the greatest human path inheritance, and in my opinion, including the readers

Southern Border, dawn.

The wet dew and the dense cloud-like mountain fog produced a depressing feeling.

The merchant caravan did not continue moving, moving in this dense fog on the mountain was very likely to create problems.

The young Fang Yuan was sitting beside a simple bed.

Gu Master Big Beard was lying on the bed, and was already on the verge of dying.

"Fang Yuan, thank you for the medicinal herbs." Gu Master Big Beard spoke with an extremely weak voice.

Fang Yuan was feeling extremely stifled, as he sobbed: "Uncle Big Beard, you will get better."

Gu Master Big Beard shook his head: "How could I not be clear of my injuries? Don't cry, child, crying is of no use to us."

"I was once young like you, and had big dreams."

"Unfortunately, my aptitude was too bad, and I finally sank into this current state."

"Hehe."

"This world is too big, while we are too small."

"When I was a child, I wanted to be a grand hero, like those legendary figures of the righteous path. When I was a youngster, I wanted to be a clan leader. When I was an adult, I was satisfied with becoming a clan elder. When I was a middle aged man, I was exiled from the clan, I felt that I could live by myself just as well, I was satisfied with just raising my Gu worms and myself."

"Do you know what I want now?"

Fang Yuan wept softly: "What?"

"I just want to quietly lie down inside a quiet room and slowly recall the past, until death comes to take me." Gu Master Big Beard had a self-mocking expression.

"Then, then should I leave?" Fang Yuan did not know what to do.

"Leave. Let me be here alone, I don't want others to see my dying appearance." Gu Master Big Beard said.

Fang Yuan slowly stood up and hesitantly walked to the door.

At this time, Gu Master Big Beard spoke once again: "You must have read <<The Legends of Ren Zu>>. There is a chapter which tells the story of the miniman walking out of Ordinary Abyss."

"We are all minimen, and we all want to walk out of Ordinary Abyss."

"Oh..."

"You must continue on, Fang Yuan."

"Continue living, continue persevering."

"It is a pity that all my Gu were destroyed in the battle. This is my advice to you, my only gift. To us minor characters, crying is of no use, no one will hear us even if we shout, we can only persevere by ourselves."

"Persevere until you accomplish great feats, become extraordinary. Either that, or embrace death."

...

Facing Frost Tide tribe's leader's long-winded speech, Fang Yuan fell into silence. (the Frost Tide tribe leader, called the MC "naïve" for being "selfless" in helping the merman girl, Xie Han Mo)

But he only fell silent for a short period before he chuckled and transmitted his voice: "You think I am not aware of what you said? You think I am an inexperienced youngster? No, I understand all these tricks, clearly in fact. I know these truths and have accepted them."
...

Frost Tide tribe's leader was frustrated, replying quickly: "Since you know these truths, then you should know you are taking great risks now! This is our merman internal political battle, what are you, a weak human Gu Master, doing by meddling? You like Xie Han Mo? I can guarantee that after this matter is finished, I will gift you many more beautiful mermaids! Don't doubt my sincerity, I can swear an oath to the Sea God!"

"There is indeed no need to doubt the sincerity of a merman who swears an oath to the Sea God. But... " Fang Yuan continued: "Although I accept these truths, it does not mean I like them. You think I like Xie Han Mo? No, no, I only want to help her. Why am I taking such risks to help her? Because I have my own principle, favors must be repaid, hatred must be returned."

"I have used lifespan Gu, I have lived much longer than you can imagine. I used to wish for a long life before, but now, I am tired of this thought. Life has become increasingly boring. Sometimes, the final destination of the journey is not important, the important thing is the process of the journey and how you feel during the journey."

Frost Tide tribe's leader involuntarily opened his eyes wide at these words, it was hard for him to understand Fang Yuan's way of life: "You are saying the position of saintess is not important, the important thing is helping Xie Han Mo in this competition?"

