Farewell

At this moment, all affairs in this kingdom have been settled, and now Chu Wu only needs to report back to his emperor. Only then can they negotiate how the leadership system of the newly conquered kingdom will be changed.

Chu Wu, along with Jun Wu Xiao, led his army of a hundred thousand back to their homeland. Along the way, Chu Wu asked:

"Jun Wu Xiao, now that things here have ended, what do you plan to do next? Would you like to follow us back to our capital?"

At this time, Jun Wu Xiao had taken off his demon mask, shook his head, and said:

"No, I've played around long enough. I must return to continue cultivating."

Chu Wu nodded, understanding that a true cultivator cannot be lazy in cultivation. He said:

"So, do you plan to continue staying in that town or will you go somewhere else?"

After thinking for a moment, Jun Wu Xiao felt that staying in the town wasn't ideal, so he said:

"I think I won't continue to stay there. I plan to find a place devoid of people to focus more easily on cultivating."

Hearing this, Chu Wu understood that Jun Wu Xiao didn't like to be disturbed while cultivating, but then he felt something was off and said: 

"Hold on, wasn't the reason you went berserk and attacked us before because you had no rice? Why now go to a place with no people? Do you intend to grow your own rice? This doesn't seem logical."

Jun Wu Xiao shook his head and said:

"No, I realized something these past few days. I recognized that eating rice was merely a habit from before my breakthrough. In reality, with my current body, even if I eat grass, tree leaves, or even bark, it's fine. Maybe I need to heat them slightly over a fire."

Chu Wu was astounded, not expecting Jun Wu Xiao could consume such things. If so, throwing him into a forest would mean he'd never starve.

"But wouldn't that be very bland? If you want, I can periodically bring you rice or other foods?" Chu Wu said, feeling that living like that would be too dull.

Jun Wu Xiao laughed then shook his head and said:

"During the process of cultivation, it's essential to let go of worldly pleasures. If I still desire those things, wanting to live joyfully, then how can I qualify to cultivate to a higher level? Ah, but obviously, this only applies during cultivation. When out playing, I still play as usual, though I rarely go out. In the past twenty-six years, except when buying rice I've only gone out twice. The first was when I took a stroll around the town after my breakthrough, and the second was when I went to capture the emperor with you."

Chu Wu also nodded, having only recently been exposed to cultivation, so naturally, he didn't understand it deeply. Learning more from Jun Wu Xiao would greatly benefit his cultivation practice.

After some contemplation, Chu Wu said:

"You're not wrong. If one desires to be human, clinging to the joys of the mundane world, how can one focus on cultivation? During cultivation, one's heart must only harbor cultivation, not letting other emotions interfere."

It sounds immensely dull and monotonous, as if life and death held little difference, marked only by endless repetition through the years to come. Yet, this is the life of a cultivator, this is the price to pay. Anyone who steps onto this path will eventually realize that to go further, one must endure even more.

Revenge? Want power? Influence? Arrogance? Oppression? Aren't these the things that normal people desire? Then those people are just ordinary humans and will never become a cultivator.

A cultivator is one who steps on the weird way to becoming a transcendent being beyond humanity. And to become such an entity, one must first abandon human desires and focus solely on cultivation.

Seeing Chu Wu's thoughts were not misguided, Jun Wu Xiao said:

"You're right. But, are you serious about your cultivation?"

The corner of Chu Wu's mouth twitched, clearly, since learning about cultivation, he had dedicated four hours every day to practice with all his might, with Jun Wu Xiao also observing him. And now Jun Wu Xiao speaks as if he had been lazy.

"Damn it, you've been watching me cultivate these past days. How can you talk as if I've been lazy?" Chu Wu said.

"Ha ha ha, I was just joking. Even your attitude towards cultivation, I've seen it clearly. It's no less serious than mine, perhaps you truly have the potential to make a breakthrough. Don't die of old age, okay? You are my first friend." Jun Wu Xiao said with a laugh.

Chu Wu's face darkened at the sudden mention of dying of old age by his supposedly close friend. He said:

"Humph, I won't die that easily. Just wait, I will definitely make a breakthrough."

Jun Wu Xiao looked at his frustrated but couldn't do anything, laughed, and said:

"Ha ha ha, then keep it up."

"What about you? Where do you plan to go?" Chu Wu asked.

Jun Wu Xiao thought for a moment, truthfully, he hadn't decided where to go yet. He only knew he wanted to go somewhere difficult for humans to reach.

"I'm not sure yet, haven't thought of a specific place." Jun Wu Xiao honestly replied.

Hearing this, Chu Wu told him:

"Wait here for me a moment. I have one thing for you."

After saying this, he immediately went to retrieve something, leaving Jun Wu Xiao curious about what Chu Wu was searching for.

A short while later, Chu Wu returned, holding a leather scroll in his hand. He said:

"Jun Wu Xiao, this is a map. This location here is the capital. If you wish to find me later, you can rely on it."

Chu Wu pointed out the location of the capital on the map, and after a while, Jun Wu Xiao had understood. He tied the map to his back since it was quite large.

As Jun Wu Xiao prepared to leave, he said to Chu Wu:

"Farewell, I will come to find you in eleven years. At that time, I will help you capture an emperor. Just leave the hardest place for me to attack."

"Good, then I'll be in the capital waiting for you in eleven years." Chu Wu happily said, having set a time, he believed Jun Wu Xiao would definitely come as promised, unless he got lost, which wouldn't take much time to correct.

"Ha ha ha, I will definitely come to see you." Jun Wu Xiao laughed and then departed.

As he left, he took two things with him: one was the demon mask, and the other was the map. As for the rice, after realizing he no longer needed it, he did not take any. Now, he was walking straight in one direction but didn't know where he wanted to go.

Suddenly, he stopped and said:

"Now I don't know where to go, or should I return to the town for a while? Consider it a farewell to the place I've lived for decades, since this time I leave, I won't return anymore."

After that, he ran straight towards the town he had once lived in.