"I just want to be alone."
Ren Yuanhao showed none of the world-defying aura described by the warriors. To put it bluntly, he looked like a defeated dog.
Mu Yunyan had not given up. She continued, "There's a long table banquet being set up outside. Brother Bao, those warriors are all waiting for you to attend."
Ren Yuanhao suddenly clutched his chest, his brow furrowed. Mu Yunyan was startled.
"What's wrong, Brother Bao?"
"I'm fine. My chest just feels a little tight. Don't worry about me. Let me be alone for a while, I'll be alright soon."
Ren Yuanhao's tone carried a hint of pleading.
"Alright, Brother Bao. Just call me if you need anything. I'll be right outside."
"Thanks."
Ren Yuanhao curled up, feeling a chill that no amount of blankets could warm. His mind was filled with the images of Cheng Li, followed by Shen Lan Ni, Ye Lan, Yang Ling Xue, Ji Fu, and Zhang Ying Fang. He had initially thought the system had changed his life, making him rich and solving the problems of countless women, only to find himself trapped in a peculiar cycle.
This cycle was Ren Yuanhao's prison.
Upon realizing this, Ren Yuanhao's mood finally eased slightly. He sat up and walked out of the room.
The firelight reflected on his face, and his shadow grew longer as he walked forward.
"Look, our great hero, the foremost warrior of Sand City, has arrived!"
The speaker was the same warrior who had drunk with him yesterday. With his arms crossed over his chest, he bowed in a half-kneeling posture.
This was the highest respect Sand City showed to a warrior. Ren Yuanhao deserved it.
"I am not the foremost warrior. I couldn't even protect one woman."
Ren Yuanhao picked up the fire wine. Yesterday, he had felt he could easily drink seven or eight pots, but the moment the wine touched his lips, it tasted overwhelmingly bitter, making him cough repeatedly.
At this moment, an old man leaning on a charred wooden staff walked up to Ren Yuanhao and said slowly, "Brother, the dead cannot be brought back to life. She has merely returned to the embrace of the Wolf God. Death is but a long sleep. As long as someone remembers her, she will be immortal. Brother, you shouldn't dwell on the present."
He then pointed to the sky full of stars. "A person's life is but a drop in the ocean. The most important thing is to be true to yourself. To die in a way you are willing is also a form of归宿 (guīsù - destination/resting place). The Snake Woman died in the way she wished. She is watching you from above."
Ren Yuanhao followed the direction the old man pointed. The sky was clear and serene, with countless stars humming softly in the vast universe. He thought that perhaps the ancients were right; after death, people eventually turned into stars in the sky. Some stars were dim, while others were brilliant. One could not choose their birth, nor their death. To die in a way they desired was indeed a form of good fortune.
"Thank you, I understand."
As Ren Yuanhao was about to drink, another warrior approached, holding a saber and respectfully presenting it.
"Warrior, this is your spoils of war."
Ren Yuanhao took the saber. He drew it from its scabbard. The blade was incredibly clear and cold. With a mere movement, the blade cut through the air, emitting faint hums. The blade was extremely thin, with a thick spine, and it felt perfectly balanced in his hand!
Unfettered, it was called Bai Pi!
"It truly is a good saber." Ren Yuanhao examined it repeatedly and suddenly noticed the纹理 (wénlǐ - grain/pattern) on the hilt, which indeed bore the carving of a wolf.
The old man looked at the saber, then at Ren Yuanhao, and then burst into hearty laughter. "Since ancient times, a treasured saber has been paired with a hero. This blade, once wielded by the Wolf God, naturally belongs in the hands of the foremost warrior. However~"
The old man paused, then looked meaningfully into Ren Yuanhao's eyes. "Brother, do you think that the art of killing was born with the intention of saving lives, or for the purpose of killing?"
Ren Yuanhao pondered for a moment, then planted the Bai Pi saber upright in the sand. "I think this question depends on the person wielding the weapon. Even if a person masters upright and righteous martial arts, if their thoughts are bent on harming others, their orthodox martial arts might become a killing technique. Conversely, if a person cultivates demonic or wicked arts, but dares to be the first to save people from dire straits, then their wicked martial arts will become techniques that can save the world."
"Well said, well said! The fact that you can think this way shows you are not a rigid person. Brother, come with me."
The old man swayed as he entered a seemingly simple, low house. Ren Yuanhao followed closely.
Upon entering, the old man lit an oil lamp.
The moment the firelight flared, Ren Yuanhao was stunned by everything before him.
The room was not large. Apart from a table and a bed, there were books piled up like a small mountain.
"So many books, how long will it take to read them all~"
Although Ren Yuanhao had a college degree and had endured the greatest apocalyptic event, the 'Gaokao' (college entrance examination), he considered himself quite intelligent. However, faced with mountains of books, he felt overwhelmed, immediately recalling the countless pen refills he had discarded and the fear of being dominated by endless practice questions.
"These are mostly '異書' (yìshū - strange/unusual books). Sometimes, I can't even finish one in a month." The old man carefully stepped onto the bed, gingerly took out a key from the side of the headboard, and then mysteriously opened a box in a hidden compartment beside the bed. He reverently held a very tattered ancient book.
He wiped away the mold spots on the ancient book, a hint of fear on his face, and then handed it to Ren Yuanhao.
"After reading so many books, I've only recently come to understand one thing: everyone lives to pass on certain objects, and then, at a destined time, hand them over to someone. Only then is their mission complete, and their meaning of life fulfilled. My meaning of life, perhaps, is to hand this item to you."
Ren Yuanhao took the heavy book. There were no characters on the cover, and its thickness was more than four times that of the secret manuals he usually practiced. Opening the cover, the main text did not begin with general principles but narrated, in a storytelling fashion, the origin, evolution, and extension of the five energies: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water.
"This is~"
The old man patted Ren Yuanhao's shoulder and said, "This book, Lü Yèhè Zuǒbó has been frantically searching for. However, he never would have imagined that this book would be hidden in the hands of a storyteller like me."
The old man clapped his hands and laughed heartily. "It details the cultivation methods of the five energies, a treasure for cultivators, espers, and inner force practitioners. Unfortunately, much of the content is lost. If one has not previously read or practiced books related to Qi cultivation, they will not be able to understand this book at all. Furthermore, due to missing pages, it may sometimes require personal insight to connect the context in crucial parts. Therefore, the difficulty of cultivation is very high."