Chapter 41: Xisai Departs

The next morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.

Aikesi walked out of the room; there were already people moving about in the courtyard. The five Bake brothers had risen even earlier than him; the five of them squatted in the corner of the courtyard, speaking quietly. Seeing Aikesi come out, Bake hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"Brother Aikesi, good morning."

Aikesi nodded, his gaze sweeping over the five men. After a night had passed, the state of the five was clearly different from yesterday. Bake's brows were tightly furrowed; Gaici scratched his head from time to time; the youngest had obvious dark circles under his eyes, clearly having not slept all night.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" he asked.

Bake scratched his head and gave a bitter smile: "How could we sleep? The matter that senior mentioned, we brothers pondered it all night; until now it still feels like a dream."

"What does it feel like?"

Bake thought for a moment and said seriously: "I can't put it into words. Knowing who our ancestors were, it seems like we should be happy, yet we can't bring ourselves to be happy. We grew up without father or mother, didn't even know our own surnames. Suddenly an Undying Warrior descendant pops up; it doesn't feel real."

Gaici chimed in from the side: "Exactly. Last night I pinched myself several times, afraid I'd wake up from a dream. As a result, it hurt like hell, and I'm still here."

Feijin said quietly: "I've been thinking about the matter of our ancestors that senior mentioned. Undying Warriors, Saint Domain experts—do we really have such ancestors?"

He stopped halfway, suddenly lowering his head.

Aikesi said nothing, merely patting Bake's shoulder.

Such matters indeed require time to digest. A person who has lived for more than twenty years is suddenly told their background holds hidden secrets, that their ancestors were the famous Undying Warriors. For anyone, it would be difficult to accept in the short term. Moreover, the five of them grew up without parents; now suddenly having a "root," that complex emotion cannot be summarized by simple joy or sorrow.

The courtyard gradually grew lively. Linlei came out of the house, with Beibei squatting on his shoulder as usual. This little fellow was full of energy, looking around, sniffing constantly, not knowing what he was searching for. Saisile had also risen; his complexion was much better than yesterday, but he still walked a bit weakly—yesterday's battle had consumed too much of his Magic, injuring his vitality.

Saisile walked to the middle of the courtyard, stretched his muscles and bones, and looked at the five Bake brothers: "How are your injuries?"

Bake hurriedly said: "Much better, much better. Thank you, Master Saisile, for your concern. After you treated us yesterday, there are no major issues today."

Saisile nodded and asked no more.

Everyone waited in the courtyard.

The sun slowly rose higher; the residents of the town began to move. Some carried hoes to the fields, some drove ox-carts out of town; occasionally someone curiously glanced over this way, but quickly withdrew their gaze. People in remote small towns all knew not to ask what shouldn't be asked. These few outsiders clearly were not simple; it was best to avoid provoking them.

Aikesi leaned against the courtyard wall, watching people come and go on the street. Life in the small town was peaceful and monotonous: rise with the sun, rest with the moon, day after day, year after year. Such days, for ordinary people, perhaps constituted a whole lifetime. But for people like them, this peace instead seemed somewhat unreal.

Time passed bit by bit.

The five Bake brothers gradually grew restless. Gaici paced back and forth in the courtyard, glancing out the door from time to time; Feijin squatted on the ground, drawing back and forth with his finger, not knowing what he was writing; the other two brothers—Aikesi remembered their names were Leike and Weibo—huddled together whispering, glancing occasionally at the wooden box placed in the corner of the courtyard.

"Could it be they won't come?" Gaici whispered.

Bake glared at him: "Don't talk nonsense. A figure like that senior, having promised, will definitely come."

"But the sun is already high..."

"Just wait. If they come, it's a favor; if they don't, it's their duty." As Bake spoke, there was also a trace of unease in his tone.

Aikesi knew what they were worried about. For the five Bake brothers, Xisai was not merely a powerful figure; he was their only link to that legendary ancestor. The Undying Secret Code, for them, was not merely a cultivation manual; it was a proof of identity, a sustenance of belonging.

People who grew up without father or mother most long to know where they come from.

Linlei also seemed to see through their anxiety and spoke: "Since Mr. Xisai promised, he will definitely come. A powerful figure of that level does not make promises lightly, but having promised, he will definitely fulfill it."

Bake looked gratefully at Linlei: "Brother Linlei is right; we were too impatient."

No sooner had the words left his lips than a figure descended from the sky.

