Chapter 1202: A Path of Severance
“God, great-grandfather, stop. I don’t want to be like you, locking myself up in a room all day and staying there several months or even years on end. It’s so boring. I like to manage the Flame Mercenaries. Look, the Flame Mercenaries have become so prosperous under my management. This is much more interesting than locking yourself up everyday,” Bi Lian replied in satisfaction. She felt that she had accomplished much.
Bi Hai angrily glared at her. He seemed very stern, but there was unconcealable affection in his eyes. He angrily said, “You’re far too disobedient. What accomplishments can you achieve by spending all your time on this mess? If you don’t cultivate properly, you will be wasting all the valuable heavenly resources your brother has spent on you. If you really want to help your brother, then cultivate properly. This is much more useful than managing this mess. No matter how well you manage this, you will not be as useful as a Saint King. They can turn everything you’ve built into nothing with just a wave of their hand.”
Bi Lian found what Bi Hai said to be reasonable, so she did not rebuke him. She stuck out her tongue mischievously and grabbed one of Bi Hai’s hands, shaking it gently. She sweetly said, “Great-grandfather, of course I understand that. Actually, you don’t know how much harder I’ve been working on my cultivation lately.”
“How much harder? Hmph, do you really think that I don’t know what you’re doing just because I’m not by your side all the time? There’s twenty four hours in a day and you only spend four or five hours cultivating. Is that called working hard?” Bi Hai had nowhere to vent his anger. He really could do nothing to his clever great-granddaughter right in front of her, and he would often become exhausted by what she did.
As the most authoritative member of the Flame Mercenaries, Bi Lian actually avoided the furious Bi Hai. She arrived beside Jian Chen and looked at him pleadingly, “Brother, look how severe great-grandpa is. I’m the only girl in the family, and he always wants to lock me up in a dark, scary basement. I know you care for me the most, right? Please persuade him for me. I know your words are like an imperial edict. It’s more useful than anything, and even grandpa Bi Hai won’t ignore them.”
“You brat…” Bi Hai was utterly furious. He pointed at Bi Lian but could say nothing for quite some time.
Jian Chen looked at Bi Lian’s pitiful appearance in affection and smiled, “Lian’er, grandpa’s right. Becoming powerful yourself is much more important than anything else. You should leave the many matters of the mercenaries to others when you need to.”
“Okay brother, I understand.” Clearly, Bi Lian listened to Jian Chen more. As soon as he said something, she became docile, but a mischievous light appeared in her eyes. She said, “Brother, if you stay and guard the city, a lot of the matters that I worry over will be gone. That way, I can spend more time on cultivation.”
Jian Chen stared at his sister, unsure of how to react. He said, “Lian’er, I really don’t have much time. How about this: I’ll stay in the city for the next two days, and I’ll work with grandpa to guide you in your cultivation.”
Afterward, Jian Chen passed a Space Ring to Bi Lian before temporarily settling down in the city. The Space Ring contained all the remaining Class 5, 6, and 7 Monster Cores from the Heaven’s Incense School, but all the Class 7 Monster Cores went to Bi Hai to hold. He only gave the other monster cores to Bi Lian to distribute.
At the same time, in the desolate wilderness, a burly man in horrible condition walked with difficulty. He was disheveled and his clothes were torn in many places. He was bare-footed as well, so he seemed just like a beggar. A few vicious gashes were present on his body, all signs of being bitten by magical beasts or being cut by weapons.
Even though the man was very heavily injured, his steps were still filled with vigor. He traveled like the wind, as if he was completely fine.
The man stopped and pulled out a map to check. Afterward, he swept away his messy hair, revealing two eyes that were as profound as the starry sky.
“With this speed, I’ll be able to get to him in another month,” mumbled the man before putting the map away and continuing on his way.
At this moment, a figure flew over from afar. He landed and walked beside the disheveled man. He was a young person in blue robes, and only seemed to be around thirty years of age. His appearance was rather striking.
