Volume One – The Frontier of Chen, The Rebel Marquis’s Immortal Journey Chapter 43: Farewell to the Past

After a night of deadly struggle, with the demise of Daoist Jiang Qing, Chen Yu and his companions could finally relax. The three of them lay on the ground, gasping heavily for breath.

"Ha... He's dead. That old bastard is finally dead," Jing Zhe said, excitement in his voice.

"Honestly, his strength wasn't much higher than mine alone; if not for his peculiar talisman techniques, he wouldn't have lasted this long," Chen Yu replied with equal happiness. After all, they had eliminated a tremendous threat—how could he not be pleased?

"Let’s see if that old man left anything worthwhile," Xue Han said with anticipation.

The trio immediately began searching the corpse, but to their disappointment, Jiang Qing had very little on him. Aside from his sword, a scroll containing the Nine Breaths Breathing Technique, and some silver, even his talismans had been completely exhausted.

"This old bastard really didn’t leave us anything at all," Jing Zhe cursed helplessly.

"Hey, look at this—what is it?" Suddenly, Chen Yu unrolled a piece of sheepskin and exclaimed with surprise.

"What is it?" The other two hurried over.

"If I’m not mistaken, this appears to be a map of a section of the Heavenly Severance Mountains," Chen Yu explained eagerly.

"It certainly looks like it," Xue Han agreed, scrutinizing the map. He pointed to a spot, "Look here—doesn’t this look like the place where we first encountered that old man?"

"Yes, exactly!" Chen Yu and Jing Zhe both confirmed, their voices overlapping.

"Haha! It seems our efforts were not without reward," Chen Yu said, delighted. "With this map, we’ll save much time."

"Look, he’s even marked some dangerous areas on it. Well, well... Not bad at all. That old devil was useful after all!" Jing Zhe laughed heartily.

Xue Han took the sword, while Chen Yu kept the Nine Breaths Breathing Technique and the map of the Heavenly Severance Mountains. None of them objected to this arrangement.

Chen Yu severed Jiang Qing’s head with his sword and burned the headless body.

Jing Zhe grimaced with disgust. "Third Brother, you’re truly twisted—you even have a fetish for handling corpses. Disgusting."

"Say one more word, and I’ll make you sleep with it tonight," Chen Yu threatened darkly.

Xue Han, quickly grasping Chen Yu’s intent, burst out laughing. "Third Brother, you intend to send the head to Zheng Ze?"

"Yes. Although we managed to intimidate Zheng Ze before, there’s no guarantee he won’t harbor other designs. This head will serve as a warning. At the very least, it should guarantee peace for the Chen Kingdom for several decades. As for what comes after..."

Xue Han patted Chen Yu’s shoulder, understanding that this was his final severance from the Chen Kingdom.

Half a month later, the three returned to Heifeng Pass in the Chen Kingdom. They sent a letter to the emperor, reporting the matter regarding Daoist Jiang Qing and Zheng Ze, so that the emperor would be prepared.

In the days that followed, Chen Yu took care of all the affairs he could manage. Finally, one night a year later, he summoned Xia You, Tian Ying, Yi Ming, Li Ke, and others.

"Does anyone know why the marquis has called us?" Tian Ying asked, puzzled.

"No idea. Affairs at Heifeng Pass are orderly, and the Chen Kingdom is on good terms with the Kingdom of Zheng. There shouldn’t be anything major," Li Ke replied, equally perplexed.

"No point in guessing. Since the marquis has summoned us, we’ll soon find out," Xia You said, though a trace of worry crossed his face. "But I have a feeling it’s not good news."

"Haha, Brother Xia, you’re overthinking. Even if it’s not just Heifeng Pass but the entire Chen Kingdom, is there anything our marquis can’t handle?"

Xia You shook his head. "I meant, perhaps the matter concerns the marquis himself."

On this subject, the group had always been vague and uncertain. If this was truly about the marquis himself, what would become of them? For the first time, doubt crept into their hearts.

While they were still bewildered, Chen Yu, Jing Zhe, and Xue Han arrived together. Their presence immediately made Xia You and the others tense.

"My lord... Master Jing, Master Xue..."

"You all arrived quickly," Chen Yu said with a smile. After a few polite exchanges, his expression turned serious. "I did summon you for an important matter."

Seeing their anxious faces, Chen Yu spoke directly, "In one month, we will be leaving."

"Leaving? Where to? I, Li Ke, will follow you to the death!" Li Ke blurted out anxiously, afraid of being left behind.

Chen Yu shook his head. "The place we’re going, you cannot follow. In truth, we ourselves are unsure of the outcome."

"Will you ever return?" Xia You asked.

"I do not know. Perhaps," Chen Yu replied, taking a deep breath. "But rest assured. I have already spoken to His Majesty about Heifeng Pass. Even after I am gone, Heifeng Pass will not be under imperial control. After me, there is only one rightful master of Heifeng Pass—my sister, Chen Qing’er."

"Of course, if Heifeng Pass ever faces an irretrievable crisis, there is no need for panic. I have left you an escape route, a place of refuge. What you choose then will be up to you."

The escape route Chen Yu spoke of was a place to retreat and hide at the base of the cliff behind Heifeng Pass.

Xia You and the others felt heavy-hearted and sorrowful, but they knew nothing could be changed. Chen Yu had already done more than enough for them.

A month later, on a quiet night, Chen Yu and his two companions slipped away without a sound. No one was disturbed; Heifeng Pass remained unchanged, as if Chen Yu’s departure made no difference.

Soon, the three descended to the bottom of the cliff. From afar, they could see Xia You and the others already clearing land near the waterfall, preparing for any future upheaval.

The three did not disturb them. Under the cover of night, they sped through the mountains toward the Heavenly Severance Mountains.

Like wild beasts set free, they ran at full strength through the forest, howling with the wind. They longed for the future, even as they bid farewell to the past. Birds and beasts trembled at their approach.

After seven or eight days of relentless travel, they finally arrived at the edge of the Heavenly Severance Mountains.

"Heavenly Severance Mountains... here we come," they murmured. "The road ahead is long and fraught with obstacles."

"This step leads into the unknown. Perhaps all three of us will find our bones buried here, and that will be the end of our lives," Xue Han said with a self-deprecating smile.

Chen Yu looked back toward the Chen Kingdom, then ahead to the mountains before them. "To seek immortality and the Way—this is only the beginning."