Lying Low in the Martial World to Become a Saint-Chapter 95 - 85: Departure

The smile on Zhou Liang’s face stiffened for a moment, but he steeled himself and spoke anyway. "Ah Yuan, you see, my disciple here has an excellent temperament and isn’t afraid of hard work. Yu’er is going so far away all by herself; she’ll need someone to look out for her. Chen Qing... could he possibly..."

He didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was perfectly clear. He wanted Li Yuan to take Chen Qing to the Inner Sect of the Haisa Sect as well.

Upon hearing this, Chen Qing remained inwardly calm.

He already had Pang Qinhai’s recommendation letter, which was his ticket into the Wutai Sect.

"Brother-in-law."

Li Yuan set down his teacup. "The Haisa Sect has strict rules. One cannot enter lightly unless they are a top talent from the Military Examination or have a recommendation from within the Sect. Even for Yu’er, it was only because of our family ties that I was able to pull some strings and secure a spot for her from the Sect. It was by no means easy..."

His gaze swept over Chen Qing again as he shook his head. "He is indeed a promising talent, but he has no connections or backing. To bring him into the sect so rashly would be against the rules, and it might not necessarily be a good thing for him."

Hearing this, Zhou Liang sighed to himself and said no more.

The curtain to the inner room was pushed aside, and Mrs. Li and Zhou Yu emerged, each carrying a packed bundle.

Zhou Yu had changed into a simple, thick cotton dress, her hair neatly done up in a bun, which made her look even more refreshingly beautiful.

"All packed?"

Li Yuan stood up and brushed some nonexistent dust from his brocade robe. "It’s getting late, and the snowy roads will be difficult to travel. Let’s depart now."

"Ah Yuan..." Zhou Liang’s voice was hoarse, as if he wanted to say more.

"Brother-in-law, take care."

Li Yuan cut him off and gave Mrs. Li a slight nod. "Sister, I will take good care of Yu’er. Don’t you worry."

With that, he took the lead and strode outside.

Zhou Yu walked up to her father, tears finally streaming down her face. "Dad... You and Mom have to take care of yourselves."

Mrs. Li’s eyes were also red-rimmed.

Zhou Liang patted his daughter’s shoulder, a thousand unspoken words condensing into a single sentence. "Once you’re there, listen to your uncle, and be good."

Finally, Zhou Yu looked at Chen Qing, her lips trembling slightly. "Junior Brother Chen... take care."

Chen Qing cupped his fist and said in a solemn voice, "Take care, Senior Sister. May your future be bright."

In the end, looking back with every step, Zhou Yu boarded the black carriage amidst her mother’s suppressed sobs.

The carriage curtain fell, cutting off their line of sight.

The sound of hooves echoed as the wheels crunched over the packed snow, slowly pulling away from the familiar little street in front of the Zhou Institute.

Zhou Liang stood rooted to the spot, gazing in the direction the carriage had disappeared, unmoving for a long time.

After a long while, Zhou Liang dragged his heavy feet back into the courtyard and called Chen Qing into his room.

He sat on a chair, his voice heavy with exhaustion. "You said earlier that you had something to discuss. What is it?"

Chen Qing took a deep breath and said solemnly, "Master, I am leaving for the Prefecture City in three days. I came today specifically to bid you farewell."

Zhou Liang was slightly taken aback, a look of surprise on his face. "The Military Examination is still a year away. For you to go to the Prefecture City now... isn’t it a bit too soon?"

Chen Qing replied, "By a fortunate coincidence, I obtained a recommendation letter and a token for the Inner Sect of the Wutai Sect."

"A recommendation letter!?"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhou Liang’s eyes, and he instantly understood.

He was familiar with the rules of the Wutai Sect. With a recommendation letter and a token, one essentially had a precious opportunity to get a foot in the door.

Although whether he could ultimately enter the sect was still uncertain, for a disciple from a Humble Family like Chen Qing, this was already a heaven-sent opportunity!

He paused, his gaze falling on Chen Qing’s face. "The help that I... your master... can offer you is truly limited."

As he spoke, Zhou Liang stood and walked to an inconspicuous corner by a bookshelf, where there was a hidden compartment.

He fiddled with something skillfully for a moment, and the compartment slid open without a sound.

From inside, he carefully brought out a Purple Sandalwood Box about a foot long.

The box was ancient and exuded a faint, elegant fragrance.

Zhou Liang placed it on the table and gently opened it.

A strange medicinal herb lay quietly inside the box.

The herb was about three inches tall, its stem a gentle, jade-white color that seemed to pulse faintly with life.

Its leaves were long and narrow, their edges traced with fine golden lines that resembled natural talismans.

The most peculiar part was its roots, which were a tangled mass of a deep, reddish-gold color.

