These black-robed men were all tall and large. Their black robes covered their entire bodies and their heads, making it impossible to see their specific appearances.
However, the occasional cold gaze that peeked out from the black robes caused the hearts of the scavengers to tremble.
The black-robed men's eyes were indifferent to life. There was not a trace of humanity in them. It was as if they were just killing machines.
Even as they stood there, the heat of June seemed to be dispelled, causing the outside of the grocery store to be gloomy and cold.
The moment Xu Qing arrived, he already knew their identities from the whispers of the scavengers around him.
"It's the Departure Sect's law enforcement team!"
"The Departure Sect … That's a group of lunatics. They rarely appear in scavenger camps. Why are they here this time?"
"I heard they're looking for someone. They've already searched all the cities and scavenger camps in this area."
When the surrounding voices entered Xu Qing's ears, he slowly narrowed his eyes. With a flip of his hand, a metal skewer appeared and he coldly looked at the grocery store. At the same time, three people walked out of the grocery store.
The two people in front were one tall and one short.
The tall person was tall and straight, like an unsheathed sharp sword stained with blood.
His clothes were the exact opposite of the Departure Sect's law enforcement team. His robes were blood-red, and the sun pattern on them was black. At this moment, his head was uncovered, revealing a head of black hair and a chiseled face.
It was a young man.
The instant he walked out, the black-robed members of the Departure Sect's law enforcement team all lowered their heads and knelt on one knee.
Seeing this scene, Xu Qing's eyes narrowed. The aura emitted by the other party made him feel as if he had encountered a powerful ferocious beast in the depths of the forest.
As for the short person beside the young man, it was the little girl.
At this moment, she had an unprecedentedly happy smile on her face as she grabbed the young man's hand.
Judging from his age, he seemed to be her older brother. When the young man lowered his head to look at the little girl, his cold expression became incomparably gentle. However, the unmeltable sadness in his eyes was still very obvious.
It was as if he was remembering his loved ones who had passed away during the calamity.
Behind them was the grocery store's boss. He had a flattering expression as he carefully followed them and whispered to them.
Looking at all of this, Xu Qing silently put away the iron skewer and touched the small stone in the leather bag with some hesitation.
At the same time, the little girl who walked out of the shop also saw Xu Qing in the crowd.
She hurriedly said a few words to the young man beside her. When the young man's scrutinizing gaze landed on Xu Qing, the little girl let go of her hand and ran towards Xu Qing.
The scavengers around Xu Qing instinctively retreated, allowing the little girl to successfully run to Xu Qing and bid him farewell.
"My brother is here to pick me up. Brother Kiddo, do you want to leave with me?"
As she said her goodbyes, the little girl looked at Xu Qing expectantly.
Xu Qing shook his head.
The little girl was a little disappointed after receiving the answer. She glanced at Xu Qing and smiled again.
"It's okay. When I grow up, we can still meet again. Brother, I said that I would repay you for saving my life. I will definitely do it."
"I'm going to leave with my brother. My brother is very good to me. He will give me anything I want. Do you have a brother too?"
The little girl was very talkative. Just as she was speaking, the young man outside the general store called out to her.
"I'm leaving, brother Kiddo."
The little girl looked at Xu Qing. She had been in the camp for more than two months, and the only person she was familiar with was the person in front of her. At this moment, she felt a little reluctant to part with him.
Xu Qing glanced at the little girl, then took out a small seven-colored stone from his leather bag and handed it to her.
"This stone can remove scars. I'll give it to you."
The little girl was stunned. She took the stone and looked at Xu Qing. She wanted to say something, but hesitated. Her brother called out again. In the end, the little girl looked deeply at Xu Qing, then took the seven-colored stone and returned to the young man's side. Surrounded by the black-robed men, she left.
On the way, she turned her head and waved at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing waved back. He watched as the little girl, who seemed to always have a happy smile on her face, walked away. He felt that she was right to leave.
"I wish you all the best."
With that, Xu Qing turned and walked back to his residence.
Life was the same as before. He silently cooked, silently ate, silently cleaned, silently meditated, silently attended classes.
Time passed. This kind of life went on for seven days.
Xu Qing had completely returned to the state of the slums. He also realized that Grandmaster Bai … wouldn't be staying in the campsite for long.
This was something Xu Qing had already guessed from the past two to three days when Grandmaster Bai's carriages were being organized.
Grandmaster Bai had told him that they came from the Purple Lands, and the Purple Lands … Xu Qing had heard many people mention that it was the center of the Southern Phoenix Continent.
When Xu Qing arrived at Grandmaster Bai's tent in the morning, he didn't see any guards, Chen Feiyuan, or Tingyu.
There was only Grandmaster Bai in the tent.
Xu Qing already knew the answer.
