14: Chapter 14 Leaving Home

When he returned to Qingzhou City, it was already dusk the next day.

Chen Yuanji did not travel with Tie Yue's group, but instead returned alone ahead of them.

He passed through the South Gate of Qingzhou City and walked along the familiar streets toward the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate.

The streets were bustling with pedestrians; the hawking of vendors, the laughter of children, and the storytelling from the teahouses intertwined, painting a scene of a peaceful and prosperous era.

No one knew that this youth in a cyan robe with a calm expression had just killed two Tier 2 Yao Beasts in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, withstood a Guiyuan Realm Peak Deacon of the Tiandao Sect, and was about to leave this city where he had lived for eighteen years.

The main gate of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate was as majestic as ever.

The two guards saw Chen Yuanji, and complex expressions flashed in their eyes—the news had already spread back, and everyone in the estate knew that the illegitimate son once called a "waste" was actually a hidden expert.

"Young Master Yuanji." The guards bowed respectfully.

Chen Yuanji nodded and walked straight into the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate.

In the main hall, Chen Tianxiong had already received the news and was sitting in the main seat waiting for him.

Tie Yue had returned to the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate a step earlier than Chen Yuanji and was currently standing beside Chen Tianxiong, whispering something.

Seeing Chen Yuanji enter, the two stopped talking simultaneously.

"Father." Chen Yuanji cupped his hands in greeting.

Chen Tianxiong looked at him, his gaze complex.

He had never paid attention to this son.

Just an illegitimate son; his mother was a maid who died in childbirth. He had been sickly since childhood, his yuan pulse was atrophied, and he was dispensable in the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate.

After Chen Yuanji turned ten, he hadn't even looked at him properly.

But now, Tie Yue told him that this "waste" son had killed two Tier 2 Yao Beasts with two strikes in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, withstood a Guiyuan Realm Peak Deacon of the Tiandao Sect without falling behind, and was protected by a mysterious old man who was at least in the Shentong Realm.

"Tie Yue has told me everything." Chen Tianxiong's voice was a bit hoarse. "How long have you been hiding this?"

"I have been hiding since birth." Chen Yuanji said calmly, "But it wasn't me who wanted to hide; it is because this body was born with an atrophied yuan pulse, and I had to find another path."

"Another path?" Chen Tianxiong frowned.

"Not cultivating Origin Qi, but cultivating the Physical Body." Chen Yuanji did not elaborate. "Father only needs to know that I have the ability to protect myself, and that is enough."

Chen Tianxiong was silent for a long time. "You are leaving?" he asked.

"Yes." Chen Yuanji nodded. "The Tiandao Sect has already targeted me. If I stay at the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate, I will only bring disaster upon it. Leaving is better for everyone."

Chen Tianxiong's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he just let out a long sigh. "How much do you know about your mother?" he suddenly asked.

Chen Yuanji's heart stirred: "Not much. I only know she was a maid of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate and died in childbirth."

"That is a lie." Chen Tianxiong closed his eyes, a look of pain flashing across his face. "Your mother was not a maid; her surname is Jiang, and she came from the Jiang Clan, one of the Seven Ancient Clans."

The Seven Ancient Clans! Chen Yuanji was shocked. Old Xuan had mentioned the Seven Ancient Clans to him; they were hidden forces that stood above the Imperial Dynasty, and every Family possessed ancient Bloodlines and incredible Divine Abilities. The Jiang Clan was the most mysterious branch among the seven, rumored to master powers related to time.

"Your mother's name was Jiang Waner, and she was the legitimate daughter of the Jiang Clan Chief." Chen Tianxiong's voice was low. "Back then, when I was traveling the world, I met her in the Eastern Desolate Region. We fell in love, and she disregarded the opposition of her Family to return to Great Yan with me. The Jiang Clan was furious and sent people to hunt us down. To protect me, your mother used a forbidden technique of the Jiang Clan, which severely damaged her Origin Qi. By the time she gave birth to you, she was already at the end of her life."

Chen Yuanji was silent. In the original owner's memories, his mother was just a blurry shadow. He did not know what his mother looked like, did not know her voice, and did not know anything about her. Because his mother had died the moment he was born.

