Li Chen had not rested easy for days. Despite his cultivation, he still felt utterly exhausted, so after they divided the proceeds, he soon returned to his room to sleep.
He slept until broad daylight, only waking at last when someone outside pounded on his door with a loud clatter.
Startled, Li Chen opened his eyes. "How long have I been asleep?"
He shook his head inwardly and got up, putting away the Armored Warrior he had stationed beside the table to stand guard as he asked, "Who is it?"
You An's voice came from outside. "Brother Li, have you forgotten we're burying Old Lin today? Hurry up. You're the only one we're waiting for."
Li Chen immediately felt sheepish.
The Old Lin You An spoke of was the Rogue Cultivator whose head the Tiger Demon Chief had smashed apart with a swipe of its paw during the hunt.
Li Chen had not been close to him, but they had at least worked together. He could hardly fail to pay his respects.
So Li Chen opened the door and followed You An outside the inn.
Sure enough, everyone was already waiting there. They said little when he arrived. Four men stepped forward to lift the coffin, and they headed out of the city.
By the time they finished, it was noon. Huang Yuan'an took everyone to a bank; they still had something important to do.
"Ahem... everyone, I'll now send Old Lin's share, twenty-eight thousand Talisman Coins in all, to his family. Please bear witness."
Everyone nodded, then watched Huang Yuan'an approach the clerk and explain why they had come.
Watching this, Li Chen reflected inwardly, No wonder Artisan Zhao said life wasn't easy for Rogue Cultivators. This path may seem free and unfettered, but it isn't nearly so easy to walk!
Before they set out to hunt the tigers, Huang Yuan'an had also asked him about his family back home, so they could receive some compensation if anything happened to him.
Li Chen had been at a loss for a long while before, for reasons he could not explain, giving them the account belonging to Zhao Bin, Artisan Zhao.
Had he been the one to die, Old Huang and the others would now be transferring money into Artisan Zhao's account.
Having lived two lives, Li Chen did not necessarily feel the childlike affection for Artisan Zhao that an ordinary young pupil might, but his gratitude was genuine.
Still, this had been his own choice. Artisan Zhao knew nothing about it and might well be utterly bewildered if he received the money.
It made him understand all the more clearly that he was nothing but rootless duckweed in this world.
After leaving the bank, Huang Yuan'an treated everyone to another meal at a restaurant, a farewell feast of sorts.
Before the meal began, Huang Yuan'an raised his bowl of wine and addressed them. "Everyone, no banquet under heaven lasts forever. I've thoroughly enjoyed hunting demons with you this time, but each of you has your own road ahead, and as your brother, I can't stand in your way. Once we've drunk this bowl of humble wine today, we'll part here. If fate brings us together another day, we'll naturally have another chance to join forces."
"Boss Huang is right. Come on, let's drink this bowl together!"
"The green mountains stand unchanged, and the clear waters flow forever. If fate allows it, we'll meet again!"
"Cheers!"
Their words were grand and spirited, but in truth, once everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they all slipped away in no time.
They were all rough-and-ready Rogue Cultivators. Coming together and parting ways was commonplace. How many brothers could truly bare their hearts to one another and remain inseparable through life and death?
This temporary band should have disbanded as soon as the money was divided yesterday. Gathering today to bury Old Lin was merely a way to pay their respects and get another lavish meal into the bargain.
"Brother Li, Brother You, why are you still here? Is something the matter?"
When Huang Yuan'an returned from settling the bill at the counter, he found Old Lou and Old Hou still sitting there waiting, their expressions somewhat strange.
Li Chen and You An had not left with the other Rogue Cultivators either. They remained beside the long table strewn with the remnants of the meal, seemingly with something still left to say.
At Huang Yuan'an's question, Li Chen stood and cupped his hands to him. "Boss Huang, I'll be direct. I'd like to join you and roam the world together!"
You An said, "What a coincidence. Brother Li Chen and I had the same idea. I originally planned to stay behind and join on my own, but now we might as well do it together."
"Ahem... I see." Understanding flashed across Huang Yuan'an's face, but he spoke with a hint of apology. "Actually, there's something I didn't tell you earlier. Old Lou, Old Hou, and I were originally strangers out in the world. Fate brought us together over the years, and only after working together many times did we truly form a band and roam the world together."
"Since we already know each other well, there'd be nothing wrong with carrying on together. But after this setback, I gave it a great deal of thought and decided I might as well take this opportunity to retire."
Puzzled, Li Chen asked, "Boss Huang, what do you mean?"
Huang Yuan'an said, "I mean I don't intend to keep roaming the world."
Li Chen asked in surprise, "But things were going perfectly well. Why stop now?"
Huang Yuan'an gave a bitter smile. "Brother Li, do we look as though things are going perfectly well?"
Li Chen was immediately at a loss. "Well..."
Huang Yuan'an sighed. "Old Lou feels the same way. Before we grow truly old, we'd like to return home, find a livelihood, and spend the rest of our lives in peace."
Li Chen said regretfully, "That's such a shame."
Huang Yuan'an said, "Brother Li, this is the world we live in. There's no question of it being a shame or not. Never mind retiring-even if we died tomorrow in some desolate wilderness with no one to collect our bodies, how many people would ever know? I really am getting tired."
Old Lou raised his bowl and took a deep swig of wine. "Tell me, what is all this toil and struggle throughout our lives really for?"
"What is it for?" Li Chen echoed, taken aback.
It was practically a question about the meaning of life, and he had no answer.
He wanted to venture out to better himself, comprehend the Great Dao, and seek excitement and fulfillment. Yet he had never considered what would come of achieving all his wishes, or what he was truly pursuing.
Listening beside him, You An was equally at a loss.
He was a man who had declared that brotherhood weighed a thousand pounds and joined on the spot when he first heard Huang Yuan'an and the others were recruiting. Who could have expected that, after hunting the tigers and taking their revenge, they would suddenly speak of life's uncertainties and say they no longer wished to roam the world?
Huang Yuan'an waved a hand, then pointed to Old Hou beside him. "But Old Hou still intends to carry on. If you're interested, you can talk to him."
Old Hou silently raised his bowl and took a sip.
"Hm? Brother Hou?" Li Chen suddenly recalled that Old Hou had recently lost an arm. Installing a Mechanism Right Arm had drained nearly all the savings he had accumulated over the past few years. Had the tiger hunt not yielded a fairly substantial reward, he would probably have gone bankrupt on the spot.
Most Rogue Cultivators had their reasons for wandering the world. Either they had no other way to make a living and could only rely on this to sustain their cultivation and advancement, or they refused to settle for mediocrity and were determined to win renown and status, making something of themselves.
Whatever the case, a man like Old Hou was still far from having achieved success and fame. His unwillingness to retire like Huang Yuan'an and Old Lou likely meant he had something else in mind.