Chapter 7: Departure
"Xing'er, do you want to go to Purple Cloud Gate?"
In the study, Li Muyun looked at the boy seated before him and asked gently.
He knew his son well—an absolute martial arts fanatic. Having pursued martial arts for years, he expected him to accept without hesitation.
"Yes... and no."
Li Xinghui frowned, deep in thought as he leaned into the grand armchair.
Hearing this, Li Muyun and Ji Yisi exchanged a surprised glance. That wasn't the answer they expected at all.
Li Xinghui's goal was never to join a sect or pledge loyalty to a force. What he wanted was the power of this extraordinary world. If someone could guide him—great. But only if it came without strings.
Joining a sect and chasing power weren't mutually exclusive... but that only worked if the sect was safe and stable, not some pit of hidden danger.
If that couldn't be guaranteed, he'd rather stay put in Ding'an City.
Thanks to the Myriad Worlds Avatar System and his alternate self in Panlong World, Li Xinghui never feared for his future. His extraordinary path was guaranteed. It was just a matter of time.
Once his avatar reached the Saint Domain level, time itself would no longer be a limitation.
"Master Shen offering to take me as a disciple is definitely an opportunity—but that's assuming he's telling the truth. We know nothing about Purple Cloud Gate or the martial world at large. People can be deceptive. What if he abducts me and sells me off somewhere—or worse, turns me into some kind of 'great medicine' with a bizarre ritual?"
This world was full of strange cultivation techniques and powers. Li Xinghui wasn't scared—but he wasn't stupid either. Even kids knew not to trust strangers.
Li Muyun and Ji Yisi both sighed with relief. They'd always assumed their son was all brawn and no brains, but clearly he had some sharpness beneath the muscle.
"If Master Shen really had bad intentions, would he even need our permission?" Li Muyun pointed out calmly. "Let's be honest. Could we stop him if we tried?"
"But what if we refuse?" Ji Yisi asked, raising a more chilling question. "Would he then reveal his true colors?"
From Shen Jie's words, it was clear their son was a one-in-a-million martial prodigy. If he couldn't have him, would he seek to destroy him?
"And even if he leaves peacefully," Li Xinghui added, eyes narrowing, "who's to say the next person who comes knocking won't be worse?"
His fame had already spread. Shen Jie might've been the first to show interest, but he definitely wouldn't be the last.
If he rejected this offer, someone far less polite might show up next.
"See? This is why I told myself not to get arrogant…"
Li Xinghui sighed in frustration and rubbed his temples, deep in thought.
Over the past six years, as his power grew, he'd become... a bit reckless. The plan of "stay low and build quietly" had flown out the window the moment he became undefeated in Ding'an City.
He'd been acting impulsively, carelessly even. And if not for the fact that his father and grandfather had been cleaning up after him—and that all his wild antics had been in the name of justice—his current peaceful life might've collapsed long ago.
"I'll go to Purple Cloud Gate," he said at last. "Based on everything we've seen, Master Shen doesn't seem malicious, and his promises sound solid. I'll go, and taste both the sweetness and the bitterness."
After all, he had the system, and he had his avatar in Panlong World.
Even if Purple Cloud Gate turned out to be some cannibalistic cult, he'd have the power to fight back—and when the time came, he'd make them pay.
It wasn't paranoia—it was caution forged from reading too many "man-eating sect" stories online. Cultivation novels had long been dominated by the Demonic Path. Who wouldn't be suspicious?
"When you leave," said Li Muyun, "send home three letters to let us know you're safe. The dates are July 13th, September 5th, and January 8th of next year. If something goes wrong, use the agreed code to let us know. Your grandfather and I will find a way to get you out."
"Are those dates special?" Li Xinghui asked, raising a brow.
"Nope," Li Muyun replied. "I picked them at random. The idea is simple—if someone else is pretending to be you, they won't know when to write."
"Also," he added, "it's currently summer. That gives us nearly half a year before the last letter. If something's wrong at Purple Cloud Gate, you'll know by then."
Of course, the worst-case scenario... was no letters at all.
"Did you hear? The Li Family's young master has found a master!"
"What master? He's joined a top sect in Qingyan Country—Purple Cloud Gate, I think—and is now learning immortal techniques!"
"I heard something even crazier…"
In a teahouse near the docks, a group of sweaty, hard-working laborers laughed and chatted over bowls of noodles and pots of tea.
After long days of hauling at the dock, they had little in the way of entertainment. Gossip was the highlight of their week.
And right now, the biggest news in Ding'an City was that the city's invincible and heroic young master had gone off to study—not literature, but martial arts.
To celebrate, the Li Family hosted a grand banquet, inviting all the major families and powers in the city. They even held a flowing feast for seven days so the people could join in.
Outside the Li Residence, Ji Yisi stood teary-eyed, rambling endlessly as she stuffed another stack of silver notes into her son's arms.
A mother's worry was natural. Even more so when the road ahead was unknown.
"Father, Mother... your son is leaving. Please take care of yourselves. I'll write you from the sect, and I'll come home when I can."
"Good. And while you're away," said Li Muyun, clapping a firm hand on his son's shoulder, "think before you act. Don't hesitate now and don't act like some lovestruck girl."
Li Xinghui chuckled softly.
Then, with a serious look, he knelt down and kowtowed three times.
"Father. Mother. I'm off."
With that final farewell, he mounted his horse. The two riders and their two steeds slowly rode off into the distance.
"Take care, my son," his mother whispered, eyes misty.