Ye Shu sat cross-legged on the bed, meditating.
He had just swallowed half a drop of Hunyuan Water, and had just operated his technique to convert it all into mana, storing it within the spiritual dew.
Although he only had three spiritual roots now, with the extremely useful Hunyuan Water, his cultivation was progressing swiftly— even an ordinary single spiritual root would not surpass him in this barren place of spiritual energy like this.
As he finished refining the eighth strand of mana, Ye Shu sensed some movement outside the courtyard, so he immediately stopped his cultivation.
— The aura of the visitor was very familiar, so there was no need to be on guard.
Sure enough, there stood a person outside the window, looking inside.
Ye Shu glanced over, “Brother Yan, please come in.”
Yan Changlan, who had come here for some reason, snapped out of his reverie and jumped through the window directly, “Brother Ye.”
Ye Shu invited him to sit down, “Brother Yan, what brings you here so late at night?”
A trace of hesitation appeared on Yan Changlan’s face, and for a moment he didn’t know how to speak.
Could it be that he wanted to talk about being looked down upon by others today? Although he knew the truth of what was said, he still felt uncomfortable and wanted to seek comfort from a friend? Such thoughts seemed to lack the spirit of a man.
Ye Shu was also quite observant. Recalling what he had heard during the day, he pondered for a moment and asked, “Did you suffer some grievances in Qinghe Sect?”
Yan Changlan shook his head, “It’s not really worth mentioning.”
Ye Shu didn’t bring up the matter proactively, but simply said, “Since we’re not comfortable staying here, let’s just leave. I still have some medicinal herbs on hand. If we sell them here, we’ll have enough money for our expenses.”
Yan Changlan smiled bitterly.
Previously, he had relied on brother Ye for many things, and he felt quite uneasy about it. If he couldn’t contribute in any way, he worried that this friendship would gradually fade away. Although the head of the Wei family and his father were sworn brothers, he himself had rarely seen them. If it weren’t for this, he wouldn’t have come for help. During his stay in Qinghe Sect, besides finding it difficult to ask for money, he also wanted to secretly investigate the whereabouts of cultivators.
But with Madam Wei’s words, he thought it best to leave sooner rather than later.
After hesitating for a moment, Yan Changlan said, “Regarding the expenses, I can’t let brother Ye bear them alone. I’ll go find uncle Wei…”
Ye Shu glanced at him, and after some thought, he understood his intention and said, “Brother Yan, don’t worry too much. Since we’re in this together, it’s better for me to owe the favor alone. The road ahead is long, and are you afraid there won’t be a time when you can help me?”
Yan Changlan felt reassured hearing Ye Shu’s words.
He couldn’t help but smile, “Brother Ye’s words are indeed wise. In that case, I’ll go back and write a letter to uncle Wei. Tomorrow, brother Ye can exchange some silver coins. By tomorrow night, the two of us will leave.”
Ye Shu replied, “That’s the way to go.”
Yan Changlan, having met Ye Shu, felt all the lingering frustration dissipate.
Now, he had also come to terms with it. He owed brother Ye a lot already, and owing him a bit more would only deepen their bond. Once he achieved his cultivation and sought revenge, he would entrust his body to brother Ye. Whatever brother Ye commanded, whether to go through fire or water, he would be willing to sacrifice his life to fulfill it.
Yan Changlan was never one to be overly dramatic. His previous behavior was simply a result of losing loved ones and enduring repeated setbacks, causing him to be overly concerned about this remaining precious friendship, leading to anxiety about not being able to live up to it. Once he understood this, he naturally became more relaxed.
Upon returning to Qinghe Sect, he promptly wrote a letter and left it in Wei Youxu’s study, to be delivered later that night.
Meanwhile, Ye Shu retrieved some long-aged medicinal herbs from the Hunyuan Pearl and sold them at reputable pharmacies in the county town, exchanging them for several hundred taels of silver. He then visited several bookstores, purchasing some miscellaneous travelogues and storing them in the Hunyuan Pearl.
After completing these tasks, he returned to the rented room to wait. Sure enough, when night fell, Yan Changlan arrived punctually. After a brief preparation, the two of them left the city overnight.
The next day, Wei Youxu saw the letter in his study.
Upon reading it, a hint of anger flashed across his face. He hurriedly returned to the courtyard and handed the letter to his wife, saying, “Madam, take a look. Changlan has left!”
The lady was taken aback and quickly read the letter.
The letter didn’t say much, only mentioning personal enmities and not wanting to trouble his uncle, hence leaving without saying goodbye, hoping for his uncle’s understanding. It also expressed gratitude for the hospitality over the past few days, promising future repayment.
Wei Youxu was not a foolish man. Though he hadn’t realized it earlier, the sudden departure of Yan Changlan, leaving only a letter behind, was clearly unreasonable. Naturally, he connected this with the previous argument with his wife.
The beautiful woman, having taken certain actions, felt guilty upon reading the letter and a bit ashamed. However, for the sake of her daughter, she could only play the villain. She hadn’t anticipated that the young man would be so principled as to leave like that. If she ever met him again, she would treat him better. But now that he had gone, she no longer had to worry about her husband’s momentary sense of duty.
