Physical immortality begins with Bajiquan

Chapter 84 Farewell

The next day, just as dawn was breaking.

The first rays of morning light climbed onto the green tiles, and the dew on the persimmon tree was blown by the wind, pattering onto the bluestone slabs.

Qin Ting sat on a small stool at the entrance of the main room, holding Qin Heng's blue cloth robe with worn-out cuffs, and was mending it stitch by stitch.

The soft rustling of the silver needle through the fabric was especially clear in the quiet morning. She was sewing so intently that she didn't even notice Qin Heng coming out of the inner room.

Qin Heng held a wooden box in his hand and stood under the eaves watching her for a while. He noticed that since his sister no longer had to get up early in the morning to work at the breakfast stall, her health and complexion had obviously improved a lot.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he said softly, "Sister, I'm preparing to go to the prefectural city to develop my career."

Qin Ting's hand paused abruptly, almost pricking her finger with the silver needle. She subconsciously looked up at Qin Heng, her eyes filled with astonishment, followed by a hint of confusion.

"Xiao Heng, when are you going? Are you going to see your senior brothers and sisters in the prefectural city?" She put down her needlework and her brows furrowed slightly.

"Sister, I'm not going to see them." Qin Heng stepped forward, squatted down next to Qin Ting, and looked into her eyes: "I received a letter of recommendation from the Chen family of Jishui. I can become a disciple of the Seven Yang Sect and go to participate in the inner sect assessment. I have to leave in three days."

Qin Ting's eyes suddenly lit up with an irrepressible, heartfelt joy. Having lived under the rule of the Seven Yang Sect since birth, she naturally understood what the name "Seven Yang Sect" meant to Qin Heng: it meant he could finally leave the small town of Heyang, and it meant his path in martial arts could finally see the true light!

But that glimmer of light lasted only a moment before it was overwhelmed by a deep sense of reluctance, and her eyes gradually reddened.

"Why the rush..." After a long pause, she finally managed to utter a hoarse sentence, quickly wiping her face with her sleeve and forcing a smile, "Xiao Heng, I knew you could amount to something! Our Qin family will definitely prosper again thanks to you!"

Qin Heng reached out and took her hand, placing the wooden box into Qin Ting's hands. "Sister, this contains our family's house deed and two hundred taels of silver notes. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just go to Master, Uncle Zhou's family, or Cui Ran's side. Don't be stingy with the money, and don't mistreat yourself."

Qin Ting let him hold her hand, but her tears fell even harder: "I know... I won't wrong myself. My Xiao Heng is capable. I'll go prepare your clothes and luggage in a bit. We'll have your favorite steamed eggs for lunch. Don't spend the money recklessly; save it for your future wedding. But don't be too frugal either; spend it when necessary. Don't tough it out if you suffer; if you really can't take it, come back home. There will always be food for you. And..."

"Sister," Qin Heng interrupted her, his voice much gentler than usual, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself."

I write you a letter every month to let you know I'm safe and sound.

"Okay, sure." Qin Ting sniffed, nodded vigorously, wiped away her tears, and showed a relieved yet worried smile. "Go on, Xiao Heng. I'll sew you two more undergarments so you'll be comfortable to sleep in tonight. Go to the martial arts school first, don't keep Master Mo waiting. Don't worry about things at home, I'll take care of everything."

"Yes!" Qin Heng responded, then squeezed Qin Ting's hand to comfort her for a while before getting up and walking outside.

In the outer courtyard, the martial arts students were practicing their skills. The sounds of fists and feet cutting through the air and the thuds of wooden dummy being struck mingled together, a typical scene at Songxuan Martial Arts School every morning.

Upon seeing Qin Heng enter, everyone instinctively stopped what they were doing and bowed respectfully. The bloodshed in Heyang had subsided, but Qin Heng's deeds of personally killing Huang Ting and annihilating the century-old Huang family were etched into everyone's hearts like words carved in stone. At this moment, the gazes of the crowd towards him still carried lingering awe and fervent longing.

Qin Heng nodded slightly in response and walked straight to the training ground, where Mo Guangren was standing with his hands behind his back, watching his disciples practice.

