Su Hao returned once again to the Chashan Outpost.
This time, he came back to bid farewell to his father, Wu Yuntian.
He wasn't sure how long he would be gone this time, didn't know what might happen, and even less sure if there would be a chance to meet again in the future.
Wu Yuntian, sensing Su Hao's somber mood, chose not to speak.
Instead, father and son sat in silence, not exchanging pleasantries or advice—just sharing a quiet moment, though both were lost in thought. In truth, they were thinking of nothing in particular, as if the stillness itself carried the emotion neither dared to express.
Su Hao reflected on their relationship. Wu Yuntian had always been a steadfast, reliable father—a warrior who had guided him through his early years with strength and discipline. Yet, Su Hao couldn't shake the feeling that he had fallen short of being a worthy son.
Wu Yuntian had successfully advanced to the Master level. In Su Hao's perception, his father's blood Qi was stronger than any Master he had ever encountered. The reason was that Wu Yuntian had inscribed the Formation vein Su Hao gave him, adjusting the eight nodes to almost perfect synchronization. Additionally, Wu Yuntian had grasped the basics of [Blood Qi Enhancement Wave], allowing him to convert a large amount of blood Qi in a short time.
This let Su Hao know that the simplified beast veins had truly succeeded.
Su Hao used the ‹Writing Copy› Rune to make copies of two books: ≤The Path of the Warrior≥ and ≤Comprehensive Guide to The Worlds of Runes≥. He handed them to Wu Yuntian, saying, "Father, these are the results of my years of research. You can take a look. If you find them useful, read them; they might help you increase your strength. If not, just bury them."
Wu Yuntian took the books and casually flipped through the pages, but as he read, his expression shifted from mild curiosity to deep astonishment. His hands began to tremble as he realized the significance of what he was holding. The depth of knowledge contained within these books was far beyond anything he could imagined. Then, he saw the signature on the back cover—A Passing "Traveler".
At that moment, something clicked in Wu Yuntian's mind. He looked at his son, the silence between them deepening with an unspoken understanding. After what felt like an eternity, Wu Yuntian's voice finally broke the quiet, he spoke hoarsely, "Xiangwu, do what you need to do. Just go."
Su Hao nodded, knowing there was nothing more to say. His father understood.
As Su Hao turned to leave, Wu Yuntian added in a voice filled with quiet resolve, "I will keep these books safe. If the time comes, and there's ever a chance, I will become a teacher."
Su Hao paused, recognizing the deeper meaning in his father's words. If Su Hao were to fail in his future endeavors, Wu Yuntian would ensure the knowledge within those books would not be lost to time. He would make sure Su Hao's legacy lived on, even if only through the hands of a new generation.
....
Su Hao packed his belongings and quietly slipped away from the Chashan Outpost. He turned back to look at the place where he grew up one last time. Memories flooded his mind, but he pushed them aside. With a deep breath, he turned away and stepped into the forest, his figure soon swallowed by the dense canopy.
After traveling deeper into the wilderness, he reached a secluded clearing. Here, with deliberate care, he donned his specially crafted face mask—a mask that concealed not only his identity but his past as well. From now on, he wouldn't show his face to anyone again, and his new name would be the "Traveler".
Such a handsome face would no longer be known to the world—what a pity!
...
Su Hao had waited for this day for what felt like an eternity, the weight of years pressing down on him. The frustration and suppressed emotions had built up over time, gnawing at his soul. He was eager, desperate even, to unleash the pent-up frustration that had gnawed at his heart for so long.
The scars of countless worlds lingered in his mind—he couldn't remember how many worlds he had been through, how many reincarnations, how many deaths, how much malice had filled his heart, gradually twisting his mind.
He had been suppressing that twisted part of himself, trying to act normal, but he didn't know how much longer he could keep it under control.
But with every passing day, as his power grew stronger, he could feel his mind beginning to fray, unraveling like a fragile thread pulled too tight. The weight of his experiences—countless lives, countless fears—made his heart tremble. He knew he was no god, just a mere mortal trying to hold onto sanity in a world that had none. He knew he was merely human, not divine.
And when a mortal is driven to the brink, something must give. To avoid collapsing entirely, to keep from spiraling into madness, Su Hao knew he needed a release. If he didn't find one soon, the fractured parts of himself would consume him, making it impossible to continue his research, even in the peaceful solitude of the wilderness. The twisted parts of himself he had kept hidden would consume him.
