Martial Cultivator

The firelight illuminated the face of this Xie Family's genius daughter, and she smiled as she slowly said, "It's not necessary to try and cheer me up. If you really want to make me happy, then in the future, when you have the chance, go and kill the Demon Emperor. If not, you can also beat up that Temple Master."

Chen Chao touched his cheek and said, "So many years."

Xie Nandu smiled, "Well, I can live for many more years anyway."

Chen Chao nodded, "That's true."

"I heard that the sunrise at the Infatuation Daoist Temple is also very beautiful, it's a sight to behold, but few people get to see it."

Xie Nandu said, "Can we go see it sometime in the future?"

Chen Chao said, "Shall I bring you along?"

Xie Nandu shook her head, "Let's go together." The addition of the word "together" without the word "bring" changed the meaning significantly.

Chen Chao smiled and said, "Okay then."

Suddenly, Chen Chao said, "After I recover from my injuries, I'll go to Sword Qi Mountain."

Xie Nandu did not stop him, but asked, "Have you come up with a plan?"

"Before the Great General left the Divine Capital, he gave me a letter."

Chen Chao looked at Xie Nandu and said, "But I'm only half-certain."

Xie Nandu made a sound of understanding.

Chen Chao sighed, "This Great General is truly admirable."

"Admirable just because you got something good from him?" Xie Nandu paused, then said softly, "Indeed, he's admirable."

Chen Chao said softly, "It's a pity that I got to know this Great General a bit late."

……

……

Yellow Dragon Prefecture, Cloudmere Commandery, Twilight Mist County, Blue Tile Town.

Having adopted a name similar to that of the water towns in Jiangnan, Blue Tile Town actually lacked any scenic beauty. The origin of its name stemmed from the fact that every household in the town used tiles made of a special kind of blue clay. Consequently, after the Great Liang Dynasty established its dominance, the town was named Blue Tile, but in reality, the town had neither literati nor picturesque landscapes akin to the reaches of Jiangnan. Even a meager stream, hardly qualifying as such, often dried up during the summer and winter seasons. Most of the town's residents were uneducated, and apart from the renowned kilns in the town, there was hardly anything remarkable.

At this moment in the afternoon, a large group of children who had finished lunch ran out of their respective homes and scattered throughout the town in groups, running around and playing. The sounds of their cheerful laughter echoed through the town, bringing a sense of joy to anyone who heard it. An elderly man with gray hair walked slowly from the end of the main street. Upon seeing this old man approaching, the children who had been playing paused in their games, afraid of accidentally bumping into this old man. Indeed, the old man was frail and seemed as vulnerable as a weed in the autumn wind; ready to fall at any moment. A collision with these children could send him into the grave.

Actually, the town was not large. The children spent their days running and playing around, they were familiar with almost everyone in the town,. However, as they looked at the old man, they could not help but find him unfamiliar.

Only a few scattered children knew that the old man had recently arrived in the town. According to the elderly residents who had lived in the town for a long time, the old man was actually not an outsider. He was the owner of the dilapidated courtyard on the east side of the town. However, having lost his parents at a young age and having no ties afterwards, he had ventured out into the world. It had been many years since he left, so many that no one knew exactly how long it had been. Nevertheless, those of his generation had long since become mounds of yellow earth on the mountain outside the town.

Now that the old man has returned to the town, the elderly residents say it's like "fallen leaves returning to their roots."

The children watched as the old man walked past, then resumed their interrupted games.

The hunchbacked old man arrived at the end of the main street, where there was a small tavern. He handed over the wine gourd in his hand and said with a smile, "Bring me a jug."

After saying this, the old man asked again, "Where's your mother?"

Today, the tavern was not run by the charming woman who sold alcohol, but by a young girl who seemed to be only eleven or twelve years old. She took the wine gourd and said softly, "Mother isn't feeling well today, so I'm taking care of the shop for her."

The old man nodded with a smile and said, "Although we've made it through winter, these early days of spring are still cold. You should wear more layers."

The girl nodded and, as she poured the alcohol for the old man, she suddenly said, "Mother was mentioning the other day that you've been using this wine gourd for many years. right? She said that even if you fill it with water, it's hardly distinguishable from alcohol, so you don't really need to spend money on alcohol."

The old man chuckled, "It's just a bit of money. You can deceive everything, except your mouth. What are deceiving it for?"

The girl was just joking. At the old man's remark, she nodded her head.

After pouring the alcohol, the girl handed the wine gourd to the old man and said, "It's still two coins."

The old man fished out an ordinary money pouch from his bosom, retrieved two Great Liang coins, and then took out a few more. "I probably won't be able to come tomorrow. Could you do me a favor, young lady, and bring another flask of wine to me?"

The girl only took two Great Liang coins from the old man's palm, then quickly smiled and said, "The town isn't big, so it won't take long to make a trip. Tomorrow, I reckon my mother will be able to manage the shop. If she's still not feeling well in the morning, I'll bring it to you after closing up shop?"

The old man nodded with a smile, "No rush, no rush. Whenever you have time is fine."

With that said, the old man waved his hand and began to hobble away.

Suddenly, the girl asked, "The old people in town say you're also from here, but you left to explore many years ago. Is that true?"

Only then, did the old man turn around slowly again. Looking at the girl, he chuckled, "Yes. I went out for a trip, and in the blink of an eye, I became old. But still haven't accomplished anything. It's tough out there!"

As if opening a floodgate, the girl quickly asked again, "Did you never marry or have children?"

The old man shook his head, "Had a wife, but she's been gone for many years. My daughter has also married."

The girl frowned, "Then why didn't your daughter accompany you back? You're all alone."

The old man seemed quite relaxed, with a smile on his face as he replied, "You don't understand, little girl. Once a daughter is married, it's like water that's tossed out. She's no longer my daughter. She has a husband and a new family of her own. Besides, I don't want her to accompany me. It's nice to be alone."

The girl was a bit angry and said, "This doesn't make any sense."

The old man smiled, "There are plenty of things in this world that don't make sense."

The girl smiled and said, "But don't feel sad. Whenever I have time, I'll come to see you, chat with you, and keep you company."

The old man nodded with a smile, not refusing.

Afterward, the old man turned around unsteadily. Along the way, each step he took was accompanied by a sip of alcohol. The town was not big, so it did not take long for the old man to reach the small courtyard on the east side of town. The wooden door was heavily weathered. In reality, when he returned, the lock on the door had long since rusted shut. He had not bothered to replace it, and did not bother to lock the door at night either, choosing to just live like this.

Entering the courtyard, the old man lay down on a reclining chair, and the wine gourd was left on the table nearby.

The old man narrowed his eyes, as if reminiscing about his life.