Chapter Forty: The Coin That Binds Mother and Son

The next day, Shangguan Chuanyun rose early to prepare his belongings. He had a premonition that leaving this time would not make returning easy. Cultivators, when their spirits are clear and lucid, often have a sense of events concerning themselves—a prescience that rarely misses the mark. Practicing the Way of the Sword Immortal, Shangguan Chuanyun was impervious to external evil, and his expertise in divination made him extraordinarily sensitive.

He packed everything he might need. In truth, it wasn’t much: his sword case and the sword he always wore—never leaving his side. He also brought the ancestral altar from his pill chamber. The way of the Sword Immortal he cultivated aimed directly at the Great Dao, and he revered the Heavenly Lord as its incarnation. He had a profound spiritual connection with the Heavenly Lord and thus made offerings regularly. As a cultivator, wherever he went, practice remained paramount, and honoring his lineage was essential.

His parents had given him this life, but his master had bestowed upon him the destiny of the Dao through countless lifetimes. He dared not forget the kindness of those who raised him, nor the grace of his master. He packed the altar, the portrait, altar cloth, and incense burner into a single chest.

He called to Wu Kaishan, the young captain of guards waiting outside—a personal guard of his father, Shangguan Jin, from the Divine Wind Battalion, ordered to find him and accompany him as a Xuanjia Guard.

"Young master."

"Put this chest on the carriage," Shangguan Chuanyun said, pointing to the chest on the ground.

Wu Kaishan eyed the large chest doubtfully. "This… may not be a good idea. We have to catch up with the Marquis's main army. Bringing this might slow us down…"

Shangguan Chuanyun gave Wu Kaishan, clad in fish-scale armor, a meaningful look. "Find a carriage, bring it all."

Wu Kaishan sighed inwardly; it seemed the young master was displeased. If he did not comply, his days ahead would be difficult, so he quickly replied, "Yes, young master."

He turned to the two guards outside. "Armor One, Armor Two, come move this onto the carriage."

The two guards exchanged uneasy glances. "Commander, we didn’t prepare a carriage, only fast horses…"

"Go find a carriage."

"Yes, Commander."

Shangguan Chuanyun cared little for battlefield conventions; even on the front lines, he insisted on daily cultivation. Nothing mattered more than his practice.

Madam Jia, knowing her son was leaving that day, felt reluctant to part but understood his resolute nature. Though he usually lived alone, every few days he would appear before her, so she wasn’t overly worried. But this time he was heading to the battlefield—how could she not worry? She packed everything she could think of: armor, swords, silver, changes of clothes, even pots and pans, medicines for wounds, tonics, and even several packs of poison, all in case they might be needed.

By now, over a dozen large chests had been packed, and she kept directing the maids to add more, determined to bring everything she could possibly imagine.

"Madam, Young Master Chuanyun has arrived."

"Oh." Hearing the maid’s report, Madam Jia acknowledged it, thinking how quickly time had flown. Ever since she learned of her son’s departure for the southern lands two days ago, she had been preparing. She urged, "Quickly, load all these onto that carriage."

A group of capable household staff began lifting the chests onto the prepared carriage.

Shangguan Chuanyun left his small courtyard, accompanied by ten Divine Wind Guards, heading toward his mother’s quarters.

He was about to embark on a long journey and needed to inform his parents, to bid them farewell.

When Shangguan Chuanyun reached his mother’s courtyard, he saw two carriages at the entrance, harnessed to mighty draft horses. At a glance, he knew these were not native to the Liang Kingdom, but had been purchased from distant lands at great expense specifically for pulling carriages.

These horses were robust, nine feet tall, fifteen feet long, with hooves the size of small pots. Though not fast, their endurance was exceptional. Unfussy eaters, they would eat whatever was offered, gentle in temperament and adept at travel, able to go for days and nights without rest.

Especially these two horses—Shangguan Chuanyun recognized them as his mother’s, ones he had borrowed to ride twice before, but their imposing size made them too conspicuous, so he had planned to borrow one for future outings, though he had forgotten until now.

Madam Jia’s business had traveled far and wide, and these horses had served her well.

As Shangguan Chuanyun examined the carriages, he saw agile staff loading them with goods. Though he found it odd, he didn’t dwell on it. He saw his mother, his younger brother Shangguan Qingyun, his elder brother Shangguan Xingyun, and Jia Cai—whose injuries had mostly healed—standing by one of the carriages, watching the staff load boxes.

He hurried forward and called out, "Mother. Uncle Cai. Brother, Qingyun—you’re all here!"

Jia Cai, dressed in black, turned around, his usually harsh face softening. "Hm, wait a moment. Your mother has packed some things for you. Take them with you."

