Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi - Chapter 172: Farewell (1)

Indeed, just as Zhang Heng had anticipated, those powerful figures from Tianyuan made their move. The remaining members of the Nether God Sect stood no chance of defending themselves. Before long, the entire Nether God Sect vanished from this world.

Zhang Heng gave it no further thought.

At this moment, standing by the window, he gazed deeply into the distant sky and let out a soft sigh.

It was time to leave.

"Hey, Big Brother System, are there any quests left in the Qi State?"

To be on the safe side, Zhang Heng decided to consult the system first; after all, the system was the ultimate boss.

*Beep. None.*

The cold voice of the system echoed in his mind.

"None, huh?" Zhang Heng smiled triumphantly. "Well then, this young master shall begin traveling across this Immortal Cultivation Continent while searching for truly formidable super experts."

"Sigh! Since I'm leaving, I should probably bid them farewell."

During his time in the other world, Zhang Heng's presence had been so faint that he didn't have a single friend. Therefore, after coming to this world, he cherished every single encounter.

Straightening his attire, Zhang Heng walked toward the Emperor of Qi’s bedchamber.

To be honest, he didn't have much of a personal relationship with the Emperor of Qi, so bidding farewell wasn't strictly necessary. However, he had won first place in the Imperial City Grand Tournament and had even saved the Emperor’s life. Surely, the Emperor would bestow quite a few rewards upon him.

Whatever a monarch of a nation gave would certainly be exceptional.

Zhang Heng arrived at the Emperor’s bedchamber once again.

The Emperor’s complexion was much better now, and she was currently sitting cross-legged, regulating her breath. Qi Sisi and Qi Xuan were standing by her side, as if the three of them had been waiting for him.

"This junior, Zhang Heng, pays his respects to Your Majesty," Zhang Heng said as he walked in, bowing deeply.

"Rise," the Emperor opened her eyes and raised a hand, gesturing for Zhang Heng to sit on a nearby stool.

Zhang Heng stood up and walked over.

"You are leaving, aren't you?" the Emperor asked, devoid of any emotion.

"Yes," Zhang Heng answered resolutely.

"Zhang Heng, you saved My life and engineered the elimination of a common enemy of the entire Immortal Cultivation Continent. Ordinarily, I should reward you. However, with the Sword Sage Dugu Bai backing you, I suppose there is nothing left in our Qi State that could catch your eye."

Hearing this, Zhang Heng was dumbfounded. By the sound of it, the Emperor had no intention of giving him anything at all?

The Emperor continued.

"Zhang Heng, at merely the third stage of the Qi Sea Realm, you possess the combat prowess of the Void Return Realm. Truly, you are a peerless prodigy. The feat of fusing three martial arts techniques together—I have lived for hundreds of years and have never even heard of such a thing. Therefore, you are a monster of an eternity, and our Qi State is simply too small for you. Since you wish to venture out into the world, then go."

When the Emperor finished speaking, Zhang Heng was rendered utterly speechless. Such a vast Qi State, the dignity of a monarch, yet she was stingy enough to give him absolutely nothing.

"Zhang Heng, although our Qi State is not large, a door will always remain open for you. If you ever grow tired of wandering in the future, you may return here," the Emperor said with utmost sincerity.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Zhang Heng stood up and bowed respectfully. If she wasn't going to give him anything, so be it; to be honest, there wasn't anything he particularly needed right now.

"Your Majesty, this junior plans to leave the Qi State tomorrow. I came today to bid you farewell. Since there is nothing more, this junior will take his leave now. If there is an opportunity in the future, I will surely return."

"A youth's ambition lies in the wide world. Go."

Zhang Heng bowed once more, then turned and slowly walked away.

At that moment, the Emperor’s voice came from behind: "Young man, I am, after all, the sovereign of one of the Seven Ancient Nations. If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just use My name to scare them."

Zhang Heng nearly tripped over his own feet right at the doorway. A wave of warmth washed over his heart, but he did not turn back, stepping directly outside.

When he reached a farther area, he suddenly heard movement at the entrance.

Zhang Heng looked back and saw that it was none other than Qi Sisi.

Zhang Heng stopped in his tracks and stood in place. Qi Sisi slowly walked toward him.

