Book 6: Chapter 25: Return Home
Book 6: Chapter 25: Return Home
“What are your plans?”
Under the dark night color, Jiang Xiaoyi looked at the angry Lin Xi, in the end still chuckling.
He knew that Lin Xi would only put on a childish appearance before good friends. Moreover, he knew that Lin Xi should have quite the confidence, so this type of waving his fist in annoyance and pouting in annoyance was only a way for him to vent.
When they were in Green Luan Academy, if they felt irritated, they could go fight it out in the training valley. However, this was Yunqin’s territory, an empire, the secular world. For powerful cultivators like them, there would be much more regulations and restrictions. Jiang Xiaoyi knew that even though Lin Xi’s mental state was always rather easygoing, right now, he was definitely furious.
However, he could tell that even though Lin Xi really was upset, because Second Grandpa Zhang was still fine, Lin Xi didn’t reach his most angry state… He couldn’t help but become a bit curious. Someone like Lin Xi who was normally calm and easygoing, once he reached his most angry state, just what would that be like.
Jiang Xiaoyi suddenly felt that for someone like Lin Xi who was normally rather carefree, once he was truly angry, he would definitely become extremely terrifying.
“I am going home.”
When he said ‘he will die in an extremely unpleasant manner’, Lin Xi then moved his hand in the air a few times, as if he was adding a few cuts to that fat merchant’s face. After his anger was quelled a bit, he muttered, “I can only go into battle with my entire family, have my mom, pop, and sis help me face him.”
“What?” Jiang Xiaoyi was shocked, saying in disbelief, “Lin Xi, your entire family are cultivators?”
Pu!
This time, it was Lin Xi who couldn’t help but laugh.
“Let’s go. Just now, I haven’t thought things through yet, which is why I had Pu Feng wait first. Now, I already made my decision, so I shouldn’t make him wait any longer.”
Lin Xi patted the shoulders of his good friend, pointed at Pu Feng and said, “In a bit, I’ll have him give us a ride on a boat, we will visit Second Grandpa Zhang first, and then we’ll go back together with Second Grandpa Zhang… I want Second Grandpa Zhang to personally see the fall of this cultivator, this way, he can feel a bit more relaxed after.”
…
Early in the morning, a youngster dressed in clean blue clothes was riding on a horse, stopping under Deerwood Town’s Timely Wind and Rain decorated archway.
After taking a moment to size up this decorated archway that was full of weeds growing between the stone cracks, he directly headed to the town’s north.
The sound of hooves slightly disturbed the peace of this small town.
Since there were rarely strangers who came here, many people sized up this unfamiliar blue-clothed youngster.
This blue-clothed youngster didn’t ask for any directions, rushing straight to a white walled small courtyard with two stone lions in front, and only then did he stop and get off his horse. He tapped on the vermilion painted gates of the small courtyard, asking with a clear and respectful voice, “Is there anyone home?”
Some pleasant sounding bird chirping first sounded in this small courtyard decorated with bamboo and flowers. Then, with a creak sound, the vermilion gate was opened, an older woman in a flower apron held a clump of celery in her hands while examining this blue-clothed youngster before her out of curiosity. She discovered that he wasn’t anyone she recognized, so she immediately spoke in a bit of an overcautious and embarrassed manner, “May I ask who your respected self is?”
“I am Lin Xi’s friend.” The blue-clothed youngster said respectfully with a smile. “He had some matters to take care of, so he entrusted me to pay aunt and uncle a visit first.”
The courtyard wasn’t large, so the voices could all be heard.
When the blue-clothed youngster’s voice sounded, even before the older woman said anything, a light cry sounded from within. A squeaky clean, cute little girl in pigtails, appearance a bit similar to Lin Xi ran out.
“Do you have a letter from my big brother?”
The instant she saw this blue-clothed youngster, this cute girl already cried out excitedly.
The blue-clothed youngster immediately couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “You must be Lin Xi’s younger sister, Lin Qian.”
The cute little girl immediately nodded, asking excitedly again, “Is there a letter from my big brother?”
“Qianqian, you have to be polite to our guest.”
Right at this time, a middle-aged woman dressed in simple clothes walked out from the inner courtyard. After lightly scolding Lin Qian, she immediately showed the blue-clothed youngster a display of respect, saying apologetically, “Please have a seat inside first. I wonder what I should call you?”
The blue-clothed youngster’s expression immediately became proper again. He returned the greeting seriously and said, “Jiang Xiaoyi pays his respects to aunt.”
After returning the greeting, the blue-clothed youngster looked at the rather pitiful Lin Qian whose hands were hanging at her sides, and then he couldn’t help but chuckle, saying, “I’ve indeed brought a letter from your big brother… However, you’ll be able to see your big brother soon.”
The little girl immediately became stunned, the rather pretty middle-aged woman also stared blankly, her voice even trembling slightly. “You are talking about Xi’er?”
“Aunt.” Jiang Xiaoyi removed the letter from his sleeves, handing it to the middle-aged woman, saying with a serious expression, “Where is uncle? I fear that we must have him return quickly.”
