Be a proper Taoist priest in The Condor Heroes

Chapter 62 Farewell in Xiangyang

Su Yan led Su Ye out slowly through the side gate of the Prince's Mansion. As they walked to the alley entrance under the sycamore tree, they saw three familiar figures standing in the setting sun. They were Zhou Tai and Zhang Cheng from Weiyuan Escort Agency, as well as the enthusiastic young man, A Wu.

The three had obviously been waiting for a long time. A-Wu stood on tiptoe and peered into the alley. When he saw Su Yan's figure, his eyes lit up instantly.

Since the news of the bandits being wiped out at Black Wind Ridge and the Xu family being brought to justice in court spread throughout Xiangyang City, the chivalrous deeds of Su Yan and Su Ye have long been passed down by word of mouth among the people.

The Weiyuan Escort Agency had traveled with Su Yan before. A Wu had always admired this highly skilled Quanzhen Taoist priest. Now, after hearing that he had single-handedly crippled the bandit leader One-Eyed Dragon and brought down the Xu family, a powerful force in Xiangyang, he regarded Su Yan as a true hero in the martial arts world and was filled with respect for him.

Su Yan paused slightly, understanding dawning on her.

"Master Su! Miss Su!"

A-Wu ran forward first, his face full of excitement and admiration, his tone tinged with joy, "We heard you were leaving Xiangyang today, so we came to see you off! Your deeds in wiping out Black Wind Ridge and dealing with the evil Xu family are being told throughout Xiangyang. Everyone says you're a living god who rid the people of evil!"

Zhou Tai also stepped forward quickly, solemnly cupped his fists to Su Yan, and said, "Master Su, everyone in our Weiyuan Escort Agency has the utmost respect for you. We have no way to repay you, so we have come here to see you off."

Zhang Cheng followed behind, carrying a coarse cloth bundle. He stepped forward and handed the bundle to Su Yan, his expression sincere. "Master Su, thanks to you for diagnosing my mother's illness and prescribing medicine these past few days, her chronic ailment has improved significantly. She has been constantly expressing her gratitude. Knowing that you are traveling far away today, my mother made some mixed grain snacks by hand overnight. They are not worth much, but they are a token of her love. I hope you will accept them, Master, so that they may have something to eat on your journey."

Su Yan took the package, her fingertips touching the lingering warmth on it, and her heart stirred slightly.

Throughout his life, he only sought to act with a clear conscience and never expected anything in return. Now, this simple gesture warmed his heart more than gold or jewels. He nodded slightly and said humbly, "The three of you needn't stand on ceremony; it was just a small favor. Brother Zhang, please thank your mother for me. I'll accept the snacks."

His gaze swept over the three men. Although the Xu family had been brought to justice, their remnants inevitably remained in Xiangyang City. Weiyuan Escort Agency, having been involved in escort missions for many years, was bound to encounter trouble. He immediately instructed, "Chief Escort Zhou, Xiangyang has just experienced turmoil, and the situation in the city is not yet completely stable. The escort agency must be extra cautious when undertaking escort missions in the future, especially on remote routes. Do not let your guard down."

Zhou Tai felt a warmth in his heart and quickly replied, "Thank you for the reminder, Daoist Master. I will remember it! I will be extra careful in the future. I also wish you and Miss Su a safe and smooth journey!"

Ah Wu clenched his fists, looking at Su Yan with eyes full of longing. "Master Su, I want to be like you in the future, to learn martial arts, to uphold justice, and to protect those around me!"

Su Yan looked at the enthusiasm in the boy's eyes, smiled faintly, nodded, and said nothing more.

The journey through the martial world is long and arduous. It's easy to talk about chivalry, but difficult to truly uphold it. He only hopes that this young man can preserve the purity in his heart and not let the chaos of the world wear down his edges.

The four exchanged pleasantries for a few moments at the alley entrance. Knowing his journey was urgent and he couldn't linger, Su Yan immediately bowed to the three of them in farewell, saying, "I will remember your kindness. Farewell for today, and may we meet again someday."

"Take care, Taoist priest!"

"Take care, Miss Su!"

The three of them saw Su Yan and Su Ye off in unison, watching their figures gradually disappear into the distance until they vanished at the end of the street before slowly turning away.

Su Ye stayed by Su Yan's side the whole time, her small hand gently clutching his sleeve, remaining silent the entire way.

Having lived a life of hardship and displacement since childhood, she had long been accustomed to observing from the sidelines. Yet, seeing the deep respect those people showed towards Su Yan, a strange sense of pride welled up within her. In her world, Su Yan was her only support, the benefactor who saved her from suffering, her master and elder brother with unparalleled martial arts skills, and the person she was willing to give everything to protect.

