My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting -
Chapter 217 – A Warm Welcome - Part 1
Chapter 217 – A Warm Welcome - Part 1
“Dearest, the road is getting narrower.”
Li Yuan heard a gentle whisper by his ear. Opening his eyes, he saw the dark interior of the carriage. Lowering his gaze, he noticed Sheng'er sprawled across his right leg, fast asleep. Across from him was his goddaughter, Tang Nian, resting with her eyes closed.
The sight warmed his heart and made him feel at ease; these were the people he wanted to protect.
The voice belonged to Xue Ning, who sat beside him on his right, their shoulders touching. At some point, she had angled her head to peer warily out the window.
Outside, a fine spring drizzle fell, turning the flat official road into mud. The carriage wheels spun rapidly, flinging dark flecks of sludge off into the distance.
They’d already departed Hidden River Province.
Li Yuan didn’t follow Xue Ning’s gaze, because in the rain just outside were a translucent chameleon parakeet and nine ordinary birds flying about, scouting the surroundings. Even with his eyes closed, he was constantly aware of any changes in their environment.
Seeing the worry in Xue Ning’s expression, Li Yuan gently placed his left arm around her shoulders, drawing her into his embrace. She wore a crimson brocade jacket and snow-white trousers that perfectly outlined her hips and legs, with neatly cuffed hems covering her ankles and a pair of embroidered shoes peeking out.
Her mature demeanor and knowing gaze reflected both elegance and competence, a woman whose charm could captivate men of any age.
“Don’t worry,” Li Yuan reassured her in a soft voice. “Deputy Gu is a respected figure. With her leading the way, nothing will happen.” He drew her closer against him.
Naturally, his comment did not escape Gu Xuejian in the lead carriage. Her face remained calm as she ruffled Ping’an’s hair, quietly explaining a few matters about the Holy Tree Temple to him.
The drizzling rain blurred the horizon, making the daytime feel even shorter. Before long, a boundary marker appeared in the distance, painted blood-red with the words Deergut County. The front carriage came to a halt, prompting the others behind it to stop as well.
Li Yuan gently woke Sheng'er, who stirred and looked up at him with groggy eyes. “Papa, are we there yet?” she asked.
“Another half-month to go,” he answered.
“How long is that?”
“It’s 15 days. We’ve already covered more than half of the journey.”
“I want to go home,” the girl mumbled, her voice suddenly quivering. “I want to go home...”
She burst into tears, large drops rolling down her face and soaking the elaborate makeup around her eyes. The Yin makeup, painstakingly applied by Yan Yu, was resilient. It couldn’t be washed off by the shadow blood of even a sixth rank martial artist, or possibly not even a fifth rank one. They were truly a lovely pair of eyes. Although her mother hadn’t been able to give her eyes at birth, she had left her daughter with this parting gift.
Yet Sheng'er cried harder than ever, a scene that had repeated itself many times.
Xue Ning reached for the child, cradling and soothing her. “Skygarden Prefecture is a wonderful place, much more fun than our old home in Gemhill. There’s so much to see and do, so don’t cry, Sheng’er.”
“I don’t want that! I don’t want anything there!” she wailed, inconsolable.
Li Yuan stroked his daughter’s hair, then lifted her so she was resting in his arms. Together, they gazed at the scenery slowly drifting away behind them through the carriage window. “That’s the road we traveled on,” he murmured, “and one day we can follow it back home.”
˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙
Half a month later.
Li Yuan and his family arrived at Skygarden Prefecture, specifically in the city stronghold of the Holy Tree Temple.
During the journey, Gu Xuejian had given Li Yuan a rough overview. The Holy Tree Temple’s city stronghold was split into three gates.
Beyond the first gate lay the largest area, about twice the size of Gemhill County, divided into 25 wards. Ordinary martial artists and merchants live here. The people from the Ginger Tavern, Hundred Lotus Distillery, and Purejade Merchant Association had already taken up residence in this section.
Past the second gate was an area roughly the size of Gemhill County, containing two tracts of sixth rank meat fields and two seventh rank ones. Because of these valuable fields, property prices in the northwest section were especially high and were mostly occupied by high ranking martial artists and outer disciples from the Holy Tree Temple.
