Chapter 174: Departure and Reluctance to Part

"Lu Qing, Old Doctor Chen, are you really leaving?"

In the Wei residence, Wei Zian rushed to Youzhu Courtyard upon hearing that Lu Qing and the others were preparing to depart.

Then he saw that his father and mother were also present.

"Indeed. We've imposed on your hospitality for quite some time now, and it's about right that we return. Otherwise, the villagers might start to worry," Lu Qing nodded.

Their trip to the county town had lasted nearly half a month.

Although they had previously sent a message back to Jiuli Village through the Wei family, the villagers would still inevitably worry after such a long absence.

Now that the matters in the county town had been resolved successfully, they naturally saw no reason to prolong their stay.

Moreover, while the county town offered comforts, it also came with constraints, making many things inconvenient.

Lu Qing had even found it necessary to be extremely cautious when practicing his martial arts, lest he disturb others.

Home was still the best; he could retreat into the mountains and do as he pleased without affecting anyone else.

Even Old Doctor Chen seemed eager to return.

Back in Jiuli Village, there were a few patients whose treatments were not yet complete.

Before leaving, he had prepared medicine for them, but by now, they would have finished the course, and he needed to return to check on their progress.

"Lu Qing, what are you saying? It has been our Wei family's honor to host you and Old Doctor Chen. How could we ever consider it an imposition?" Wei Xinghe quickly replied.

He would have loved for Lu Qing and his companions to stay indefinitely.

"Yes, Lu Qing. Feel free to stay as long as you like. How could your presence ever be a bother?" Wei Furen added.

She was particularly reluctant to see them go, especially little Yan.

Over the past few days, she had grown quite attached to the girl, teaching her to read and write, and spending every day together. She had come to regard little Yan as her own daughter.

"Thank you for your kindness, but we've been away from home for too long, and it's time we returned," Lu Qing said, expressing their decision to leave despite Wei Xinghe's attempts to persuade them to stay.

With no other choice, Wei Xinghe instructed his people to make the necessary arrangements.

As for Wei Shanhai, he did not make an appearance, and it was unclear if he was absent from the residence or simply unconcerned about Lu Qing's departure.

Before long, Wei Xinghe and the others accompanied Lu Qing to the city gate.

"You've been living the good life, haven't you?" Lu Qing teased as he looked at the cow pulled by a Wei servant, which was noticeably fatter than before.

"Moo!"

The cow, too, seemed happy to see Lu Qing and the others, letting out a gentle call and nudging Lu Qing's hand with its head.

Lu Qing took several boxes from the Wei servants and loaded them onto the cart.

They contained mostly specialty products he had bought for the villagers.

As for the generous gifts prepared by the Wei family, they only accepted a symbolic amount, politely declining the rest.

At their current cultivation levels, Lu Qing and Old Doctor Chen had little use for material wealth.

They still had chests full of gold and silver at home, and they hadn't even figured out what to do with all of it.

"Yan, let's go!" Lu Qing called out after loading the cart.

"Goodbye, Auntie. Yan is going home!" Yan replied reluctantly as she hugged Xiao Li and bid farewell to Wei Furen.

She had spent every day with Wei Furen during their stay, and they had developed a deep bond.

Wei Furen was even more reluctant to part, her eyes welling up with tears. "Be a good girl, Yan. I'll visit you in Jiuli Village when I have the time."

"Really? Then I'll wait for you at home!" Yan's eyes lit up at the prospect.

Wei Furen's heart twisted at her words, and she had to fight the urge to follow Lu Qing and his group.

Thankfully, she maintained her composure and nodded, her voice thick with emotion. "Of course, I promise."

The little girl immediately brightened up and skipped over to Lu Qing, who lifted her onto the cart.

Old Doctor Chen, still wearing his bamboo hat, took his seat at the front.

Due to his reclusive nature and deliberate low profile, no one in the county town, apart from the Wei family, knew that this peculiar Early Heaven stage practitioner, who had suddenly appeared, was the famed Senior Healer Chen.

"Lord Wei, there's no need to see us off. All good things must come to an end, and it's time for us to part ways," Lu Qing said politely, cupping his hands in a respectful gesture.

"Lu Qing, once I've taken care of family matters, I'll come to your place in Daji for a drink!" Ma Gu, who had just arrived at the city gate, said cheerfully.

"Haha, that's a promise. I'll prepare a couple of delicious dishes for you!" Lu Qing laughed in reply.

