Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World

Chapter 263: Chapter 152 Goodbye_2

Li Lian immediately put down her bowl and chopsticks upon hearing this, then walked into the kitchen to get busy.

After entering the house, Gu Sheng placed the food and wine on the table, then raised his voice to call out to Li Lian, who was busy in the kitchen: ”Sister-in-law, stop what you’re doing! I just came back from the county town and bought ready-made food. Come and eat with us!”

What Gu Sheng brought was a feast—chicken, duck, fish, meat—everything one could ask for. When the dishes were laid out, a mouthwatering aroma instantly filled the room.

”Wow! It smells amazing!”

Gu Wan sniffed the aroma and couldn’t help but swallow a mouthful of saliva as he exclaimed.

Gu Erniu looked at the table laden with delectable dishes, his mouth involuntarily watering too, though a hint of concern appeared on his face.

”Asheng, this meal must have cost quite a bit! Isn’t this... isn’t this too extravagant?”

The food cost three taels of silver. While this amount wasn’t much for Gu Sheng, it seemed quite luxurious for the Gu Erniu household.

Gu Sheng uncorked a wine jar, filled cups for both Gu Erniu and himself, and raised his bowl with a smile: ”It didn’t cost much. Brother Erniu, I toast to you with this bowl of wine, for all the care you and Sister-in-law have given me over the years!”

Seeing the faint hint of despondency in Gu Sheng’s gaze, Gu Erniu immediately sensed something was amiss. He picked up his wine bowl and asked, ”Asheng, you... are you leaving?”

Gu Sheng clinked bowls with Gu Erniu lightly before tilting his head back and finishing the wine in one gulp.

After tearing off a chicken leg and handing it to Gu Wan, Gu Sheng nodded and said: ”Yes. Ever since that incident with Gu Jingang, the clan elders think my skills are decent and want me to marry into the main family. I refused, and since then, they’ve made it difficult for me to stay. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

Although Gu Erniu wanted to persuade Gu Sheng to stay, his words carried little weight and he couldn’t influence the decisions of the clan elders. He also understood that Gu Sheng’s aspirations wouldn’t be contained here, so he could only sigh deeply before downing his wine in one gulp.

Seeing Gu Erniu’s expression, Gu Sheng smiled and began recounting how he often came to the Gu Erniu household for meals as a child. Gradually, he also spoke about the couple’s help as he grew up and the archery skills Erniu taught him later.

Truthfully, Gu Sheng genuinely considered Gu Erniu and his wife as family from the bottom of his heart.

Without Gu Erniu finding him a job chopping wood, he might not have survived that harsh winter. Later, if Gu Erniu hadn’t taught him archery, even though Gu Sheng achieved his current accomplishments, it would have taken him much longer.

In times like these, any delay can lead to myriad unforeseen changes. It’s no exaggeration to say Gu Erniu and his wife are like parents who gave Gu Sheng a second life!

The two emptied the jars of wine as night sank deeper. From the darkened skies above Cang Mountain came intermittent, distant cries of beasts.

Though the wine was strong, for Gu Sheng, this ordinary liquor could never intoxicate him. As long as he circulated his qi and blood, the alcohol could be effortlessly removed from his body.

Looking at Gu Erniu, whose face was flushed red from drunkenness, Gu Sheng headed into the house and found Li Lian still sewing.

Gu Sheng took two silver notes worth a hundred taels each from his pocket and handed them to Li Lian: ”Sister-in-law, keep this money to supplement household expenses. While Xiao Wan’s cultivation requires substantial funding, you shouldn’t neglect yourselves. Eating poorly over long periods will only wear away your health. Don’t worry; I’ve already made arrangements for Xiao Wan’s cultivation resources. Once Brother Erniu wakes up, tell him that whenever Xiao Wan needs resources, he should go to Canghe County and look for Pill Master Ge Qing. Just mention my name.”

Li Lian, an ordinary woman who didn’t understand the earning capacity of a Martial Artist, still saw Gu Sheng as the younger brother in need of care.

Li Lian declined: ”Asheng, I can’t accept this money! Cultivation is so expensive for a Martial Artist. You should keep it for yourself! Don’t worry about us; your Brother Erniu and I can still work and will never starve ourselves. But you must be careful while traveling alone out there.”

After explaining further, Gu Sheng still managed to press the silver notes into Li Lian’s hands.

Gu Sheng’s wealth was immense. Even though he had given some to Ge Qing and Helian Tie Lan, he still had thousands of silver notes left.

The reason he only gave Li Lian two hundred taels wasn’t out of stinginess—it was to avoid drawing unwelcome trouble by giving too much.