"Are the people from the Jiang Clan still looking for you?" Chen Yuanji asked.

"Yes." Chen Tianxiong gave a bitter smile. "They have always been looking. Especially for you. You are the heir to the Jiang Clan Bloodline; they will not let you go. The yuan pulse in your body was not atrophied, but was Sealed by the people of the Jiang Clan. They were afraid that you would undergo Awakening of the Jiang Clan's power and become a threat."

A Seal! Old Xuan had said the same thing.

"Can the Seal be broken?" Chen Yuanji asked.

"Yes. But it requires the Bloodline secret technique of the Jiang Clan." Chen Tianxiong looked at him. "If you want to break the Seal, you must go to the Jiang Clan. But with your current strength, going there is just seeking death."

Chen Yuanji nodded without further questioning. He knew what he had to do: become stronger! Strong enough to confront the Jiang Clan, strong enough to break the Seal, strong enough to establish a foothold in this world.

"Father, I would like to visit my mother's grave." Chen Yuanji said.

Chen Tianxiong stood up: "Follow me."

In a corner of the backyard of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate, there was a small grave, with the words "Grave of Jiang Waner" carved on the tombstone. A bunch of withered flowers lay in front of the tombstone; it was evident that someone often came to clean it. Chen Tianxiong stood before the grave, silent.

Chen Yuanji knelt down and kowtowed respectfully three times. "Mother, I have come to see you." He said in a low voice, "Although I have never met you, I know that you paid the price of your life to protect me. Rest assured, I will live on, I will become strong, and I will let the people of the Jiang Clan know that your choice was not wrong." He stood up and turned to look at Chen Tianxiong. "Father, I am leaving."

Chen Tianxiong opened his mouth, but in the end, only said one sentence: "Come back alive."

Chen Yuanji nodded and strode away.

As he walked out the gate of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate, he looked back. The plaque of the Marquis of Zhenguos Estate gleamed with golden light in the setting sun, and the two stone lions in front of the gate were majestic. This was the place where he had lived for eighteen years; although there had been humiliation, cold eyes, and injustice, this was also the most familiar place in the original owner's memories. "Goodbye, Qingzhou."

He turned and disappeared at the end of the long street.

Three days later, outside Qingzhou City, at the edge of the Monster Beast Mountain Range. Old Xuan was already waiting there, and beside him was a jet-black steed. The horse was tall, with long legs and a mane like satin; it was clearly not an ordinary animal.

"Kid, you're quite punctual." Old Xuan laughed. "This is my parting gift to you—a Wuzhui Horse, a mount at the Tier 2 Yao Beast level; traveling two thousand li a day is not a problem."

Chen Yuanji took the reins and patted the neck of the Wuzhui Horse. The horse snorted and rubbed against his hand docilely. "Thank you, Old Xuan."

"What are you thanking me for? There will be plenty of opportunities to thank me later." Old Xuan mounted another white horse. "Let's go; the Eastern Desolate Region is not close to here. At our speed, it will take at least half a month."

Chen Yuanji also mounted his horse and took one last look in the direction of Qingzhou City. On the city wall, a figure was vaguely standing there, watching him from afar—it was Chen Tianxiong. Chen Yuanji did not look back, only gently patted the Wuzhui Horse. "Giddy up." The two steeds galloped away, disappearing into the horizon. Qingzhou City became smaller and smaller, eventually turning into a tiny dot on the horizon.

Meanwhile, tens of thousands of miles away in the Zhongyuan Region, at the mountain gate of the Tiandao Sect. In a huge palace floating in the clouds, a white-haired old man sat cross-legged on a prayer mat, with a communication Jade Slip floating in front of him. The old man had a withered face and sallow skin, looking like he was at the end of his days, but his eyes were deep as an abyss, as if they could see through the Void Realm. He wore a golden robe, and a blood-red character "Tian" was embroidered on his chest—the mark of a Tiandao Sect Elder. Han Qianqiu knelt outside the hall, his forehead pressed to the ground, trembling all over.

"You say that behind that youth, there is an old man who is at least in the Shentong Realm?" The old man's voice was flat, revealing no joy or anger.

