Chapter 86: Leaving Home Young

After the matter was resolved, Lin Yuchu returned to Cloudridge together with Lin Yunheng. Gu Chun also had business to handle back in his hometown, so the two parties parted ways at the foot of the mountain.

However, since they would soon meet again at Kunlun Sword Sect, there was not much sorrow or melancholy in parting.

They returned to Cloudridge.

Early the next morning, Lin Yuchu got up and went to the Dao Academy to pay respects to Headmaster Gu Daozi and Teacher Bai Xiao.

The news that he had won first place in the youth division’s sword debate at the Sword Path Grand Competition had long since been sent back to the Dao Academy. When Gu Daozi saw him, he was extremely pleased and praised him, saying, “Well done!”

Being able to suppress all those young talents from the other Dao Academies and great families had made Gu Daozi feel very proud. These past few days, he had even been drinking a few extra cups of wine.

However, after praising Lin Yuchu for a few lines, Gu Daozi seemed to realize something and hurriedly changed the subject. With earnest instruction, he said, “However, you must not become arrogant.”

“An arrogant army is bound to lose. Kunlun Sword Sect is the number one Sword Path sect under heaven, and it gathers the most outstanding group of sword cultivators in the world. After you go there, you must be diligent and must not become complacent. Sailing against the current means that if you do not advance, you will fall back.” Gu Daozi spoke with a somewhat emotional look on his face. “Kunlun Sword Sect is a land of immortals where geniuses gather and countless heroes abound.”

“Talents who rank among the very best outside may perhaps become nothing more than ordinary people after they enter, lost among the crowd,” Gu Daozi said. He raised his head and looked at the calm, neither arrogant nor impatient youth before him, his eyes filled with gratification. “After you go there, if you wish to stand out, you must work even harder and more diligently than before.”

“Neither arrogant nor humble. Keeping your feet on solid ground is the proper path,” Gu Daozi said.

Lin Yuchu listened patiently to his instruction. At the end, his voice was calm as he said, “I know. Headmaster, there is no need to worry.”

After a pause, he raised his eyes and looked at Gu Daozi, whose expression was extremely gratified, then added, “I will definitely bring honor to our Dao Academy!”

At those words, Gu Daozi immediately laughed. “Then I will be waiting!”

After visiting Gu Daozi, he went to pay respects to Teacher Bai Xiao. After offering him a few words of encouragement, Teacher Bai Xiao handed him a yellowed notebook that looked somewhat aged.

Lin Yuchu took it and opened it for a look. He found that it was filled with densely packed writing, the handwriting clear, concise, and neat.

“These are some important sect matters I recorded back when I studied and cultivated at Kunlun Sword Sect, as well as the conditions and route maps of various secret realms, and some notes and insights on cultivation,” Bai Xiao said.

Hearing this, Lin Yuchu was immediately astonished.

At once, he felt that the gift in his hands was as heavy as a thousand catties.

This really was…

A special, precious, and practical gift. It was more useful than anything else.

Seeing the moved expression on his face, Bai Xiao could not help saying, “You do not need to take it too seriously. Once you go to the sect, there will also be disciples selling things like this.”

That was what he said, but Lin Yuchu naturally knew that anything bought outside definitely would not be as detailed and accurate as Bai Xiao’s records.

No matter the era, information was always the most precious thing.

The value of this kind of guide and map for the sect and secret realms was not something spiritual stones could measure.

Lin Yuchu was grateful for Bai Xiao’s thoughtfulness and care, but seeing Bai Xiao’s awkward expression as he stubbornly insisted that this was not anything valuable, Lin Yuchu restrained his gratitude as well and said, concise and to the point, “Thank you, Teacher.”

There was no need to say too much. It was enough to remember the favor in his heart.

After finishing his visit with Bai Xiao, Lin Yuchu turned and walked out, heading toward the classroom.

After he arrived, he discovered that Ruan Mingzhao and Jiang Yu were not there.

Eh!

Not seeing the two of them, Lin Yuchu was immediately puzzled.

Later, after asking the others, he learned that Ruan Mingzhao and Jiang Yu had not come to the Dao Academy for quite some time.

“I heard the two of them went to Kunlun Sword Sect.”