Others admired Su Yan's chivalry, but she only cared about Su Yan's safety. As long as she could stay by Su Yan's side, she would be willing to go anywhere.

As the two approached the west gate of Xiangyang, the soldiers guarding the city, having already heard of Su Yan's chivalrous reputation, bowed respectfully upon seeing him approach, daring not to obstruct him in the slightest. Su Yan nodded slightly, then led Su Ye straight out of the city gate and onto the dirt road to the west of the city.

Far from the hustle and bustle of Xiangyang City, the surroundings gradually quieted down, with only the rustling of the wind through the grass and trees. Su Yan slowed his pace, turned his head to look at Su Ye beside him, and spoke.

"During my stay in Xiangyang, I searched extensively, but I found no trace of the Bodhi Serpent or the Divine Eagle. The people in the city are accustomed to the mundane world and know very little about the hidden realms in the deep mountains. I suppose these two are hidden in the continuous mountains to the west of the city."

He pondered to himself that he knew from his previous life that the Dugu Sword Family was hidden deep in the western mountains of Xiangyang, the burial place of the previous Sword Demon Dugu Qiubai. This journey westward was to follow the clues to find the location of the Sword Tomb.

The Bodhi Serpent is a unique beast found only around the Sword Tomb. Finding it allows one to pinpoint the location of the Sword Tomb. He didn't tell Su Ye about this in detail, not because he was deliberately hiding it, but because it involved secrets that transcended time and space, which were impossible to explain, and he didn't want to cause her any more confusion.

Su Ye looked up at him, her clear eyes filled with a hint of confusion, and softly broke the silence.

"Brother Yan, I don't quite understand. The Xu family has endless money and countless properties, living a more stable and noble life than most people in Xiangyang City. Why would they collude with bandits, kidnap people, and kill them? They already have so much, why are they still not content?"

She had lived a life of wandering in the chaos of war since childhood. She had seen refugees fighting for half a piece of coarse grain cake, and the elderly and weak dying of cold and hunger on the streets. But she could never understand why those who stood on high ground and had no worries about food and clothing would be swayed by endless greed and commit heinous crimes.

Upon hearing this, Su Yan paused slightly, gazing at the distant, layered green mountains. The wind brushed against his clothes, and he subconsciously quoted from the classics of Taoist sages in his reply.

"No misfortune is greater than discontent, no fault is greater than greed. Therefore, contentment is true contentment."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ye's brows furrowed into small knots, her head drooped slightly, she secretly rubbed her temples, and even stuck her tongue out at Su Yan, looking like she had a terrible headache and couldn't listen to anything.

She was born with a dislike for reading, and her head would spin at the mere mention of Taoist classics, making her unable to understand a single word.

Seeing this, Su Yan sighed and gently rubbed his forehead. He had no choice but to abandon the obscure language and reinterpret it in the most straightforward and plain language.

"That is to say, the most terrible disaster for people is dissatisfaction, and the biggest mistake is greed. Human nature is like this. No matter how rich and powerful the Xu family is, they are too greedy. They want more and more, want to control all the businesses in Xiangyang, and want everyone to fear them. That's why they dared to collude with bandits to do these things."

Su Ye's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded her head rapidly, her headache from before completely gone.

Su Yan smiled slightly and said again.

"Those who do not avoid what they hate, and do not refuse what they like, are not those who truly understand the nature of life and death."

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself from speaking.

"In other words, people only focus on what they want, desperately grabbing and fighting, but forgetting to guard their true nature. Once they have a thousand coins, they want ten thousand; once they become emperor, they want to become immortal. Once greed arises, it's like a boulder rolling down a mountain, it can't be stopped, and in the end it will only destroy them."

Su Ye's face lit up with understanding, her eyebrows curving into a smile.

"So if I have one steamed bun and experience the joy of that one bun, and I have two steamed buns and experience the joy of both, is that happiness?"

Su Yan looked at her straightforward and unpretentious manner and chuckled as he tapped her forehead.

He raised his hand and patted the bag at his waist. Dry rations, wound medicine, self-defense needles, climbing ropes, a tinderbox, and healing herbs were already prepared. He was meticulous and knew that the Western Mountains were desolate for hundreds of miles, with countless dangers lurking in the dense forests and deep valleys. He had to be wary of wild beasts and treacherous places. This search for the Sword Clan was, in fact, a long and secretive journey.

Su Ye was no longer confused and returned to her usual obedient self, following closely beside Su Yan with light steps.