Chapter 728 - 308: The Final Farewell

Chapter 728: Chapter 308: The Final Farewell

He knew his days were numbered.

He wanted more people to inherit his mastery of the Spear Technique.

Finally, Guo Wei demonstrated the Flying Leaf Lotus Spear several times. His Spear Technique went from fast to slow, eventually looking as if he were teaching it move by move.

As death drew nearer, Guo Wei seemed to have let go of everything. He no longer held back his skills or clung to sectarian boundaries. He hoped that everyone at the Weiyuan Escort Agency—be it Da Wu, Xiao Wu, the new students, or even a servant or passerby—could gain some enlightenment from his Spear Technique.

And pass down the Flying Leaf Lotus Spear.

Chu Lingguang and the other five disciples knew what Guo Wei was thinking. They stood in silence, quietly watching as Guo Wei demonstrated his Spear Technique and his school’s other skills again and again for everyone in the Escort Agency.

Slowly, the six disciples’ eyes grew red, and tears streamed down their faces.

Leader Ma had initially been overjoyed, but as Guo Wei revealed more and more of his skills, and with Chu Lingguang and the others remaining silent, he gradually realized something was wrong.

When he saw the tears falling from the eyes of Chu Lingguang and the others, he stared at Guo Wei in disbelief. It seemed he now understood why Guo Wei was being so generous today.

As an old friend, he had witnessed Guo Wei’s rise.

He had watched him grow from a powerful youth into the widely renowned Master Guo.

Leader Ma knew it hadn’t been easy for Guo Wei.

He understood in his heart that Guo Wei deserved all the success he had achieved. He didn’t know why Guo Wei, who looked so young on the outside, was so close to death.

He only knew that Guo Wei had come today with his six disciples and demonstrated his school’s techniques at the Escort Agency as a way of saying goodbye to him and bestowing a great gift upon the agency.

THUD!

After Guo Wei had demonstrated his school’s techniques three times over, Leader Ma, who had understood the unspoken message, had long since gathered everyone in the Escort Agency. He led them in kowtowing to Guo Wei.

Although he didn’t understand the world of Cultivators, he knew that Guo Wei was an extraordinary man.

Today’s demonstration was like a self-guided breakdown of each technique. Every movement brought a sudden clarity, benefiting everyone immensely.

With Guo Wei’s teachings today, the status of every student at the Escort Agency was certain to rise rapidly in the secular world.

They might even become a first-rate Escort Agency.

Guo Wei smiled faintly and helped Leader Ma to his feet.

The next day, he took Chu Lingguang and the other five disciples and headed for the Martial Arts Hall.

"Boss Zhuang, this is farewell!"

Having learned that Guo Wei had returned, Boss Zhuang, the owner of the blacksmith shop in town, saw him out of the county. He had also prepared well-suited weapons for Chu Lingguang and his group.

It was a gesture of his goodwill.

Guo Wei told them all to accept it.

Chu Lingguang understood Guo Wei’s meaning. He hoped that after he was gone, his disciples would look after Boss Zhuang’s business.

「That afternoon.」

The carriage arrived at the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall.

Guo Fang and Guo Xiaotian had long known that Guo Wei was returning today. Along with Yang Shaorong and the others, they had completely redecorated the Martial Arts Hall.

"Father!"

"Father-in-law!"

"Grandfather!"

Guo Fang, Guo Xiaotian, and Lin Yuanfu all cried out together.

Guo Fang and Lin Yuanfu had already had children, a son and a daughter.

"Good, all of you, get up."

Finally seeing his children, Guo Wei revealed a benevolent expression. His face, however, had aged considerably in just this one day.

This sight tore at Chu Lingguang’s heart. He couldn’t help but look at Li Qiushui. It was only after her explanation that Chu Lingguang understood that Guo Wei’s vibrant spirit on their journey back had been maintained not only by Elixir Pills, but also by sheer willpower.

Now that his wish to return to Baiyang County was fulfilled and he had seen his disciples, his friends, Guo Fang, and Guo Xiaotian, that strength seemed to have vanished. But Guo Wei felt no pain.

On the contrary, he was very content with his current state.

Other than having Guo Wei take an Elixir Pill to replenish his Qi Blood and sustain his internal organs, there was nothing Chu Lingguang could do.

The master and his disciples all stayed at the Martial Arts Hall.

Everyone stayed together to accompany Guo Wei.

Even Hei Hu didn’t go back.

Instead, he had Master Hei bring his whole family over to visit Guo Wei.

Similarly, Mrs. Chu of the Zhang Family, who had already received the news, also came to visit Guo Wei, bringing Zhang Da and their two sons who had passed the provincial examinations.

"Second Aunt!"

"Uncle!"

"Cousins!"

Seeing Mrs. Chu of the Zhang Family, Zhang Da, and his two cousins again, Chu Lingguang was filled with emotion. Time had passed, and his two cousins had grown into adults.