"Master." Qin Heng bowed respectfully.

Mo Guangren turned around, looked at him, and asked gently, "Is everything settled?"

"It's settled. We'll depart in three days," Qin Heng said softly. "I've come today specifically to bid farewell to my master."

Mo Guangren nodded, about to speak, when a loud laugh came from outside the courtyard gate, making the leaves fall in a rustling sound: "Old Mo! I've brought you some good wine!"

Before the words were finished, a burly and robust figure strode in. It was Sun Dazhu, the head of the Hongmen Martial Arts School. He was carrying two tightly sealed jars of Heyang strong liquor, followed by Fang Yu. Both of them carried an air of travel-worn travel.

"I'm telling you, you old codger, such a big thing happened the other day, and you didn't even send anyone to tell me!" Sun Dazhu walked up to Mo Guangren and patted him heavily on the shoulder, so hard that Mo Guangren swayed slightly. "If I hadn't just come from the countryside last night..."

Next time I come, I'll come earlier to check it out.

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Qin Heng, sizing him up and down. His face revealed undisguised admiration: "Good lad! You've really got it! That old bastard Huang Ting has been running rampant in Heyang for over a decade, and countless people wanted to touch him but dared not, yet in the end he fell into your hands! Refreshing! Absolutely satisfying!"

Qin Heng bowed slightly to Sun Dazhu: "Thank you for the praise, Senior Uncle. I only did my best and won by luck."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Yu stepped forward and, just like Sun Dazhu, patted Qin Heng's shoulder heavily: "Brother Qin!"

You're amazing! I remember clamoring to spar with you in public, thank goodness we didn't, or I'd be so humiliated! Haha!

Qin Heng immediately noticed that the shirt on his left shoulder was bulging more than his right, and a bit of white bandage was showing at the collar. He frowned slightly and asked, "How's the injury on your shoulder? Qu Yaoyang hit you pretty hard at the celebration banquet. Why didn't you rest for a few more days?"

"Hey! This little injury is nothing!" Fang Yu waved his hand dismissively, but the movement aggravated his wound, causing him to wince and hiss in pain. He still forced a smile and said, "It'll be fine in a few days. If you want me to stay cooped up at home like a little girl, you might as well just kill me!"

Seeing his defiant demeanor, Qin Heng could only smile and nod.

"Come on! Let's not stand here in the training ground, let's go sit in the inner courtyard!" Sun Dazhu carried two jars of wine towards the inner courtyard, his voice booming, "These two jars of wine, we'll finish them all today, they must be emptied! Not a single drop can be left!"

Mo Guangren shook his head helplessly, then turned and called out to someone not far away, "Mingyuan, Xiaofeng, Yiping, come over here too."

Upon hearing this, the three people who were instructing their disciples on their practice immediately came over. The eldest brother, Zhang Mingyuan, finished his stance and clasped his hands in a fist salute, the third brother, Xu Feng, had his empty right sleeve swaying in the wind, and the fifth brother, Li Yiping, wiped the sweat from his forehead. The group followed him into the inner courtyard.

On the stone table in the inner courtyard, Sun Dazhu had already broken the clay seal, and the rich aroma of the wine immediately filled the air. Mo Guangren had his disciples bring several rough porcelain bowls, and Sun Dazhu filled each one to the brim, then picked up his own bowl and drank it all in one gulp: "Forget everything else, let's finish this bowl first! To celebrate Qin Heng's victory!"

Everyone picked up their bowls and drank. They talked only about what happened after the downfall of the Huang family and Cheng Yang. They said that Inspector Chen had purged all of the Huang family's henchmen, taken over the docks and major shops and warehouses, wiped out many gangs in the city overnight, and the prices in the market were gradually returning to normal. The people of Heyang County could finally have some peace and quiet for a while.

After drinking for about half an hour, the two jars of Heyang strong liquor were completely finished. After chatting for a while, Sun Dazhu and Fang Yu got up to say goodbye and leave.

Only the master and his five disciples remained in the inner courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the old locust tree in the courtyard, casting dappled shadows. A breeze blew, and delicate yellow and white petals fluttered down onto the stone table, carrying a faint fragrance.

