Youth must be seized early; one cannot remain forever young. Chapter 115: Twice the Good Deeds in a Day

Everyone stood dumbfounded, staring blankly at the sky, too stunned to speak aloud.

The disciples of the Infinite Gate were killed on the spot...?

Meng Yangyu sheathed his blade and glanced down at the severed head lying on the ground, his expression cold and unreadable. Without a word, he turned and walked away. Seeing this, Bai Qingzhou hastily summoned the Immortal Wind Eagle and flew up toward the sky.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, please wait..." He reached out to stop Meng Yangyu from leaving.

Hearing the voice, Meng Yangyu halted, brow furrowed, eyes wary as he looked at Bai Qingzhou. "You’re Bai Qingzhou of the Xuan Yang Sect..."

"Yes, that’s me," Bai Qingzhou replied, bowing slightly.

Meng Yangyu slowly rested his hand on the sword’s sheath, gripping it tightly, his tone icy. "What is it? Are you here to arrest me and claim a bounty?"

Bai Qingzhou quickly shook his head. "Of course not. I came just to ask—have you truly severed ties with the Qingshan Sect?"

Meng Yangyu nodded faintly. "Yes... I formally left the sect a few days ago. Today, I waited here for him specifically to avenge my friend."

Seeing Meng Yangyu’s resolve to kill for a friend, sacrificing everything, Bai Qingzhou felt a complicated mix of emotions. He then asked, "What do you plan to do now? Can you still stay here?"

Having killed disciples of the Infinite Gate within Infinite Alliance territory, Meng Yangyu was surely about to face their wrath.

"I won’t stay. I’m leaving Lizhou now, heading to Chuzhou or Yunzhou," Meng Yangyu said firmly.

Bai Qingzhou fell into thought. He had never expected Meng Yangyu to stir up such trouble for a single cultivator from Dragon Tiger Mountain. Though he knew Meng Yangyu was fierce toward outsiders but kind to his own, he hadn’t imagined him killing an ally from the Infinite Alliance for a friend.

It was truly unexpected.

After a moment, Bai Qingzhou took out dozens of spirit stones from his Storage Bag and handed them to Meng Yangyu.

"Fellow Daoist Meng, since we’ve crossed paths, let these spirit stones be a parting gift. Take care of yourself."

Hearing this, Meng Yangyu slowly withdrew his hand from the sheath, accepted the spirit stones, and met Bai Qingzhou’s sincere gaze. He nodded heavily and said, "Until we meet again on the rivers and lakes."

Then he mounted his flying device and departed.

Watching his back, Bai Qingzhou recalled the misunderstanding that had sparked a dispute between them at the gates of the Qingshan Sect all those years ago. A deep sigh escaped him as he turned and flew toward the Fire Camp District.

Below, the onlookers whispered and pointed at Bai Qingzhou’s figure, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

But Bai Qingzhou paid them no mind.

The Fire Camp Ferry was not far from the Fire Camp District, just a few miles away. Within moments, Bai Qingzhou saw the bustling market town.

The Fire Camp District stood like a great beast crouched on the plain, its open jaws frozen in time. Its imposing presence naturally stirred a sense of awe.

Bai Qingzhou gently guided his flying device to land at the city gates, then put it away. Looking up, he saw the three characters “Fire Camp District” inscribed atop the gate, lively and vibrant.

The gate was crowded with people coming and going, made even busier by the recent arrival of a group of passengers from the spirit boat.

Ignoring the murmurs behind him, Bai Qingzhou moved with the crowd into the district.

Inside, he wandered casually and noted that the layout resembled that of the Water Camp District, though the locals here seemed more passionate and boisterous. Many cultivators roamed the streets bare-chested, shouting loudly.

Suddenly, Bai Qingzhou’s stomach growled.

Touching his belly, he realized he hadn’t eaten all day. He began searching for a tavern to satisfy his hunger.

Before long, he arrived at a tavern adorned with a tasteful decor that appealed to him.

Glancing up, the style suited his taste perfectly. Without hesitation, he entered.

Led by a staff member, he was shown to a seat in the main hall.

"Fellow Daoist, bring me your two signature dishes," Bai Qingzhou said calmly.

"Right away, sir," the attendant replied and left promptly.

Bai Qingzhou sat back and waited.

The tavern’s cooking was swift; before long, a waiter dressed in a uniform brought all the dishes.

Without ceremony, Bai Qingzhou picked up his chopsticks and began to eat.

Just as he was enjoying the meal...

"How can you eat if you don’t have money?!" Suddenly, a shout erupted inside the tavern.

Bai Qingzhou looked toward the source and saw a shabby young cultivator being grabbed by the collar and scolded fiercely by an older man dressed as the tavern’s proprietor.

"Boss, please give me two more days. I swear I’ll bring you the money then, alright?" the ragged cultivator pleaded humbly.

The proprietor scowled and shouted, "Impossible! Never heard of anyone eating here and not paying right away!"

The young cultivator picked up his long sword and placed it on the table earnestly. "Boss, how about this? I’ll leave this sword here with you, and pay you later when I get the money. Deal?"

"Hmph, a cultivator tried that once before and stole his sword back! I won’t fall for that again. If you don’t pay today, you won’t leave this tavern!" the proprietor snarled.

The young cultivator’s face darkened. He glanced around and saw others pointing at him, his cheeks flushing with shame. He hurried to protest, "You’re wrong! I’m not that kind of person! I..."

"I’m not interested in your excuses. If you don’t pay, I’m taking you to see a Foundation Establishment cultivator," the proprietor said, grabbing the young man’s arm and heading toward the door.

"No, please! That would be too humiliating. Don’t drag me there!" the young cultivator begged desperately, calling out to the crowd, "Can anyone help me pay my meal? I promise to repay you!"

The proprietor tugged harder and bellowed, "Don’t try to fool anyone! You..."

At that moment, Bai Qingzhou suddenly spoke up from nearby, "Boss, how much does he owe?"

The proprietor was surprised that someone would actually help and turned to appraise Bai Qingzhou before replying slowly, "Two spirit stones for this meal."

Bai Qingzhou considered briefly, then took out two spirit stones and tossed them to the proprietor. "I’ll pay for this fellow today."

The ragged cultivator’s face lit up with joy. He bowed deeply to Bai Qingzhou. "Thank you, benefactor!"

Bai Qingzhou waved his hand. "No need for thanks."

He helped simply for amusement, sensing the young man’s cultivation was at the late Qi Refining stage—there was no reason two spirit stones should have been a problem. Plus, having recently come into some wealth, he thought it a small price to pay to cultivate goodwill.

The young cultivator freed his arm from the proprietor’s grasp and approached Bai Qingzhou quickly. "May I know the benefactor’s address? I vow to repay this kindness someday."

"Heh, no need to worry about it," Bai Qingzhou smiled. "It’s just two spirit stones."

"In these times, kind-hearted people like you are rare," the young man sighed, then asked, "May I know your name, benefactor?"

"I’m Bai Qingzhou," he replied.

"Greetings, Benefactor Bai! I’m Wei Jun," the young man said earnestly.

Just as Bai Qingzhou was about to reply, out of the corner of his eye he spotted a fair-skinned female cultivator passing outside the tavern, and his eyes brightened.

"Wei Daoist, I have some matters to attend to. I’ll be going now," Bai Qingzhou said abruptly.

Without waiting for Wei Jun’s response, he stepped out of the tavern.

[End of chapter]