Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Man Yu was stunned for a moment, clearly not fully prepared for this.

But after a brief daze, she came to her senses and was so happy she nearly jumped for joy.

The chieftain arrived shortly after.

When he saw Li Chang’an, the chieftain fell to his knees and kowtowed respectfully.

After completing the requisite rituals for an audience, the chieftain looked up and asked, “Respected Guardian God, you summoned me here. What are your orders?”

Li Chang’an didn’t bother with pleasantries and said directly, “Man Yu has received my permission. Starting tomorrow, she will leave Santi Town to venture out into the world.”

Hearing this, the chieftain’s eyes widened unconsciously, his gaze toward Man Yu filled with disbelief.

Under normal circumstances, as the chieftain, he would never allow anyone to leave or betray the tribe.

But now, this was a direct order from the Guardian God himself. Even if he were a thousand times bolder, he wouldn’t dare to disobey.

Thus, after a brief silence, he could only bow his head. “I will obey your sacred command!”

…

Man Yu had obtained the freedom she desired.

But when the day of her departure finally arrived, she was overcome with sadness and sorrow.

She didn’t feel a strong sense of belonging to the tribe.

But she was deeply attached to Li Chang’an.

Yet she knew that if she couldn’t make a name for herself out in the world, it wouldn’t be long before she met the same fate as her grandmother.

She was willing to dedicate her life to the tribe.

But she didn’t want to live a full life only to die a meaningless death.

And so, after packing her belongings, Man Yu finally left, disappearing into the vast jungle.

Although Li Chang’an didn’t move, his soul left the Temple, watching from afar in the direction Man Yu had vanished until she was completely out of sight.

This could be considered his first preliminary experiment.

Right now, it wasn’t just Man Yu who was curious about the world; Li Chang’an was as well.

But as a Guardian God, Li Chang’an shouldered the fate of an entire tribe, so he couldn’t act as freely and spontaneously as Man Yu.

Everything he did had to be done with caution.

Otherwise, if he attracted the wrong kind of attention, it could lead to instant annihilation.

…

After Man Yu’s departure, another ten years passed in the blink of an eye.

Most members of the Fusang Tribe had already forgotten her existence. Perhaps only the chieftain and a few of Man Yu’s close relatives vaguely remembered the quirky and independent young woman.

But they had long since stopped mentioning her.

Because from the day she left the tribe and ventured into the wilderness, Man Yu was already a dead woman in their hearts.

Only Li Chang’an still had some faith in her.

He waited for any news from her.

And he waited for ten years.

Finally, one day, a small, fully armed squad of soldiers suddenly appeared on the border of the Fusang Tribe’s territory.

Upon seeing the Fusang Tribe’s totem and clan emblem, the soldiers voluntarily lowered their weapons and announced, “We are retainers of Lady Man Yu. She is currently at war with a tribe in the Central Plains!”

Hearing these baffling words, the Fusang Tribe’s border scouts fell into a brief commotion, all of them completely bewildered.

After all, they had long since completely forgotten about Man Yu, the one who had left the Fusang Tribe.

The scouts on patrol were unsure what to do, so they could only send someone back to the tribe to report the matter to the chieftain.

But unexpectedly, Li Chang’an, who had barely moved from the Temple in a hundred years, made a rare appearance on the border and asked, “What did you just say?”

When a giant dragon appeared in the sky, the members of the Fusang Tribe, needless to say, fell to their knees in a great mass.

But to everyone’s surprise, that group of strange, newly arrived soldiers knelt even faster than the people of the Fusang Tribe.

The instant they saw Li Chang’an appear, they dropped to their knees without the slightest hesitation.

This gave the people of the Fusang Tribe a very uncomfortable feeling.

It was as if their Guardian God had been stolen by another tribe.

’This shouldn’t be happening! We’re his only worshipers! We were here first! What right do these shameless bastards have to kneel?’

Many members of the Fusang Tribe glared at them angrily.

If looks could kill, those soldiers would have died a thousand times over by now.

But the soldiers paid no mind to the Fusang Tribe’s reaction, instead saying with excitement written all over their faces, “Venerable Guardian God, we are retainers of Lady Man Yu! She is currently at war with a small tribe in the Central Plains! We were ordered to deliver a message. Lady Man Yu wanted to tell you that she is still safe and sound!”

This was the agreement between Li Chang’an and Man Yu.

She was to send a message about every ten years to report that she was safe.

If she encountered a problem she truly couldn’t solve, she could also use this opportunity to inform Li Chang’an, who would then decide whether or not to rescue her.

At last, Man Yu had kept her promise.

Hearing that she was still safe, Li Chang’an’s mood improved considerably.

After all, he had poured a great deal of effort into Man Yu; if she had simply died just like that, he would have been heartbroken for a long time.

The first decade passed quickly.

The second decade arrived.

Because Li Chang’an had wiped out all the Guardian Gods surrounding the Fusang Tribe in the last war, the area around the tribe was now completely peaceful.