Chapter 565: Take care as our paths diverge and we go our separate ways.
Thank goodness, by the fifth day, they finally received the order allowing them to leave, and until this moment, Zhao Sinin had not yet troubled them, so Mu Hanyan and the others could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Ladies and gentlemen, after leaving the Exotic Beast Valley, I hope you will always remember the promise you made earlier. If anyone betrays that promise, I, Pang Dezong, would rather ruin my reputation than let them off easily," Pang Dezong said as he came to see them off, with a tone that sounded as much like a reminder as it was a threat.
"Daoist Pang, please rest assured. As swordsmen, we have our own dignity. Even in death, we would never disclose a single word to anyone else," the swordsmen assured solemnly.
"Then let’s go. In just a short while, Zhengying Academy will begin recruiting new students. The academy’s doors will always be open to you," Pang Dezong first raised a big stick, now he was offering a sweet date.
"Thank you, Daoist Pang, we will definitely report to the academy on time," the young swordsmen said excitedly.
Though this trial was fraught with mortal dangers, having gained a Bone Marrow Cleansing Pill and a Seven-Transformation Refining Qi Pill, as well as a direct opportunity to join Zhengying Academy, they still felt it was worthwhile.
You see, even though they were the elite of the elite in this trial, not everyone had the chance to join one of the Four Great Academies, Zhengying Academy. If the previous accident hadn’t happened, and Zhengying Academy had offered such terms, they probably wouldn’t hesitate to risk their lives all over again.
After bowing to Daoist Pang and their future senior companions, the group of young swordsmen left the Exotic Beast Valley in clusters of three to five. This accident had caused many of them to become bonded in life and death, and in the years to come, their families would form numerous ties due to this relationship, and one day, the power dynamics among Anyun Country’s families would undergo a revolutionary change because of this trial.
Due to the damage to the barrier, the original teleportation channels could no longer be used, so they had to traverse mountains and ridges the old-fashioned way.
At the valley’s exit, Mu Hanyan looked into the distance and saw the familiar undulating mountain ranges – only then did she realize that the Exotic Beast Valley was actually within the territory of Anyun Country. To the people of Anyun, it was deep within the Longyan Mountain range, but to the entire vast Longyan Mountains, it was still just the periphery.
Beyond the valley, many paths led in all directions, presumably trodden by treasure seekers over thousands of years. Now, however, new signposts stood beside each path. After all, with thousands of swordsmen leaving, Zhengying Academy couldn’t possibly send each one home; they had to find their own way.
Fortunately, these swordsmen were all fairly strong, and even when spreading out, they were still a formidable force. The academy had stationed people at the few dangerous points along the way, so there was no worry about any accidents happening to them.
Having left the Exotic Beast Valley, it was time for Mu Hanyan and the others to part ways, but before that, everyone paid their respects and expressed their gratitude to Mu Hanyan and Yan Yuchu.
"Young Master Mu, we owe you our safe escape this time. A great kindness like this goes without saying, and I, Lin Zhao, will always remember it," a swordsman said.
"In the future, just with a single command from Young Master Mu, I, Tang Gaoyang, am ready to face death without hesitation," another swordsman stated bluntly.
Even though Yan Yuchu had been a great help earlier, it was mostly to save himself, while Mu Hanyan allowing them to leave while she alone confronted Xia Youchen was something entirely different. How could they possibly forget such a great kindness?