They were capable of standing on their own two feet.

His Second Aunt, Mrs. Chu of the Zhang Family, and Zhang Da both had white hair at their temples and had aged quite a bit. Fortunately, he had improved his aunt’s family’s quality of life long ago.

Although the couple had aged, they now looked prosperous. With their two brilliant sons having passed the provincial examinations, his Second Aunt’s family was living very well.

"Take good care of Master Guo. Your uncle and I will come by every day. It’s been a long time since you’ve had my cooking. I’ll cook in the Martial Arts Hall tomorrow. I’ll make some dishes for you, Master Guo, and the others to try," said Mrs. Chu of the Zhang Family.

"Okay."

Chu Lingguang didn’t refuse.

In the few short days since returning to the Martial Arts Hall, he learned many things.

Some good, some bad.

Li Yishan had become Master Li. As a live-in son-in-law, he had taken over the entire Li Family’s estate and had two more children over the years.

Regrettably, Butcher Hu had passed away from illness three months ago.

A few years ago, Butcher Hu had sold his butcher shop and opened a new grain and oil shop on Wine Street. Now that he was gone, the shop was being managed solely by Chun Ju.

The couple had a good relationship. Chun Ju had taken on the family business and had not remarried. The shop’s business was good, and thanks to Chu Lingguang’s influence, no one dared to cause trouble there.

With Guo Fang also looking out for her, the shop was thriving.

Teng Qingshan had passed the provincial examinations and was serving as a local official. The same year Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei went to sea, Teng Qingshan died in the line of duty. Lin Yuanfu helped to collect his remains.

He was buried at the foot of Cyan Cloud Mountain.

Learning of this, Chu Lingguang was filled with emotion. Teng Qingshan had been a loyal and righteous man. The day he and Lin Yuanfu had stood up for Chu Lingguang, the three of them had become connected.

He never expected that their meeting a few years ago would be their last.

The next day, led by Lin Yuanfu, Chu Lingguang brought wine and paper money to Teng Qingshan’s grave. He swept the tomb, cleared the weeds, and lit a stick of incense for him.

Learning that Teng Qingshan had descendants, Chu Lingguang decided to use the power at his disposal to improve their lives and help them become Martial Artists.

After paying his respects to Teng Qingshan, Chu Lingguang went to Wine Street to visit a few old friends and also stopped by Chun Ju’s grain and oil shop.

Finally, he made a trip to Liu Family Gully.

He discovered that Liu Family Gully had completely changed. The small village had turned into a luxurious area, with wealthy families buying land and building houses there.

When Chu Lingguang entered, a man, also called Master Li, was employing a group of earth-ramming craftsmen to build a foundation for a house.

A young craftsman named Zhang Lingfeng had excellent skills and worked with meticulous care. Watching him reminded Chu Lingguang of himself when he was learning Fist Technique at the Martial Arts Hall.

A while later, he returned to the Martial Arts Hall.

He saw three more familiar faces.

"Master Guo, I was young and foolish. Today, I have come to sincerely apologize to you," Liu Quan said, kneeling before Guo Wei.

Surprisingly, the three acquaintances were Tie Zhennan, Liu Quan, and his disciple, Jin Shan.

Jin Shan had passed the provincial examinations and was serving as a local official.

Not long after Guo Wei had crippled Liu Quan’s legs, Guo Wei and Tie Zhennan had reconciled in Fishing Town. Guo Wei had given Tie Zhennan a few Elixir Pills for treating bone injuries.

That was how Liu Quan’s legs were able to recover.

He had good talent. Although he had wasted a few years, this year was another Martial Arts Examination in the Great Yuan, and he had recently passed to become a Martial Arts Scholar.

Tie Zhennan had brought him here today, specifically to pay their respects to Guo Wei and offer their apologies.

Tie Zhennan’s strength was not weak. Unfortunately, he had been unable to awaken his Spiritual Root with the help of the Tree Vine Demon. However, his power had broken through during the Spiritual Qi storm a few years ago, and he had become a True Martial Realm expert.

It was a pity that the True Martial Realm was, after all, not the path of a Cultivator.

Tie Zhennan also couldn’t fend off the ravages of time.

He too had aged a great deal.

Seeing Chu Lingguang return, he proactively stood up, clasped his hands, and said, "Greetings, Commander Chu!"

"This junior, Chu Lingguang, pays his respects to Master Tie!"

Chu Lingguang did not dare to be arrogant, taking the initiative to bow respectfully to Tie Zhennan.

Tie Zhennan looked moved.

Although he didn’t know the full extent of Chu Lingguang’s power, he had heard rumors. That address, "Master Tie," was an acknowledgment of his conduct today.

He nodded slightly. It seemed that only now did he realize why Guo Wei was so widely supported and why his disciples were each more outstanding than the last. It was the result of leading by example and teaching through both word and deed.