East of the Southern Phoenix Continent.
It was already summer. As the rain increased, the weather gradually became warmer.
"It's May."
That day, when the sun was high in the sky, Xu Qing left Master Bai's tent after the lesson ended. He looked up at the blue sky and the dazzling sun as he muttered to himself.
Unknowingly, two months had passed since he came to the camp.
Thinking back to his experience in Blood Rain City two months ago, it seemed like a long time, but in Xu Qing's heart, it was still vivid in his mind.
But compared to two months ago when he was living in the slums, he had changed greatly.
Whether it was the increase in his cultivation or the increase in his knowledge of plants, Xu Qing felt that he was constantly growing.
And during this period of time, he had eaten a lot of meat under Lei Dui's sumptuous meals, so his body had become slightly more refined.
And because he cultivated the Sea Mountain Art, his Yang energy was extremely vigorous, and the aura he exuded from his body gave off a sharp feeling.
Perhaps it was because he had copied the knife in the temple, but Xu Qing's eyes were much brighter than others, and the more he copied, the more this was the case.
Especially when he went to Master Bai's place for lessons, the accumulation of knowledge gave him a scholarly temperament.
All this made Xu Qing, whose hands were used to being clean, unable to hide his delicate features, even if the dirt on his face had not been washed away.
This could be seen from the fact that the prostitutes in the tents with feathers on their bodies would often call out to him with their beautiful eyes.
But Xu Qing did not care about this. His mood had been somewhat gloomy these days.
On one hand, he had not found the Heaven's Mandate Flower, and on the other hand, Lei Dui's age and weakness were becoming more and more obvious.
So Xu Qing went to the forest less and less. Every day after Master Bai's lessons, he would instinctively go to his residence. Even if he spent most of his time cultivating alone, when he felt Lei Dui next door, Xu Qing would feel more at ease.
He cherished his meal time every night.
Today was the same. Xu Qing walked silently in the camp, ignoring the scavengers around him, and first went to the grocery store.
When the busy little girl saw his figure, she ran to the back of the counter without saying a word. She took out a bottle of wine and handed it to Xu Qing.
She was already used to Xu Qing coming to buy wine at this time every day.
"Thank you," Xu Qing said softly as he looked at the scar on the little girl's face.
Despite the hideous scars, the little girl was very optimistic. She smiled at Xu Qing and was about to say something when the other scavengers called her over.
Xu Qing didn't mind. He picked up the flagon of alcohol and prepared to leave. The little girl caught sight of his back. She hurriedly said a few words to the scavenger and then ran to the door. Seeing that Xu Qing was about to leave, she suddenly called out to him.
"Brother Kid."
Xu Qing stopped in his tracks, and when he turned back to look, he saw the little girl running over.
As she neared Xu Qing, she stretched out her right hand, revealing a piece of candy.
"I don't know why you've been so down recently, but every time I'm unhappy, my mother will give me candy. As I eat it, I'll be happy."
"This is my last piece of candy. It's for you."
Fearing that Xu Qing would refuse, the girl placed the bag in his hand and then ran toward the shop. When she reached the door, she looked back at Xu Qing and called out loudly, "Hey!
Brother Kid, you have to be happy! "
Xu Qing stood there in a daze, watching the little girl walk into the shop. He lowered his head and looked at the candy in his hand. After a long time … he carefully put it away.
On the way back, Xu Qing heard a commotion coming from the camp. From a distance, he saw two carriages approaching, one in front of the other.
The carriages in front of the carriages were brand new, and the horses were sturdy. They far surpassed the carriages Xu Qing had seen before. Not only were there guards, there were also three to five middle-aged men. The spiritual fluctuations emanating from their bodies were clearly powerful.
Clearly, they were not the core of the carriages.
As the carriages arrived, a group of young men and women walked out. They were all about sixteen or seventeen years old. They were tall and proud, dressed in bright clothes, and had fair skin. The men were handsome, and the women were beautiful.
Clearly, they had extraordinary backgrounds. At the moment, they seemed to dislike the dirty and messy conditions of the camp, which was why they had set up camp outside. It was obvious that they were bossy and arrogant.
Furthermore, each of them had attendants with them. There were about a hundred of them serving the group of fifteen or sixteen young men and women.
As for the second carriages behind them, although they were not bad, they were obviously more despicable compared to the former.
Moreover, they clearly knew the identity of the young men and women. Therefore, the second carriages were unwilling to come into contact with the former, avoiding them as they entered the camp. Most of the people who came down were very low-key.
