Chapter 768: Chapter 588: From now on, we are the masters of Star Moon Island!
In the following days, Yang Zhenshan paid visits to some good friends in the Capital City.
He made a trip to Sanshan Valley, not only to see An Yuxing, but also to visit Zhang Ye and Granny Meng.
Zhang Ye was nearly 140 years old, his entire being looked exceptionally aged, with hair white and withered, face crisscrossed with wrinkles, and eyes that had become much cloudier.
Indeed, nearing the end of his years!
Even Innate Martial Artists cannot withstand the ravages of time, eventually growing old.
In the courtyard of Zhang Ye’s residence, the two sat under the eaves drinking tea.
"What level has your understanding of Taoist Intent reached?" Zhang Ye asked softly.
Yang Zhenshan shook his head slightly, "Still far off, I feel like I’ve touched upon something, but it’s elusive."
He had mastered control over his Thunderbolt Strike, but he still had no precise understanding of the Taoist Intent that underlies it.
Zhang Ye looked somewhat defeated, "Taoist Intent, alas, I’m afraid in this lifetime there’s no chance for me to enter the Tao!"
Yang Zhenshan remained silent, as any consolatory words at this point would seem pale.
Zhang Ye was already 140 years old, at his age, death could come at any moment.
"Chen Shanwu passed away two months ago!" Zhang Ye suddenly said.
Yang Zhenshan was surprised, "Chen Shanwu is?"
"The Ancestor from the royal family, the one who was in seclusion at the Imperial Mausoleum!" explained Zhang Ye.
Yang Zhenshan realized who he was talking about.
He had heard of him, but never met him.
"What a pity!"
Zhang Ye continued, "Li Shouning doesn’t have many years left either, our generation ultimately failed to find the threshold to entering the Tao!"
Li Shouning was the Ancestor of the Yangtian Sect, and these past years he had been residing in Cui Xia Valley.
He was a few years older than Zhang Ye.
Yang Zhenshan could feel the frustration in Zhang Ye’s heart.
As each peer passed away and the end of his life drew near, Zhang Ye’s mood grew increasingly somber.
What they feared was not death, but the regret of not having touched the threshold of Martial Arts realm.
Yang Zhenshan saw a sense of duskiness in Zhang Ye, a heavy melancholy that made him uncomfortable.
Perhaps it was a form of despair, but Yang Zhenshan felt one shouldn’t be so despondent.
Innate Martial Artists are human, and as humans, there are things beyond our reach.
Rather than despairing over this, it would be better to spend the last of one’s days in peace.
Yang Zhenshan left Zhang Ye’s courtyard, looking at the withered yellow leaves within the grounds.
"Perhaps letting go of obsessions is the way to reach a new level!"
He murmured softly.
In the practice of Martial Arts, one should not be obsessed; the deeper the obsession, the narrower the path ahead!
Both Zhang Ye and Li Shouning seemed to have deep obsessions with the Martial Arts realm.
This obsession has become their stumbling block!
Yang Zhenshan pondered thoughtfully.
After a moment of contemplation, his expression suddenly relaxed.
"Let nature take its course!"
"Ha ha, let’s go!"
He laughed, leapt onto his horse, and galloped away from Sanshan Valley.
...
On the 20th of September.
The Yang family left the Capital City and headed to Jin Hai Guard to take a ship south to Star Moon Island.
This time heading to Star Moon Island, Yang Zhenshan was taking most of the Yang family’s foundation with him.
Including the Yang family’s guards and servants, in total, over a thousand people had moved to Star Moon Island.
Yang Zhenshan only left fifty guards for Yang Mingcheng, but these guards’ families would also move to Star Moon Island.
A few years ago, Yang Zhenshan had allotted land to these guards outside the Capital City, and now, he was to do the same on Star Moon Island.
Of course, allotting land was just a perk; the reason for moving their families to Star Moon Island was because Yang Zhenshan wanted to take better care of them.
The Yang family’s focus would be on Star Moon Island from now on, and their future would unfold there.
If their children stayed in Da Rong, they would only lead ordinary lives; on Star Moon Island, however, they would have a different future.
So as long as they were willing to follow, Yang Zhenshan didn’t mind taking them along.
Above the sea, with clear skies and vast vapors, sparkling waves, every so often a breeze would ripple small wavelets.
A fleet composed of one Da Fu Ship, two Hai Cang Ships, and six open-sea ships set out magnificently towards the east.
This fleet was the naval militia of Star Moon Island, trained by Luo Jingsong, with only five hundred soldiers. Though they only had half a year of training and were still a ragtag bunch, they no longer had any major issues with sailing and navigating the sea.
Out of the five hundred soldiers, one hundred and eighty were aboard the Da Fu Ship, which had been refitted from a merchant ship, its deck mounted with twenty crossbows, and a tall ship’s tower, though not fully staffed with soldiers.
A Da Fu Ship should ideally carry at least five hundred people, mostly soldiers skilled in board-to-board combat and archers. However, for navigation purposes, only about fifty to sixty were necessary.
Yang Zhenshan and Yu Qingyi stood at the bow, looking out at the vast, fish-leaping sea, their hearts filled with ease and contentment.
Leaving Da Rong was like shedding shackles, giving them a feeling of boundless freedom, where the sky was the limit and they could soar as they pleased.
"Marquis, in another two hours we’ll arrive at Star Moon Island!" Luo Jingsong, standing behind Yang Zhenshan, said with an excited face.
"Ha ha, don’t call me Marquis anymore, I am no longer the Marquis Jing’an!" Yang Zhenshan laughed.
"Then how should I address you?" asked Luo Jingsong.
Yang Zhenshan stroked his beard and turned to Yu Qingyi, "What do you think about the title Island Master?"
"Island Master of Star Moon Island? Why not establish a Sect?" Yu Qingyi asked curiously.
She didn’t care about what Yang Zhenshan wanted to do on Star Moon Island, as long as she could be with him, she didn’t mind whatever he planned.