For this lesson, Grandmaster Bai was very detailed. Xu Qing listened attentively, but time still flew by. Soon, it was time to end the lesson. Grandmaster Bai looked at the silent Xu Qing and sighed softly.
"I'm leaving."
"Before I leave, I'll impart to you some knowledge that will really help you in the future. Due to the oath, I can't tell you directly. Whether or not you can grasp it will depend on your luck." Grandmaster Bai looked deeply at Xu Qing.
Xu Qing's eyes narrowed as he looked at Grandmaster Bai.
The moment their gazes met, Grandmaster Bai's weak words echoed in the tent.
"Child, take the herbs I've explained to you on the third, seventh, eleventh, fifteenth, seventeenth, and nineteenth days. Follow the ratio of one to two to four, and combine them with the same amount of Seven Leaf Grass. Then, under high temperature, you will be able to refine them into something that countless people in this world need … White Pills that are equivalent to spirit coins!"
Xu Qing's eyes widened and his breathing quickened.
He was no longer ignorant of plants and vegetation. After two months of listening to Grandmaster Bai's lessons, he was well aware of the value of pill recipes in this world!
They were extremely precious resources in the hands of the major clans and powers!
Especially … White Pills were the basic currency. The value of the pill recipe was so great that it was difficult to describe. It was impossible for it to be leaked.
Now that he knew how to refine White Pills, he didn't even need to have a high cultivation base. With the pill recipe, he could live a good life.
This was a great favor!
Xu Qing's body trembled. He looked at Grandmaster Bai, the white hair at his temples, and the gentle gaze in his eyes. The scenes of the past two months flashed through his mind.
From eavesdropping outside the tent to listening to the lessons inside, Grandmaster Bai's earnest teachings filled his heart with thousands of words. They transformed into deep gratitude and reluctance.
In the end, he lowered his head and bowed deeply to the stern but kind old man before him.
"Thank you … Teacher."
If Captain Lei gave him the feeling of a family member, then Grandmaster Bai was like a teacher. He had taught him an extremely important survival skill in this world.
Grandmaster Bai looked at Xu Qing's bow and smiled. He also noticed Xu Qing's emotions and smiled.
"Child, I'm treating you this way because you're eager to learn and have good perception. I hate those who say that pill recipes can't be leaked."
"But sometimes, my status leaves me with no choice. You're not the first person I've taught medicine and pill recipes to. I've traveled the Southern Phoenix Empire and taught many things. The medicine dao of the human race can't decline because of the barrier of status."
"Finally, between us … You should know that the world is a guest house for all living things. Time is a passer-by. As long as we don't die, we'll meet again. I hope that the day we meet again, you'll have become a talent."
Grandmaster Bai's words were full of deep meaning, especially the last part. It was the most profound sentence Xu Qing had heard in so many years. He firmly remembered it.
Grandmaster Bai's convoy left on the same day. Before leaving, he gave Xu Qing a thick medicinal codex for self-study.
Xu Qing walked them out of the camp and stared blankly at the departing convoy. He also saw Tingyu's figure in the convoy, constantly looking back at him.
In the dusk, they gradually went further and further away.
Under the setting sun, the youth's shadow was elongated. He stood there for a long time before slowly turning around and returning to the camp.
The camp wouldn't change because of the departure of a few people.
There were no changes. It was still dirty, still filled with people from all walks of life. There were elders berating, children crying, robust men laughing loudly, and women panting softly.
Under the setting sun, the various expressions of life seemed to have become a miniature version of the camp.
Xu Qing walked among them. He didn't immediately return to his residence, but unknowingly walked to the grocery store. He saw the new clerk taking over the little girl's job and bought a bottle of wine.
After returning to his residence with the wine, Xu Qing didn't eat that night.
He looked at the empty room and sat there looking down at the wine jug. After a while, he picked it up and took a big gulp.
The spicy taste flowed down his throat and into his stomach, exploding throughout his body. Xu Qing suddenly felt that the wine, which wasn't very tasty before, seemed to have some flavor today.
So, he drank another mouthful.
One mouthful, one mouthful.
In his tipsy mind, six years of living in the slums appeared. He saw Captain Lei's figure walking through the city gates, Grandmaster Bai's convoy, and the little girl walking away.
The words Grandmaster Bai had said before leaving also appeared in his mind.
"Do you also have an older brother?"
Xu Qing held the wine jug and leaned against the wall. He looked up at the moon outside and muttered, "I also have an older brother, but I can't find him." His voice was very soft.
Outside his room, the purple-robed old man and his servant stood there, silently listening until the youth's murmur came from inside the room.
"Heaven and Earth are the guest houses of all living things. Time is a passer-by from ancient times until now.
"As long as we don't die, we will meet again."