Chapter 270: Longing

The four of them were overcome by a sense of melancholy.

Over the past year, they had formed a deep bond of friendship, and in Chu Qiguang's eyes, all three of them had the potential to become his allies in future.

After Huang Xiangyu and Li Chu departed, Zhang Haizhu turned to Chu Qiguang and asked, "When should we set off, Brother Chu?"

"I'm ready to go, but I have to visit home first," Chu Qiguang replied. "What are your plans, Haizhu?"

"I don't have any family left, so I'm happy to go with you," Zhang Haizhu replied.

They weren't due to assume their official posts in Shu Province until April, so they had plenty of time.

Just then, another convoy of horse-drawn carriages trundled down the mountain and came to a halt in front of Chu Qiguang and Zhang Haizhu.

Zhao Lingxiao stepped out of one of the carriages and said to Chu Qiguang, "I'm returning to Shu Province. There are many Daoist scriptures in these carriages, and I want you to have them."

Zhao Lingxiao looked rather dejected and defeated, prompting Chu Qiguang to ask with concern, "Are you alright, Daoist Master Zhao? Why are you suddenly returning to Shu Province?"

Zhao Lingxiao gazed at Chu Qiguang with mixed emotions in his eyes. He couldn't, for the life of him, understand why such an earnest and hardworking young man had been unable to find his faith.

If Chu Qiguang had been putting on an act this entire time, it had truly been a remarkably vile performance. However, was a sixteen-year-old boy really capable of doing such a thing?

Yet if he hadn't been putting on an act, what did that imply?

"I'm fine," Zhao Lingxiao said. "It's just that, in my current state of mind, I'm no longer suited to remain on Jade Face Mountain and preach the teachings of the Profound Origin Dao Lord. I'm returning to Shu Province for a change of scenery. You're also heading therr, aren't you? If you get the chance, you can visit me at the Zhao Clan."

Although Zhao Lingxiao was a Daoist priest of the Heavenly Master Religion, his Zhao Clan was a prominent clan in Shu Province. Hence, he had the financial backing to be able to quit his job on a whim and return home.

After parting ways with Zhao Lingxiao, Chu Qiguang turned to the carriages filled with Daoist scriptures with an exasperated expression.

These Daoist scriptures were no longer of any use to him.

Chu Qiguang then took Zhang Haizhu and Chen Gang to Zhang Jitian's home. They planned to stay there for a day before setting off for the Wang Clan Village the following day.

All of a sudden, a thought occurred to Chu Qiguang, and he said, "Chen Gang, you'll have to come with me to Shu Province as well. Have you told your family about this?"

"It's fine," Chen Gang replied with a smile. "They'll be happy as long as I'm with you, no matter where I go."

Along the way, Zhang Haizhu and Zhang Jitian became acquainted with each other, and Chu Qiguang said, "Jitian, you should come with me to Shu Province as well."

Zhang Jitian's face instantly fell upon hearing this. In his eyes, Shu Province was essentially the land of southwestern savages, filled with all kinds of fiends, bandits, and cults.

There probably isn't even a brothel there!

The thought of leaving his lavish lifestyle behind was a very difficult pill for him to swallow, but Chu Qiguang completely ignored his reluctant expression and continued, "You can train under me, then take the martial examination in two years and secure the wuzhuangyuan title."

According to Qiao Zhi, Zhang Jitian was destined to become a future wuzhuangyuan, so Chu Qiguang naturally had to bring him along. Once Zhang Jitian realized his full potential, he would become a major ally in the imperial court.

Furthermore, most of Chu Qiguang's finances were currently tied up in Hidden Fiend Village, but he would need money in Shu Province.

The more he looked at Zhang Jitian, the more he felt the latter resembled a walking ATM.

In one final, desperate attempt to weasel his way out of going to Shu Province, Zhang Jitian put on a sorrowful expression and said, "I can't bear to leave my parents behind and embark on such a long journey, Brother Chu. They'll be worried sick!"

"That's fine, just bring your parents with you," Chu Qiguang replied with a cold grin. "I can turn them into fiends as well."

Zhang Jitian shuddered upon hearing this and hurriedly replied, "On second thought, a man needs to learn to be independent. I can't stay home with my parents forever."

"Make sure you bring plenty of silver notes with you," Chu Qiguang said.

"Are there even banks in Shu Province?" Zhang Jitian asked.

Clearly, he had a very poor impression of Shu Province.

"The Shu Province isn't as backward as you think," Chu Qiguang said. "From what I've heard, Shu Province's Hibiscus Brocade Manor is every bit as prosperous as the central plains."

***

Half a month later, Lin Lan was sitting motionlessly at a desk in forlorn silence while the gatekeeper watched her with a concerned expression.

All of a sudden, Lin Lan's body seemed to flicker slightly in the lamplight, much to the gatekeeper's alarm.

Cold sweat began to bead on his forehead as he recalled a conversation from many years ago.

***

"Don't cry, Little Hai. I'll continue protecting the archive building in the future... It's just that I may not remember you by then. However, I'll always possess a sense of conviction to protect the archive building and finish reading every book inside. Still, you must remember that everything can change. The only permanent thing is change itself. There may come a day when my conviction wavers or even fades altogether, and if that happens, you must stop me from straying from the right path."

***

The gatekeeper instinctively touched his own head, as if he could still feel the warmth of a comforting hand resting upon it.

He turned his gaze toward Lin Lan just as she looked at him and asked, "Grandpa, why can't I leave the archive building?"

"You are the bookkeeper of the archive building, so you are bound by duty to stay here," the gatekeeper replied.

"I'm sure Brother Chu is also thinking about me right now," she said with a sigh.

The gatekeeper opened his mouth, but he didn't know what to say.

You were so brilliant back when you were alive, but I bet even you could've never anticipated that you would ultimately be led astray by a man, the gatekeeper sighed inwardly.

***

On the official road outside Azure Sun County, Chu Qiguang turned to see a fiery red figure racing toward him on horseback.

It was none other than Hao Xiangtong.

She was dressed in a tight-fitting crimson robe that perfectly accentuated her lithe and athletic figure. Her martial arts training also lent her a sense of vitality and exuberance rarely seen in other young women.

It had been a long time since they had last met, and Hao Xiangtong appeared to be in far better spirits than before, as evidenced by the confidence brimming in her eyes.

She rode up to Chu Qiguang, circled him once on horseback, then declared with a smile, "You're going to Shu Province in a few days, right? I'll come with you."

"Will your father approve?" Chu Qiguang asked in surprise.

"Why do I need his approval?" Hao Xiangtong countered. "He disapproves of everything I do anyway, so I've stopped asking."

Chu Qiguang sensed that she was hiding something from him and had some kind of ulterior motive.

"Do you know how to ride a horse?" Hao Xiangtong asked.

Chu Qiguang shook his head.

"How do you still not know how to ride?" Hao Xiangtong jibed. "You'll become the butt of your colleagues' jokes in Shu Province. Get up here. I'll teach you."

Chu Qiguang could tell that she was definitely up to something, but he still accepted her offer.

As Hao Xiangtong and Chu Qiguang rode off together on the same horse, Chen Gang deliberately slowed down and lagged behind to give them some privacy.