Chapter 10
Volume 1: Chapter 19: Refugee (1)
The moment Miao Yi fulfilled his requests, Lao Bai didn’t go back on his words. He stopped ‘preventing’ Miao Yi from leaving. But in reality, he had never stopped him; it was more of a reminder. However, Miao Yi would always carry out his reminders no matter what.
As Miao Yi’s name had suggested, he possessed the willpower that Lao Bai admired. And Miao Yi himself was more self-aware than Lao Bai had initially thought, which saved him from additional preparations or approaches that he was prepared to do.
The wooden raft, built from the freshly chopped timber, was pushed into the sea. Miao Yi tied his messy long hair into a bun and secured it with a wooden hairpin.
He jumped onto the wooden raft holding a wooden spear, then turned around to grin at Lao Bai, revealing a row of white teeth.
Miao Yi was really leaving. Since the moment he arrived at this island, he had gradually grown from a mature teenager into the st.u.r.dy youth he was today. His appearance changed considerably over time. And all of this happened in a flash of ten years.
Ten years had pa.s.sed. He was really going to leave.
"Lao Bai, you really don’t want to go with me?" Miao Yi stood on the bamboo raft and asked.
Lao Bai shook his head and laughed softly, "Please take care of yourself. From now on, I won’t be able to guide you on whatever obstacles you face. Remember, from today onwards, you have to depend on yourself!"
Miao Yi nodded heavily. He looked at Lao Bai with conflicting emotions and said, "I should really thank you."
Lao Bai smiled gently at him, "No need to thank me, if I’m ever in need of your help next time, I hope you won’t turn me down."
Miao Yi patted his chest and a.s.sured him, "As long as it is something that I can do, I definitely won't refuse you."
Lao Bai nodded, "I hope you will remember what you have said today."
"I won’t forget," Miao Yi a.s.serted. But after that, he scratched his head and asked hesitantly, "Lao Bai, the ‘Fiery Star Technique’ that I’m cultivating isn’t too bad compared to those other cultivators, right?"
"I have never compared it with other cultivations, so I can’t answer your question. Good or bad, you will know for certain when the time comes. But you must remember one thing."
"What is it?"
"Arts shouldn’t be spread around. The techniques you have cultivated on your own will be the foundation that will save your life. Do not give them away so easily, otherwise, you will bring calamity upon yourself. You must remember! You must!"
"You’ve told me this numerous times already. I still remember, it’s considered taboo in the world of cultivation!" After Miao Yi had finished, a gust of sea breeze blew in from the east. He raised his hand to feel the wind, then shouted, "The wind has come, Lao Bai, I really have to go now. Are you really sure that you don’t want to come with me?"
Lao Bai waved his hands lightly, then turned his back and left with no words of farewell.
Miao Yi raised his painted sailcloth, which was immediately blown by the sea breeze, and then pushed the raft into the vast waters. He looked at Lao Bai’s silhouette and shouted once more, "Lao Bai, you have so much knowledge, it’s really a pity that you don’t cultivate. Please carefully reconsider it again when I’m gone."
Lao Bai walked towards the mountain forest with his back facing Miao Yi. The edge of his lips curved, dismissing Miao Yi with a smile&h.e.l.lip;
Navigating with the wind and the current, the wooden raft imbued with transcendence energy sailed at full speed ahead.
He watched as the island slowly disappeared from the sea’s horizon.