Star Martial Era: From Mortal to Emperor

Chapter 73 Parting Thoughts in Qingyang: Embarking on a Journey

The day of parting finally arrived.

At Qingyang Railway Station in the early morning, just as dawn was breaking, the platform was already packed with people. A thin mist drifted from the other end of the tracks, carrying the chill of late autumn, seeping into collars and making people instinctively shrink their necks. The announcements in the waiting hall played train information on a loop, the sound hollow and distant, echoing under the platform's dome.

Su Zhennan was placed in a specially made medical pod, cared for by two medical personnel. The medical pod was delivered by the military overnight; its silver-white shell was inlaid with several crystals that flickered on and off, maintaining the old man's vital signs. Through the glass of the pod's canopy, one could see his face; he was thinner than before, with high cheekbones and deep-set eyes, but his breathing was still relatively steady.

Su Muyue stood beside the medical pod, wearing a white dress, her hair tied back with a plain ribbon. The hem of her dress fluttered gently in the breeze on the platform. Her eyes were red, brimming with tears, which she was holding back; her lips were pressed into a thin line, and her chin trembled slightly.

She took something out of her bag—a hand-woven amulet, made of red silk thread, woven into a small Chinese knot, with a silver bead at the bottom. It wasn't very finely woven, with a few loose ends, showing that it was made by a beginner, but every stitch was tightly bound.

She tiptoed and carefully placed the amulet around Lin Chen's neck, her fingers pausing briefly on his collar before smoothing out the knot.

"Lin Chen, have a safe trip." Her voice was a little hoarse. "Take care of yourself when you get to Xingwu University. Don't push yourself too hard, and don't get hurt. I'll take good care of Grandpa in Qingyang City and wait for you to come back."

Lin Chen lowered his head, looking at the amulet hanging on his chest, its red thread standing out against his dark clothes. He reached out and gently embraced her. Su Muyue's body stiffened for a moment, then softened, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry," Lin Chen whispered in her ear, "I'll definitely come back with Star Essence Liquid and the Fountain of Life in three months at most. Then, we'll never be apart again."

Su Muyue didn't speak, but buried her face in his shoulder and nodded vigorously. Lin Chen felt a small wet patch on his shoulder.

Heavy footsteps echoed from the other end of the platform, the soles of shoes thumping on the concrete. Zhao Lei walked over, carrying a large backpack that was bulging and bulging, the zipper almost bursting open, its contents unclear. He threw the bag down on the ground, then slapped Lin Chen on the shoulder, the slap heavy and unsteady, making Lin Chen's shoulder jerk.

"Lin Chen, wait for me at Xingwu University!" Zhao Lei's voice boomed, drawing many glances from the platform. "I've decided, I'll study for another year, and I'm determined to get into Xingwu University next year! Then we'll fight side-by-side, slay the evil race, and save the world!"

Lin Chen smiled, the pain in his shoulder still lingering: "Okay, I'll wait for you. I believe you can pass the exam."

Zhao Lei grinned, then punched Lin Chen in the chest before turning to carry his large bag. As he turned away, Lin Chen saw him quickly wipe his eyes with his sleeve.

Su Qingyue walked over.

Today, instead of her usual light-colored coat, she wore a dark blue outfit, her hair neatly tied in a high ponytail. She carried a sword—its scabbard was white, engraved with icy blue patterns, and a chill seeped from the hilt.

She handed the sword to Lin Chen: "This is the Ice Soul Sword I redeemed with my battle merit points. If anyone bullies you when you get to Star Martial University, use it to cut them down."

Lin Chen took the sword; it was icy cold to the touch, and the surface of the scabbard seemed to be covered with a thin layer of frost. He gripped the hilt and felt a chilling sensation creep up his hand.

"I will protect Qingyang City, reinforce the evil-suppressing formation, and take good care of Muyue and Grandpa Su." Su Qingyue's voice was calm, as if she were talking about something very ordinary. "You don't need to worry about home."

"Thank you, Qingyue," Lin Chen said solemnly as he sheathed his sword.

Su Qingyue nodded, took two steps back, and stood next to Su Muyue without saying anything more. But her gaze remained fixed on Lin Chen until he turned away.

Jiang Chen and Daoist Xuan Chen also came over. Jiang Chen wasn't wearing his military uniform today; he had changed into civilian clothes, a dark gray jacket with the collar turned up, but his posture was still ramrod straight, making it easy to tell he was a soldier. He took an envelope out of his pocket and handed it to Lin Chen.

