Chapter 88 – A difficult and long road, troubles left behind

The farmer's words left Chen Changsheng utterly baffled, and even Gongsun Huaiyu beside him was full of questions.

How did the "big fat sheep" suddenly become "Martial Uncle"?

Seeing the growing crowd of onlookers, Chen Changsheng calmly said, "This is not the place to talk. Can we find somewhere more secluded?"

"Oh, my mind must be slipping, how could I overlook such a thing."

With that, the farmer led Chen Changsheng to a wooden cabin.

After closing the doors and windows, the farmer looked at Chen Changsheng with excitement and also spoke to Gongsun Huaiyu.

"Huaiyu, what are you waiting for? Hurry and pay your respects to your Martial Uncle!"

Faced with the farmer's request, Gongsun Huaiyu's face was full of reluctance.

At this moment, Chen Changsheng waved his hand and said, "Let's save the formalities for later. Come closer, I have something to tell you."

Hearing this, the farmer wiped the tears from his eyes, excitedly saying, "Indeed, Master was a sentimental person. He must have left many last words before he passed."

"Rest assured, Junior Brother, I will fulfill Master's last wishes."

With that, the farmer leaned his head closer.

"Swish!"

Chen Changsheng reached out his right hand and grabbed the farmer's ear, pulling that "honest" head right in front of him.

At the same time, Chen Changsheng's tone turned somewhat cold.

"Li, did I ever tell you that you are not my disciple?"

"Just a few hundred years have passed, and you've already turned a deaf ear to my words?"

Hearing this familiar tone, the farmer was momentarily stunned.

He looked up again, and that familiar gaze reappeared.

A person's appearance can change, but their eyes cannot deceive.

Because the eyes are the windows to the soul, there may be people who look alike, but there will never be identical hearts.

"Sir... is it really you?"

"What do you think?"

With that, Chen Changsheng released Li's ear.

Facing Chen Changsheng's gaze, Li now looked like a child who had done something wrong, feeling completely uneasy.

Meanwhile, Gongsun Huaiyu was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped.

She had once heard from her Master that all his skills were taught by a mysterious "Sir."

However, this Sir never acknowledged having him as a disciple.

Although the situation just now was not explicitly stated, even a fool could see that the Chen Changsheng before them was the mysterious "Sir" from back then.

Seeing Li's expression, Chen Changsheng waved at Gongsun Huaiyu.

"You should leave first. I have some words to exchange with your Master."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Huaiyu cast an inquiring glance at Li.

"Sir's words are my words. Go on."

Despite having countless doubts in her heart, Gongsun Huaiyu chose to follow her Master's instructions.

"Thud!"

After Gongsun Huaiyu left, Li directly knelt before Chen Changsheng.

"Li failed to keep his promise and recklessly taught Sir's cultivation technique. Please punish me, Sir."

Looking at Li kneeling on the ground, Chen Changsheng sighed softly and shook his head.

"I don't blame you for the cultivation technique. What I can't understand is why you didn't remember my warnings."

"I once told you, if you want to carve a bloody path in the cultivation world, you must not leave yourself any weaknesses."

"But look at you now, not only have you taken disciples, but you've also created a utopia."

"Do you really think no one in the world can see through your little tricks?"

"Those Sacred Grounds and noble families have stood on this land for countless years, their foundations are beyond your imagination."

"If one day they find this place, how will you deal with it?"

Faced with Chen Changsheng's questioning, Li just silently lowered his head.

Because he knew, creating this utopia was indeed a wrong choice.

"The Thunder Beast clan was once so powerful, yet they were still destroyed by weak me."

"The current Seventy-Two Wolf Smokes are not even comparable to the Thunder Beast clan, and the forces of the Sacred Grounds are far stronger than I was back then."

"I'm curious, how did you dare to do this!"

Hearing this, Li's lips moved slightly, and he softly said, "They are the orphans of my brothers who fought alongside me."

"There was a time when their identities were exposed, and if I didn't intervene, they would have had no way out but death."

"Did I not tell you, once you step onto the path of cultivation, you must let go of 'emotion'?"

"If you can't let go of this 'emotion,' why did you step onto this path in the first place..."

"Sir, did you manage to do it?"

Li looked up at Chen Changsheng.

Faced with Li's clear gaze, Chen Changsheng was at a loss for words.

According to the System's rules, as long as he lived through one-tenth of his total lifespan, he could enter the next slumber.

So the fastest and most perfect way to become stronger was to keep sleeping.

But over the millennia, Chen Changsheng always lived to the limit of his awakening time before entering the next slumber.

This slower method was chosen because Chen Changsheng couldn't let go of the "emotion" in his heart.

Chen Changsheng didn't want to become a cold machine, nor did he want his old friends to die in endless waiting.

After a long time, Chen Changsheng spoke again.

"Cultivating with 'emotion' is a painful and long road."

"Precisely because I know the pain within, I wanted you to avoid it, but you ended up walking my old path."

"Now do you understand why I repeatedly rejected Mun back then?"

"Except Mun and I shared romantic feelings, while you and those outside share a bond stronger than blood."

"These two kinds of 'emotion' cut deeper than a knife when etched in the heart!"

"I couldn't stop Mun's death, and you won't be able to stop theirs either."

"The struggle for the Grand Dao cannot be bloodless. Are you really prepared?"

In response to Chen Changsheng's words, Li smiled bitterly and said, "Sir, I can't turn back now."

"Sigh~" Chen Changsheng sighed softly, helplessly saying, "Stand up."

"Since you can't turn back, you must tread carefully on the road ahead."

"For every person outside who dies, your heart will be cut once more."

"Tell me about your experiences over the years. How did you end up with a deadly feud with the Kunlun Sacred Ground?"

Hearing this, Li organized his thoughts and began to speak, "Back then, Jiang Bufan invited you to come out of seclusion."

"But you left without a word, which made Jiang Bufan very angry."

"Unable to find you, he targeted me everywhere, trying to force you to show up."

"As time passed, the conflicts grew, and we fought for a full seven hundred years."

"He became the Holy Lord of the Kunlun Sacred Ground, and I became the leader of the Seventy-Two Wolf Smokes."

Having understood the cause of the entire situation, Chen Changsheng's fingers gently tapped on the table.