Myriad Rivers to the Sea

The caravan rolled through the sprawling gates of the Azure Peak capital under the warm afternoon sun. The dirt road transitioned into smooth cobblestones as the sounds of bustling markets replaced the quiet rustle of the plains. Li Yu walked alongside the wooden wagons and took in the sights of the city. Tall stone buildings lined the streets while merchants shouted their prices to the passing crowds. The spiritual energy here remained thin but the vitality of the human spirit filled the air with a unique vibrancy.

Captain Ma called the oxen to a halt near the designated trade square. The journey had taken roughly two weeks and the shared hardships on the road had forged a simple bond between the travelers. Li Yu helped unhitch the beasts of burden before turning to his companions.

“This is where our paths diverge,” Li Yu said while offering a respectful bow to the group. “Thank you for allowing me to travel by your side, Captain Ma. The journey was as enlightening as it was enjoyable.”

“The pleasure was ours, Li Yu,” Captain Ma laughed loudly and clapped the young man on the shoulder. “You are a fine cook and a good worker. If you ever tire of delivering letters, you have a place in my caravan.”

Johen stepped forward and offered a warm smile. “I am off to see my wife and son now. Remember what we talked about around the fire, Li Yu. Do not rush so fast that you forget to live.”

“I will remember, Johen,” Li Yu promised while watching the young merchant hurry down the busy street with eager steps.

Li Yu turned his attention toward the center of the city where the royal palace stood upon a raised hill. The architecture was grand with tall spires and polished marble walls. He walked through the winding streets and approached the heavily guarded gates. The royal guards crossed their spears to block his path but they hesitated when they felt the subtle pressure radiating from his body.

“State your business,” the guard captain ordered while trying to keep his voice steady.

“I bring a diplomatic decree and ceremonial offerings from the Zhan Clan,” Li Yu stated clearly while pulling a wooden scroll adorned with a glowing crest from his spatial ring.

The sight of the spatial ring and the glowing crest caused the guards to pale. They quickly parted ways and sent a runner to inform the royal court. Li Yu was escorted into a grand throne room decorated with rich tapestries and golden banners. The king sat upon an elevated throne and looked down with a mixture of awe and respect. The king knew very well that a single cultivator from the Zhan Clan could wipe out his entire kingdom with a wave of a hand.

“Welcome, honorable envoy,” the king spoke while standing up and bowing his head slightly. “The Azure Peak Kingdom is honored by your presence and we graciously accept the good will of the Zhan Clan.”

Li Yu walked forward and handed the wooden scroll along with a small ornate box of longevity pills to the royal advisor. He kept the interaction formal and brief. He did not care for royal politics and he had no desire to intimidate the mortals who were simply trying to govern their lands.

“The Zhan Clan wishes your kingdom continued prosperity,” Li Yu delivered the standard greeting. “May your harvests be plentiful and your borders remain secure.”

The king offered several lavish gifts in return along with an invitation to a grand banquet but Li Yu politely declined. While he was here to enjoy the journey, he never found royal events to be to his liking much. He excused himself from the throne room and stepped back out into the bustling city streets. His first diplomatic task was officially complete and he felt a strange sense of satisfaction that had nothing to do with martial power.

The sun began to dip below the horizon and cast a warm orange glow over the stone buildings. The scent of cooked meats and wine drifted through the cool evening air. Li Yu felt like eating now and decided to seek out a quiet meal rather than rushing toward the next destination on his list. He wandered through the merchant district until he found a lively tavern named the Fiery Boar.

The interior was crowded and loud but that was to Li Yu’s liking. It provided much more chances at listening to gossip and filled the place with more character. Wooden tables were packed with tired workers and laughing travelers sharing stories over large mugs of ale or other drinks. A large hearth fire crackled against the far wall and cast dancing shadows across the room. Li Yu approached the counter and ordered a large plate of roasted duck along with a bowl of steamed vegetables and a jug of the local wine.

He carried his food to a small table near the corner of the room and sat down to enjoy it. Li Yu took a bite of the duck and nodded in approval at the rich savory flavors. The way the fat melted in his mouth but the skin was still crispy as he bit into it. As he ate, his gaze drifted across the crowded room to see the people inside. Most people were engaged in cheerful conversations but one figure stood out from the rest.

An elderly man sat alone at a table near the hearth and projected an aura that kept others away. His clothes were made of fine silk but they were heavily stained and wrinkled. His white hair was unkempt and his face held deep lines of sorrow. The old man held a wooden cup in his trembling hands and stared blankly at the flames seemingly in deep thought.

“It was all for them,” the old man muttered loudly to the empty air. “Every single copper coin. Every step on the road. It was all for them...”

A group of young men sitting at a nearby table rolled their eyes and groaned.

“Keep your voice down, Old Bai,” one of the men shouted while waving a dismissive hand. “We have all heard your sad story a hundred times. Drink your wine and let us enjoy our evening in peace. We understand but you can’t keep souring the mood here forever.”

Old Bai flinched at the harsh words and slumped lower in his chair. He took a long drink from his cup and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and seemed unbothered by everything again. The locals ignored him and returned to their loud laughter as each one was trying their best to enjoy themselves. They treated him like a piece of broken furniture that had been sitting in the corner for far too long; out of sight and out of mind.

