Chapter 272: Something I Have To Do
Li Mei stood at the edge of the sect’s protective barrier, looking conflicted.
She pressed her palm against the barrier, thinking to herself that she couldn’t stay here. Those people from the central continent were coming here. She now understood what was happening, her grandfather had never intended for Li Yao to return at all. His request for her to bring Li Yao back had been nothing more than a ruse to get Li Mei away from the main branch.
But what did he expect her to do? Hide away forever in this place? The very thought made her clench her fists in frustration. Those people who had done that to her grandfather were coming to the eastern continent, and she refused to cower in fear and hide from them.
She knew she was being irrational, that her emotions were clouding her judgment. Her cultivation was still weak compared to the people she was up against, and charging into danger would likely accomplish nothing but her own destruction.
Yet despite understanding all of this, she still couldn’t stop herself. Still couldn’t bring herself to live with this grudge.
Her grandfather’s body was probably still out there somewhere, probably lying in the cold. He deserved better than to be left out there in the open. She needed to give him a proper burial.
As she raised her foot to step beyond the barrier, a voice suddenly emerged from behind her. "What are you doing?"
Li Mei paused mid-step, then slowly turned around. Xiang Yu stood several paces behind her, his expression calm as he gazed directly at her.
"You know the sect is under lockdown right?" he asked.
"So what? Are you going to stop me?" She spoke defiantly, already taking a combat ready stance.
To her surprise, Xiang Yu’s lips curved into a small smile. "Of course not. Quite the opposite, actually." He stepped forward and placed his hand against the barrier. A soft light spread outward from his palm, covering a tiny part of the barrier, just big enough for someone to go through.
"You wouldn’t have been able to leave anyway," he explained. "I control the formations here."
Li Mei’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Then why are you letting me leave?"
Xiang Yu let out a sigh. He had noticed her sneaking around suspiciously. When he explained this to Li Yao and the Empress, they had all seemed to agree to just let her go: if someone was truly determined to leave, keeping them imprisoned would only breed resentment.
"No reason," he said. "You’re not my prisoner, so I can’t really keep you here." He paused, then added with genuine concern, "Though I would have preferred you didn’t go."
Li Mei nodded slowly. "Yeah, I’d also have preferred that," she admitted, her voice softer now.
As she turned to leave again, Xiang Yu’s voice stopped her once more. "Wait."
She paused and looked back over her shoulder, one eyebrow raised. "What? Changed your mind? That was quick."
Xiang Yu shook his head and reached into his robes. He pulled out a small storage and tossed it to her and she caught it.
"Here’s a parting gift," he said with a smile.
Li Mei examined the ring briefly, sensing the contents within, then looked up at him. "Don’t die, otherwise, I’ll get the bride for free," he added.
Li Mei smiled back at him. "Cousin Li Yao is really lucky," she said. "I would have asked you to take good care of her, but it seems you don’t need me to tell you that."
With those words, she channeled her spiritual energy and launched herself into the sky, her figure quickly becoming a distant speck against the clouds.
Xiang Yu watched her departure with another deep sigh, his hands clasped behind his back. He wondered how difficult it truly was for someone to simply stay in one place and bide their time until they were strong enough to face their enemies properly.
If it were him in her situation, he would probably retreat into seclusion for several billion years before even considering revenge. But then again, his perspective was different, he wasn’t originally from the cultivation world where people valued honor more than life itself.
The only thing he could do now was hope she would survive whatever she was walking into. With that, he turned and began walking back toward the spirit vein.
As he reached the entrance, a system notification materialized before him:
[Calculating Settlement]
...
Day 60:
[Body Refining: 22nd Layer (5000/22,000) (+5000/22,000)]
[Foundation Establishment: 8th Layer (5000/18,000) (+5000/18,000)]
[Soul: Infant (100/1,000,000) (+100/1,000,000)]
[Spiritual Root: Superior-Grade Omni-Element (2200/4000) (+200/4000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 2 (60/2,000,000) (+20/2,000,000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 3 (1500/30,000) (+500/30,000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: High Blood (500/5000) (+500/5000)]
[Enlightenment: Divine (300/10,000) (+100/10,000)]
[Soul Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 3rd Grade (100/70,000) (+100/70,000)]
[Palm Intent: Level 1 (10/1000) (+10/1000)]
[Divine-grade Yin-Yang Harmony: Level 1 (10/1000) (+10/1000)]
[Divine-grade Elemental Clone: Level 1 (50/1000) (+50/1000)]
[Sacred-grade Soul Spike, Ten Seasons Sword Art: Completion (250/500) (+250/500)]
[Cook: 1st Grade (880/900) (+300/900)]
[Appraiser: 1st Grade (200/900) (+200/900)]
[Alchemist: 3rd Grade (600/700) (+400/700)]
[Runesmith, Formation Master: 3rd Grade (500/700) (+500/700)]
[Blacksmith: 3rd Grade (400/700) (+400/700)]
[Medicine: 5th Grade (100/500) (+100/500)]
[Spirit Farmer: 5th Grade (100/500) (+100/500)]
[Teacher: 6th Grade (100/400) (+100/400)]
[Experience Points Doubled]
[Teacher: 6th Grade (100/400) → 6th Grade (200/400)]
[Spirit Farmer: 5th Grade (100/500) → 5th Grade (200/500)]
[Medicine: 5th Grade (100/500) → 5th Grade (200/500)]
[Blacksmith: 3rd Grade (400/700) → 2nd Grade (0/800)]
[Runesmith, Formation Master: 3rd Grade (500/700) → 2nd Grade (0/800)]
[Alchemist: 3rd Grade (600/700) → 2nd Grade (0/800)]
[Appraiser: 1st Grade (200/900) → 1st Grade (400/900)]
[Cook: 1st Grade (880/900) → Heavenly Grade (0/10,000)]
[Sacred-grade Soul Spike, Ten Seasons Sword Art: Completion (250/500) → Great Completion (0/1000)]
[Divine-grade Elemental Clone: Level 1 (50/1000) → Level 1 (100/1000)]
[Divine-grade Yin-Yang Harmony: Level 1 (10/1000) → Level 1 (20/1000)]
[Palm Intent: Level 1 (10/1000) → Level 1 (20/1000)]
[Soul Flame: Abyssal Void Flame: 3rd Grade (100/70,000) → 3rd Grade (200/70,000)]
[Enlightenment: Divine (300/10,000) → Divine (600/10,000)]
[Bloodline: Dragon, Phoenix: High Blood (500/5000) → High Blood (1000/5000)]
[Chaos Body: Level 3 (1500/30,000) → Level 3 (3000/30,000)]
[Transcendent Dao Body: Level 2 (60/2,000,000) → Level 2 (120/2,000,000)]
[Spiritual Root: Superior-Grade Omni-Element (2200/4000) → Sacred (0/5000)]
[Soul: Infant (100/1,000,000) → Infant (200/1,000,000)]
[Foundation Establishment: 8th Layer (5000/18,000) → Foundation Establishment: 8th Layer (10,000/18,000)]
[Body Refining: 22nd Layer (5000/22,000) → 22nd Layer (10,000/22,000)]
...
A/N: For @RoiChat: "Don’t die, otherwise, I’ll get the bride for free," since she’s the only remaining family member, if she dies, xiang yu wont have to pay dowry to take the bride. (well, it doesn’t really work this way but...)