Chapter Forty: The Elevation of Friendship

Before long, Luo Qianxue fetched a spatial pouch and handed it to Qin Feiyang. She then explained the current situation of the Lin family to him in clear and concise terms. Qin Feiyang thanked her, then left the Treasure Pavilion with the Wolf King. As for Luo Qingzhu, she did not appear again. Perhaps that was for the best—after what had transpired between them, meeting face-to-face would only bring awkwardness.

The Lin family residence stood with its gates tightly shut, an eerie silence pervading the air. With two Battle Kings now stationed within, there was no longer any need for guards. Qin Feiyang paused on the street before the gates, his gaze flickering with uncertainty.

“Evil meets its own end,” he whispered. “Lin Chang, all of this is your own doing. But rest assured, I’ll take care of Yiyi for you. Come, Wolf Brother, let’s go.”

The man and the wolf quickly left Iron Ox Town, plunging into a ruined forest. Once inside the old castle, Qin Feiyang poured out all the Qi-Gathering Pills and smiled. “Wolf Brother, refine as many as you like.”

The Wolf King let out a low growl, wasting no courtesy—he grabbed one with his jaws and swallowed it whole. Qin Feiyang chuckled, then walked to the iron box, where he noticed the envelope once again.

“How strange,” he murmured. “Why would Uncle Yuan leave an envelope here?”

He frowned. There wasn’t a single word on the envelope. He couldn’t determine if it was really meant for him.

“No matter. Even if it’s Uncle Yuan’s private letter, I don’t think he’d blame me for looking.”

After a moment’s hesitation, he steeled his heart, carefully opened the envelope, and drew out a letter. Unfolding the paper with suspicion, he began to read the fine lines:

“Feiyang, Uncle Yuan has left. From here on, I can no longer walk this path with you. But I believe you will have the strength to persevere.”

At these words, Qin Feiyang’s face turned deathly pale. He forced himself to keep reading.

“Feiyang, I know you’ll be sad when you see this letter. But fish must return to the sea eventually, to face unknown dangers on their own. I cannot stay with you your whole life.

Remember what I’ve always told you: You can see a person’s face, but not their heart. Never trust anyone too easily. No matter how desperate the situation, never give up.

These past five years, I’ve been tempering you. You never disappointed me—you clawed your way out of despair again and again. With your abilities now, you’re more than capable of standing on your own.

Don’t worry about me, and don’t look for me. When the time is right, I’ll appear before you.”

At this point, Qin Feiyang was completely stunned. The letter slipped from his grasp and floated to the ground, unnoticed.

“Uncle Yuan has truly left without saying goodbye...” He could not accept this reality.

Once, Uncle Yuan had promised him countless times that he would never abandon him. Yet now, not only was he gone, he had left without a word.

“Uncle Yuan, why did you lie to me… If you couldn’t keep your promise, why give me hope?”

He crouched on the ground, clutching his head, his face twisted in pain. Five years ago, that great upheaval had driven him from the imperial capital, stripped him of everything. But with Uncle Yuan by his side, there had always been a small warmth left in his heart.

Now, even Uncle Yuan was gone. He was utterly alone.

At this moment, his heart was gripped by an unprecedented panic. He feared loneliness. He didn’t know what to do next. He was like a headless fly, lost and without direction.

The Wolf King soon noticed his unusual state. It stopped cultivating, came to his side, and looked at him in puzzlement.

“Wolf Brother, Uncle Yuan is gone,” Qin Feiyang said helplessly, gazing at the wolf.

No matter how mature his mind or how strong his character, he was still just a child—not yet grown. He, too, had moments of vulnerability.

The Wolf King paused, then raised a forepaw and lightly patted Qin Feiyang’s shoulder as if to comfort him, its eyes filled with concern.

“I don’t know why Uncle Yuan left… He didn’t even tell me when he’d return…” Qin Feiyang shook his head, looking lost, making the Wolf King anxious. It let out a low howl, as if trying to communicate something, but Qin Feiyang couldn’t understand.

After a moment’s silence, the Wolf King suddenly bit its forepaw, allowing blood to flow. Then, right in front of Qin Feiyang, it wrote a bloody line on the ground:

“You must work hard and not let Uncle Yuan down!”

The words were scrawled and almost illegible, but they struck Qin Feiyang to his core.

Yes! Uncle Yuan had placed all his hopes on him. For five years, he had painstakingly taught and guided him. He couldn’t let himself fall to despair—he didn’t even have the right to give up.

“Thank you, Wolf Brother!”

He regained his resolve, picked up the letter, and read on.

“Feiyang, you must grow up quickly. Your mother is still waiting for you in the Imperial Palace.

