Prince Qing's Last Wish, Severing Mortal Ties
The writing in the letter was bold and vigorous, unmistakably Prince Qing's hand. It read:
"Yi'er, by the time you read this letter, I will already be gone. You need not grieve, nor blame anyone, for this was my own choice."
"In truth, when you were first born, I hoped you would not have a Spirit Root. Back then, I thought I would be content as long as you and your mother could stay by my side forever. Only after your mother passed away did I change my mind."
"I did not want you to be like us, to go through birth, aging, sickness, and death, watching your loved ones die before your eyes one by one. So, from the time you were old enough to remember, I resolved to teach you how to conduct yourself and deal with others first, whether or not you had a Spirit Root."
"I was born and raised in the imperial family and spent my whole life within the imperial city. I once thought my life would go on that way until I died, but only after meeting your mother did I come to know the joys of life. Sadly, your mother was frail, and she passed away not long after giving birth to you."
"I did not want you to be like me, confined to the imperial city for your whole life, a bird in a cage, either trapped there until death or forced to endure a lifetime of loneliness until you died of old age."
"So when word came that you had been accepted as a disciple, I was happy, truly happy. What I could not accomplish, my son accomplished in my stead. At least I had done right by your mother. I had not let our son end up like me."
"When I realized I did not have long to live, I begged His Majesty not to tell you. I knew you would return sooner or later. I did not want you to be distracted by me when you had only just stepped onto the immortal path, so it made no difference whether you learned of it a day earlier or later. Once you had made something of your cultivation, you would return of your own accord."
"Yi'er, I have never known the taste of freedom in this life. All I can do is help you break these worldly shackles and soar between heaven and earth. There are so many fine sights in this world; you must see them in my stead."
Qin Yi lay quietly on his bed, letting tears run from his eyes. Only when night fell did he emerge from his room and head straight for the imperial mausoleum.
He pushed Shadow Ghost Steps to its limit, and with night already fallen, the guards at the imperial mausoleum had no chance of spotting him. A short while later, Qin Yi arrived before his parents' tomb.
Qin Yi pulled two bottles of fine wine from his Storage Bag and placed them before the tomb. He sat on the ground, leaning against the tomb, and set out three wine cups in front of him.
"Father, Mother, from today onward, I too am an orphan with neither father nor mother, a lonely spirit and a wandering ghost. Where can I make my home?" As Qin Yi spoke, tears streamed down his face despite his efforts.
Qin Yi did not return to Prince Qing's residence until the next day. After finding Li Zixian, he gave him most of the gold and silver in his Storage Bag and instructed him, "As long as I live, this residence will never change hands. Take this gold and silver and live here from now on. You need only clean the place each day."
Li Zixian glanced at the large chest of gold and silver on the ground and assured Qin Yi, "Rest assured, Young Prince. As long as this old servant lives, Prince Qing's residence will remain standing."
Qin Yi had considerable trust in this old servant, who had been loyal to Prince Qing for decades.
Outside the Qin Kingdom's capital, Qin Yi stood on the back of a goshawk, looking down at the place where he had once lived for ten years. He knew full well that, after leaving this time, it would be many years before he returned. A moment later, Qin Yi lingered no longer and guided the goshawk around to depart.
This parting meant that Qin Yi had completely severed his ties with this place. From then on, the life or death of the Qin Kingdom would have nothing more to do with him. For the boy who had left home at ten, his deepest bond with this place had been Prince Qing. Now Prince Qing was dead, and that bond had been severed. In the future, there would be no ties between them.
Qin Yi headed toward Hui Mountain against the bone-piercing wind. "From this day forward, I, Qin Yi, am no longer the noble young prince of Prince Qing's residence. I am merely a lonely spirit and a wandering ghost. The Eight Gods Pavilion will be my home for the rest of my life."
From that moment on, the boy's state of mind began to mature. The touch of impishness in Qin Yi's eyes had vanished, replaced by the same coldness Lan Xuan possessed, as well as a ruthlessness she did not.
The boy tightened his grip on his spear and walked gradually out of the sunlight and into a world of blood. He was ready to see the true cultivation world.
"Father, Yi'er is leaving. Yi'er promises you that one day I will sweep aside the heavenly geniuses, defeat all beings, reach the pinnacle of the immortal path, and roam between heaven and earth, making the people of the world envy me rather than immortals."