Destiny is ashes

Chapter 1121 Reunion

"Jing'er, how have you been lately?"

In an instant, Ming Guangchen appeared in front of An Jing. He looked his long-lost disciple up and down with satisfaction, his eyes full of emotion and pride: "You've really grown up."

An Jing, now tall and straight, is even slightly taller than Ming Guangchen. Looking at his master who led him onto the path of Huai Xu martial arts, An Jing felt quite emotional: "Master, you've been doing well lately. The hardships on your face are gone."

"What are you saying?" Ming Guangchen chuckled. "With our strength, where would we get the wind and frost? On the contrary, you used to have some worries and anxieties between your brows, but now you are completely different, decisive and without doubt."

"I just know who to kill now," An Jing said frankly.

The two looked at each other and couldn't help but laugh.

How have you been lately?

As soon as the laughter subsided, Ming Guangchen inquired with concern, "Your current state makes you appear like a True Person, but you are actually far stronger than an ordinary True Person. Is this due to your Cave Heaven Technique?"

"To be precise, it's the simultaneous cultivation of three methods: martial arts, immortality, and the Cave Heaven Method," An Jing didn't hide anything. He had already discussed the details of the Cave Heaven Method with his master, and Ming Guangchen was quite familiar with it, knowing An Jing's progress in the Cave Heaven Method.

"With your foundation, I think even the Heavenly Lord or the Heavenly Venerable can be taken from your pocket with ease. Even if I were to become the Heavenly Lord, I might not be as fast as you."

Ming Guangchen nodded slightly, then took out a cyan jade slip that resembled a mirror in water from his robes and handed it over: "I haven't done anything for you, and now your strength is probably about to be caught up by you. Therefore, I have been pondering the essence of the inheritance in the Great Wilderness Realm recently..."

"The Furnace Method. That's what they call their own tradition. It's also outside the realm of immortality, but it focuses on alchemy, techniques, and tools, making it different from martial arts. I defeated the True Lord of the Heavenly Phoenix and traded with the King of Jingchu for many excellent cultivation techniques from the Great Yu Dynasty. After summarizing my cultivation, I came up with an essential outline. Although it's somewhat complicated and lacks refinement, that's only for mediocre people. I don't think it should be a problem for you, but it will be a little more work for you."

"How could I feel tired, Master? This has really been a great help!"

Upon hearing this, An Jing solemnly accepted the jade slip with both hands, deeply moved. Although Master Ming Guangchen had taught him for relatively little time, he had always cared for him: "How can you say you didn't teach me? For the first time, I fully understood the difference between Huai Xu martial arts and my previous life's martial arts. This true foundation was laid by you, Master."

He smiled easily and said, "Moreover, the many connections and foundations you left behind, Master, are the prerequisites for me to accomplish many things in the future. If you ask me, without you, Master, many things would be much more troublesome for me, and I might even be kidnapped to the Heavenly Will or even the Upper Mystic Sect to 'become a Holy Son'."

"And if it weren't for me, Master, you would also be one of the protagonists of this era!"

"Haha, you've become much better at telling jokes than before, but it's true, you really will be snatched away by them to be their holy son."

Ming Guangchen smiled happily, not because of An Jing's praise, but because of the demeanor and posture An Jing was displaying. The confidence in his eyes and the imposing presence of An Jing undoubtedly revealed the style of a grandmaster.

"By the way, Master, how have you been lately? What's the situation in Mingjing City?"

An Jing looked around and got to the point. Ming Guangchen's smile faded slightly, his brows furrowed, and he shook his head hesitantly, saying, "Speaking of Liucui Island alone, I have managed it like an iron barrel. Those rat people are actually quite intelligent and quick-witted, but they are lazy and like to play tricks. However, with a little supernatural supervision, they are quite hardworking and enduring."

"The biggest problem is still with Dayu... I'm hesitating whether to go out and help."

"Assist in what?" An Jing asked curiously, "Could it be assisting the Great Yu?" Ming Guangchen nodded slightly and said frankly, "Indeed."

He sighed and reported the latest battle report: "Breaking news: the northern pass of Tianyu has been breached. The last iron cavalry outside the pass was defeated in the battle of Qingyuan Plain. Most of them have been annihilated by Qilin, and the commander-in-chief, King Han, has been killed in battle... From now on, Dayu has completely lost the ability to fight Qilin in the north. It can only defend passively and be attacked and slaughtered at will."

"Now, it is also the end of the Great Wilderness Era, and the Eight Tribes of Qilin are very powerful. The Nine Dragon Emperor and the Heavenly Phoenix both want to help Tianyu to prevent it from collapsing too quickly and allowing Qilin to truly invade the Central Plains and become the new protagonist of the world. However, their internal struggles are fierce, and they are not capable of being of great use."

“The refugees from the north are coming in droves, many of them by boat south. Many people want to come to our scattered islands in the sea. They are terrified by the Qilin and dare not stay on land anymore. They only want to escape.”

“That’s understandable.” An Jing nodded slightly. He remembered that the destiny represented by the Qilin was the ‘Heavenly Punishment’ corresponding to the Seven Fiends Tribulation. At the end of the era, its power was indeed stronger: “So, Master, what are your plans?”

“I want to accept them, but I’m a little hesitant.”

Ming Guangchen explained his dilemma: "Because the Qilin plundered the northern navy, and some Tianyu soldiers surrendered, their navy is heading south. Liucui Island, as a key node, can block them, so the Tianyu royal family wants to recruit us, both to take in refugees and to block the Qilin navy."

"For this reason, they were surprisingly generous and willing to grant me the title of a small country, making me the proper ruler of Liucui Island and the surrounding 360 islands, without paying taxes or tribute. The treatment was so generous that even my brothers who fought alongside the Emperor back then probably didn't receive it."

"However, while I want to help those refugees, I don't want to be recruited by the government. But if they don't accept, even if I'm willing to take them in, they probably won't dare to come. They are all pitiful people, and saving their lives would be the best thing, but if they are recruited, things will become too complicated."

Why do you disagree?

An Jing was somewhat puzzled. He raised an eyebrow and asked curiously, "It's good to be recruited! We should be recruited! After all, we're in our own hands, what right do they have to say anything? Let's take the aid from the Great Yu first, and accept the sugar-coated benefits. As for their specific demands, we'll talk about that later!"

“You always prioritize efficiency, results, and personal satisfaction…” Ming Guangchen smiled slightly as he looked at his disciple’s matter-of-fact attitude and shook his head, saying, “Or rather, you only use your respect, wisdom, and morality on those you deem worthy, while something as corrupt as Tianyu is indeed not worthy of your respect.”

At this point, Ming Guangchen's eyes were full of satisfaction: "You had memories of your past life, but you hadn't fully integrated them yet. Now, you've truly grown up and have your own standards and beliefs."

"only……"

After a pause, Ming Guangchen's tone became firm: "But I'm the kind of person who gets caught up in this, it's just my personality. I want to live up to my principles and be myself."

"If I agree with Tianyu, I will do it seriously. If I want to save refugees, I will save them to the very end. Once a decision is made, there is no room for regret. I must fulfill the path I have chosen. This is my way as a martial artist."

"Act according to your conscience, and your heart will be at peace."

“Master, you also have faith.”

For a martial artist, this reason is more convincing than anything else. An Jing understood and nodded in acknowledgment, thinking to himself, "No wonder Sister Jin and the others like this kind of man—serious, reliable, responsible, and not domineering. He's truly a good man and has real charm."

(End of this chapter)