Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

The door to Lao Ku closed behind him, blocking the complex and unspoken gazes between Shi Cheng'an and Shi Zhongyu.

Ning Che walked alone under the deep corridors of the Shi Mansion. The sunlight outside the corridors was fragmented by the layers of eaves, just like the entrenched power structures in the city.

He took the Danxin Healing Pill and didn't look back.

The deal has been struck; now it's time for the Shi family's third branch to prove its worth to him.

His purpose for this trip was clear from beginning to end—to seek an explanation for Shigu and to pry open the first cornerstone of the murky waters of Feihu City that he was about to enter.

The Shi family's third branch is this cornerstone.

Half an hour later, Ning Che returned to the free clinic and briefly explained where he had gone.

However, Master Qian said that the Danxin Xumai Pill might be useful for Ning Che's injuries and could help him rebuild his meridians.

Ning Che was taken aback, not expecting it to have this effect. But he smiled and shook his head in refusal.

Then, he went to Yu Congrong to ask for a warrant to go home and visit his family.

Yu Congrong seemed to think that it was still not appropriate for him to leave the city at this time. However, she did not insist on refusing, and seeing that Ning Che was very eager to go out, she agreed. Ning Che also took a fast horse from the mountains, preparing to return to Shizhu Village.

However, it's not about learning to ride a horse.

He wanted to try taming beasts.

Without a doubt, his mental strength is now vastly different from what it used to be.

As the invisible ripples spread, the horse, which was not even a ninth-rank horse, naturally could not put up any resistance and was instantly swayed east or west according to his will.

However, mounting it was still a bit complicated. He tried several commands, but none of them could make the horse steady.

It seems that this is just the nature of horses; once they run fast, they bounce up and down. Ning Che had no choice but to imitate the posture he had seen before, relying on brute force to hold onto the horse tightly, and thus managed to ride it.

Along the way, we became quite skilled, and by the time we saw Shizhu Village, it was already taking shape.

In the distance, the outline of Shizhu Village resembles a lean beast lying on the wasteland, quiet and fragile.

At the village entrance, several children were playing with mud dolls. One of the children saw Ning Che riding back on horseback. He was stunned for a moment, then burst into shouts that were a mixture of awe and estrangement.

"Who is it?"

"Brother Xing, Brother Xing is back!"

"Brother Xingxing—"

Ning Che dismounted and handed the reins to Xiao Hu, the fastest runner. Xiao Hu took the reins, looked up at him with eyes full of admiration, and asked, "Second Brother, are you... going again this time?"

Ning Che raised his hand and patted his head, without giving a direct answer.

Not far away, Mancang was carrying a bundle of dead wood for repairing the fence. He saw Ning Che and was about to greet him when he saw Ning Che's horse.

He seemed to recognize Qingfengma, his burly body visibly stiffening for a moment.

Man Cang avoided Ning Che's gaze, not daring to meet his eyes. After a long while, he said in a dry voice, "You're back."

"Mm." Ning Che nodded, without showing any affection.

Only three steps separated the two, yet it felt as if an invisible abyss lay between them. Mancang, carrying the logs, silently walked past him, his back carrying a desolation Ning Che had never seen before.

He knew that Mancang sensed that distance. It wasn't a difference in status or strength, but rather the inevitable barrier that arises when two worlds collide.

Ning Che did not chase after him, but simply watched him walk away.

Some roads, especially this one, are destined to be walked alone. Bringing Yu Congrong and the Shi family along is just a transaction, but bringing Ao Shi along with Man Cang is harmful.

After briefly calming Xiaohu down, he headed straight for the village chief Shigu's residence.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and a suppressed, heart-wrenching cough came from inside. Ning Che pushed the gate open and saw Shi Gu sitting hunched over on a stone stool in the courtyard, his face flushed red from the violent coughing, as if he were coughing up his lungs.

He looked much older than he had a few days ago.

Hearing footsteps, Shi Gu struggled to raise his head, and a faint light flashed in his cloudy eyes when he saw that it was Ning Che.

"You...cough cough...you're back."

Ning Che did not help him up.

He simply walked to the stone table in the courtyard, picked up the dusty teapot on the table with his intact left hand, and poured himself a cup of cold tea.

The tea was cloudy and had a stale smell.

He picked up his teacup and watched as Shi Gu finally caught his breath. On his sallow face and in his lifeless eyes, a glimmer of hope ignited, almost scorching his body.

"Cough...cough cough, is there...is there a result?" Ishiya's voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together, and every word was tinged with blood.

Ning Che did not answer immediately. He downed the cold tea in his cup in one gulp, then spoke calmly, his voice not loud, but clearly drowning out the sound of the wind outside the courtyard.

"Senior Shigu, thirty years ago, when you broke through to the seventh rank, you used the Spirit Breakthrough Pill."

Shi Gu's body trembled, and he stared intently at Ning Che.

"The main ingredient of the Chongling Pill is a fire scorpion tail, which has a strong fire poison and is used to stimulate blood and qi and clear the barriers."

Ning Che paused, making sure Shi Gu didn't show any signs of being overly agitated or unable to accept it, before continuing:

"This poison requires a hundred-year-old Frost Moon Grass to neutralize it. If the age is slightly insufficient, the fire poison will backfire and damage the lung metal. Its symptoms are almost exactly the same as those of the invasion of the heart demon and the reverse flow of true qi."