Behind the third gate, in an area about half the size of Gemhill County, stood the core of the Holy Tree Temple. It contained one fourth rank, two fifth rank, and three sixth rank meat fields. Anyone living there gained vastly improved cultivation efficiency, but only the Holy Tree Temple’s inner disciples, direct disciples, elders, and enforcers could reside within those walls.
By this time, their carriages had already passed through the first two gates and were on their way to the third. Gu Xuejian called Li Yuan into her carriage to speak with him.
“You’ve had plenty of time to think it over,” she began. “Are you willing to serve as a sixth rank enforcer of our Holy Tree Temple?
“If you accept, you’ll receive 60 kg of sixth rank demonic beast meat every month, plus 20 taels of standard blood gold. The Temple will offer additional blood gold payments for missions, ranging anywhere from 20 to 100 taels, depending on difficulty.
“On top of that, your entire family will be allowed to live behind the third gate.”
Li Yuan had already given this matter plenty of thought.
Once an enforcer accepted a mission, there was no turning it down. That condition alone was enough to make him hesitate. He preferred a life of freedom over tying himself to a sect in any official capacity. Besides, he didn’t want to bring Sheng'er too close to the Holy Tree Temple’s core. Though he trusted Yan Yu’s Yin makeup, the Holy Tree Temple was huge; there was no telling if someone might see through it one day. If word got out that Sheng'er was a jade husk, the consequences would be disastrous.
And so, Li Yuan bowed respectfully and shook his head with a casual smile. “I appreciate your generous offer, but I’m stuck where I am in terms of cultivation, and I have no intention of pushing any further. What good is all that sixth rank meat to someone who isn’t trying to advance? I’d rather spend the rest of my days traveling the world with my wife and children. I’m afraid I won’t make a suitable enforcer.”
Gu Xuejian fell silent for a moment, then let the subject drop. He was a wandering cultivator, after all, and most wanderers who reached sixth rank were already at their limit. Achieving fifth rank required a complete, systematic lineage of techniques, something he simply didn’t have. What a pity, she thought.
Sighing softly, Gu Xuejian said, “Don’t worry. Any sights you haven’t seen yet, Ping’an will see on your behalf. He carries our Holy Tree Temple’s innate shadow blood. Training with our techniques will bring him rapid progress. However...”
She paused for a moment, weighing her words carefully, and continued, “You should understand that cultivation requires total dedication. Ping’an is different from you. He was born with innate shadow blood, like an unblemished piece of fine jade. Such raw potential demands stringent training, so he can realize his full worth.
“You...do understand me, don’t you?”
Li Yuan nodded. “I do. How long before he can come back to reunite with the family?”
“There is no set date,” Gu Xuejian replied. “He can return once his training is solid...maybe in a year, maybe two. It’s not that I lack sympathy, but a talent like his can’t afford the constant pull of family attachments. If he’s always pining for his mother and father, how can he train properly?
“You’re brilliant in your own right, but you never had the complete heritage to advance beyond sixth rank. Ping’an is different. He can go farther and reach heights you never could. He deserves a broader world...one that, frankly, no longer involves you.”
She paused, then added quietly, “I know it sounds harsh, but please understand. Ping’an is truly gifted.”
With that, Gu Xuejian spoke plainly, “Throughout this journey, I’ve been very pleased with Ping’an, by both his aptitude and his temperament. Today, once we cross the third gate, I’ll go through the formal process of accepting him as my direct disciple.
“As his father, even if you choose not to become an enforcer, you and your family may still live within the third gate. You simply won’t be allowed to see him. Rest assured, though, he’ll be training in the core area of the city, near a fourth rank meat field. The entire temple, Yan Mu included, will be keeping watch over him.”
After a short silence, Li Yuan said, “I’d rather stay in the district just past the first gate, so it’s easier for my family to come and go...”
Gu Xuejian blinked in surprise. “There are people who would give anything to get inside the third gate, yet you’re turning it down?”
Li Yuan only shook his head and stepped back, cupping his hands. “Thank you for your kindness.”
She let out a small sigh. “As you wish.”
If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.
Report