Chapter 119: Never Easy to Let Go

“Master, he was my senior brother…” Qin Haoxuan could only shake his head, his voice filled with sorrow. “I will obey you in all other matters, but this one thing, I cannot. My only Guiding Senior Brother is Senior Brother Pu. Even in death, no one can take his place.”

“Absurd!” Xuanji’s face suddenly hardened, though the grief did not recede. “When a person dies, their lamp is extinguished. All that remains is a useless vessel of skin and bone! A funeral is merely a ceremony for the living! Do you think Han Zhong cares about such things? As for finding you a new Guiding Senior Brother, that was also his wish. Do not fail his heartfelt intentions, or he will find no peace in the netherworld.”

The mention of Pu Hanzhong instantly silenced Qin Haoxuan. His eyes showed that he understood the logic, but to ask a boy not yet twenty to fully accept it was difficult.

Xuanji sighed again, his gaze on Qin Haoxuan now filled with even more appreciation. “Han Zhong was right about you. He guessed you would react this way.”

He took a letter from his robes and handed it to Qin Haoxuan. “This is the letter Han Zhong left for you. Read it.”

Qin Haoxuan accepted the letter reverently. With trembling hands, he opened it. The script was indeed Pu Hanzhong’s.

From the color of the ink, it was clear the letter had been written some time ago.

Little Xuan,

When you read this letter, I should no longer be in this world.

Since stepping onto the path of immortality, I have never returned to my hometown. I imagine my own grandson is about your age now, so allow this old senior brother to act as your elder for a moment and call you Little Xuan…

As I pick up this brush, the scene of our first meeting comes to my mind. It was in the Nine Yin Ice Cavern, wasn’t it? As I recall, you had just grown your roots, barely crossing the threshold of cultivation, yet you resisted the cavern’s brutal cold and defeated those who came to make trouble for you.

Thinking back, even then you were filled with a heroic spirit. I have never had such spirit in my entire life. I truly envy you for it.

We truly came to know each other over these last three months. It was my good fortune to become your Guiding Senior Brother. Perhaps the heavens knew my life was coming to an end, knew I had too many regrets, and so sent you to my side. By watching you, perhaps I can leave this world in peace. In you, I have seen diligence, humility, grace, and a calm composure that remains unshaken by praise or scorn. You possess a Dao Heart that even some of the colored seeds lack. I am so very happy to have met a child like you.

Little Xuan, your personality is sometimes too unyielding. In the future, I will not be there to remind you to control your temper. You must remember the words, “what is too hard will easily break.”

Also, you are too absorbed when you cultivate, often losing track of day and night. I could never persuade you otherwise. Attaining the Dao is not something that can be achieved in a single day. Diligence is important, but you must also take time to comprehend the path of immortality. Heh… am I being too naggy? Old people tend to ramble. And when you know your time is near, you probably become even more long-winded. I imagine you’ve noticed my nagging these past few days.

Please, be patient and read this letter to the end. This is the last time I will ever nag you. I won’t have the chance again… Aigh… how I wish I could watch you grow, watch you make a name for yourself in the cultivation world, watch you ascend to the supreme immortal path! Child, if you truly become an immortal one day, remember to come to my grave and sit for a while. Come and tell me that you made it…

Alright, no more of this sentimental talk. Listen to your senior brother nag a little more.

Xu Yu is a good child. She is a natural Purple Seed with a kind heart, and your bond is like that of a brother and sister. For you to have such a good friend brings me joy even in the netherworld. But you must remember, Zhang Kuang, who is also a Purple Seed, hates you to the bone. He has had his own fortuitous encounter and has openly declared that he will take your life. You must be cautious. A cultivator can wait a hundred years for his revenge.

And then there is Li Jing. This person is scheming and his thoughts run deep. He is also an Unsurpassed Purple Seed, and his attitude towards you is ambiguous, part friend, part foe. You must not offend such a person, but you absolutely must not let down your guard.

As for Zhang Yang, while he is not as capable as the other two, he targets you at every turn and wishes you dead. You must also deal with him carefully.

The cultivation world is full of deceit. For status, for face, for resources, people will fight to the death. Even disciples of the same sect sometimes turn on each other. I am not fortunate enough to continue walking this path with you. How I wish the heavens would grant me a little more time. Before, I cared little for life and death. But after knowing you, I find it so hard to let go. Heh… I truly wish I could have stayed with you for a few more years… to watch you grow just a little more, and a little more…

Oh, and it’s time I told you a few things about myself, and about the Nature Hall.

More than ten years ago, I was severely injured in an accident. I thought I was going to die, but our Master and fellow disciples used many precious spiritual medicines to pull me back from the gates of hell.

