His identity as an inner disciple, three years at the Reliance Sect, all eventually turned into memories, intertwined with the cold autumn chill that gradually descended upon him, blowing through Meng Hao's long hair, blowing away all the dust from his hair, drifting to a distant place.
Meng Hao sat silently on a large rock. A long time later, when the sky was full of twinkling stars, and then when dawn appeared, he only sighed softly, then raised his head to look.
"Everyone is gone, only I remain in Zhao State."
Meng Hao suddenly felt homesick again. Although the house in Yun Jie County had been sold by him, he still remembered the bed in the house, remembered the kitchen, the bowls, and even more so, Da Qing Mountain... then he remembered...
In his memory, his mother with a gentle smile and his father, who was always afraid of his wife, appeared.
A little blurry, Meng Hao shook his head. Under the light of dawn, he stood up. There was no need to search the Reliance Sect, because anything that could be taken had already been taken by the cultivators of Zhao State. Now, this place was truly empty.
Meng Hao patted his clothes, changed out of the silver inner disciple robes, and took out the scholar's robe from that day. This robe was quite loose, so it wasn't tight when he put it on. He embraced the sunlight, took a deep breath, and the sound of his bones echoed continuously within his body. The demon core pulsed unceasingly, causing vast spiritual power to begin to fill Meng Hao's body.
"Reaching the seventh level of Condensation is not far off, I can already feel the bottleneck."
Meng Hao advanced step by step. Two flying swords shot out from his storage bag, flashing under his feet, then carrying him down the mountain. Meng Hao had finally left the Reliance Sect.
Using a sword to travel, although this technique allowed one to fly, it was similar to Senior Sister Xu. Even if she had a Wind Banner, she could only fly for a short time; it was very difficult to travel for a long duration.
Meng Hao's figure gradually disappeared into the horizon. His steps quickened, and his body swiftly moved through the forest. Gradually, he left the area he had not left for three years, the Reliance Sect. When he flew up on his flying sword, looking down from the sky, below were endless wild mountains and ridges, seemingly without any limit.
Time gradually passed again. At the same speed, he flew for two days before he could escape from this seemingly endless stretch of mountains...
"I wonder how many days it took Senior Sister Xu to bring me to the sect back then. It's a pity I was unconscious at the time, but it seems her speed must have been quite a bit faster than mine."
Meng Hao turned his head to look at the mountains and muttered to himself in a low voice.
For cultivators, Zhao State was not large, but for mortals, Zhao State was a desolate place. Meng Hao had read books about Zhao State, so even though he had never traveled through it, he had a certain understanding of it in his heart.
"This should be the northern part of Zhao State. It seems the Reliance Sect is not too far from Yun Jie County..."
Meng Hao briefly glanced at the lake in front of him, which resembled a mirror. This place was called Beihai.
"Thinking about it, it's true. Even if Senior Sister Xu had a Wind Banner, and even though she was at the seventh level of Condensation back then, and could temporarily fly, her spiritual power couldn't sustain long-term consumption, so she probably couldn't fly too far."
A hint of nostalgia appeared in Meng Hao's eyes. It had been almost three years since he left Yun Jie County, and at this moment, the thought of returning to that place became even stronger in his mind. He knew that after crossing the North Sea, he would be able to see Da Qing Mountain in half a day.
Taking a deep breath, Meng Hao continued to quicken his pace along the road, heading towards the tranquil North Sea lake. When he looked down into the lake, there was no longer the reflection of a young boy as before. He was now over twenty, with resolute features on his face, a stark contrast to the naive and bewildered look of his youth.
In the silence, a sudden laugh broke Meng Hao's train of thought.
"Young scholar, would you like to cross the sea?"
A boat slowly glided across the lake. On it was an old man wearing a straw cape, his face weathered by the elements. He held an oar, looked at Meng Hao, and asked with a smile.
"I'm troubling you, old sir..."
Meng Hao was startled. It had been three years since he last heard the address "scholar."
"No trouble at all. This old man has been ferrying people across the North Sea for years. I've always respected scholars like yourselves the most."
As the old man spoke, he maneuvered the boat closer to Meng Hao, stopping where he stood. Meng Hao quickly thanked him and stepped into the boat.
Inside the cabin was a little girl, about seven or eight years old, with two small pigtails dangling. She was squatting beside a small stove, fanning it to boil water, and gentle wisps of steam drifted out.
Inside the water, a jug of wine was slowly warming up.
"This is my granddaughter. It's a pity she's a girl. If she were a boy, I would also want her to study. Where are you from, young scholar?"
The old man gently pushed the oar, guiding the boat further into the lake, going with the wind. Then he sat beside the stove and said with a smile.
The little girl also looked up, her big round eyes fixed on Meng Hao, looking incredibly cute and innocent.
"This humble one is from Da Qing Mountain, Yun Jie County."
Meng Hao said with a smile. This mundane life reminded him of the events from three years ago.
"Yun Jie County, that's a good place, truly a land of spiritual essence and outstanding people. Years ago, there was even a auspicious sign that caught the attention of the officials. The weather is getting cold, and this old man's body isn't very good, so I have to drink some wine to warm up. Would you like some, scholar?"
The old man held the wine jug and asked Meng Hao.
Meng Hao knew about the so-called auspicious sign. It was more than ten years ago, just a few days before his parents disappeared. Remembering this made Meng Hao feel a little melancholic. He hesitated for a moment, looking at the wine jug. He had never been drunk before. That year in Yun Jie County, his family was poor and couldn't afford it. After arriving at Mount Kao Sect, he didn't have any either. At this moment, he took the wine cup, which the old man filled, and brought it to his mouth, taking a sip.
Immediately, a spicy warmth filled his heart, and a warm sensation gradually spread throughout his body.
"Your way of speaking is also extraordinary, old sir. How long have you been ferrying people here?"
Meng Hao looked at the green lake, took another sip. This spicy and strong flavor reminded him of Mount Kao Sect, of Senior Sister Xu, Chen Fan, and even that fat fellow.
"Twenty years now. In my life, I've met so many people passing through here, seen so much, and naturally learned their way of speaking. So I've made the young scholar laugh."
The old man said with a smile.
"Like this lake, who knows how many years it has existed, how many people it has met passing through. Everyone remembers it, and it, too, remembers every single person."
The old man picked up the wine cup and took another sip.
Meng Hao was stunned. This was the first time he had heard such words. He pondered something for a moment, then lowered his head to look at the lake.