"Correct, but there is still more. You talked of the dark side of politics and promised to gift me mermaid beauties, both have no importance to me. Let me put it this way so you might understand a little, I have lived long enough that I am already sick of wearing a mask to live. Death is not scary to me at all. Right now, I only want to live using my truest emotions and feelings, I will achieve my goals in my own way. Only by living like this can I feel the excitement of life and the desire towards living!"

Frost Tide tribe's leader was dumbstruck and stupefied, he finally understood as he shouted: "So that's it, you are a lunatic! You have said so much but they are nothing more than saying you have lived long enough and don't want to live anymore! So be it you were a Gu Immortal, but you, a mere rank three Gu Master, want to live life your own way? You are dreaming!"

Fang Yuan smiled: "You think becoming a Gu Immortal can allow people to live according to their will? Live without wearing a mask? A place with people has society and conflict. Survival and living are two different things. The way you want to live does not have to depend on your strength and cultivation level, but your own heart."

After a brief pause, Fang Yuan continued: "Actually, low strength is also quite interesting. When you live without a mask, low strength will allow you to face more difficulties and challenges of reality; surpass these difficulties, face these challenges, and life becomes much more wonderful."

Was an ally of necessity because the main character was too weak to live on his own, but he had a card he could play to control the 'ally' and treat them as a bodyguard/servant. There was going to inevitably be a confrontation between the two due to their natures, and the author did a good job at writing that part. The start of the fallout is a well written scheme, and the other party makes a very satisfying counter. It was very good step in a very interesting relationship. Both parties had understandable motives and neither acted incompetent.

Hei Lou Lan, the 2nd one, is brought in to replace the first 'ally' after a very boring arc. The main character and her are both caught in a field where winds of death are trapping and approaching them. The MC has 2 methods of teleportation one is super valuable but single person and the other is sharable and less expensive; Hei Lou Lan has exactly no way of getting out. So when Hei Lou Lan breaks out a scam from all the way back in early Runescape saying "If you give me the valuable one I will return it along with something of equal value I will steal using it. I would use the sharable one. However, you control where we go with it, and I don't trust you enough to follow you." the MC readily agrees. Later when she comes back and has failed at stealing the valuable thing to repay him with he comments "Oh, getting this back was a nice surprise", and he never asks for other compensation.

That wasn't some scheme or anything he just went along with it. There were several reasons why this is even more ret*rded than it seems at a glance. Firstly, the MC is very fine with the idea of dying while pursuing his dream while Hei Lou Lan is very attached to life until she fulfills hers. Hei Lou Lan had a consumable that would turn someone into a willing follower, and the MC had ready access to a marketplace and the resources (He could buy 10s of thousands of the things easily) to buy them. He also got very good value out of one previously and should have well known the value in having one around. MC also had access to a space where he could take her to make her completely powerless if he felt rushed in that situation. The MC had all the leverage in their negotiation and a very reliable way to get compensation, but he still went along with her farce for some reason.

He somehow ends up in an "equal" relationship with her, but she does absolutely nothing to earn her keep. He helps her pursue her dream of killing her father, comes up with a way to include her in his business venture (purposefully giving her a lot of easy money to buy her loyalty), and he even ends up directly saving her life. I really can't think of one time he benefited from their alliance after all that work though.

If she wasn't bad enough on her own Hei Lou Lan also brings her aunt into the alliance, and the aunt develops some weird religion around keeping the MC in check because he is "growing too fast." It is a very annoying set of characters, and there is another f*cking one. Hei Lou Lan thought that MC asked for too much compensation when he saved her life so she calls in a super bad ass aunt from out of nowhere with no foreshadowing to break the alliance and extort the MC.

The first 'ally' was competent and self reliant. Hei Lou Lan is incompetent (despite the MC repeatedly claiming otherwise), and she couldn't even betray the MC until her deus ex machina aunt with top class fighting power, "smart schemes", and an endless supply of guilt towards Hei Lou Lan comes to save her. We see a competent MC turn into an incompetent one and fight with an impotent rival. It is just sad to see.