This Time Next Year

Lamenting that his divine power was dwindling by the day, Lin Xuan found a piece of cloth to cover Waterborn before returning, exhausted beyond measure, to the statue before he vanished completely.

When Waterborn woke the next day, he found that Lin Xuan, who had drunk with him the night before, was already gone.

Yet a sheet of paper had been left on the table, pinned beneath an empty wine cup.

Waterborn pulled out the paper and glanced at it. A single line had been written on it.

After reading it, Waterborn shook his head with a bitter smile. His sworn brother had also decided to travel afar, saying they would meet again on this day next year.

"Meet again on this day next year..."

Waterborn murmured to himself. He picked up an unopened jar of wine from the table, dug a hole beneath the peach tree by the Earth God Temple, and buried it.

When the friends met again on this day next year, they would dig it up and drink it dry.

That year, Waterborn returned to his hometown but failed to open a martial arts school.

Though he had some skill, he was still far from deserving the title of great hero and could not withstand others coming to challenge his school.

Fortunately, his father-in-law lent a hand and was willing to provide some money to help him open an inn.

For the sake of his wife and children, Waterborn had no choice but to abandon his childhood dream and choose a better life for his family.

The inn was opened in his wife and children's hometown.

Thanks to its good location and his father-in-law's many connections, the inn's business was quite prosperous.

The wandering swordsman who had once roamed the martial world transformed into a smooth