Chapter Fifty-One: Farewell

At the very least.

He Song no longer needed to worry about being crushed underfoot for offending someone. Within the humble Bamboo Mountain Immortal Workshop, his foundation was now solid enough that few would dare lay a hand on him.

Rather than venturing into the Immortal City before his strength had truly matured, it would be wiser to wait until his cultivation reached the late stage of Qi Refining—when he needed to press onward toward Foundation Establishment—before seeking opportunities for advancement in the city. By then, he would possess some measure of self-preservation, and need not be overly cautious in the Immortal City.

With these thoughts, the resolve on He Song’s face became ever firmer in his refusal. That Immortal City—let whoever wishes to go, go. He certainly would not; not even for a mere glimpse or to broaden his horizons. Who could say what might befall him in the Immortal City? The world beyond was far too perilous.

Seeing He Song repeatedly shake his head, his refusal written plainly across his face, Wei Fan was not surprised in the least. His old friend remained as prudent as ever.

"Alright, alright. Since you have no desire to go, I won’t insist. However, during my absence, I hope you’ll man the Spirit Construction Pavilion for a while on my behalf."

Wei Fan, as an official of the Spirit Construction Pavilion, could not simply vanish without a word. Should he dare leave quietly, the Pavilion would just as quietly strip him of his position.

So, when Meng Guan came to request his company, he could only entrust his duties temporarily to He Song. In this way, he could accompany Meng Guan to the Immortal City, and the Pavilion would not be left without a steward. He dared not trust anyone else. His earlier invitation to He Song was also a subtle test—if He Song had wanted to go, he would have had to entrust his duties to someone else, though he would have left contingency plans to prevent any mischief.

"A trivial matter. Just let me know what the duties entail, Brother Wei. I might even enjoy a taste of what it’s like to be a steward of the Spirit Construction Pavilion," He Song replied, nodding his assent.

Then, as though recalling something, he quickly pulled out several spirit talismans from his person. These talismans had been given to him by Wei Fan for protection before Wei Fan set out to kill Chen Zhou. Now that Wei Fan had returned, and Chen Zhou had been slain, it was only proper to return them. Moreover, Wei Fan’s journey with Meng Guan to the Azure Cliff Immortal City still lay ahead.

Though one was a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator and the other at the sixth layer, their trip to Azure Cliff Immortal City should pose little risk. Yet, one can never be too careful. Returning the talismans would make their journey that much safer.

"These are the talismans you gave me for protection before. Now that Chen Zhou is dead, you’d best take them back. Since you’re leaving, they’ll serve you well," He Song said, handing them to Wei Fan with a nod.

These were premium talismans, their full power only unleashed by late-stage Qi Refining cultivators. In He Song’s hands, they were simply wasted.

"Thank you, my friend," Wei Fan said, warmth spreading through his heart as he accepted the talismans. He valued He Song all the more. Though the talismans had been given by himself, He Song’s thoughtfulness in returning them before his departure spoke volumes.

For the remainder of the day, the three drank and conversed, delighting in the pleasures of the pavilion.

That night, all three stayed in Wei Fan’s small courtyard. The Immortal Workshop enforced a curfew; at night, unless one had special status, being caught by the enforcement squad could see one mistaken for a demonic cultivator. So He Song, though he had a home to return to, preferred not to roam the streets after dark. The danger aside, he could also be apprehended by the enforcement squad, which would surely bring trouble.

...

Wei Fan and Meng Guan departed early the next morning. He Song went to see them off, but did not accompany them far—he stopped at the gates of the Immortal Workshop. Beyond that lay danger, and he dared not go further.

Cultivators moved with astonishing speed. After bidding farewell at the gate, He Song watched as two shadows streaked away like ghosts, vanishing into the distance as swiftly as lightning. Whether this was due to some body technique or escape art, he could not tell.

After seeing them off, He Song returned first to the spirit fields under his care, casting the Spirit Rain technique for half an hour before heading to the Spirit Construction Pavilion. Prior to leaving, Wei Fan had formally introduced He Song to the entire Pavilion, announcing his temporary stewardship. Thus, after tending his fields, He Song was obliged to fulfill his duty.

It is worth mentioning that the steward’s post at the Spirit Construction Pavilion was not so much a position as it was a managerial role. The various tasks and business of the Pavilion were handled by those below; the steward needed only to ensure that nothing went awry. Beyond occasionally entertaining cultivators from within the Workshop who came to renew their leases, there was little else to do. If He Song did not feel like receiving visitors, he could simply seclude himself in the Pavilion, undisturbed by anyone.

This made He Song marvel—within the cultivation world, strength truly allowed one to do as one pleased. Such a comfortable post would never have been imaginable in his previous life, unless he had powerful backing.

For He Song, serving as steward of the Pavilion changed nothing. Each morning, he left home to tend his seven acres of spirit fields, casting Spirit Rain for half an hour. If he was not needed at the Pavilion, he returned home to study the introductory text on array formations. If he was required at the Pavilion, he spent the day there, likewise engrossed in the study of arrays.

In short, holding the post of steward at the Spirit Construction Pavilion had no impact on him whatsoever. His understanding of the introductory array manual grew steadily day by day.

Moreover, with all of Chen Zhou’s legacy now in his possession, he had acquired several dozen spirit stones. With this abundance, his technique for inscribing array patterns onto spirit stones quickly improved. Through heavy consumption of spirit stones, his methods grew ever more stable, precise, and skilled. As more spirit stones were consumed, the spiritual energy released increased, and as He Song absorbed it, his cultivation began to advance.

Thus, months passed.

One day, in the Spirit Construction Pavilion—on the second floor—He Song sat cross-legged upon a meditation mat, a spirit stone in hand. Spiritual power surged from within as he carefully inscribed array patterns onto the stone.

The inscription of array patterns required a special technique, using one’s internal spiritual power as the base to etch the intricate patterns within the stone. Once the patterns were completed, the spirit stone could serve as the foundation of an array. Once the foundation was set, the stone could be used to deploy a formation.