Li Yiping picked up the empty wine bowl, smiling and exclaiming, "Old Eight is truly amazing! Now our Songxuan Martial Arts School can finally hold its head high in Heyang!"

Qin Heng held the bowl, his fingertips gently stroking the rim. After a moment of silence, he looked up at everyone and said in a calm tone, "Senior Brother, Third Brother, Fifth Brother, I have already spoken with Master. We will be setting off for the prefectural city in three days."

The three of them paused at the same time and looked at Qin Heng and Mo Guangren.

"Go to the prefectural city?" Zhang Mingyuan was taken aback. "What are you going to the prefectural city for? There are still more than two years before the martial arts examination."

"That's not the case." Qin Heng shook his head. "I received a letter of recommendation from the Chen family of Jishui and I'm going to participate in the Seven Yang Sect's inner sect assessment."

"The Seven Yang Sect?!" Li Yiping jumped to her feet, slamming the wine bowl she was holding onto the stone table with a loud thud. Her voice was so loud it almost cracked. "Really? Eighth Junior Brother, you're going to the Seven Yang Sect?! That's the most prestigious sect in the entire Donglin Prefecture!"

Xu Feng's left hand, holding the bowl, trembled slightly. A hint of shock flashed in his eyes, which then turned into deep envy and a trace of barely perceptible loneliness: "It's so nice... to be able to go and see such a vast world as the Seven Suns Sect."

Zhang Mingyuan also snapped out of his daze, a genuine smile spreading across his face. He patted Qin Heng's shoulder heavily, much harder than usual: "Junior brother, this is a great occasion for our martial arts school! I knew you were destined for greatness! This small place like Heyang can't keep you here!"

The news quickly spread to the outer courtyard, and the disciples practicing martial arts flocked to the entrance of the inner courtyard, peeking inside with longing and envy on their faces.

"Alright, alright, go back to your training!" Zhang Mingyuan waved his hand, dismissing his disciples, then turned to Qin Heng, "You're leaving in three days. We're brothers, so we should at least see you off. I'll go to Wangjiang Restaurant and book the best private room. We can all come and have a good time tonight!"

"No need to go to a restaurant, it's too expensive." Qin Heng shook his head. "Let's just stay at my house. My sister doesn't like going to those kinds of places either. I'll invite some relatives and friends, and tomorrow at noon, my sister and Aunt Zhou will cook some home-cooked dishes. We can just have a simple get-together. Eating out doesn't have the same atmosphere as at home."

"Alright then." Zhang Mingyuan nodded immediately, then looked at Li Yiping and Xu Feng, "It's settled then."

"Alright, leave the wine buying to me! I can get the best Heyang aged wine!" Li Yiping volunteered, pulling up a stone bench to sit next to Qin Heng.

Xu Feng smiled and patted Qin Heng's arm with his left hand: "Then I'll go prepare some plum wine. It has a mild and sweet taste, so Sister Qin and the others can have a few sips."

Seeing his disciples chatting so warmly, Mo Guangren smiled faintly and looked at Qin Heng: "You brothers chat for now, come to my study later."

After saying that, he turned and went into the study, leaving the four brothers to continue chatting and laughing.

Li Yiping leaned closer, her eyes sparkling: "Eighth Junior Brother, is the Seven Yang Sect really like the legends say, with mountains full of precious herbs and even the sweeper a master?"

"I've never been there either," Qin Heng smiled. "I'll write to you when I get there."

After chatting for another half hour, Qin Heng got up to say goodbye and headed to his study in the inner courtyard, gently knocking on the door.

"Come in."

Qin Heng pushed the door open and went in, then closed it behind him.

Mo Guangren didn't speak again, and walked straight to the innermost corner of the bookshelf. He raised his hand and pressed down on the thread-bound fist book on the leftmost side of the third shelf.

With a soft "click," a hidden door slid open on the spine of the scorebook.

He reached inside and took out an ebony box about the size of his palm. The box had no decorations on its surface, and the edges were worn smooth and shiny by time, exuding a faint scent of sandalwood.

