Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Yan Guikai’s Final Words

In the days that followed,

Li Ping remained somewhat worried that Master Hu would cut ties with him for not attending the banquet.

Fortunately, it turned out to be an unnecessary worry; Master Hu wasn’t that petty.

Although Li Ping hadn’t attended the banquet, he had sent a monetary gift, so the two remained in contact.

Li Ping was quite impressed by Master Hu’s magnanimity.

This was an Immortal Cultivator of profound attainment.

...

After several months of hard work from Bai Lin, Cheng Yao, and Cheng Yao’s simp,

the nearly two hundred acres of spirit fields inside the cave residence, which had originally been planted with ornamental flowers, were all replanted with Spirit Medicines.

Li Ping was fairly satisfied with Bai Lin’s performance. At first, she had been a bit rash, but after gaining some experience, she revealed a more meticulous and sincere side to her personality.

Spirit Medicine seeds weren’t very expensive, and with Cheng Yao’s simp providing free labor, seven or eight Spirit Stones were left out of the fifty Li Ping had given her for the budget.

Bai Lin didn’t embezzle the remaining seven or eight Spirit Stones; instead, she respectfully prepared to return them to Li Ping.

Li Ping couldn’t be bothered to take back such a small number of Spirit Stones and just told her to buy something useful.

And so, Bai Lin set her sights on the hundred-plus-acre pond in the courtyard. She then used the remaining Spirit Stones to purchase a dozen or so spirit fish fry and released them into the water.

Li Ping approved of her decision.

In ten years or so, once the spirit fish had grown fat, he might be able to enjoy some hot spirit fish soup.

...

Over the past few months of working together, Li Ping had seen everything Bai Lin did day after day.

Objectively speaking, she had passed his test.

Of course, as someone from Earth, he still held on to some habits from his past life.

Although he felt she had passed the test, he also had to consider Bai Lin’s own wishes.

If Bai Lin was unwilling to serve him, he wouldn’t force her.

So he planned to find an opportunity to lay his cards on the table with Bai Lin and get everything out in the open.

However, to his surprise, before he even had the chance to speak,

an unexpected event interrupted his plans.

After about a year had passed, a merchant caravan finally brought a letter for him from Daoist Ji, all the way from the Jiang Kingdom.

...

Not long after replying to Daoist Ji’s last letter, Li Ping had moved from the Outer City to his cave residence on Immortal Peach Mountain.

Therefore, the messenger could only deliver the wooden box to Gumu Sheng’s "Green Bamboo" shop.

Gumu Sheng didn’t dare delay and immediately brought it to him on Immortal Peach Mountain.

After taking the wooden box and sending Gumu Sheng on his way, Li Ping eagerly returned to his training room.

But when he saw the familiar Restriction on the wooden box, he instantly hesitated.

Daoist Ji’s last letter had said his master was bedridden and didn’t have long to live.

’It’s been over a year now. How is Master doing?’

’Master... are you okay?’

Li Ping suddenly didn’t dare to open the wooden box.

He sat cross-legged with the box before him, staring at it blankly, motionless for a long time.

When he first transmigrated into this world, he was an orphan on the verge of freezing to death by the side of the road.

If his master hadn’t saved his life, it would have been game over for him long ago.

If his master hadn’t taught him martial arts, he probably never would have had the chance to meet Daoist Ji, step onto the Immortal Dao, and become a Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Master... He was both a master and a father.

...

After a long silence, Li Ping finally took a deep breath. He channeled his Magical Power and, using the agreed-upon key, infused it into the Restriction on the box’s surface.

CLICK.

The wooden box sprang open, revealing two folded letters inside.

Li Ping’s Divine Sense swept over the two envelopes, clearly seeing the words written on them.

Instantly, his expression stiffened, and his face turned ashen.

The two letters in the box were inscribed with "The Final Words of Yan Guikai" and "From the Hand of Ji Xiu"—letters from his master and Daoist Ji, respectively.

Though he had braced himself for this, the sight of his master’s final letter made his mind go completely blank.

...

He opened the envelope, and a powerful, sinewy script met his eyes.

As he looked at the words on the page, Li Ping could almost see his master’s aged figure, sitting with difficulty by his bed, painstakingly writing this letter to him, one character at a time.

"Ping’Er, my disciple, by the time you unfold this letter, I may already be walking the Yellow Springs Road. Though I’ve gained some small, undeserved fame in the martial world in my life, my greatest source of pride was taking you as my disciple. To have been the master of an Immortal is truly the blessing of a lifetime."

"These past years, you traveled tens of thousands of miles to seek the Immortal Dao. Daoist Ji told me you succeeded in your Foundation Establishment and have already made great strides on the immortal path. I am gratified, but I also know your journey must have been fraught with hardships and dangers. It’s just that with your resolute character, you only speak of the good things, unwilling to mention the difficulties and make me worry."

...

"My time is short, and there are some matters I must entrust to you. Most of my descendants are of dull aptitude, not the sort to preserve the family legacy. If you can spare the effort, I hope you might look after them a little."

"My disciple, do not grieve too much over my passing. Birth, old age, sickness, and death are the natural order of the world. You must simply focus on your cultivation and pursue the Great Dao."

"I have no Spiritual Root and was fated to miss the immortal path—this is the greatest regret of my life. If I could one day see you attain immortality and achieve the Dao, I would be able to smile even in the netherworld."

"I hope you will take care."

"The Final Words of Yan Guikai."

His master’s words were simple, without any flowery rhetoric, just like a normal conversation. Yet reading them brought Li Ping to the verge of tears.

He hadn’t been able to make it back to see his master one last time, yet there wasn’t the slightest hint of blame in the letter. Instead, his master had instructed him not to grieve, but to focus on his cultivation and pursue the Great Dao.

"Master, you said taking me as your disciple was the proudest thing you ever did, that being my master was a blessing," Li Ping said, his expression filled with sorrow. "But for me, being your disciple was the most fortunate thing that ever happened in my life."

...

As he read his master’s final letter over and over, Li Ping couldn’t help but hope that reincarnation truly existed in this world.

’His master’s death would not be an end, but the start of a brand new life.’

’His master said the greatest regret of his life was having no Spiritual Root, fated to miss the immortal path.’

Li Ping hoped that when his master was reborn—his mortal slate wiped clean—and began a new life, he would possess a Spiritual Root and make up for the regrets of his past one.

...

Li Ping placed his master’s final letter down, facing the direction of the Jiang Kingdom. He knelt heavily before it and performed a solemn kowtow of three kneelings and nine prostrations.

"Master, journey well."

As he kowtowed, his expression grew increasingly resolute.

’The idea of reincarnation was illusory and uncertain. No one knew if there was truly an afterlife once one’s lifespan came to an end.’

’He refused to pin his hopes on a next life. In this life, he would advance with unstoppable diligence on the Immortal Dao until he cultivated to the legendary realm of eternal life!’

...

After carefully putting away his master’s final letter, Li Ping opened the one from Daoist Ji and began to read it closely.

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