Afterwards, the beautiful woman was particularly attentive and considerate to Wei Youxu, soothing him.
Wei Youxu sent people to search everywhere but never found Yan Changlan, so he had to give up.
As for Wei Ying’er, she breathed a sigh of relief, no longer worried about having to marry a destitute person. Moreover, she had recently met a young gentleman who made her very happy.
After leaving Wei County, Ye Shu and Yan Changlan discussed their next destination.
Ye Shu said, “Earlier, while reading about extraordinary events in the bookstore, I came across mentions of some Taoist temples and hermits. We should visit those places first to see if we can discover any clues.”
Yan Changlan nodded and said, “I’ll follow brother Ye’s advice.”
With that, they changed direction and headed towards the Taoist temple.
Their journey required them to cross mountain ranges, where wild beasts roamed. Even though Ye Shu’s mana had increased significantly, encountering overly ferocious beasts could still pose a danger. Thus, they proceeded cautiously, never venturing too deep into the wilderness. With Ye Shu’s magical abilities and Yan Changlan’s martial skills, they traveled safely.
After several days of travel, as night fell, they found a dilapidated temple and decided to rest there for the night.
Yan Changlan went to gather firewood and hunted a small wild boar. He also gathered some wild vegetables, which he roasted over the fire. Although he had not been pampered, he had never been as skilled in such tasks as he was now. Since the destruction of his family, he had forced himself to toughen up, becoming much more resilient and strong-willed than before.
Ye Shu continued to meditate and cultivate, leaving other matters to Yan Changlan.
Once the pork was roasted, Yan Changlan cleaned some tender wild vegetables and placed them between the meat slices. He then handed the food to Ye Shu, saying, “Brother Ye, take a break and have something to eat.”
Ye Shu took the stick with the meat and said, “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”
Yan Changlan smiled. “This isn’t hard at all.”
As Ye Shu ate, he said, “Although I’ve given you a cultivation technique, you should not practice it just yet. Once we find a sect and join it, you can learn a basic technique to cover up before practicing the one I gave you.”
Yan Changlan had planned to begin cultivating once they settled down, but hearing Ye Shu’s advice, he paused and asked, “Why wait?”
Ye Shu explained frankly, “That technique is likely far superior to what most sects have. If you start cultivating it before joining a sect, you might attract unwanted attention and danger.”
Yan Changlan understood, suddenly grasping the implications. He nodded solemnly, “I understand.”
A common saying came to mind: “A man without a crime, but in possession of a treasure, invites disaster.” The Yan family had suffered because of this…
Ye Shu looked at him and said, “Don’t worry too much, brother Yan. Just be cautious. I advise you to conceal your cultivation out of prudence. The technique I gave you can only be practiced by those with dual Wind and Thunder spiritual roots, which are extremely rare. So, it’s not too dangerous.”
Yan Changlan appreciated Ye Shu’s concern and replied, “Rest assured, brother Ye. I will act with caution.”
After that, the two silently enjoyed their meal.
After they finished eating, a sudden strong wind arose outside, making the doors of the dilapidated temple bang loudly.
Yan Changlan felt the wind was too cold, so he got up to move an old table over to block the doors. However, just as he reached the doorway, he suddenly caught a whiff of blood.
He listened carefully and frowned slightly, “Brother Ye, it seems someone is calling for help and is injured.”
Ye Shu replied, “Since you can hear it, they can’t be far. It’s best to take a look.”
Yan Changlan had the same thought, “If someone is in trouble, I want to help.”
Ye Shu nodded, “If it’s within our ability, there’s no harm.”
Yan Changlan then smiled, “Brother Ye, will you come with me?”
Ye Shu said, “Let’s go.”
The two of them immediately headed out.
Following the faint smell of blood, the two quickly arrived at a mountain hollow.
There, they saw a carriage stuck in the mud, its door open, with several corpses lying nearby. On the other side, a luxuriously dressed young man was hiding in the bushes, his face full of panic. Opposite him, a man in black wielding a large knife was attacking him.
The young man’s arm had already been cut, and his face was deathly pale. Although he was still desperately trying to escape, constantly using objects to block and hinder the man in black, he was gradually being cornered. Without help, he would likely be killed soon.
When Yan Changlan and Ye Shu appeared, they were immediately spotted by the young man in luxurious clothes.
His eyes lit up at first, but when he realized these two looked even younger than him, his hopeful expression immediately dimmed. He shouted, “Don’t come over here!” and ran in another direction. However, this path moved him further away from Ye Shu and Yan Changlan and closer to the man in black.
The man in black glanced at the two newcomers with a fierce glint in his eyes. He swiftly launched two black darts at them, one to the left and one to the right.
Ye Shu’s gaze turned cold upon seeing this.
Yan Changlan felt a surge of anger. Flipping his hand, he drew a wooden sword from behind him and, with two sharp “clinks,” deflected the poisoned darts. He then leaped towards the man in black, attacking him fiercely.
The man in black did not expect the two seemingly young boys to possess such martial skills, realizing too late his mistake.
But Yan Changlan did not care about any of this. With his skills now surpassing his past abilities and his speed increased, he swiftly closed the distance and, after a few swift movements, slit the man in black’s throat, ending his life.