After Lin Yuchu heard this, his expression turned thoughtful.

“Kunlun Sword Sect’s disciple-selection trial is harsh and difficult. Who knows whether the two of them passed.” The person in the classroom said this in a deeply worried tone.

Hearing this, Lin Yuchu was not worried.

Whether it was Ruan Mingzhao or Jiang Yu, both of them had plans in mind. If they did not have at least eighty percent confidence, they would not act rashly.

It seemed he would not be able to see them now. They could only meet again at Kunlun Sword Sect when the time came.

Lin Yuchu thought this, then the corners of his mouth curved slightly. A faint smile, rare for him, appeared on his face.

He bid farewell to his classmates in the classroom, then turned and left the Dao Academy.

…

A month passed very quickly.

Lin Yuchu said farewell to his elderly father and grandfather at home, packed his luggage, and prepared to leave home on a long journey to cultivate the Dao and learn his art.

As the saying went, there were no years in the mountains, and no sixty-year cycles in cultivation.

Once Lin Yuchu left, no one knew how many years it would be before he could return. The date of his return was far, far beyond knowing.

Leaving home young, returning old.

The more Lin Yunheng thought about it, the more sour his heart felt. His face was filled with melancholy and worry, and he was gloomy and unhappy.

By contrast, Lin Fengqing and Lin Yuchu, grandfather and grandson, appeared extremely calm and composed.

“I have several old friends who are Immortal Lords of Kunlun Sword Sect. After you go to Kunlun Sword Sect, deliver a few letters for me and pay a visit to my old friends.” Lin Fengqing handed several letters he had prepared in advance to Lin Yuchu, his voice mild.

“Yes,” Lin Yuchu replied.

Then he raised his head and stretched out both hands to take the “few letters” from him.

Ah!

He was immediately startled.

What happened to the agreed-upon few letters?

Such a large stack, thick and heavy. How was this a few letters?

This had to be dozens of letters!

Lin Yuchu gained a direct understanding of just how broad his grandfather’s friendships were.

Still, was this really all right?

He glanced at Lin Fengqing before him, whose expression remained calm and composed, acting as if nothing had happened and as if he had noticed nothing at all. The corners of Lin Yuchu’s mouth twitched. He thought that if it were just a few letters, then fine, but with these dozens of letters, he was afraid he would have to run around the entire Kunlun Sword Sect and visit every peak once.

Lin Fengqing asking him to deliver letters was naturally not as simple as just delivering letters. Rather, he wanted Lin Yuchu to show his face and ask his old friends from back then to look after this junior of his.

The purpose was very impure.

This kind of action was very common among great families and clans. Who did not have some relatives or friends with connections? When one’s own child went off to study, of course one would ask old friends and relatives to take care of them a little.

Only…

The number of people Lin Fengqing was asking was a bit too many!

Even if he visited one person a day, it would still take a month to finish visiting them all…

Lin Yuchu thought this, and the corners of his mouth twitched even harder.

A faint melancholy could not help rising in his heart, the kind felt by a hero with no battlefield on which to display his talents. Originally, he had wanted to conquer the world, or rather the sect, through martial force. In the end, his family elders had cleared all the paths through connections.

Lin Yunheng, who was standing to the side, saw this and immediately revealed an envious face. “Back when I went to Taixuan Palace to learn arts and cultivate the Dao, I never went to pay respects to any elders.”

Hearing this, Lin Fengqing immediately let out two cold laughs. Then he turned his head and looked at him, expressionless, his voice cold and harsh as he said, “It was already good enough that I did not break your legs.”

And you still wanted me to ask old friends to look after you!

For Lin Yunheng to say something like this, was he getting too carried away, or had he forgotten the pain once the scar healed? He did not even think about what he had done back then.

Lin Yuchu was properly leaving home to study the Dao.

As for Lin Yunheng back then, he had run away from home…

“…” Lin Yunheng.

He immediately fell silent.

Instead, Lin Yuchu, who was standing to the side, heard this and looked at his grandfather, then looked at Lin Yunheng before him.

Then, without saying a word, he raised his head and fixed his gaze on Lin Yunheng before him.

A few traces of expectation were hidden in his eyes.

“…” Lin Yunheng, who was being stared at by him.

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