Chapter 89: Traveling Together

"Alright, now that you've reached this level, I can rest easy. At least this legacy is preserved..." The musician smiled with satisfaction, then sat down on the large cobblestone by the stream.

"Go on with your affairs first. This old man will stay here and fish for a while. Someday, I’ll talk to Qin Luo. Although I’m very reluctant to part with my little granddaughter, and the outside world is so dangerous, keeping her by my side all the time would only harm her..." The old man muttered, seemingly to himself or perhaps to Yue Qi. Yue Qi bowed respectfully and quietly withdrew.

After returning, he told Bailian that the old man was staying, so the matter of building a house was put on the agenda. Using local materials, Yue Qi and Yun Sheng worked with great enthusiasm. Interestingly, Xin Zi didn’t do much work but often visited the riverbank to chat with the old man. It was clear that the musician was quite fond of Xin Zi. Had he not already passed all his knowledge to Yue Qi, he might have even considered taking Xin Zi as a disciple.

Yue Qi was rather indifferent about Xin Zi’s laziness. Bailian had to take care of Yu Qi, and Qin Luo was often absent, so it was good to have someone accompany the old man, even if it meant Yue Qi had to work harder. However, Yue Yun Sheng was quite resentful. They were all men, so why did he have to work himself to exhaustion while others could flatter the old man to get by?

The house was built quickly. Yue Qi cleared away the burned ruins and built a small house atop the underground cellar. Though modest and far smaller than the old man’s previous home, it was more than enough for him to live in alone.

Even more excitingly, Yue Qi discovered paulownia trees deep in the forest! The oil extracted from their fruit, when applied to the interior of the house, made it airtight, eliminating the need to lay straw mats and greatly simplifying the process.

"Done! Finished!" Yue Qi clapped his hands and jumped down from the roof. He had laid some dry straw on the roof to absorb moisture, which would be good for the old man’s health.

"Ah Qi, thank you both for your hard work!" With Xin Zi’s support, the old man walked over step by step. Though already well past sixty, his body was still robust, and he could handle basic daily tasks on his own.

"Not at all. No hardship could compare to what a master deserves!" Yue Qi wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled.

"You've learned well from someone, haven’t you? Your words are getting sweeter..." The old man said, though his eyes betrayed a hint of emotion. His children had died early, and although his granddaughter Qin Ran was sensible, she was always so mischievous. Now, having taken this disciple who respected and cared for him, how could he not be moved?

"Grandpa! Wow! What a beautiful house! Master Junior Brother is amazing! It only took a week to finish this place!" Suddenly, Qin Luo appeared from somewhere, followed by an adorable little cat-like creature.

"Come along, my dear granddaughter, let grandpa show you inside!" The musician smiled warmly at Qin Luo. The cat suddenly meowed and darted into the grass.

"Hehe, alright, grandpa!" Seeing her little pet run off, Qin Luo was a bit shy. She linked arms with Xin Zi, one on each side of the old man, and they walked inside, leaving Yue Qi and Yun Sheng staring at each other in confusion.

"Xin Zi and Qin Luo... what’s going on with them?" Yun Sheng swallowed hard, completely baffled.

"I don’t know. Maybe the old man is secretly finding a grandson-in-law for his granddaughter?" Yue Qi also couldn’t figure it out and simply followed the old man quickly into the house.

***

The house contained minimal furnishings, but Yue Qi had prepared everything in advance: wooden tables and chairs. He was surprisingly skilled at carpentry; in peaceful times, he might have made a good living as a woodworker.

“All done. Grandpa, take a look and tell me if you need anything else. I’ll see what I can get for you!” Yue Qi clapped his hands, satisfied with the room’s setup. Bailian came over and carefully wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Hehe, very good, very good. Nothing else needed..." The old man nodded repeatedly, clearly pleased. Qin Luo bounced around happily, evidently fond of the new surroundings.

“By the way, Grandpa, I’ve stored plenty of grain in the cellar. It should last a while. I’ve also reclaimed some land outside that hasn’t been contaminated by zombies. Seeds are stored in the cellar, and the water source is flowing. I’ve tasted it—it’s safe,” Yue Qi added, worried he might have missed something.

“Ah, Ah Qi, come here for a moment...” The old man seemed hesitant to speak with two others present, so he beckoned Yue Qi aside.

“What is it, Grandpa?” Yue Qi approached, curious about what secret treasure might be revealed.

