Chapter 36: Autumn Nears Its End

As usual, after completing his morning cultivation and breathing exercises to refine dao essence, Jiang Wang sent Jiang An’an off to school before heading outside the city to see Du Yehu off.

In these times, traveling far from home was no easy matter. It was filled with the bitterness of parting and uncertainty.

The reason humans gathered into villages, settled into towns, and found safety within cities was largely because of the countless wild beasts roaming outside, not to mention the fierce beasts and demon beasts hidden in the mountains and wilderness.

Cities and towns were safe. Beyond them, only the official roads offered some protection.

It was not because the formation patterns engraved upon the roads were completely foolproof. The Zhuang court neither could nor would pay such an enormous price. In truth, those formations served more as deterrents.

The more effective method was that the court regularly dispatched powerful cultivators to sweep the roads clean—a process officially called “plowing the land”—ensuring that those unintelligent yet instinctively cautious beasts remembered danger and dared not approach lightly.

With Du Yehu’s strength, as long as he traveled by the official roads, there would not be much danger.

When Jiang Wang reached the outskirts of the city, Zhao Rucheng and Ling He were already there. Apart from them, no one else had come.

Among the brothers, Du Yehu had the boldest and most heroic personality and the largest circle of friends. But he disliked sentimental farewells, so he had not told anyone else about his enlistment, merely asking Ling He to pass the news on afterward.

A table of wine and dishes had been set out in the open field. Needless to say, it was Zhao Rucheng’s handiwork.

Jiang Wang took the handwritten copy of the Four Spirits Body Tempering Art from his robe and handed it to Du Yehu.

Du Yehu merely flipped through two pages before his tiger-like eyes lit up.

“Third Brother, this is good stuff!”

“Let me see, let me see.” Zhao Rucheng leaned over curiously.

But after only a few lines, he turned away.

“Body tempering? That sounds exhausting.”

“With such an amazing cultivation method!” Du Yehu looked at him like iron refusing to become steel. “If you read a few more pages, you won’t be able to put it down.”

Although he instantly recognized that this cultivation method was the perfected and upgraded version of the White Tiger Body Tempering Art, he did not ask Jiang Wang where it came from.

If Jiang Wang wanted to say it, he naturally would.

Everyone had secrets. Even Jiang An’an had little worries she did not want others to know. There was no need to pry into everything.

Nor did Du Yehu have any intention of keeping it for himself.

He had fallen in love with this cultivation method at first sight and only hoped the others would not miss out on it.

Zhao Rucheng waved dismissively.

“Too long. Not reading it.”

Du Yehu turned toward Ling He.

Ling He shook his head.

“Right now, I’m focused on stabilizing my Heavenly Palace after opening my meridians. I can’t split my attention to other cultivation methods yet.”

He was steady by nature, taking one step at a time.

With all the brothers pooling their dao merits together, he was now only a little over twenty points away from an Open Meridian Pill.

These days, he had been constantly taking missions, but missions involving true transcendent threats were difficult for him to handle at his current strength. Most of the time, he merely followed senior disciples and handled miscellaneous work on the side, earning very few dao merits—usually one or two at a time, sometimes none at all.

But regardless, he was drawing closer and closer to transcendence.

Jiang Wang smiled.

“I’ll also cultivate this body tempering art. When we meet again, we’ll see who’s cultivated it further.”

“My sword talent can’t compare to yours, but military cultivation…” Du Yehu grinned confidently. “Just wait and see.”

“Then—see you in New Capital!”

“See you in New Capital.”

Naturally, Jiang Wang and the others would go to New Capital upon entering the national dao academy.

As for Du Yehu, if he wished to go to New Capital, he would at minimum need to become a real commanding officer within the Nine Rivers Black Armor.

The boundless dreams of the future all lay hidden within the casual words of youth.

The brothers ate a little and chatted a little.

Apart from Ling He, who never drank alcohol, the other three each downed three large bowls of wine as a farewell toast. No one wept or clung to sleeves.

Then Du Yehu raised another bowl toward the southwest.

He said nothing, merely poured the wine onto the ground.

Everyone knew who he was saying goodbye to.

This time, Du Yehu would leave through the southern gate and travel along the official road toward Nine Rivers.

The little path leading to Green Willow River happened to lie southwest.

Recruitment into the Nine Rivers Black Armor received special convenience all the way from the Ministry of War to the dao academy. After all, this army could practically be called the pride of the State of Zhuang itself.

So leaving the city dao academy required very little procedure.

Everything that needed saying had already been said.

A thousand miles of escorting still ended in farewell.

“See ya!”

In the end, Du Yehu only said those words before slinging his bundle over his shoulder and setting off barehanded.

At that moment, there was neither wind nor rain. The clouds gradually parted.

And autumn was nearing its end.

…

As a branch member of the Lin clan from Wangjiang City, Lin Zhenglun had recently basked in endless glory.

