Cult of the Sacred Runes

Chapter 207 - Onwards

“One thousand and two hundred Supreme crystals, six hundred Primal crystals…” Ye Wei could not believe his eyes, muttered to himself as he counted up. “I can probably hire a returned prime Warrior to protect me for half of my life if I pay them with just one of these Supreme crystals.”

Ye Wei had soon collected most of the vault’s content, he planned to take some of the materials to one of the Runemaster Union branches. He was told since he entered the Runemaster Union that he should craft a Soul Arm but haven’t had the tokens to get the materials, until now.

Some of the items Ye Wei could not quite identify but he would bring them with him so the Helian might be able to help him value them.

“There are more than six hundred jade bottles and each of them are filled with over a hundred pills!” Ye Wei opened one of them, not only could he smell the expensive herbs, he could actually feel the primal energy bursting out from the tiny opening. ‘My body is completely relaxed and I haven’t even taken one of these pills!

In the center of the vault stood ten transparent bottles made of Supreme jade, each of them was half full, filled by a glowing scarlet liquid.

‘Supreme blood!’ Ye Wei leaped forth and carefully placed them into a smaller department of the bag. ‘I can misplace all the other contents but not these ten bottles!

“This should be everything!” Ye Wei exclaimed as he swept the last corner of the room.

It took more than two hours for Ye Wei to work out the logistics and clear the vault, he left the valley after making sure he had concealed his tracks.

‘It’s ridiculous how well Supreme Ye Yu’s transportation array worked, if people found out how much I’ve taken today my family is probably going to be in trouble…’

Meanwhile, a few thousand miles away.

“What is this?! I want an explanation! Anyone!?” The Skeleton Demon King’s rage echoed the cave, his inferiors were shivering in fear.

“Your majesty, we have no idea! This is all we foun...”

The squad leader’s head fell off his neck as the Demon King swiped his arm right, he was less than amused by the common Qi stones and gems.

“I fought and searched for days, and this is what I’m getting?” The green glow in his eyes intensified. ‘A Supreme's treasure should be more and better than this!’

“Maybe someone was at the treasure spots before us.” He muttered and tried to deduce. “Huyan Haoze… I don’t know how you did it, but well played.”

***

A few months later the area around and including Green Moon City returned to peace, furthermore the Lu’s did nothing to pursuit the Ye’s.

It was the coldest winter in decades, the Ye mansion was covered by a thick blanket of snow. The study was lit by strands of runes, the runes that made up the original Falling Star form created by Supreme Ye Yu.

Surrounded by small piles of scrolls, Ye Wei had been working all day and night for a whole week, jotting down the runes for the formula and a tutorial on practising it. The young runemaster had decided to leave the low-level Earth Formula and a collection of stances to the Ye family.

Since the Ye family was yet to be strong enough to defend the whole treasure, the young Runemaster decided to leave just a portion of the findings behind just in case the family’s enemies have learned about the acquisition.

Before Ye Wei started writing, he put his iron talisman aside with a piece of Supreme crystal and it was now completely recharged.

“That’s about it…” Ye Wei yawned and stretched his back, “I think I am ready to leave.”

It had been a known fact for Ye Wei that he needed to go to the outside world to get inspired if he wished to successfully breakthrough to returned prime level. But when it came to the time to say goodbye, he was not too sure about leaving his family behind.

“Butler Fu!” Ye Wei called.

“Young master?” The caretaker gently opened the door.

“Would you mind telling Grandpa and the others to meet me in the main hall?” Ye Wei requested as he looked around the room he grew up in, feeling nostalgic but yearning to exploring the world.

“Sure master,” Butler Fu could easily read the teenager’s intention. The young master’s childish face was slightly cringed as if he was already homesick. “So are going to leave after all?”

The butler was unsettled, he sighed and look at the narrow shoulders in front of him that had been carrying the Ye family for the previous years. ‘You were so small and considered untalented not so long ago, look at you now…’

Ye Wei’s contribution did not just made the Ye family the strongest family in Green Moon City undisputedly, it was recently also gaining state-wide attention, glorified due to the recent events regarding the dispute with Lu Qianhuan.

The butler had been serving long enough to tell when someone is prioritizing the family over their lives, he knew Ye Wei was the reason why the mansion was now often visited by the influentials.

