Chapter 188: Heading North
Chapter 188: Heading North
September 20, 2017
Almost simultaneously, on the day Lu Haikong used the Recruitment Edict...
In a small yet elegant courtyard somewhere, a young man in a green robe stood with his hands behind his back, staring blankly at the newly sprouted trees in front of him. His pale face reflected the winter's chill.
On the stone table behind the young man, a book lay open, its pages ruffled by the wind, indicating that the young man had been reading for quite some time.
"Young Master, why are you out here? Come inside quickly; it's cold out there. You might catch a chill," a concerned voice called out. A burly middle-aged man approached, his face filled with worry.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. It's already early spring, and the cold won't bother me," the young man replied, turning around with a light sigh. He picked up the book from the table and gently closed it, following the middle-aged man into the house.
It was evident that the young man's family background was not particularly wealthy. While the courtyard and rooms were tastefully decorated, they were also quite small in scale.
It was the end of winter, and although spring had arrived, the cold still bit through the air. In this region, at this time of year, a charcoal stove would typically be burning in the room, but this particular room had only an unlit stove.
"Sigh, with your talents, Young Master, you shouldn't have to live like this," the middle-aged man said, shaking his head. He couldn't understand why his young master had rejected all the offers from prominent families, even refusing their gifts. If only he had accepted, their lives would be much more comfortable.
The middle-aged man wasn't blaming his master for lack of ambition; he was simply concerned for the young master's well-being. He wished his master could have a more comfortable life, especially since his health was fragile.
"Some things are easy to accept but hard to repay. I don't know how much longer I'll live, and I don't want to be bound by anything," the young man said as the charcoal stove was lit, filling the room with warmth. Despite the rising temperature, the young man's pale face remained unchanged, and when the topic of life and death was mentioned, he spoke with a sense of detachment.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, Young Master, don't speak of such unlucky things. You are a person of great potential, like Guan Zhong or Xiao He. You will achieve great things and live a long and prosperous life!" The middle-aged man tried to reassure him, but his face betrayed his worry. He knew how frail the young master's health was, and he couldn't help but add, "Please, don't speak of such unlucky things again."
The young man sighed as he looked at the middle-aged man. He was well aware of his deteriorating health, feeling weaker each day.
While he had come to terms with his mortality, he couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness. It seemed like fate had dealt him an unfair hand, granting him exceptional talent while taking away a portion of his lifespan.
'Perhaps I am destined to live a life of unfulfilled potential, my talents buried and forgotten in the sands of history,' he thought to himself.
Suddenly, the young man's thoughts turned to the stars he had seen the night before, particularly one in the north that flickered and twinkled.
A powerful urge surged through him, compelling him to head north.
The sudden impulse caught the young man off guard. He couldn't remember the last time he had felt such a strong urge.
Ever since learning of his impending mortality, the young man's perspective on life had changed drastically, and in a short time, his spiritual cultivation had made significant progress.
Now, he maintained a calm and peaceful state of mind, able to control his emotions, whether it was shock, joy, or impulse. But this time, the impulse was too strong to suppress.
He suddenly felt that he needed to go north, where he might find what he needed, or perhaps someone who needed him.
"Young Master, what's wrong?" The middle-aged man, seeing the youth's prolonged silence, patted his shoulder worriedly.
The youth finally snapped out of his daze, and with his current mental cultivation, he should have been able to suppress this impulse, but for some reason, he felt like letting it be.
"Ah Fu, get ready, we're going on a journey of learning."
"A journey of learning? At this time?" The middle-aged man, whom the youth called Ah Fu, was shocked. He couldn't quite understand why his young master suddenly wanted to go on a journey of learning, and at this time, too.
"Young Master, why don't we wait a few months? It's early spring now, but your health..."
"Don't worry, I'm fine. You sell this house and buy a carriage, that's all." The youth said with a smile.
Ah Fu was stunned by this, and he immediately protested, "Sell it? How can you do that? This is your ancestral home. If you sell it, where will you live in the future?"
"I have a premonition that I might not be able to return. It's better to sell the ancestral home than to leave it unused. Oh, and don't sell the books; I want to take them with me."
After saying this, the youth paid no more attention to Ah Fu. His gaze was distant, looking towards the north, and also towards his future.
In the 619th chapter of the original version, there was no mistake!
Ah Fu tried to persuade him for half a day, but when he saw that his young master's mind was made up, he had no choice but to go out and make the necessary arrangements.
Since the youth was in a hurry, Ah Fu had no choice but to sell the ancestral home within two days, at a reasonable price, amidst the incomprehensible stares of everyone. He also sold off all the young master's properties.
With the money from the sale, Ah Fu bought a spacious and comfortable carriage and a mediocre horse. He loaded all the young master's books into the carriage, prepared some dry rations, and got himself a knife for self-defense.
It took about five days to settle all these matters, and then the youth and Ah Fu embarked on their journey of learning to the north.
However, as Ah Fu drove the carriage out of the city gate, a gentleman as gentle as jade, accompanied by a boy of about ten years old who could barely be considered a youth, blocked their path.
The youth seemed to have expected this, and when Ah Fu stopped, he lifted the curtain of the carriage and, with Ah Fu's support, stepped down to face the two.
"You're a little later than I expected." The youth pinched the boy's cheek and smiled.
"Where are you going?" The boy shook off the youth's hand and asked, his lively eyes filled with reluctance.
"North, I suppose. But I don't know why you're going there." The gentleman spoke up before the youth` could answer.
"To be honest, I don't know either. It's just that a voice tells me I should go there." The youth smiled, looking at his two friends, but his smile was a little too carefree, considering he knew this might be their last meeting.
The gentleman opened his mouth to speak but ended up saying nothing. Just as the boy was about to say something, the youth took out a book and stuffed it into the boy's embrace.
Then, the youth patted the boy's head and returned to the carriage without a word.
As the curtain of the carriage fell, the youth murmured something, and the carriage started its journey north...
(End of Chapter)
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