Chapter Forty-Five: Departure for An City (1)

Mistbrow Mountain—he had spent more than twenty days here. Gu Zhiheng had grown accustomed to everything about this place. Now, as he prepared to leave, he felt a pang of reluctance in his heart.

He had grown used to those eccentric elders who bullied him daily, yet also invited him to drink and chat. He had grown used to Jinghua, that sprout of a boy, who would drag him off at a moment's notice to catch fish and shrimp; he had even become accustomed to his company. It was as if he were both his own child and his younger brother—Gu Zhiheng had grown used to his presence.

Today, he would leave Mistbrow Mountain. As he looked at the familiar surroundings, his heart was heavy. "No need for farewells—it's not as if I won't be back. Next time I return, I'll let you all out to see the world." Call it boasting if they wished, but he only hoped they would leave this place and see the world outside.

"Jinghua, listen well to your grandfather and cultivate diligently." The boy began to cry even before Gu Zhiheng had left. This made the parting all the more difficult; his reluctance deepened at Jinghua's tears.

In the end, he hugged Jinghua tightly, then departed without looking back, clutching his belongings. He had never understood before why farewells brought such heartache, why people looked back again and again as they left. It was because of reluctance, because of longing, because of attachment.

Though they were not family, in this moment they felt closer than kin. To ease the pain in his heart, Gu Zhiheng walked straight down the mountain without pause, only daring to look back once he had reached the foot. He cast a final glance behind him, then set aside his sorrow and moved on.

Why did he feel so reluctant to leave? Perhaps because this place truly felt like home, and its people like family.

He set out alone rather than seeking out Mo Han and the others, embarking on a new journey. He made his way toward Ancheng, where the Deep Earth Octopus could be found.

Walking was too far, so after leaving Mistbrow Mountain, he went to the nearest city and bought a car. Once everything was ready, he set out for Ancheng.

Ancheng was perpetually dry and cold, with scant rainfall. Yet, in such a place, there existed octopuses that should only live in the sea.

Deep beneath Ancheng, at a depth of ten meters, the Deep Earth Octopus—a miraculous creature—survived. When Gu Zhiheng first read about them in ancient texts, he found it hard to believe. But after encountering so many magical creatures, he had no choice but to accept their existence as real.

The Deep Earth Octopus possessed formidable combat power, able to fight while absorbing nutrients from the soil to restore itself. Such a creature would be difficult to subdue.

There were fifty days until the Crimson-Tailed Fox appeared. He hoped that in these fifty days, he could resolve not only the problem of the Deep Earth Octopus.

Driving toward Ancheng, the farther he moved from Mistbrow Mountain, the calmer his heart became.

Gu Zhiheng's departure went unnoticed by Mo Han and the others, who still believed he was at Mistbrow Mountain.

After bidding farewell to Chi Zhou, the three women set out in the opposite direction, heading toward the Wetland Serpent Fish. These creatures were not particularly strong, but they lived in large groups.

Battles with them were a matter of endurance—just a question of who could hold out longer.

The four split into two teams, each embarking on their own new task.

"Hey, sis, I've been busy lately. Are you busy?" Gu Zhiheng kept his departure from Mistbrow Mountain a secret from Chu Xingran.

"Do your best. We're heading out for a while, but when we're back we'll come get you. Just take care of yourself." With a few simple words, they ended the call.

Neither questioned the other's actions; each trusted the other from the heart.

…

Gu Zhiheng found the northwest a bizarre place, its dryness almost unbearable.

The wind stung his cheeks as though knives were slicing his skin. With such a climate, he wondered how octopus-like creatures managed to survive.

After eight hours of driving, he finally arrived. The suffocating atmosphere nearly overwhelmed him; dust in the air struck him full in the face.

He truly struggled to adapt to this dryness. Though his home was not far from the northwest, the climate difference was startling.

"Hey, brother, what brings you here? You're not from around here, are you?" The accent was thick, but Gu Zhiheng understood.

"I'm here to sightsee. The air is a bit dry, but everything else is quite nice!" Gu Zhiheng wasn't much of a conversationalist, so his words were rather stiff.

The man, seeing Gu Zhiheng was not inclined to chat further, lost interest and walked away.

Gu Zhiheng drove off and found a nearby hotel, planning to rest for a day.

He needed to conduct a proper survey before hunting, as he did not yet know the exact location.

He had checked online before setting out, but the information was of little use.

According to ancient texts, the Deep Earth Octopus was located in a field near Guanqing Village.

It was close to the village, but the village lay below, and the octopus was within the soil atop a small hill.

If he really found it, he would have to act at night, as daytime operations would cause trouble.

The octopus was enormous, and its capture would be another challenge.

Any battle would surely be loud; he worried about alarming the villagers nearby and feared accidental harm.

But he had come this far—he could not turn back.

After arranging a room at the hotel, he settled in, hoping to find a way to resolve everything efficiently.

It was ten in the morning. He could get a good sleep, then visit Guanqing Village at night.

He skipped a meal, washed up briefly, and lay down.

Without overthinking, he soon fell into a deep, restful sleep.

His growth during his time at Mistbrow Mountain was plainly visible; now, his cultivation was such that he could easily challenge Mo Han and the others.

For such progress in just over twenty days, it was unexpected—not just for him, but for everyone.

There was a crucial factor, however: Ye Zheng, though no one knew this.

Even Gu Zhiheng himself did not realize that his rapid progress was due to Ye Zheng forcibly imparting a portion of his memories.

They were, after all, one and the same; their souls split in two, and thus neither had a complete set of memories.

Gu Zhiheng's exceptional learning ability now was because Ye Zheng had shared part of his memories.

This journey to Ancheng marked Gu Zhiheng's first independent trial after his growth; not only were the old monsters of Mistbrow Mountain awaiting the results, Ye Zheng, too, was curious.

It was himself, after all—if this body grew stronger, then after the soul merged, his power would be even greater.

In effect, it was as if two versions of himself were cultivating; once the souls fused, his abilities would double.

When his journey in the northwest ended, the tasks ahead would become much simpler, and he would have fewer concerns.

The troubles of the Gu family would be resolved, Mistbrow Mountain would be liberated, and those ordinary folk would finally lay down their grudges.

To think all of this came about because of his own negligence—Ye Zheng felt a pang of regret.

But time never turns back.