Chapter 41: Heading East
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Three days passed, and the Mid-Autumn Festival arrived.
The Wuan Marquis Residence was already festooned with scarlet lanterns.
From the main gate to the front courtyard, the central hall, and every courtyard in the rear compound, auspicious colors filled the estate.
Each lantern bore two large characters: Wuan.
The old steward had also ordered the servants to tie red ribbons to the branches of several trees. Beneath each ribbon hung a slip of paper bearing a riddle, creating a sort of lantern-riddle game.
That way, after the family reunion feast, the children from every courtyard in the marquisate would have somewhere to play.
The old madam of the residence had not forgotten the other major event taking place after the Mid-Autumn Festival—Chen Yi’s departure to study under the Taixu Dao Sect.
She had specifically instructed the various branches of the household to prepare gifts for Chen Yi as farewell presents.
Many had responded.
Some members of the collateral branches, particularly those who had fallen outside the family’s five degrees of mourning kinship, had even prepared an additional gift for Xia Wanwan.
Their finances were limited, but the gifts represented their goodwill.
Anyone permitted to remain in the marquisate might not have been exceptionally shrewd, but none was blind to the situation.
They knew perfectly well that once Chen Yi became a disciple of the Taixu Dao Sect, Xia Wanwan’s status would rise along with his.
This was already evident from the old madam’s three successive increases to the clothing, food, allowances, and monthly stipend provided to Fragrant Splendor Garden.
Naturally, they had not forgotten to prepare a separate gift for Madam Zhou Wanyi, the principal wife.
It was meant as a present for Chen Yuan, the eldest young master who had entered Boundless Mountain as a disciple…
Within Fragrant Splendor Garden.
“Yi’er, once you arrive at Taixu Dao, remember to take good care of yourself.”
As Xia Wanwan and Green萝 packed Chen Yi’s clothes and luggage, she forced herself to remain calm while offering him one reminder after another.
“Your son will remember,” Chen Yi replied obediently.
They say that when a son travels far, his mother’s heart is filled with worry. That was true in every world.
Though Xia Wanwan tried her best to conceal it, Chen Yi could still see the faint trembling in her body. Clearly, she was doing everything she could to swallow back her tears.
Not long afterward, a burst of firecrackers sounded from the central courtyard.
Xia Wanwan paused, then forced a smile.
“Come on. We mustn’t keep Grandmother and the others waiting.”
“Mm.”
Following the two women, Chen Yi felt a trace of melancholy rise within him. For a moment, he did not know how to comfort his birth mother.
After all, Xia Wanwan was not Chen Taiping…
He thought for a long while before his gaze fell upon his wrist. His eyes suddenly brightened.
“Mother, let me give you a present.”
“What is it?”
Chen Yi untied the small jade sword that had always hung from his wrist and handed it to her with a smile.
“This is the keepsake I received at my childhood choosing ceremony. I’m giving it to you.”
Although the little jade sword meant a great deal to him—it had not only bestowed upon him the power of his ancestors’ blessings, but had also helped him escape disaster—it was ultimately far too fragile.
It would not be of much use to him in the future. He might as well leave it beside Xia Wanwan.
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On one hand, it would give her something to remember him by. On the other, Chen Yi had left three sword intents within the jade sword.
Though they were merely embryonic sword intents, they could still offer Xia Wanwan some measure of protection.
Xia Wanwan accepted it with a smile and hung it from her wrist.
“My good Yi’er…”
But as she smiled, her eyes gradually reddened, and soon two trails of tears slipped down her cheeks.
What she did not know was that the little jade sword quietly raised its tip and aimed it at Chen Yi, as though it wanted to stab him.
Sensing its murderous intent, Chen Yi immediately shot it several warning glances and pacified it.
“Trump Card, don’t forget that you’re the trump-card jade sword.”
“You’re the only one I can trust now. You’re also the only one who can guard Mother in my place.”
“Don’t worry. Once I’ve finished learning and return, I’ll replace your body with better material. I guarantee it’ll be much stronger…”
Jade Sword: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
…
The following day.
Early in the morning, Gu Tiangang appeared punctually outside the Wuan Marquis Residence.
Accompanying him was Ning Xue, a swordsmanship prodigy of the Taixu Dao Sect.
Both wore the robes of the Taixu Dao Sect.
Their black outer garments were embroidered with a white, head-held-high mountain tiger.
Before long, with Xia Wanwan and the rest of the marquisate seeing him off, Chen Yi boarded a carriage and departed with the old Daoist Gu and Mr. Ning for their next destination.