You’ve always wanted to know the origins of the Marrow-Cleansing Pill and the Cangxue dagger, haven’t you? Uncle Yuan will tell you now: when we left the capital, your mother secretly gave them to me.

One last thing, you must remember above all: never reveal your true identity to anyone. Before you return to the capital, let these secrets die with you. Remember—remember!”

That was the entirety of the letter.

“Mother!”

Qin Feiyang hurriedly took out the Cangxue dagger. He hadn’t expected that the dagger had been left by his mother. No wonder Uncle Yuan had told him to guard it carefully.

“Mother, it’s been five years… Are you well? Your son misses you so much.”

Looking at the dagger, his eyes gradually filled with tears.

Suddenly, a sharp light flared in his eyes! He leapt to his feet, clenched his fist, and the letter instantly crumbled to ash.

“Mother, wait for me. I’ll return soon!”

In that instant, his confidence and fighting spirit were completely restored. He cast aside all distractions, turned to the iron box, and focused on copying the second stroke of the character “Return.”

Time flew by.

Ten days later, Qin Feiyang withdrew his finger, his brow tightly furrowed. For ten days, he had neither eaten nor drunk, consuming a total of fifteen hundred Qi-Gathering Pills, yet he was still a step away from completing the second stroke. The first stroke had cost him five hundred Qi-Gathering Pills; the second would likely require two thousand. Such a terrifying consumption was a heavy burden for him now.

More crucially, the three thousand gold coins he had seized from Cao Lang were gone. If he wanted to master the Art of Return, he would need to find more gold coins.

As for the other five hundred Qi-Gathering Pills, the Wolf King had refined them, further enhancing its strength. Its improvement was nothing short of astounding—it now possessed the power of three wild elephants, causing Qin Feiyang no small amount of envy.

After leaving the old castle, Qin Feiyang looked at the Wolf King with reluctance and sighed, “Wolf Brother, it seems we must part ways.”

The Wolf King let out a low howl, as if asking why.

“I need a large amount of gold coins, but in this region around Iron Ox Town, there’s nothing of value. The most precious things are the fierce beasts, but even if I killed them all, it wouldn’t be enough. I must try my luck in Black Bear City.”

Black Bear City was a small city nearby with a population of several hundred thousand. Its prosperity and economy far surpassed Iron Ox Town. Besides, with two Battle Kings in the Lin family, staying here would mean living in constant fear—it was better to leave as soon as possible.

The Wolf King lowered its head in silence.

Qin Feiyang sighed inwardly and forced a smile. “Wolf Brother, we’ll meet again someday.”

With that, he turned away, feigning nonchalance, and ran into the forest without looking back. Yet his heart ached. Although he hadn’t known the Wolf King long, they had shared hardships and dangers together, and to him, the Wolf King had become one of the most important friends in his life.

But all feasts must end; sooner or later, they would have to part.

A resounding wolf howl echoed behind him.

“I’ll return, because I promised you—I’ll take you to flatten the Lin family in Yan City,” Qin Feiyang muttered, glancing back. Just as he was about to turn away, a flash of white shot through the air like lightning—it was the Wolf King!

“Wolf Brother, you don’t need to see me off,” Qin Feiyang called.

The Wolf King ran up, striking a proud pose as if to say, “Who’s sending you off?”

“What do you mean?” Qin Feiyang blinked in confusion.

The Wolf King ran ahead, growled back at him, then continued forward.

Qin Feiyang caught up, pondering for a while before exclaiming in surprise, “Wolf Brother, are you planning to go to Black Bear City with me?”

The Wolf King grinned at him.

Qin Feiyang was overjoyed. “Ha ha…”

“Awuu…”

Man and wolf dashed madly through the forest, laughing freely, their bond of friendship deepening further.

Three hours later, they arrived before a desolate mountain range—Iron Ox Ridge, the only area near Iron Ox Town dense with fierce beasts. Qin Feiyang had thought to hunt a few and perhaps uncover some rare treasures, but the Lin family of Yan City had already ravaged the place; not a single beast remained.

Helpless, the pair pressed on, crossing mountains and valleys.

Two days later, they finally emerged from the mountains into a barren forest, where they encountered many fierce beasts, though none particularly powerful. Some fled at their approach; others met their end at the Wolf King’s fangs.

At the end of the barren forest lay a vast city, stretching for hundreds of miles—majestic and imposing.

This was Black Bear City!

As they sped toward the city, a sudden clamor of battle reached their ears—crashing blows and clashing steel.

Qin Feiyang halted, listening carefully—the sounds came from the left.

“Let’s go have a look.”

A dozen breaths later, they stopped atop a small hill and looked ahead.

Before them lay a valley, surrounded by sheer cliffs with only a single narrow entrance.

The sounds of fierce combat emanated from within.