"This is the military's communication code. If you encounter any trouble at Xingwu University, use this to contact us. We have people at Xingwu University, not many, but they can be useful in critical moments."

Lin Chen took the envelope and stuffed it into his inner pocket.

Master Xuanchen took out a talisman from his sleeve, folded it into a small triangle, made of yellow paper and cinnabar, and folded it neatly. He put the talisman into Lin Chen's hand and patted the back of his hand.

"This is a communication talisman. No matter where you are, crush it and I will receive your message. Don't hesitate to use it; your life is more precious than this talisman."

Lin Chen put the talisman away and bowed to the two elders.

The train whistle blew.

The sound was long and drawn out, traveling from one end of the platform to the other, spreading through the morning mist like a rope, pulling one's heart down.

Lin Chen turned around and looked at Su Muyue. She finally couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks. She wiped them with the back of her hand, but they kept flowing. She wiped them again, and they kept flowing.

He reached out and hugged her one last time. Then he let go, turned, and boarded the train.

The car door closed behind me.

Lin Chen found his seat by the window. He put his backpack on the luggage rack, sat down, turned to the side, and looked out the window.

The people on the platform were still there. Su Muyue stood at the very front, her hand raised and waving gently beside her face. Su Qingyue stood half a step behind her, one hand on her shoulder. Zhao Lei held his large backpack above his head and shook it vigorously. Jiang Chen and Daoist Xuan Chen stood a little further away, the Daoist with his hands behind his back and Jiang Chen with his hands in his jacket pockets, both looking towards the train window.

The train started moving. First, it gave a slight jolt, then slowly glided forward, getting faster and faster.

The people on the platform grew smaller and smaller. Su Muyue's white dress fluttered in the morning breeze, and she was still waving, her hand raised high and never lowered.

The trees lining the railway tracks began to recede into the distance. First, the platform roof disappeared from view, then the station sign, and then the outline of the waiting hall. The skyline of Qingyang City blurred into a gray-blue shadow in the morning mist, growing farther and farther away, fading into the distance.

Lin Chen pushed the car window open a crack, letting in a gust of cold wind, carrying the morning dampness and the smell of burning straw from the distant fields. He clutched the amulet on his chest in his hand, the silk thread digging into his palm, causing a slight pain.

He remembered the first day he walked into the Core Classroom, sunlight streaming through the window and falling on the desks. He remembered the book on basic formations that Su Muyue handed him, a plum blossom petal tucked between its pages. He remembered Su Qingyue sparring with him in the training ground, her icy palm brushing past his ear, sending up a trail of ice shards. He remembered Zhao Lei saying "You're my brother" in the infirmary, his eyes red, but not a single tear falling.

I recall the three blood-written letters left by Chen Feng. The pages were yellowed, the handwriting was messy, and the last line read, "May the human race prosper forever."

He remembered that Li Mo had sat behind the counter of the general store for an entire afternoon, and when he left, he held his hand and said, "You must come back alive."

The train passed through a tunnel, and it was dark outside the window for a few seconds. When it came back to light, Qingyang City was completely out of sight. Outside were vast fields of farmland, the wheat had just been harvested, and the stubble was still in the ground, row upon row, neat and orderly.

Lin Chen pulled his hand away from the car window and sat up straight in his seat. He took the Xingwu University badge out of his pocket and pinned it to his chest. The badge was silver, with a five-pointed star engraved on it and fine patterns around it, and it shimmered briefly in the morning light.

The story of Qingyang City ends here.

But his story has only just begun.

Star Martial University, the secrets of the first Martial Emperor, the conspiracy of the evil race, and those who await his protection. The road ahead is fraught with unknowns and dangers, but he is not afraid.

He is ready.

The train entered another tunnel, and the lights in the carriage came on, casting a warm yellow glow on Lin Chen's face.

What he didn't see was that in the guesthouse next to Qingyang Railway Station, a young man was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the train pull away from the platform. He was wearing a white tracksuit, his hands in his pockets, and a slight smile on his lips.

There was a text message on his phone that had just been sent to "Grandpa".

The message contained only one sentence: "He's gone."

Meanwhile, at Xingwu University, two thousand kilometers away from Qingyang City, in the vice president's office, an elderly man with gray hair sat behind his desk, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. On the desk lay a student's admission file, with a photograph pasted in the upper right corner—the person in the photograph was Lin Chen.

The old man looked at the photo, and the corners of his mouth slowly curved into a smile.

Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on his face. His whole body was bathed in light, but his eyes seemed to be obscured by something, shining eerily, unnaturally.

Half bright, half dark.