Li Yu watched the scene unfold and felt a pang of sympathy for the old man but he clearly had his own story. The people in this place tolerated him but were tired of hearing the old man’s story. Li Yu picked up his jug of wine and walked over to the hearth, pulled out a wooden chair and sat down directly across from the old man. This person has earned his curiosity and he would like to learn more.

Old Bai looked up with bloodshot eyes and offered a confused scowl. “What do you want, young man? Are you here to mock the town drunk like the rest of them? Well go away, I am not a source of entertainment for some rich noble or fool passing by.”

“I am new to this city,” Li Yu answered while filling Old Bai's empty cup with fresh wine from his jug. “I do not know who you are and I have no reason to mock you. I prefer to listen instead of talk. You look like a man who has traveled a lot.”

The old man stared at the full cup of wine and then looked back at Li Yu. The sincerity in the young cultivator's eyes seemed to break through the fog of intoxication in this person for just a little bit. Old Bai let out a ragged sigh and wrapped his hands around the cup.

“I traveled more roads than any man in this kingdom,” Old Bai spoke with a raspy voice. “My name is Bai Jung. Since you asked, I will tell you. Forty years ago I was the most ambitious merchant in the Azure Peak region or at least I believed I was. I started with a single wagon and a stubborn mule. I looked at the wealthy nobles sitting in their palaces and I swore I would build a life just like that for my family one day. To let them experience all the luxuries and fine things this world has to offer.”

Li Yu took a sip of his own wine and gave the man his undivided attention. He simply sat in the tavern and listened to a broken man share his history. His second mind was not pondering laws or advancing his techniques even though it wouldn’t have taken anything away from his being in the present. Li Yu stopped everything else and decided to give this old man his undivided attention.

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“My wife was a gentle woman,” Bai Jung continued while a sad smile formed on his lips. “She never asked for a grand palace or fine silk even though that was what I wanted to give her. She only really wanted and asked for my time but I was foolish and blind. I thought the greatest expression of love was to provide limitless wealth for her. I wanted my son to inherit an empire so he would never have to struggle a day in his life.”

The old man took a slow drink and his gaze drifted back toward the crackling fire. “I spent my entire life working myself to the bone. I took the most dangerous trade routes through the mountain passes because the profit margins were higher. I optimized every second of my day all with the goal to earn money. If a journey took ten days, I forced my caravan to do it in eight. I slept for three hours a night and spent the rest of my time negotiating deals and counting coins.”

“A noble goal of trying to provide your family a better life than what they currently have. You were very driven…” Li Yu offered an observation so the man knew he was paying attention.

“I was obsessed,” Bai Jung corrected him bitterly. “I told myself that all this work and hardship was a temporary sacrifice. I told my wife I just needed one more successful trade run and then I would stay home. But one run turned into ten and ten turned into a hundred. The years slipped by like wine slipping through my teeth now. When my son took his first steps I was in the desert securing a spice contract. When he learned to read I was in the northern frozen wastes trading for furs.”

The old man clenched his fists on the table and his knuckles turned white. “I justified every absence from my family. I told myself that the gold I was sending back was proving my devotion to them. I built a grand estate in the center of the capital for them and myself. I hired dozens of servants to wait on them hand and foot so they would not be found wanting anything. I thought I was securing a perfect future for them.”

Li Yu leaned forward slightly and the ambient noise of the tavern seemed to fade away as he was caught up in this man’s story. The merchant's story was striking a terrifying chord within his own soul. The echoes of his own mindset were hidden deep within the old man's words.

“I finally reached a point where my wealth was undeniable,” Bai Jung said while tears began to well up in his eyes. “I had amassed a fortune that could rival the royal treasury of this capital. I began to hand over my caravans and the trade routes over to my managers to carry on. I returned home as a triumphant conqueror ready to enjoy my golden years with the family I had provided for.”

A heavy silence fell over their small table. The old man wiped a tear from his cheek and his voice cracked with overwhelming sorrow.

“I spent just three months with her,” Bai Jung whispered into the quiet air. “Three short months of walking in the gardens and drinking tea on the balcony. Then she fell ill. It was a rapid sickness that no doctor could cure and all the wealth I had could not find an answer for. Despite all my gold and all my influence I had built, I could do nothing but watch her fade away. She died holding my hand while I begged the heavens for just some more time.”

Li Yu felt a heavy weight settle in his stomach at the ending to this man’s story. The tragedy was simple and ironic but it carried a devastation that few could ever bear. There was no medicine for regret and no one could turn back time to do a better job.

“All my gold is worthless. I am worthless and a fool!” Bai Jung wept openly now and ignored the staring eyes of the tavern patrons who had listened in at a certain point. “I spent forty years building a grand future and it only lasted for three months. I sacrificed my youth and my presence for a tomorrow that was stolen away in the blink of an eye. And my son...”