“Kid, I just went to a city a hundred kilometers away and bought some roast chicken and some good liquor. Let’s sit down and have a good meal,” the young man pulled out two roasted chickens from his Space Ring as he spoke to the disheveled man. He threw one over casually.
The two of them clearly knew each other extremely well since they did not greet each other at all. Holding the roast chicken in one hand and a flask of liquor in the other, they sat down and began wolfing down the food.
“Kid, I gotta give it to you for you determination and resolution. There’s so many magical beasts you can ride, but you just have to insist on walking with your legs. The Tian Yuan Continent is so big. If you just use your legs, you’ll never be able to walk from the east to the west even in your entire lifetime. Your home is so far away as well. Why don’t I take you along with me as I travel? You probably need another year or two before you can walk back.” The young man said with his mouth full.
The disheveled man swallowed his mouthful of food and stared at the young man with his deep eyes. He seriously replied, “Senior, all life is wise, and all of it is nurtured by the world. We humans are only the few among them. As soon as the opportunity arises, we can comprehend the true essence of the world.
“The world is wondrous, and the earth that forms this world is filled with a vast and unbelievably wondrous power. When you walk on the ground with your two feet, you can sense this power. You can sense the veins of the world and then comprehend the true essence of the world through the wondrous power and the veins.”
“What’re you saying? The earth has a vast and unbelievably wondrous power? Really? Why don’t I feel it?” The young man stood on the ground and walked around to confirm what he had just said.
“Senior, you can’t sense it because your opportunity still has not arisen, or you lack something,” the disheveled man replied in serious voice. He did not seem like he was joking at all.
The young man broke into laughter. He sat back down next to the disheveled man and laughed, “To think that I, Greed King Wang Yixiao, a great Saint Ruler who’s only a step away from Saint King, would be described so horribly by a mere Earth Saint Master in such a place. This really is funny. Kid, what do I lack? What is that thing you say that I lack?”
“You lack…” The disheveled man sank into his thoughts. After pondering seriously for a while, he shook his head in confusion in the end. He said, “I don’t know what senior lacks either.”
“You really are one interesting kid. If it weren’t for the fact that the cultivation method I practice is special and I can feel whether someone is telling a lie or not, I would definitely think that you’re tricking me. Kid, do you know what the outcome for those who trick me are?” Feng Yixiao said.
“I can also feel that senior is someone who kills without second thought and that your hands are covered by the blood of countless people. All those who offend senior end up dead without exception,” the disheveled man responded at ease.
“You’re not afraid?” Feng Yixiao looked at the disheveled man.
The man shook his head, “The world has no attachments. When all sentient creatures are born, they also hold no attachments. The so-called seven desires and six emotions only came into existence after birth. I walk a path of the world, a path of severance, a path of liberation, so I obviously need to severe my seven emotions and six desires. I obviously do not fear death. I have already severed that fear.”
“You sure are weird kid. I’ve wandered the continent for over a thousand years, and I’ve seen countless other people of all shapes and sizes, but you really are the first. You just said that you walk a path of severance and that you will severe the seven emotions and six desires. If that’s the case, why do you still want to go home? If it’s been severed already, is there still any point in returning?” Feng Yixiao asked out of curiosity.
“I’ve already severed most of the emotions and desires that came into existence after birth, but I can’t severe the last portion.” The man suddenly became sorrowful. Tears rolled from his eyes and he painfully said, “I can’t forget my dad, much less my mum. My mum only has me as her only son, so if she loses me, she will be in so much pain that she would wish she was dead. And my sister and two brothers, I can’t forget them, nor do I dare to forget them. I don’t want to become a person who is heartless. I can’t severe this last part, I can’t. I can’t…” The disheveled old man had basically yelled out the last parts. He was filled with sorrow.
Feng Yixiao stopped eating and stared at the man. Only after a long while later did he sigh gently, “You walk a different path of cultivation. Although I am unable to understand just what it is, I know that the path is extremely brutal. It is not suitable for the current you, so if it doesn’t work, just choose another.”
The disheveled man shook his head and said, “I have a feeling that I have no other path I can continue down aside from this one.”