Kind-hearted Grim Reaper

In a state of extreme bewilderment, Goris opened another letter. He instantly recognized the twisted handwriting as Ah Dai's. After careful examination, he finally made out the content of the letter, which roughly said: "Teacher, it's Ah Dai! I saved someone yesterday, and he insisted on taking me with him, saying he wanted to teach me some kind of skill. I really didn't want to go! Teacher, I really didn't want to leave! Ah Dai would rather stay with you, for you are the kindest person in the world to me. But the man I saved said that if I didn't go with him, he would kill you. Ah Dai doesn't want to leave you, but I couldn't bear to see you die, Teacher. Ah Dai likes you very much, so for your safety, I have to go with him. Teacher, the formula to suppress the Invincible Holy Water has been successful. The person I saved no longer has any immediate threat to his life. Teacher, one day when you were not paying attention, I took some of your Silver Tin and kept one of the steamed buns you brought for me last time. Whenever I miss you, I look at it. Teacher, if you miss Ah Dai, just call out my name loudly. I'm sure I can hear it. The man said that after I've learned his skill, he will let me come back. You must take good care of yourself. After Ah Dai comes back, I will take care of you well. Teacher, I've washed your clothes and put them in your cabinet. I used some of your ingredients to save the person, please forgive me. Don't forget to eat some fruit when you are busy with your experiments. Because of your old age, you can't neglect your meals. Teacher, I have to leave now. Wait for me, wait for Ah Dai to come back. After I come back, you must teach me magic again! Teacher, goodbye. Take care of yourself." Ah Dai, who always thinks of you, wrote the last line of the letter. There were a few creases in the letter paper, traces of tears that Ah Dai had shed before leaving. Despite several incoherent sentences in the letter, the call of "Teacher" and feelings expressed between the lines were filled with Ah Dai's endless longing for him.

The letter paper fluttered to the ground from his hand, and two streams of tears flowed down his cheeks. He never imagined that Ah Dai, the simple-minded lad who had spent less than a year with him, could have such deep affection for him. Goris' tears were tears of regret. At this moment, his lifelong wish seemed, all of a sudden, no longer significant. He ran outside and shouted loudly, "Ah Dai, come back, come back quickly! The teacher will teach you magic and alchemy. Come back quickly, the teacher won't use you for experiments anymore." He regretted, he deeply regretted. Why did he have to leave this place? Why was he so selfish? Ah Dai is such a good kid! No one in Goris' lifetime had ever been so truly kind to him.

Goris sat down on the ground with tears streaming down his old face, just where Ah Dai used to wait for him every day. He didn't move throughout the day, surrounded by usual fog. Throughout this day, Goris thought about many things. When night fell, he leaned on the wooden wall behind him to stand up. His stiff body made him look even older, "Ah Dai, you must come back quickly! The teacher has made a decision. When you return, you will become my real student." Goris was in incredible pain, even his own brother had never stirred such strong longing within him, "The teacher has given you so little, as long as you can come back, you will see what the teacher has done for you."

Goris turned around and wobbled back into the wooden cabin. His lonely figure appeared exceedingly frail. The old man, who had been obsessed with Alchemy for a lifetime, finally understood the truth of emotions.

After a month's long journey, Owen and Ah Dai finally arrived at the seaside town of Stone Pond Town—the easternmost location of the Xi Bo Clan of the Sord federations—from the far west end of the continent. Owen bought a good horse, and they solved pretty much everything on horseback. They traveled day and night, taking detours from smaller paths. Every time they passed a city, Owen would change the horse. Even so, they had to cross the continent, and it took them more than thirty days to reach their destination.

The six tribes of the Sord Federation are: the most powerful nomadic Ya Jin tribe, composed entirely of black races. Even though the black races are often ostracized on the continent, it's undeniable that they possess the most robust bodies and indomitable will. As nomadic people, they have the most potent cavalry on the continent. The Ya Jin tribe occupies approximately one-third of the plains within the Federation, with its territory bordering the Empire of Tian Jing to the north, the Empire of Huasheng to the south, and the Holy Church to the far west. To the southeast of the Ya Jin tribe is the Tian Yuan tribe, which only borders the Empire of Huasheng. In reality, this area comprises numerous minority tribes. As such, they consider themselves a microcosm of the whole continent and have named their own tribe after the continent—Tian Yuan. The region where the Tian Yuan tribe resides can be considered to possess the most complex geography on the continent. Plains are almost non-existent here, with hills and vast forests being the most common. The Dwarf Clan, Elf Clan, Winged Tribe, and Half-Beast Clan ordinarily live a peaceful life but that doesn't mean they are weak. The alliance formed by the talented forgers, natural archers, high-speed fliers, and the uber-strong Half-Beast is indeed elite within the Sord Federation. They collectively refer to themselves as the Tian Yuan clan, and significant matters within the tribe are resolved through collective consultation among the four major races. To the northeast of the Ya Jin tribe, primarily established by the white race, is the Ya Jin Tribe. Most of the people here migrated from the Empire of Tian Jing and had descendants with other races within the Sord Federation. After generations of development, they have grown to their current size. In the Ya Jin tribe area, similar to the Empire of Tian Jing, cities abound, making them the most advanced tribe within the Sord Federation. Due east of the Ya Jin tribe lies the second largest tribe in the Federation, the Pu Yan tribe. The Pu Yan tribe is a mysterious race that rarely communicates with other races—except during major Federation events—and they usually live a self-sufficient life. The weapons produced by the Pu Yan tribe are their primary source of income. To the north of the Pu Yan tribe is the Red Charming Clan, known for their tough living conditions and characteristic red hair. The Red Charming Clan is the birthplace of the Mercenary Guild, with the largest mercenary group on the continent, the Red Charming Mercenary Group, consisting entirely of Red Charming people. The far-eastern end of the Federation, as well as that of the whole continent itself, is home to the Xi Bo Clan, where Owen and Ah Dai have arrived. The Xi Bo Clan is a simple and kind small tribe; its people mainly rely on fishing for their livelihood. Their greatest asset is their fleet that can contend with any country on the continent. Among the six major races in the Sord Federation, only the Xi Bo Clan relies on the support of other races to survive. Otherwise, their tribe strength alone would be insufficient to sustain such a vast fleet. Hence, other races from the Sord Federation frequently appear within the Xi Bo Clan territory.