Amidst the laughter, Old Doctor Chen cracked his whip, producing a crisp sound, and the cart slowly started moving, heading out of the city.

Just like when they had first arrived, the cart moved at a leisurely pace.

However, there were now a few fewer passengers.

Wei Furen and Wei Zian watched as the cart rolled away, their eyes slightly red.

"They had returned with hearts filled with fear and trepidation. Now, the ox-cart that had escorted them all the way was about to depart, evoking a tumult of emotions and leaving them feeling overwhelmed.

"Goodbye, Auntie!" Little Yan stood up and waved vigorously as the cart traveled far into the distance, until they could barely be seen.

Wei Furen could no longer hold back her tears as she heard the young girl's voice fading into the distance.

When Lu Qing and his companions left the city, they did so openly and without attempting to conceal their departure.

Thus, news of their departure quickly spread throughout the city, reaching all the influential factions.

"They really left?" In the County Lord's mansion, Yan Canghai's expression turned solemn as he received the report from his trusted subordinate.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. That young Master Lu was sitting in the ox-cart, along with the young lady. An elderly man was driving the cart, and he appeared to be quite old, as his voice was frail and his face was hidden under a hat," the subordinate confirmed.

"Did you get a look at the old man's face?" Yan Canghai asked hastily.

"No, I didn't. The old man was wearing a bamboo hat that obscured his features, and his voice was frail and elderly, making it impossible to discern his identity," replied the subordinate.

"He's still hiding his identity," Yan Canghai said, his expression filled with disappointment. He waved his hand dismissively and added, "That's all, you may leave now."

After his subordinate withdrew, Yan Canghai sat in contemplation for a while before suddenly standing up and making his way to the small building where the plain-clothed youth resided.

Just as he was about to knock, he heard a soft voice from the nearby pavilion: "What is it?"

He turned to see his friend standing there, a book in his hand.

Yan Canghai smiled and walked over, "I just received word that the young Master Lu and his master have left the county seat."

"Mhm," the plain-clothed youth nodded, his face devoid of surprise.

"Zhirui, now that they're gone, can you finally tell me who that mysterious Precelestial Stage master of Lu Qing's is?" Yan Canghai asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

Ever since the plain-clothed youth had mentioned that the mysterious Precelestial Stage master was someone he knew, Yan Canghai had been eager to uncover their identity. However, despite investigating all the martial arts masters he knew, he had come up empty-handed.

Not a single person's identity matched that of the enigmatic Precelestial Stage master.

His attempts to gather information about Lu Qing had been equally fruitless, as this young man was even more mysterious. No one seemed to know anything about Lu Qing's background or origins.

It was as if he had appeared out of thin air, with not a single rumor or whisper about him circulating before his arrival in the county seat.

As a result, Yan Canghai was incredibly curious about the identities of both Lu Qing and his master.

The plain-clothed youth remained silent, simply gazing at his friend.

Yan Canghai's heart skipped a beat, and he forced himself to remain calm. "Before, when you mentioned the great upheaval, I couldn't ask, but now that they've left, surely you can tell me who that Precelestial Stage master is. You said I know him, after all."

The plain-clothed youth regarded Yan Canghai for a moment, knowing that his friend wouldn't let the matter rest until he had an answer.

With a sigh, he relented, "Fine, I'll tell you. That Precelestial Stage master you're so curious about is someone you've met before. He's Chen Songqing, the elderly doctor."

"What?!" Yan Canghai's eyes widened in shock, his entire body stiffening at the revelation.

It took him a while to recover his wits.

"Are you sure, Zhirui? Are you telling me that the Precelestial Stage master is Chen Songqing, the elderly doctor?" Yan Canghai asked, his voice laced with disbelief.

The plain-clothed youth, known as Zhirui, glanced at him with a hint of disdain, clearly unimpressed by the question.

"But how is that possible?" Yan Canghai persisted, his voice filled with doubt. "While Chen Songqing's martial arts skills are indeed impressive, having reached the Great Perfection of the Internal Organs stage, his age has long passed the peak of vitality. It's already remarkable that he's managed to maintain his cultivation level without regressing. How could he possibly have made consecutive breakthroughs in such a short time, reaching the Precelestial Stage and becoming so powerful that even Wang Cangyi, a long-standing Precelestial master, wouldn't dare to offend him?"

