I got the impression he was imagining heading toward a hard goal. To achieve what was aimed he must abandon all ties, so he may just be referring to all his previous bonds simply as 'you'. He talks of lies and general deception and unpleasantness frequently, so he must have chosen to leave his life as it was just a trap, with nothing good for him in it.
His new objective, that which would lead him from the other he wishes to abandon, I'd imagine is morally and mentally hard to arrive at, hence the 'battered path' referral.
I got the impression he was imagining heading toward a hard goal. To achieve what was aimed he must abandon all ties, so he may just be referring to all his previous bonds simply as 'you'. He talks of lies and general deception and unpleasantness frequently, so he must have chosen to leave his life as it was just a trap, with nothing good for him in it. His new objective, that which would lead him from the other he wishes to abandon, I'd imagine is morally and mentally hard to arrive at, hence the 'battered path' referral.