“The Zhou Dynasty is vast, I am still not strong enough comparing to many. I have to travel when I am young so that I can become as great as Supreme Ye Yu!” Ye Wei exclaimed, tried to lift the wrinckles on Butler Fu’s face, to make the old man smile. “I will return, so I will need you to tidy and clean the room for me once in awhile!”

“Don’t tell me how to do my job!” The butler laughed and replied. ‘He is all grown up now…’

Minutes after, the Ye’s all stopped what they were doing, headed to the main hall and leaving trails of footsteps in the snow on the open hallways.

“Grandpa, these are blood of the late Supreme Ye Yu. It is extremely strong and can not be harvested by normal methods, sorry I didn’t have time to experiment with it. I am sure you can figure something out.” Ye Wei greeted the patriarch, discreetly handed over the vials and whispered.

“Thank you for coming everyone, I have something I would like to give to you all!” Ye Wei pointed at the scrolls he placed on the long tables. “I have refined the Falling Star form to low-level Earth grade, and selected twelve high-level Myst stances, you should all look at them and study them when Grandpa says you strong enough.”

He reached to his inside pocket an interspatial bag, emptied some of the contents on another table and said, “These pills should last ten years. Use them and do not take shortcuts while cultivating, Grandpa will be assigning these resources as fair as possible like he always did.”

“Learn to use these scrolls and arms, take them if you need to complete a high risk mission. Our family needs to grow and that means everyone of us will have to work harder.”

“Little Wei, are you sure about going to the Helian’s?” The Ye Patriarch took a deep breath, saddened and faintly nervous.

“Yes!” The young Runemaster nodded determinedly. “I need diversion, I need to see and experience the world. Without inspiration I will never breakthrough to returned prime level.

“Okay. I respect that. But when you are out there, please be careful. Remember, there is always sinister where there is good.” Ye Zhengqing patted Ye Wei’s shoulder, spoke in a worrying tone. “No matter where you are, what you face, this house will always be your home and root. These gates will always open for you whenever you decided to return!”

“Thank you so, so much Grandpa!” The young Runemaster closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around his grandfather.

“Little Wei, take care of yourself please!”

“Wei, if things don’t go your way, don’t push it! You can come back to rest any time you like!”

While his uncles and aunts bade farewell, his parents were speechless, walked up to join him next to the patriarch with wet eyes.

“We are so proud of you and we will miss you.” His mother whispered in his ears.

After a minute long hug, Ye Wei walked towards Ye Zhong. He punched his cousin’s shoulder and said: “Cousin Zhong, take care of everyone when I am away please!”

“Idiot, that goes without saying. Don’t be too reckless out there!” Ye Zhong nodded and slightly shuddered.

After bidding everyone goodbye, Ye Wei left the hall with master Yi. His master led him to one of the remote courtyards.

“Since you are heading off, I should fill you in.” Master Yi said in a gentle tone.

“The royal families work in a rotation, since thirty years ago, the Lins have been in charge of governing and general policy, the Huyan are controlling the Green Army, maintaining order within the borders and finally the Helians in charge of finance and exploration.”

“Although the Lins are in power, they are keeping a rather low profile, they have been spending their resources on expeditions together with the Helians instead of having a tight grip over the dynasty.” Master Yi continued.

“Huyans and Helians are not friends, they fell out a while back when the Green Army failed to report some treasure findings.”

Ye Wei frowned and said, “that means I should beware of the Huyans?”

Master Yi nodded, “You have been given a great opportunity but you’ve also been dragged into a very delicate and complex situation...”

The Master and apprentice paced in the courtyard and spoke about other related matters. About an hour later, Master Yi walked Ye Wei into a customized Runicle.

“Send me a message on the badge whenever you want to talk to me or need me, otherwise just let me know when you’ve arrived. I shall be at the capital in a few weeks, we can catch up then.” Master Yi proudly placed his arm around his legacy apprentice’s shoulder, said gently.

“Thank you for all these years of taking care of me, Master.” Ye Wei smiled, nodded and stepped into the luxury compartment.

Flakes of white were covering the sky and the ground, Ye Wei’s Runical took the quickest route out of town, the hovering vehicle left no trail on the carpet of snow.

Ye Wei sat in the warm seat on an exotic beast skin, looking through the walls with his will-force empowered eyesight. He gazed at his home town dressed in white, his eyes followed the main road out of town to the skyline afar as his mind wandered.