Therefore, he wanted to act according to his own will, yet, he didn't want to unleash chaos for chaos's sake. Instead, he sought to channel his madness toward something meaningful—toward humanity and the world itself.
Perhaps he would become a demon king, he mused darkly, slaughtering endlessly to release the emotions he had suppressed for so long;
Or perhaps, he would embrace the will he had harbored as a youth in his first live—the burning desire to change the world for better.
He would harness this desire to transform this world. He envisioned a future where humanity was no longer at the mercy of wild beasts—a world where even the weak had the strength to fight back and reclaim their right to live without fear.
If humans were destined to perish, he thought, let it be through their own hands, through their own conflicts and ambitions. Better to die by one's own doing than to be devoured by mindless predators.
His goal was simple: to empower humanity, to elevate them to a level where they could collectively eradicate the ferocious beasts. Once that was done, whatever internal strife or wars followed would no longer concern him.
After all, it would be a human matter.
Yet beneath all his plans and aspirations, there was a gnawing uncertainty. Su Hao wasn't sure if he would even survive to see these changes. He had a deep, unsettling foreboding that his time was limited, that death could strike at any moment. The stronger he became, the more "aware" he became of the [Calamity] that pursued him through countless worlds, growing in power alongside him. He didn't know what it was, but from his past lives, he had learned that fate could be cruel, capable of snatching everything away in an instant. All the runes he had meticulously developed, the blood Qi techniques he had mastered—they could vanish with him, lost to time without ever being passed on.
That, perhaps, was his greatest fear. To die without leaving behind a legacy, without ensuring that all he had learned and fought for would live on. If he were to die, he wanted to choose the time and manner of his own death—not be snuffed out by some inexplicable force, leaving his work unfinished and his dreams unrealized.
In the end, Su Hao sought control—over his fate, over his life, and over the world. If he could not find peace within himself, then he would carve out peace with his own hands, even if it meant becoming the very force of destruction he had long feared.
....
One month later, in the bustling area of a small town called Guyang, a weapons store quietly opened.
The shop was spacious, and so was the owner's ambition. It only sold armor and long sabers, but this weapons store was different from any other—there were many sabers and suits of armor, yet they were all casually piled together like two massive heaps of trash!
Who sells their merchandise like that? Not even trash is sold this way.
Most shops meticulously arranged their sabers and armor, polishing them until they gleamed, fearful that even a speck of dust would reduce their price.
Many people prided themselves on their knowledge but had never seen business done this way. They confidently predicted that this shop would be out of business in less than two months.
Moreover, those who had seen the shopkeeper said that this short, small weapons store owner was always wrapped up tightly, showing only a pair of eyes. It was widely believed that he must be quite ugly.
This weapons store, of course, belonged to Su Hao. He had used money and force to secure a suitable shop, then traded beast veins for a large sum of gold crowns, which he used to purchase a massive stockpile of sabers and armor.
He had also developed a specialized rune for inscribing on long sabers and armor. Over the next three days, he worked day and night to complete the production of all the sabers and armor.
Each long saber was inscribed with two runes: ‹Hardening› and ‹Penetration. Each suit of armor bore the runes ‹Hardening› and ‹Barrier›.
He started by selling low-end products, planning to introduce high-end ones once the initial batch circulated.
On the first day of opening, a bald-headed elite warrior entered Su Hao's store, accompanied by two companions, cautiously looking around.
The bald warrior, puzzled, pointed at the heap of sabers and asked, "Boss, are you selling these?"
Su Hao, clad in gleaming armor, with both a long and short blade at his waist—clearly not ordinary weapons—stood with his helmet's sharp edges and a fully obscured face, revealing only his piercing eyes.
His armor was inscribed with a ‹Cooling› rune, constantly circulating cool air for unmatched comfort.
Aside from that, his armor had runes for ‹Hardening›,‹Deflection›, ‹Barrier›, ‹Blinding Flash›, ‹Vibration›, ‹Light Absorption›, ‹Color Change›, and each of his boots was etched with triple-‹Burst› runes, making his armor among the finest in the world!
His long blade bore four runes, the limit before compromising the blade's structure: ‹Hardening›, ‹Sharpness›, ‹Penetration›, and ‹Drill›.
His short blade bore the runes ‹Hardening›, ‹Sharpness›, ‹Penetration›, and ‹Corrosion›.
Both blades were top-tier—legendary quality.
