Chapter 161: Departure
In the Inner City, at the Gao Family residence.
Father Gao said with relief, “Yuan’er, you have no idea. With the Street Guards of two streets changing hands back and forth this time, so many families’ businesses were ruined... Our family’s restaurant survived only because of your status as a Street Guard under the Shangyang Residence. Otherwise, I’m afraid it would have...”
“I was lucky too. I met a benefactor. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t even have made it back in one piece.”
As Gao Yuan spoke, he thought of Xu Yuan.
Back in the dormitory, he had not been as decisive as Chen Sanli. It was only later, when Xu Yuan reached the Third Meridian, that he seized the chance to draw close to him.
Now, by riding that wave of fortune, he had broken through to the Fourth Meridian and become someone at the Street Guard level. In the past, that was something he would not even have dared to dream of.
“Yes. A person’s fate in this life is never something that can be predicted.”
Father Gao sighed with emotion. “Some people work hard all their lives, endure every burden, toil themselves half to death, and still accomplish nothing. Others meet a benefactor, seize an opportunity, and soar upward with them, rising straight into the clouds...”
...
In Changlin Ward, inside a tavern.
Chen Sanli sat in the seat of honor, stuffing himself with meat and wine while basking in the flattery of the colleagues around him.
He might act meek and subservient as a servant in front of Xu Yuan, but outside, he was still very much a noteworthy figure.
Especially now that Xu Yuan’s cultivation and reputation had risen, Chen Sanli’s own standing had risen with the tide as well.
If he used Xu Yuan’s name as a banner, then even a Ward Master would have to soften his attitude toward him.
“Brother Chen, come, come, let me offer you a toast!”
“And me too... By the way, Brother Chen, your eye for people is truly unmatched. How did you know Sir Xu would make it?”
“Yeah, tell us about you and Sir Xu!”
Chen Sanli let out a slow belch, then said pointedly, “Before we talk about that, if I remember correctly, this tavern recently got a good batch of treasure fish, didn’t it?”
“Easy, easy. This meal is on me. Shopkeeper...”
Only after the fine dishes had all been served did he slowly continue, “You’re asking how I knew Brother Xu was special?”
“How could people like you understand something like that? A man like my Brother Xu is the kind of person who stands in a crowd, and you spot the difference with a single glance. Like that saying... right, right, a crane standing among chickens!”
“Back then, we were in the same dormitory. On the night Brother Xu broke through to the Second Meridian, that bastard surnamed Wang from Changshun Street was badmouthing him. I marched right up and smacked him across the face...”
...
At the Tian Family home.
The once dilapidated mud-tile house had long since been fixed up with Tian Yang’s money, and now it carried an entirely different air.
When he returned home, he found that they had guests. They were distant relatives who worked for the authorities, people who had always carried themselves arrogantly and barely deigned to acknowledge his family.
Seeing them arrive with gifts in hand, looking nervous and cautious, Tian Yang felt indescribably complicated emotions welling up inside him.
Back then, when he had wanted to gather money to become a martial trainee of the Shangyang Residence, his family had tried every possible way to latch onto these relatives, begging for visits and assistance, only to be coldly ignored.
But now, the wheel of fortune had turned, and it was their turn to come curry favor with his family.
Tian Yang knew exactly because of whom this had happened. His own contribution was only a tiny part of it. Most of it was thanks to Xu Yuan. At this very moment, his heart was full of sighs and emotion.
...
At the Xiao Family home.
Xiao Sheng had been struggling in the Level Four zone all this time. Now he had reached the Second Meridian, his life had become much easier, and he had only recently taken a wife.
Looking at the freshly renovated interior and the festive red decorations that had not yet faded, a simple, honest smile appeared on his face, just like it had back in the outer courtyard.
To be honest, he was a rather stubborn man.
Just as before, when everyone had said his aptitude was poor and that he would never rise out of the outer courtyard, he had stubbornly refused to accept it and had fought with all his strength to change his fate and prove them wrong.
Later, after hearing that Xu Yuan had made it big, he had not rushed over to ingratiate himself.
In Xiao Sheng’s view, his relationship with Xu Yuan had only ever been ordinary. On the night Wang Huan had come looking for trouble, he had not stepped forward to take Xu Yuan’s side either. With what face could he now go and cling to that connection?