Zhirui let out a sigh. "To be honest, I was surprised as well. That Chen Songqing is an extraordinary man. From what I've gathered, he has dedicated his life to healing and helping others, embodying the true spirit of a benevolent doctor. Over the years, his accumulation of virtuous deeds has caused a light of merit to manifest around him. If I'm not mistaken, it is this light of merit that has allowed him to defy the decline of old age and continue his martial arts journey, ultimately reaching the Precelestial Stage—a dream sought by countless martial artists. In a sense, it's the culmination of his lifelong virtue and good deeds, though the path he took is certainly unique compared to the typical martial arts journey."

Chapter: "Disappointment"

"Virtuous deeds and merit?" Yan Canghai was completely stunned.

He didn't understand what that meant at all.

Unfortunately, this time, the plain-clothed youth didn't offer any further explanation.

He brushed his robes and placed the book he was holding on the stone table in the pavilion.

"Alright, since Young Master Lu and the others have left, I should take my leave as well. Thank you for your hospitality during my stay, Canghai," he said.

"You're leaving too?" Yan Canghai was taken aback and greatly surprised.

"Indeed. I've stayed in Cang County long enough, and it's time for me to depart. But before I go, there's something I want to say to you," the plain-clothed youth said, his expression turning solemn.

Yan Canghai, who had been about to try and persuade him to stay, fell silent and listened quietly.

"Canghai, to be frank, I'm disappointed with what I've seen during this visit. I thought that during your time in Cang County, you were biding your time, hiding your true strength, and honing yourself," the plain-clothed youth said, his tone carrying a hint of reproach.

"But what I saw was you not only wasting your time but also regressing. You're even worse than you were before. To be blunt, you no longer have the qualifications to compete with your brothers," he continued, his words causing Yan Canghai to fall into a deep silence.

"Enough said, think about what I've told you. I'm leaving now," the plain-clothed youth added, not giving Yan Canghai a chance to respond.

With a slight movement, he vanished from the pavilion, leaving Yan Canghai standing there, lost in thought.

"...Zhirui," Yan Canghai said, startled.

"Lastly, remember, stay away from that Young Master Lu," the plain-clothed youth's voice trailed off into the distance.

Yan Canghai was left standing in the pavilion, feeling dejected.

...

"Brother, brother, look at that pretty flower! And that one over there is so beautiful too!" Yan exclaimed as the ox-cart continued on its journey, passing by various wildflowers and grasses along the way.

Having been a little sad about parting with Wei Furen, Little Yan quickly forgot her sorrow and excitedly pointed out the sights to Lu Qing.

Although she had seen these sights on the way to the county town, everything still felt fresh and exciting to her.

"Mhm, they are beautiful," Lu Qing replied, glad to see her cheerful again.

After all, she was just a child, and her moods changed as quickly as the weather.

As for Xiao Li, it had been eagerly waiting for this moment ever since they left Wei Manor.

During their entire stay, Xiao Li had strictly followed Lu Qing's instructions not to reveal its extraordinary abilities.

Apart from displaying exceptional intelligence, it had done nothing out of the ordinary, behaving just like an ordinary pet in the eyes of the Wei family.

Even Wei Furen, who suspected that Xiao Li was no ordinary creature, had not witnessed its true powers.

And so, Xiao Li had been longing for the freedom to express itself.

Now that they had finally left Wei Manor, it couldn't contain its excitement.

Thanks to their early departure and smooth journey, Lu Qing and his companions did not need to stay overnight on the road.

Instead, they hurried and arrived back in Jiuli Village just before dusk.

"We're almost home!" Little Yan exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as she recognized the familiar surroundings.

She had missed everyone in the village during their time away.

Xiao Li, perched on Lu Qing's shoulder, also looked toward Jiuli Village, its eyes sparkling with joy.

Life in Wei Manor had been comfortable, with plenty of fish to eat every day.

Yet, for some reason, it longed for the simpler days in Jiuli Village.

"We're finally back," Old Doctor Chen sighed, having already removed his bamboo hat as he gazed ahead.

Having lived in Jiuli Village for so many years, he had grown fond of the place.

"Master, I'll go and remove the red string now," Lu Qing said, jumping off the cart as they reached the village entrance.

As Lu Qing took down the red string from the tree and placed it back under the stone slab, the villagers finally noticed their arrival.

Soon, the entire village was abuzz with excitement.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end