Chapter 80: Departure (Part One)

"Senior Brother Wang, this is a fine wine that has been treasured in the imperial palace for over a hundred years."

The figure that made Wang Lu's eyes widen sat down across from him, carrying a jar of wine.

"This counterfeit wine, the taste is lacking."

After taking a sip from the jar Wang Lu had just been drinking from, the figure spat it out and promptly tossed the jar aside.

Crash.

The wine jar shattered on the ground, its contents spilling everywhere.

"Hey, hey, what's going on? Why are you smashing our tavern's wine?"

"The jar is broken; you have to pay for it!"

The inn's attendant rushed out from the back upon hearing the commotion, frowning at the sight of the broken jar, ready to argue with Wang Lu's table.

But before he could take a step, a cold, gleaming sword pressed against his throat.

No one knew when the tavern had filled with black-clad guards.

Gulp.

The attendant stared blankly at the sword at his throat, swallowing nervously.

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, pulling blades in my inn?!"

"Go ask around outside—everyone knows Elder Liu of Songcui Mountain is my big brother! You dare cause trouble here, aren't you afraid I'll go to him…"

Shing.

The blade grazed his chest.

Feeling the searing pain at his chest, the innkeeper’s legs began to tremble.

"Sirs, please, make yourselves at home…"

The innkeeper forced a smile that looked worse than a cry.

Li Ju ignored the commotion. He set the wine jar he had brought onto the table.

"Aged imperial tribute wine, treasured for a century, classic cellaring, rich and aromatic."

"If we’re drinking, let’s drink this!"

Li Ju placed a large porcelain bowl before Wang Lu and himself.

Clunk, clunk, clunk.

He filled both bowls to the brim; wine overflowed and streamed across the table.

"…"

Wang Lu silently glanced at Li Ju, who sat across from him, at once familiar and strange. He raised the bowl and downed it in one go.

Li Ju did the same, draining his bowl in a single gulp.

Wang Lu finished his, and Li Ju refilled both their bowls. Not a word passed between them as they drank through more than half the jar in silence.

Meanwhile, all the other guests in the tavern could only watch, trembling. With those black-clad, armed guards standing nearby, no one dared make a move.

Although the guards never actually restricted their freedom.

"Who dares cause trouble at my brother’s inn on Songcui Mountain’s territory—are you tired of living?!"

Suddenly, a rough shout rang out from outside.

"Let’s see today who dares to provoke me—"

Shing.

The sound of a weapon drawn.

"Aaah!"

A wail.

"Spare me, master!"

A plea for mercy.

Splatter!

The sound of blood spraying.

Calm returned outside the inn.

"I… want to ask you…"

Wang Lu took another swig, blocking Li Ju’s hand as he tried to refill his bowl. His voice was slurred with drunkenness.

"Why did you… join the Demon Sect?"

"Have you… forgotten the kindness of our sect?"

"Forgotten… the blood feud that destroyed us?"

Li Ju regarded the drunken Wang Lu. He truly wanted to say he had never received any kindness from the Flying Sword Sect, and apart from the title, he had no real connection to them. But, considering Wang Lu’s fragile state, he knew he could not say such words.

"There are some things you are not ready to know yet."

After a moment’s thought, Li Ju shook his head.

"Then… let me ask you…"

"Are you here… to laugh at your senior brother’s misfortune?"

Wang Lu buried his head on the table, looking thoroughly defeated and drunk.

"…"

Li Ju remembered the spirited young Wang Lu of the past, and now saw only a ruin of a man. He could not help but let out a long sigh.

He knew Wang Lu had fallen to this state entirely because of him. If not for his own actions, Wang Lu would still be the proud young hero he once was.

"This is the Flying Sword technique, the inheritance of our sect."

"In this jade box are two rare treasures that can increase your inner strength, and one that can heal damaged meridians."

Li Ju placed a manual and two jade boxes before Wang Lu.

He had previously acquired five such treasures from the Seventy-Three Gates, then obtained another inner-strength treasure and a meridian-healing treasure from the royal family.

After consuming four of the treasures himself, his inner power had reached the very peak of internal mastery, unable to be increased further. As for the meridian-healing treasure, his body was already too strong for it to have any effect, so it was useless in his hands.

Out of guilt for Wang Lu, he simply brought all three treasures—each capable of buying a city in the martial world—and set them before him.

"Chen Shifeng and Meng He are dead by my hand. The Seventy-Three Gates and Demon Sect will no longer trouble you."

"And as for Hai Yuanyi, as long as I live, he will not dare touch you."

Li Ju poured another bowl of wine.

"I hope that, when we meet again, I will see the man you once were."

After drinking, Li Ju rose, patted Wang Lu’s shoulder, and left.

The black-clad guards followed.

The tavern’s patrons, still shaken, hurriedly scrambled to leave as well.

"…"

Wang Lu lay on the table for a long while before finally lifting his head. He glanced at the treasures and the manual left before him, took them up, and departed the tavern.

A few remaining guests watched his retreating figure, a strange light flickering in their eyes.

Wang Lu wandered through the streets and alleys. When he reached a secluded, deserted lane, a shout came from behind.

"Stop!"

Several burly men with long knives in hand stared greedily at what Wang Lu carried.

"Hand over everything you just got from the tavern!"

Though they didn’t know exactly what he held, anything handed to him by someone so powerful had to be valuable.

"…"

Wang Lu gazed at these greedy men and drew the long sword at his waist, unused for a long time.

This sword had once helped him slay monsters and demons; it had come close to being pawned for wine.

"A useless cripple dares brandish a sword!"

The men sneered, raising their blades as they charged.

They were all seasoned fighters. Though Wang Lu had once been a master, now that his martial arts had been destroyed, he was but a toothless tiger. And they—a pack of wolves.