Chapter 87: Departure
The morning sun hung high over Azure Cloud City’s outer slums. Its rays filtered through the cracks in the dilapidated roof, casting long beams of light across the living space. The ambient noise of the outer city—the shouting of merchants, the crying of hungry children, and the clatter of broken carts—drifted through the walls, a constant reminder of the squalor they resided in.
Inside the bedroom, Bai Qingyue sat gracefully on the edge of the bed. Despite the Soul Transformation restriction that had crippled her cultivation and left her body paralyzed from the waist down, her peerless beauty remained completely untouched. Her delicate hands rested calmly in her lap, while her posture remained perfectly straight and composed.
Standing near the small table, pouring a cup of boiled water, was her cousin, Bai Chen.
"Cousin," Bai Chen said softly, handing her the cup. His youthful face carried a mixture of deep reverence and lingering anxiety. "The sun is already peaking. Lord Lin has been gone since yesterday. Do you truly think everything will be alright? The inner city is a viper’s nest. The Xu Clan, the Wang Clan... and even our own..." He swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence regarding the family that had ruthlessly discarded her.
Bai Qingyue took the warm cup, a serene smile gracing her flawless features.
"Chen, you must broaden your perspective," she replied gently, her voice as melodic and calming as the strings of her zither. "You have seen the aura he commands. You have felt the weight of his cultivation. My husband is not a man who acts out of reckless arrogance; he acts with absolute certainty. The inner city is indeed a viper’s nest, but the vipers should be the ones trembling today, not us. He will return, exactly as he promised."
As if the Heavens themselves were eagerly waiting to validate her faith, the ambient spiritual qi in the courtyard outside suddenly compressed.
Bzzzt—FLASH!
A blinding streak of crackling purple lightning violently flashed past the window of the house. The sudden illumination briefly turned the shadows in the room a deep, vibrant violet.
Bai Chen’s eyes lit up. He immediately dropped the water pitcher on the table and rushed toward the front door, throwing it open to the courtyard.
Standing there, bathed in the morning sunlight, was Lin Yuan. His elegant black-and-white Daoist robes fluttered gently as the residual spatial turbulence of his teleportation faded into the air. His demeanor was perfectly calm, his breathing steady, and his deep purple eyes clear.
"Brother-in-law! You’re back!" Bai Chen greeted him enthusiastically, clasping his hands and offering a deep, respectful bow. His admiration for the Lin Yuan had reached a top point.
Lin Yuan offered the boy a faint, acknowledging nod. He did not immediately step into the house. Instead, he looked at Bai Chen, his tone shifting into one of brisk instruction.
"Bai Chen, go into the merchant sector of the outer city immediately," Lin Yuan instructed, his voice calm . "Find a carriage for us. I want a spacious, and comfortable wooden cabin, preferably lined with soft silk or cotton to cushion the ride."
"Understood!" Bai Chen nodded eagerly, already calculating which merchant he could haggle with. "I will find the fastest horses available, or perhaps even rent a low-level Wind-Chaser beast if the price is right—"
"No," Lin Yuan interrupted smoothly, raising a hand. "Do not waste your money on beasts or horses. I only need the carriage itself. Just bring it to the front of this courtyard as quickly as you can."
"Also, I noticed you called me brother-in-law instead of Lord Lin. That is a good step, Bai Chen." Lin Yuan smiled faintly. "At first, I didn’t truly see you as someone I could trust or even wanted around me. But after everything that has happened, I must say... I’m genuinely proud to be your brother-in-law."
Bai Chen was momentarily delighted by Lin Yuan’s words, a smile appearing on his face. But then he blinked, his expression quickly turning into confusion as he recalled Lin Yuan’s earlier request. A carriage without a beast to pull it was just an immobile wooden box. How were they supposed to travel? But seeing the absolute certainty in Lin Yuan’s eyes, the boy did not dare question the Thunder Immortal.
"Yes, Brother-in-law! Right away!" Bai Chen turned and immediately sprinted out of the courtyard, his Qi carrying him swiftly down the dirt road toward the merchant district.
With the boy dispatched on his errand, Lin Yuan finally turned and stepped through the doorway of the dilapidated house.
The moment he crossed the threshold, the immortal who had just brought the lords of Azure Cloud City to their knees completely vanished. As he entered the small bedroom, an overwhelming, and profound intimacy instantly filled the space.
Bai Qingyue looked up, her stunning eyes locking directly onto his.
Time seemed to slow down. In that shared gaze, a thousand unspoken words were exchanged. She saw the faint traces of exhaustion hidden deep within his pupils.
