Chapter 30: Departure
Chapter 30: Departure
“Just call me Xiao Se. That damned Pu was the name of a fat old man I borrowed.”
Xiao Se picked up the fragrant tea on the table and drained it in one gulp.
“Pfft.”
Ya Fei’s pretty face had still been somewhat tense, but Xiao Se’s description of the fat old man suddenly made her laugh.
“You really are full of surprises, little brother Xiao Se. But speaking of which, this Foundation-Nourishing Spiritual Liquid wasn’t refined by you, was it?”
“Guess.”
Xiao Se blinked his clear eyes and once again gave her an ambiguous answer.
Ya Fei rolled her eyes at him. Showing admirable tact, she changed the subject. “You bought so many supplies for the wilderness this time. Are you planning to leave?”
“Mm.” Xiao Se nodded slightly and said淡ly, “I’m planning to leave Wutan City and gain experience elsewhere.”
“Go out to gain experience? At your age? Isn’t that too dangerous?” Ya Fei exclaimed.
“Everything depends on the person. Besides, I’m not completely unprepared.” Xiao Se gently stroked the demonic sword insignia on his right hand.
“I really can’t understand you. Wouldn’t it be better to stay in the Xiao clan and cultivate properly? With your talent as an alchemist, you should be able to receive the clan’s full support.” A trace of bitterness welled up in Ya Fei’s heart.
It was precisely because she lacked any cultivation talent that she had been forced to come to this small city to gain experience.
A hint of mockery touched Xiao Se’s lips as he gave a cold laugh. “The clan’s full support? If you made even the slightest effort to learn about my background, you wouldn’t think that. Besides, do you really believe it’s wise to expose your talent recklessly? The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be blown down. Xiao Yan, the ‘greatest genius in the Xiao clan’s history,’ is a perfect example.”
Looking at the mocking curve of Xiao Se’s lips, Ya Fei fell silent. Though she had been born into a prominent family, her naturally seductive constitution and lack of cultivation talent meant that she might be forced into a political marriage at any time.
Perhaps because his words had struck a chord with her, Ya Fei finally said something completely out of character. “Perhaps you’re right. But I truly envy you—you’re able to control your own fate.”
“Actually, you can do the same.”
Unexpectedly, Xiao Se gave her an answer that left her astonished.
“How?” Ya Fei asked in surprise.
“If you don’t want your family to control you, there are two paths you can take. I chose the shortcut: abandoning the so-called family altogether. You, however, are perfectly suited to the second path.” Xiao Se poured himself another cup of tea, took a shallow sip, and continued.
Ya Fei’s eyes brightened. “What path?”
Xiao Se’s expression turned solemn. “If you don’t want to be controlled by your family, then take control of the family yourself. The Mitre clan is a merchant clan, and you possess considerable talent for commerce. You can completely build your power from there.”
Chapter 30: Departure
“If you don’t want to be controlled by your family, then take control of the family yourself.”
At those words, Ya Fei seemed to have discovered an entirely new world. She pursed her red lips, repeating Xiao Se’s words over and over beneath her breath.
After pondering for a moment, Ya Fei gave a helpless smile and looked at him wryly. “I truly don’t know where you learned all this at such a young age.”
“Self-taught. Entirely self-taught.” The corner of Xiao Se’s mouth twitched as he answered with a guilty air.
He would never tell her that these were practically her future inner thoughts.
“When do you plan to leave?” Ya Fei asked hesitantly.
“In three days.”
“That soon? When do you plan to return?” Ya Fei continued.
“Perhaps in a year. Perhaps two. Perhaps three.” Xiao Se gave an answer even he could not determine with certainty.
“Hehe. Then your sister will look forward to seeing how much you’ve grown when you return.” Ya Fei extended her delicate hand with graceful ease and smiled brightly.
Xiao Se nodded slowly and clasped her soft jade-like hand. To Ya Fei’s surprise, he released it almost immediately.
“You too.”
Looking at the boy before her, so mature beyond his years, Ya Fei could not help sighing. “Are you really only twelve or thirteen? Why do I feel like a child in front of you? It’s as though you can see right through me.”
Ignoring the tedious subject, Xiao Se pulled his hood back over his head, waved, and rose to leave the reception hall. His voice once again returned to its former hoarseness.
“Then, until fate brings us together again.”
“Until fate brings us together again.”
Ya Fei stared blankly at Xiao Se’s retreating figure, an exceptionally rare, heartfelt smile appearing on her face.
Three days later.
At dawn, Xiao Se checked all his supplies once more. Then he left a letter in the room at the Xiao clan estate where he had not lived for a long time before departing Wutan City and embarking on his journey toward strength.
In the pitch-black woods, moonlight spilled down like a veil, covering all things beneath it. Through the gaps between the leaves, scattered patches of silver light fell upon the ground, piecing together one beautiful pattern after another.
Dressed in a black robe made of silkworm silk, his face concealed by a half-mask purchased in Wutan City’s marketplace, and the demonic sword strapped to his back, Xiao Se trudged through the dark woods with heavy steps.
Chapter 30: Departure
Counting today, Xiao Se had already been away from Wutan City for three days. Accustomed to coming and going alone, he felt not the slightest sense of loneliness.
In both his previous life and this one, Xiao Se had long since grown accustomed to solitude and learned to enjoy it. Besides, Long Kui was accompanying him this time.
The demonic sword strapped to his back was itself part of his training. By deliberately severing his connection with the sword, he had caused its weight to exceed a hundred pounds. It also suppressed most of the battle energy within his body, making every step an ordeal.
A journey that should have taken only two days had been stretched to three.
“Big brother, it’s completely dark now. Why don’t we rest here for the night?”
The delicate voice suddenly drifted out from within the demonic sword.
“Mm.”
Xiao Se nodded slightly, drew the demonic sword from his back, cut down a tree, and set up a campfire.
In the dark woods, the flames danced lightly.
Beside the fire, Xiao Se leaned against the trunk of a tree and gnawed on hard rations, savoring a brief moment of peace.
“Big brother, where are we going?”
Long Kui’s light voice sounded from within the demonic sword once more.
“The Magical Beast Mountain Range.”
Xiao Se swallowed the food he had chewed and smiled.
“The Magical Beast Mountain Range? Isn’t the back mountain of the Xiao clan part of it? Why are we traveling so far?”
Long Kui asked in confusion.
“Hehe, this area lies in the eastern part of the Magical Beast Mountain Range. If we cross straight through it, we’ll reach our ultimate destination—the Tagore Great Desert. Besides, there may be unexpected opportunities waiting for us in the Magical Beast Mountain Range.”
As a transmigrator, Xiao Se would never pass up the cave containing a fragment of the Purifying Lotus Demon Flame map and a flying battle technique.
Moreover, like a certain clan member, he believed in taking the protagonist’s path and leaving the protagonist nowhere to go.
There were still five years before Queen Medusa took the Green Lotus Core Flame. As long as he could find it ahead of time within those five years and gather the three materials needed to devour an exotic flame, then with Long Kui’s help, he still had a very good chance of obtaining the Green Lotus Core Flame.
“Then be careful, big brother. If you encounter danger, I can possess you, or I can let Little Red come out and help you. She’s very powerful.”
Long Kui spoke with a delighted smile.
Xiao Se shook his head. “On the contrary, I can’t accept your help so easily. Without experiencing bloodshed and cruelty, I’ll never be able to grow. From now on, unless I’m facing certain death, neither of you is to come out and help me.”
The End.