Xu Qing glanced at them.
The carriages in the camp would appear every few days. They would either issue missions or enter the forbidden area alone. There were all kinds of people in there.
This was also the basis of the scavenger camp's existence. Xu Qing was used to it.
When he returned to his residence, he saw Lei Dui exercising in the yard. Under the sun, Lei Dui's body had a hint of twilight, which made Xu Qing's heart sink.
"You bought me wine again. Not bad, not bad." Lei Dui noticed the wine pot in Xu Qing's hand and said with a smile.
"Okay, you go clean up the kitchen. I'll go out for a stroll and buy some ingredients." Lei Dui said and left with his hands behind his back.
This was his agreement with Xu Qing. He had to buy the ingredients. Xu Qing did not refuse, but he paid more rent.
It seemed that this was his way of getting along with Lei Dui.
On this day, Lei Dui came back earlier than usual. Xu Qing had just finished cleaning up the kitchen when Lei Dui came back with some meat. He smiled at Xu Qing and began to cook.
As usual, Xu Qing sat next to him and studied. But as he watched, he felt that something was wrong … If this continued, today's meal time would be early and not in the evening.
Realizing this, Xu Qing understood something. Looking at the busy Lei Dui, he wanted to say something but hesitated. In the end, he was silent.
Lei Dui, on the other hand, was cooking and chatting as usual.
It was not dusk, but the food was ready.
After putting it on the table, Lei Dui looked at the silent Xu Qing and touched his head.
"Child, I've bought the entry permit to Songtao City. I'll pack my luggage later. I'll leave early tomorrow morning." Lei Dui picked up the wine he had bought for him and took a big gulp.
Xu Qing's movements stiffened. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and said softly.
"So soon?"
Lei Dui did not speak. After a long time, he laughed.
"Actually, I bought it a long time ago. I just didn't tell you. You don't have to be reluctant. In this world, there's no banquet that doesn't end." Lei Dui took another big gulp of wine.
"Come, let's eat."
Xu Qing looked at the weathered Lei Dui and silently picked up his chopsticks to eat. Today's meal should have been delicious, but in Xu Qing's mouth, it was tasteless.
Lei Dui looked at all of this and sighed inwardly. But he still wore a smile on his face as he talked about trivial matters in the camp. After an incense stick's worth of time, Xu Qing suddenly spoke.
"Aren't we going to wait for Cross and Luan Ya? They should be back soon."
"No. When they come back, they'll probably be as sad as you are. Besides, if you have time in the future, just come and see me."
Lei Dui took out a chimney and took a puff. The smoke he exhaled covered his expression, making him appear somewhat hazy.
Lei Dui ate the meal quickly.
Even after he left to pack his luggage, Xu Qing still sat there silently. Looking at the food on the table, he could not eat anymore. After a while, he stood up. For the first time, he did not wash the dishes, but went to Lei Dui's room.
"Are you really leaving?" Xu Qing asked softly.
"Don't be so sad. I'm going to live in the city. You should be happy for me."
Lei Dui laughed and called Xu Qing over to help him fold his clothes.
Xu Qing silently walked over. First, he carefully washed his hands, and then folded them neatly.
With his help, Lei Dui's luggage was quickly packed. He did not take most of it and left it to Xu Qing.
"This house is also for you."
"I'll pay the rent," Xu Qing said seriously.
Lei Dui smiled and did not talk about this topic. Instead, he pulled Xu Qing to sit there. As time passed, he told him about the character of the scavengers in the camp, focusing on the camp chief.
"The camp chief is not a simple person. His background is the Vajra Sect."
"And the Vajra Sect is the number one faction in this area. Dozens of cities and camps are under their control. Their ancestor is a Foundation Establishment expert. In the future, you must be vigilant against him."
At this point, it was already very late. Xu Qing noticed the fatigue on Lei Dui's face and silently stood up to leave.
Lei Dui looked at his back for a long time, then sighed.
This night was also the first night that Xu Qing didn't cultivate during this period of time.
He sat there and stared blankly at the night outside until he saw the sky turn white, until he saw the light of the rising sun.
"Time passes so quickly," Xu Qing murmured.
His heart was filled with melancholy. He did not leave the room at this time as he usually did. Instead, he waited until Lei Dui opened the door before he slowly walked out.
As the sun rose and the first rays of dawn scattered, an old man and a young man looked at each other in the courtyard.
