Autumn Was Nearly Over

After his usual morning practice and breathing in Dao Essence, Jiang Wang took Jiang An'an to school, then headed outside the city to see Du Yehu off.

In these times, a long journey was no easy undertaking. It was fraught with the bitter sorrow of parting, perhaps forever.

The reason people gathered in villages, settled in towns, and made their homes in cities was largely because of the beasts that could never be wiped out, not to mention the Ferocious Beasts and Demon Beasts lurking in the wilds.

Towns and cities were safe. Outside them, there were the Official Paths. That wasn't because the formations carved into the roads were foolproof; the Zhuang Court couldn't, and wouldn't, make such an enormous investment. In truth, the formations were mostly meant to intimidate.

A more effective measure was for the Zhuang Court to dispatch powerful cultivators to sweep the roads on a regular basis—a process the government called "Plowing the Land"—to ensure that Ferocious Beasts, though lacking intelligence, remembered the danger through their keen instincts and didn't dare approach.

With Du Yehu's strength, he wouldn't face much danger as long as he stayed on the Official Path.

When Jiang Wang reached the outskirts, Zhao Rucheng and Ling He were already there. No one else had come. Among the brothers, Du Yehu was the most easygoing and had the most friends, but he disliked all the fuss and sentimentality of a tearful farewell. So he hadn't told anyone else he was enlisting and had asked Ling He to pass the news along afterward.

A feast had been laid out in the wilderness. It was undoubtedly Zhao Rucheng's doing.

Jiang Wang pulled out the Four Spirits Body Refining Technique, which he had copied through the night, and handed it to Du Yehu.

Du Yehu had barely turned two pages before his tiger eyes lit up. "Third, this is a real treasure!"

"Let me see, let me see." Zhao Rucheng leaned over, intensely curious.

But after reading just a few lines, he turned away. "Body refining? That sounds exhausting."

"What a fine technique!" Du Yehu said, exasperated. "Read a little more and you won't want to put it down."

Though he could tell at a glance that this was a complete, elevated version of the White Tiger Body Refining Technique, he didn't ask Jiang Wang where it had come from. If Jiang Wang wanted to tell him, he would. Everyone had their secrets. Even Jiang An'an had little worries she kept to herself; there was no need to pry.

Nor did he mean to keep the technique to himself. He had fallen in love with it at first sight, and he hoped the others wouldn't miss out.

Zhao Rucheng waved him off. "Too long. I'm not reading it."

Du Yehu turned to Ling He, who shook his head. "For now, my focus is on opening meridians and stabilizing my Heaven-Connecting Palace. I can't divide my attention with another technique."

He was a steady sort, taking one step at a time. The brothers had pooled their Dao Merit, and now they were only a little over twenty points short. He had been taking on assignments these past few days, but the higher-grade missions were beyond him. Mostly, he followed his senior brothers and took care of minor tasks, earning very little Dao Merit—usually just one or two points at a time, and sometimes nothing at all. Still, no matter what, he was drawing ever closer to the extraordinary.

Jiang Wang smiled. "I'll practice this technique too. When we meet again, we'll see who's made the most progress."

"My talent for swordsmanship can't compare to yours. But when it comes to the Military School's cultivation method... heh. Just you wait." Du Yehu brimmed with confidence.

"Then, see you in Xin'an!"

"See you in Xin'an."

Jiang Wang and the others would go to Xin'an City when they entered the State Daoist Academy. As for Du Yehu, he would have to become an officer with real authority in the Jiujiang Black Armor before he could go to Zhuang Capital for military drills.

Such grand visions of the future were all part of the young men's casual conversation.

The brothers ate a few bites and chatted for a while. Ling He never drank, but the other three drained three large bowls apiece in farewell. None of them had tears staining their collars.

Then Du Yehu raised a bowl of wine toward the southwest, but said nothing. He simply poured it out.

Everyone knew whom he was saying goodbye to.

Du Yehu would leave for Jiujiang through the south gate, taking the Official Path. The trail to the Green Willow River lay to the southwest.

The recruitment of the Jiujiang Black Armor was welcomed at every level, from the Ministry of War to the Dao Academy. After all, this army could be called the very face of the Zhuang Kingdom. So Du Yehu didn't need to go through many formalities to leave the City Daoist Academy.

All that needed to be said had already been said. A thousand-mile farewell must, in the end, come to an end.

"I'm off!"

At last, Du Yehu said only that. Then he slung his bundle over his shoulder and set off with empty hands.

There was no wind or rain. The clouds were beginning to part.

And autumn was nearly over.