"Yes, this Disciple dares not conceal anything." Han Qianqiu said with a trembling voice. "That old man subdued this Disciple in one move; this Disciple had no power to fight back."

"Subduing a Guiyuan Realm Peak in one move, at least a Shentong Realm Late Stage." The old man pondered for a moment. "A Shentong Realm Late Stage... such a person should not be unknown. Did you see his face clearly?"

"This Disciple... this Disciple dared not look closely." Han Qianqiu's forehead broke out in sweat. "The pressure from that old man was too strong; this Disciple couldn't even lift his head."

"Waste." The old man spat out two words indifferently.

Han Qianqiu's body trembled, not daring to argue.

"Go down. I will handle this matter myself."

"Yes!" Han Qianqiu felt as if he had been granted amnesty and scrambled out.

The old man sat on the prayer mat, closed his eyes, and tapped his knees gently with his fingers. "The Legacy of the Martial Dao Divine Court... the martial dao source stone... and that mysterious old man..." He muttered to himself, "It seems that things that have been silent for a thousand years are about to surface again."

He opened his eyes, took out a golden token, and infused it with Origin Qi. The token emitted a dazzling light, and a message spread throughout the entire Tiandao Sect. "All Outer Sect Deacons, hear the order: track down a youth named Chen Yuanji with all your might. I want to see him alive if he lives, and his corpse if he dies."

Thirty li outside Qingzhou City, on the official road. Chen Yuanji and Old Xuan walked side by side.

"Old Xuan, what kind of place is the Eastern Desolate Region?" Chen Yuanji asked.

"Chaotic." Old Xuan was concise. "There are no Imperial Dynasties there, no Sects, only countless tribes and Yao Race forces. Humans and the Yao Race live together; it is a place of survival of the fittest, where whoever has the biggest fist has the final say."

"Sounds very dangerous."

"Dangerous? Heh." Old Xuan laughed. "For the weak, it is Hell. For the strong, it is Heaven. You will know when you get there, kid."

Chen Yuanji nodded and asked no more. He took out the martial dao source stone from his bosom and held it in his hand. The ancient jade warmed up slightly, and the energy in the source stone was drawn by the ancient jade, slowly seeping into his body. A warm current of air wandered through his body, tempering his bones, tendons, and blood. Although slow, he could feel that every inch of his body was becoming stronger. "The martial dao source stone is indeed useful." Chen Yuanji was satisfied. At this rate, within three months, he should be able to break through to Huajin. Once Huajin is achieved, he would have no rivals within the Guiyuan Realm. Even if he encountered a Shentong Realm Early Stage, he would be able to hold his own.

"Kid, there is a small town ahead; we will rest there tonight." Old Xuan pointed ahead and said.

Chen Yuanji looked up and saw a cluster of low houses in the distance, with smoke curling from kitchen chimneys. Just as he was about to urge his horse to speed up, the ancient jade in his bosom suddenly vibrated violently, issuing a warning.

"There is an ambush." Chen Yuanji reined in his horse, his eyes narrowing. As soon as he finished speaking, a light barrier suddenly rose on the official road ahead, blocking the entire path. The light barrier was covered with dense runes, emitting powerful Origin Qi fluctuations. From the woods on both sides, more than a dozen men in black filed out, surrounding the two of them. Everyone was at least at the Guiyuan Realm, and the leader was a middle-aged man with a sinister face, his aura as deep as the sea, at least at the Shentong Realm Early Stage.

"Chen Yuanji." The middle-aged man looked at him coldly. "Outer Sect Elder of the Tiandao Sect, Liu Wuchang. By the order of the Sect, I invite you to come back and be a guest."

Old Xuan snorted coldly. "The Tiandao Sect is truly like a lingering ghost. I have said that I will protect this kid. If you want to take him, you must first get past me."

Liu Wuchang looked at Old Xuan, a flash of wariness in his eyes. "Senior, your cultivation is profound; this one admits he is no match for you. But this one did not come alone." He clapped his hands. In the sky, three streams of light fell, transforming into three old men, each radiating an aura of the Shentong Realm or above—four Shentong Realm experts.

Old Xuan's expression changed.