After I met you, you gave me Qi-Circulating Powder time and time again. I remember every instance. But the kinder you were to me, the more I couldn’t bring myself to tell you the truth. You are too full of emotion. You would have certainly wasted your own cultivation time searching for spiritual medicines for my sake. As your Guiding Senior Brother, as your elder, I could not watch you waste your time on a dying man.

Kid, remember this! Everyone must die. If you don’t become an immortal, you will die! Cultivation is a battle against the heavens for life. I was unable to break through, unable to win more time. No amount of spiritual medicine could have helped.

After narrowly escaping death all those years ago, I knew that my injuries were incurable. I had no hope of breaking through in this lifetime, no hope of seizing life from the heavens. All I was doing was waiting to die. But my life was given to me by our Master and the disciples of the Nature Hall. I had to live on and contribute more to our hall to repay them.

Little Xuan, I am about to die. I can no longer look after our Nature Hall. Our Master is old, and his health is not good. My death will surely weigh heavily on his heart. Spend more time with him, talk with him, and ease his loneliness. Fulfill the filial duty that I, as his disciple, could not.

Also, our Master’s lifespan is also nearing its end. When the day comes that he falls, the Nature Hall will be in your hands. Take care of our fellow disciples.

Our Nature Hall is weak, and our disciples are often bullied by the other halls. With Master here, things are a little better. But if he is gone…

Little Xuan, I don’t know how much longer I can last, but I fear I won’t make it to the end of the trial. That is why I asked our Master to choose a new Guiding Senior Brother to take my place. If one day I suddenly depart, you must follow him diligently and complete the trial. Although I am gone, everyone in the Nature Hall is your family. Every one of them is worthy of your trust and reliance.

Don’t be willful and say that I am your only Guiding Senior Brother for the rest of your life. We are the Nature Hall. We are one family.

Be good. Don’t be stubborn.

Oh, right! We are both cultivators. We know that when a person dies, their soul scatters, leaving only a vessel behind. So, if we can skip the funeral, let’s skip it. But you will probably insist on holding one for me, won’t you? Then hold one. Bury me first, and then after you have completed the trial, you can hold whatever ceremony you want. Don’t let it delay your cultivation path, do you hear me? You must listen to your senior brother.

I’m already a dead man. Just listen to a dead man this once.

And Little Xuan, don’t forget! When you walk out of the Aqueous Manor, wearing the robes of our sect, a true disciple of the Taichu Sect, come visit my grave. Let your senior brother see you then.

Don’t mind my nagging. You must cultivate diligently and break through to the next realm as soon as possible. Only by breaking through can you gain more lifespan, and lifespan is the foundation of cultivation.

I’ve said just about everything I needed to. One last thing. When you enter the mortal world for your training, if you have time, go and see my hometown. I have been away for so many years. I don’t know what it looks like now, or how my descendants are doing.

Take care of Master, take care of the Nature Hall, and take care of yourself…

—Pu Hanzhong

After reading Pu Hanzhong’s final letter, Qin Haoxuan’s eyes were red, and tears dripped unceasingly from his chin. He stood in silence.

“This is the Guiding Senior Brother that Master and Han Zhong have chosen for you, Ye Yiming.” Seeing Qin Haoxuan’s expression, Xuanji, who was also suffering from the loss of his beloved disciple, felt as if a knife were twisting in his heart. Still, he forced himself to speak, pointing to a middle-aged man behind him with a roundish face and a slightly stout build. “For the next few days, you will learn from Senior Brother Yiming.”

Qin Haoxuan noticed that Xuanji looked unwell, the lines on his face etched deep with grief. Pu Hanzhong’s death had clearly taken a great toll on him. Remembering the requests in the letter, Qin Haoxuan, who had been about to refuse, finally accepted the arrangement.

Ye Yiming nodded at Qin Haoxuan, and Qin Haoxuan returned a polite bow.

Xuanji saw that although Qin Haoxuan was unhappy, he did not refuse, likely because of the letter. His impression of the boy deepened. Pu Hanzhong’s body was still sitting on the bed. Xuanji’s voice was heavy with sorrow. “The dead deserve respect. It is not right to leave his body exposed for so long. Haoxuan, Yiming, lay Han Zhong to rest.”

Several of the Nature Hall disciples behind Xuanji, seeing that Qin Haoxuan wasn’t moving, prepared to carry the body away. But Qin Haoxuan suddenly stopped them. “Wait… Senior Brothers, I would like to send Senior Brother Pu on his final journey.”

He walked to the side of the bed and gently laid down Pu Hanzhong’s body, which had become little more than skin and bones. He murmured softly, “Senior Brother, you’re tired, aren’t you? Let me send you on your way… Rest now, Senior Brother, I am sending you on your way…”

His voice was so full of genuine emotion and deep affection that there was not a dry eye among those who heard him.

When Xuanji had arrived, he had brought a black nanmu coffin, which was now waiting outside Qin Haoxuan’s door.