"Alright, Uncle Cai."

Shangguan Xingyun smiled and nodded to him.

Shangguan Chuanyun responded, "Brother, Mother’s given you her favorite draft horses. Everything here was prepared for you over the past two days. Wait a bit, it’ll soon be ready."

Shangguan Qingyun pointed at the carriages. "For me?" Shangguan Chuanyun had guessed as much, but hadn’t expected so much—especially carriages drawn by exotic horses. Each carriage was two zhang long; he felt dizzy, unsure how much his mother had packed.

"Yes," Shangguan Qingyun replied, holding up two fingers. "One for the goods, one for you to live in—it’s comfortable, I’ve tried it."

Shangguan Chuanyun felt exasperated; he was bringing essentials for cultivation, but his mother’s preparations made him look like a wealthy young lord off for leisure. It seemed excessive; he preferred simplicity when traveling.

He found it odd, too. Usually when he visited, his mother would rush up to ask him questions. But today she said nothing.

His mother stood with her back to him, as if unaware of his arrival, only urging the staff to load everything onto the carriage. Yet her shoulders quivered, her back trembling slightly.

Shangguan Chuanyun understood what she was doing and softly called, "Mother."

She seemed not to hear him.

"Mother," he called again. Still no response.

"Mother," he called a third time. This time she reacted, rubbing her face hard with her sleeve.

Shangguan Chuanyun instantly abandoned any thought of telling her she packed too much, not even a trace of such intent remained. He saw his mother turn with a smile, saying, "Chuanyun, you’re heading to the southern lands—chaos prevails there. I’ve prepared some things for you. Use them if you need to. If you encounter the enemy, hide behind the lines. Don’t foolishly charge forward. If things look bad, run."

Shangguan Chuanyun stepped forward and took his mother’s hand. "Mother, don’t worry. When it comes to lightness skill, there’s none better than me. Escaping is no trouble."

He glanced at Shangguan Xingyun. "If you don’t believe me, ask Brother Xingyun."

Madam Jia looked to Shangguan Xingyun, knowing that since his birth mother passed, she had considered adopting him, but he neither agreed nor refused—always steady in his ways, his words reliable.

Shangguan Xingyun thought for a moment and said, "Yes, Mother. Chuanyun’s lightness skill is the best I’ve seen—even Father’s isn’t as good."

Madam Jia still felt uneasy, looking to Jia Cai.

Jia Cai recalled the day Shangguan Chuanyun flew from a distant pavilion and killed Liu San with a single sword strike—it was swift, though he doubted it was truly unmatched. Yet seeing Shangguan Chuanyun looking at him expectantly, he blushed and nodded, "Indeed, Young Master Chuanyun’s martial skills are extraordinary, and his lightness skill is unmatched."

Shangguan Chuanyun chuckled inwardly, feeling sorry for him.

Seeing his mother still hesitant, Shangguan Qingyun piped up, "Yes, Mother, Chuanyun’s lightness skill is amazing—he just took me flying over a wall a few days ago."

Everyone looked at Shangguan Qingyun in surprise. He sensed he might have said something wrong, and his mother grabbed his ear.

"You little rascal, now you’ve learned to sneak around!"

"Mother, it hurts!" Shangguan Qingyun pleaded.

Shangguan Chuanyun took four copper coins from his pocket: one large, three smaller, the largest one and a half inches square, the others an inch each.

Last night, after returning, he had fused the three coins obtained from the Diviner with some he had collected before, refining them in the Nine Aperture Pill Furnace. He inscribed the birth dates and names of himself, his mother, Shangguan Xingyun, and Shangguan Qingyun, creating a unique set of magic implements. Using a concealment technique, he sealed all information about their identities and histories in the void, ensuring no one could use evil magic against them.

Coins, being carriers of exchange, were perfect for transmitting information and thus had special uses. He also imbued them with protective and suppressive magic, and as items for divination, they were rare indeed. Fortunately, the coins from the Diviner had extraordinary spiritual qualities, making this possible.

He handed the largest coin to his mother, then gave the two smaller ones to Shangguan Xingyun and Shangguan Qingyun, keeping the last for himself, and explained, "Mother, this is a little thing I made."

Madam Jia took the coin, nearly palm-sized, and saw its pure, shimmering hue with a faint glow. She immediately liked it, eyes shining. "What a delicate coin! Do you have more? Give them all to me to keep for you."

"Uh…" Shangguan Chuanyun felt exasperated, but seeing his mother’s delight, he was pleased and explained, "This is the Heart-Linked Coin for mother and children."