“Can’t bear to leave?”
Ning Xue looked more plain and elegant in her Daoist robes than she had in her earlier snow-white garments, but they did nothing to conceal her exquisite beauty and graceful figure.
“A little.”
Recalling Xia Wanwan’s tearful smile, Chen Yi could not help feeling somewhat sorrowful himself.
“Miss Ning, how long have you been at the Taixu Dao Sect?”
“For many years.” Ning Xue tilted her head, pretending to calculate. “Eleven years.”
“You entered the mountain at the age of five?”
“Mm. The brothers and sisters on the mountain are different from you children of noble families. Most of them arrived after turning five.”
As she spoke, Ning Xue seemed to remember something. Her clear, lovely face grew slightly solemn.
“From now on, I’m no longer your teacher. Once you formally enter Taixu Dao, you can simply call me Senior Sister.”
“Senior Sister?” Chen Yi was taken aback, then smiled and nodded. “I’ll do as you say.”
He supposed she wanted to draw a clear line between Xingwu Academy and the Taixu Dao Sect.
Senior Sister it was. That was still better than calling her Mistress…
Gu Tiangang worked quickly. In merely an hour, he had picked up Du Yanqing, Lin Xueru, and the others.
Then they traveled east, bypassed Great Void Temple, and left the capital prefecture.
However, besides Chen Yi and the other children of noble families, the carriage also carried the Twelfth Prince, Wei Letian, and the princess, Wei Xiaoyun.
Thus, two squads of black-armored guards followed behind the carriage.
They were said to be guards specially assigned by Emperor Wei, who had just returned to the imperial palace from the hunting grounds in the rear mountains.
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No matter how many times the old Daoist Gu refused them, the black-armored guards insisted on accompanying them all the way to Taixu Dao.
Of course, none of this concerned Chen Yi and the others. Their attention had long since been captured by the scenery outside the carriage.
“How shabby!”
“Exactly. It’s completely different from what I imagined.”
Before even an hour had passed, their enthusiasm had vanished, replaced by disappointment.
The outside world was not truly as wretched as they claimed, but compared with the magnificent prosperity of the capital prefecture, the difference was enormous.
The scenery along both sides of the official road was not one of beautiful mountains and rivers, but somewhat withered and worn.
Most travelers hurried past, their clothes covered in dust.
Whenever they spotted the carriage from a distance, they would keep well away from it, as though afraid of running into its occupants.
Ning Xue observed their expressions. As she reminded herself that they were still young, she began to instruct them.
“Because you have always lived within the capital prefecture, accustomed to prosperity and peace, you naturally assume that the other prefectures are the same.”
“But that isn’t true…”
She then selected several suitable matters from those she knew and told them about them.
Besides the droughts that had recently struck West River Prefecture and Jiangnan Prefecture, most involved demons descending upon the world and breaking into the cities, counties, and villages of the various regions, where they wrought terrible destruction.
One incident left a particularly deep impression on Chen Yi.
It had occurred in Jiangnan Prefecture before Ning Xue came to the capital prefecture.
A demon whose strength was equivalent only to that of an eighth-rank Essence-Nourishing cultivator had relied on its small size to sneak into the prefectural city.
It slaughtered five households in succession before being captured by the Night Watch Bureau. Seventeen living people lost their lives.
There were also powerful demons like the drought fiend that had caused the earlier famine. No one knew how many such creatures were hiding within the borders of the Wei Dynasty.
However, because the various regions were protected by sects and prefectural cities, demons that had gained intelligence and cultivated themselves generally did not act recklessly.
Most of the time, they merely hunted a few people in secret to satisfy their hunger.
“These are the things you do not see. This is the true Great Wei.”
Ning Xue finished speaking in a remarkably calm tone, though her heart was filled with countless emotions.
She hoped they would adapt soon.
The sect might be considered a pure land, but it could never be as sheltered as their life in the capital prefecture.
From now on, they would have to rely on themselves for everything—food, clothing, lodging, travel, and even cultivation.
“So that’s how it is.”
Looking at the somewhat dilapidated official road and the travelers passing by outside, Chen Yi gained a clearer understanding of this world.
He wondered whether Big Brother had known about all this when he left.
That old steward who dressed like a servant would probably have reminded him, right?
“Brother Yi, Ruru… Ruru will protect you.”
Seeing his expression, Lin Xueru suddenly edged closer and whispered to him.
Chen Yi froze.
What had the little girl misunderstood this time?