The courtyard was deathly silent.

Ishigani's breathing became heavy, and his cloudy eyes shone frighteningly bright at that moment.

Thirty years!

Over the past thirty years, he had doubted this countless times in the dead of night, but no one could ever give him an answer. Everyone told him it was his inner demons, that his own foundation was unstable, and that it was his fate.

"Back then...cough...I've seen the files from back then. It says 'Hundred-Year Frost Moon Grass'," Shi Gu said with difficulty, clutching his chest.

"The purchase record does indeed show a century-old Frost Moon Grass." Ning Che put down his teacup and looked at Shi Gu. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only an almost cold calm. "But the person in charge of inspecting the medicinal materials took away a century-old Frost Moon Grass after it was put into storage, under the pretext of the head of the family using it for personal purposes."

"We used a plant that was only thirty years old to fill the gap."

Ishitani continued listening, and gradually calmed down. He lay on the bed, head tilted back, the light in his eyes slowly fading.

He was once a genius, but his career plummeted after being murdered. There must have been times when he couldn't accept it.

But he was a genius; he guessed it and was able to accept it.

He listened as Ning Che continued:

"A seventh-rank expert who is not directly controlled by the eldest branch of the family will disrupt the power balance of the family," Ning Che said calmly, repeating what he had said to Shi Cheng'an.

This is what a large family is like. He once thought he could understand it, but he still lies here.

This is the family he once longed for and fought for his entire life.

Ning Che gave him no more time to process his emotions. He took out a small jade bottle from his pocket, placed it on the stone table, and it made a crisp, light sound.

"This is the justice I've sought for you."

Shi Gu's gaze was drawn to the jade bottle. He heard Ning Che say, "The Danxin Meridian-Regenerating Pill, a seventh-grade elixir, is enough to regenerate your meridians and give you a new opportunity."

Ishigani's pupils suddenly contracted, and for the first time, he showed some excitement.

This is a treasure that even a seventh-rank master would find difficult to obtain. After his fall, it's clear that he has little chance of getting it.

This was no longer just seeking justice; it was an immense act of help, giving this cripple a chance to stand up again! As a former genius, he couldn't help but be thrilled.

But when he saw Ning Che's right hand, he paused for a moment, then refused:

"This stuff might be useful to you too, right? I don't need it. I'm too old. Even if I took it, I might not have a chance. The future ultimately belongs to you young people. It'll be more useful for you than for me."

Ning Che was also taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and smiled wryly, "To be honest, I also have to do something very dangerous. If nothing unexpected happens... I probably won't have as much time as you."

Shi Gu was stunned. He read something he had never seen before in Ning Che's eyes—a resolute determination.

What could possibly be so dangerous?

But he didn't ask. He silently accepted the porcelain bottle and nodded: "Go. Whenever you feel the need, you can go back to the village, no matter what. The villagers... are very worried about you—don't worry, I only said you weren't dead, I didn't reveal any more."

Upon hearing this, Ning Che stopped what he was doing, turned around, and looked towards the village outside.

The children there were still playing, and Mancang's figure flashed by in the distance. Xiao Hu was carefully leading the Qingfeng horse, looking back at this place from time to time.

Everything seems the same as before, yet everything is different from before.

He came here to settle a karmic debt.

After it's over, it's time to say goodbye.

For things to remain the same as before, no matter how he thought about it, he had to leave.

He wasn't good with words either; once he left, he simply turned away.

"Hoshi..." Ishiya called out the name subconsciously, his voice hoarse.

Ning Che turned around and looked at the old man.

The old man paused noticeably before uttering a common saying.

If translated, it would be roughly equivalent to "things will work themselves out when they reach the bridge".

"Is this experience?" Ning Che asked.

The old man thought for a moment, then sighed and said, "This is a blessing."

Ning understood and left.

He walked step by step out of the courtyard, his shadow stretched long in the setting sun, his empty right sleeve swaying gently in the wind, like a flag announcing the past, about to fall.

He did not go to find Zhaodi.

He still wasn't quite sure how to face this girl, and he consciously tried to avoid her. Even at the final farewell, he didn't know how to say goodbye.

That's it for now. If I can come back, I'll go find her again.

Ning Che thought this, but then he suddenly caught sight of someone.

Under the old locust tree, beside the ancient well where he had once seen the large moon, Zhao Di stood quietly.

She looked this way and met Ning Che's gaze.

She seemed to have been fiddling with something in her hand, but stopped when she met Ning Che's gaze. The afterglow of the setting sun shone on her, outlining a soft silhouette, yet carrying a sense of loneliness that seemed out of place in this desolate village.

Ning Che also stopped moving.

After a moment of silence, he started walking towards the ancient well.

The wind blew, swirling up the withered leaves on the ground and making a rustling sound.

The two were about ten steps apart, and neither of them spoke first.

Finally, Zhao Di raised her head. Her eyes were bright and calm, as calm as a deep pool, clearly reflecting Ning Che's figure and his empty sleeve.

"You're leaving."

She spoke, her voice soft, not as a question, but as a statement.

Ning Che nodded: "Mm."

She seemed to have a million things to say, but in the end, all she said was, "You... take good care of yourself."

"Um."

He still hadn't figured out how to say it, so he just gave a low reply.