Seeing the customer, Su Hao enthusiastically introduced his wares, "That's right. Today is our grand opening! All weapons and armor are 20% off, while supplies last, and each customer is limited to one item."
Pointing to the pile of long sabers, he said, "These long sabers are one of a kind. They possess both ‹Hardening› and ‹Penetration› properties, capable of easily piercing through the tough scales of ferocious beasts. Their power is beyond imagination.Come, take a look at these fine goods—grab them while you can!"
The bald-headed warrior exchanged glances with his companions, seeing the word "scam" written clearly in each other's eyes.
The bald warrior turned his foot as if preparing to leave, casually asking, "How much for one of these long sabers?"
"Only 20 silver shillings! And with the discount, it's just 16 silver shillings!" Su Hao cheerfully quoted.
For a typical long saber of decent quality, the price was around 8 silver shillings. Su Hao's price of 20 silver shillings was astronomical. However, Su Hao felt his pricing was reasonable given the quality. With the runes inscribed, the sabers were worth every coin.
"So expensive!" The bald warrior jumped in surprise, pulling his companions with him, ready to leave.
But Su Hao blocked their way with a sudden flash, bellowing, "Hold it! Did I say you could leave?"
"Master!" The bald warrior and his two companions were stunned.
Internally, they wailed, "We're doomed. We've encountered a Master forcing us into a bad deal. We should have never come in here. It's all because of our stupid curiosity!"
Su Hao pointed at the pile of sabers, which looked like a heap of junk, and growled, "Go on, test it!"
The three, intimidated by Su Hao, silently obeyed. There was no reasoning with a Master; compliance was their best option to avoid trouble.
After handing each of them a saber, Su Hao personally guided them. "See the small groove on the hilt? Infuse your blood Qi into it."
"Take it slow. Don't push too hard all at once. Keep it steady!"
"Now try again!"
Before long, the bald warrior successfully activated the runes on the saber.
The long saber dimmed as if losing its luster—this was the ‹Hardening› rune activating. Soon after, a faint gray glow enveloped the blade, signaling the ‹Penetration› rune had been triggered.
Su Hao pointed at a thick metal plate nearby. "Go ahead, try stabbing it."
By now, the bald warrior had lost all thoughts of resistance and was filled with curiosity. This was a new experience for him.
Following Su Hao's instructions, he stabbed the saber at the steel plate.
"Sss∼!"
The blade effortlessly pierced through the thick steel plate.
The bald warrior gasped, staring in disbelief at the long saber in his hand as though he were beholding a rare treasure.
One of his companions, unconvinced, nudged him, whispering, "Old Rabbit, could there be something wrong with that plate?"
Without a word, Su Hao yanked the bald man's personal saber from his waist, thrusting it in front of him, gesturing for him to test it on the same plate.
The bald warrior took his own saber and thrust it forcefully at the steel plate.
"Clang∼!"
The sword left only a deep scratch, unable to pierce the plate.
"Gasp∼!"
The three of them inhaled sharply, exchanging bewildered glances. Each saw disbelief in the other's eyes.
The two companions, after testing their own sabers on the steel plate and leaving similar deep marks, followed Su Hao's instructions and infused blood Qi into the weapons he had handed them. In a few moments, the runes activated, and they stabbed the steel plate.
"Sss∼!"
"Sss∼!"
The long sabers easily pierced the metal.
They couldn't deny it anymore.
The bald warrior activated the rune again and stabbed once more.
It pierced just as easily.
Immediately, he reached for his money pouch. "Boss, I'll take this saber!"
"I want one too!" his companions eagerly dug for their silver.
The bald warrior added, "I'd like to buy five more!"
Su Hao shook his head. "Each person is limited to one."
The bald warrior protested, "There's a limit?"
Su Hao simply raised an eyebrow. "Hmm?"
"Alright… alright, fine!"
Su Hao accepted their silver and handed over the sabers. He also gave them a manual, saying, "This is the maintenance guide for the sabers. Make sure you read it carefully. If you break them, there will be no returns."
At that moment, the onlookers outside could no longer hold back. They rushed in, shouting, "Boss, I want one of those sabers too! But I need to test it first. If it's really that powerful, I'll pay!"
"Me too, me too!"
"How much for the armor?"
"Old Rabbit, did you bring enough money? Get a set of armor too!"
"No, I didn't!"
"Then hurry back and get some! I'm afraid they'll sell out soon!"
"Right, right! Hurry, let's get the captain to come buy some too!"
Su Hao's weapons shop quickly became lively.