The entire herb exuded an indescribable and peculiar aroma—a blend of fresh flora and the rich scent of the earth. Just a single whiff was enough to invigorate the spirit, and even one’s qi and blood seemed to quicken.

"This is ’Life-restoring Grass’."

Zhou Liang took a deep breath. "I came upon this by a stroke of luck in my youth and have treasured it for a full twelve years now. It contains a sliver of pure yang life force and has miraculous effects for Strengthening the Foundation and Nourishing the Essence, or even for stabilizing one’s Heart and Spirit and replenishing Primordial Qi when breaking through a bottleneck."

"Its medicinal properties are extremely potent, so it cannot be consumed directly. It’s best used for Alchemy. Keeping it is of no use to me."

He picked up the wooden box and handed it to Chen Qing. "The journey ahead is long. If you encounter an insurmountable obstacle at the Wutai Sect, or if you suffer a grave injury that threatens your very foundation, this might be able to help you. And if things truly become impossible and your future seems bleak..."

Zhou Liang’s voice faltered, a complex emotion flickering in his eyes. "...you can also sell it for enough silver coins to live a stable life. Don’t force what cannot be."

Chen Qing gazed at the Life-restoring Grass in the box, a warmth spreading through his chest.

This was the final safety net Zhou Liang had prepared for him.

In the end, Chen Qing did not refuse at length. He simply took a deep breath. "Master, I will never forget your profound kindness."

A gratified smile appeared on Zhou Liang’s face. He patted Chen Qing’s shoulder, a thousand unspoken words condensing into one deep command: "Go!"

...

As evening fell, Chen Qing returned home.

Just as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he heard a familiar, gentle voice speaking from inside the house.

Pushing the door open, he saw his cousin, Yang Huien, and his eldest aunt sitting in the main hall, talking with his mother, Ms. Han.

Several bundles were piled on the table, giving off the faint, savory scent of dried seafood and the fragrance of rice and flour.

"Ah Qing is back!"

Yang Huien stood up at the sound of his voice, a gentle smile on her face. She pointed to the items on the table. "I heard you’re going on a long trip, so Mom and I rushed to pack a few things for you. These are dried shrimp and fish fillets; they’ll last a long time on the road and can add a bit of flavor to your meals. These few bags are top-quality dried shrimp from this year’s harvest, and... these are a few pairs of thick-soled shoes that I sewed for you myself."

His eldest aunt, Chen Jinhua, also nodded eagerly, adding with a placating smile, "Yes, yes, being away from home isn’t like being here. You have to be well-prepared with food and clothes. Hui Niang even made a special trip to Wang’s Cloth Shop to buy a few feet of fine cotton cloth and made you two sets of undergarments..."

Chen Qing thanked her solemnly. "Thank you, Cousin. You’ve gone to too much trouble."

After a while of pleasantries, the atmosphere in the room gradually grew quiet.

Yang Huien glanced at her mother, then at Chen Qing. A troubled expression appeared on her face. After a moment of hesitation, she spoke softly, "Ah Qing... there’s one more thing. Grandfather asked me to pass on a message. He said... he said that you’ve made something of yourself, and that it’s a joyous occasion for the Chen Family. He wants the whole family to get together for a meal before you leave."

"A meal?" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The warmth on Chen Qing’s face vanished instantly. His eyes became placid, as if he had just heard something that had nothing to do with him.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned rigid.

Ms. Han’s lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing, merely lowering her head in silence.

His eldest aunt, Chen Jinhua, also looked awkward, as if she wanted to say something but held her tongue.

Yang Huien saw Chen Qing’s reaction and understood. "Grandfather is getting old, perhaps... SIGH. Ah Qing, I’m just the messenger..."

Chen Qing cut his cousin off. "Cousin, please give him my reply. The meal... it won’t be necessary."

He paused, his gaze drifting toward the heavy darkness outside the door. "When my father... comes home, we can talk then."

Yang Huien sighed and said no more.

Ms. Han buried her head even lower, her shoulders giving a nearly imperceptible tremble.

Back then, Elder Chen had forced Chen Wu to take his second son’s place in serving a corvée labor sentence that was a near-certain death. After Chen Wu left, he completely ignored the widow and her orphan son, even treating them harshly at times. These old wounds were like the scars of a chronic illness; they couldn’t be healed with a single meal.

Chen Qing’s attitude was already the greatest restraint he could show out of consideration for their blood ties.

"Sigh..."

Ms. Han let out a long sigh and patted Yang Huien’s hand. "Hui Niang, just relay his words to Elder Chen exactly as he said them. Ah Qing... he knows what he’s doing."

Yang Huien nodded silently, her gaze toward Chen Qing filled with understanding and pity.

"Ah Qing, I understand. Please, be careful on your journey."

She paused, then turned to Ms. Han. "Aunt, you must take care of yourself as well. If you need anything, you can come and find me at any time."