And yet...
Father Xiao patted him on the shoulder and said with a smile, “Think about how, when you were over in the Level Four zone these past days, we worried about you every single day.”
“But now it’s different. Your friend helped get you transferred to the Level Three zone. That’s much safer. You must properly thank him!”
“That’s right.”
At the side, Xiao Sheng’s wife also said excitedly, “The person who came to notify us had four horizontal stripes on his shoulder. I heard you mention before that that means he was a four-meridian martial artist, right?”
“And he even came in person, speaking to us so politely. Your friend is truly loyal.”
After hearing that, Xiao Sheng let out a long sigh in his heart.
He felt ashamed. He had intended to keep the other man at a distance, yet the other man had still remembered that bond they had shared as fellow students.
...
Heavy snow drifted through the air, rising and falling.
In an instant, it blanketed the earth in pristine white, spreading across eaves and curved tiles everywhere, extending into a magnificent scene of countless household lights.
Creak!
In the Inner City, Xu Yuan pushed open the wooden gate of the small courtyard.
“A-Yuan, you’re back?”
When his sister-in-law, Madam Zhang, saw him, she hurriedly put down her needlework and came over to greet him. “Why are you covered in snow? Hurry and come inside!”
“I’m a martial artist. This sort of thing doesn’t bother me.” Xu Yuan shook his head with a laugh.
“Big Brother still isn’t back yet?”
He looked around the courtyard. It was still clean and tidy, and several snow pines had been planted there, just barely showing traces of muted green.
“Thanks to you, he’s been very busy with business lately.”
As Madam Zhang spoke, she told him about what Xu Zheng had accomplished over the past few months.
Using the sum of money Zhao Qiusheng had sent over, Xu Zheng had opened a shop. Then, after visiting the surrounding areas and asking around about local demand for cloth, he had officially begun his path of starting a business.
Now he was so busy his feet barely touched the ground, but thanks to the connections he had built up in the past, business was flourishing.
The two had not chatted for long before they heard the sound of the door opening.
Xu Zheng had returned. When he saw Xu Yuan, he was somewhat surprised, and he immediately had the kitchen woman prepare a table of dishes.
Soon after, the few of them sat together in the courtyard, warming their feet over a brazier of charcoal as they chatted leisurely, a burst of light laughter sounding out from time to time.
The courtyard was wrapped in silver and white.
The cold air mingled with the warmth of hearthfire, spiraling slowly upward.
...
Two days later, at the main gate of the Shangyang Residence.
A group had gathered there. Several carriages stood nearby, drawing frequent glances from the people around them.
Xu Yuan carried a bundle on his back. These were all medicinal treasures he had exchanged with his remaining battle merits. Their effects were somewhat inferior to spirit beast meat, but they had the advantage of being convenient and easy to carry.
He saw Yan Wuguan and the others again, and they stepped forward to greet one another. There was excitement in their words, but also confusion.
Before they had chatted for long, they saw Shangyang Qingyu approaching with measured steps.
For some reason, the moment they saw her, all of them felt as though they could barely breathe, as if a shadow had fallen over their hearts.
It was like the body’s constant warning when faced with a mortal enemy.
“Is everyone here?”
Her face was cold as she looked at them and said slowly, “This journey is long. Save the rest of your words for when we arrive. All right, let’s go.”
At that single command, the five of them, along with several dozen servants and seven or eight carriages, set out in a grand procession.
The carriages rumbled forward, rolling over the snow as they passed out through the gates of the Shangyang Residence.
After quite some time, Xu Yuan lifted the carriage curtain and looked back once at Yuquan Prefecture City, where he had lived for more than a year.
The city gates stood lofty and majestic, with flying eaves and upturned corners, like a faded ancient painting beneath the endless falling snow.
The streets and alleys he had walked, the training grounds, the quiet chambers... all of them gradually blurred in his sight.
He lowered the curtain and withdrew his gaze.
Inside the carriage, the light was dim. All he could hear was the crunch of wheels rolling over snow and the occasional distant neigh of horses.
“Beyond the Prefecture City, I wonder what this world is like,” Xu Yuan thought to himself, feeling rather curious about that so-called mountain gate.