Chapter 41: Some Leave a Legacy Even in Death

A heavy silence descended upon the room. A Transcendence-stage cultivator had died. Out of ten thousand who reach the stage of Self-Contemplation, only one in a hundred thousand attains Transcendence. Among the countless cultivators in the world, few ever reach this level, standing just one step away from the legendary realm. And yet, he was gone.

The room seemed to grow brighter with the death of Lin Ya. It was in a state of utter disarray; simple furniture lay shattered on the floor, coated in thick layers of dust. A closer inspection revealed broken cobwebs in the corners, heaps of refuse against the walls, and bottles of spoiled, undrinkable liquor beneath the table. The entire space felt desolate, bearing no signs of anyone having lived there.

It was hard to imagine that a master of the Transcendence stage had resided here for over a year. Suddenly, the chirp of a sparrow broke the stillness, making everyone jump. The bird fluttered into the room, circled a few times, and flew back out. Only then did the group let out a collective sigh of relief. The silence had been so profound that the sudden intrusion of the sparrow felt jarringly conspicuous.

"He is truly dead, isn't he?" Hou Baiyu asked. He was not the only one; even Wu Yue felt a lingering sense of disbelief.

"He's dead," Wu Yue replied after a moment's hesitation.

"Dead," Yu Fu echoed, sighing with the weary air of an old man. "Dead to the point that not even a speck of dust is left. A pity. My sect leader always said that every great cultivator is a treasure of their era."

"Oh, so you actually belong to a sect? What kind of place would take in a disciple like you? You're so old and haven't even condensed your essence yet," Hou Baiyu teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Yu Fu rolled his eyes—a signature Yu-style look of disdain that spoke volumes without a word. "I don't talk to cowards," he retorted.

Hou Baiyu glared, deliberately putting on a fierce expression. "Who are you calling a coward?"

Yu Fu let out a heavy snort. "Whoever knows, knows. In any case, it wasn't me hiding in the back."

Faced with the scorn of a mere child, Hou Baiyu didn't even blush. "Why don't you talk about how I exposed his facade of weakness? I didn't hide. I was merely observing him. Don't speak of things you don't understand."

The bickering helped dilute the heavy atmosphere. Their victory had been a narrow one; Wu Yue longed to collapse onto a bed and sleep for three days straight. With that thought, he decided it was time to leave.

Wu Yue led the way out, and Yu Fu followed, ignoring Hou Baiyu. Hou trailed behind, but after a few steps, he turned back to see the Monkey standing there, looking utterly dejected. "Coming? What's the matter, scared witless?" Receiving no response, Hou stepped back and gave the Monkey a firm pat on the shoulder.

The Monkey jolted as if waking from a trance. "What? What is it? He's dead, right?"

"Dead. Not a speck of dust left," Hou Baiyu said with a grin, intentionally mimicking Yu Fu’s voice.

"Dead," the Monkey murmured, his voice heavy. He didn't understand why, but even though he had discovered Lin Ya—or as he preferred to call him, "Boss Blade"—he didn't feel the joy he expected. Instead, he felt hollow, as if he had lost something. He tried to scold himself, but he lacked the strength.

Hou Baiyu muttered, "Don't tell me he's actually scared stupid," before striding away. As for whether Lin Ya had left anything behind, Hou had seen it with his own eyes: not even a speck of dust remained. He found he quite liked that phrase of Yu Fu’s.

Wu Yue stood at the courtyard gate with Yu Fu. When Hou Baiyu caught up, his eyes darted around. "The Monkey is still inside. Who knows why he won't come out?" Hou was always happy to frame others, and since it was only a slight exaggeration of the truth, he felt no guilt.

As soon as he finished speaking, the Monkey rushed out, his face full of anxiety. "What should I do? I still haven't found the antidote."

"Do whatever you want," Hou Baiyu said, annoyed by the Monkey’s timing. "You weren't coming out, now why are you?"

"Why don't you keep vigil for him?" Yu Fu suggested. "Lin Ya said that if you keep watch for a hundred days, you'll be safe. Of course, you don't have to. No one is forcing you." Wu Yue nodded in agreement.

"You can't do this to me," the Monkey said frantically. "How can you trust the words of such a devil? What if he comes back to life? What if he faked his death? Why don't you keep me company?" Even as he spoke, he felt a strange, fleeting sense of discomfort, but he pushed it aside—his own life was at stake, after all.

"Just burn this place to the ground; that will ensure he dies a second time," Yu Fu offered with a smile. Hou Baiyu, always eager for chaos, chimed in, mimicking Yu Fu again: "Ensure not even a speck of dust is left."

Wu Yue, possessing a bit more conscience, said, "You can come with us. I have a friend who is quite skilled in medicine."

"Who?" The Monkey’s eyes lit up.

"Zhao Qingzhi, that little brat," Yu Fu added. The light in the Monkey's eyes vanished instantly.

"By the way, Wu Yue," Yu Fu said, suddenly slapping his forehead. "Didn't that crow say Zhao Qingzhi was nearby? Something about three miles away?"

Wu Yue frowned. He had been skeptical of Lin Ya's words at the time, but Yu Fu's reminder brought it back to him; they had agreed that Zhao Qingzhi would return to the inn first.

"Let's go and see, then. We can't let Yu Fu's little sweetheart come to harm," Hou Baiyu laughed, winking at Yu Fu.

Yu Fu kicked out at him. "Who is 'little Yu'? Who is the sweetheart? I'll beat you to death!"

Hou Baiyu dodged easily and ran ahead, shouting, "It's obviously you! Who else could it be?" The two ran off, bickering all the way.

Wu Yue shook his head helplessly. He noticed that Hou Baiyu especially enjoyed teasing Yu Fu, but fortunately, it was all in good fun. Turning to the bewildered Monkey, Wu Yue said softly, "The choice is yours. No one is controlling you anymore; you are free to act according to your own heart."

"You should search this room thoroughly and kill that little hoodlum," the voice of Qing Yuzi echoed in Wu Yue’s mind. "Old man, I tell you, the human heart is the most treacherous thing in the world, and this is how the world works."