The two looked at each other quietly, a slight sense of melancholy lingering in the air.

Suddenly, the young woman smiled with a sense of relief.

"Zhang Heng, considering that you're leaving, this young lady will bestow a good thing upon you." With a mysterious air, Qi Sisi retrieved an item from her spatial ring.

It was a medicinal pill—a red and black pill, though its packaging was quite exquisite.

"What is this?" Zhang Heng asked outwardly.

Inwardly, however, he was utterly astonished, because the pill Qi Sisi had given him was a stimulant of sorts. To put it simply, it was an aphrodisiac.

"This is a wonderful thing," Qi Sisi introduced proudly. "Later on, if you take a fancy to any maiden and she happens to be unwilling, just feed her this. I guarantee she will instantly fall in love with you."

As she spoke, Qi Sisi smiled faintly at Zhang Heng.

Zhang Heng gasped in shock, "You, you, then—"

"Keep your voice down," Qi Sisi hurriedly covered Zhang Heng's mouth. If the Emperor were to find out she possessed such an item, her legs would likely be broken.

"Zhang Heng, I begged Alchemist Wu Hong for this pill with great difficulty," Qi Sisi said, handing the pill to Zhang Heng. "You're getting off easy this time."

Zhang Heng accepted the pill and began to lecture her. "For a young lady like you to have such a pill... Could it be?" A sudden thought struck him, and he quickly covered his chest, looking at Qi Sisi in disbelief.

To his surprise, Qi Sisi unashamedly admitted, "I certainly intended to use it on you, but there's no chance now. So I'll just let you have it."

At this point, Zhang Heng turned serious and retrieved an item from his spatial ring as well. It was precisely a piece of body armor crafted from beast bones. Handing it to Qi Sisi, Zhang Heng said, "Sisi, the defense of this item is quite decent. Since you don't like cultivation, wear it on your body as a precaution."

"You actually prepared something specifically for me?" Qi Sisi looked somewhat incredulous. "Thank you."

"Alright, I'm off. The path of the martial world is long and distant; may we meet again if fate allows." Zhang Heng smiled faintly, then scurried away in embarrassment.

That armor had originally been intended for Mu Wanqing. But since he had accepted a gift from this young lady, he couldn't very well leave empty-handed. Besides, Mu Wanqing's strength was formidable; she probably wouldn't need it anyway. So Zhang Heng rationalized.

After that, Zhang Heng continued his farewell tour.

His next stop was the Treasure Pavilion.

During the recent plot to entrap the Demon Sovereign, Bai Chen had contributed significantly, and the beast-bone armor Zhang Heng possessed had also been forged by him. Coupled with the fact that Bai Chen was a member of the Profound Palace, it was only right to give him some benefits.

"Elder Bai," Zhang Heng said, offering a slight bow as he reached the second floor.

"Ah, young Zhang Heng, you're here. Come, have some tea," Bai Chen said heartily, and a maidservant promptly welcomed Zhang Heng over.

"Elder Bai, I am about to leave this place. Therefore, I've come today to bid you farewell."

"Mm, I figured as much," Bai Chen said, having already guessed that Zhang Heng would depart. After all, Zhang Heng was an eternal prodigy; how could he possibly be willing to remain confined within a tiny Qi State?

Zhang Heng retrieved a mental cultivation manual from his spatial ring and handed it to Bai Chen.

"Elder Bai, the secrets of the Qianyuan Mirror are contained within this. Keep it and study it at your leisure."

With that, Zhang Heng bowed once more and turned away without looking back.

Next was the Alchemy Pavilion.

Despite the many events that had transpired recently, the public's enthusiasm for the Alchemy Pavilion had not diminished in the slightest. At present, the pavilion remained as bustling as a marketplace.

Following behind a maidservant, Zhang Heng bypassed the crowds and arrived at the back courtyard.

Wu Hong had been waiting for him here for quite some time.

Looking at the slightly stout and short old man before him, Zhang Heng's emotions were deeply complicated.

Wu Hong was undoubtedly one of the kindest people toward him, yet if Zhang Heng truly wished to roam the continent far and wide, it was doubtful he would ever get the chance to see this old man again!

A sudden wave of sorrow welled up inside him.