After a long time, Lei Dui smiled and said, "Child, I'm leaving."
"I'll see you out."
"No need. Go to class."
"I'll see you out."
"You …."
"I'll see you out," Xu Qing said again, looking at Lei Dui.
Lei Dui looked at Xu Qing for a long time, then nodded helplessly.
And so it was that the two of them, one old and one young, left the camp in the early morning, while most of the other scavengers were still asleep. When they passed by Grandmaster Bai's tent, Xu Qing ran over.
Grandmaster Bai had yet to arrive, and the young Chen Feiyuan was not there either. Only Tingyu was there, reading the pharmacopoeia.
After seeing Tingyu, Xu Qing quickly said, "I'll have to trouble you to help me ask for a day off." He bowed, then turned and left.
Tingyu was a bit surprised. As she walked out, she saw Xu Qing and Lei Dui walking off into the distance.
The light of the rising sun spilled over the land, illuminating the area in front of Xu Qing and Lei Dui as they walked further and further away.
Along the way, Xu Qing silently took Lei Dui's bag and carried it on his back.
Lei Dui's heart was filled with complex emotions. He looked at the stubborn young man and wanted to talk about trivial matters in the camp as usual. But after a few sentences, he couldn't continue.
In silence, the two of them walked into the mountain from which they had first arrived, to the place where they had once rested. At that time, it had been just the two of them. Lei Dui stood tall and straight in front, Xu Qing cautiously followed behind.
The former was as deep as a sword, the latter as solitary as a wolf.
Today, Xu Qing stood in front, Lei Dui behind.
The former was as tall and straight as a mountain peak, the latter was limping like a sunset.
Here, under Xu Qing's insistence, he carried the old Lei Dui on his back, just as he had done in the forest.
Lei Dui sighed inwardly. He looked at the young man's profile, and after a moment of silence, he spoke softly.
"In the future, you have to pay more attention to the scavengers in the camp.
"I know you're very strong now, but you can't underestimate them. Scavengers are desperadoes. To them, unscrupulous means are commonplace ….
"At night, don't forget to feed the dogs. They're the most trustworthy ones in the camp.
"Also, you have to remember to eat. Don't eat cold food. Don't think it's troublesome. Heat it up before you eat … you're still growing, so you can't be careless.
"Otherwise, when you're older, you'll know how hard it is. Right, don't sleep on a bed board. Don't be afraid of dirtying the bedding. After you wash it, remember to dry it in the sun.
"Also …."
Lei Dui spoke softly, his words filled with deep concern.
Xu Qing carried Lei Dui on his back and gently nodded. He committed the words to memory.
As Lei Dui spoke, his body weakened and he fell asleep. Hearing the snoring behind him, Xu Qing's footsteps became softer.
He did his best not to jump, and even if he had to take detours, he had to maintain a steady pace.
Just like that, he carried the Thunder Team through the wilderness, circling around the basin until dusk appeared. As the sky darkened, the light from the corners of his eyes stretched their shadows, and a city appeared before Xu Qing's eyes.
At this time, Lei Dui woke up. He looked at the city and the city gates. After a long time, he softly said,
"We're here."
Xu Qing made a light sound of acknowledgment. He felt as if something were stuck in his chest, but at Lei Dui's request, he gently put the bag down.
Lei Dui took the bag from Xu Qing's hands and looked at the city gates. Then he looked at Xu Qing. After a moment of silence, he smiled and patted Xu Qing's head, messing it up a bit.
"Child, go back. If you miss this old man in the future, you can come by anytime. I live in the southern part of the city, on Clear Water Road, Earth Street, Third Room." With that, Lei Dui took the bag and walked toward the city gates.
Xu Qing stood there, watching Lei Dui walk further and further away. There were thousands of words in his heart, but he didn't know what to say. All he could do was stare blankly.
When he reached the city gates and handed over his qualifications to enter, Lei Dui suddenly turned his head.
He looked deeply at Xu Qing, then waved his hand. Under the urging of the city guards, he walked into the city and disappeared.
Xu Qing's expression was lonely. He waited for a long time …. When dusk fell and the city gates closed, his heart suddenly felt empty.
"Take care …." After a long time, Xu Qing muttered to himself. He bitterly turned around, the feeling of loneliness once again filling his body.
As night fell, his lonely figure was gradually obscured.
One person walked into the wilderness. One person walked toward the basin. One person walked toward the mountains.
The more he walked … the farther he went.