Returning to his small courtyard, Gu Sheng began packing his belongings.

Unlike Gu Jingang, Gu Sheng was alone and didn’t have much to bring. Aside from silver notes and pills, he packed only a few changes of clothes.

Once he finished, he didn’t rest but instead pulled out paper and pen, sitting at his desk to write.

His departure might last indefinitely, and he wished to leave a few Martial Arts techniques for Gu Wan.

Knowing the proverb ”biting off more than one can chew,” Gu Sheng carefully selected three techniques for Gu Wan.

These three Martial Arts techniques were the Flying Thunder Leg, Snake Breath Skill, and Furious Blood Three Forms.

Gu Sheng’s choice of these techniques was deliberate. Flying Thunder Leg focused on speed, not only useful for escaping but also an edge in battle; the Snake Breath Skill was ideal for disguising one’s presence and weathering adversity. Since the clan elders ruled Gu’s Manor, avoiding their suppression required remaining inconspicuous until one gained strength—making Snake Breath Skill quite appropriate.

Snake Breath Skill offered another advantage: it was straightforward to train while enhancing sensory perception—a critical factor in real combat!

As for Furious Blood Three Forms, it specialized in bolstering combat prowess during direct confrontations. This was currently Gu Sheng’s most potent attacking technique.

While he also possessed First-Class Martial Art Thousand Feather Sakura Illusion Kill acquired from Qian Jin, its training difficulty was extremely high, ill-suited for Gu Wan at this stage. Moreover, this technique had an extraordinary origin; if its traces were discovered, the consequences for them would be dire.

Considering all this, Gu Sheng refrained from leaving Thousand Feather Sakura Illusion Kill for Gu Wan.

”Cluck, cluck, cluck.”

The crowing of roosters heralded dawn at Gu’s Manor when Gu Sheng finally finished writing. He exhaled a deep breath, stretched his limbs, and reviewed the Martial Arts techniques he had written down, nodding in satisfaction.

Writing had taken so long because Gu Sheng didn’t just pen the training methods but also included detailed notes from his own cultivation experiences.

Among the three techniques, Gu Sheng had mastered Flying Thunder Leg and Snake Breath Skill to their special-effect levels, with Furious Blood Three Forms completed to the Perfect realm. For Gu Wan, following his notes would lead to highly efficient results.

Leaving the secret room, Gu Sheng glanced at the sky before lying on his bed to catch some sleep.

When daylight fully broke, he rose and found Gu Wan practicing Iron Stone Fist.

”Xiao Wan, come here!”

Seeing Gu Sheng, Gu Wan immediately ran to him. Since Gu Sheng had spent the previous day drinking with Gu Erniu, Gu Wan hadn’t had a chance to talk. Now, as he ran over, he eagerly asked, ”Uncle Sheng, are you really leaving Gu’s Manor? Where are you heading?”

Gu Sheng affectionately ruffled Gu Wan’s hair, smiling: ”Yes, Xiao Wan. You must understand that the world is vast. As a Martial Artist, you should never let your vision be confined to such a small place. This time, I’m heading to Red Cloud Prefecture.”

Because of Gu Xiaojiang joining the Red Cloud Guard, and thanks to the clan elders’ vigorous promotion, everyone in Gu’s Manor knew about Red Cloud Prefecture.

Gu Wan fell silent for a moment upon hearing Gu Sheng, then his eyes sparked with determined energy and ambition.

”Uncle Sheng, I will train twice as hard! You watch—I’ll work tirelessly to join you sooner and explore that broad, vibrant world together!”

Gu Sheng nodded and led Gu Wan into his secret room.

The room still contained many unpawned jewels and impeccably crafted weapons.

”Wow, Uncle Sheng, where did you get all these things? These weapons look far better than the ones in the training ground!”

Gu Sheng’s gaze immediately settled on the stacked weapons.

These were treasures Gu Sheng had salvaged from the hideouts of the Black Sand Gang and the Lu family. Although they couldn’t compare to the Thirsty Blood Battle Axe, their quality far surpassed the ordinary refined steel swords at Gu’s Manor.

Each of these weapons could fetch hundreds of silver taels if sold!

”Enough gawking—get to business! Here, I’ve written down specialized techniques for you, with notes on my training experiences. Focus your efforts, and you’ll master them quickly. Especially this Snake Breath Skill—you must prioritize learning it! Remember, unless you gain unrivaled strength, never reveal your full capabilities lightly!”

Gu Wan, a clever child from an early age, quickly grasped Gu Sheng’s meaning and nodded solemnly with repeated assurances.