“Well, Ah Qi, have you put that thing in the cellar?” The old man blushed and raised an eyebrow, giving him a knowing look. He seemed less like a sixty-something master of formations and more like a crafty old fox.

“Of course!” Yue Qi immediately understood—it was the wine. There was still plenty in his mustard seed bracelet. He drank little, and he had almost moved an entire cellar’s worth of wine himself.

“Oh, and Grandpa, you said you were afraid Qin Luo would find out, so I built a simple maze in the cellar. If you’re not careful, you definitely won’t discover the wine jars,” Yue Qi reminded him, fearing the old man might get angry if he found out unexpectedly.

“That’s good, that’s good...” The old man nodded knowingly. He loved wine but knew the saying “drinking leads to trouble.” Gradually, as the stock ran out and Qin Luo disliked his drinking, the matter was set aside. However, Yue Qi’s sudden arrival rekindled the old man’s craving.

“What are you two whispering about, Junior Brother? Acting all secretive?” Sure enough, Qin Luo was curious. Seeing the two grinning slyly, she suspected they were plotting something mischievous.

“Nothing, nothing. Master just told me to practice formations more,” the old man quickly defused the situation.

“Really?” Qin Luo looked suspiciously at the old man, who blushed and said nothing further, feeling embarrassed to lie to his granddaughter.

A few more days passed. They had no habit of counting days, but it was probably deep autumn or just after the start of autumn. Yue Qi took out all the thick clothes from his mustard seed bracelet. The old man needed them for winter. Besides Yue Qi, everyone else had ordinary constitutions; without warmth, winter would be harsh indeed.

A fire burned inside the house. Yue Qi had specially built a stove-like structure from cobblestones. Once lit, the room quickly became warm.

***

Gathered around the fire, the house was warm but the atmosphere was somber, especially for Qin Luo. Tears streamed down her cheeks, her pitiful appearance tugging at hearts.

“Grandpa, you’ll be safe here alone. I’ll go to Mount Sanqing to explain everything, and I will definitely come back to visit you!” Yue Qi sighed, moved by the mood.

“Haha, just go. This old man is used to being alone. It spares you young folks from bothering me—too noisy, that’s all. Everything else is fine...” The old man spoke with apparent nonchalance, but his words were filled with reluctant affection. Seeing Qin Luo nearby, he gently embraced her and softly patted her back.

“But Grandpa, why do you want to send Qin Luo away?!” Qin Luo lifted her tear-stained eyes, confused.

“Sigh, I brought you here when you were one year old. Although you’re a girl, I’ve spoiled you and granted your every whim. That’s why your personality is like a boy’s. But even so, a girl has to see the world. I’m not so narrow-minded. How can the Qin family live in this corner forever? You’ll go out with your junior brothers and have adventures. Although the outside world is dangerous, with the treasures I gave you, what’s to fear from zombies? Besides, you’ve already seen that thing...” The old man wiped her tears and spoke earnestly.

“But Qin Luo doesn’t want to leave Grandpa. If I go, I’ll miss you every moment...” Qin Luo’s swollen eyes stared at him.

“Hehe, good granddaughter, Grandpa is here. Whenever you miss me, just come back. Do you think I’d send you away? For now, go with Yue Qi and the others. Yue Qi doesn’t know as many formations as you, so you can supervise him. As your senior sister, you can’t let your junior brother slack off!” The old man smiled and fondly ruffled Qin Luo’s hair.

“Then I’ll come back to see Grandpa with Junior Brother!” Qin Luo seemed determined. “Very soon!”

“All right! Hurry back! Once your junior brother finishes his business, you can come back together, how about that?” The old man smiled at Yue Qi and then said, “Ah Qi, Qin Luo is in your care now. You must look after her well. She’s my treasure!”

“I will...” Yue Qi felt awkward—this felt like a father giving his daughter away in marriage.

“Don’t worry, Grandpa. We’ll take good care of Qin Luo,” Bailian said, trying not to laugh as she stepped in to ease the tension.

The autumn wind howled, the leaves fell in the forest, and under Qin Luo’s guidance, the group finally left the woods. The musician’s figure gradually vanished from their sight, but Yue Qi felt the old man’s gaze constantly upon him, watching them depart.

P.S.: This can be considered the first major map completed! Early on, Yue Qi suffered greatly. Some readers said it was a mindless story, as the plot seemed predictable. But from now on, everything will slowly unfold, so hopefully, it won’t feel so predictable anymore. The protagonist now has cause for showing off! Nearly 300,000 words so far; this is my first time writing so much, and I intend to keep going!