Xisai stood in the courtyard, still in that gray long robe, black hair hanging loosely. He held a wooden box half a person's height; the box looked very old, its corners wrapped in copper, carved with complex patterns. Those patterns were ancient and intricate, bearing a distinct style of the ancient era, obviously of great age.

"Waiting anxiously?" he asked.

The five Bake brothers hurriedly stood up and bowed together: "Senior!"

Xisai waved his hand, his gaze falling upon the five men. He remained silent for a moment, then placed the wooden box in his hand on the ground. The box made a dull sound upon landing, obviously heavy.

"The Undying Secret Code is inside here."

The gaze of the five brothers fell squarely on that wooden box; their breathing grew a bit rapid. Gaici's hand instinctively gripped his hem; Feijin's lips trembled slightly; even the most steady Bake's Adam's apple rolled up and down several times.

Xisai did not rush to open it; instead, looking at them, he slowly spoke: "This Secret Code was personally handed to me by Amanda back then."

Bake's lips moved, wanting to say something, but said nothing.

Xisai continued: "Amanda was the best friend of my life."

He paused, his gaze drifting somewhat, as if recalling something.

The courtyard fell silent.

The morning breeze blew, lifting a few fallen leaves. In the distance came the sound of a rooster crowing, and the laughter of children. These ordinary worldly fires formed a strange contrast with the heavy atmosphere in the courtyard at this moment.

Xisai withdrew his gaze, looking at the five Bake brothers, his tone flat: "I tell you these things not to make you grateful to me, nor to make you owe me a favor. I only tell you: do not disgrace him."

Bake knelt down with a thud; the other four knelt as well.

"Senior, rest assured!" Bake's voice trembled, his eyes already red. "We five brothers will definitely not fail our ancestors, nor fail you! From now on, we will cultivate diligently, spread the name of the Undying Warriors far and wide, and let the world know that Amanda's descendants are not cowards!"

Xisai waved his hand: "Get up."

He opened the wooden box.

The instant the lid was lifted, an ancient scent rushed to meet them. It was the taste of years settling, mixed with the scents of beast skin, paper, and some special wood. Inside the box was a yellowed beast-skin scroll, along with several booklets. The scroll was large; once unfolded, it was half a person's height, densely covered with characters, accompanied by diagrams of human meridians. Those characters were vigorous and powerful, every stroke revealing an ancient charm.

"This is the original of the Undying Secret Code." Xisai pointed to the scroll. "It has been passed down generation by generation by Amanda's lineage; it is said to trace back to the Undying Warrior Ancestor of the ancient era. Beside it are Amanda's own cultivation insights, along with some historical records of the Undying Warriors. In his later years, with nothing to do, he wrote down everything he knew. Take them and read slowly."

Bake took the box carefully, his hands trembling. Gaici and Feijin leaned over, wanting to reach out and touch, yet dared not. Leike and Weibo stood behind, stretching their necks to look inside, their eyes wide open.

"This... this is what our ancestors passed down?" Gaici murmured, his voice full of disbelief.

Xisai looked at them, a trace of complex expression flashing in his gaze. He thought of Amanda back then, that straightforward and bold man, who was also curious about everything and held reverence for everything. If he were still alive, seeing his descendants reach such a day, what expression would he wear?

He looked at Linlei: "Linlei, let us speak aside."

The two walked to the other side of the courtyard. Aikesi was close enough to faintly hear their conversation.

"These five boys, help me look after them," Xisai said. "They know nothing now; with bloodlines they cannot use, they are no different from ordinary people. If you have the chance, give them extra care."

Linlei nodded: "Mr. Xisai, rest assured. Bake and the others have good hearts; as long as they are willing to work hard, they will surely have a bright future."

Xisai hummed, then added: "You yourself must also be careful. The Radiant Church will not let this go. That old thing, Haitingsi, is no good sort. Having held office for so many years, his methods are ruthless, his schemes deep. The Radiant Church could develop to its current scale on the continent; his contribution is undeniable."

"I understand." Linlei's tone was calm.

Xisai patted Linlei's shoulder and said no more. He turned and walked back into the courtyard, waved to the five Bake brothers, then flashed his figure and vanished.

Coming and going like the wind, clean and decisive.

The courtyard fell silent for a moment, then Saisile let out a long breath: "Arriving without a shadow, departing without a trace—this is the true style of a master."

Linlei smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.

Bake held the wooden box, his eyes slightly red. The other four gathered around him, their gazes all fixed on that box.

"Open it and take a look," Gaici couldn't help but say.