First, he married a widow and became the laughingstock of many. Yet he paid no attention to the mockery, and after marriage the couple lived lovingly and harmoniously together.

Soon afterward, he managed to break into the medicinal herb market of Maple Forest City. In commerce-oriented Wangjiang City, this achievement earned him tremendous recognition and allowed him to gradually take control of the Lin clan’s medicinal business.

It was even said that a branch family might become the main bloodline, and a sparrow might become a phoenix.

Only then did people realize that the widow he married was no simple woman.

She came with a dowry—the most reputable medicinal herb shop in all of Fengxi Town.

Everyone knew that Maple Forest City’s medicinal trade depended entirely on the harvests of Fengxi Town. And within Fengxi Town, the Jiang Apothecary was famous far and wide, practically the leader of the trade.

Of course, it had now changed its surname to Lin.

Back then, the Lin clan had tried every possible method to squeeze into Maple Forest City’s medicinal market, only to make little progress. No one had expected Lin Zhenglun to open another path entirely, breaking the deadlock through marriage.

Many people regretted realizing too late, because the widow herself had been quite attractive, not to mention bringing such profitable assets.

On Wangjiang Tower overlooking Wangjiang City, one could gaze into the distance and see the mighty Clear River winding below like a dragon.

Lin Zhenglun sat at the seat of honor, exchanging cups with newly acquainted friends while listening to endless flattery from those around him. He could not have been more pleased with himself.

Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!

The sound of footsteps climbing the stairs rang out clearly.

Lin Zhenglun turned his head, ready to see who lacked the sense to disturb him after he had clearly rented out the entire floor.

But the moment he looked, everyone seated with him immediately stood up.

“Young Master Lin.”

“Young Master Lin!”

There were many young masters surnamed Lin, but only one could make so many influential figures bow and scrape like this.

Lin Zhengli.

The son of the Lin clan leader. The already-confirmed future patriarch of the Lin clan.

Lin Zhenglun instinctively started to stand, but forcibly restrained himself. Remaining seated, he smiled.

“Brother Zhengli, what brings you to Wangjiang Tower today? I’ve rented this entire floor already. Feel free to enjoy yourselves. Put all expenses on my tab.”

After all, in terms of family seniority, he was technically this Young Master Lin’s elder cousin.

In the past, when he was insignificant, there was nothing to say. But now, having entered the main branch through his tremendous contributions, discussing seniority and arranging status was only natural.

Even though he could never compete with Lin Zhengli for the position of clan head, he was about to control the entire family’s medicinal business. Naturally, he now possessed the confidence to remain seated while speaking.

The moment those words were spoken, the young nobles accompanying Lin Zhengli all laughed.

They were sons of various powerful families. Even though the laughter was inexplicable, Lin Zhenglun could hardly question it.

Yet Lin Zhengli himself remained extremely gentle.

He even cupped his hands politely toward Lin Zhenglun.

“Brother Zhenglun is too courteous.”

At Lin Zhenglun’s enthusiastic invitation, Lin Zhengli took a seat and smiled.

“We’ve rarely had the chance before, but now that fate has brought us together, your little brother here has something he’d like to discuss with you.”

Lin Zhenglun proudly glanced around, clearly thinking: Look at this! The future clan head of the Lin family respects me so much!

Yet outwardly, he deliberately acted modest.

“Brother Zhengli is too polite. Feel free to say whatever you wish. Your elder brother has lived a few more years and naturally has some life experience to share.”

“Good. Very good.”

Lin Zhengli smiled.

“The medicinal business over in Maple Forest City… has it stabilized already?”

The question struck exactly where Lin Zhenglun itched most.

He burst into laughter.

“With your elder brother handling things, how could there be any possibility of failure? Just wait and see. Within three to five years, all medicinal herbs across the entire Maple Forest City region will carry the Lin surname!”

“Good. Very good.”

Lin Zhengli nodded repeatedly.

“Since that’s the case, Brother Zhenglun can also retire peacefully to Autumn Garden.”

“Of cour—”

Lin Zhenglun reflexively agreed before suddenly reacting.

“W-What?!”

Autumn Garden sounded elegant, but it was merely the place where elderly and widowed clan members retired to live out their final years.

Lin Zhenglun was still in the prime of life. Why should he retire there?

“Brother Zhengli, don’t joke around like this,” Lin Zhenglun forced a smile.

But Lin Zhengli’s smile vanished.

“I never joke.”

“I’ll personally take over the medicinal business.”

The young nobles who had come upstairs with him laughed again.

The laughter was soft, yet it sounded unbearably heavy.

The autumn wind swept across the surface of the Clear River, then drifted into Wangjiang Tower and brushed against Lin Zhenglun’s body.

He realized he had no power to resist.

Only then did he finally feel cold.

So it’s already late autumn, he thought.

(End of Chapter)