Lin Yuan saw the unwavering devotion in her smile, the same woman who had once been handed to him as a form of punishment, only for fate to turn that punishment into an unexpected blessing. Instead of being cast aside or treated with contempt, she had found herself in the care of someone who genuinely respected, cherished, and valued her
He then walked over to the bed and sat down gently beside her. He reached out, his hand—the same hand that had just ripped the spiritual roots from a Core Formation candidate—gently cupping her soft cheek.
"Everything is done, Qingyue," Lin Yuan said softly, his thumb lightly caressing her skin. "The karma is settled. The Xu Clan has been subjugated and sealed. The Wang Clan has bowed their heads. And the Bai Clan..." He paused, making sure she was ready to hear the fate of her former family. "The Bai Clan has been forbidden from ever taking a single step toward the Xu Clan. And as for the elder who tossed you into the mud... he is no longer a cultivator."
Bai Qingyue leaned her face into his palm, her eyes fluttering shut as a single tear of relief slipped down her cheek. She did not mourn for anyone, nor did she pity Elder Bai Mo. Her heart was entirely bound to the man sitting beside her.
"That’s good, Husband," she said. "You have lifted a mountain from your shoulders."
"I am merely clearing the path," Lin Yuan replied, a warm smile forming across his handsome features. "We are leaving this place today, Qingyue. I have acquired a new home for us. A grand estate, resting upon a pristine spiritual vein, nestled in a beautiful emerald valley. It is a place fitting for you, and a place fitting for us to truly begin."
He stood up from the bed and began to gather their meager belongings. There was practically nothing of value in the shack. Lin Yuan simply packed her few spare robes, some basic living essentials, and, most importantly, he carefully wrapped the Verdant Zither in soft cloth, placing it securely into his spatial ring. He looked around the damp walls one last time, silently acknowledging the humble beginnings that had began his path.
Within half an hour, the sound of wooden wheels rattling against the dirt road echoed outside.
Lin Yuan and Bai Qingyue looked out the window to see Bai Chen pulling a rather luxurious, and spacious wooden carriage into the courtyard by himself. The carriage was beautifully crafted from fine wood, lined with plush red velvet on the inside, but it possessed no reigns, and absolutely no beasts attached to the front yokes.
"I have brought it, Brother-in-law!" Bai Chen called out, wiping sweat from his brow.
Lin Yuan nodded. He turned to Bai Qingyue and, without asking, gently swept her up into his arms, carrying her bridal style. She gasped softly, her arms instinctively wrapping around his neck, a deep, beautiful blush coloring her cheeks.
He carried her out of the shack and into the bright morning sun. He stepped up to the carriage, carefully placing her inside upon the soft velvet cushions, ensuring she was perfectly comfortable.
Stepping back into the courtyard, Lin Yuan turned his attention to the empty yokes at the front of the carriage. Bai Chen watched with wide, curious eyes.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and tapped into the imitative creation essence of thunder, and extended both his hands forward.
CRACK-BZZZT!
A blinding torrent of green lightning erupted from his palms. But the lightning did not explode outward to destroy the courtyard. Instead, the lightning began to rapidly weave, condense, and sculpt itself in mid-air.
Right before Bai Chen’s mesmerized eyes, the formless thunder took the distinct shape of living creatures. It features were perfectly composed of lightning.
Within three breaths, two massive oxen stood materialized at the front of the carriage. They were constructed entirely of roaring, crackling lightning. Their eyes burned with brilliant white light, and every time they pawed at the dirt, small sparks of lightning scorched the earth. They were entirely subservient, bound completely to Lin Yuan’s will.
The yokes of the carriage effortlessly slotted into place over the shoulders of the lightning oxen.
Bai Chen was utterly shocked. The realization that Lin Yuan could create entire beasts from elemental lightning left him stunned. Such a technique must be extraordinarily difficult to master.
"Get in, Bai Chen," Lin Yuan instructed, a hint of amusement in his voice as he casually stepped up and seated himself at the driver’s bench of the carriage.
Still in a daze, Bai Chen scrambled into the back of the carriage, taking a seat opposite his cousin, who was looking out at her husband’s back with adoration.
With a simple command from Lin Yuan, the two lightning oxen let out a deep bellow that sounded like rolling thunder.
BOOM!
The lightning oxen stomped their hooves, their bodies erupting with crackling arcs of electricity as they violently propelled themselves upward. The carriage was pulled smoothly into the air, rapidly ascending into the sky and leaving the outer-city slums behind forever.
Below them, the cramped streets and dilapidated buildings gradually became smaller and smaller until they finally disappeared from view. The carriage continued toward the horizon, flying directly toward the emerald valley and the new estate that awaited them.