Bake looked at Linlei, and Linlei nodded.

He placed the wooden box on the ground, opened the lid, and carefully took out that scroll of beast skin. The scroll felt heavy in his hand; the leather had turned yellow and hardened, yet it was preserved perfectly. He gently unrolled it, and the characters on it were clear and legible.

"Undying Warrior, source of the bloodline, the physical body as the foundation, the will as the soul. Forging the body is like forging iron, tempering the bones is like tempering steel. Tendons, bones, skin, and flesh, the five viscera and six bowels—all can be hammered and refined. When fully mastered, one becomes impervious to blades and spears, invulnerable to fire and water, capable of regrowing severed limbs, and able to regenerate from a single drop of blood..."

Bake read a few lines, then stopped. He could read, but those cultivation terms were too profound—things like "circulation of qi and blood," "tempering of tendons and bones," "tempering of will"—he simply couldn't understand them. He scratched his head, looking at Linlei awkwardly.

"Brother Linlei, much of what is written here... I don't understand."

Gaici leaned over to take a look and scratched his head too: "What is this nonsense? What 'qi and blood cycles,' what 'imprints of will'—it's like a heavenly scripture."

Feijin spoke softly: "I actually recognize a few characters, but when they're put together, I don't know what they mean."

Leike and Weibo also leaned over. The two stared at the scroll for a long time, then Leike suddenly said: "Why does the person drawn here have so many lines on his body? They look like earthworms."

Weibo nodded: "And those little dots, so densely packed, they make my eyes dizzy."

Bake closed the scroll and carefully put it away. He looked at Linlei and said seriously: "Brother Linlei, we brothers will follow you from now on. Whatever orders you have, just give them. We may be dull, but we are willing to endure hardship and fear no fatigue. Whatever you tell us to do, we will do."

The other four also voiced their support one after another.

"Yes, yes, yes, Brother Linlei, please take us in!"

"We promise to be obedient and will never cause you trouble!"

"If you tell us to go east, we will absolutely not go west!"

Linlei shook his head: "Let's not talk about that yet. First, heal your injuries, then study this secret manual carefully. There's no rush for cultivation. Bake, take out those few notebooks of insights first and take a look. What Senior Amanda wrote should be easier to understand than the manual itself."

Bake hurriedly rummaged through the notebooks and pulled one out. Upon opening it, it was indeed much simpler. Amanda used plain language, writing about her own experiences and realizations during cultivation, along with some specific cultivation methods and precautions. Although there were still quite a few technical terms, it was much easier to understand than the manual itself.

The group discussed animatedly, each speaking their piece.

Linlei and Aikesi exchanged a glance and did not disturb them.

Saisile watched for a while from the side, then suddenly said: "Do any of you know how to read?"

Bake was stunned, then scratched his head: "A little, but not much. When we were young, an old gentleman on the street taught us a few characters. Later, while working, we picked up bits and pieces, but those profound things..."

Saisile nodded: "Then learn to read first. You can't understand the contents of this secret manual without literacy. First, read through and thoroughly understand these notebooks by Senior Amanda, recognize every character in them, and only then study that scroll."

Bake nodded hurriedly: "Master Saisile is right; we were too impatient."

Saisile hummed in acknowledgment and said no more. He looked at Linlei and suddenly asked: "Linlei, what are your plans next?"

Linlei pondered for a moment: "First, go to the Fenlai Kingdom. I have some matters to attend to."

Saisile nodded and asked no further questions.

The sun climbed higher, and the noise in the town gradually grew louder. There were cries of vendors, the playful shouts of children, and the shrill voices of women scolding their children. These sounds intertwined, forming the unique atmosphere of life in the small town.

The five Bake brothers were still gathered together studying those notebooks, occasionally letting out exclamations.

"So that's how it is! This says that for the cultivation of the Undying Warrior, the will is most important, not the body!"

"Nonsense, didn't it say? The physical body is the foundation, the will is the soul. The soul is more important than the body!"

"Then does our will count as strong? We've suffered since childhood; our will should be pretty good, right?"

"It should... count, right? This says the stronger the will, the better the cultivation results. We've endured so much hardship; there must be some benefit."

Linlei listened to their conversation, the corners of his mouth rising slightly.

He looked down at Beibei on his shoulder. The little fellow had fallen asleep at some point, curled into a ball, his tail occasionally twitching.

"Boss, food..." Beibei mumbled in his sleep.

Linlei shook his head, unable to bear waking him.