Mo Guangren opened the box, took out a few silver notes, paused his fingertip on the remaining silver notes, then closed the lid, put the ebony box back into the hidden compartment, pressed the mechanism, and the cabinet wall fit back into place perfectly, without leaving any trace.

He walked over and handed Qin Heng several silver notes.

"Take this five thousand taels first." Mo Guangren's voice was as calm as ever. "The prefectural city is not Heyang. A bowl of noodles on the street costs several times more than here, not to mention social interactions and bribes. A man can only stand tall when he has money in his hands."

Qin Heng looked at the silver note in his hand; it felt heavy. He opened his mouth to speak, but Mo Guangren waved his hand, not allowing him to refuse.

"Take this! This is your confidence as your master!"

Qin Heng clenched the silver note in his hand, then looked up at the white hair at Mo Guangren's temples. His master was only fifty-three years old this year, but half of his hair had already turned white.

He took a step back, then knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing three times solidly. His forehead struck the wooden board with a dull thud.

"I will never forget my master's kindness in this lifetime!"

Mo Guangren stepped forward and helped him up. He patted Qin Heng on the shoulder, and all his unspoken words were condensed into one sentence: "Disciple, take care."

The next day at noon, Qin Heng's courtyard was bustling with activity.

Aunt Zhou arrived with Zhou Ping and Zhou Antian just as dawn broke, bustling about in the kitchen, pots and pans clattering and clanging. Uncle Zhou squatted in the yard chopping wood, swinging the axe with impressive force.

Before long, everyone arrived. Zhang Mingyuan brought his family's silver wine pot and a set of white porcelain bowls, Xu Feng carried two jars of plum wine from the Xu family's private stash, and Li Yiping led the way carrying two large jars of Heyang aged wine. Mo Guangren brought up the rear, carrying a small jar of tiger bone medicinal wine he had brewed himself, his steps steady.

Sun Dazhu had the loudest voice; his voice preceded his entrance, followed by Fang Yu, whose left shoulder was still not fully healed. Cui Ran and Cui Yingying carried several baskets of freshly picked fruits, while Li Xiaona, Li Shoutian, and the Ji brothers, San and Silang, also arrived with several kilograms of braised beef.

No one stood on ceremony; everyone automatically lent a hand to help, some moving tables, others setting out bowls. The courtyard was filled with people moving about and laughing.

Just as Aunt Zhou carried the last plate of stewed chicken out of the kitchen, the courtyard suddenly fell silent.

Everyone looked up and saw Qin Tianbao standing outside the gate, clutching a crumpled cloth bag filled with fruits, his head down and looking somewhat flustered.

No one told him to leave.

Qin Heng glanced at him, raised his hand to open the courtyard gate, and said softly, "Come in and sit down."

Li Yiping immediately ran over, grabbed his left arm, and pulled him into the yard: "Come on, Tianbao, sit next to me."

Bowls and chopsticks were quickly set out, and a table full of steaming home-style dishes filled the air: braised river carp glistened with oil, stewed free-range chicken exuded a rich aroma, cucumber salad was crisp and refreshing, and the fragrance of braised beef mixed with the aroma of wine filled the entire yard.

Everyone sat together, clinking glasses, chatting and laughing. Sun Dazhu pulled Mo Guangren into a drinking contest, his voice louder than anyone else's.

The young people huddled together, making a ruckus, bursting into laughter every now and then; the women sat to the side, eating and chatting about everyday things. No one paid special attention to Qin Tianbao, nor did anyone deliberately ignore him, as if he had always been there.

Qin Heng leaned back on the stone bench, picked up his wine glass, and took a small sip.

The warm wine went down my throat, and the warmth slowly seeped into my stomach.

He watched the figures moving around the courtyard, listened to the laughter rising and falling around him, and gently stroked the rim of his cup with his fingertips, lost in thought.

What was gained through a life-or-death struggle was nothing more than the ordinary life of this courtyard.

Today, there will be no more uninvited guests, nor any hidden dangers.

Two days later, at the inland river dock.

He will set sail, carrying with him the lively atmosphere of this courtyard.

The storm in Heyang has passed.

His journey through the martial world has only just begun.