Chapter 17:A Farewell Cloaked in Shadows

That night, after laughter had dimmed and the flickering lights of the inn glowed softly in their room, Tian Jue sat in silence, staring at the mirror.

"Mother…" he said, voice unusually quiet. "Can you shave my hair?"

His mother looked up from her sewing, pausing mid-stitch. She didn't ask why—she didn't need to. With a nod, she fetched the small bronze blade and sat him down by the mirror.

Tian Jue's silver hair, once soft and downy in his youth, had grown long and lustrous. It shimmered faintly in the lamp's glow, cascading over his sharp, maturing features. Once a "pretty boy," he now possessed a magnetic charm: golden eyes like molten amber, a tall sculpted nose, peach-hued lips that were almost too perfect.

Too perfect for his own safety.

He had seen it before in his previous life—conflicts kindled not by ideology or ambition, but by the pettiest sparks of envy. He would soon enter a place brimming with talents, sect scions, prodigies, and egos stacked higher than mountains.

He didn't want to be a target just because of his charming face.

His mother shaved his hair gently, with the care of someone handling jade. When she was done, Tian Jue examined himself again. Even with his hair cropped short, he still stood out. The refinement in his features couldn't be dulled so easily.

She handed him a simple set of gray robes and a long black scarf.

Without needing to be told, he wrapped it tightly around his lower face, concealing his nose and mouth.

Only his eyes remained—brilliant, unyielding, and now, just dangerous enough to make people hesitate before approaching.

The Dawn of Departure

Before the sky turned gold with morning, his mother prepared their final meal together. It was not as sumptuous but already enough for his journey. Afterward, she quietly stepped into the room holding two items—each more shocking than the last.

She handed him a sealed scroll.

"You're not to open this until you reach the Foundation Realm," she said. "Promise me."

"I promise," Tian Jue answered without hesitation, placing it carefully in his storage pouch.

Then she lifted a black silk-wrapped object and placed it before him.

When he unwrapped it, his eyes nearly shot from their sockets.

It was a Soul Refining Flag—about the length of a man's forearm. It was faintly glowing, the cloth etched with grotesque runes, and surrounded by thick, eerie Yin Qi that made the air go cold.

"This…" he whispered. "This is… forbidden in many sects."

His mother simply smiled with infinite gentleness. "This flag has been by my side since the start of my journey. It's not evil—it's misunderstood."

She continued in a tone that was casual but carried terrifying implications:

"Below Foundation Realm, it can control 1,000 souls. Below Peak Core Formation, 100,000. Below Peak Nascent Soul—one million."

Tian Jue was silent for a long time. Ten full seconds passed before he could form words.

"...All those souls... they're not—"

She gently touched his shoulder.

"They were death-row criminals, heinous beings whose karmic debts couldn't be cleansed by a thousand lifetimes. You're not enslaving innocents—you're using what's already cursed. Their deaths mean something now."

She handed him another scroll—this one covered in careful script.

"A guide on how to use it wisely. Efficiently. Safely."

Tian Jue nodded silently, his thoughts a storm.

In my past life, soul arts were taboo—tools of evil sects and cursed cultivators. But here…

He dared not ask the question in his heart:

Who exactly is my mother?

The First Goodbye

As sunlight bathed the courtyard and townspeople stirred for the coming recruitment ceremony, Tian Jue stood at the gates of the inn, staring at his mother.

This was unlike any goodbye he'd ever had.

In his past life, he had no parents to bid farewell to. No one had cried for him when he left to pursue his Dao. His previous farewells had been to lovers, comrades, disciples… even a wife.

But this was different.

This was the first goodbye that hurt.

"Don't cry," she said softly, brushing his shoulder. "Cultivators shouldn't cry."

"I'm not crying," he muttered behind the scarf, blinking rapidly.

She smiled and tucked a small pouch into his sleeve. "For when you miss home."

Then, after a heartbeat, she pulled him into a tight embrace.

"I will always be here," she whispered into his ear. "Even when I'm far."

Tian Jue stepped away, shoulders squared.

He bowed low.

And then, with one last glance, he turned and walked—each step filled with determination, each breath steadier than the last.

The Shenxian Sect awaited.

But so did a thousand secrets, a million battles, and a destiny grander than even he had dared to imagine.

When tian jue walked away a black cloak individual comes to the inn and bow down to his mother "Greeting young princess "

To be continued…