupoints, had their joints dislocated, or been knocked flat with a simple punch. They groaned and could not get back up.

The whole exchange was swift and clean. The young man had not even lost his breath, revealing superb second-rate martial arts, verging on the top of that tier. Against these bullies, who knew only a few crude tricks, it was like using a butcher's cleaver to kill a chicken.

A wave of cheers swept through the inn.

The young man brushed off his clothes, took a small ingot of silver from his pocket, and tossed it to the trembling innkeeper. "I'll pay for what I broke." Then he took out a few smaller pieces of silver and pressed them into the dazed old farmer's hand. "Sir, you've had a fright. Take this and get yourself something to eat."

Only after all that did he seem to regard it as a trivial matter. His gaze swept the hall, finally falling on Chen Qing, who had sat by the window watching in silence, his bearing unlike anyone else's.

His eyes lit up. He strode over and sat across from Chen Qing without a trace of hesitation. Beaming with warm, hearty cheer, he picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup, then downed it in one gulp.

"Hey, brother, you've got an extraordinary air about you. You stayed so calm the whole time—you must be a master! I'm Lan Tianye, from around Loulan in the Western Regions. I've just come to explore the Central Plains! I've always loved making friends with heroes, and when I see injustice, I can't help but step in! May I ask your name? How about we become friends?"

He spoke quickly, with an accent from a foreign land, but his eyes were bright and clear, brimming with confidence and enthusiasm for the martial world. His swaggering attitude, as if he were second only to heaven, was almost palpable.

His sincerity and hearty nature did not seem fake; he simply carried the brashness and untempered innocence unique to someone new to the martial world.

Chen Qing slowly opened his eyes and looked calmly at the warm, outgoing young man, who seemed to burn like a ball of fire. His martial arts were swift and domineering, with the flavor of the Western Regions. His foundation was solid enough, and as he claimed, he was among the best of the second-rate fighters. At his age, that was already rare.

"Chen Qing," he said simply.

"Chen Qing? A fine name!" Lan Tianye slapped his thigh, his smile growing broader. "Meeting like this must be fate! I take it you're heading south too, Brother Chen? Why not travel together? We can look out for each other, spar, and trade stories about the martial world! Let me tell you, the scenery in the Western Regions is—"

He rambled on without pause, as if he had already decided Chen Qing was his friend.

Chen Qing neither agreed nor immediately refused. He simply listened in silence. The road of the martial world was long, and people's hearts were fickle. He could not bring himself to call someone brother the moment they met.

"A Ning, let's go." Chen Qing finished his last sip of tea and prepared to leave.

A Ning shoveled down the last bite of her meal, hopped off the stool, and hurried after Chen Qing.

"Hey, Brother Chen!" Lan Tianye glanced at the food he had left uneaten, slapped his thigh, and cried, "Oh, no!" He tossed an ingot of silver onto the table and hurried after Chen Qing.

"Wait for me, Brother Chen!"