The married woman was extremely respectful. She first invited Jiang Xiaoyi into the courtyard, and only then did she open the letter, replying, “He’s by the town’s shops…” However, before she could ask Jiang Xiaoyi if he had any breakfast, when Lin Qian reached out her neck to look at the contents of the letter, the middle-aged woman who had just scanned her eyes over the contents immediately cried out in disbelief, “Young Sir Lin… is Xi’er?”
Now that he met Lin Xi’s mother, Jiang Xiaoyi understood why Lin Xi always carried a scholarly and respectful bearing. Meanwhile, when he saw this woman who should have been born in a family with a literary reputation reveal an expression of disbelief, Jiang Xiaoyi couldn’t help but laugh, knowing that ‘Young Sir Lin’, this name should already have already spread through Deereast City, just that this mother never associated this ‘Young Sir Lin’ with her own beloved child.
“He was scared of worrying all of you, so that was why he didn’t tell you all first. Originally, he prepared to take a leave and visit you all after holding his office, but quite a few things came up. However, you all don’t need to worry, he is extremely safe right now.” Jiang Xiaoyi knew what a mother worried about the most, so he quickly said this.
The fingers of this middle-aged woman who shared some similarities with Lin Xi were trembling. She quickly read over the contents of this letter, but when she had just reached the third line, she raised her fingers a bit higher, not letting Lin Qian see the contents.
This was Lin Xi’s handwriting she was familiar with… Lin Xi explained the things in great detail, not hiding anything at all.
Some of the plotting and assassination matters, for an ordinary woman like her, were a completely different world, extremely alarming. However, as a mother, her concern for her children far exceeded the alarm she felt inside. She quickly raised her head, stared at Lin Qian who was trying to seize the letter from her hands with a stern look, and then said towards that older woman in a calm manner, “Grandma Wu, there’s no need to wash the vegetables anymore, hurry and call back the master, have him prepare a carriage.”
…
Next to a small lake in the hills was a quiet bamboo fenced small courtyard.
There were lotus roots planted in the lake, many flower buds already emerging from the layers of lotus leaves. Even though they haven’t bloomed yet, the scene was still like a beautiful gouache painting.
Inside of the small courtyard was a stone house piled up purely from the lake’s stones, inside of it some simple black furniture.
Because no one lived here for a long time, the weeds in the courtyard had already grown extremely tall.
The waxen yellow Second Grandpa Zhang was sitting on a stone chair while covered under a thin blanket, the stone chair was also covered in a thin blanket.
While looking at the small lake beyond the bamboo wall and at Lin Xi who had just swept his eyes over this entire place, and then walked in with a small wooden stove to help him prepare medicine, he coughed softly, unable to help but ask, “Lin Xi, who would have thought that you were someone from Deerwood Town! However, this place isn’t that close to Deerwood Town, there are not that many households nearby, so why did you all make this type of a small courtyard?”
When he heard Second Grandpa Zhang say this, Lin Xi didn’t immediately reply. His eyes landed on the small lake between the mountains, and then he looked at many areas in this small courtyard, many special emotions starting to appear in his eyes.
“Several years ago, I contracted a great illness, almost dying in the process.”
After remaining silent for a bit, Lin Xi carried the small stove over to Second Grandpa Zhang’s side, and then calmly explained, “I think I came here to play before I got sick, and then most likely because I liked this place a lot, I always bothered my parents to purchase this place. At the time, my parents didn’t agree, but later on, I found out that when I was seriously ill, my parents purchased this courtyard.”
“My family only has a few shops, can be considered financially secure and peaceful, but not at all extravagant. At the time, purchasing this place wasn’t easy either, and living here really isn’t a simple matter. My parents understood that coming here for some rest isn’t bad, but even if it is purchased, there should be no way of living here long term. Later on, this was indeed the case, we didn’t come here all that often.” Lin Xi looked at Second Grandpa Zhang, chuckled and said, “However, they still used up quite a bit of their savings, purchasing this place.”
Second Grandpa Zhang coughed lightly, he understood Lin Xi’s current mood well, saying, “Most parents in this world pour endless love and doting onto their children, just that some people understand this, some people don’t.”
“Because I was seriously ill, my father knelt before an old temple that was known to be rather spiritual for two days and two nights, later on, his two legs couldn’t even walk for many days. My mother, because I liked it, added many lotus embroideries to my clothes.” Lin Xi took a deep breath, and then released it, saying, “That is why even though I know this method will work, I still didn’t want to do anything that would disturb their peace, not willing to place them in the slightest hint of danger. Only, this person is too strong, I cannot think of any other methods.”
“You’ve done so many things in East Port and Swallow Descent Towns. Deerwood Town is so close, even if you didn’t say anything, your parents would find out sooner or later, so they will still feel worry for you.”
Second Grandpa Zhang consoled with a smile. “While living in this world, there will always be some things that are unavoidable.”
Lin Xi nodded.
Suddenly, he stood up, looking towards the sound of hooves.
A carriage appeared in his line of sight.
The expression on his face immediately couldn’t help but become moved.
In reality, the one who liked this small courtyard wasn’t him, but rather the previous Lin Xi. When he arrived in this world, when he became conscious, his illness was already almost cured.
However, the mother and father of this world and the things they did for him were still real. Their love for him was incomparably true.
They were his true family.
Family members, in any world, were the most precious, the ones worth cherishing the most.