As a branch member of the Lin Clan of Wangjiang City, Lin Zhenglun had been making quite a splash lately.

First, he married a widow and was laughed at for it, but he paid the mockery no mind, and the couple lived together in loving harmony. A few days later, he pried open the medicinal herb market in Maple Forest City. In Wangjiang City, where commerce was held in such high regard, this had won him considerable recognition. He had even begun to take control of the Lin Clan's medicinal herb business.

It seemed he might soon go from a branch member to a direct descendant, from a sparrow to a phoenix.

Only then did people realize that the widow he had married was no ordinary woman. She had brought a dowry: the most reputable medicinal herb shop in all of Phoenix Creek Town.

Who didn't know that the medicinal herb trade in Maple Forest City depended on the harvests of Phoenix Creek Town? And in Phoenix Creek Town, Jiang Family Pharmacy was famous far and wide, quietly dominating the market. Of course, it now bore the Lin name.

The Lin Clan had once tried every means to push its herbs into Maple Forest City, but progress had been slow. No one had expected Lin Zhenglun to find another way through a marriage. Many who had realized it too late regretted their missed chance. The widow herself was quite beautiful, after all, and the profits she brought were beyond question.

From Wangjiang Pavilion in Wangjiang City, one could gaze into the distance and watch the vast Qing River, its body twisting and turning beneath the eye like a Flood Dragon.

Lin Zhenglun sat in the host's seat, raising cups with friends he had recently made. As the people around him showered him with praise, he couldn't have been more pleased with himself.

Thud, thud, thud!

The footsteps on the stairs rang out clearly. Lin Zhenglun turned his head, ready to see who was so tactless. He, Master Lin, had already reserved this entire floor.

At the sight of the newcomer, everyone seated with him stood up one after another.

"Young Master Lin."

"Young Master Lin!"

There were many young masters surnamed Lin, but only one could make all these prominent figures bow and scrape. That was Lin Zhengli, the clan leader's legitimate son and the Lin Clan's chosen future head.

Lin Zhenglun instinctively started to rise, but forced himself to stay seated. Smiling, he said, "Zhengli, what brings you to Wangjiang Pavilion today? I've reserved this floor, so make yourselves comfortable. Put the bill on my account."

After all, he was this young master's elder brother. When he'd been low-ranking and overlooked, there had been little to say. But now, thanks to his great achievement, he had joined the direct line. It was only right to consider their seniority and arrange their seats accordingly.

He had no chance of competing with Lin Zhengli for the position of Lin Clan head, but he was on the verge of taking charge of the whole clan's medicinal herb business. He had every reason to speak with confidence.

At his words, the young noblemen behind Lin Zhengli all laughed. They were the sons of powerful families. Even if their laughter seemed to come from nowhere, Lin Zhenglun couldn't very well complain.

Lin Zhengli himself was quite composed. He cupped his hands and bowed to Lin Zhenglun. "You're too kind, Brother Zhenglun."

After accepting Lin Zhenglun's warm invitation to sit, Lin Zhengli smiled. "We haven't had much chance to talk before. Since fate has brought us together today, I have something I'd like to discuss with you, Brother."

Lin Zhenglun glanced around, rather smugly, as if to say, See how much respect the future head of the Lin Clan has for me?

But aloud, he made a point of being modest. "You're too kind, Zhengli. Say whatever's on your mind. I'm a few years older, so I do have some life experience to share."

"Good." Lin Zhengli smiled. "Has the medicinal herb business in Maple Forest City been secured yet?"

The question struck just the right spot. Lin Zhenglun laughed heartily. "If I take charge, how could I fail? Just you wait, Zhengli. In two or three years, every medicinal herb in the entire Maple Forest Territory will bear the Lin name!"

"Good, good." Lin Zhengli nodded again and again. "In that case, Brother, you can rest easy and retire to Autumn Garden."

"Of course!" Lin Zhenglun replied without thinking. Then he realized what he'd heard. "W-What?!"

Autumn Garden might have been a pleasant name, but it was where the clan sent its elderly and widowed members to spend their final years. Lin Zhenglun wasn't anywhere near old enough to retire!

"Don't joke like that, Zhengli." Lin Zhenglun forced a smile.

Lin Zhengli's smile faded. "I never joke. I'll take over the medicinal herb business myself."

The young noblemen who had come upstairs with him laughed again. Their laughter was soft, yet somehow heavy.

The autumn wind swept over the surface of the Qing River, then blew into Wangjiang Pavilion and brushed against Lin Zhenglun.

He realized he couldn't resist.

Only then did he feel the cold.

So autumn was already drawing to a close.