The old man took a shaky breath and grabbed his cup of wine. “My grown son stood at his mother's funeral and looked at me like I was a stranger. He told me that my wealth was a cage and that I was trapped within it. He said he would trade the estate and every single coin just to have a father who was there to teach him how to skip stones on the river back then. He packed his bags that same night and left the city without taking a single thing from me. I have not seen him since.”

Bai Jung finished his wine in one long gulp and slammed the cup down on the wooden table. “I optimized every second of my day to secure their future but I threw away the present completely. I lost the very things I was trying to care for.”

The old man laid his head down on his arms and wept quietly into the wood and judging from the expressions of those at the other tables, this was not an uncommon sight. Li Yu did not offer empty platitudes or words of comfort because he knew there was nothing he could say to heal such deep regrets.

He himself did not know how he would react if such a thing had happened to him but the man’s story offered a lesson to be learned. Li Yu simply ordered another jug of wine from a passing waitress and set it gently on the table for Old Bai before standing up to leave. Only Old Bai could ever pull himself out of the feelings he had and only Old Bai could ever forgive himself for what had happened.

‘Were Old Bai’s decision truly wrong though? If his wife hadn’t passed away so shortly after his return, there would be much more justification for everything he had done. Perhaps they could have lived as a true family from that point on. Or perhaps something similar would have happened anyway. His son would have left regardless or something else could have happened. No one can ever tell, such is the nature of human beings.’ Li Yu thought to himself as he thought through various scenarios of what ifs and what could have been.

‘If Old Bai never embarked on his path to being a wealthy merchant, could the family have struggled even more? What if they went completely broke and then there was no roof over their heads or food on the table? Then the family would have died off then too.’ Li Yu continued on but ultimately he didn’t know if Old Bai had made the best decision or not. No one would truly know for sure.

Li Yu walked out of the tavern and stepped into the cool night air to clear his mind of such thoughts. The encounter with Old Bai had shaken him as the man had lost his family, the very same thing Li Yu was rushing forward so much to protect. The vibrant energy of the city continued around him but his mind was locked in a turbulent storm of realization. He walked slowly down the cobblestone streets and let the old merchant's story echo through his thoughts.

The tragic tale hit Li Yu incredibly hard because it perfectly mirrored his own fears and his own flawed mindset. He had spent recent times constantly pushing himself to the absolute limit to progress himself. He felt the need to force his main mind to cultivate and chase power at every waking moment in order to be prepared. He had been pushing every chance of his existence to grow stronger so he could protect his clans and those he cared about.

But what was the point of chasing that supreme power if he sacrificed too much of the present moment to attain it? There needed to be balance. If Old Bai had found a better balance of running after wealth and spending time with his family, he would have been able to enjoy a bit of both, perhaps. There were no sure things after all.

Li Yu looked up at the dark sky and saw the distant twinkling stars. He thought about his parents sitting in their lakeside pavilion back at the Five Star Lakes. He thought about his grandfather fishing quietly by the water. They were alive and safe right now but they were also fighting on the front lines most of the time. If he spent the next thousand years locked in isolated cultivation chambers or rushing from one battle to the next he would never actually see them.

'If I force my main mind to constantly chase the peak of the Dao, I will become a stranger to my own family,' Li Yu realized with some clarity. 'I will build a grand fortress of power around them but I would never sit down to eat a meal with them. I will secure their future but I will lose them in the present.'

The bottleneck Li Yu was facing was not caused by a lack of comprehension regarding the elements or space. It was caused by the very real fear of becoming a man like Bai Jung and being filled with endless regrets. His subconscious knew that his relentless rushing was dangerous to his soul.

Patriarch Yue was right. The clan leader had seen the frayed edges of Li Yu's Dao Heart and recognized the creeping poison of unwarranted guilt. Li Yu had felt guilty whenever he stopped to cook a meal or enjoy a simple conversation because he thought he was wasting time. But those small moments were the actual substance of life. They were the very things he was fighting to protect.

Li Yu stopped walking and stood near a quiet stone bridge overlooking a gentle river. He placed his hands on the cool stone railing and took a long deep breath. He actively reached into his soul space and adjusted the balance of his minds. Li Yu allowed his second mind to continue its background task of analyzing the universe but he gave his main mind a strict command to remain anchored in the physical world.

'The future will arrive when it is ready,' Li Yu thought while watching the moonlight reflect off the rippling water. 'I will still train and I will still fight when the time comes. But I will no longer sacrifice everything from today just to secure tomorrow. I will enjoy the journey there.'

The tight bowstring in his chest loosened a fraction more. The heavy burden of guilt that had been suffocating his spiritual growth began to dissipate into the night air. His Creation Lord aura pulsed softly and stabilized, aligning closer to the natural flow of the cosmos. Li Yu was wanting to do the right thing but telling himself this and actually being able to do it was a completely different manner. However, it was a step in the right direction for himself.

He stood on the bridge for a long time while simply enjoying the quiet sound of the river flowing beneath him. The tragic story of the town drunk had delivered a lesson that no scripture could ever teach because it came from a living being. Seeing it for yourself was many times more impactful than simply reading a life lesson within scripture. Li Yu felt a renewed sense of balance as he turned away from the water and prepared to travel toward the next kingdom on his list. He would walk the dirt roads and he would take his time.